The Effective Spiritual Life
Ezekiel 2:1 to 3:14
May 30-31, 2026
Ezekiel 2, and we're going to do some verses in Chapter 3. As I mentioned, of course, before, we do the verse-by-verse study on Wednesdays. We're a little bit ahead on Wednesdays. Actually, we're in Chapter 8 already, but tonight we're going to be in Chapter 2 and 3. The message is The Effective Spiritual Life. Very important what God has for us in these verses. Let's pray and receive from God together.
Lord, thank You for Your word, and God, thank You for sending it by Your Spirit to bring revival, to stir our faith, to show us the way of blessing. God, we open our heart to receive. Pour out Your Spirit of life through Your Word, we pray in Jesus' name. Everyone says, Amen.
As I mentioned, Ezekiel is a prophet to the Israelites in Babylon. He's in exile with the Jews in Babylon. Now, before he's sent to be the prophet, we looked at this last week, God gave him visions of glory. It was amazing. He gave Ezekiel a view into heaven itself, the glory of heaven. What an amazing way to start a ministry, right? Let him stand in awe of the glory and the majesty of the Almighty. Let him be amazed at the beauty of God's holiness before he ever speaks a prophetic word. This is the way you start your ministry.
I. Love Casts Out Fear
Now, at the end of Chapter 1, Ezekiel said that when he saw the glory of the Lord, that he fell on his face. We can understand that. The radiance of the glory. I love this. It's just such a beautiful picture, I love. The radiance of His glory emanating from the very presence of the Lord Almighty, who sits on the throne. He got a view into glory. What happens next is a very important key. Ezekiel, standing before the throne and filled with the Holy Spirit of the Almighty, filled with the Spirit, "Now you're ready to be sent," to fulfill the purpose for which God has called him.
Now, there are principles for the effective spiritual life. That's the message, the effective spiritual life. God fills those whom He calls to accomplish a purpose that He has given for them to fulfill. If God has called you, He's going to fill you by His Spirit for that purpose. This is very important. We want the effective spiritual-- I want an effective spiritual life. How many people want an effective spiritual life? I want God to use me for His purpose and for His glory. Amen? That's what I want. That's what you want. There are principles for the effective spiritual life. Ezekiel is going to be called to speak the heart of God to these exiles who were difficult, obstinate, and rebellious.
Now, I mentioned before that Jeremiah said, those that went to exile, they're the good figs. They weren't good figs because they had good hearts. No, it was actually a prophetic word of what would become, what they would be transformed into. They had to go through trouble. This is oftentimes true today as well. It's the trouble. It's the difficulty. It's the turmoil of what they got to go through to bring about transformation that would make them the good figs. They had to go through the hard thing.
I tell you this is a very important principle as well. Pain and trouble are not enough to bring true transformation of the soul. No, you need more than pain. You need more than trouble. No, you need the Spirit of the living God, and you need the Word of God. I have seen many people go through troubles, and it doesn't change them at all. They don't learn a thing. Those who go through it and connect the trouble to a spiritual condition are the ones that then have their hearts open that God is doing something here, that God is bringing something about in my soul through this. God is trying to show that there's a spiritual connection to the trouble and that God would use it to bring a transformation.
You need more than trouble. You need spiritual revival, and that only happens in the soul. Ezekiel is called with that purpose. He's going to speak a difficult word to a difficult people. He needs the effective spiritual life, and there are principles for us to take hold of in it. Let's read it. Ezekiel 2. We'll just read through the verses and then go through and see how God would apply them to our lives. Starting in verse 1.
Again, this is after the visions. Actually, it's still happening. In the visions of glory, he fell on his face, and he heard a voice. "He said to me, 'Son of Man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you.' As He spoke to me-" notice this part here, "-the Spirit entered me and sat me on my feet." It's like the Spirit lifted him up on his feet. "Then I heard Him speaking to me. He said, 'Son of Man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have rebelled against Me. They're not good things yet. They and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. I am sending you to them, who are stubborn, obstinate children. You are to say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God.'" That's a great word to speak.
