Being A Watchman For Christ

by Chuck Ness

Up until the 19th century, cities often stationed watchmen on high walls or in watchtowers to keep guard. Their job was to keep an eye out for the enemy, by watching out over the horizon from their vantage point. They were the ones who warned the people of any apparent dangers. If they saw any sign of an attack, they would alert the people with a trumpet blast, or ringing a bell. However, if they failed to properly warn the people, by falling asleep or just being unaware, then the city could be attacked without the citizens being prepared to defend themselves. If they were ever caught sleeping on the job, their punishment was death.

You're probably wondering why this matters to Christians. Well, there is an Old Testament warning from God to Ezekiel that should also be taken as a warning to us Christians. (Ezekiel 33:1-20) A warning that we must heed, in order that we can truly understand the importance of being Christ's messenger in the World. I posted the Scripture at the end of the commentary.

The World we live in today is simmilar to that of the time after Constantine legalized Christianity. Constantine had defeated his enemies, and reigned as the sole Emperor of Rome. His first order of bussiness was to legalize Christianity. Soon, becoming a Christian was the thing to do, and so many citizens of the Empire started identifying themselves as Christian, that it became impossible to distinguish between the true believers of the time and those who went along to get along.

It also became difficult to distinguish between the true teachers of the Gospel and the false teachers. Today, like then, it's almost impossible to distinguish between who is and who is not a true Christian, and there are so many false doctrines being taught, that we cannot be assured our friends and relatives are receiving the truth, or poison. Paul warned of times like this in his letter to the Colossians;

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. Colosians 2:8-10

How many times have you looked out your window, or have been out in front of your house and witnessed a couple of Mormons, or Jehovah Witness's walking around knocking on doors in your neighborhood to spread false teachings of the Gospel? What do you do? Do you just ignore it, because after all, it's none of your bussiness what they are peddling? Now what if they were instead selling drugs, would you still ignore them? After all, it's none of your bussiness. Right?

Wrong! Just as it's your responsibility to protect your neighborhood from drug dealers, it's your Christian responsibility to stop false Biblical doctrine from being shared with your family, friends, and neighbors. Dear brothers and sister we are charged, by no less than Christ himself, to defend the faith and protect others from being taught false doctrines. Can you ever envision Peter, John, or Paul walking by and ignoring a Gnostic heretic who may be sharing a falsehood about Christ?

Since Christ died, hundreds of millions of Christians have faced beatings and imprisonment for sharing the Good News of Salvation. Every disciple of Christ, other than John, died for the Gospel and for defending the truth. Sadly, in today's World, I see Christians constantly turning a blind eye, and literally walking away while allowing false teachers to fill people with lies that will lead them to hell and eternal damnation. We are told that we will be hated for His namesake, but that is not a command to shirk our responsibility, so that we will not be persecuted.

Which brings me back the Old Testament lesson we as Christians need to be aware of. At the end of this post, I suggest you read the Scripture from Ezekiel 33:1-20. It begins with a parable from God, then continues with a message to Ezekiel as to what the parable means. It get's right to the heart of my commentary about being a Watchman for Christ.

God told Ezekial that he was the Watchman for God's people. Thus he was responsible, as a Prophet, to tell and warn the people of what God wants them to know. If Ezekiel failed to share the message, then God tells Ezekiel that he would be just as guilty of the sins committed as the ones who sinned, since he failed to warn them of God's intentions. This is a lesson for us as Christians also. We are His watchmen. It is our responsibility to warn the people of danger. As God's chosen, we all have a command from our Lord Jesus Christ. He specifically tells us to share the Gospel and teach the truth. It's called the It's called the Great Commission

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

The warning is that we are all sinners, and in danger of damnation in hell. It is our job as Christians to share the truth that sin will lead them to eternal separation from God in hell. It's also our duty to share with them the only way they can avoid hell, and that's by repenting of their sins and giving their life to Christ. If we, as His watchman, fail to share the Gospel with people we meet, and they end up in hell from their sins, then we share the responsibility for them rejecting Christ. Just as the watchman was responsible for the city being attacked and destroyed, so too are we responsible if we fail to follow Christ' command of the Great Commission.

We cannot assume that someone else will come by and share the Gospel with people we meet. What if you meet a person in the park while walking your dog. You strike up a conversation about the dogs, yet you never bring up the Gospel. What if that person never heard of Jesus, or never knew about the true story about Him? Now imagine if that person is walking home from the park, and while crossing the street a drunk driver runs a red light hitting the guy. Then as he lies there unconscious, he dies of his injuries, never to have heard of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Like it or not, you being the watchman, failed to warn him of the danger of sin and the assurance he could have had. You are partly responsible for him spending eternity in hell. God put you in the park with him, because God knew his time was short, and you failed at your mission.

I know this is an extreme situation, in that we cannot know if God would do that. Especially knowing God is omniscient, and thus He would know ahead of time that you would fail to do what the Holy Spirit had led you to do. However, when you consider the importance of sharing the Gospel with strangers while the opportunity presents itself, you can see why this scenario is vey possible. Paul tells us in his epistle to the Romans how God uses us to spread the Gospel. It is our #1 job as a follower of Christ. Nothing comes before it.

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:14-15)

God uses us to reach the lost. Now just as we cannot fail to share the Gospel, neither can we allow others to fall for the lies from Jehovah Witness, Mormons, or any other cult members that may be walking around your neighborhood selling spiritual poison. A watchman must be alert at all times, because you never know when the enemy will attack those around you, and maybe, just maybe you will save a soul who could be just minutes away from an eternal separation from God.

I pray those who have ears to hear will, hear His voice and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

Ezekiel 33:1-20
The Parable

Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

"Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand." (Ezekiel 33:1-6)

God's instruction to Ezekiel

So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.

Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal. When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby. But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby. Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.(Ezekiel 33:7-20)