"Keep A Watch!"
Luke 2:8
If you have your Bibles would you turn with me please to the book of Luke, the book of Luke. The 3rd gospel, and if you could go to chapter number 2, and I want to read for you just one verse for your hearing on today, so drop down to around verse number 8, and it reads as follows from the New International Version, "And there where Sheperds over in the fields nearby, keeping watch over thier flocks at night." Amen. You may be seated in the presence of the Lord.
This text messes with me. It messes with me for several reasons. The first thing that messes with me is, why in the world are Joseph & Mary going to fill out a cenus when Mary is pregnant with child? But not only that also, if this is in fact the King of the World, King Jesus, why is he being birthed in such a God-awful, nasty, inhumane place as a stable? And finally, why in the world would God choose some lowly sheperds keeping watch over thier sheep as the first people to hear the good news of Christ’s birth? And that’s, that’s what’s really messing with me so for just a little bit of time I want to talk from the subject of, "Keep A Watch!" "Keep A Watch!" Hmmm...
My dear brothers & my sisters, if I could take you on a theological jaywalk through this text for just a few minutes on today I would submit to you that the reason that God chose the Sheperds tending thier sheep to be the first to hear of the good news of Christ’s birth was not just simply because they were poor & ordinary and that God wanted to use the unexpected, and to use them as an example that he does care about the poor, yes, that’s part of it. But I believe that an even greater reason why he used them as the initial recipient of the message is because they were fulfilling a job function and a calling that not only would Jesus fulfill but that I also believe that we are called to today and that is "To keep a watch over the sheep." Jesus in his ministry often compares himself to the role of that of a sheperd and he oftentimes calls us "his sheep" or "His flock." And that is the primary goal of a sheperd, to keep watch over his flock and to protect them from any hurt, harm, danger, or intruders.
Well I needed a little more clarity on this whole "watch" thing & so I did a little research as to the definition of "watch" in the Biblical conotation & what it really means because I needed some greater clarity on my job assigment. And I feel the need to drop a few things on you as to what the word watch really means... Can I go ahead & drop it? The first thing watch means is, "Forebearance of sleep." Or, "Going without sleep." The Bible says to "Watch and pray without ceasing." So it means to go without sleep. But not only that, watch also means, "Attention to, or close observation." God wants us to ever be watchful, paying attention to what’s going on around us, watchful for the enemy and his attacks, watchful for others, watchful for the move of God around us, watchful for his coming, he wants us to be ever mindful & observant of things. But not only does it mean, "Forebearence of sleep", not only does it mean "Attention to or close observation," but it also means, "To stand gaurd over or vigilantly protect." God wants us to be protective of things. Well preacher, why should we watch?
Well i’m so glad you asked because there are several reasons why we should watch. One of the reasons why we should keep a watch is because you’ve got to always be on gaurd for the attacks of the enemy. The Bible says that "The enemy roams to & fro, seeking that which he may devour." The enemy can attack at any time, and as soon as you quit watching & let your gaurds down, that’s when he’ll attack. But not only that, another reason why we need to keep a watch is because you never know when Christ is coming back. The Bible says, "That no man knows the day or the hour!" We’ve got to "Watch as well as pray!" For we don’t want to be like the foolish virgins who weren’t prepared for nor were they looking out for his coming. I wish I had somebody to help me up in here!!!! And the last reason we should want to keep a watch is because you never know when God is going to move or is going to use you to do something great. OOOHH!!!!!!!! I could lose it RIGHT THERE!!!!!!!!! God will use you, at some inopportune times, ha, when you least expect it, ha, when you think you’re in a position, ha, where you can do nothing, ha, where you ain’t worth nothing, ha, where you feel inadequete, ha, like you can’t be used, ha, by God, ha, God has a way, ha, of using, ha, the unusable, ha, can I get a witness, ha? Come here Paul, ha, "God will, ha, use the foolish, ha, to confound the wise, ha!" I feel like preaching, ha, can I keep it real, ha, for about 3 more minutes, ha, and i’m going on home ha, look at the text, ha, Luke chapter 2, ha, Jesus is birthed onto the scene, ha, and we got these sheperds, ha, these average, ordinary people, ha, watching over thier flock, ha, and an angel of the Lord, ha, comes upon them ha, and they were sore afraid, ha, but the angel says, ha, "Fear not, ha, I got good news ha, Jesus, ha, the son of David, ha, is here, ha, he’s here, ha, and the angel tells them, ha, where to find the babe, ha, and then, ha, the angel & a multitude, ha, begin praising God, ha, and the wise men said, ha, "Let us get it together, ha, and go unto Bethlehem, and see that, ha, which has been told, ha, I’ve got to get outta here, ha, but can I help somebody right now, ha, I need you to understand, ha, that God is able ha, to use you, ha, no matter, ha, your circumstance, ha, no matter, ha, what you go through, ha, no matter what you’ve done, ha, no matter where you’re at, ha, you mighta been a crack addict, ha, you mighta been a prostitute, ha, you mighta been a murderer, ha, but I dare you, ha, get ready, ha, for God, ha, to use you, ha, you might be a janitor, ha, you might be a cook, ha, you might be a ditch digger, ha, but I just stopped by to tell you ha, GET READY, ha, for God, ha, to use you!!!!!!!! I SAID USE YOU!!!!!!!! I SAID USE YOU!!!!!!! USE ME LORD!!!!!!!! JUST USE ME!!!!!!!!! I’M A BROKEN VESSEL BEFORE YOU, HA, BUT USE ME LORD!!!!!!!! SHOUT YES!!!!! SHOUT YES!!!!!!!! Well now, ha, i’m going back to my seat ha, i’m going to leave it alone ha, but I asked the Holy Ghost, ha, was that it, ha, just use me? Ha, he said "Naw baby, keep on reading, ha, so I kept on reading ha, and the word says, ha, that the sheperds, ha, left there, ha, and made known ha, everything, ha, that they had saw, ha, can I pump my brakes, ha, and tell you, ha, that when God uses you, ha, he doesn’t use you, ha, for yourself, ha, but he uses you, ha, to bless others, ha, can I get a witness? Can I keep it real ha, i’m closing the book, ha, but then it says, ha, that they returned, ha, glorifying & praising God, ha, for the things, ha, they had seen, ha, I dare somebody, ha, if you thank God ha, for using you, ha, in spite of, ha, praise god, ha, glorify God, ha, magnify God, ha, for he’s WORTHY!!!!!!! HE’S WORTHY!!!!!!! He’S WORTHY!!!!!!! AND IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU REALLY HAVEN’T BEEN USED BY GOD, HA, JUST KEEP WATCHING, HA< KEEP PRAYING, ha, KEEP A WATCH!!!!!!! KEEP A WATCH!!!!!!!! KEEP A WATCH!!!!!!! AND BEFORE YA KNOW IT, HA, GOD WILL, HA, USE YOU, HA, LIKE NEVER BEFORE!!!!!!! SHOUT YES!!!!!!!! SHOUT YES!!!!!!! SHOUT YES!!!!!!! SHOUT YES!!!!!!!! SHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTTT YYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!! SHOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTTTT YYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEE................
I’m done. I ain’t messing with y’all. I said I wasn’t preaching hard. But you’ve got to learn how to keep a watch. Be open to the move of God in your life. Expect to be used by God. Watch for his coming. You’ve got to keep a watch. God bless you, and may heaven smile upon you.