Now, as for them, whether they listen or not, for they are a rebellious house, whether they listen or not, this much is for sure, they will know that a prophet has been among them. They will know that a man of God has spoken. "Now you, Son of Man, neither fear them nor fear their words, though thistles and thorns are with you--" In other words, no matter how bad it gets, no matter how difficult it becomes, even if you sit on scorpions, do not fear their words and do not be dismayed of their presence, for they are a rebellious house. "You will speak My words to them, whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious." I've heard that theme now.
"Now you, Son of Man, listen to what I am speaking to you. You, do not be rebellious like that rebellious house." Then He says, "Open your mouth and eat what I'm giving you." This is very interesting here. "I looked. Behold, a hand was extended to me, and lo, a scroll was in the hand. When He spread it out before me, it was written on the front and the back. Written on it were lamentations, mourning, and woe." Chapter 3, "Then He said to me, Son of Man, eat this scroll. Eat what you find. Eat the scroll. Go and then speak to the house of Israel after you've eaten the scroll of the Word of God."
"I opened my mouth, and he fed it to me. He fed me the scroll. He said, 'Son of Man, feed your stomach. It's going to become part of your inner man. Feed your stomach. Fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you.'" Oh, this is such a very important scene here. "I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth."
"Then He said, 'Son of Man, now go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them, for you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech or difficult language. No, you're being sent to the house of Israel. You're not being sent to many peoples of unintelligible speech or difficult language whose words you cannot understand. No, I have sent you to them who ought to listen to you. Yet the house of Israel will not listen. They will not be listening to you since they're not willing to listen to Me. Surely the whole house of Israel is stubborn and obstinate. Something's got to break.'"
This is the point. Something's got to break. Notice this. This is very interesting. Verse 8, "Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces. I made your forehead as hard as their foreheads, like emery, harder than flint I made your forehead. Don't be afraid of them. Don't be dismayed before them, though they are a rebellious house." There's a theme here. "Moreover, He said to me, 'Son of Man, take into your heart all My words which I shall speak to you, and you listen, and you listen closely. Then you go to the exiles, to the sons of your people, and you speak to them. Whether they listen or not, you say, 'Thus says the Lord God.'"
This is the grand finale of this whole scene, "Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me saying, 'Blessed be the glory of the Lord in this place,' and I heard the sound of the wings of the living beings touching one another and the sound of the wheels behind them, even a great rumbling sound, and the Spirit lifted me up and took me away. I went-" notice this part, "-embittered in the rage of my spirit, and the hand of the Lord was drawn upon me."
What a great scene. What amazing words. Talk about effective spiritual life. What principles there are here for us, starting with this. Notice. I want you to maybe grasp it from this perspective, that love casts out fear. Notice how this whole scene begins. Chapter 1 ends with this prophet facedown on the ground, undone by the vision of the throne, the living creatures, the wheels, the radiant likeness of the glory of God. "Then He says, 'Son of man, stand on your feet. I will speak to you.'" See, in other words, God doesn't leave him trembling on the ground. He fills him with the Spirit and stands on his feet. Before God sends, He's going to fill by His Holy Spirit.
By the way, the New Testament understanding is different than the Old. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would fill those for a particular purpose and for a particular calling. In the New Testament, if you have received, if you've opened your heart to receive the Lord Jesus into your life for the forgiveness of your sins and the promise of eternal life, then you've got to know that He fills you with the presence of the living God. His Holy Spirit fills you. I want you to know it's the same Holy Spirit that filled Ezekiel. Wasn't a different Holy Spirit. Same Holy Spirit. Now, filled Ezekiel. Fills you with His Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 5:18, "Be ye filled by the Holy Spirit," direction of the Lord. Like, "Be even filled," like, "More, more, more." Notice Luke 11:13, "If you then, being of the world, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" Like, you can have more. He says, "Ask, seek, knock. To those who ask, they'll find." God will give you more when you ask. Now, in the same way, in other words, that Ezekiel was in awe of God's glory, filled by His Spirit, God does a similar work. God wants you to stand in awe of His glory and be filled by the Spirit.
