The Call of a Watchman

Hello and welcome to the Arise Church Podcast.

We are so glad you're here and want to thank you for joining us

today for the audio version of our Sunday morning message.

We want to invite you to join us in person at our Sunday morning

celebration every Sunday at 10 AM.

We are located on Old Jenks Rd. in Apex, NC.

Well, if you have your Bible, why don't you grab it and go to

the book of Ezekiel, The book of Ezekiel.

And as I've been preparing for today's message, I felt like the

Lord kept drawing me back to something that I just felt like

he was teaching me and walking me through that I believe is

very important for us as a church.

I've really have been praying and I believe it's going to

confirm some things or in Bible language, bear witness, confirm

some things that are in you that God's called you to.

So if you're taking notes this morning, you can just title it

this, The Call of a Watchman, the call of a watchman.

And we're going to let scripture detail some of these things.

Also some other materials that I studied as preparing for this,

that all really just confirm what the Scripture says as well.

But I want to start in Ezekiel chapter 3.

Ezekiel 3 · chapter mention

Ezekiel chapter 3, verse 17 says this Son of Man, I have made you

Ezekiel 3:17

a watchman for the House of Israel.

Therefore hear a word from my mouth and give them warning from

me. Let's read it again.

Son of man, God speaking directly to Ezekiel.

I have made you past tense A watchman for the House of

Israel. Therefore hear a word from my

mouth, present tense, and give them warning from me.

And give them warning from me. I have made you a watchman.

I have made you a watchman. This picture of Watchmen, which

was a very real role that would take place within ancient cities

that would even go through Roman times.

And I think we have different versions of that even today,

even in our police force. But this version of a watchman

was very interesting because Watchmen would be perched up in

a high point of a city. They would be placed there and

their idea was guess what was to watch.

Very easy, right? This is good.

This is good. You learn something today.

The watchman's role was to watch.

His role was to watch to watch. And then we could say to warn,

to watch and to warn, to watch and to warn.

But listen how God phrases this with Ezekiel.

I have made you a watchman. So don't keep a lookout for the

House of Israel. Therefore here, therefore here

notice how God said that Ezekiel would be able to fulfill his

role as a watchman was to hear was to hear.

That speaks to us today because probably none of you perch

yourself on top of your house at night time.

If you do, let's have a conversation after church, but

none of us probably appoint other people.

You know, I know at the church we don't appoint people to just

walk the grounds or perch themselves on top of the

building physically to keep a lookout for things.

So I think we would relate to more to how God's talking to

Ezekiel right now. He says, I've made you a

watchman, therefore here. I've made you a watchman,

therefore here. In other words, how to Watchmen

nowadays perform their duties. First of all, you have to hear

from God. What is he saying?

Because the warnings that he's talking about here, they came

from him. He was saying a thing.

He was speaking a thing. He was trying to get a message

out wide and clear to who the assignment for Ezekiel was the

House of Israel, the people of God.

These were covenant people. But yet through this time

already, God described his own people as stiff necked.

You know what stiff necked means?

This is picture. I always get a stiff necked.

In fact, how many of you currently have young kids, about

3-4, five years old? Raise your hand.

OK, Cross the room. How many of you have had kids

who are about that age as well? Yeah.

All right. Have you ever tried to put an

unwilling 3 year old into a high chair?

What happens? They get as about as stiff as a

board. I'm not going to do it.

I'm not going in that seat. And then you have to show them

who's boss. But we'll talk about that on a,

that's a for a parenting class we'll do one day.

But that's the picture where God would try to work a thing with

his people, tell them what to do, and they would stiffen up.

I don't want to do that later. He would call that rebellious.

They were rebellious. And so those, that same group of

people is who Ezekiel's called to minister to.

Can you imagine? I've called you a watchman,

Ezekiel, and I want you to hear a word from me and warn the

people. Well, thanks a lot.

Could you at least have sent me to people who are willing to

hear? Nope.

He was called to be a watchman to rebellious people, an unkind

people. By this time, the Israelites

were not really known for being super nice to prophets.

Nowadays, if you, oh, it's the man of God and you know well,

everyone loves the man of God until they start telling them

something they don't want to hear.

That was very true in the Old Testament.

As long as they would speak good words to them and tickle their

ears, everything was good. As soon as you start to bring

correction, they got stiff necked.

So it was in that environment. I think that's important because

as we start to unpack what God's saying to us, if you're not

careful, you think that God always speaks to us in

idealistic situations. In fact, it's the same Ezekiel

that God by the Spirit took him up to a valley of dry bones and

told him to start prophesying to dead things, dry bones.

And I've heard many people, many ministers, many believers, they

will preach a good word until God by the Spirit takes them to

a dead place. And it's like that's where you

really find out if you are made of some steel inside, some

faith, some real faith is can God put you in a dead place and

trust you to prophesied to the dead things or do you have to

have just it all posh and cush? It's like Lord calling me hooked

to Hawaii. Ki Ha was last here last week.

