This has been such a tragic week in our world. I am almost afraid to turn the news on in the morning and evening to continue to hear the escalating number of deaths due to the Tsunami. Nearly 150,000 people have died as this huge wall of water hit them with virtually no warning. So for the last several days, we have heard the speculations about and the calls to develop a warning system that could prevent a tragedy of this magnitude from occurring again. We have similar systems functioning already. There are people whose job is to watch for developing weather patterns, seismic activity in volcanos, fire’s in forests. And these people work and function to ensure you and I have the best possible chance at protecting ourselves in case of an emergency. Without even realizing it, we have come to depend upon these people, trusting them to alert us of any impending danger. We have as well a powerful military force that serves us around the world and watches for the potential of attack. They work in difficult and dangerous places in order to ensure our safety and our freedom. These men and women serve as watchman for our nation. We are dependent upon them and in many ways place our lives in their hands, without ever really considering all that is going on around us.
Several months ago in my quiet time with the Lord, He led me to the book of Ezekiel. And since that time, this passage from Ezekiel has called out in a loud voice to me. It has been stirring in my heart for months. We have been given a very specific calling. And it carries with it great consequences. Those consequences can be God honoring, or quite honestly can bring about death and eternal punishment. Many of you have shared that this year has been one of personal growth and challenge. From the period of personal holiness we discovered in the spring, challenging work in preparation for SummerFest and the way your faith was renewed in seeing all that God did in that time period, all the way to this last week we went through in 2004, you have been stretched and pulled in all kinds of new directions. And as great as that is, we must now ask what will we do with all God taught us? Will we harbor it deep in our hearts and remember this year as a challenging year and simply sit by and wonder what this year of 2005 will hold for us? I don’t believe that is what God would want from us, Harrison Community Baptist Church. I believe with all my heart that God is calling us to leave the complacency of what we call our Christian life and to surrender fully to His Will, His plan and to do so without question. For as we wait idly by, even hoping to see God do a work in this community and the surrounding areas, there are people dying without Christ, dying in disobedience, many Christians dwindling away with the cancer of sin in their lives, eating away at them slowly and we wait. And our hesitation can be the final condemning factor in another’s life! We must leave the comfort of our world, arm ourselves, clothed for the battle that rages and in the midst of the storm of life, take our place on the wall as watchmen for the cause of Christ!
Turn with me to Ezekiel 33:1-20
For the next several weeks, we will look at the call of the watchman and as watchman, what must we know? For we must be obedient to this call. And if we are, then God is honored and I know without a doubt that we will celebrate with many, their decision to follow Christ. But that is not our concern so much. That is the celebration we are at times blessed to be part of. In the very center what we will experience is OBEDIENCE.
This morning we will begin by looking at the duties of a watchman.
The Duties of a Watchman
I We need to be alert
A Watchman played a very important part in a cities defense. They had to stay alert at all times to see any impending danger and report it immediately. Their eyes were always on the horizon, looking for the slightest bit of danger. They had to be constantly on the alert.
B On March 23, 1983, Ronald Reagan gave a speech in which he outlined a national plan of defense that became known as “Star Wars”. In the speech, he said, “What if free people could live secure in the knowledge that we could intercept and destroy any strategic ballistic missiles before they reached our own soil?” The plan was that instead of retaliation, any incoming missiles would be detected and shot down before they could cause damage. President Clinton tried to sell the National Missile Defense System to fend off missiles from Rogue states.
C OUR NATIONAL SECURITY DEPENDS ON OUR ALERTNESS. At this moment, every satellite, airplane and other objects of flight are being tracked before they ever enter our airspace. Teams stand at the ready to launch defensive maneuvers and counterattacks.
D But what if after all the money and time have been spent in developing these systems, those responsible for watching out for our welfare for some reason decided not to pay attention? What if they decided not to alert the president or military of impending attacks? All the systems were working correctly, radars tracking, satellites sending correct information, computers functioning properly, lights flashing and warning sirens going off but those responsible for passing along the warnings were too afraid of causing panic, or were sleeping because they stayed up too late, or were engrossed in some recreational activity with others and didn’t want to tend to their duties, too busy on the phone or just simply didn’t take it seriously? What would happen to all those under their watch, those they were to protect?
E How does the old saying go? An ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure? As watchmen on the wall, we are there to serve as an alert system, a protection the deals with a problem rather than to retaliate against it. But we have to be watching diligently for it. We cannot allow the enemy to distract us from our duties.
F We can get so busy doing stuff that we miss on the primary things God wants us to do. And our focus is diverted and we miss the advancing enemy.
G Not only are we so often diverted, but we are complacent and lethargic when it comes to the things of God.
H When I was in the Air Force, we often had wartime exercises. Invariably, I was always with TSgt. Terry Farmer. He knew his way around and we generally had a good time together. But at times, he would get us in trouble. I will never forget we were getting close to wrapping things up, which generally meant a large battle. Terry and I were in a favorite spot of his and he was to be on watch. But Terry had a long day and decided since nothing ever happened with him, he would catch a quick nap to prepare for the work awaiting us. I was busy doing my work and that’s when it all went down. We had infiltrators and Terry was asleep. They came in, took his weapon and sneaked away. About that time, a captain with the security police noticed them and began to sound the alarm. Needless to say, Terry was shocked and got in quite a bit of trouble. He knew what he was to do, but was so sure it wouldn’t happen to him or his, he was not alert at all, and we all paid.
