Forced Watchman
Notes
Transcript
The Sunday school teacher had just finished the lesson. She had taught the portion of the Bible that told of how Lot’s wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt.
Jeremy raised his hand. “My mommy looked back once when she was driving, and she turned into a telephone pole!”
It’s really important to keep our eyes focused on what matters. We have all sorts of opportunities that want to take our attention off of what is true, good, and edifying. Actually, we get to choose what matters most in our lives.
Decisions and making Choices can be difficult, sometimes it feels as though we are being forced to make decisions in life. We can feel pressure to decide what we believe to be true. In our world right now you can turn on one channel and hear the news from one perspective, and when you change the channel you can hear the news from another perspective.
It can be very challenging to make decisions with so many competing ideas. As we live our lives it’s important for us to make the right choices based in truth and our faith.
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Desperate times call for Desperate Measures”. I found myself thinking about that phrase this week because if feels more and more like the world is living in desperate times.
Watchman are able to recognize desperate times and make decisions that are full of faith in God. So far in this sermon series we have be talking about what it means to be a watchman for God.
A watchman is awake, ready, always watching. They have a heart that motivates them to act. They are not afraid because they are prepared.
God is calling all of us to be His watchman. Ready, willing, and able to do the work of the kingdom.
For the message today I want to direct us to look at four people who were forced into becoming watchmen because they faced a desperate situation.
My hope and great desire is that you might be encouraged to make a decision to take a chance on God. You might be facing a desperate situation. Just because things might look desperate, even if we face death itself, if we have faith, God can do something great.
As watchman we must choose faith in desperate situations. We can’t allow desperate situations to sway our trust in God.
Let’s turn to our main text for today.
2 Kings 7:3–11 (NLT)
3 Now there were four men with leprosy sitting at the entrance of the city gates. “Why should we sit here waiting to die?” they asked each other.
4 “We will starve if we stay here, but with the famine in the city, we will starve if we go back there. So we might as well go out and surrender to the Aramean army. If they let us live, so much the better. But if they kill us, we would have died anyway.”
5 So at twilight they set out for the camp of the Arameans. But when they came to the edge of the camp, no one was there!
6 For the Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the clatter of speeding chariots and the galloping of horses and the sounds of a great army approaching. “The king of Israel has hired the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us!” they cried to one another.
7 So they panicked and ran into the night, abandoning their tents, horses, donkeys, and everything else, as they fled for their lives.
8 When the men with leprosy arrived at the edge of the camp, they went into one tent after another, eating and drinking wine; and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and hid it.
9 Finally, they said to each other, “This is not right. This is a day of good news, and we aren’t sharing it with anyone! If we wait until morning, some calamity will certainly fall upon us. Come on, let’s go back and tell the people at the palace.”
10 So they went back to the city and told the gatekeepers what had happened. “We went out to the Aramean camp,” they said, “and no one was there! The horses and donkeys were tethered and the tents were all in order, but there wasn’t a single person around!”
11 Then the gatekeepers shouted the news to the people in the palace.
Watchman will Rise Up in Times of Desperation
Watchman will Rise Up in Times of Desperation
In 2 Kings 7 we see a glimpse of something incredible. The city of Samaria was under siege. The Syrian army with all its forces, had surrounded the city. It was a very bad situation in the city. The Bible tells us that the people were so desperate they began to behave in deplorable ways.
Sins so repulsive they are difficult to mention. It was horrible to live in that city at that time. No one could leave, and no one could come in. They were trapped.
I don’t know about you, but when I read the history that we find in the old testament I tend to daydream about what it might have been like to live how they lived.
Imagine that you lived in Samaria. It was the capital city of Northern Kingdom of Israel. The people there lived normal lives. They had to work, eat, play. Families and friends gathered. It couldn’t be all that bad at times.
We sometimes get the idea that it had to be horrible to live in ancient times, but really people are just people. They lived life with their routines. Just normal people doing normal things.
When the Syrian army showed up it messed up regular people’s lives. It wasn’t just the kings fighting. The consequences affected every person.
Can you see some parallels to our lives in this ancient Biblical text?
We just want to live our lives, right? We want to know that we are safe. We want to work, eat, and love our friends and family. Unfortunately, we know that circumstances aren’t always what we want. Bad things are GOING to happen.
And Boy oh Boy, bad things have happened recently haven’t they?! I would even say that people have become desperate. We’ve seen some pretty crazy things happening around that world that make you question our security, our health, our wealth, and even the fabric of our society.
The “Church” is not the same as it was even just months ago. In physical attendance, sure the numbers are way down, but even people worshipping online has plummeted.
Desperate times have not resulted in the majority of people turning TO God, but away from God.
When Samaria was under pressure they turned from God. They turned to depravity.
Do you see that in the church today?
Let me tell you, this is not a new thing. This happened in the early church and it’s happening now.
