Participants: Orion Ka
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR001033
|
01:01 Good morning, Witness.
01:02 Morning. 01:04 How are we doing this morning? 01:05 Good. Good. 01:07 Too good. 01:10 Anything better than too good? 01:12 No. What was that? 01:14 Great, amen. 01:16 We just wanted to just welcome everyone 01:19 for those who're just coming or those who've been here. 01:23 We're gonna straight into the messages this morning. 01:25 How many of you guys were blessed by Monique's message? 01:28 I was blessed by that message, amen. 01:30 The message we're gonna go through this morning 01:32 is called "Wake Up The Watchmen." 01:36 So we're just gonna begin with a word of prayer, 01:38 so I just invite you to bow your heads 01:39 and we're gonna pray. 01:41 Let's pray. 01:43 Our Father in Heaven, Lord, we just want to thank You 01:45 for this day that You've given us. 01:48 We just want to thank You as Your word says 01:50 that it is of Your mercies that we are not consumed 01:53 that because Your compassions fail not, 01:56 they're new every morning, great is thy faithfulness. 01:58 And so, Lord, we just want to thank You for that reality. 02:01 Father, we know that no man or woman deserves to serve You, 02:04 but we just want to pray that is we study Your word, 02:06 we just want to pray that You might speak, 02:09 may Your son be uplifted here today. 02:11 May our minds and our hearts be drawn to Jesus. 02:14 And may we get a fresh picture of His love for us 02:17 because we know that we love Him 02:18 because He first loved us and so 02:20 be with us now and may Your angels guide us, Father. 02:22 Give us Your Holy Spirit that we can understand 02:24 Your truth and live it out. 02:25 We pray in Jesus' name, amen. 02:27 I want to invite you to take your Bibles 02:29 and we're gonna begin in the Book of Isaiah Chapter 21. 02:32 Isaiah Chapter 21 and we're gonna read verses 6 to 12. 02:37 And as you guys make your way there in your Bibles, 02:39 I want you to hear the statement 02:41 found in the book of Evangelism, 02:43 page 34, paragraph 4. 02:46 It says I appeal to our brethren-- 02:48 we're going to Isaiah 21:6-12 02:51 but in Evangelism, page 34, paragraph 4, it says 02:55 "I appeal to our brethren 02:56 who have heard the message for many years. 02:59 It is time to wake up the watchmen. 03:04 I have expended my strength in giving the messages 03:07 the Lord has given me. 03:08 The burden of the needs of our cities has rested 03:11 so heavily upon me that it has sometimes seemed 03:15 that I should die. 03:16 May the Lord give wisdom to our brethren, 03:19 that they may know how to carry forward the work 03:22 in harmony with the will of the Lord." 03:26 The title of the message this morning is 03:27 "Wake Up The Watchmen." 03:28 We're in Isaiah 21:6, are we all there? 03:32 Amen. 03:33 Reading Isaiah 21:6, we're gonna read from verses 6 03:37 all the way down to verse 12. 03:39 Isaiah 21:6-12, the Bible says in verse 6. 03:44 "For thus hath the Lord said unto me, 03:46 Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth." 03:51 So the first thing we learn about a watchman 03:53 is that a watchman was called to declare what he sees. 03:58 Here Isaiah's in vision and God is showing him 04:02 the impending danger which is to come upon Babylon 04:05 and here Isaiah declares himself a watchman 04:08 and he shows us that a watchman is an individual 04:11 who declares what he sees. 04:12 Now read verse 7 with me. 04:14 Now he gives an account of what he's seen. 04:17 In verse 7 it says, "And he saw a chariot 04:19 with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, 04:22 and a chariot of camels." 04:24 Then the next part it says, "And he hearkened diligently 04:27 with much heed." 04:29 So here Isaiah is now been showing Babylon 04:32 and how it is to be overtaken soon and very soon. 04:35 And he's now seen that the enemy which is coming in 04:39 on to the city and so now he's seen 04:41 that these chariots are coming and Isaiah begins to declare 04:45 and he's taking heed or he's becoming very aware 04:48 of the enemy which is coming in to take over Babylon. 04:50 Now in verse 8 I want us to see 04:52 how long this watchman would stand and to take heed 04:57 to make sure that the enemy wouldn't come 04:59 into the city unawares. 05:00 In verse 8, are we there? 05:02 Verse 8 says, "And he cried, A lion: 05:04 My lord, I stand continually..." 05:09 It says "I stand continually 05:11 upon the watchtower in the daytime, 05:14 and I am set in my ward whole nights." 05:18 So the period of time that the watchman would stand 05:21 on these vaults to watch whether the enemy was coming 05:24 into the city was day and night continually. 05:28 So these watchmen were never to sleep, 05:30 they were never to slumber 05:32 because the enemy would try to come in 05:34 but the watchman would have to declare what he sees 05:38 and here Isaiah is beginning to declare what he's seen 05:41 is soon to come upon Babylon. 05:43 Now read verse 9, in verse 9 it says, 05:45 "And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, 05:49 with a couple of horsemen. 05:50 And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen." 05:56 Stop right there. 05:57 Do we have a message in the Book of Revelation 06:00 about Babylon being fallen? 06:02 Amen, Revelation Chapter 14 reading verse 8, 06:05 the Bible says, "And I saw another angel 06:07 saying Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, 06:12 because she made all nations drink of the wine 06:14 of the wrath of her fornication." 06:17 So here we find this watchmen calling out these enemies 06:21 that are coming in to take down Babylon. 06:24 Now we know, we're living in a time 06:26 where we are called to preach the Three Angels' Messages 06:30 and one of those messages also involves 06:33 calling Babylon is fallen. 