Watchman what of the night?
Isaiah 21:6,11
(6) For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.
(11) The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
Matthew 2:18. In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
INTRODUCTION:
It was said by someone that "Adversity brings us to see ourselves" And surely what we have experienced this week as a nation has brought us face to face with our inadequacies and inabilities to stop Terrorism. There has been a great mourning and weeping for our children. But, we as a nation are bound together more tightly than we have been in a long time.
Adversity not only brings us to see ourselves, but it unites people who have a common goal, and I fear the enemy has awakened the sleeping giant. The enemy we face today is faceless, He has no borders, no defining lines that we can say "This is the enemy"
We live in a world today that utilizes such things as radar, Satellite tv systems, and sophisticated communications to where we can readily see what is going on in just about any part of the world. Our spy satellite network can detect movement of troops on the ground.
During the war with Saddam Hussein we kept tract of every movement that was going on. And if we can see and hear all that with man made devices, just think what God can see and hear.
Proverbs 15:3 tells us that "the eyes of the Lord are in every place, seeing both the good and the evil."
Sometimes we take for granted the fact that we can turn on our TV sets and see just exactly what is happening over in the middle East. Within a few minutes every part of the world saw what was happening on Tuesday. Sixty years ago you would have never heard of the incident, the earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes, and famines that plague the world.
It was not so in Isaiah’s day.
Back in the time of Isaiah they built their walled cities and they relied on the Watchmen who set in their towers to keep them informed as to the conditions around them.
And there were times during the night that a call would go forth, "Watchman, what of the night?" "Watchman, Declare what you see"
And he would respond with a report of "All is well", or he would let them know of impending danger.
And I believe today that God has raised up pastors, and evangelist, Apostles, Prophets, and church workers that they might be watchmen over His kingdom. And not only that but he has given Mothers and Fathers the same responsibility. Just as He told Ezekiel, "Son of man, I’ve made you a watchman unto the house of Israel.","Therefore, hear the word in my mouth." I believe He was saying, "Get real close to me and hear what I have to say.", "Warn my people" When you see : Impending danger.... Disaster coming.... The enemy approaching... The church start forsaking the assembling of themselves.... Them become complacent....
Watchman, what do you see? Don’t hold not back! Don’t keep silent, Sound the alarm!
Don’t stick your head in the sand and pretend it doesn’t exist, but be like Nathan, walk into the king’s chambers and boldly declare, "Thou art the man"
You and I have a responsibility as watchmen. We have been commissioned by God to cry out against sin.
In Isaiah 56:10-11; He spoke about a group of "Watchmen" that they were blind, they were ignorant, they were as dumb dogs that cannot bark, they are sleeping, they were greedy, looking after their own gain, and never satisfied" I thought, what a description of those who were supposed to be looking out after the household of Israel. We have them today, my friend. I believe the church world has been inundated with some of the most arrogant and bold wolves in sheep’s clothing, evangelist, teachers, that has ever been around. Greedy, lazy, ignorant, never getting enough.
They have slid in under the wall and they’ve infiltrated our churches of today!
Always looking out for # 1.
But let’s bring it down to home. You know we always like to point a finger at someone else and say, "The fault lies out there, but as Shakespeare put it, the fault dear Brutus may well lie within us."
BUT, I believe it’s time to take inventory of ourselves, and ask our self, "What kind of watchman am I Lord?" And, "What of the night?" Hear me today, this sermon is for you. Don’t throw it over your shoulder and say, "This is for you". No, you take it and apply it to your life! What kind of watchmen are we today? Can we discern between the real and the counterfeit?
We are living in perilous times today, and we better be able to discern between good and evil! It was said of those who were the hijackers of the plans that hit our country that they were ordinary people who lived and worked at grocery stores, blending in with those who they would soon destroy. Friend, we are in perilous times. Husbands, you are the watchmen over your families! Mothers, you are the watchman over those children! We have an awesome responsibility today!
I believe that there are several things that a watchman sees;
1) THE WATCHMAN SEES THE TIMES
The Bible tells us that this is an evil hour, and these are evil times and I believe you can sense the very presence of evil today. The Bible spoke of the Last Days as a time when the "Spirit of Antichrist" would be prevalent! We are living in times of strong delusion. A time when men will believe a lie and be damned! Jesus said, "Except those days be shortened, even the very elect will be deceived!"