17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.
18 Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come.
19 These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.
This is the reality that we are seeing play out before our very eyes.
Folks the truth is that when desperate times come we will see the true colors of those who are believers and those who are not.
Jesus reminds us that there are two paths that people can take. Not everyone is going to choose Christ.
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Jesus is the only way to find salvation.
You are either fully surrendered to Him or you will fall away when desperation comes.
When hard times come our way we have a choice to make. We must see the urgency to warn people and stand up for what is true no matter what is costs us!
In other words, we must take our place as Watchman.
These four men in 2 Kings 7 became watchman. Mainly because they didn’t have a better option.
The four men were living on the outskirts of the city. These men were lepers who were no longer living, as much as they were waiting to die. In this condition, they looked at one another and said, starving to death was a worse way to die than being a Syrian POW. As a result, they decide to leave Samaria and surrender to the Syrian army.
Desperate times push four men to a decision that would change a nation. These men were unsuspecting hero’s. They didn’t know it, but they were doing the work of Watchmen.
We can find hope in what happens next because unlike these four men who really didn’t know what they were doing, we can place our confidence in God to do what only He can do.
Watchman can Trust in God to Do What Seems Impossible
Watchman can Trust in God to Do What Seems Impossible
2 Kings 7:5 tells us these four men started walking.
Now, let me tell you something important, it’s time for us to start walking.
Step number one in trusting God is to take a step in Faith.
When things seems to be at the worst, people want to retreat! Too many times we forget that God has been faithful in our past and will be faithful in our future. He’s the same! He never changes!
Why is it in our nature to want to turn back instead of pressing forward?
We see the people of Israel had this problem:
4 Then the foreign rabble who were traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt. And the people of Israel also began to complain. “Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed.
5 “We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted.
Israel was remembering a time back in the the good ol’ days of SALVERY! Let me say that again, SLAVERY.
When things are at their worst we must not look back and forget what God has done for us to deliver us from our old lives. Those were NOT the good ol’ days.
The real good ol’ days are rooted in the fact that Christ set us free from the bondage of sin. He set our feet on the solid rock and will keep us until the day that He calls us home.
Our job as watchman is to press forward! We can’t turn back.
Remember this warning from Jesus:
5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.
Remember, Repent, and Return.
Those four men considered just staying right where they were, but they chose to start walking.
There are all too many reasons to keep us right where we are in life instead of pressing forward in faith.
Bad habits, addictions, guilt, shame of our past, fear of failure, fear of the unknown.
Here’s a bit of good news for you today:
1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
Christ has set us free from all those things…we stay free by faith that what Christ did was enough. NOTHING we can do will make us righteous. We are trusting in the work that was done on the cross.
When we believe that we are really free then nothing will hold us back from moving forward.
Church, it’s time to start walking! We can trust that God will do what we cannot do in our own strength.
Those men start walking and God started working.
When they arrived at the Syrian camp, they were shocked by what they found. Instead of being greeted by angry soldiers, they found the entire camp was deserted. The soldiers had fled, but all their supplies were left behind. As they moved from tent to tent, the lepers soon found food, already prepared! All the wealth was instantly transferred from the enemy to these men.
Whose strength was at work here? Did these men defeat that army? No way! It was a miracle from God.
All those men did was start walking. God caused those feet to sound like a massive army coming to take out the Syrian army. They were so afraid they left absolutely everything.
If there are any watchman in this place let your heart be filled with faith that when you start walking in this desperate world the Lord God is with you.
We can trust in God to do what seems impossible. The worse off the situation we face the more difficult it will be to explain away the Glory of God when He moves.
Here are the facts: The world has lost it…things are crazy. Everywhere we turn we are bombarded with sin. We see the destruction of family, destruction of lives, destruction of how our country was founded, we see wars, we are like the city of Samaria. We are besieged.
But those are just the facts.
The facts said that four sick and dying men could not defeat an entire army. But look what happened!
God is not always interested in “the facts” He doesn’t have to work in “reality”, no, God is the only one who can change the rules. He can turn the tide.
Have you forgotten that one time God made the sun stand still? Do we believe in God? Do we have faith that He can do the impossible? Can we trust that what the enemy has meant for evil He can turn for good?
Yes. The Answer must be Yes.
Things can change! No person is too far gone. God can do the impossible. Revival can happen!
We will NOT surrender because here’s the real truth…God has already won!
Jesus tells me that it’s not over until He says it’s over:
33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
In our text we can easily see the victory was miraculous.
I want to tell you today that we can claim VICTORY right now if we trust God to do the impossible. Don’t give up.
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Watchman will rise up in times of Desperation, they will Trust in God to do the Impossible, and finally today...
Watchman will Share the Blessings of God
Watchman will Share the Blessings of God
After filling their pockets with gold and silver, and eating and drinking their fill, these four lepers began to feel a sense of responsibility to their friends and families in Samaria. They realized, they owed it to Israel to share the good news of their find.
