They Never Obeyed
The sermon emphasizes the importance of obeying God's Word and the consequences of hardening one's heart, which leads to disobedience and a lack of surrender to God.
David Wilkerson emphasizes the disconnect between hearing God's Word and obeying it, using the example of the Israelites who enjoyed Ezekiel's preaching but failed to act on it. He highlights the danger of hardening one's heart after hearing the truth, as seen in Hebrews and Isaiah, where God warns against the consequences of rebellion and complacency. Wilkerson calls for a full surrender to God, urging believers to move beyond mere acknowledgment of His Word to genuine obedience and transformation. He reflects on the joy of those who truly embrace God's truth and allow it to guide their lives.
Text
The children of Israel loved to hear the powerful preaching of Ezekiel but they never obeyed it. "They come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice . . . for they hear thy words, but they do them not" (Ezekiel 33:31-32).
Many people have approached me after a service, hugged me, and said, "Pastor, that was a powerful word you preached." But as they have walked away, the Holy Spirit has whispered to me, "They didn't hear a word you said!"
The book of Hebrews gives us a powerful warning: "As the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness" (Hebrews 3:7-8). "For some, when they had heard, did provoke [rebel]" (verse 16). These passages clearly show that hardness is not connected to atheism, communism or any other "ism" but, rather, to hearing and then not doing God's Word.
Israel gladly listened to the powerful preaching of the prophet Isaiah yet they continually justified their sins, calling evil good and good evil. So God instructed Isaiah: "Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed" (Isaiah 6:9-10).
God knew the Israelites were not willing to lay down their besetting sins. They loved their fleshly pleasures and ungodly companions too much. So the Lord told Isaiah, "These people are never going to change their hearts and from now on, I will not speak a word to them. Instead, I want you to hurry them into their hardness, Isaiah. That way, perhaps some will listen before it's too late!"
Simply put, God was calling for a full surrender from His people. I thank God for the multitudes of Christians who started their walk with Jesus the right way, loving truth and obeying His Word. When they forsook the ways of their flesh, they fell in love with the Lord, and His Word became to them a guiding lamp.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Israelites' Love for God's Word but Lack of Obedience
- A. They loved to hear powerful preaching, but never obeyed it
- B. They would sit and listen, but their hearts were not in it
- C. They would show love with their mouths, but their hearts were after covetousness
- II. The Consequences of Hardness of Heart
- A. The book of Hebrews warns us to not harden our hearts
- B. Hardness of heart is not connected to atheism or other 'isms'
- C. It is connected to hearing and not doing God's Word
- III. Israel's Justification of Sins
- A. They would listen to Isaiah's preaching, but justify their sins
- B. They would call evil good and good evil
- C. God instructed Isaiah to make their hearts fat and their ears heavy
- IV. The Call to Full Surrender
- A. God wants a full surrender from His people
- B. He wants them to lay down their besetting sins
- C. He wants them to fall in love with Him and His Word
Key Quotes
“They come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.” — David Wilkerson
“For some, when they had heard, did provoke [rebel]” — David Wilkerson
“Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- We must not just hear God's Word, but also obey it and put it into practice in our lives.
- Hardness of heart is a serious issue that can lead to disobedience and a lack of surrender to God.
- We must be willing to lay down our besetting sins and fully surrender to God in order to be healed and converted.