Oh, how tempting to be like Ki Ha.

You got any positions in Hawaii? I'm just kidding.

But in a way, you know, maybe not physically Hawaii, but I

mean, you got anything that's just like perfectly set up.

It's just all the finances are great.

You know, some of you with your jobs, you might think that where

the grass is always greener over there.

And it's like, Lord, couldn't you have called me to that

business? Couldn't you have called me to

that school? Couldn't you have called me to

that church? They got it so made.

It's so easy over there. So no, he didn't call you there.

He said you all Watchmen over here where they need somebody

who will speak even when it's unpopular.

Oh, I'm going to preach good this morning.

If it's just you and me, Mom, we're going to preach this

thing. Therefore here, therefore here.

HEAR, therefore here. Some of us, we are not

fulfilling our role because we're not hearing.

We're not hearing what blocks us from hearing distractions.

The cares of this world choke out.

The word is what God's Jesus taught in Mark chapter 4.

Mark 4 · chapter mention

He said the word is sown. The word is sown.

Therefore hear. What do you hear?

The word? The word is sown, but there are

different kinds of soil that the word is sown on.

And one of the soils that the word can't work in is distracted

soil, Choked out soil where weeds come in and they just

choke it out, choke it out, choke it out, choke it out.

Many of us were distracted. We're distracted with our own

needs. God, I need a new car.

God, I need a new house. God, I got to pay those bills.

And God cares about all of those things.

Matthew chapter 633 says Beseek. First the Kingdom of God.

And all these things will be added unto you.

You know, of course, after all these things, the Gentiles seek

that your heavenly Father knows what you need.

I mean, this it's, it's provided for in Scripture, but you got to

seek first the Kingdom of God. So when was the last time you

heard what is God saying about his Kingdom, the work he's

wanting to do? When was the last time God spoke

to you about what's going on in your business, in your area of

influence? And I'm not talking about you

just griping and complaining about where God chose to put you

or your boss that you have. I mean, what if God set you as a

watchman in that place to see, to be a blessing to your

leaders, to your bosses, to your managers?

What if He sent you there to aid them and to be a part of what

God wants to do in that Kingdom? But if you're distracted by all

the nonsense, all the water cooler talk, then how can you

fulfill your assignment to be a watchman?

Have your ears open, God, what are you saying regarding this?

Regarding my business, regarding my school, regarding my job?

Oh, this is so important. I believe that God set more

Watchmen to be in place than are actually fulfilling their

assignment. I think we have many Watchmen

who fell asleep. They're asleep on the job, and

this is a crucial hour. Can you imagine?

It's just all the Watchmen of this age and this time where we

need to hear from God. We need truth spoken.

We need to know what it is, what's happening.

We need to discern the signs of the times.

What if all the Watchmen just decided to take a nap?

We would be in darkness. We wouldn't be hearing.

It's time to hear. Amen.

Well, let's turn over to Ezekiel 33.

God speaks more to to him about this assignment.

Ezekiel chapter 33 again, the word of the Lord came listen to

Ezekiel 33 · chapter mention

this. This is very important because

if you over make it literal when it comes to being a watchman,

you'll think, well, I didn't see anything but most of the current

ways that we're a watchman is we hear things God speaks to us.

So listen to this. This is Ezekiel, and again the

word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, speak to the

children of of your people, and say to them, When I bring the

sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man

from their territory, and make him their Watchmen, When he sees

the sword coming upon land, if he blows the trumpet and warns

the people, verse 4, then whoever hears the sound of the

trumpet, and does not take warning, if the sword comes and

takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head.

He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take

warning. His blood shall be upon himself,

but he who takes warning will save his life.

But watch verse 6. But what if the watchman sees

the sword coming, and does not blow the trumpet, and the people

are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from

among them? He is taken away in his

iniquity, but His blood I will require the watchman's hand.

So you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the House of

Israel. He repeats himself.

Therefore you shall hear a word from my mouth and warn them for

me. Underline that if you have a

physical Bible, or maybe highlight it in your app, and

warn them for me. Warn them for me, warn them for

me. Well, if I'm going to be warned,

God has to speak to me. Then you are very susceptible to

missing the warning because God will use other people to warn

you. No one wants to say Amen to

that, but it's true. Many times warnings will come

through other people. In fact, most times things you

didn't see or didn't hear, you don't have the position that

they have. You don't have the perspective

they have. You're not hearing what they

hear. So thank God he's speaking to

some other people who He's placed in a different position

than you to warn you. Hello, This is very important

because we live in an age where everyone wants to be same, same.

You know, I watch it, I watch it in church life where everybody

wants to come and be buddy, buddy, buddy buddy with each

other. And sometimes they want to be

buddy buddy with me. And I want to be friends and

friendly. But I also don't want to usurp

my role by sometimes having to hold a different position just

within this context, within the body of a rise church.

