Don’t Fall Asleep
Bonesteel- Guard duty- Fell asleep, we all had to get up in the middle of the night and pull guard duty all week to cover for him.
Are you going to fall asleep? Are you going to be the one who causes the team to go down?
Mark 13:32-37
- Watch
- 32 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.
- Jesus says to watch- when I read this- it makes me think of the watchmen of the OT
- Jesus uses the example- a man goes away- leaves his servants in charge- doorkeeper watches
- You cant have a door keeper without a watchman. They serve different roles
- Watchman sets on the wall- he’s in the tower- he is watching over the city and house
- Doorkeeper- he controls the traffic in and out of the city- (we’ll get to that)
- Watchmen in the Old Testament served many roles.
- One- watch over fields
- In the ancient world, they had large watchtowers looking over the fields
- Food was a necessity and the watchmans importance cant be over stated
- No nourishment- you die. It’s the most important thing
- Two- survey whats going on outside the city
- Lots of references in scripture about watchmen being on the wall to survey whats going on outside the walls.
- 2 Samuel 18:24 Now David was sitting between the two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof over the gate, to the wall, lifted his eyes and looked, and there was a man, running alone.
- He was in a position to see what was approaching the city or town. If there was a threat he’d sound the alarm and the gates would be shut by the gatekeepers and they would get ready for war
- Three- Report to the king
- 2 Samuel 18:25 Then the watchman cried out and told the king. And the king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” And he came rapidly and drew near.
- He knew a lot- he watched over the city. He knew the people. He knew the business happening
- Here’s an important point- The watchman doesn’t deliver his own message– he delivers the message of the king of city- he was under the employ of the king- he wasn’t a rouge warrior
- There wasn’t anything that he did that was his own- he was doing what he was told
- What does it mean to you?
- One- You need to watch and pay attention
- Some would say, and to a certain extent I agree that the modern watchmen are the pastors and prophets within the church- but it extends the believers as well
- 1 Peter chapter 2 talks about the Priesthood of all believers. We’re all ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ- There are spiritual leaders, but that doesn’t exempt you from your spiritual duty to watch over Christs church. It takes all of us to make it happen.
- Its my job to equip you according to Eph 4:12, but its your job to care for Christs Church and defend the faith
- Its not a stretch. Pastors and prophets need to be watching and praying to discern what is going on outside the church and be able to discern what is going on in the world
- Paul said- 1 Corinthians 14:5 I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.
- Prophesy isn’t just about being up in front reading mail- Its about living with a prophetic mindset of listening to God and speaking what he is telling you to speak to others
- Sometimes specific words- but often generalized warnings that are scripture specific to warn
- God spoke to Ezekiel and said-
- Ezekiel 3:17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me:
- Hear from me- give them a warning
- I don’t think this is a admonition that is reserved only for the prophets of the OT
- We should have the heart of Habakkuk- Habakkuk 2:1 I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected.
- Matthew 25:13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
- Proverbs 16:17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who watches his way preserves his life.
- Are you watching? Are you listening? Are you praying and discerning what the Lord is speaking in this time?
- And when you hear? ARE YOU SPEAKING UP?
- Again- its not about telling someone something that is an admonition or personal prophecy- those are good- its more than that- its listening to GOD and defending the tenets of our FAITH
- Part of watching is being prepared to speak what needs to be spoken in these times
- If we’re going to “watch” its much more than just looking, its speaking.
- No watchman ever just looked he had to report. He had to let he king know, the people know, he couldn’t discharge his duties if he was SILENT.
- Isaiah 62:6 I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent,
- ONE- Watch over the fields – The fields were where they got their nourishment- people fed off it
- We feed off the word of God- We must watch over it- Protect it. Know it.
- Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’
- It is the nourishment of our souls!
- TWO- Look outside the walls!- There are enemies of Christ and our faith- we must be aware of them and be ready for battle!
- Isaiah 21:6 For thus has the Lord said to me: “Go, set a watchman, Let him declare what he sees.”
- Too many people are apathetic about the things of God- Society has taught you to be more concerned with your own personal identity and safety more than the protection of the word of God and the things of HIS kingdom
- What about my race? What about my guns? What about my place in the political sphere?
- What about the fact that the Christian church is in a downward spiral of cultural insignificance where we aren’t holding to our beliefs and truths about who God is and what the Church should be?
- Are you keeping silent about the things of God? Are you keeping silent about his impending judgment and return?
- You know the truth! You should be speaking about it. WATCHING. As a WATCHMAN
- I get it man- People think I’m weird. Recently the lady on the TV said that hearing from God was a mental illness.
- THREE- Follow orders of the King
- Don’t get caught in rebellion not listening to the word of God.
- Jeremiah 6:17 Also, I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’
- Jeremiah 51:12 Set up the standard on the walls of Babylon; Make the guard strong, Set up the watchmen, Prepare the ambushes. For the Lord has both devised and done What He spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon.
- Many people wont even listen to the warnings of Scripture- On how to live and what to Believe
- Now I understand this was spoken to Ezekiel- but it’s a strong statement-
- Ezekiel 3:18-19 When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.
- The NT has similar admonitions
- Acts 20:26-27 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.
- 1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
- You’re a watchman with responsibility, and it’s a responsibility to the KING
- Jesus says “watch” but he also says “he commanded the doorkeeper to watch”
- We must watch over the word, the outer walls, and answer to God
- But what else?
- You must Do what the master says
- The crux of this discourse is that God has left us in charge of everything until he returns
- What are we doing with what he has entrusted us with? Are we being responsible with what he has given us and what we’ve been asked to do?
- News flash- We preach an all encompassing Gospel here. This isn’t “get a little Jesus” this is Give it ALL to Jesus. We take God at his word and live for him.
- 34 It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 35 Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— 36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”
- We are supposed to be working
- Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
- Proverbs 14:23 In all labor there is profit, But idle chatter leads only to poverty.
- Philippians 2:14 Do all things without complaining and disputing,
- Work is the curse of Adam. We’re supposed to be working. You must ask yourself, what will the Lord find me working at?
- I love church- I want to grow every church. When I meet people who say they go to church, the first thing I ask them is “where do you serve” and when they say no where, I challenge them
- Think about this- retirement isn’t a biblical idea. We’re supposed to WORK
- We have authority
- Luke 9:1 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.
- John 14:12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
- and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work
- The authority that Christ has given to his people is far reaching. The bible says that we are going to judge the saints, so we have the authority to judge matters between believers
- We run Christs Church. We ordain ministers. We perform marriage. We worship God. We maintain the bride until Christs return. We have authority!
- We Don’t know when the master is coming
- 1 Corinthians 16:13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.
- We don’t want to sleep
- 1 Thessalonians 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober
- Therefore- stay vigilant. Stay ready. Be ready. Christ’s return is at any moment and we must be prepared for it.