Would you notice, very important, who is the Spirit of love? This is a key to the effective spiritual life, this understanding right here. Romans 5:5 and other verses. There are many verses, but here's two. Romans 5:5, "The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." The love of God. I want you to understand the depth of the love of God here. It's the key to the effective spiritual life. Notice Galatians 5:22, the fruit of the Spirit, the result of the Spirit, is love. Why? Because He's the Spirit of love. God is love. When He fills you with His presence, it's love and joy and peace.
See, when you stand in the presence of the Almighty, you are standing in the fullness of God's love. God is love, 1 John 4:8. Ezekiel was given a front-row seat to the glory of perfect love, and perfect love casts out all fear. This is where he's going. This is why he's beginning here. Perfect love casts out all fear. This is 1 John 4:18.
Now, I was thinking of maybe a way to picture it in your mind. Imagine going to a worship concert. Have you ever been to a worship concert? At the Rose Garden a few months ago, Rowan, one of our worship leaders, invited us to a worship concert. Live, it's just, oh, so beautiful. An amazing worship concert. Imagine going to a worship concert, and you're in the front row, and you're right in front of the speakers. You're thinking, "Oh, that's going to be loud," but imagine it's not music coming out. Imagine it's glory, and it's the fullness of God's love. You're in the front row, and you're right in front of the speaker, and it's glory coming out. Not music, it's glory, and it's God's love. Taste of heaven right there.
Can you imagine what glory we're going to have in heaven? Can you imagine the love that is going to pervade and just fill-- We're going to dwell in the fullness of love. We're going to-- oh, glory be what God has in store for us. This is how God prepares His servants. He begins with love. Before He gives the hard assignment, He's going to overwhelm them with His glory, and with His goodness, and with His love. You've got to begin there. God so loved you that He gave His only Son. He did that because He loved you. He called you because He loves you. He saved you because He loves you. He adopted you as a son or a daughter because He loves you.
A. God has not given us a spirit of fear
I tell you, if people could only understand the depth of that, it would change them. It would truly change them. If people only knew how much God loves them, it would change them. Then notice where He's going with this. He's preparing them. Effective spiritual life begins there, but notice, God has not given us a spirit of fear. There's a key to this. He's commissioning Ezekiel. He's going to have to address this fear that's going to naturally arise in Ezekiel. Verses 6 and 7, "You, son of man, don't be afraid. I'm sending you on a difficult mission. Don't be afraid. Don't let fear take over your heart. Though thorns and thistles are with you, though you sit on scorpions, do not be afraid."
This is a common theme when God calls someone that He's sending. "Joshua, take courage. Do not be afraid," before He sent them, because fear is a natural condition. We were born in that condition, fear. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love--" notice that, firstly. "God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of love and power and a sound mind." Fear is a debilitating prison. How many people have been captured by fear? It locks them down. They can't move. They're afraid. It's a prison they can't get out of. Fear locks them in a prison. It has robbed people of fulfilling God's calling, but God does not give a spirit of fear. If fear is a spirit, the fear didn't come from God. No, God gives a spirit of love and power and a sound mind.
Now, the word fear here is not like fear of, say, fear of the narc or fear of heights or something like that. No, it's fear of men. That's a distinct fear, fear of other people. John 12 says, "Many of the rulers of Israel believed in Him, believed in Jesus, but because of the Pharisees, they would not confess Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue, for they loved the approval of men more than the approval of God." 2 Corinthians 3:2. Notice the contrast. "Having, therefore, such a hope, we use great boldness to speak. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is boldness," he's saying.
