Sermons

Ezekiel

November 17th Worship Service

By Joel De Ford • November 17, 2024

Worship Service

Prosecuting Jerusalem

By Joel De Ford • November 17, 2024

November 17, 2024 - Ezekiel 22:1-31 - God makes His case clearly against Jerusalem, illustrating that His governance is not arbitrary or capricious, but perfectly just.

November 10, 2024 - Ezekiel 20:45-21:32 - God warns the people of Jerusalem that He has drawn His sword, has polished and sharpened it, and will soon use it to bring retribution on Judah for her sins.

A Promise Kept

By Joel De Ford • November 3, 2024

November 3, 2024 - Ezekiel 20:33-44 - After a scathing history lesson with a promise of judgment, God tempers his message to Israel by pledging to keep his promise of regathering them and restoring them to the land under his rulership.

Ezekiel's History Lesson

By Joel De Ford • October 27, 2024

October 27, 202 4 - Ezekiel 20:1-32 - Ezekiel gives the Elders who come to inquire of him a history lesson in the unfaithfulness of Israel, and the graciousness of God. But since they are continuing to worship idols and reject God, God will no longer withhold the judgment they deserve.

The Lions of Judah

By Joel De Ford • October 20, 2024

October 20, 2024 - Ezekiel 19:1-14 - A lament for the last two lions of Judah, a warning to Zedekiah, and a prediction that there would be no more kings of Israel until the King of Kings!

A False Proverb

By Joel De Ford • October 15, 2024

October 13 , 2024 - Ezekiel 18:1-32 - The people of Jerusalem were using a proverb that was false, and God was not pleased. He made clear to them that people would be punished for their own sins, not for the sins of their fathers. Those who repented would be forgiven, those who had lived a good life and then turned their back on it would be punished.

The Eagle and Vine Metaphor

By Joel De Ford • October 7, 2024

October 6, 2024 - Ezekiel 17:1-24 - Ezekiel's next metaphor teaches two major lessons, as well as predicting the future of Judah. God gives us the interpretation, so there is no speculation.

The Unfaithful Wife Metaphor

By Joel De Ford • September 29, 2024

September 29, 2024 - Ezekiel 16:1-63 - The point of this metaphor is simple. Jerusalem has been unfaithful to God, and God is going to discipline her to bring her back, but He will never be unfaithful to her. God places a very high value on faithfulness, unlike fallen human beings.

The Vine Metaphor

By Joel De Ford • September 24, 2024

September 22, 2024 - Ezekiel 15:1-8 - God likens Jerusalem to a fruitless vine, that is good for nothing but the fire. This metaphor is a common one in Scripture, and we can learn much from it.

God Isn't Listening

By Joel De Ford • September 16, 2024

September 15, 2024 - Ezekiel 14:1-23 - God has never promised to answer the requests of everyone. The Elders in Babylon were hypocrites, and God said He would not listen to them. He tells us why, so we can deduce from that what we must do to assure that God will listen to us. God is just, and He never acts arbitrarily.

The Necessity of Truth

By Joel De Ford • September 9, 2024

September 8, 2024 - Ezekiel 13:1-23 - Ezekiel addresses the false prophets and prophetesses. They are whitewashing the edifice of lies that the people are building, and failing to build a wall of truth. They will perish in the devastation that is sure to follow.

The Play's the Thing

By Joel De Ford • September 2, 2024

September 1, 2024 - Ezekiel 12:1-28 - God is not stingy with the truth. He proclaims it over and over, in various ways. In this chapter, he has Ezekiel perform a drama, picturing what is going to happen to King Zedekiah, and he assures the people that He will do as He says, and soon.

The Curse of Wicked Rulers

By Joel De Ford • September 2, 2024

August 25, 2024 - Ezekiel 11:1-25 - Wicked rulers contribute massively to the fall of a people. Also, many feel that what is happening to them is a catastrophe, but often, as in the case of the people who were taken into captivity, they are actually being blessed and preserved.

Ichabod

By Joel De Ford • August 18, 2024

August 18th, 2024 - Ezekiel 10:1-22 - Ichabod means "the glory is departed" and that is exactly what happens in this chapter. God deserts the temple in Jerusalem, and the land is ripe for judgment. What triggered this worst of all possible events?

"Begin at My Sanctuary"

By Joel De Ford • August 11, 2024

August 11th, 2024 - Ezekiel 9:1-11 - God shows Ezekiel what He intends to do about the abominations that Jerusalem has been engaged in, and it isn't pretty. But there are some people who will be spared, and He explains why, and there are others who will be judged first, and there is an explanation for that also.

Your Room of Pictures

By Joel De Ford • August 5, 2024

August 4, 2024 - Ezekiel 8:1-18 - In this passage God shows Ezekiel the abominations that the people of Jerusalem are committing, which include both open and secret idolatry. In your imagination, your room of pictures, what are you worshipping?

When the End Comes

By Joel De Ford • July 22, 2024

July 21, 2024 - Ezekiel 7:1-27 - The message of this chapter is that judgment is coming, and God is revealed as the God who strikes! God is long suffering, but He will not bear with wickedness forever. The flood, Sodom, the dispersion, and the prophesied end of this world all attest to this fact. The world doesn't believe it, but we as Christians should be prepared, whenever it finally happens.