So there are times where for me as senior pastor, I'm going to

see things that you don't see. But if you think we're just

same, same, same, you're going to miss sometimes when I warn

you and I speak things that you need to hear, but if you're

like, well, I didn't hear that from him myself, then you'll

miss the warning. Pride will blind us.

I've had to watch this over the years.

You know that we had a senior pastor.

I was there for 18 years. I worked with every single one

of his family members. I worked up close and personal

with many of them. I mean literally his brothers,

his wife, his son, his daughter was my assistant first season.

His son-in-law was my assistant first season.

When we moved to the East Coast, I thought, OK, I got a break.

No, I loved them. But you know, you're just like,

I know this whole family and you know, family has family stuff.

So every once in awhile it would be like, I feel like I'm in the

middle of a family conflict. So I thought, oh, I'm going to

come to the East Coast and I get on this staff with our our

denomination and the district. And guess who joins our staff?

His brother, you know, but that level of comfortability,

sometimes I could see it even in California, if I wasn't careful,

I wouldn't hear when I was supposed to be hearing through

him. And I had to hear even if there

was a warning that in that moment, he's not buddy, buddy,

buddy. He's he's a watchman set up and

he's warning us as a body. Usually it wasn't to me

directly. Usually it was just to the

church, and that's very important that we all understand

and respect. There are different roles, there

are different perspectives, there are different places that

each of us hold. And if you'll respect it and

receive from it, it'll help you. It'll help you.

That's why we have a pastoral team, because you know what?

I can't see everything we need to help.

I need help. I need help seeing stuff that I

don't necessarily from my background or my culture or

whatever. I may not see it from the same

angle. So guess what?

I will appoint Watchmen. And in our church there are no

self appointed Watchmen. Well I'm going to preach this

real good in a second. Like self appointed

intercessors. Well God sent me here to

intercede for a rise church. Well I don't even know your name

so how could you be appointed at our church?

And a significant role, well, is that to direct mom, just give me

a no, this is this is important. You know why?

Because stuff gets weird when it gets out of order.

And so people come in and they self appoint themselves as an

apostle. It's like, how are you an

apostle? Or they come in and they self

appoint themselves as as a prophet.

We had someone to come in the church one time here and they

thought they were a prophet here.

And so they thought it was OK that in the middle of their our

service, they'd come and they just lie down on their side in

the front row like they were Isaiah the prophet.

And we had to tell them, stand up and please go back to your

seat. They didn't want to hear what we

had to say. So they left.

And you know what? I was OK with that.

Because if you can't be in order here, if you don't understand

there's order here, then you can't stay here.

And guess what? The rest of the church feels

safe that there's finally somebody who will set boundaries

and not let kookaboo people. That's a word.

Kookaboo. You can just say it.

Kookaboo, people. It's a word, right?

Thank you. It's a softer word than crazy.

Crazy people. Take over what God wants to do.

Come on, wave your hand. If you're listening to me this

morning. This is important.

And people who don't like that, they will leave and that's OK.

So for me, there are appointed places.

There are people who are appointed to intercede here.

There are people who are appointed to be Watchmen here.

We need all of that. And there's an order to it.

There's an order to it, and there's an order to it.

And God set this order here with Ezekiel and God's telling

Ezekiel, you can take this role, but just be warned, This is what

this role means to you, that if I speak to you and you stay

silent, their blood is on your hands.

Now this is important that we understand that lest the New

Testament, it says, let not many among you desire to be teachers

because then on them is a greater judgement because

sometimes, especially when you do have very strange or, you

know, fleshly structures of human power and there's all

these dynamics. And so you do have people vying

for positions and could sometimes be in church, it could

sometimes be in denominations. And everyone thinks that if you

have more power that there's, you know, it's more cush for

you. But God has a way of setting

that straight. He says, oh, no, I'll put you in

an influential place. But if you go in that

influential place and you don't do what I tell you to do, you

got blood on your hands. Just a healthy fear.

God just starts to take root again.

And you're like, oh, OK, lest you get misunderstood about what

pastoral ministry looks like, just remember, if you don't

obey, there's blood. That's real talk.

That's Bible. So I'm painting this context

because I feel the Lord has been pressing me and I believe He'll

press our church into situations where we have to remember who we

answer to. Because culture will press

against this assignment. What's popular will press

against this assignment. Public opinion polls will press

against this assignment, and if you forget that if God tells you

to warn of a thing and you don't warn of a thing, you answer to

Him, and that will be greatly more important to you than

whether public opinion has turned against you.

I'll give you an example just of every time.

Recently I preached on Israel, people leave the church.

That's true. And I and I and I don't like it.

As a pastor, you want to to protect people.

In fact, someone sent me a message who you know, I think is

in my view is either misunderstood what I said or is

deceived themselves, but just sent me two word message free

Palestine. And but that's not unusual.

That's that's popular out there. But I had no my assignment and I

have to stick to my assignment real time.

