The Watchman of the Home
By Pastor Matt Black
09 May 2007
Midweek
Bible Study
Ezekiel 33:1-11
Introduction: Open your Bibles to Ezekiel 33. The title of this evening’s message is: “The Watchman of the Home”.
As we come to this passage in Ezekiel 33, let’s stand and read verses 1-9, “Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: 3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; 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?”
Relevance
This passage is not just a warning for God’s people 3000 years ago. It is relevant today, because ultimately this passage is about iniquity and sin—about warning the wicked to turn from his way. And let’s be clear. That’s you. That’s me. That’s my son Will, and my daughters Katie and Kristen. God is not primarily concerned with protecting a city, but protecting people’s hearts. The destruction of Jerusalem by the armies of Babylon was simply an outward picture of what had already happened inwardly. Let’s look at when this passage of Scripture was written.
Context
It was a dark time in the days of the prophet Ezekiel. Imagine, in less than 20 years, three groups of Israelites were dragged away from the promised land. There were three deportations. They had plenty of warnings, but they were asleep on the job. They were spiritually indifferent, so they lost everything. They had to live in Babylon—the center of the world in that day.
How did this happen? The watchman was asleep on his watch. They were comfortable and indifferent to God spiritually, so God punished them politically and physically. Families were torn apart. Almost everything was lost.
They never thought it would happen to them. The watchman kept saying, “Peace, peace” when in reality the enemy was right at doorstep.
The consequences were devastating. They were taken captive and deported far away from home—far away from their comfort zone, from Jerusalem, away from the Temple, away even from God Himself, it seemed. There they were—the supposed people of God – in a strange culture and with people who spoke a language they did not recognize. They never thought it would happen to them.
Outline: Tonight we are going to briefly look at three areas of the watchman’s life. We are going to look at his task, his message, and his response.
1. The task of the watchman
2. The message of the watchman
3. The response to the watchman
Transition: I want the watchmen of this church, every born again believer here tonight to listen to your task tonight, for it is great!
I. The Task of the watchman.
And what is the task of a watchman? Well, first we need to understand what a watchman is. Perhaps you are wondering if there are any special qualifications.
A. Realize God’s Call. “Son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel…” (verse 7).
1. God calls ordinary men and women. No special training is required. In fact if you are a father, you are a watchman. If you are a mother, you are a watchman. If the children of this church look up to you, you are a watchman! In other words, if you are a Christian, you are a watchman! God calls ordinary people to this task!
Almighty God is the one who protects His people with watchmen—and you will be surprised—it’s no one special. It’s just an ordinary man. That's what our text means when it says "son of man"—an ordinary human being. Though God is Almighty, holy; though He hates sin. Yet: He is pleased to use as a watchman an ordinary man—a man with all his human weaknesses. He is a man who gets tired at night after a busy day. A woman who takes care of children all day long. A man who gets hungry when he doesn't eat any food. Yes, God uses men and women with all our limitations. A human being. Like you. Like me. Not an angel. Not a heavenly being. God is pleased to use as His watchman an ordinary, plain, man. A son of man.
And you say, “but how can God give me this responsibility?”
Actually, we can make no excuses. God’s not called the most brilliant people to be watchman. Remember Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 1:26-28, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought [nothing] things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.”
We cannot make excuses, for He who calls us says:
· Matthew 28:20, “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”
· 2 Corinthians 12:9, “my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
· Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee…”
2. Though the person God calls is ordinary, the task is extraordinary. The task cannot be accomplished on your own. You need to remember that though you are an ordinary man or woman, you have an extraordinary God!! It takes God’s supernatural grace to guard your heart and the heart of your family! So let’s look at that task.
3. The task was simple enough.
What we have to imagine is a small city or town. Perhaps about a 1000 or 2000 people - that was quite normal. Now this small city needs protection. If an enemy force comes with enough soldiers, they can just walk in and take it over. To prevent that from happening, walls are built up around the city. Strong walls, all the way around, so there is no way the enemy could get in. There are gates of course, but as long as there is sufficient warning, these can be closed and defended, and there is very little the enemy could do except sit outside the walls and wait.
