THE WATCHMAN
THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN TOWN
Ezekiel 33:1-6
1 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:
3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;
4 Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.
5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.
6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.
Here in these few verses God uses Ezekiel to forewarn Israel of their upcoming event and vision of a restored Israel.
Israel had once again fell out of the will of God. God was about to pour out His judgement upon them.
Ezekiel spoke to them about having a watchman look out for this event or this upcoming judgement. God was going send this upon this land.
There are (4) four dangers I want to point out to you this morning concerning, “ THE WATCHMAN, THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN TOWN”
#1- DANGER OF FORGETTING,
Notice with me here in verse 2, it says, “When I bring this sword upon this land” Here we know for sure that a judgement is coming.
Look in verse 3, it starts out with “If when he seeth” I want you to notice the word, “IF” here. That just means this is not a 100% sure thing,
Church let's try and put us in that watchman’s seat just for a few minutes here this morning.
You see God has set us the CHRSITIANS aside to be His watchman. The Christians are the most important person/people in town.
What we do know for sure is Jesus is coming back for His saints. We know that IS 100% sure.
The question is are we going to be faithful, obedient and keep a careful eye for this upcoming event that will happen?
Are we in danger of forgetting to warn people of the upcoming judgement God will lay upon those that do not know His son Jesus?
This watch man will blow his horn to warn the people in this town. Are you ready to blow that horn of warning here in this community and the area around where we live.
Are we willing to blow that horn of warning with those we work with, maybe those that just meet and great that are just passing though the town you are the watchman for?
Are we forgetting to warn them about a Hell that awaits them if they die without Jesus?
CAN I JUST CHASE ONE RABBIT HERE?
I cannot count the times I have heard people say, we the Christians cannot judge other people. This my friend is a lie from Satan, Satan does not want us to warn other people about hell, Satan wants them.
There is a huge difference about judging and discernment of others. God has told us to judge people by the fruits that they bear. If you cannot decern or see any fruits being shared from that person, then they are not sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we should know who is for us or against us.
I cannot judge anyone of they are going to Heaven or Hell, that is what God does during the Day of Judgment, it is not my call. But I better know enough about right and wrong to make a good choice if I should be around this person or not. I better know what to say when I run across someone that does not know Jesus, I need to warn that person, I need to tell them about Jesus and about Hell.
Again, I am not telling you that you are going to Heaven or Hell, I can only see the fruits you bear and that is what I see on the outside. God see’s the inside, the heart and soul. There you cannot lie. That portion that God judges is a part that determine where you spend eternity.
So, let's just clear that up right now, yes, you can judge people by the fruits they bear, or you can use your God given gift to decern if that person is good or bad.
If I run across a person who has a gun and shooting people, I can pretty much say this person is a bad person. I can see that. Do you want to go walking downtown on the streets of Birmingham at midnight? Why? Because you have decerned there are bad people there, stay away.
I grew up just outside of Atlanta, it was well known that when the sun went down you best be getting out of that city. Those people there will kill you and not even lose any sleep over it. They are some bad people there.
So, you see you have judged people, you do it every day in fact. But Satan want you to believe that you cannot judge people and find out they do not know Jesus and you want to warn them.
Back to Verse 3 here. Look at the words, “IF WE SEETH”, that is a big word right there, this watchman will see it coming but will he blow his horn?
It makes me wonder what we are doing today, I ask you, are we in danger of forgetting to warn people about the coming judgement of God?
#2- DANGER OF TAKING GODS SERVANT TO LIGHTY.
Let’s look at verse 4 here,
4 Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.
Look how this verse starts out, “THEN”, we see that something has or is happening.
Churches today, preachers are warning the people of an upcoming rapture. Well, those that even believe it !
They are preaching that without Christ and Hell awaits them and mind you a Hell that will last forever and forever for all of eternity.
Here in Verse 4 the bible says, “WHOSOVER HEARATH THE SOUND OF THE TRUMPET AND TAKETH NO WARNING”
I believe that churches today are in danger of taking God’s servant to lightly. I have heard over the course on many years people saying preachers have been preaching the last days for over a thousand years, even longer and it has not happened yet! What makes you think today or tomorrow will be any different?
I have been in churches where the congregation has been more worried about what they are going to have to eat after service than worry about where you and your loved ones will spend eternity.
Some even fall asleep in the pews and start snoring while the preaching is preaching and sounding the horn of warning of danger coming.
Churches today are running off pastors right and left, now there might be a very good reason why of course. Some may have lost that zeal or excitement for God. Some may just have decided that the fight was harder than they could bear or carry…it happens church.
I have sat with pastors when I was a full time, Evangelist. I have listened to those pastors tell me how their church is falling to the wayside, and it seem no one cares that it is happening.