Interestingly, the name Ezekiel actually means God will strengthen. Maybe you didn't even know they were prophetically giving him a name. Then look at Chapter 3, verses 8 and 9. I find this interesting. "Behold, I made your face as hard as their faces. I made your forehead as hard as their foreheads. Harder than flint, I made your head, so don't be afraid of them." God did this. God made his forehead hard. We typically think of a hard head as negative. People say, "Don't be so hardheaded." It means don't be so stubborn. "You're so hardheaded." It's very negative.
Here, there's strength in it. No, it's a good thing here. See, it's like rims, literally butt heads. You're going to face some hardheaded people. You're going to need a hard head yourself. You're going to butt heads with them. In other words, don't relent. Don't give up. Take your stand and don't compromise. There's a boldness there.
When I think about great boldness, I was thinking of a time, a number of years ago, we had a leaders' meeting at the church here. We gathered the leaders. Everyone introduced themselves and whatever ministry they did. We went down. "I'm John. I'm involved in men's ministry, and I do this." "My name's Barry, and I'm involved with this, and that's what I do." We went down. The last one was Pastor Kaveh. Now, some of you know we have an Iranian fellowship that meets here in the afternoons, an Iranian fellowship. Many Muslims have come to faith, by the way, in Jesus Christ. That takes a certain boldness in that ministry. He's the last one. I'll never forget how he introduced himself.
He's got, of course, that strong Iranian accent. "My name is Kaveh Kavehrad, bond servant of the Lord Jesus Christ," and we're all like, "Can we have a do-over?" It's just like something, "My name is Kaveh Kavehrad, born servant of the Lord Jesus Christ." Now, there's some strength right there. See, the opposite of fear is boldness. Where does boldness come from like that? Spiritual. I'm talking about spiritual boldness. It comes from a confidence that God is with you, that God is for you, and that God works through you. Confidence in God gives you a boldness in the Spirit.
Psalm 71, verse 5, David, "You are my hope, oh Lord God, and you are my confidence since my youth." Romans 8, "You have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear. No, you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba, Father.'" Abba is the Hebrew expression for the most intimate way of calling your dad, intimate. A child would say "Abba." They still do, by the way, in Israel. If you go there and you see a little child talking to their parents-- to his dad, they'll say "Abba."
I want you to notice the point of this. If God is your Father, then He's with you. If God is your Father, then His favor is upon you. See, it changes everything if God's your Father. See, God didn't give us a spirit of slavery leading to fear. No, a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry, "Abba, Father," for the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God. What then shall we say to these things, these troubles of life, if God is for us, who can be against us? If God is your Father, it changes everything. This is where He starts. Then He says to him, "Don't fear obstacles."
B. Don’t fear obstacles
God is honest here with Ezekiel. This is not going to be easy. They are hard people. They are obstinate people. They are hard-hearted people. They are hard-headed people. This is not going to be easy. He mentions thorns and thistles. Even if you sit on scorpions, thorns and thistles are powerful pictures of the obstacles of the world. In Genesis, after Adam's sin, God told him that the ground would produce thorns and thistles. Genesis 3:18. They represent the curse, the resistance that sin brought to the world. Life's going to be way harder now because of this sin. Thorns and thistles represent it.
Jesus picked up on this imagery in the parable He gave of the sower, saying that the Word of God being sown on hearts is like a farmer sowing seed on different types of ground. He mentioned different types of soils. Notice, the seed that fell amongst the thorns was choked out. The thorns representing the world, the worries of his life, the deceitfulness of wealth, the desires for other things, choked out the Word, produced no fruit. When Jesus was on the cross, they pressed a crown of thorns upon His head. Our Savior wore the curse so that we could be free from it.
