Summary: Watchman, what of the night? We are called of God to warn people while we stand on the wall staying ready, watching, and being vigilant. We are to give a clear warning of the consequences of sin.

This is part #3: READY, WATCHING AND WAITING (NOT WARNING)

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

We have used for our text verse:

1 Corinthians 14:8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself

to the battle?

Today we must guard the message that we are declaring to the church and to the world.

Our time and strength are limited, we must be about the Father's business.

ELISHA WAS CALLED OF GOD... WHEN THE EVIL KING REFUSED TO LISTEN,

HE WARNED AHAB AND JEZEBELOF THE VIOLENT DEATH WAS WAS COMING

BECAUSE OF THEIR SIN AND TREATMENT OF NABOTH...

1 Kings 21:19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed,

and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In

the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.

20 And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found

thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.

21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, ---

23 And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of

Jezreel. 24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field

shall the fowls of the air eat.

GOD CALLS MEN AND WOMEN TO BE WATCHMEN AND TO WARN PEOPLE

THAT GOD KEEPS GOOD RECORDS...

Ezekiel 3:17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore

hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. 18 When I say unto the wicked,

Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from

his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood

will I require at thine hand. 19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness,

nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I

lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he

shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but

his blood will I require at thine hand. 21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the

righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou

hast delivered thy soul.

ARE WE REALLY WATCHING AND BEING VIGILANT AND WARNING THIS GENERATION?

WHAT DOES GOD'S WORD SAY?

Ezekiel 33:4 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.

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. 8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man,

thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall

die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked

of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast

delivered thy soul. 10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak,

saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we

then live? 11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the

wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why

will ye die, O house of Israel?

GOD CALLS HIS PEOPLE TO WATCH AND TO WARN ---

IF WE REFUSE TO BE ALERT AND READY, EVER WATCHING AND WARNING GOD WILL

REQUIRE IT OF OUR HANDS...

GOD HAS NO PLEASURE IN THE DEATH OF THE WICKED.

THERE ARE THOSE THAT WILL PLAN ON GETTING READY AND THEY WILL WATCH...

BUT THEY WANT TO HAVE ETERNITY THEIR WAY... WE SEE THE LOVE OF STAYING

THE SAME AND PLAYING WITH SIN A LITTLE LONGER...

2 Kings 13:4 And Jehoahaz besought the LORD, and the LORD hearkened unto him: for he

saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them.

5 (And the LORD gave Israel a saviour, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians:

and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime.

6 Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin,

but walked therein: and there remained the grove also in Samaria.)

CAN WE STAY ONE MORE NIGHT WITH THE FROGS?

The frog was a false god worshipped in Egypt?

NEBUCHADNEZZAR WAS CLEARLY WARNED BY PREACHER DANIEL --- SIN AND PRIDE

IS GOING TO DESTROY YOU...

Daniel 4:27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins

by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening

of thy tranquillity.

WHY WOULD THE KING NOT LISTEN TO THE MESSAGE OF GOD?

Daniel 4:30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house

of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?

31 While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king

Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.

32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field:

they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou

know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

OH KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR, WHY COULD NOT HAVE NOT BEEN READY,

WATCHING AND VIGILANT... YOUR CHOICES WILL COST YOU A SEVEN YEAR

NERVOUS BREAKDOWN.

WE NEED THE LIGHT TO HEL US BE READY AND WATCHING ---

HOW COULD THE LADY HAVE LOST HER SILVER?

IT WAS VERY VALUABLE.

I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE LOST THE SILVER...

BUT I KNOW IT TOOK THE LIGHT TO EXPOSE THE DIRT...

Luke 15:8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not

light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?

WHEN THE LIGHT EXPOSED THE DIRT SHE SAW THE DUST BUNNYS AND

SHE WATCHED AND GRABBED A BROOM AND CLEAN UP ---

THE SIDE EFFECT OF CLEANING UP WAS FINDING HER SILVER COIN.

BLESSED IS THE EYE THAT SEES AND IS READY, WATCHING AND VIGILANT...

Luke 12:37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching:

verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will

come forth and serve them. 38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the

third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

WARNING: FLEE THE WRATH TO COME...

Acts 20:31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to

warn every one night and day with tears.

Colossians 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom;

that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

CONCLUSION: Let me give you a warning about watching, ready and be vigilant.

Do not watch others and judge them... You might have a 2x6 in your own eye?

Luke 6:41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest

not the beam that is in thine own eye?

LET US CLOSE WITH THESE WARNINGS:

Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted

worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Revelation 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth

his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing,

but the flesh is weak.

His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com