Sermon – “The Warning of the Watchman”

33 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, 3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’ 7 “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. 10 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?”’ 11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’ 12 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: ‘The righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.’ 13 When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die. 14 Again, when I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right, 15 if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 16 None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right; he shall surely live. 17 “Yet the children of your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ But it is their way which is not fair! 18 When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it. 19 But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it. 20 Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his own ways.”

3 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

And Sabbath school this morning one of the questions that David gave to us was we’re in first Corinthians a second grant the INS excuse me in chapter five and one of the questions was How is the church we are giving the duty of reconciliation. How do we fulfill that how is that our How is that our duty now well this morning message I’m going to kind of give the answer to the some of that this morning the warning of the watchman. Church who is the watchman. We are the warning of the watchman. And going to the Old Testament to begin with this morning all the way back to the. Chapter thirty three verses one through twenty it’s kind of a long reading before we begin let’s begin with prayer. Heavenly Father we thank you so much thank you that you bore shame thank you that you took our sins Thank you father that you have given us reconciling nation reconciliation to your Son Jesus Christ Father we thank you for your word and we believe your word is true we believe it is faithful that we can stand on it because it is your promises and father may your word ring true that this day father may ring true in our hearts in our minds father may we receive what you have forced Today Father may we ever be watchful May we ever be watchful of your presence in the world the father may we ever be watchful of your coming by the May we always keep our eyes open and watching for your Son Jesus Christ to come to come and call us home Father we just Sankey for that thank you for the truth to know that there is coming a day where we will spend eternity with you those who believe in your Son Jesus Christ and follow just pray that your truth will be revealed today toward that your spirit move may your spirit touch each and every heart here for your blue. When your honor in Jesus’ name amen is equal chapter thirty three verses one through twenty. And this is speaking again the word of the Lord came to me saying Son of Man speak to the children of your people and say to them when I bring a sword upon the land and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman when he sees the sword coming upon the land if he blows the trumpet and warns the people then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning if the sword comes and takes him away his blood shall be on his own head. Because he heard the warning and did not heed the warning that I decided that that was on the screen he heard was. OK he heard the Trump Well got ahead of I got to the scripture he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning his blood shall be upon himself but he who takes warning saves his life but if the watchman sees a sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not worn and a sword comes and takes any person from among them he is taken away in his iniquity but his blood will be required at the watchman’s hand so you son of man I have made you a watchman of the for the house of Israel therefore you shall hear a word from my mouth and warn them for me when I say to the wicked a wicked man you shall surely die and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way that wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood I will require at your hand Nevertheless if you warn a wicked man to turn from his from his way and he does not turn from his way he shall die in his iniquity but you have delivered your. Soul therefore you a son of man say to the house of Israel thus you say if our transgressions and our sins lie upon us we then and we pine away in them how can we how can we then live say to them as I live says the Lord God I have no plagiary in the death of the wicked. I want to repeat that God says I have no place you’re in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live turn turn from your evil ways for why should you die oh house of Israel therefore you son of man say to the children of your people the righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgressions as for the wickedness of the wicked he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins when I say to the righteous that he shall surely live but he trust in his own righteousness and commits iniquity none of his righteous works shall be remembered but because of the iniquity that he has committed he shall die again when I say to the wicked you shall surely die if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right if the wicked restores the pledge and gives back what he has stolen and walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity he shall surely live he shall not die none of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him he has done what is lawful and right he shall surely live yet the children of your people say the way of the Lord is not fair but it is. Their way which is not fair. You know how many times we peeped through but I’ve heard people say it’s just not fair it’s just. Up there God wants to restrict me God just doesn’t want me to have fun it’s not fair that God judges people he says in the in the Old Testament the way of the Lord they say the way of the Lord is not fair but God says it is fair it is their way which is not