John said in I John 2:18, "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now are there many Antichrist; whereby we know that it is the last time." We are living in times in which you can sense the very presence of demonic powers as they come against the church. We should recognize the fact that the enemy has come to steal, and to kill, and to destroy" Jesus said, "In these times, mens hearts shall fail them for fear." "It’s a time such as it was in the days of Noe".
Paul spoke about these times as being the "Last Days","Latter times", "Perilous Times" And as watchmen, we must be on guard! I believe Satan has a "Master plan or Strategy for these last days" He has laid out a strategy to neutralize this nation, and this generation, to cause them to be spiritually ineffective. And my friend, we have allowed prayer to be taken out of the schools, Drugs are abounding in the land today and with all our armed forces, we are still unable to stop the flow across our borders. Alcoholism, Teenage suicides, Runaways, Child abuse. Everywhere you turn is trouble. People, believing false doctrines,
New occult movements starting everyday. Some starting here in this place; And God is saying; "Watchman, What of the night?"
Where are my watchmen, and why are they not crying out against Sin? Hear me today, We need old time revival! Not only in our hearts, our churches, but across the land. Palm readers, Fortune tellers, People finding "A new Way!" I’m here to tell you there is only one way, "His name is Jesus"
We have people claiming victories over disease by the power of positive thinking. People who think the Devil has the answer to problems; Trusting in Flesh; Ouija Boards; Horoscopes; We are living in a wicked world, my friend! The world is full of false "ISMS".
If the cry went out today, "Watchman, what of the night?", I believe he would say, These are evil times; These are sifting times; These are dividing times; These are times that try mens souls! I see trouble on every hand; I see economic chaos; I see a world caught up in Religiosity; I see apostasy; I see a world that needs God!
The times we live in are monumental in scope.
The cold war is a thing of the past, now we face a new adversary. War with Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan is looking possible. Things are happening in the middle East today that is setting the stage for the Antichrist to appear. "The image which Nebbuchadnezzar saw, the old Roman Empire, is being revived", Ten nations coming together looking for an answer to world problems, when it seems like there is none"
In Daniel it speaks about a man that’s going to come, and he’s going to seemingly cause prosperity to come about. He’ll be a great speaker, flattering men with his words, but he is actually a deceiver, He is the Anti-Christ. And I believe with all my heart, we are on the brink of the tribulation period. This is a crucial time for the church.
In the 1960’s, Kruchev, the leader of Soviet Russia went to New York City, He went into the U.N. and took off his shoe and pounded it on the table and said, "In 20 years communism is going to take over the world, and we’ll take over this country without firing a shot. But listen, 20 years have come and gone, Kruchev is dead, Communism is almost gone, but the church of the living God has been gaining ground everyday since. Why?, because God is in her midst!
The Bible says, "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Lord will raise up a standard against him" He said, "On this Rock I will build my church, and "The gates of Hell shall not prevail against it" I heard a song that said, "I stood upon the Rock in fear and trembling, but the Rock beneath me hath never shook."
The church has moved into Russia, China, behind the bamboo curtain, How did it do it?,
By standing firm upon the Rock, and not wavering under fear and unbelief! "It’s not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit saith the Lord."
Gorbachev when he was in power had a meeting to relax the tight restrictions against the church because they found out that the more they persecuted the church, the stronger they became. The greater the membership grew. The church has always become stronger in times of persecution! Prosperity always breeds ruin!
God’s always allows something devastating to bring back our nation and his church to where they ought to be. The policy in Russia used to be to round up the Christians and put them on railroad lines in the remote regions of Siberia, but they found that every time the railroad would move on there was a small group of Christians left behind.
The gospel was being spread, and they were furnishing the transportation and means to accomplish it. What man will do and mean it for harm, God has ways of turning things around. It’s a known fact throughout history that persecution and vexation makes the church come together in unity.
You give some people freedom of religion and you have a drop in church attendance, and a rise in crime. I say, God send the church some old fashion vexation. I’m telling you today that the church will prevail against any onslaught of the devil because it’s built on the ROCK, Jesus Christ.
God will not fail his people!
I say, "God, give the church a backbone today, Don’t let us be like the old wilderness church who wandered around in circles for forty years because they refused to believe. But let us rise to the occasion and show forth ourselves mightily in this hour of despair. Another thing the watchman sees is;
2) IT’S DECISION TIME
The church is at a crossroad today. Will the church call Sin, Sin, or will they simply pretend not to see it? The church condones to many things today. Sin used to be on the outside of the church, but now it’s moved to the front row. Isaiah 58:1 says, "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." Watchman, what of the night? God spoke through Isaiah in the 62nd chapter: and said, "I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day or night: Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence...and give him no rest, till he establish, and make Jerusalem a praise in the earth." God has set watchmen over his churches today, over classes, over each family here.
