1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,160 In the book of Ezekiel, the Lord rebukes Jewish leaders for abandoning their role as spiritual 2 00:00:05,170 --> 00:00:06,970 shepherds over the nation. 3 00:00:06,970 --> 00:00:07,970 He says: 4 00:00:07,970 --> 00:00:13,210 I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before 5 00:00:13,210 --> 00:00:18,300 Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. 6 00:00:18,300 --> 00:00:24,540 - Ezekiel 22:30 During a time of great moral failure and disbelief, 7 00:00:24,540 --> 00:00:29,410 God searched for a man who could build a wall of righteousness against the rising tide of 8 00:00:29,410 --> 00:00:33,640 evil, but could not find a single person to heed His call. 9 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:40,530 This failure caused the downfall of the nation and demonstrated an important spiritual principle: 10 00:00:40,530 --> 00:00:46,870 God not only punishes evil, He also punishes for failure to stand up to evil. 11 00:00:46,870 --> 00:00:52,880 This principle is as true today as it was more than 2,500 years ago in Israel. 12 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:55,680 There is no neutral ground when it comes to evil. 13 00:00:55,680 --> 00:01:01,140 "Live and let live" is not the motto or motivation for Christian action in this world. 14 00:01:01,140 --> 00:01:06,220 A good example of this is found in the life and service of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. 15 00:01:06,220 --> 00:01:10,850 He was a German Theologian and part of that country's underground resistance against the 16 00:01:10,850 --> 00:01:14,790 Nazi regime that ruled his country during WWII. 17 00:01:14,790 --> 00:01:20,200 He began as a teacher and academic but when the Nazi party began its ascent he became 18 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:25,190 more involved in the direct ministry to the people and the opposition to the evil that 19 00:01:25,190 --> 00:01:26,600 was Nazism. 20 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:33,110 On January 30th, 1933 he made a speech on the radio denouncing Hitler and warning the 21 00:01:33,110 --> 00:01:39,840 German people to not fall into the idolatrous cult of the Führer (leader), He was arrested 22 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:46,350 in April of 1943 and, two years later, on April 9th, 1945 (less than one month before 23 00:01:46,350 --> 00:01:51,909 Germany surrendered) Dietrich Bonhoeffer was stripped naked and led to the central yard 24 00:01:51,909 --> 00:01:56,780 at the Flossenbürg concentration camp (in the region of Bavaria) and hanged. 25 00:01:56,780 --> 00:01:59,330 He was 39 years old. 26 00:01:59,330 --> 00:02:04,510 His life's end fit exactly a quote from one of his most famous books entitled - The Cost 27 00:02:04,510 --> 00:02:05,600 of Discipleship. 28 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:12,470 In it he wrote, "When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die." 29 00:02:12,470 --> 00:02:16,630 Christians are God's "wall of righteousness" in the modern age. 30 00:02:16,630 --> 00:02:20,790 As that wall, we are not here to change the world but rather to: 31 00:02:20,790 --> 00:02:25,920 Witness against the evil in the world Shine the light on what is the good according 32 00:02:25,920 --> 00:02:30,000 to God's word Make every effort to avoid participating in 33 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:35,650 the evils we ourselves, witness against Let's make sure that whether it be at school, 34 00:02:35,650 --> 00:02:40,290 at home, or at work, our wall of righteousness is standing firm. 35 00:02:40,290 --> 00:02:49,570 1. Describe the person who has been a "wall of righteousness" for you in your life? 36 00:02:49,570 --> 00:02:57,240 2. On a scale of 0-10 (zero being totally immoral and ten being pleasing to God) where would you place your country? 37 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:04,580 3. Why do people say things were better in the past? Were they really? 38 00:03:04,580 --> 00:03:11,840 4. If you were the leader of your country, what two things would you do (legally) to make your nation more pleasing to God? 39 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:19,820 5. Judge yourself on the scale in question #2 and answer question #4 by listing 2 things to make your own life more pleasing to God.