fair. When the right says turn from his righteousness and commits iniquity he shall surely die because of it but when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right he shall live because of it yet you say the way of the Lord is not fair house of Israel I will judge every one of you according to his own ways they got his blessings to the here in the reading of His Holy Word. Friends we can see God’s grace even in his E.Q. God says if they would turn from their wicked ways they shall live if they would walk in His ways they will live God is fair. This passage begins with the instructions to a watchman. About what will happen if that watchman does not warn the people if a watchman does not warn the people of then enemy coming. Their blood will be on his hands you know when I think of Watchman because we just went out by the prison last night and at the corners you have the what the watch towers if you will and they are at the corner so they can watch that wall as Bob Barr it’s not a stone wall you know like they may have had back then but we know that that wall is the keep them from getting out not from getting in so the guards or their course the guards may not be at all the time with modern technology might have cameras or do the work but they watch they are to watch in air to give warning to someone’s trying to escape but back and it was easy for you was day the watch will be up on the wall of a fortified city and if they would see an enemy coming. They were they would sound the trumpet and the people were to know what the sound of the trumpet meant they know that it was a war and they knew the warning sound and they were to take cover they were to get their arms to protect themselves. But the watchman fell asleep or the watchman thought we’re not worried about them and let the enemy come the blood will be only zone hands you know as I was thinking about this I was thinking to back when I was a young child even younger than Rowan four and five I can remember watching T.V. that they would have emergency warnings on the T.V. they would interrupt whatever program you were watching and say this was an E.. Emergency broadcast signal if this would have been a national emergency you’d have been told what to do and you know kids today they would probably say what and no world was that they would have a clue what it was but when I was a child we was in of time of war. So people would get these warnings the watchman. And they still have morning radio once a while but the watchman was to give warning with the enemy was common but the second part of this passage deals with the most important thing and that is the sins of the people. The sins of the people in the watchman is E.Q. in this case the church in today’s case is responsible for warning the people to warn the people to turn to turn from her since God said I have no plays or in the death of the wicked. God takes no pleasure in that whatsoever that’s uneasy CULE in First Timothy two three through four he says for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who desires all men not some he desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. That’s God’s desire today. That men and women would turn would turn from their Nickleby and turn to him and come to the knowledge of the truth in the truth as Jesus Christ that he is born are S’pore sins upon himself. This morning I want to share a little bit of our nation’s history some of our nation’s history that led. To the forming of our nation but also how God put certain men in place that led to what is known as the great awakening because we can learn from the history that we look back on it the very first colony came to Jamestown in sixteen zero six. Though in sixteen zero nine Virginia’s governor Thomas Gates established a code of law all for the colony that were produced a disciplined necessary for the colony survival the governor believed that the Biblical principles were the cure for the front here savagery and that Christianity was the proper foundation for an orderly society in France we need to establish out again today because Christianity is the proper foundation to have an orderly society. Listen to the engine introduction to the law of the first criminal code in America since we are highest and supreme duty our greatest and all our allegiance to him from whom all power and authority is derived derives the King of Kings the commander of COMMANDER The Lord of Hosts I do strictly command and charge all captains and officers to have a care that Almighty God be duly and daily served and that they call upon their people to hear sermons wow what if the leaders got on the radio and on T.V. and said I want to encourage you to go and hear sermons in the Christian church as that also they diligently frequent morning. And Evening Prayer themselves by their own exemplary and daily life and duty here in encouraging others to do the same all thirteen colonies had charters that were very similar to this they all acknowledge God as creator and encourage worship and prayer. Oh that all fifty states would do the same today they would it would encourage people to worship the One True God and encourage people to go to God in prayer. But one hundred thirty years after the founding of Jamestown many of the Christian leaders feared that America’s foundational faith was faltering. And they said that prosperity security and the distractions of the progressive culture had dogged Christianity in the colonies and they believed that the American church had become lukewarm in their faith. Jesus warns us about lukewarmness in Revelations three David is not going to have all the scripture because I added some throughout the week revelations three fourteen through twenty Jesus says into the angel of the Church of the Laodiceans write these things says the Amen the faithful and true witness the beginning of the creation of God I know your works that you are neither cold nor hot I could wish that you were cold or hot so then because your loop Mormon neither cold nor hot I will vomit you out of my mouth because you say I am rich have become wealthy and have need of nothing and do not know that you are wretched miserable and poor blind and naked