Now, it's important to note, we want an effective spiritual life, but God's will is not easy, not supposed to be easy. If it were easy, you wouldn't need God. When I was growing up, my pastor used to remind us that God's will for our lives will often be a challenge much bigger than ourselves, precisely so, so that it will require God to do it. You want a vision that's way bigger than you so that God's got to do it. There's no such thing as an obstacle-free path. There's no such thing. If you ask God to strengthen your forehead like flint and fill your heart with love, thorns and thistles may be difficult, but they cannot stop you when God is with you, when He sent you for His purpose.
C. Don’t fear failure
Then I want you to notice this part, don't fear obstacles, don't fear failure, whether they listen to you or not, because they are difficult, rebellious people. They may not listen to you. Don't fear failure. Now, this is a big one because many people do fear failure. It's one of those big fears. It keeps people from moving. This word here is one of the most freeing truths in the whole passage, whether they listen or not, for they are a rebellious house. One thing is for certain, they will know that a prophet of God spoke to them. See, God measures effectiveness by faithfulness. Let me say it again. God measures effectiveness by faithfulness.
Later in this chapter, He calls Ezekiel to be a watchman on the wall, a watchman on the wall, with position on the wall, so he can see out on the horizon. If there was an enemy or trouble coming, then his job was to sound the alarm and warn the people. You warn the people. Whether they listen or not, your job is to warn the people.
The fear of failure has paralyzed more believers than almost anything else. Don't listen. "What if they reject? What if nothing happens? What if it doesn't work? What if it's not effective?" God simply asks that we be found faithful. It's incumbent upon servants that they be found faithful. I was thinking of an illustration.
This might surprise you. Many years ago, I was invited to speak at a Muslim mosque. They invited me. I'm going. They wanted me to speak on the Trinity. Every time I brought up Jesus and the redemption on the cross, they started hissing and shouting and raising their voices. You want to talk about a hostile crowd? I'm so thankful for you. I haven't had hissing and shouting since that day, praise God. I didn't win any converts that day, but I was faithful to what God called me to do. For some reason, they invited me back.
There's freedom in the effective spiritual life. You're not responsible for the results. You're responsible for the obedience. Take Noah. Noah, it says, was the preacher of righteousness to his generation. His generation lived a long time. He was the preacher of righteousness like for 120 years and had zero converts, except for his own family. How about that for effectiveness? Zero converts, yet he's listed in Hebrews 11 as the hall of faith, the famous ones who moved by faith. Why is he listed there? He had zero converts because he was obedient by faith. Noah was obedient. He built the ark. He preached righteousness. Even if they didn't listen, he preached righteousness, that the results belong to God. The same is true for you, for me.
That step of obedience in your marriage, that ministry you feel called to start even though it seems impossible, be faithful. Love casts out fear of failure. What has fear of failure kept you from attempting? Today's the day to stand on your feet. God is not asking for perfect results. He's asking for a willing heart. When you obey, people will know that a child of God was among them.
II. Feast on God’s Word
Next thing I want to show you in this chapter, feast on the Word of God. I realize I've got to move through a little faster. Feast on the Word of God. Notice Chapter 2, verses 8 and 9, and then also in Chapter 3, "You, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Open your mouth and eat what I'm giving to you." "Look, behold, a hand was there. A scroll was in it. 'Son of man, eat this scroll. Open your mouth. Eat what I'm giving to you.' I opened my mouth. He fed me the scroll." "'Son of man, feed your stomach. Fill your body with the scroll which I'm giving to you.' I ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth."
This is so powerful about how God prepares the effective spiritual life. This is about the Word of God in the soul. Before He sends Ezekiel out, He makes this word become part of the inner man. Not just information. Don't just repeat. "No, I want it as nourishment for your soul first, Ezekiel. It's got to minister to you first." Let the Word of God reside deeply upon you first. Before you speak a word, let this word reside upon you. Maybe we can say it this way. Choose your diet wisely. He begins with a warning. "Don't be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth. Eat what I give you."