Every time I stand up in the pulpit, I have to remember who I

answer to. And if I genuinely believe that

God says a thing about a thing and I don't warn you the people

that God's entrusted to me and those who watch us online and I

cower to that kind of pressure. Then there is not just not just

am I relinquishing my responsibility.

It's it's graver than that I have blood on my hands.

This is important, this is important.

I think it's important that you know that I take it that

seriously. And that's just one of many

topics, one of many things that the Bible says that is very

unpopular today. Just to update a family member

that I talked to you about recently that go to a very

popular church in North Carolina who has very popular worship,

who has a very popular preacher goes to that church.

The church followed up with this person who's a family member of

mine who is in a homosexual marriage, told them that, you

know, we don't recognize your marriage, but we don't believe

this very popular evangelical church says, but we don't

believe that your lifestyle impacts your salvation.

So guess what's on their hands. And lest you think I just sat

there, I made a phone call and have yet to receive a phone call

back. And I will follow up with them

again because I'm more concerned, concerned about this

family member soul than I am with that church's feelings.

And there at least hear from one person.

You're wrong. Well, first of all, I will seek

to understand. Did you say that?

And do you mean that? If you do, then you then then we

have a problem. And I feel the the necessity to

correct that. This is called being a watchman.

This is called doing our responsibility.

When it feels very tense, you can, I can feel the tension in a

room right now. Everybody just breathe.

For me, it's not as tense because I already decided this

stuff a long time ago. I already gave myself over to

this type of leadership, this type of pastoring, this type of

of commitment long time ago. But now I'm experiencing it real

time. What I prepared for years ago, I

prepared years ago, but now I have to live it out.

And so yes, I made a phone call to this very popular church and

we'll see how they respond. And if they don't respond, then

Lord lead me to what I do next because I have very big

concerns. Because the Bible says that in

the last days that there will be great deception among people,

that many will fall away, that even some of the elect will fall

away. Put that into your eternal

security Calvinism and smoke it. You know what I'm saying?

Like the Bible says that even some of the elect will be

deceived and fall away. So what becomes the job of

people, ministers, preachers, Watchmen in the last days?

Well, you better not do anything that causes people to fall away,

to turn against God, to be deceived, to go to go into

doctrines of demons, to go into fables.

All of this is New Testament. This is all warnings within the

the New Testament. Apostle Paul would write about

it and others where it was warning us.

This was this will be the time that you will live in.

And I'm telling you right now, we are in those times be do not

be deceived. We are in those times right now.

We're in the time where they call what's right, wrong, What's

wrong, right? I mean, when you look at the

fact that someone could be shot in the neck in front of 3000

young adults and on social media across the world, and then we

debate about it. Unbelievable.

Hello. I mean, I hope there's more

agreement here than online, Yes. So who will stand in these days?

Who will guard their post? Who will hear what it is the

Lord is saying and say that this is an assignment on a Rice

church and it's costly. It'll be costly to be associated

here. It'll be costly because we put

it all online, shut the camera off.

I'm just kidding. No, I've had many times where

real time, I'm remembering this is live streamed and internally

I cannot be swayed. I cannot be swayed.

I have to process real time. And I'm using myself an example

because I want to fortify your own commitment to what would you

do if you were the person. I've had to fortify my own

commitment when I'm preaching that someone would stand up real

time and leave because they don't like what's being

preached. Will you cower when it's

unpopular? Will you draw back because it's

no longer drawing a crowd? Will you draw back because the

family no longer wants to do Thanksgiving at your house?

Will you draw back because not only do they not want to do it

at your house, you're not invited?

Is this to relate to anybody? Some of y'all probably lived

this before people you used to be very close to didn't want to

hear it. But the Bible says that will

happen when you do your role. He's giving not just this

clarity so that Ezekiel would understand you better blow the

trumpet because the blood will be on your hands.

He's giving Ezekiel example that there will be times when you do

your job and they don't listen, and you need to know what to do

with your conscience in those moments so that you know it

wasn't on you. And you're going to need to

choose to stand again and do your job again in the midst of

people who choose not to hear. That takes fortification, that

takes strength, that takes faith.

And we're in the days, we're not just me, but every person who

calls Jesus Lord of their life will have to stand and give

account for this type of stuff. This is where it gets very real.

Very, very real is Isaiah chapter 62, verse 6.

Isaiah 62:6

I have set Watchmen on your walls, old Jerusalem.

They shall never hold their peace, day or night.

You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent and

give him no rest till he establishes, until he makes

Jerusalem a praise and the earth.

I have set Watchmen on your walls, old Jerusalem, they shall

never, never, never hold their peace.

Listen day or night. You who make mention of the

Lord, do not keep silent. I have a message for something

else. Silence is no longer an option,

and somehow we've gotten lulled into an HR mentality that the

thing that with consumes more than a third of our life about 8

hours of the day. About a third of our life we

give away to HR departments that tell us what you can and cannot

say. There's a problem because will

you speak when God says to speak, even if it's not in the

manual? This is easy questions, by the

way, so far because you're not even, they're not even a test

yet. This is just thinking about it.