06:37 And so here you have watchmen declaring the fall of Babylon 06:41 and they are trying to make sure that everybody is aware 06:44 that the enemies are soon to come in 06:46 and Babylon is soon to fall. 06:49 Are we following? 06:50 Now notice verse 10, verse 10 is key. 06:52 In verse 10, "O my threshing, and the corn of my floor, 06:55 that which I have heard of the Lord of hosts, 06:58 the God of Israel, have I declared unto you. 07:02 Have I declared unto you." 07:03 Verse 11, "The burden of Dumah, 07:06 He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman," 07:10 listen very carefully to the call. 07:12 These people are now asking the watchman, 07:15 they're asking him something. 07:16 Verse 11, it says "Watchman, what of the night?" 07:22 "Watchman, what of the night?" 07:26 Verse 12, "The watchman said, The morning cometh, 07:29 and also the night, if you will enquire," do what? 07:34 "Enquire ye, return and come." 07:38 So here you have this watchman who is standing on these vaults 07:41 or Isaiah envisioned in this chapter 07:43 and he's seen the fate that is soon to come 07:46 upon literal Babylon. 07:47 And what we find here is that you have-- 07:50 that Isaiah is calling out the enemies 07:54 that are trying to come in 07:55 and they are going to come into Babylon 07:57 and here you also find that you have people enquiring, 08:01 Watchman, what of the night? 08:04 What of the night? 08:08 Now these people are asking the question 08:11 when is day coming. 08:12 Because he answers in verse 12, the watchman said what? 08:15 The morning-- what did verse 12 say? 08:18 The morning cometh. 08:21 Now the morning is when daylight breaks 08:24 or daylight comes and so here the people are saying 08:27 when is the daytime coming? 08:28 Why? 08:29 Because the enemies most likely move in the day 08:31 or in the night? 08:32 In the night. Watch, the thief cometh. 08:38 Christ is coming unawares so those who're not watching 08:40 because the thief comes when? 08:42 In the night. 08:44 And this is very important 08:45 because 2 Corinthians 2:11 says, 08:47 "Lest Satan should get the advantage of us, 08:50 for we are not ignorant of his devices." 08:55 And so here we find that one of the goals of the watchman 08:58 was to make sure that everybody in the city 09:00 was aware, what did I say? 09:03 Aware of the encroaching danger 09:05 or the enemy which was coming into the city, 09:07 hence these watchmen would be there. 09:10 Now are we in the great controversy today? 09:13 Ephesians 6:12, "For we wrestle not against 09:16 flesh and blood, but against principalities, 09:19 against powers, 09:20 against the rulers of the darkness of this world, 09:22 against spiritual wickedness in high places." 09:26 We are in a warfare, a great controversy 09:30 and is there an enemy? 09:32 We heard it this morning, Monique spoke about 09:34 the accuser of the brethren, and so there is an enemy, 09:39 an enemy who is soon to bring Babylon down. 09:42 Babylon is gonna be fallen. 09:43 Babylon is fallen, is fallen and so we find today 09:46 that just as watchmen we're called to stand out 09:50 and here in this case, Isaiah is one of these watchmen 09:53 calling upon the fall of Babylon, 09:56 calling upon everybody to become aware 09:58 of what is about to take place 10:00 and we find here that in the same day we live in today, 10:02 there is also a time where we must also give the message, 10:06 Babylon is fallen, is fallen 10:09 and we also have a message in Revelation 18:4, 10:13 "Come out of her." 10:15 Who? "My people." 10:18 And so what we find here 10:19 is that watchmen had a very important job. 10:24 Now 2 Corinthians 2:11 told us that the way 10:26 that Satan gets an advantage of us is when? 10:29 We are ignorant of his devices. 10:32 In other words, just the same way that the thief moves 10:35 through the night because he's undetected. 10:37 The same way that a sniper hides up in a building 10:40 or he hides in the trees because he's undetected. 10:43 Satan moves in the same way and so the watchmen 10:46 were called to call out when the enemy was what? 10:51 Approaching. 10:52 Ellen White writes in Great Controversy, 10:53 page 516, paragraph 3, 10:55 "There is nothing that the great deceiver 10:59 fears so much as that we shall become acquainted 11:03 with his devices." 11:05 So here we have, this is why God set watchmen 11:08 so that when the enemy would come, 11:10 people would be aware of the devices of this enemy 11:14 and so today we live in a warfare 11:17 and the sermon is called "Wake Up The Watchmen." 11:19 Wake up the watchmen. 11:22 Do we have an enemy trying to come into the church? 11:24 Yes. 11:25 Do we have an enemy trying to take down God's people? 11:27 Yes. 11:28 Do we have an enemy individually, 11:31 an enemy that comes to us individually 11:33 and tries to take us out? 11:35 Yes. 11:36 But has God set watchmen in the church today? 11:39 Yes. 11:41 Isaiah 58:1, "Cry aloud" or verse 2, "Spare not." 11:47 So here we find that watchmen, at number one, 11:50 point outs the impending danger that is coming upon the city 11:55 but also to find out the time of the night. 11:58 Do you remember what verse 11 said? 12:01 Verse 11 said, "Watchman, what of the night?" 12:06 Do you know there are individuals in this world today 12:08 that are asking the question 12:09 where are we in the period of earth's history? 12:11 What time of the great controversy are we in? 12:13 What time of the night? 12:15 The watchmen, God's people are to be a light 12:18 as Daniel was in Babylon. 12:21 They were asking we have a giant, we don't know. 12:23 Joseph, we have a giant, we don't know. 12:25 God's people today are to be as watchmen 12:28 pointing out the dangers that are trying to take out 12:31 God's people but also trying to tell the world 12:34 the time that we are living in. 12:38 Now go to the Book of Isaiah 56, 12:40 go forward to Isaiah Chapter 56, 12:42 we're gonna read verse 10 12:47 because something happened in Israel's history 12:51 that is also happening today. 