A. Choose your diet wisely
There's an old saying. I'm sure you've heard of it. You are what you eat. It's true. Spiritually speaking, it's absolutely true. What you take into your soul day after day will shape who you become. This is one of the most important principles you will ever find in the Word of God. This is so important to grasp. People want to change. People want to be transformed. They don't recognize the significance of this right here. The people of Israel were taking into their souls, eating the lies of the world because they were consuming idols of the world, philosophies of the world, compromises, rebellious attitudes.
These inputs were affecting their soul, making them hard, stubborn, and malnourished. Their souls were dying because they were poisoning their souls by what they were taking in, by what they were eating, by what they were consuming. God is preparing Ezekiel for an effective spiritual life. What you take into your soul will determine the condition of your soul. It's very important. One of the most important principles.
Several years ago, I was going through something I really needed God to answer. "God, I am going to pray. I'm going to fast. I don't know how long this is going to take. I'm going to do a Daniel fast, which means I'm going to eat only the healthiest foods. While I'm fasting, I'm praying, no Snickers bars for me. I'm going to just eat healthy." I actually started juicing during this time, vegetables and fruit juices. I tell you what, it felt good. You start feeling really good. Did you know, by the way-- side note. Totally side note. Did you know that you can drink straight spinach juice, and it's like drinking liquid energy? You could just like, "Woo." Your eyes like, "Whoa." Then you start singing. No, just kidding. I'm not going to do that. It's actually true. I'm as amazed. I see him. I ordered a--
I have in my office freeze-dried spinach powder, which you can mix with water, and-- woo. When the afternoon pickup, woo. Side note, let's get back to the word. In other words, it wasn't just physical, I'm praying too. What a difference. My heart is more sensitive to the Lord. Prayer is more focused. I found a direct connection. The same principle applies to your soul. When you fill your mind, your soul with the Word of God, the Word of God is alive. It's active. It's moved by the Spirit. When you fill your mind with, "Oh, what today? Social media drama," negative news all the time, toxic things that poison, what do you expect?
Make taste for the moment, but it leaves you so weak. It leaves you so ineffective because you can't have both. You can't have both. You got to choose. You got to choose what you want to live. You got to choose a path. You got to choose. Can't have both. Doesn't work that way. Life does not work that way. It doesn't work that way. You cannot put poison in your soul and then have a powerful soul. You can't. You can't drink poison and then be physically strong. You can't. Doesn't work that way. Contrast that with Isaiah 55.
Isaiah 55, verse 2, "Why do you spend money for what is not bread? Why do you spend your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is good. Delight yourself in abundance." He's talking spiritually here. Eat. Bring to your soul that which is good. Delight yourself in spiritual things, spiritual abundance. Delight is a great word. Love that word. God will send His word. Isaiah 55:11, "So shall My word be which goes forth from my mouth. I send it, and it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, without succeeding in the matter for which I send it."
B. God’s Word is sweet to the soul
God's Word is alive, active, powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. God's Word accomplishes its purpose. When you eat it, when you abide it in your soul, it does something. It strengthens you, changes you, it prepares you, because it's alive. Then notice this, and God's Word is sweet to the soul. It was sweet as honey to my mouth. Even though it says on it written front and back were lamentations, mourning, and woe, it was sweet because it was God's Word. One of the great mysteries of the Christian life, God's Word might be strong, might be confrontational, might be challenging, but it becomes sweet to the soul to the one who loves Him, because God sent it out of love to accomplish a purpose.
The Holy Spirit uses the Word that is hidden in the heart. "Your Word have I hidden in my heart," David said. You can't bring to remembrance what you never put in. "Well, what was that? Well, did I never studied it." You can't wield the sword that you never pick up. God can't comfort you with promises that you've never hidden in your heart. This is why we emphasize reading through the Bible again and again here at Calvary. This is why we go through the whole Bible. It's about filling your heart with truth so the Spirit has something to work with. You need something to work with when that moment comes when you need it.