You can feel, you can feel how hard that is.

But this is important. I remember in California one

time, lady came after I was preaching one day she came up to

me. I'm probably preaching a message

similar to this because I've been in Watchmen for a few years

preaching messages like this for a few years.

So she came up to me and she was working in the Correctional

Facility for the state of California.

She wanted to come up and she was wrestling through the fact

that part of her job as a nurse in this Correctional Facility

was to use taxpayer dollars to facilitate transition surgeries

for inmates. Welcome to California, but

that's California is just one place.

This happens all over. So she's coming and she's

asking, what do I do? What do I do?

What do I do? You need to hear what God is

saying for you to do. I mean, I could tell her what I

would do, but I told her you need to hear what God's telling

you to do because that's wicked. So will you partner with

wickedness? And she, she understood like she

was coming in a very humble way, but she knew what was in front

of her. Lose your job or do what you're

told. Lose your job or do what you're

told. Later she came and told me that

she she chose to do do what God told her to do and she walked

away from the job on her own accord and she got a better job.

Why? Because I've never seen the

righteous for second forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

This is where the rubber meets the road y'all.

This is where God starts to hold to account those of us who have

sang all the right worship songs and quoted all the right

scriptures. It's like, OK well now let's do

it. You make mention to the Lord.

Do not keep silent. Do not keep silent.

Do not keep silent. Do not keep silent.

Do not keep silent. Do not keep silent, Do not keep

silent. You don't need to wait for your

Co worker to bring up religion for you to share your faith.

Do not keep silent. If we really believe that

Jesus's turn is return is imminent, how could we not just

make sure that those around us have had a chance to make Jesus

Lord of their life? I'll give you an example of how

we're adjusting things. Even our own church.

I talked to Mary Beth. She's a preschool director.

We have a part time preschool that we that we we're in charge

of. It's called rise preschool.

It's on our EIN. We hire all the staff, and Mary

Beth, who's on our church staff, is the director of it.

But you know, we have more than half of the people who come are

of Indian descent. And so most of them from our

vantage point are probably Hindu.

But I told Mary Beth, yes, in the classrooms, we teach the

kids about Jesus and all that's good.

We're planting seeds, all that's good.

But when we do family presentations, guess what we're

going to do now? We're going to preach the

Gospel. And could it mean that they may

not want to come to the preschool?

Yes, but I fear God, like God forbid that we as a church go to

the great white throne room and we realized we had hundreds of

families come through over the years through our preschool in

our care. Literally sit in the seat you're

sitting and to watch a presentation from their children

on the stage that I'm using right now and they never hear

the gospel directly in an invitation to respond to that

gospel. God forbid.

Hello, God forbid it's at risk of our own enrollment, our

finances. There's risk, but you know what

I, I believe the Lord will see to it that all of that is

covered when we do his mission and we do his assignment.

And I believe he'll do that for you.

I believe when you step out of faith, he will cover you.

This is where Psalm 91 comes into great view. 1000 will fall

at your side and 10,000 at your right hand, but it will not come

near you. Hello, Many, many, many

testimonies of people that I've seen over the years.

I've watched it with my own mom in her in the business that

she's a part of, a national conglomerative business.

And I watched the Lord just maneuver her through these

different policies and how she's had to navigate those time after

time after time. And God would just many times

just hide her under his wings. But it came at risk because

usually the hiding came from her obedience, stepping out and

doing a thing that seemed risky at the time against some of the

policies, against some of the HR things, not in rebellion, but as

righteousness and righteousness. I cannot do that thing.

I cannot put my pronouns on my e-mail signature.

Because if I put the pronouns on my e-mail signature, then you'll

think that I think there are more than one there.

There are more than two genders. Or you'll think that I think you

can change your gender. So God forbid that I enable your

deception by giving place to that, Oh God, this is real this

morning. I love this kind of preaching.

This is important because when you're under the sway, that's

again where the Bible says that there would be many under the

sway, Many under the sway of the spirit of this age.

That's how it looks. If it were obvious to us you

would reject it from the beginning, but it creeps in.

It creeps in. It's like, oh, I just want to be

a good employee. It creeps in by miss applying

scripture. The Bible says obey those who

rule over you and be a submissive.

So therefore I just do whatever I told even if it's ungodly.

That's that is not right that miss applies scripture and it

ignores many other scriptures like Daniel who was told don't

pray, open his windows wide and prayed 3 times a day.

Was he ungodly? No, he was standing for

righteousness. He was doing what God told him

to do more than what the authorities told him to do.

That's what it takes to be a watchman.

Isaiah chapter 21, verse 6 For thus says the Lord said to me,

Isaiah 21:6

go set a watchman, let him declare what he sees.

Go set a watchman, let him declare what he sees.

I want to read a basically a condensed version of a passage

that I felt like it was really good.

Synopsis of the role of a watchman.

