The Prophets - Lesson Three: The Prophet Ezekiel - The High Place

The third lesson in our series 'The Prophets' taught by Assistant Pastor Dillon Meadway on Sunday, January 18th 2026

This powerful message confronts us with a crucial question: what occupies the high places in our lives? Drawing from Ezekiel 36 and the broader prophetic narrative, we're challenged to examine whether we've allowed idols—careers, relationships, comfort, or even our own self-sufficiency—to take the throne that belongs to God alone. The Israelites found themselves in Babylonian exile not because of their ancestors' sins, but because they refused to take responsibility for their own spiritual compromises. They blamed previous generations while continuing the same patterns of idolatry and rebellion. How often do we do the same, shifting accountability away from ourselves? The sermon uses a striking historical illustration: London's Great Smog of 1952, where 12,000 people died not because they weren't trying to breathe, but because the high places—the chimneys burning cheap coal—were polluting the atmosphere. The solution wasn't trying harder; it was cleaning the source. Similarly, our spiritual lives won't change through sheer willpower, but by allowing God to occupy the high place again. When we consecrate ourselves through prayer, fasting, and genuine repentance, we're not earning God's favor—we're positioning ourselves to receive the new heart and new spirit He promises. The message reminds us that we live under a better covenant than Israel did. We don't have to wait for annual sacrifices; we can confess, repent, and be forgiven immediately. But this requires us to stop making excuses and start taking ownership of our spiritual condition. The battle for the high place is real, and whoever occupies it shapes the entire atmosphere of our lives, homes, and futures.