I counsel you to buy from a gold refined in the fire that you may be rich and white garments that you may be close that the same of your nakedness may not be revealed and annoyed your eyes with eyes that you may see as many as I love I review. Can chasten therefore be zealous and repent Behold I stand at the door knock at anyone hears my voice and opens a door I will come in to him and dine with him and he with May What a wonderful passage he says because I am you say because I am rich and I become wealthy and have need of nothing how many people today feel that way how many people today are relying on their own resources relying on their own prosperity and I think why I have needed nothing I’m doing well but when they rely on themselves they’re actually wretched miserable and poor and they are naked they are naked in that they are not close with Christ because that’s what he’s telling us to buy buy from him goal respond in a fire and that is the refinement that comes through the sanctification of Jesus Christ to the blood that is set on a cross that is the only thing that will sanctifies and cleanse us and pure purify us that we might have eternal life. And then he says Behold a saint of the door knock if anyone anyone hears my voice and opens the door calls out to me I will answer and open the door he you have to open the door for him excuse me I got that wrong you have to open the door for him but any that call in the name of Jesus Christ. He will weigh answer. Many in that day. Of the early Church in America blame this lukewarm condition on the Reverend Solomon Stothard he was the grandfather of Jonathan Edwards Stothard it led a movement within the Congregational Church to adapt what was known as the halfway covenant his reason for this was that church membership and that day was required for many civil rights and colonial America so. Many would join a church under this halfway covenant jest so they could attain political rights. Think about it just so they could happily tickle rights this led to an inflated church membership. Think about it today you want to put that in the days well if you want to become a commissioner of the city a common you got to be a member of a church if you want to be a leader in this in school you got to be a member of a church they tied leadership positions to you have to be a member of a church but there was a flaw in this covenant it led to a lukewarm church there was no amp to Says own repentance their relationship it was all one get your name on the membership book that’s all it mattered come on in to first day you ever walked in a church you need to be a member come on up and sign up so you can be a leader in the community. But starters grandson Jonathan Edwards one of the great preachers responsible for triggering a great awakening was against this covenant because Edwards believed that the church doors yes should be indeed open to everyone but he also believed that the church membership was meant solely for those who profess Jesus Christ as Savior. Salvation he thought did not come by good works moral living were intellectual knowledge Edwards taught that salvation came through a change heart. My friends I’m going to tell you today salvation comes through a changed heart I agree with Edwards on this. And not by intellect not from a head store with notions and speculation as he put it he preached that jest as Jesus told Nick a Damus that you must be born again the salvation came by God’s grace through faith. Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In seventeen thirty four John of the network salvation message began to transform the town of Northampton and it began with some of the young people of his church responded to his message and received Christ then they prayed for revival in their church and elsewhere then six more people except the Christ and then increased to about thirty a week the news of revival in North Hampton spread to surrounding communities attracting visitors to the North Hampton church and more people came to Christ within six months approximately three hundred people were said to have professed faith in Christ North Hampton and the surrounding communities were transformed because Hearts were transformed ever to reported that the whole town seemed to be full of the presence of God when young people met they wanted to speak spend their time talking about the love of Jesus Christ they had now abandon their frolicking their night walking their impure language in their lewd songs and among all whether young or old there was seen to be a change in the habits of drinking and Tavern haunting and profane speaking and extravagance in apparel one night Edwards was preaching at Enfield and his message that my. Was sinners in the hands of an angry God it was said that his sermon fell on the hearers like the gust of A Mighty Wind This was the spark that ignited the great awakening. There was also another great preacher that was involved in this time of the great awakening his name was George Whitefield. When I when at Oxford University he met John and Charles Wesley John being in the forerunner of Methodism he his experience was so overwhelming he sensed God’s presence and God’s forgiveness. So greatly that he called that his new birth and from that moment on he believed as Jonathan Edwards that salvation is Christ was evidence by a born again experience and it began to preach the gospel and he faced much criticism. As he began to preach the gospel even for many pastors because the pastors complained that his preaching made their members overly impassionate and the name of Christ he cited this as evidence that many ministers needed to be born again. He said the reason why many congregation have become so dead is because dead man preached to them. How true Whitefield in that day in the seventeen hundreds would draw crowds of ten to twenty thousand people that was amazing. Benjamin Franklin had this to say about Whitefield he said and seventeen thirty nine arrived among us from England the Reverend Mr Whitefield who had made himself remarkable there as I ten or preacher he was at first to Mitt permitted to preach in some of our churches but the clergy taken a dislike to