Listen to this. The watchman, stationed on high

vantage points like city walls or towers, observed and alerted

the inhabitants of approaching dangers, including enemy forces,

natural disasters, or other threats.

By the way, as I talk, I want you to listen through the lens.

What is God saying to you? What?

How would He have you apply this to your own life?

So they're perched high, they observe, and they alert the

inhabitants of approaching dangers, enemy forces, natural

disasters, or other threats. Their primary duty was as an

early warning sign and system with a clearview of the

surrounding landscape, including roads, approaching armies, and

potential dangers. Constant vigilance.

Catch that constant vigilance allowed them to promptly

identify and report any signs of trouble.

In case of a threat, they sounded alarms or signals to

alert the city's inhabitants, enabling them to take defensive

measures or seek refuge. Watchmen also facilitated

communication and coordination within the city, relaying

information about threats to military commanders and other

relevant personnel for informed decision making and strategic

responses. Preventing surprise attacks was

crucial. Watchmen detected enemy

movements at a distance, giving defenders time to prepare.

Time to prepare Beyond security, They meant monitored trade and

commerce, observing caravans, traders, and travelers, ensuring

legitimate business while keeping an eye out for

suspicious activities. Suspicious activities.

Watchmen monitored military threats and natural disasters,

alerting city dwellers to take precautions or evacuate.

Their presence on city walls. Symbolize authority and

preparedness, conveying the city's vigilance and readiness

to defend itself. The demanding role of Watchmen

required constant attention, especially during heightened

tension or conflict. They were chosen for their sharp

eyesight, keen observation, observation skills, and ability

to remain alert for extended periods.

This is very important because some of us, where God has placed

you, you have dropped your vigilance.

And one of the key responsibilities of why even God

put you where he's placed you is for you to stay vigilant, to

case, to stay constantly aware. And so some of us, I think where

the Lord would be pressing on you is to up your consistency.

Maybe you come in waves. Maybe it's like you have a

couple seasons a year, or if you go to a good conference or if

you hear a good message or if you have a great conversation,

now all of a sudden you're aware or maybe something breached your

house or breached your own life and maybe it startled you and it

got you paying attention again. That's not good enough for

Watchmen. For Watchmen, we need to be

consistent, constantly alert, knowing constantly what is

happening on the landscape, where are we, what's coming up

ahead? In fact, there are a few

examples that I won't take the time to read, but where literal

Watchmen came and they would warn or they would tell of who's

coming up ahead on the road. And sometimes they would, they

would yell out. They said is it peace?

And they, their job was to discern is the, is the person or

the group coming towards us of peace or the enemies?

Well, that's part of our role as well, paying attention, paying

attention to who's coming into proximity to your family.

Not everybody who seems to be good is good.

Hello. Some people are wolves in.

So who looks out for that? Who watches?

Who makes sure that we're not being lulled into something that

we're not supposed to be lulled into?

A family relationship, a family partnership, a business

partnership. There's a way that seems right

to a man, but in the end, it leads to destruction.

We need to have watchfulness. We need to be consistent about

that because you know the enemy, he's watchful and he will wait

until you fall asleep. In fact, he will help you fall

asleep. Some of the distractions that

come toward you, they're not from you and they're not just

life. Well, that's just life.

No, not all of that. Just like some of that's demonic

and it was sent to distract you, sent to divert your attention.

If you could look that way, you'll miss that He's actually

coming in another way. This is very important.

You know, as a pastor, there's been many times where I have

felt the clarity that there would be something of a tussle

going on over in the area. But I'll know just by the Holy

Spirit, even more Ezekiel, you know, he said hear a word, hear

a word. So I'll hear the Lord said me.

That's not the real issue. Don't pay attention to that

because my inclination is want to go over there and run and fix

it. Don't want that to happen here.

We need to fix. But I'll know if I look that way

and spend my time over there. He's really working on this

thing over here. Very, very important for us to

know the difference, to hear from Him, to know what our role

is. You know, one of the things that

I was studying about Watchmen, their role wasn't to then slide

over and then to be king of the city.

Their job was just to relay the message.

And what the king or the leaders of that area did with it was not

their job anymore. You say what you need to say and

then you'd go back about your business to do your job up top.

And if you get your rolls twisted, you're going to

disqualify yourself. Because your job isn't to go to

the business tomorrow and be like, God spoke to me and you

know, you're unrighteous. You know what I'm saying?

But you could go and you could warn of them, say, hey, boss, I

see some things that could make our business vulnerable.

Can I share them with you? And he may or she may say, yes,

please share them with me. And then once you share them,

your job is not to follow up a week later and say, did you

implement what I told you to come on, Some of you, some of

you control freaks, that's going to be a little tough for you.

You want to do it, You want to do it all.

But you know what? Do your job, deliver the message

and then roll out. It's their job.

Because if you're not careful, you'll get yourself in trouble

by stepping in areas that weren't yours to step into.