12:53 So the first thing we find is that the watchmen 12:56 are called to declare what they see, 12:59 not what the people want to hear. 13:01 Right? 13:02 The watchman must declare what he sees, 13:06 not just what the people want to hear. 13:08 Could you imagine a watchman standing on a tower 13:11 and there are armies coming through 13:13 and because they just didn't want 13:14 to discomfort people in the city, 13:16 they just didn't say anything, 13:19 they didn't say anything. 13:20 And what happens? 13:21 The enemy comes in unawares and Satan gets the advantage 13:28 and so God's people are called to be watchmen 13:30 but notice what happened in verse 10 of Isaiah Chapter 56 13:34 in Israel's history, are we there? 13:37 Isaiah 56:10, notice what happens sometimes 13:40 to these watchmen who are to call out that enemy. 13:44 It says in verse 10. 13:45 "His watchmen are blind, they are all ignorant, 13:51 and are all as dumb dogs, they cannot bark." 13:57 Notice what it says next. What are they doing? 13:59 Sleeping, loving to-- 14:03 lying down and loving to do what? 14:06 Slumber. 14:07 But remember when we read Isaiah 21, 14:10 the watchmen-- Isaiah 21:8 says 14:15 I stand continually upon the watchtower for how long? 14:21 In the daytime and in the... nights. 14:24 So if it's in day and night shift, 14:26 is there any time to sleep? 14:27 No. 14:29 Because who is coming in? The enemy. 14:31 And so in Chapter 56, we find watchmen are not awake. 14:36 What are they doing? 14:38 They're sleeping and so as a result of them sleeping, 14:40 the enemy is able to what? 14:43 Come in. 14:46 What are they also here? 14:47 They're what? Blind. 14:51 Do we notice that in the message of Laodicea. 14:54 Revelation Chapter 3, listen to this, verse 14, 14:56 "And unto the angel of the church 14:58 of the Laodiceans write, 14:59 these things saith the Amen, 15:01 the faithful and true witness, 15:03 the beginning of the creation of God." 15:04 Verse 15 of Revelation 3, "I know thy works, 15:07 that thou art neither cold nor hot, 15:09 I would thou wert cold or hot." 15:11 Verse 16, "So then because thou art lukewarm, 15:14 and neither cold nor hot, I will do--" What? 15:17 "spue you out of my mouth." 15:19 Now listen to verse 17 of Revelation 3, 15:21 "because thou sayest, I am rich, 15:24 and increased with goods, and have need of nothing," 15:28 but listen carefully, 15:29 but knowest not that thou art wretched, 15:31 and miserable, and poor, and blind." 15:38 Blind. 15:41 The Laodicean church, blind. 15:44 The watchmen on the walls of Zion, 15:46 the watchmen in the Old Testament, 15:48 they were never to be called blind, 15:50 they were never to be caught sleeping, 15:52 they were never to be caught slumbering, amen? 15:55 Because what would happen if they slumber? 15:57 Who comes in? The enemy. 15:59 So our question today is where are we as God's people? 16:03 As watchmen? 16:06 Where are we as watchmen? 16:08 Isaiah 56 tells us that there is a time 16:11 where these watchmen were sleeping now. 16:14 Not only does the Bible liken his people to watchmen 16:17 but also to soldiers. 16:19 2 Timothy 2:3. 16:22 2 Timothy 2:3, go there with me. 16:25 2 Timothy 2:3. 16:27 These watchmen, these soldiers would have to stand 16:31 on these walls but notice what the New Testament tells us 16:34 in 2 Timothy 2:3 and 4, say amen when you're there. 16:39 Amen. 16:41 You know we're told to study to show yourself 16:43 approved unto God, workmen and workwomen 16:47 that needeth not to be ashamed, 16:48 rightly dividing the words of truth. 16:53 Do we want to become a reflector 16:55 of just another preacher's thoughts? 16:57 No. We want to know what? 16:59 The Bible says for ourselves, so we're studying today, amen? 17:02 Amen. 17:03 We're in the Book of 2 Timothy 2, are you there? 17:06 Notice what the Bible says here, read verse 3 with me. 17:10 "Thou therefore endure hardness, 17:13 as a good soldier of--" who? 17:16 Jesus Christ. 17:17 So God's people are likened unto what? 17:20 Soldiers, watchmen, staying alert, 17:23 keeping out for the enemy. 17:24 Read verse 4, are we there? 17:27 "No man that warreth entangleth himself 17:30 with the affairs of this life," why? 17:34 "That he may do what? Please who? 17:37 Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 17:41 So has God called His people to be soldiers? 17:43 Yes. 17:44 Has God called His people to be watchmen? 17:47 Yes. 17:48 But has God called these watchmen, 17:50 these soldiers to sleep? 17:52 No. Listen to the statement. 17:55 Testimonies to the Church, 17:56 volume 5, page 394, paragraph 1. 18:00 "The church of Christ may be fitly compared to an army. 18:05 The life of every soldier is one of toil, 18:09 hardship, and danger. 18:11 On every hand are vigilant foes, 18:13 led on by the prince of the powers of darkness," 18:17 listen carefully, "who never slumbers 18:22 and never deserts his post." 18:26 According to that quote, 18:27 does Satan ever desert his post? 18:29 No. 18:30 So what would happen if God's watchmen deserted their post? 18:33 Game over. 18:35 "Deserted his post. 18:36 Whenever a Christian is off his guard, 18:39 this powerful adversary makes a sudden and violent attack." 18:44 Brothers and sisters, I can tell you a lot of us 18:47 in this room today would have been victims 18:50 of such an attack this week. 18:52 Because this weekend is gonna be a powerful weekend, 18:55 but because the devil knows this, 18:58 he seeks to take everyone out and it says here, 19:01 "Unless the members of the church are active 19:03 and vigilant, they will be overcome by his devices." 19:10 Paragraph 2. 19:12 "What if half the soldiers of an army 19:14 were idling or asleep when ordered to be on duty, 19:20 the result would be defeat, captivity, or death. 19:25 Should any escape from the hands of the enemy, 19:27 would they be thought worthy of a reward? 