him soon refused him their puppets and he was obliged to to do the preaching in the fields the multitude of all sects and denominations. Attended his sermons and were encouraged and it was a matter of speculation to May who was one of that number to observe the extraordinary influence of his oratory on his hearers and how much they admired him respect him notwithstanding his common abuse of them by assuring them they were naturally half beast and half Devils’ it was wonderful to see the change soon made in their manner in their behavior. From being thoughtless and indifferent about religion it seemed as if the whole way. Were growing religious so that one could not walk through the towns in the evening without hearing him and songs be in Hong Kong. This is the message that brings about true revival friends that is the only message that brings true revival in our hearts in our towns and in our nation Jesus gave that message to naked Amos and John three one through eight. There was a man of the fair seas named Dick a Damus a ruler of the Jews this man came to Jesus by night and said to him Rabbi we know that you’re a teacher come from God for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with Him Jesus answered and said to him most assuredly I say to you unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God naked Amos said to him How can a man be born when he is old Kenny enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born Jesus answered Most assuredly I say to you unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spear is speared do not marvel that I said to you you must be born again the wind blows where wishes and you hear the sound of it but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes so is everyone who is born of the spear Jesus says you must be born again. Church. Church membership will not save us just having our names penned in the membership books of whatever Day nomination church is not going to get us into heaven. The only place that our names need to be written is in the Lamb’s book of life not in the church membership rolls that’s not going to save you if it baptism will not save you you can’t. Say well I know that I’m a Christian because I was baptized when I was six months old fifty six years ago that’s not going to get you into heaven because when you are an infant Don’t get me wrong if something happens at one of those long young ones before they’re old enough before they’re at the age of accountability they’re going to get into heaven but I’m saying that fifty seven year old man stand up and say well I was baptized when I was six months so I know I’m a Christian that’s not going to get you there because you have to be born again you have to accept Jesus Christ in it goes further than that my own righteousness will not save me your unrighteousness will not save you as that scripture said you must be refined in the fire turn to the one who gives us to the goal respond in a fire nesis as Christ it is HIS righteousness Our Righteousness is as filthy rags before the Lord it is HIS righteousness that saves us. The message from his E.Q. is still valid today the Lord says I take no pleasure in the will in destroying the wicked he said I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live to day God wants you to live if you’re here or if you’re listening on the web God wants you to live and I’m not talking about just livin the life upon this earth he wants you to live for eternity with him he want you to have eternal life so God is still saying again today turn from your sins and turn to him repent that is the only thing that will bring revival and that’s the only thing will get us into heaven is if we repent of our sins Amen. Second Timothy I even added this one after I was added says I charge you therefore big before God and Lord Jesus Christ who would judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom preach the Word be ready in season analyses. And convince rebuke and exhort with all longsuffering in teaching my friends that is the warning that the church needs to give Jesus Christ is coming back again in the same convince rebuke and exhort that is the reconciliation job that the Church has that we have to get out into the community and say Jesus is coming again turn from your sins repent and turn to him and this morning I just found another one and here is why we do that here’s why we want to share that. Crap. My friends and Revelations twenty one. I’ll back up the verse three twenty one verse three and I heard a loud voice from heaven saying Behold the tabernacle of God is with men anybody say how old are you yes and he will dwell with them how Lou you again they shall be is people God himself will be with them and be their God and God will wipe away every tier from their eyes and there will be no more death there will be no more sorrow there will be no more crying there shall be no more pain for the former things have passed away how little you friends why am I here today because I want to be there I want to be there when when God comes back and sets up his tabernacle with men I want to be in that number do you want to be in that number. Then we repent of our sins and we shall be of that number when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior you know I said all the way back in two thousand and seven and you get tarred heard about Jesus you’re not going to come like come into my church. Because I don’t know any other message Jesus Christ I can preach from the old doesn’t always want up to Jesus because He is the Way the Truth and the life there is no other way to the Father but by him. So if you need to repent of your sins don’t leave this place today before you do that. Because I want you to be able to say yes when he comes back I’m going to be part of that when his tabernacle comes I want to be able to go in and be with God and He with may a man if you’re listening if you need to repent repent of your sins that you may have life and not die and I mean eternal life not just this whisper of a life that we have on this earth but life without a without end that’s what he promises to all who will believe on his Son Jesus Christ and repent of their sins Amen amen