The Purpose of Judgment

By Joel De Ford • July 14, 2024

July 14, 2024 - Ezekiel 6:1-14 - The sin of God's people that triggered the judgment God is promising was idolatry. God declares through Ezekiel that His judgment will result in his people knowing that He is God. There is no more important knowledge that we can have than the knowledge that God is Lord. Knowing God is critical.

The Fate of Jerusalem

By Joel De Ford • June 23, 2024

June 23, 2024 - Ezekiel 5:1-17 - God gives Ezekiel an object lesson for the people, and the interpretation is that Jerusalem will be destroyed, 2 thirds of the people killed, and one third scattered over the earth. Because they had not glorified God in their living, God will glorify Himself in their judgement. God's glory is inevitable.

The Siege of Jerusalem

By Joel De Ford • June 9, 2024

June 9, 2024 - Ezekiel 4:1-17 Ezekiel is called upon to illustrate the siege of Jerusalem by participating in it vicariously. It cost him deeply to be God's mouthpiece, and it will cost us as well.

The Watchman

By Joel De Ford • June 5, 2024

June 2nd , 2024 - Ezekiel 3:16-27 - Ezekiel is given the job of watchman for God's people. He is warning about temporal danger, but we are watchmen as well, and our message is one of Spiritual and eternal danger. It is a serious responsibility.

Same Culture Communication

By Joel De Ford • May 19, 2024

May 19th, 2024 - Ezekiel 3:1-15 - Ezekiel wasn't doing cross cultural ministry, and God said if he had been they would have listened. In some cases, same culture communication is tougher, and it takes tough people to do it.

Ezekiel's Call

By Joel De Ford • May 6, 2024

May 5th, 2024 - Ezekiel 2:1-10 - After seeing the vision of the Glory of God, Ezekiel is called by God to declare His Word to His people. They would know that a prophet had been among them! I apologize again for the audio quality, we are still having mic issues.

Ezekiel's Vision of God

By Joel De Ford • April 28, 2024

April 28, 2024 - Ezekiel 1:4-28 - God gives Ezekiel a vision of His glory, in preparation for his ministry. We all need the same vision. I apologize for the drop in audio quality toward the end. We seem to have lost a mic.

Getting to Know Ezekiel

By Joel De Ford • April 14, 2024

April 14, 2024 - Ezekiel 1:1-3 - The life and times of Ezekiel the prophet, and the background information for this book.

Topical

God's Plan for Fathers

By Joel De Ford • June 17, 2024

June 16, 2024 - Genesis 1:26-31- when God finished His work in creation, that didn't mean there was nothing left to do. God intended that the humans he was creating would add to His creation, increasing order, managing and enhancing His work. Fatherhood is a huge part of this.

Proverbs on Motherhood

By Joel De Ford • May 13, 2024

May 12th, 2024 - Proverbs 31:1-9 - God's Word, and especially Proverbs, rates mothers pretty high. The challenges of motherhood are pretty significant, and Proverbs has much to say about being a good mother. Thank God for good mothers!

Truth and Consequences

By Joel De Ford • April 7, 2024

April 7, 2024 - In a post-truth society, we must return to and understand what truth is, where we discover it, and why we should tell it. The love of truth must become the foundation upon which we build everything else.

The Rising Son

By Joel De Ford • April 1, 2024

March 31, 2024 - The resurrection is required belief for the Christian, and there is plenty of evidence for it, but we are not required to feel that it is true, which is much harder to do, and for many reasons. We must trust our minds more than our hearts!

Mountain Tops and Valleys

By Joel De Ford • March 26, 2024

Ma rch 24, 2024 - The disciples went from the highest of Mountain Tops to the lowest of valleys in one week. In both, God's purposes were being accomplished.

How the World Works

By Joel De Ford • March 18, 2024

Mar ch 17, 2024 - What is a Worldview, how do we develop one, and how do we know which one is right?

The Practice of Baptism

By Joel De Ford • March 11, 2024

March 10, 2024 - Why should you be baptized, is it for today, and how young can one be baptized?

The Significance of Baptism

By Joel De Ford • March 4, 2024

March 3rd - What is the significance of water baptism, and why should christians be baptized?

Members of His Body

By Joel De Ford • February 25, 2024

February 25, 2024 - I Corinthians 12:12-27 - Evidence that the early church did indeed have a membership, and why membership is essential to church life.

The Pastorals

God's Design For Leadership Within the Church

Our Sufficient Savior

By Joel De Ford • February 19, 2024

February 18th, II Timothy 4:16-22 - God is sufficient to meet all our needs, but that doesn't mean He meets them all directly. In fact, He meets most of our needs mediately. But when we are all alone, He is there for us. Paul was forsaken by men, but not by God.

In Defense of Marriage - February 11th, 2024

By Joel De Ford • February 12, 2024

I Timothy 4:1-5 - Marriage is under attach in our generation, but it was ordained by God, and is an institution that ought to be defended. It is the best school in which to learn divine, self-sacrificial love, and is a major part of God's plan for sanctification of the majority of people.