B. Realize Your Responsibility.
Who put you where you are today? God did! You have a family and a church and a workplace you are responsible for. Now let’s go back to the illustration of the city.
1. Number 1: the Watchman must Watch; i.e. Stay Awake.
The city is safe. With one exception. The one way that the enemy has a chance of conquering this city, this city with walls all the way around, is to take it by surprise and enter through those gates before anyone realizes it, and while they are undefended. Now that is what the watchman is for!
The watchman was constantly scanning the countryside. During the day for smoke, horses, anything he could see. At night he would listen for the noises and watch for the light of torches. He had to be watching at all times!!
Application: Are you watching at all times? Father, mother, do you know what is coming across the TV, the mp3 player, the Internet? Do you realize that most adults, much less children have the maturity to handle these kinds of gates? Having these things in the home uncontrolled is sleeping on the job! You are just inviting the enemy in!
You parent are responsible for your child, for your teenager. God did not intend a TV, an iPod or the Internet to replace you!
Now you parent as a watchman are not to leave your city unguarded! It’s your job! You have to be ready at all times. That was the job of the watchman. He was to…
2. Number 2: the Watchman must Warn of the Enemy. To prevent a surprise attack from happening, the watchman was posted on the city walls. The watchman would cry out to close the gates to the enemy!
The watchman was to warn the people if he saw danger coming. If the people heard the watchman’s warning but ignored it, then it was their own fault if they ended up in harm’s way. Their blood would be on their own hands. But if the watchman fell asleep and failed to warn the people about the approaching danger. It was the watchman’s fault if the people were hurt, and the blood of the people would be on the watchman’s hands. He would be held accountable. He could not be indifferent.
Application: Christ gives His people a watchman to protect their home. The watchman is the father, with the mother as the second in command! If you are a single mom, then mother, you are the watchman of your home!
Somebody please wake the watchmen of our church! Are you guarding the gates to your children’s heart? It is your job to make sure the gates are closed! Warn them! They are ultimately responsible for their own decisions, but if you do not warn them, your children’s blood is on your hands!
Satan and the world are seeking to destroy and lay siege on the souls of your children today through the ungodly philosophies delivered over the television, mp3 players, Hollywood and Christian films, etc. Iniquity is so convenient today. The internet can deliver anything, anytime, anywhere. The watchmen of our church need to wake up!
The watchman had to bring God's Word to a people who didn't want to hear it. As a watchman, you have to announce God's Word of condemnation because of sin. You must warn your children of the consequences of sin. You cannot be indifferent.
Of course, the job of the watchman is not just fathers and mothers. As Christians we are all watchman. God wants us to warn others if we see disaster coming their way. It seems to me we would rather leave our professing brothers and sisters in Christ to their sin and self deception than be inconvenienced. We don’t like to be inconvenience. Dear friends, tonight, can I tell you that war is most definitely an inconvenience!
Transition: Are you up to the task? I have found that the leaders in our homes are asleep and unaware of the real dangers that are ready to destroy the families of this church.
II. Secondly let’s look at the watchman’s Message. The watchman’s message is twofold: personal responsibility for sin, and then, the Gospel of grace. This is seen in verse 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?”
A. God’s Motive.
God wants to give His people life. God created man to live. Not to die, but to live! This was so from the very beginning. God gave life to man at the very beginning.
B. The Warning of Death.
But what happened? Mankind decided that it wasn't enough. He wanted to be like God. And so...crunch...with a bite of the forbidden fruit, man found himself under the terrible sentence of death: "Thou shalt surely die" (Genesis 2:17).
We live in the reality of death—the reality of weeds and airplane crashes, the reality of sickness and diseases, of broken relationships and handicaps, of grief and loneliness....