God has told us, "Cry aloud", "Keep not silent"
He’s telling us to call sin, SIN. Euphonies it all you want to; Paint it some Pastel color, but it’s still SIN! You can call a skunk, a two toned kitty with fluid drive if you want too, but it still stinks!
It was Peter and John that said, "We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." I want you to know that there are a lot of people speaking things that they’ve heard, but it wasn’t from God! I’ll agree with Billy Sunday, he said, "I’ll butt sin as long as I have a head; I’ll kick it as long as I have a foot; I’ll beat it as long as I have a fist; I’ll bite it as long as I have teeth; And when I’m foot less, and fist less, and toothless, I’ll gum it to death. I hate Sin!!
If you are the head of your house, you are the watchman of your house. And God will hold you accountable. What will your answer be when the call goes out? "Watchman, what of the night?"Is everything well?
Well God, my daughter is in trouble. She was running with the wrong crowd! And God will say to you, "Did you teach her, Did you warn her, Did you cry aloud?, Did you make her attend church?" Don’t you know they are you’re responsibility?
I believe there are some at the crossroads today. If you don’t cry aloud and warn your family, you could lose them. Hear me today, God has set you as a watchman over His property.
I’m closing with this story of Esther
I think about Esther, Israel was about to be destroyed by wicked Haman who had influenced the king, but Mordecai had raised her up as his own daughter. He had taught her the right way and now she was the Queen. And the proclamation went out, All Jews will be destroyed and killed on a certain day. So Mordecai wept, and cried, and fasted at the gate.
Esther sent to enquire of him, "What’s wrong?" Did you know that you can be in the kings house and not know what’s going on? He said, "We’re going to be killed, go in and ask the king for mercy upon Israel", but she said, "I’m just as you are, I’m not allowed in his chamber either, If I go in and he does not find favor and stretch out the scepter then I will be killed"
Mordecai sent back a message to her, "Don’t think just because you are in the kings palace that you will escape." Don’t think that you’re going to get by, you will be destroyed if you fail to cry out for us. He said, "Don’t keep silent, Esther, Who knows but what thou art come into the kingdom for such a time as this."
I believe these times in which we live today are just as drastic as they were in Esther’s time.
And I can see her as she sends back the message to Mordecai,"Call the people together and fast for three days, "I’m speaking up for all Israel, I’m not going to keep silent,
I’m going in to the King, and if I perish, I perish"
What’s she doing? I believe she was answering the question that God was about to ask her,
"Watchman, what of the night?" I believe it’s decision time for a lot of us here today.
If you’ve never made a decision today’s your day. If you’re being tossed back and forth between: Right and wrong, Commitment and non-commitment, Good and evil, Life and death; I’m here to tell you today to choose life.
Sure, you’re going to lose friends; Sure, some people won’t like you; Sure, they will think you’re strange; They may call you names, but it will be worth it! God will turn your situation around for you.
The gallows Haman made to hang Mordecai on, was his downfall. Israel was spared.
It’s decision time Watchman.
I’m convinced that what the world needs today is Jesus.
We live in a power hungry society, one which craves power. That’s why they are so caught up in the Ism’s of these times.
I was reading in Hebrews the 2nd chapter and it said, "What is man that thou art mindful of him?
Thou madest him a little lower than the angels;
Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet, but now we see not yet all things put under him, "But we see Jesus"
And I’m telling you that’s the secret to victorious living is keeping your eyes on Jesus.
Hebrews 12:2 says, "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith."
Are you a watchman that discerns the times? Is your house in order? Have you made a decision? There is weeping and mourning in the land today because of terrorist, Rachel cannot be comforted because she has lost her children.
I call on every watchman to arise today, gird up your loins, put on your armour, pick up your sword and shield, and let us ready ourselves for battle.
When David lost everything he had at Ziglag, the Amalekites came and destroyed all, and took everything he owned, the Bible says, "David encouraged himself in the Lord God" He said, "Shall I pursue after this troop, shall I overtake them? God said, "Pursue, for thou shalt surely overtake them and without fail, recover all"
May God bless you, and God bless America.