I have sat with those pastors, and they have told me, if God does not move in this Revival I will be turning in my letter of resignation. I cannot carry the load anymore.
I have watch them weep, I have watch them just throw their hands up and tell me that they just can’t go on. They are beat up, they have been lambasted, lampooned and jeered at and properly cursed at, its not worth it anymore. I have seen it, yea, I have even felt some of that myself.
But I believe the vast majority of pastors that are ask to leave they have stepped on some toes, stirred up some hearts to make themselves see themselves as the sinner they really are.
These type churches want those “feel good” preachers or pastors in the pulpit. They want some water down version of the bible preached to them. They want to leave church a feel good about themselves even when they know they are not ready for this upcoming judgement.
They are in danger of taking the servant of God to lightly.
Look around and see if you are notice any young man that is just starting out preaching. If you do, it is very rare indeed. I think I have more pastor friends that have left the ministries that are in it now. They have been broken by the very people that he was to love and shepherd over.
Yes church, God’s servant are being thrown to the side even though they have warned them of the dangers forthcoming.
#3- DANGER OF BEING DECIVED BY THE DEVIL
Let’s look in Verse 5,
5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.
These people heard the trumpet and did not take warning.
We all know that the Devil goes about to and fro devouring whom he may.
The devil will even mix in a little truth with lies to deceive you.
Here in this verse, we see that the warning was issued but they just did not take it as serious as they should have.
Today people are getting that same mind set. Oh, nothing is going to happen for at least another 20 years or much longer. Jesus isn’t coming back that soon.
You see the Devil will deceive you. What you do Not know is that tomorrow your life will be cut short by some unforeseen reason which you had never planned for.
THEN WHAT DO YOU DO?
We must be ready at this very moment to take the call of that trumpet.
I cannot count the lives that have been deceived by that wicked liar, Satan. He has deceived many a person throughout history that followed along his path to destruction.
Are you, are we in danger of the devil deceiving us?
I do rejoice in that last part of that verse, (BUT), I’m glad for that Heavenly conjunction, business picks up when Jesus butts in.
“But” He that taketh warning, shall deliver his soul- Hey church I want to deliver my soul to Jesus.
The raiser of dead
The one that can make the lame to walk.
The one that can make the blinded eyes see.
The one that walk on the water.
The one that can feed thousands with just a few fish and bread.
The one that rose from the grave after three days.
The one that has defeated Hell and the grave.
The one that is standing on the right hand of God interceding on our behalf.
Do not let the devil deceive you for he wants your soul, he will fight to keep you away from Jesus.
#4- THE DANGER IN LOOSING YOUR JOY OF SALVATION.
That joy in salvation that happiness in knowing God and all the fullness there is.
Here in verse 6.
6 But if the watchman sees the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.
This watchman, he saw the sword come, but I think his joy, his concern for others and his compassion for the lost souls was just not there anymore.
But notice!!! He is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood will I require.
How many Christians have you known that looked as though they would be better off dead than face another day?
Their joy has diminished to where they do not care anymore.
This watchman, the most important person intown, could be one of us this morning.
Are we in danger of losing our joy in salvation?
Do you keep a lookout for danger that comes our way and ready to blown the horn of warning?
If we don’t, Satan will rib you of the joy of doing God’s work.
Spooner than later, you start missing church, maybe one Sunday here and there, then two Sundays a month, three then all of a sudden you are only showing up for Easter, Christmas and maybe Mother’s Day.
Your joy of being around God people is gone. Your joy of hearing Gods word has all but feel deaf on your ears.
All because you did not see the danger signs that were echoing out from your soul, your spirit that told you…. Just follow Jesus, just trust in Him.
Please do not find yourself in the danger of losing your joy in Christ.
CLOSE
Let’s look here now at verse 7 of this chapter.
7 So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.
God has set a watchman into your home, what danger will you avoid when the watchman blows his horn. “ Therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth”
I ask you this morning are you the most important man or woman in this church or even your home?
I ask that you stay steady and strong and keep a watch out for Christ.
Are you warning others that without Jesus in their heart a Hell awaits them.
Where are you this morning, where is your horn, is it in a case stashed away in a backroom.
Do not let the devil deceive you and say to you, “you do not need to go to this alter this morning, you are good enough as it is, I ask you …good enough for who?
Come and ask God to let you be the most important person in town this morning. Let Jesus give you the joy of knowing you are one of God’s watchmen.
Let God put you up on that wall to see over your family, your friends, this church, this community wherever God has you, you be the watchman for God.
Someone may take heed to your warnings and come to know Jesus and by you sounding that horn for God, you have caused them to miss an eternal Hell.
If you do not know Jesus this morning but you know that without him there is not future, no happiness, no joy that brings a smile on your face and a peace in your heart…. let me be that watchman this morning to tell you come. Come and accept Jesus.