But the greatest tragedy is the the reality of life apart from God, the reality of death. You are the watchman. You must warn your children that if they do not come under the power of the Spirit of God through faith and repentance, and live an inward life of surrender under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the consequences cannot be measured! They cannot be estimated! The cost of the pleasure of sin is eternal.
Parent, let me ask you, do you have blood on your hands. You use a little hypocrisy in the home and the cost is your children’s souls. If your life is characterized by this hypocrisy, it may very well cost you your soul. That’s a hard message!
C. The Glorious Message of Life (the Gospel). But be encouraged. For God does not want His people to die. That's why He sends His watchman - to protect their life! God is concerned with His people's life. The message the watchman must bring is a serious one, it's a matter of life and death. God holds out life to His people. It's a gift, a gift of grace. And that life is true life. True life isn't about winning $21.8 million dollars in the lottery. True life is fellowship with God, restored communion with Him through Christ's blood, the way the truth and the life. In Christ, those sins are removed, they are washed away.
When the watchman blows the trumpet, it is not so that the people might know that they are about to die, but that they might live! That they might wake up and flee the wrath of God that is to come! That they might have life! Yes, brothers and sisters, even when the preaching hurts. Even when the blast of the trumpet makes you uncomfortable, when the Word of God shines the spotlight on ugly sins and sores, when it diagnoses the sickness of death, do not close your ears to it, but hear in that trumpet the sound of life, knowing that obedience to the Word of God means life. For in Christ there is forgiveness, there is salvation for repentant sinners. In the blood of Christ there is life. That is the message of the watchman.
So we saw the watchman’s task, his message, and now his response.
III. The Watchman’s Response.
First of all, let's consider what God's response is to the watchman. He will judge the watchman for his faithfulness. Since God gives His people a watchman to protect their life, that means that the watchman who doesn't do his job properly is endangering the life of the people. The city with no watchman, or a blind watchman is in great danger.
Illustration (smoke detector): To illustrate this, let's take the example of a smoke detector. To work properly, the smoke detector has to do two things. It has
· to detect smoke.
· And it has to sound the alarm when it does detect smoke.
Now imagine that something in the house catches fire. Your family is asleep in bed, and first there's just a little spark. Then a flame. Smoke billows up towards the ceiling, up, up, towards the smoke detector. Now if your smoke detector's working properly, it will detect the smoke, and before you know it, the piercing sound of an alarm is echoing off the walls, and you'll be wide awake.
Now you have two options.
· You can be sensible, and make sure the whole family gets out of the house as quickly as possible, call the fire department, and have the fire extinguished.
· Or you can also stay in bed. You can ignore the sound of the alarm, put your head under your pillow and go back to sleep. But: at the cost of your own life. Only a fool would do that. Only a fool would ignore the sound of the trumpet blasted by the watchman, the warning of danger, at the cost of his own life. Only the fool would ignore the God's message of life and death announced by God's watchman. Only a fool would sleep through the alarm of a smoke detector - only a fool would sleep in church.
Conclusion: Brothers and sisters in Christ, mothers, fathers, singles, the watchman who fails to blow the trumpet, who fails to warn the people of danger, is responsible for their life. The responsibility involved here, is overwhelming. If the watchman fails to give the word of warning as a true watchman, the sinner will die because of his sin, but God will also hold the watchman accountable for the sinner's blood. He is responsible. The watchman will have blood on his hands - the death of the sinner is also his fault.
Now you as the watchman can't make someone repent. You can't bring faith to a your child’s - that's the Lord's work, that's the work of the Spirit through the Word. “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). But what the watchman must do is this: bring God's Word. The watchmen must watch and warn. Ultimately the watchmen keeps the city safe—the people live! They go on in communion with God. If the watchman sleeps, the family name is wiped out when the Babylonians conquer.
Will your family be one who eight generations from now serve the Lord? Or will the next generation be a mission field. God wants your children to live! Is there blood on your hands? You are personally responsible for every soul your life touches. The Lord is powerful to save! Do you see the enemy in your home. Watch, warn, and let God restore life to your heart and your home!
Closing Hymn: 352 Look and Live