19:30 No, they would speedily receive the sentence of death. 19:34 And is the church of Christ careless or unfaithful, 19:37 far more important consequences 19:40 are involved in the church of Christ. 19:42 A sleeping army, listen carefully, 19:45 of Christian soldiers, what could be more terrible. 19:51 What advance could be made against the world 19:53 who are under the control of the prince of darkness? 19:56 Those who stand back indifferently 19:58 in the day of battle, as though they had no interest 20:01 and felt no responsibility as to the issue of the contest 20:05 might better change their course 20:07 or leave the ranks at once. 20:10 The Master calls for gospel workers. 20:12 Who will respond?" 20:14 Rise up. 20:16 "All who enter the army are not to be generals, 20:18 captains, sergeants, or even corporals. 20:21 All have not the care and responsibility of leaders. 20:24 There is hard work of other kinds to be done. 20:27 Some must dig trenches and build fortifications, 20:32 some are to stand as sentinels or watchmen, 20:36 some are to carry messages. 20:38 While there are about few officers, 20:41 it requires many soldiers to form the rank 20:44 and file of the army, but yet its success depends 20:49 upon the fidelity of every soldier. 20:53 One man's cowardice or treachery 20:55 may bring disaster upon the entire army." 20:58 So although one man cannot fill the whole row 21:02 and you need many men, every single person 21:04 in that army is required for that battle. 21:09 And so what we find here is that the question 21:11 we must ask ourselves, are we blind? 21:13 Are we watchmen? 21:14 Are we awake? Are we awake? 21:17 Are we watchmen on the walls? 21:19 Are we watching where the enemy is trying to come in? 21:23 Are we seeking to look to Christ? 21:25 Now, brothers and sisters, this obviously 21:27 was in the Old Testament, right? 21:28 The watchmen? 21:29 Go to the Book of Isaiah Chapter 52. 21:32 Isaiah 52, now we find how this message 21:35 of the watchmen came true even unto the New Testament. 21:39 Isaiah 52, we'll begin there and then we'll transition 21:42 to the Book of Romans. 21:43 Isaiah 52. Isaiah 52. 21:47 A sleeping army of Christian soldiers, 21:49 what could be worse? 21:51 Could you imagine that? 21:53 The enemy is ready to come in, 21:54 the snipers, the guys who're watching 21:57 on the edge of your territory, they fall asleep. 22:02 What does that mean to us today? 22:04 What if God's preachers, what if God's pastors, 22:06 what if God's lay people fall asleep? 22:09 They see the enemy coming to the church, 22:11 they see the enemy come through 22:12 and try to bring his devices 22:14 and break down God's people and they say nothing. 22:21 They see friends going astray and they say nothing. 22:24 They see their co-workers at work, 22:26 the university friends going down the path of addiction 22:29 and we say nothing. 22:30 As Sister Monique said this morning, 22:32 we must make sure that the mission field we're in 22:35 is the mission field God has called us to be in, 22:38 whether that's home or whether that's abroad. 22:40 But in Isaiah 52, 22:42 we're studying Isaiah 52, are you there? 22:46 Notice what we find here, you now listen to the language, 22:48 Isaiah 52:7, the Bible says, 22:51 "How beautiful upon the mountain are the--" what? 22:54 "feet of him that bringeth good tidings, 22:58 that publisheth-- what? 23:00 "peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, 23:03 that publisheth salvation, that saith unto God, 23:06 thy God reigneth." 23:08 Now for many of us, we can now start to hear 23:12 the language that is used in this verse 23:13 in the New Testament. 23:15 Now read verse 9 with me or verse 8. 23:19 Thy-- what? Watchmen. 23:22 So in verse 8 you have these people 23:25 bringing the message of glad tidings 23:28 of good tidings of peace, 23:30 how beautiful are the feets of these people 23:33 that bring good tidings. 23:35 And in verse 8, they're called what? 23:38 "Watchmen that shall lift up their voice, 23:40 with the voice together shall they sing, 23:43 for they shall see eye to eye, 23:46 when the Lord shall bring again Zion." 23:49 So here in Isaiah, these watchmen 23:52 not only would carry out the task of making sure 23:55 that the enemy could not come in unawares. 23:57 They would not only make sure that the whole city 24:00 knew the time of the night 24:02 but they were also to be individuals 24:04 that brought a message of what? 24:06 Good tidings. 24:08 Now go to Romans Chapter 10. 24:10 Romans Chapter 10 reading verse 13. 24:14 Brothers and sisters, when you read the book Evangelism, 24:16 page 363, we're going to Romans 10 24:18 reading verses 13 to 15, 24:20 but Ellen White writes in Evangelism, 363, 24:25 that in place of so much sermonizing, 24:28 we should come together and have a more close searching 24:32 of the scriptures, opening the scripture's 24:34 text by text to search out the scriptures 24:39 which laid the foundation of our eternal truth. 24:42 So instead of sermonizing and sermonizing, we are what? 24:46 Studying, because we're told in Education, 24:50 page 17, paragraph 3, 24:51 that it is the work of true education 24:53 to train the youth and our people to be thinkers, 24:57 and not mere reflectors of other man's thoughts. 25:00 Not just repeating what our favorite pastor said, 25:03 not just repeating what our favorite evangelist says, 25:05 but repeating but what who says? 25:07 God says. 25:09 So this is why we must study text by text 25:12 to know what we believe, amen? 25:13 Amen. 25:14 Romans Chapter 10, are we there? 25:16 So we just saw that the watchmen 25:18 are likened unto men that carry a message of good tidings 25:22 and of peace and Isaiah said 25:25 how beautiful are the feet of these watchmen. 25:29 Now notice Romans 10, are we there? 