I Isaiah 56:10-Israel’s watchman are blind, they all lack knowledge. They are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep.
J Paul had a response to this, to the Christian believers in Rome.
K Romans 13:11-12
L This word is for us! It is time to Wake Up. The alarm is going off and we must no longer sleep on duty. We must see with clarity that which is coming and sound the alarm. Jesus told his followers in Mark 13:32-36
M In the movie, THE PERFECT STORM, John Spillane is a member of a para-rescue group sent to save those on the ship in the storm. He is taught to evaluate a person’s degree of consciousness. In normal situations a person is said to be alert and oriented times four. They know who they are, where they are, what time it is and what just happened. The first thing to go is recent events, Alert and oriented times three. The last to go is identity.
N As we look at our level of spiritual consciousness, I wonder what degree of consciousness we would be?
II We need to be Concerned
A It really matters little how alert we are if we are not concerned about those under our watch. If a watchman was faithful and concerned about those under his watch, people were saved. But if they were careless or unconcerned, people died.
B I talked to my friend Scott this week and we talked at length about this passage and the truths behind it. And as we talked he asked what then it will take for people to be committed to filling their role as watchman. Does the church need to do more extensive training in sharing our faith? Do we need to set up more involved evangelistic programs? And I think we have done that until we are blue in the face.
C We will not see radical changes by simply providing yet another tool to place in our wallets, but rather by hearts that beat for Christ and begin to see people as God’s creation. We must have our hearts broken for the desperate plight of the lost and the destructive power of sin in the believers life. And when we get to the point in which we are legitimately concerned about those in our care, we will begin to see differences in lives. We will put aside our fears and doubts and do all we can to get the message of hope and redemption across.
D If you have seen the recent commercials about drug usage, you will recognize along with me their great power in portraying the responsibility to be involved and concerned. The commercials show a person drowning, or a person who has had a bike accident in the middle of the road. Both cases have someone looking on as the victim calls for help. The drowning victim is beginning to sink and a big truck is coming around the bend and the witness simply turns to walk away.
E The commercials are powerful in that they show the ridiculous nature of not saving a dying person. That picture is also a great visual of the Christian who is afraid to speak Biblical truth to the dying all around them.
F We have all natures of excuses-we don’t know enough or we are afraid of chasing them away. It didn’t feel right or we couldn’t figure how to start the conversation. I say these are but feeble excuses of those who cannot clearly see the plight of the lost! It is desperate!! And God sent His Son for them as well as you!
G When I was at the convention this year, Yassir Arafat took ill and he was suspected to die very soon. I heard no concern for him and his health and even more for his spiritual condition. We recognize his sins and I don’t in anyway take away from that reality. Yet this man was preparing to meet eternity without the redemptive blood of Christ in his life. And I came to realize that our concern is so limited to the ones we believe deserve heaven! And that is flawed from the onset, for none of us deserve it. Ezekiel 33:10-11.
H God has called us to be ministers of reconciliation! He wants His created to be reconciled to Him. And as we cheer the death of the sinners, the heart of God is broken to see yet another step into eternity short of His salvation.
I Our concern will only be authentic when we once again get to the point of understanding what it is that Christ did for each of us on Calvary’s cross! It was for us, sinners separated from a Holy God. While we were enemies of God, he looked with compassion and sent His Son to die for our transgressions.
J As we read the writings of Paul, we get the clear message of a man who recognized how much love had been poured into his wretched life. We see a man who was then dedicated to sharing that love with whomever he could get to listen to his message. Whether it be in the square with a mob wanting his life or the prison guard holding him, the message fell off Paul. He could not contain it. And I believe it was out of genuine concern for the lost.
K The opposite picture of this is found in Jonah. Sent to Nineveh to preach against the wickedness of the city. Yet when they heard the message, they were cut to the heart and repented. And Jonah was MAD. Jonah 3:10-4:11
L Our concern for the lost and those in broken fellowship must be genuine. And when we are genuinely concerned, we will have a message on our lips, a truth that we cannot hold back. A message of redemptive hope that flows deep in our hearts from the understanding of God’s abundant grace offered to us. Maybe, it is time we were to take a realistic look at who we really are and what God has done for us.
III We must be willing
A How far are you willing to go? What are you willing to do? What are you willing to endure for the sake of the Kingdom? Famine, Nakedness, loss of friends, family and loved ones? LIFE?
B Being a watchman is not easy. Much is demanded. We put ourselves out in front in a sense, understanding that if we are doing our job, the first arrow might very well be aimed at us. And it can cost us greatly in the eyes of the world.
C But if we are willing to answer the call, Jesus has warned us in advance of this truth. Mark 13:9-13
D Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had to discover that for themselves. Maybe you are familiar with the account in Daniel in which they refused to worship the image Nebuchadnezzar had made. And he threw them in the fire. To escape the flames, all they had to do was to bow down. But they were willing to give life if necessary to stay in right standing with God. And God’s willingness to rescue them or allow them to die a martyr’s death played no role. Daniel 3:16-18
E But God did rescue them. And God received the glory! And His name was lifted because these men were willing to give it all! Daniel 3:28-29
F God is asking you this morning to again take up your position. To call out with a refreshed voice the Word of the Lord. To once again cry out with clarity the dangers that are lurking.
G He is not looking for us to wait and retaliate, but instead to prevent the dangers before they have chance to cause damage.
