We Are Watchmen

 Earl hired on as night watchman to stop employee theft. His job? Search night shift workers' belongings as they leave each morning. His 1st night went ok till a man pushed a wheelbarrow full of newspapers to his gate. Earl searched all thru. Nothing. He asked, "Why newspapers?" "I get money for recycling. I pick up newspapers people leave in the cafeteria." Earl let him go. Each day for the next year the man pushed a wheelbarrow full of newspapers to his gate. Each day, Earl checked. All year, nothing. Then Earl came in to find his boss waiting. "You're fired." Earl was stunned. "Why? What'd I do?" Boss answered, "You were to make sure no one stole anything. But you failed. You're fired." Earl stammered, "But no one stole anything on my watch!" "Then where are the 365 missing wheelbarrows?" We too have a sneaky enemy. Our enemy deceptive & much more. He won't just rob us. 1 Pet 5:8 says he prowls around... looking for someone to devour. How can we stay safe? In Mt 24:42-43 (& other passages), Jesus says "Watch!" Watch for Him. Watch for the enemy. Watch out just for us? Of course not! We're watchmen! That's what Ezk 33:7-11 tells us. 7a"Son of man... That's what God calls Ezekiel. But it includes us. That's who we are! God is talking to us, too. 7bI've made you a watchman for the house of Israel. A watchman for his house, his people. We're watchmen for our house, our people. How so? 7cHear the word I speak & warn them for me. 8When I warn the wicked, 'You'll surely die,' & you don't speak out to dissuade them from their ways, they'll die for their sin, & I'll hold you accountable. No fair? Then imagine a toddler, ours. Suppose s/he wanders off toward a nearby interstate. And suppose someone sees them & warns us. If we do nothing, shouldn't we be accountable for any harm to our toddler? That's what God is saying! Here's the thing. We aren't just warning someone they'll get hurt. We're warning them about their forever future! If we do nothing, shouldn't we be held accountable, just like Ezekiel? The way out? 9If you do warn the wicked to turn from their ways & they don't, they'll die for their sin, but you'll have saved yourself. Maybe we remember sin that weighs us down. How can we warn anyone? Or maybe we are being warned & wonder: have I sinned so badly there's no return? Israel's people wondered, too. God has a word for us all. 10a"Son of man... He's still speaking to us, too. 10bSay to the house of Israel, [our people] 'This is what you're saying. "Our offenses & sins weigh us down. We're wasting away because of them. How then can we live?" Feel like our sin keeps us from witness? Feel like what we did was so bad God can't forgive us? God hears our hearts. He understands. No matter how bad we're feeling about our sin, God has good news for us. 11aSay to them, "As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord... So help Him, God, our Sovereign Lord & Creator is swearing to us by Himself that he'll say is true. (Can there be any stronger guarantee?) 11bI take no pleasure in the death of the wicked. God swears He take no pleasure in even the deaths of the wicked. (How do you think He feels about the death of His children?) How can we know it's true? Jesus Christ. God backed up His oath with action. What's he proof God takes no pleasure in our death? The proof He doesn't want to lose us? Sin kills us (dead in our sin). And God Himself paid sin's penalty so we can live! With Him. Forever. God gave His perfect life on the cross for Israel. For you. For me. For all of us. For all sin. If someone dies eternally, it's because they choose to remain in sin's death & won't choose life in Christ. What does God pleasure in? 11cRather [I take pleasure when] they turn from their ways & live. Jesus gave us proof of that, as well. Remember His story of the Prodigal Father? Look at Lk 15:11-24. That's what the Father is like! We have free will to wander off into sin. And God respects our free will so much He'll let us. But from the day we leave, He searches the horizon tirelessly, looking for us-looking for each lost child. As soon as He spots one who's returning, Our Father does what that father did. The Father-high & holy, robed, judge of the universe, Whose ways are eternally higher than ours-that Father picks up His robes & runs to embrace His wayward child! Jesus says THAT is what our Father is like! How can we turn hearts to the Lord? We need revival. How can we have it in our day & time? God is telling us exactly how to get it started. Accept His message for us. Carry it to the world around us. Tell each one, 11d"Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die?" Carry that message to everyone we meet, especially His people, the church. We're watchmen. One more thing before I close. In Israel's day, people in a walled city knew dangers that watchmen warned them about. Our people may not. So as we choose to obey what God is calling us to do, we need to share the truth in love. Has "Filthy sinner, repent!!!" worked in the 4,500 history of God's people? No! So, lovingly, gently remind those who know the Lord. "Here's what you're doing; but this is what God's word says." That's being a faithful watchman. For non-believers? We know addictions that chain us. "Unforgiveable" things we've done. Shouldn't we share the message that chains can be broken? That we can be forgiven? How "Turn! Turn to Jesus. Turn from your evil ways! In His power, we can turn to Jesus. In Him, we can be freed! Just turn! And live! Let's pray. We Are Watchmen - Ezekiel 33:7-11 Page 1 of 1