Sermon: “Those Who Sigh and Groan” (Ezekiel 8-9)

Out of Exile

This is the audio (51:13, 46.8 MB) of a sermon preached at Kaunas Free Christian Church, on May 15, 2022. The main text is Ezekiel 8:1-15 and 9:1-11. An excerpt:

Our passage for today is one that has been rattling around in my head for the last two years, and I’m finally collecting my thoughts to say something about it. It’s kind of like an expose, a bit of “hidden camera footage” that shows what the religious leaders of Israel were doing in secret, in the Jerusalem temple, in its last days before it was destroyed. They thought that they could use their power to do whatever they wanted, and that no one would see—including God. We will see from this passage that God does act to stop those in power from abusing their power in secret. And there is a message for us who don’t always have “inside access”: how are we supposed to react to corruption? And, how can we look to Jesus as an example of how to live faithfully in a sinful world?

Faithful readers of this blog will recognize some insights shared previously here. Enjoy hearing the sermon in both English and Lithuanian (back-and-forth)! You can also watch the service on YouTube.

​Audio and text: ©2022 by Benjamin D. Giffone. Reproduction and distribution are permitted, providing that the author is properly credited and that no fee is charged.