This has to be were we find ourselves. Wouldn’t it be easy to sit back and watch it all burn?
There is a world that is lost, hurting, broken, sinful, dead, and getting worse every day. Watchman can see all of this, but they know God can change things if they are willing to SHARE the truth!
We have recieved so much more than food, silver, or gold. We have recieved Christ! We have recieved forgiveness from our sin. We are heaven bound. We know the truth that has set us free!
Pastor Ron shared a quote from one of his bible teachers that I wanted to share with you today: “evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread”
All of us have lived in the city of Samaria…just as lost as the next guy.
We can’t forget about those who are lost! Our victory in Christ is not what compels us it’s the compassion of Christ that leads us back to the lost.
Desperate people are looking for help.
As watchmen we can stand as a resource for those in need. We can share the truth of God not only with WORDS but with actions.
Spiritually - we must pray. For the sick, for the hurting, for the lost. If you hear of a person at work who is in need we should spend some time on our knees interceding for them. Maybe even speak up and ask that person if they would like prayer. Then PRAY FOR THEM!
People who truly love other people will spend time praying for those people.
God hears prayer.
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
Pray with confidence.
I have seen God work through prayer. Once I committed to prayer and fasting for an individual that everyone said for too far gone. They said he would never come back to God. 7 days of earnest prayer and fasting and this man came back to Christ.
Watchman will stand in prayer and trust that God can do the impossible.
Another way we can stand as a resource is to meet a Physical need.
I think about the Kenya work that we are involved in. It’s been more than a year that watchmen in this church have given a monthly donation to feed children that we might never meet.
There are people in need that we can help. We may not have much, but sometimes its a plate of cookies to someone who you know is struggling. Maybe on that plate of cookies your write a note of encouragement and a reminder of the the fact the Jesus loves them. It might just open conversation.
You see, we have tools that confound the world. We will never win the world to Christ with force. It must be through compassion and love.
If we don’t make helping people a priority in life then we will NEVER help people. Time will pass and our good intentions will fade.
We do things as God directs us so that we can reach people with His great love. Really, what we need to do is look for OPPORTUNITIES each and every day to open the door for conversation.
Bring up your faith and watch what God can do through YOU.
We get these big ideas that some tent revival is the answer. Or if we have some type of amazing program that we will win the world back to Christ. I’m telling you those are great things, but the best way is through each and every one of us being willing to serve another person because we genuinely care for their soul.
What things, what people is God putting on your heart for today, this week, this month?
Miracles are at our fingertips if we are willing to see the opportunities.
A watchman is not content sitting back and watching the world fall away from what’s important. They sense the urgent need to doing something more for Christ.
When we put our hands to work then God will direct and He will provide.
Urgency…Desperation. Maybe we aren’t there yet…maybe things need to get a little worse before we feel like it’s our responsibility. Before we invite someone to church, before we pray for a sick person, before we give to someone in need, before we share the Gospel to a person who is broken...
things need to be a bit more desperate.
The Bible reminds us about desperate times...
1 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times.
2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred.
3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good.
4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.
Is this the news report or the Bible? It’s Both!
Now is the time. We are the people. God is looking for watchman!
9 The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war.”
We must have HEARTS that are fully committed to Him and SHARE what He has done for us and the lost!
When those men starting walking that day God had a miraculous plan waiting for them.
If they never starting walking then we might not have this recorded in the Bible.
I beg you not to downplay your importance or role in what God is doing in this desperate world. We, through Christ, can cause armies to surrender if we are willing to take a step of faith.
The armies of this world, satan himself, doesn’t stand a chance if we are willing to start walking.
I am begging and pleading today because I am tired of living in Samaria.
I want to see the power of God fall in this place.
My prayer is that you see the truth in 2 Kings 7 this morning and apply it to your life.
God used dead men walking to accomplish an incredible miracle. If He can use them, then He can certainly use US!
My last thought for this morning...Those lepers weren’t faithful they were desperate.
God in His grace moved on their behalf to save an entire city.
What would happen to this crazy world if we who ARE faithful became DESPERATE to do something for God.
I’m telling you I think we’d turn this world on it’s ear!
Are you desperate this morning?
Holy Spirit of God please speak to your people right now. Give us instruction. Guide and direct our actions in the coming days.
If you are here and you are desperate because you don’t know Christ as your Saviour, today is the day of your salvation if you call on Him to save you. Just speak His name as Lord, ask for forgiveness, and give your life to Him.
If you are here and you are desperate because you know the world needs what you have found in Christ, I’d say, start walking and don’t look back. God is going to do some stuff that you never could dream of…trust Him and get moving. Don’t wait!
If you are here and you are desperate because you need physical healing in your body, please raise your hand. We are going to lay hands on you and pray.