25:31 Verse 13, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord 25:35 shall be saved. 25:37 How then shall they call on him 25:39 in whom they have not-- what? 25:40 Believed? 25:41 And how shall they believe in him 25:43 of whom they have not heard? 25:45 And how shall they hear without a preacher?" 25:49 So Paul in the Book of Romans is getting very practical. 25:55 He's saying unless we go out and carry this message, 25:59 how are they gonna hear. 26:01 So these watchmen in the New Testament 26:04 are individuals that have been given this role 26:06 to take the gospel to the world. 26:09 Matthew 24:14, and this gospel of the kingdom 26:12 shall be preached where? 26:14 In all the world for a witness unto all nations 26:18 and then what comes? 26:19 The end comes. 26:20 2 Peter 3:12, hastening, 26:23 hastening unto the coming of Christ. 26:27 So God has put it into the hands of His watchmen 26:31 to carry this gospel message of good tidings. 26:33 Now notice verse 15-- 16. 26:38 Actually we're in verse 15. 26:40 "And how shall they preach, except they be sent?" 26:42 Now listen to the language. 26:44 "As it is written, how--" what? 26:46 "Beautiful." 26:47 Isn't that what we read in Isaiah? 26:49 Exactly. 26:50 "How beautiful upon the mountains 26:51 are the feet of them that preach, what? 26:56 The gospel of peace, and what? 27:00 Bring glad tidings of what? 27:03 Good things." 27:04 Is this the same call that God gave the watchmen 27:07 in Isaiah 52? 27:09 That's exactly what we read, right? 27:11 Speaking of the watchmen, the same message 27:13 and so in the New Testament, those who carry forth 27:16 the gospel are also called what? 27:19 What are they called from this verse 27:20 or from what we know, from what we read in Isaiah? 27:22 Isaiah said that these people are to carry glad tidings 27:26 and they were called what? 27:27 Watchmen. 27:28 Then we come to Romans 10 27:30 and we find the same individuals 27:32 carrying good tidings are also carrying the gospel. 27:36 But in the Old Testament, who was it that carried 27:40 the message of good tidings? 27:41 The watchmen. 27:42 So in the New Testament we find the same call 27:44 given to those who carry the gospel. 27:48 They're also to be what? 27:50 Watchmen, soldiers standing on the walls of Zion 27:54 calling out the enemy when the enemy tries to come in. 27:58 Now what we find here is that the watchmen 28:00 have been given a very serious role, amen? 28:04 Have the watchmen been given a very solemn role? 28:07 They have been. 28:09 And sometimes when we think about the call 28:11 for a speedy work, 28:14 we often think about it in relation to ourselves. 28:18 What's the gospel gonna do for us? 28:20 When the gospel goes, we're gonna be the ones 28:22 walking on the streets of gold. 28:24 When the gospel goes, finally all suffering is over. 28:27 Now is there anything wrong with desiring 28:30 the end of suffering, sorrow and death? 28:31 No. 28:33 Matter of fact go with me to the Book of Revelation 21. 28:35 I want you to see something. 28:37 Revelation 21. 28:40 Revelation 21, I want you to see what is the result, 28:44 what is the end result of all of this watchmen business. 28:49 Where does it all lead to once the end comes? 28:52 Revelation 21, we're gonna read verse 4. 28:55 Revelation 21 reading verse 4. 28:57 Say amen when you're there. Amen. 29:00 So yes, we know that in the Old Testament, 29:03 these watchmen were to watch out, 29:06 to see whether the enemy would come into the city. 29:09 They would also make people aware 29:11 of what time of the night it was, 29:13 so that they could prepare for safety. 29:17 And these watchmen were not to what? 29:20 Sleep because, remember Isaiah 21:8, 29:24 I stand upon the watchtower in the daytime 29:27 and I'm set in my ward whole night. 29:30 So these watchmen will have to be day and night, 29:32 day and night they must-- now I'm not saying 29:34 you shouldn't get physical sleep, 29:36 but what I'm saying is that our awareness 29:38 must be sharp and on point, 29:41 to be mindful of where the enemy is coming in. 29:43 And so what we found is that these watchmen 29:45 would also carry a message of good tidings. 29:50 And then we went to Romans 10 and we found that these also 29:53 in the New Testament who carry the message of good tidings 29:56 also carried the gospel, 29:58 which is what we've been called to carry. 30:01 And we found that as we as faithful sentinels 30:04 and faithful watchmen carry this gospel to the world, 30:07 when we do our faithful work as watchmen, what comes? 30:11 The end. 30:13 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be what? 30:16 Preached where? 30:17 In all the world as a witness unto all nations 30:19 and what comes? 30:20 The end. 30:21 So when the watchmen carry forth the gospel, 30:24 the end comes, amen? 30:26 Now notice Revelation 21, notice what else comes 30:29 as a result of us doing our work as watchmen, 30:32 are we there? 30:34 Verse 4. 30:35 This is after the-- during the time 30:37 after the 1,000 years when the holy city comes down 30:40 and this is long after the end of the world, notice verse 4. 30:43 "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, 30:48 and there shall be no more death, 30:50 neither sorrow, nor crying, 30:53 neither shall there be any more pain, 30:55 for the former things are passed away." 30:57 Amen? 31:00 So does the Bible paint a wonderful picture 31:02 post second coming after the end of the world? 31:06 It does, the end of suffering, sorrow, sin and death. 31:11 But what I wanted us to see and why I'd built 31:13 the foundations of the watchmen was because many a time 31:17 when we understand about our call for a speedy work, 31:21 there is nothing wrong with thinking 31:22 about the lost souls out there. 