Jeremiah 15, interestingly, very similar word. Jeremiah wrote, "Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart. For I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of Hosts." I love how Pastor Chuck Smith from Calvary Chapel used to teach this. He would often say that the secret to ministry wasn't being the most gifted or the most educated. It was about being filled with the Word of God. The Word of God is alive. It's active, sharper than any two-edged sword. Chapter 3, verse 10, "Son of man, take into your heart My words. Listen to them very closely."
Pastor Chuck used to tell us at pastors' conferences that two pastors, he would say, "To prepare a message from the Bible, don't go to commentators. Don't start there. Start with the Word and read it over and over and over and over and over. Whatever section you're teaching from, read it over and over and over and over and over and over until it's written on your heart. Don't you dare teach that word until it's written on your own heart. I found that to be so true. This is the fourth time we've gone through the entire Word of God. We started in Matthew, so we're almost done with the fourth. To prepare a message, I will read it over and over and over.
C. Blessed be the glory of the Lord
We've done this four times. Can you imagine? I'm the one who's blessed. I get blessed. I have to agree with Jeremiah. It has become the joy and the delight of my heart. I'm seeing things I've never seen before in the Word of God that are amazing, glorious things. This is the effective spiritual life. He's speaking to you and to me. He will use the word. "Eat this scroll. It's sweet. It's sweet. It's good. It's good."
Lastly, we'll close with this. Blessed be the glory of the Lord. That's how we're going to end. Notice Chapter 3:12-14, "The Spirit, at the end of all this, lifted me up. I heard a great rumbling behind me, 'Blessed be the glory of the Lord in this place.' I heard the sound of the wings of the beings touching one another, the sound of wheels, a great rumbling. The Spirit lifted me up, took me away." Notice, and I went, embittered in the rage of my spirit, and the hand of the Lord was strong upon me."
Notice that part. Why did he go away embittered in rage? Because now he sees from God's perspective how sin has destroyed his people. He can see it now, all that we've gone through. Why are we even in this place? Why are we even in Babylon? Why are we in Jerusalem? Now he sees it for what it is. Now he sees it in a rage, like this inner strength of, "Mmm." Sees it now. It's true for you and me as well in this sense. Now, this isn't a righteous anger. This is not human weakness anger. People get angry, and it's oftentimes a human weakness, like, "No, no, sorry. That's not God. That's you. That's you and your weakness. That's not God." This is different. This is a righteous thing.
See, when God does a beautiful work on your soul, and you see the beauty of the Lord in all His majesty, it changes how you see sin. Now you see it in all of its ugliness. Most people can't see how ugly it is. They can't. They're blinded. You see it. When you see the glory, when you see the beauty, how beautiful is the Lord, you see sin differently. You see that you don't want it in your life. Like, "I don't want that ugly thing, that ugliness. I don't want that. Get that out of my life. I want the beauty of glory. That's what I want." A rage is like, "No, get that out of my life. I don't want this. This thing is destroying me. This thing is going to stand in the way of what God wants to-- I don't want that. Get that out of my life."
A rage. It's a righteous rage. It's good. It's not human. It's spiritual. It's good. God's doing something glorious when you see it that way. Oh, that's revival. That's revival. That's what God wants to do in us. Let's pray.
Lord, thank you for showing us your way. God, we want the effective spiritual life. Fill us with your Spirit. Show us your glory. Show us how great is your love. Show it to us that we might stand in awe of your beauty and your majesty, and then be filled with your purpose. Send us to be effective in our calling and purpose. Church, how many would say to the Lord, "That's my prayer right there. I want that for my life. Do that in me, God." Would you raise your hand as a way of just expressing that to the Lord? "Do that in me, God. I want that. I want that. Do it in me."
Lord, thank you for your filling. Thank you for your Spirit of love. Thank you for your glory. Thank you for your beauty. Thank you for your majesty. We give you praise and glory for it all in Jesus' name. Everybody said-- Let's give the Lord praise and glory. Amen? Amen.