I know even within church life, within our denomination, there's

been times through the gods given me instruction to deliver

a hard word to some of the leaders within the denomination.

But where I overstep is if I start to try to make them do

what I told them instead of just deliver the word and butt out.

That's good right there. I encourage myself because I

have the temptation just like anybody to overstep the

overstep. And so it's good to clarify the

lanes. Listen to what Ellen White said.

And I, I wrestled whether to share this this because she was

the Co founder of the 7th day Adventist.

By the way, in researching this, she's the most translated author

in the world and she has some really, I think interesting

points of view. And especially on this.

I thought it was worthy of us talking about because 1 of it is

about the role of pastors being a watchman.

Listen to this. It is the privilege of the

Watchmen on the walls of Zion to live so near to God and to be

susceptible to the impressions of His Spirit that He can work

through them to tell men and women of their peril and point

them to the place of safety. Faithfully are they to warn them

of the sure result of transgression, and faithfully

are they to safeguard the interests of the Church.

At no time may they relax their vigilance.

Theirs is a work requiring the exercise of every faculty of the

being. In trumpet tones their voices

are to be lifted, and never are they to sound one wavering,

uncertain note. Not for wages are they to labor,

but because they cannot do otherwise, because they realize

that there is a woe upon them if they fail to preach the gospel

chosen of God, sealed with the blood of consecration, they are

to rescue men and women from impending destruction.

Listen to what she wrote about the church and our role as a

whole as the watchman. God has appointed the church as

a watchman to have a jealous care over the youth and

children, and as a Sentinel to see the approach of the enemy

and give warning of danger. But the church does not realize

the situation. She is sleeping on guard in this

time of peril. She was writing this in the late

1800s. In this time of peril, fathers

and mothers must arouse and work As for life, or many of the

youth will be forever lost. She saw that the role of the

watchman was for the sake of the next generation.

She saw that the role of the church being a watchman was to

make sure the next generation stayed the track of the Lord.

And she was calling the church even at this time to arise, to

arise, arise, wake up. And about two months ago in

prayer and a Wednesday night, just like the Spirit of the Lord

took me and it was like all I could pray was wake up, wake up,

wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up.

We're in the in the spirit, just praying that the alarm bells

would go off, that the alarms would go off.

So when I read this, I'm like, oh, that's what it was.

It was a call of Watchmen. It was a call of being awake in

the hour where it's easy to be asleep.

And here she's calling for the why I didn't put two and two

together, but yet here we are. Even on a day where we're

celebrating some things going on our kids ministry and the Lord

would be saying, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up.

Last week on Sunday night, during the same time as our

youth service, we gather the parents together.

And as parents, what are we? What were we doing?

We're sitting around talking about different ways that we

need to be vigilant, ways that we need to be alert, ways that

we can encourage one another. Why?

Because we're Watchmen for our house.

The church isn't a watchman for my children.

I'm the watchman for my children.

And the church could partner with me and the church can help

me. But the primary watchman for my

kids is me and Lilia. And if you have children, you're

the primary watchman for them as well.

So we just, we've seen this. The responsibility of Watchmen

is to warn of attacks, discern between threat and peace, to

know the appropriate sounds for the moments to blow the trumpet

when there is a threat, to stay awake through the night when

others are asleep, and it is to not be distracted.

I believe prophetically God is setting up Watchmen and families

and businesses and churches, including right here as at

Arise, that our church is a watchman in cities and states in

the United States of America. Interestingly, part of the

assignment on my life has been this and will continue to be

this. But when I was a youth, you know

what I played as an instrument, a trumpet.

And I took on playing trumpet when I was in 6th grade.

God wasn't, I mean, he probably was speaking to me, but I was.

I don't know why I picked trumpet at the time, honestly.

Maybe you remember why I picked. I just, she said, no, I don't

remember. I just remember I picked up

trumpet and then from 6th to 12th grade I played trumpet.

It wasn't till many years later that I realized, Oh my goodness,

God was literally putting in front of me what my spiritual

role would be throughout the rest of my life.

I didn't know that even my propensity towards this

instrument and my propensity to be a part of learning how to

play and how to make these certain sounds and what that

would take. I had no clue that that would

one day translate over where God would say I've sent you a

watchman. You need to know when to blow

the trumpet, You need to know how to make certain sounds.

You need to know how to be confident in it.

Had no idea that for six years he would be training me of how

to do that in his Kingdom. Some of you I pray that the Lord

connect dots of even how he is used other things to train you

prepare you that you would know that it was for this hour.

It's not wasted. It's not like something that

well that was cool. I just you know, I don't know

why I did that. I pray you do know why you did

that. I pray that he connects those

dots for you in Jesus name. I wrote this down and I believe

it was under the unction of the Holy Spirit.

God is called Arise Church. Rob, will you come as well?

God is called Arise church as a watchman in our city state and

for the country for this time. Let me say that again, God has

called, God has called Arise Church as a watchman in Apex

and, and, and I would say the triangle, but specifically Apex,

a watchman in Apex and in North Carolina.