31:24 There is nothing wrong with thinking about 31:25 all the individuals as we heard this morning 31:28 that are brokenhearted, all those people 31:30 that are thinking of committing suicide, 31:32 there is nothing wrong with thinking about 31:34 how a call for a speedy work helps us, 31:37 but what about God? 31:40 Many times when we think about ending this work, 31:43 we think which is nothing wrong with that, 31:45 we think primarily about how it benefits us. 31:50 What does it do for us? 31:51 No more suffering, no more sorrow, no more death. 31:53 There is nothing wrong with it. 31:54 But what I want us to understand this morning 31:57 is could there be someone else we have not considered 32:00 when we think about finishing the work. 32:02 Go to Judges Chapter 10. 32:04 Judges Chapter 10. 32:06 Judges Chapter 10. 32:08 These two elements I want us to take from today as watchmen, 32:15 have we been called as watchmen, amen? 32:17 Have we been called to be watchmen? 32:21 Amen. 32:22 And as watchmen we are carrying the everlasting gospel 32:25 so when we carry this to the world, what comes? 32:28 The end and as a result of the end coming, 32:31 there was also no more what? 32:33 It is the end of suffering, sorrow, death, 32:36 tears to work for us, right? 32:39 Now that's the human benefits that we find, 32:43 death because-- death, tears, sorrow, 32:45 that's usually what we think of, for us. 32:48 But notice Judges Chapter 10, are we there? 32:50 Judges 10:16. 32:53 The Bible says "And they put away the strange gods 32:55 from among them, and served the Lord," 32:58 and listen carefully, "and his soul was what? 33:02 Grieved for the misery of Israel." 33:06 Whose soul? God's. 33:09 So when Ishmael went through misery, 33:12 who went through it, too? 33:13 God. Are you following? 33:17 Are you understanding where we're going with this? 33:20 Sometimes when we think about suffering finishing, 33:22 we think about our suffering. 33:24 We think about the suffering of mine, suffering my death, 33:27 the people I've lost, but what about God? 33:31 Judges 10 says when Ishmael went through misery, 33:34 who grieved, too? 33:36 Who grieved with Israel? God did. 33:40 Go to Isaiah 63, Isaiah 63, I told you, 33:44 brothers and sisters, we're gonna study, 33:46 we're gonna study, 1 Peter 3:15 tells us, 33:50 we're going to Isaiah 63, but 1 Peter 3:15, 33:54 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts 33:56 and be ready always, sometimes, 34:02 when we can call our pastor, 34:05 when we have to-- not there is anything wrong 34:08 but we must make effort ourselves. 34:11 So we must be ready and this is why 34:13 we must not just sermonize but we must what? 34:15 Study. 34:17 We have come to a time where, 34:18 so many times our church members, 34:20 all they can give is what their pastor says. 34:23 Now is that to dog and to poor people? 34:26 No, what we're trying to understand 34:28 is that we must reason 34:31 because, brothers and sisters, 34:33 it doesn't matter how long you've been studying the Bible, 34:36 you're always gonna learn something, 34:38 you're always gonna learn something. 34:40 So no one will ever get to the point 34:41 where they can say, I know it all, 34:44 I have studied it all, I have read the Bible 34:46 for 30, 40, 50 years but the question is 34:49 what are we doing with that knowledge. 34:52 What do we find here? Isaiah 63, are we there? 34:55 Now we're looking at the second element 34:57 to the call for a speedy work. 34:59 We know that we must wake up the watchmen 35:01 because there is a world dying. 35:03 And God has put it in our hands to make sure 35:06 that the gospel goes to the world, 35:08 that the end of suffering, sorrow and death 35:10 can come not just for humans. 35:13 But we're also finding that as man goes through misery, 35:17 who also goes through misery, too? 35:19 God. 35:20 So when man's misery ends, guess who else's misery ends? 35:24 God's. 35:26 Read Isaiah 63, are we there? 35:28 Verse 9, read from verse 8. 35:31 "For he said, surely they are my people, 35:35 children that will not lie, so he was their Savior. 35:40 In all their affliction-- what does this say? 35:45 He was afflicted." 35:48 So in the affliction and the suffering 35:51 and the pain of man, again what does the Bible say 35:54 about who else is affected? 35:56 God. 35:58 So when man's suffering ends, whose suffering ends, too? 36:03 God's. 36:04 But what I'm trying to get us to understand 36:06 is that so many times we think about finishing the work 36:09 all we can be thinking about as how it benefits us. 36:13 What does it gonna do for me? 36:14 What it's gonna do for my benefits? 36:16 But, brothers and sisters, what about God? 36:20 What about the heart of God? 36:22 What about God's heart? 36:25 Let us look at one more example of this. 36:27 Go to Genesis Chapter 6, we will read verses 5 and 6. 36:32 Genesis 6, reading verses 5 and 6. 36:35 This is our final passage we're gonna be leading to. 36:39 Genesis Chapter 6, reading verses 5 to 6. 36:47 "His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. 36:51 In all their affliction he was afflicted." 36:54 Let us read Genesis 6, reading verses 5 and verse 6. 36:58 Say amen when you're there. Amen. 37:01 We're trying to establish that another element 37:03 to waken up the watchmen in God's church 37:06 is not just about us. 37:07 One of the main focuses, the main focus 37:11 of this wake up call is yes to end human suffering, 37:15 yes, to bring about the end of death 37:17 and of sorrow and of sin but, brothers and sisters, 37:20 one of the greatest joys that this will bring 37:22 is also joy to the heart of God. 37:24 Genesis 6, are we there? What's happening here? 37:27 God is about to send what on the earth? 37:30 What's He about to send on the earth 37:32 in Genesis Chapter 6? 37:34 A flood, right? 37:35 Bible students, we should know this. 37:37 A flood. 