In Rome Alone

By Joel De Ford • February 5, 2024

II Timothy 4:9-15 - Paul has been left mostly alone in Rome, and he urges Timothy to come to him. We see Paul lonely, forsaken, tired, and discouraged. He isn't that much different than you and I! My apologies for the recording - we had mic problems.

Crossing the Bar

By Joel De Ford • January 28, 2024

II Timothy 4:6-8 - Here, Paul gives his elegy to Timothy. He states his present situation, and then he looks back at his past service, and forward to his glorious future.

His Final Word

By Joel De Ford • January 22, 2024

II Timo thy 4:1-5 - Paul passes the torch to Timothy, as he contemplates the end of his life, and gives him a charge that every one of us should take to heart.

The Sufficient Word

By Joel De Ford • January 14, 2024

II Timothy 3:14-17 The Scriptures are breathed out by God, and are all we need for Salvation and Sanctification, as well as being true in everything they address. We desperately need to get back to building our lives upon God's Word.

Follow Me, Boys!

By Joel De Ford • January 7, 2024

Follow Me, Boys - Paul explains the reasons why Timothy chose to be his disciple and join his team. There are many lessons about discipleship that we can learn from him.

Looking Ahead

By Joel De Ford • December 31, 2023

Looking Ahead - Will the rapture take place soon, or not? And how should we live in either case?

The Birth of a Cult - II Timothy 3:6-9

By Joel De Ford • December 18, 2023

The Birth of a Cult - II Timothy 3:6-9

Perilous Times - II Timothy 3:1-5

By Joel De Ford • December 12, 2023

Perilous Times - The character of the people who make the last days so perilous.

A Mission of Rescue - II Timothy 2:22-36

By Joel De Ford • December 3, 2023

A Mission of Rescue - How to be the kind of person who is able to rescue those in captivity to Satan.

Fine China - II Timothy 2:20, 21

By Joel De Ford • November 26, 2023

Fine China - How we can be useful and honorable vessels for the Master's use.

Thanksgiving Psalm - Psalm 100

By Joel De Ford • November 20, 2023

Thanksgiving Psalm - It is not enough to praise God, we must praise Him for something. It is not enough to thank God, we must know what we are thanking Him for.

A Firm Foundation - II Timothy 2:16-19

By Joel De Ford • November 13, 2023

A Firm Foundation - We must never trust the ideas of men, but place our complete confidence in the Word of God.

A Certified Technician - II Timothy 2:14, 15

By Joel De Ford • November 6, 2023

A Certified Technician - We must strive to be a certified handler of the Word of God!

Remember - II Timothy 2:8-13

By Joel De Ford • October 30, 2023

Remember ! - We must remind ourselves of who Jesus Christ is, of what He has done, Of what He expects of us, and of what He has promised.

II Timothy 2:1-7

By Joel De Ford • October 23, 2023

Marvelous Metaphors - Paul uses 4 metaphors in this passage that give us a great deal of insight into what it means to serve the Lord.

II Timothy 1:13-18

By Joel De Ford • October 15, 2023

F aithful and True - We must guard the truth that has been entrusted to us with eternal vigilance, or we will begin to drift. We must never substitute man's authority for God's!

II Timothy 1:8-12

By Joel De Ford • October 9, 2023

No Need to Blush! - There are several reasons why we should not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ.

Copy of II Timothy 1:1-7

By Joel De Ford • October 1, 2023

Fan the Flames! - Paul begins the letter by trying to encourage Timothy in four ways, and urges him to encourage himself as well.

Titus 3:8-15

By Joel De Ford • September 24, 2023

Profit and Loss - What God wants is always profitable, and disobeying Him will always result in loss.

Titus 3:1-7

By Joel De Ford • September 18, 2023

Things Are Different Now! - How can we be truly Holy without being "Holier than Thou?"

Titus 2:11-15

By Joel De Ford • September 10, 2023

God's Glorious Grace - God's grace brings salvation -- and a whole lot more!

Titus 2:1-10

By Joel De Ford • September 3, 2023

A Multi-generational Church - Paul addresses all the age groups in the church, because all are important.

Titus 1:10-16

By Joel De Ford • August 27, 2023

Dealing with Deceivers - What are false teachers like, and how should they be dealt with? That's the question Paul answers in this section.

Titus 1:5-9

By Joel De Ford • August 13, 2023

Order In the Church - God requires the church to be an orderly body, and a big part of that is leadership. Paul instructs Titus in this regard.

Titus 1:1-4

By Joel De Ford • August 6, 2023

Hello Titus - Paul gives his mission statement to Titus, and his blessing

Special Messages

Two of the messages in this section are a couple of the most important messages I have ever preached. The truths in these messages are very little understood, and yet they impact our lives as Christians in profound ways. The messages are intended to be listened to as a unit, "Glorifying God" first, and then "Motivation for Ministry." I strongly encourage you to listen to them.

I have recently added a third message that I also believe is very important, because our view of God has been deteriorating in the past generation. We must return to a high view of God.

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