A Watchman Unto St. Matthew
Introduction
I was glade when they said let us go into the house of the Lord. It is a blessing to be in the house of the Lord one more time. Especially on this day as we come to celebrate the second anniversary of Pastor Michael Collier, the pastor of St. Matthew Missionary Baptist Church in Ft. Pierce, Florida.
I always like to use this type of occasion to speak to the man of God or the congregation to remind each of their role or function according to God’s divine plan for the church. On this occasion God has laid it upon my heart to speak to the preacher. Now this does not mean that the congregation is off the hook.
For in the message to the man of God there is also a message for you. This is a message about responsibility and each of us has a responsibility and in the Day of Judgment we will be held accountable.
In the book of Ezekiel the third chapter God calls His servant Ezekiel and send him to the house of Israel and gives him a charge.
Ezekiel 3:17-19
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. KJV
I would like to paraphrase that seventeen verse with God still speaking, “Michael Collier, I have made thee a watchman unto St. Matthew Missionary Baptist Church in Ft. Pierce, Florida.”
Subject
“A Watchman unto St. Matthew”
The greatest danger that you and I face is forgetting our calling. God calls for us to be faithful; but if we are not careful we may become faithful to the wrong things. The calling on our lives is a great one and as sociality advance or calling becomes more complicated and demanding. As Pastors we are looked upon not only by our congregation but also by our community to be a drum major for social change.
Our church looks to us to visit the sick and bring comfort to those in bereavement. We are to be apart of their celebration of life changing events and support their children in the school activities and events. We are to serve as the voice of the people in shaping of pubic policy and to ensure that the voice of the poor and the least is heard in places of governmental decision.
Our role as pastors have become more complex with the changing of time and the condition of community, yet we must never forget our greatest call and it’s that of a watchman.
God has sent us to be watchman over the soul of our congregations.
In our scriptures today, God sent Ezekiel to be a watchman unto the house of Israel. There was a reason he was sent:
Ezekiel 2:3-4
3 And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.
4 For they are impudent children and stiff hearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God. KJV
God sent him to be a watchman because they were a rebellious, impudent or shameless and stiff hearted people. Does that sound familiar? God did not send him because they were so good, God sent him because they were so bad the Ezekiel had to speak to them. God told Ezekiel:
Ezekiel 2:4 For they are impudent children and stiff hearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God. KJV
Please note God does not say, thus saith Michael Collier. He does not say, thus saith Dr. Rease. He does not say, thus saith President Bush. He says, “Thus saith the Lord God.” Our message should be what thus saith the Lord. We must remember the change Paul gave to Timothy:
2 Timothy 4:2-5
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. KJV
There is that word again; but watch thou. As a watchman for God there are two things you must do.
First You are to Watch
As a watchman for God you can’t afford to walk around here with your eyes closed. You must keep your eyes open. You are called to:
First of all Watch For the manifestation of God and the message from God. In Habakkuk the second chapter the prophet Habakkuk said.
Habakkuk 2:1-3
2 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
2 And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. KJV
As a watchman, we must “…stand upon our watch…” seeking a message from the Lord. God’s instruction to Ezekiel was:
Ezekiel 3:1-4
3 Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.
2 So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.
3 And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.
4 And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them. KJV
In other words we are to internalize God’s Word that it becomes sweet unto our soul and again note God’s instruction.
Ezekiel 3:4 And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them. KJV
So we are to watch for the message from God and the manifestation of God.
Secondly we are to watch over those to whom the Lord has sent us. We cannot close our eyes to what is happening in the church. In fact the bases of our message should be on what is happening in our church. In addressing the ills of the church, we are not to use our opinions or what someone else says. We must use the Word of God. Paul tells us.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. KJV
We don’t need anything else. We have all we need to address the ills of the world. We must use scripture for reproof. We must use scripture for correction. We must use scripture for instruction. It is through the scripture that we can be made perfect and fully furnish for God’s work. So as Watchmen of God we must keep our eyes open and watch.
Secondly we are to Warn.
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. KJV
Our number one responsibility as watchmen is to warn the people. Note what God tells Ezekiel in verse eighteen.
Ezekiel 3:18 When I say unto he 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. KJV
It is not an easy task that the Lord has assigned us. God warned Ezekiel that they were a rebellious, impudent or shameless and stiff hearted people. Which means that they don’t want to hear what you have to say. God told Ezekiel in chapter two verse six.
Ezekiel 2:6 And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. KJV
They will talk about you but don’t be afraid to preach the word. They may roll their eyes but don’t be afraid to preach the word. They may make have a hard look on their face but God told Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 3:8-9
8 Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.
9 As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. KJV
Not only do they talk about us and give us funny looks they will not listen. God told Ezekiel and He is telling us.
Ezekiel 2:7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. KJV
We have a responsibility to warn the people. Note what God tells Ezekiel in chapter three verse nineteen.
Ezekiel 3:19 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. KJV
Just was we as watchmen have a responsibility to warn the people concerning their wickedness. They have a responsibility to repent and turn from their wick ways. If they chose not to hear the word and turn than his blood is upon his hand.
We also have a responsibility to warn the righteous.
Ezekiel 3:200 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. KJV
In our role of a watchman, we may sometime become discourage. We work had watching for and digging for that special message from God that will turn the hearts of the people back to God only to be disappointed. Just this week I was talking with another Pastor who was discouraged because of the lack of change in some member of the congregation. I reminded him what Jesus want through. In John fifteen and twenty Jesus said.
John 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. KJV
We are told in Matthew seven.
Matthew 7:28-29
28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. KJV
Matthew 8:26-27
26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him! KJV
Yet He did not reach everyone. There were those who had walked with Him and turn and walked away. There was also one who was close to Him who betrayed him.
So we are to watch and warn for we are watchman.