37:38 God is about to send a flood on the earth, 37:40 not according to the way that the movie tells us 37:42 that was gonna come. 37:44 Don't follow what entertainment tells us, 37:47 read what the Bible says. 37:49 Brother Justin said it last night 37:51 this is what we need, 37:54 not Hollywood to tell us 37:55 how the story of Noah came about. 37:58 Now and by the way you can get a book on that 38:00 in the booth room. 38:03 Genesis Chapter 6, are we there? 38:04 Verse 5, notice God. 38:07 What are the first two words in verse 5? 38:10 "And who saw?" 38:12 God saw that the wickedness of man was great upon what? 38:16 The earth, so wickedness was great on the earth 38:19 and that every imagination of the thoughts 38:22 of his heart was how? 38:24 Only evil how? Continually. 38:28 And notice what happens in verse 6. 38:31 Notice how God again responds to wickedness, to suffering, 38:35 to sin and to death. 38:37 Notice what happens in verse 6, are we there? 38:39 "And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth," 38:42 and what does it say? 38:43 And it grieved him-- stop there. 38:47 Again man goes through misery, God is afflicted. 38:51 Man goes through affliction, God is afflicted. 38:54 Sinners and wicked people do wicked and gross, 38:58 grotesque things and God is grieved. 39:01 What I'm trying to share with us this morning 39:03 is that in this call for waking up the watchmen, 39:06 sometimes we forget about God. 39:09 Many times we think about how is it gonna benefit us, 39:12 but God is saying that one of the greatest lessons 39:14 we must learn about this call is that at the end 39:17 of the great controversy, it is not just suffering 39:20 and sorrow ends for us, but for God. 39:24 Are you following? 39:27 Let me read this quotation. 39:32 Amazing Grace, page 189, paragraph 5. 39:39 Notice, I want you to listen carefully to this. 39:41 Listen carefully. 39:43 Listen carefully to this quotation. 39:45 Remember we saw that when this great controversy is over, 39:49 suffering and sin and death finishes for who? 39:53 For us. 39:55 But then we are now finding that when suffering and sorrow 39:59 and sin finishes for us, it also finishes for who? 40:03 For God. Listen to this quotation. 40:05 Amazing Grace, page 189, paragraph 5, 40:09 "Not a sigh is breathed, not a pain felt, 40:15 not a grief pierces the soul, 40:20 but the throb vibrates 40:24 to the Father's heart." 40:27 Let me read that again. I think some of us missed that. 40:29 Not a sigh, listen carefully, think about that, 40:33 how many people on planet earth today? 40:37 Average, 7 billion, right? Seven billion. 40:41 Okay, let's take seven, and we saw that 40:45 whenever man on earth, think about every individual, 40:48 7 billion people going through pain, 40:52 going through suffering, going through sorrow, 40:55 going through death, going through tears, 40:57 going through heartache, 40:58 going through all these problems, 41:00 think about one person times that by 7 billion, 41:05 multiply that, add it together 41:08 and put that on the heart of God. 41:14 Now think about that, on the heart of God. 41:18 Do you see what I mean when we talk about a speedy work, 41:21 it's not just about us. 41:24 It involves us, but it is also the end of suffering. 41:28 Let me read that quote again, 41:29 because I think some of you missed it. 41:31 Amazing Grace, page 189, paragraph 5, listen, 41:35 think about it, think about-- okay, picture this. 41:39 Picture every individual person on earth 41:42 sighing, breathing, hurting, crying, 41:47 add that together on a second by second 41:52 by second by second basis 41:54 and put that on the heart of God everyday, 41:57 that's a lot of pain. 42:01 So what is the pain of man in relation to the pain of God? 42:06 What do we go through that God doesn't go through? 42:09 Brothers and sisters, that's comfort, 42:11 so know that one person that is going through something, 42:14 God is going through 8 billion times over that, for us. 42:19 That's hope. Listen to it again. 42:21 Not a sigh is breathed, not a pain felt, 42:24 not a grief pierces the soul, but listen, 42:27 every throb of pain ever felt by every individual on earth 42:34 hits the heart of God. 42:37 So when we talk about the gospel work, 42:39 it's not just about us, brothers and sisters. 42:42 It's about God. It's about the heart of Jesus. 42:45 Every time we have fallen and it takes us to come back 42:48 every pain on God's heart. 42:53 Listen to this quote as I finish. 42:56 Education, page 263, paragraph 2. 43:01 Listen carefully, brothers and sisters. 43:03 "Those who think of the result of hastening 43:06 or hindering the gospel think of it 43:11 in relation to themselves and to the world. 43:17 Few--" What does it say? 43:20 How much is few? 43:21 Majority-- it's less. 43:26 "A few think of its relation to God. 43:31 Few give thought to the suffering--" listen carefully, 43:35 "that sin has caused our Creator. 43:38 All heaven suffered in Christ's agony--" 43:41 but listen carefully, "but that suffering did not end 43:45 or begin with His manifestation in humanity." 43:51 Let me put it more plain. 43:54 When Jesus died on the cross, many times that we think 43:57 about Jesus' suffering for us, all we think about 44:00 is that 33 years of His life and death. 44:04 But did you know ever since sin has entered this world, 44:07 it has broken the heart of God. 44:12 Are you following? 