I believe that the Lord is calling us and we'll place us in

positions where we're to be a watchman for this state.

Many things come through the legislature.

That's just 15 minutes down the road that we need to be a

watchman about. Who's paying attention to this?

Who's watchful of it? Who's seeing what's being

pressed in, even through demonic spirits, to try to infiltrate

their way into our state? Who's paying attention of what's

happening in the Board of Education, both for our state

but also for Wake County? Who's watchful of the curriculum

that our children is being taught day in, day out?

God's called us to do that. That's why He placed us here.

That's why he called us a Rice church.

That's why He's caused some of you to move from other parts of

the country. And you're like, I don't really

know why I'm here. I'm telling you why you're here

right now. Clarity received.

Remember, I throw it, you catch it.

Some of you, you need to be catching right now because

you've been asking why am I here?

Why am I at a rise church? I'm giving you clarity right now

because our church is called as a watchman.

As some of you, you already have this propensity, you're

watchful. I love, you know, it's so funny.

Mary Beth, our preschool director, she is like an

investigator and anybody who knows about her, if you need to

know anything about anything, she will find it out.

She will research it, she will look it up and she will let us

know what's going on. You know why?

Because God put the spirit of a watchman inside of her, that

propensity towards it, and because you could just dismiss

it as well, that's just who she is.

But God chose that. He put that and He placed it

right here. I think about Francesca, that

there were many times at the Rock in California, in our

previous church where someone would walk in the door and we

would know they ain't right. And we don't know everything

about them. We just know they ain't right.

And we just catch eyes. And then just a few of us, Yoli

was part of that and we were Watchmen and we just would go to

prayer. And then somehow, you know,

either that person got ministered to or they had to go.

So there's a reason why we're all here at this time and in

this place. So I am prophesying over us,

Arise Church, that God will be setting us up together and

unique individuals as Watchmen, which will at the appointed time

speak up and speak out for all to hear, elected leaders, policy

makers and others from the Apex City Hall to the Raleigh

Legislature and the Governor's House to the White House.

I will prophecy it today. You can mark it in the calendar

on October, whatever it is today.

Is it 11th, 12th. Praise the Lord, October the

12th, 2025. This is the day where we

acknowledge it and we say, yes, Lord, we will play our part in

this and the way we may at this moment be small.

We are mighty and we are obedient.

And I believe that He will use obedience more than size every

day of the week. And so He will use even your

obedience. You may say, you know what?

I'm I'm just a stay at home mom. I don't do that much.

I don't have that much blah, blah, blah.

And all these excuses that might make you feel like you discount

yourself. And yet God will choose all of

that and he'll set you in a high place because you were obedient.

You obeyed Him when he told you how to parent those children.

You obeyed him when he told you what to do in your workplace or

in your job or in your career. And because you obeyed him, he

will set you high above all the others around you.

Are you all hearing me this morning?

I feel this so strongly. I feel this so strongly.

Like the Lord is calling people up and he's saying who will

watch for me? Who will watch over their

family? Who will watch over this city?

Who will watch over Apex? Who will do the research?

Who will look it up? Who will find out what laws are

they pressing? What are they allowing down into

Main Street? What events are they allowing?

Are they going to allow these drag Queens to go and teach our

preschoolers in the middle of our city?

No. And just for it to slide under

our watch? No.

Will they allow this craziness to be taught into our schools?

Will they allow the the the laws to be passed without prayers

being lifted or legislators being confronted?

No. If it if it's in our sphere that

God's called us to, it'll be addressed in Jesus name.

It will be addressed in Jesus name.

It'll be addressed in prayer. It'll be addressed in phone

calls or emails. But you will hear what thus

saith the Lord to this region in Jesus name, some of you whom God

is sending out. And maybe this isn't your

forever landing place. Maybe he'll send you somewhere

else. Remember this message when

you're sent there, that with that assignment comes this

message. He's sending you with clarity.

He's sending you with his word. He's sending you with this

assignment in Jesus name. We're in the times where this

matters more than ever. We're in the times where you

can't go anymore off of someone to saying that this a Christian

Church, you better go and if you're listening to people

online, you better understand. Are they saying what the Bible

says or they saying what's culturally appropriate or they

saying what will get them more views or who knows the motives,

but what are what are they saying?

This is an important hour. So will you please stand to your

feet and if this resonates with you and you're willing to yet

again commit yourself to the Lord to be the watchman for

where he's called you to. Would you lift your hands, lift

your hands and as you lift them, just begin to tell the Lord

Lord, here I am. Send me.

We want to thank you again for joining us for the Arise Church

podcast. We hope you were encouraged by

what you heard today. You can find

[email protected] and on Instagram at Arise Church NC.

If you need prayer or support or are interested in learning more

about Arise Church, we encourage you to connect with us online or

in person at our Sunday morning service.

Thank you and God bless.