44:13 Many times we think about what God has done for us, 44:16 we only think of Gethsemane or from Bethlehem 44:20 to Gethsemane to Calvary to the Resurrection 44:22 and that was it. 44:24 That wasn't it, the suffering began with sin 44:27 and it'll end with sin, so what I'm saying, 44:29 I'm saying that the heart of God 44:31 has gone through so much more than we ever know. 44:36 We talk about Calvary and Gethsemane 44:37 which are beautiful experiences, amen? 44:39 But, brother, think about that. 44:41 Ever since sin came into the picture, 44:46 it has been breaking and aching the heart of God. 44:51 "The cross is a revelation to our dull senses of the pain 44:56 that from its very inception-- what did I just say? 45:01 The very what? What does that mean? 45:04 The very birth of sin. 45:06 From the very beginning of sin, many of us, 45:10 "The cross is a revelation to our dull senses of the pain 45:14 that, from its very birth, 45:16 sin has brought to the heart of God." 45:18 Listen, "Every departure from the right, 45:20 every deed of cruelty, every failure of humanity 45:24 to reach His ideal, brings grief to Him." 45:28 Do you know every single time we slip up, 45:31 every single time we do something 45:33 God has not called us to do, 45:35 do you know that brings pain to the heart of God? 45:38 And think of that 7 billion, 8 billion. 45:42 All at once second by second continually 45:45 because as long as sin will last, 45:47 the pain that is in God's heart will last. 45:51 So but as long as sin comes to an end, 45:53 guess what else comes to an end? 45:56 The pain of God. 46:00 "Our world is a vast lazar house, 46:03 a scene of misery that we dare not even allow 46:06 our thoughts to dwell upon. 46:08 If we realize it as it is, 46:11 the burden would be too terrible. 46:14 Yet, God-- listen carefully, yet God feels it all." 46:22 God feels it all. 46:24 In order to destroy sin and its results 46:27 He gave His best Beloved, nd He has put it in our power, 46:32 through co-operation with Him, 46:34 to bring this scene of misery to an end. 46:37 'The gospel of the kingdom shall be preached 46:39 in all the world for a witness unto all nations, 46:43 and then shall the end come.'" 46:49 I hope that we're grasping what we just read. 46:54 Like, think about that. 46:57 Now forget about Facebook in your mind, 46:59 put Twitter aside, 47:01 think about what we're just hearing. 47:06 The Bible-- we began this study by saying 47:10 that Isaiah showed that there were men 47:12 who were called watchmen and these watchmen 47:15 would have to watch out for the enemies 47:17 coming into the city, 47:19 they'd have to watch what time of the night it was 47:21 to make sure that the people in the city 47:23 were prepared for the attacks of the enemy 47:25 which were gonna try to come into that city. 47:28 And so we saw that just as Isaiah was a watchman 47:31 in those days in the time of Babylon's fall, 47:34 we also are called as watchmen 47:37 in the time of spiritual Babylon's fall. 47:40 And then we saw that watchmen sometimes fall asleep 47:44 and they love to what? 47:46 Sleep and slumber. 47:48 And so our question is this, do we love to sleep? 47:51 Are we going into the mission fields? 47:53 Are we making sure that we are spiritual giants 47:55 heading into that Promised Land? 47:57 Or are we sleeping? 47:59 Are we still doing the ways of the Lord? 48:02 Then we found that in the Old Testament 48:05 that people that were carrying these tidings, 48:08 they were called watchmen. 48:10 Then in Romans 10 we found that these people 48:13 in the New Testament 48:15 who were also called to carry this message 48:18 were carrying the gospel and then as a result of them 48:21 doing their work and carrying the gospel, 48:23 what was gonna come? 48:24 The end of what? Suffering, sorrow and sin. 48:29 But then we saw that many times 48:31 when we think about finishing the work 48:33 and taking the work home, 48:35 that we think about it in relation to who? 48:37 Ourselves. 48:39 And we saw that whenever God's people 48:43 were going through misery, who was in misery? 48:45 He was. 48:46 Whenever God's people were in what? 48:48 Affliction, who was in affliction? 48:50 He was in affliction. 48:51 And whenever even the wicked was sinning with a high hand, 48:56 who was grieving? 48:58 God was grieving. 49:00 And then we found in Amazing Grace, 49:01 189, paragraph 5, that "Not a sigh is breathed, 49:05 not a pain is felt, not a grief pierces the soul, 49:08 but every throb vibrates to the Father's heart." 49:12 And so we saw that on an individual level, 49:14 you take that pain of 1 person everyday 49:17 times it by 7 billion and put it on the heart of God 49:21 and we found that pain does not just-- 49:24 did not just happen at Calvary 49:25 but it happened when sin what? 49:27 Began. 49:28 And so what I wanted to close on is this 49:31 is that the call for a speedy work. 49:34 The call for us to wake up the watchmen, 49:38 preachers, singers, evangelists, 49:40 people that will be Christians in the home, 49:42 parents, children like Christ, all these calls 49:45 to the mission field and called to be watchmen, 49:48 yes, they will have to bring the gospel to the world 49:52 and bringing the end of suffering, 49:53 sorrow and sin for us, 49:56 but also it will bring the end of suffering, 49:59 sorrow and sin for who? 50:02 For who? For God. 50:04 And that's what I wanted to finish on that, 50:06 the focus of this waking up the watchmen, 50:10 yes, it's about finishing the work, amen. 50:12 Yes, it's about reaching our people in our neighborhoods. 50:15 Yes, it's about reaching those people at our workplace 50:18 but our primary-- one of the great focuses, 50:20 one of the great focus that we miss is the heart of God. 50:25 When sin is over and the gospel is going to the world, 50:28 the pain, the suffering ends for us, 50:31 praise God and it ends for who? 50:34 God. It ends for God. 50:37 Let's bow our heads. 50:38 Father in Heaven, we just want to thank You for this time. 50:42 We thank You that You've called us at this time 50:45 to wake up the watchmen. 50:46 We just want to pray, Lord, that we might 50:48 not only keep our neighbors, those around us in mind 50:51 but that we must also keep in mind 50:53 that when this game is over, 50:55 the pain is not only over for us 50:57 but it is over for You. 50:58 Wake us up, rise us up, Father. 51:00 We pray in the name of Jesus. 51:02 Let all of God's soldiers and His army say amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17