This sermon delves into the significance of sounding the trumpet as outlined in Numbers chapter 10, emphasizing the various signals God ordained for the two silver trumpets. It highlights the importance of heeding the trumpet calls for assembly, journeying, alarm, and war, drawing parallels to the urgent call for unity and action in the church today. The message stresses the need to respond to these trumpet calls with spiritual weapons, readiness for battle, and a clear resolve to address societal issues like innocent bloodshed, immorality, divorce, and the challenges posed by Islam, all while keeping in mind the ultimate trumpet call of the last days.

I'd like you to turn with me in the Word of God to the 10th chapter of the book of Numbers. Numbers chapter 10, we want to read just 10 verses together out of Numbers chapter 10. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers. Chapter 10, verse 1. Thinking this morning about sounding the trumpet. Sounding the trumpet, look with me. And the Lord spake unto Moses saying, Make thee two trumpets of silver, of a whole piece shalt thou make them, that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly and for the journeying of the camps. And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And if they blow with but one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee. When ye blow an alarm, then shall the camps that lie on the east parts, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward. When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey, and they shall blow an alarm for their journeys. But when the congregation is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm. And the sons of Aaron the priests shall blow with the trumpets, and they shall be to you for an ordinance forever throughout your generations. And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets, and ye shall be remembered before the Lord your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies. Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginning of your months, you shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings that they may be to you for a memorial before your God. I am the Lord your God. Now this morning I just want to point out to you in this interesting passage in the book of Numbers that there are several types of signals that God ordained to be sounded out with these two silver trumpets. God told Moses this. He said, I want you, or under your authority, I want there to be made two silver trumpets. And they have various purposes. One of them is the calling of the assembly. And the other is for the journeying of the camps. Then shortly we read about a trumpet for an alarm and other references to trumpets. I don't want to take a lot of time there, but I want to suggest to you this morning that we have heard all of those trumpets this weekend. We've heard the trumpet that has called us together for assembly. We've heard trumpets of alarm. Now we're about to hear a trumpet call to journey. It's interesting to note, and I had made some notations on that that I didn't end up somehow managing to get in my book or in my Bible, but I'll share with you. As I recall, you'll notice in verse 3 it says, when they shall blow with them. Them is plural. That's two trumpets. Both of these trumpets. When they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble at the door of the tabernacle. A double trumpet blast meant the calling of the assembly. Verse 4 says, if they blow with but one trumpet, then the princes, which are the heads, shall assemble themselves together. There are a time for the leaders of God's people to come together. Verse 5 says, when you blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east part shall go forward and other parts of the camp. The Septuagint has even a further reference to all four quadrants of the camp, I believe. Alarm trumpets and which direction they were to journey. I think it's interesting to note that I believe if you would look at that word alarm, it's been a good while since I've done this. In the original Hebrew language, it implies a staccato blast. It implies a variegated sound versus a long, even sound for the calling together. An alarm trumpet is a staccato blast. Boop, boop, boop, boop, boop, boop. It's an alarm trumpet. We've heard all of those trumpets. I want to repeat that again this weekend. We've heard the trumpet call, and again this morning, even more of us have came together. The trumpet call, a long, even blast, was the trumpet call for assembly, perhaps of two trumpets, for the gathering together of God's people. And we have assembled for three days. That's not an alarm blast, nor should it be, my brothers. The call to come together should not be an alarm blast. We need the people of God. It is a serious call, the call to assemble. The trumpet call to assemble is a serious call, and we need the people of God. And I thank God for His people. We need each other. God has not called us to be islands. We need to come together. That's a serious call from the Word of God. In fact, the tenth chapter of Hebrews reminds us of that call. When the writer of Hebrews says, breaks into this urgent cry, even for assembly, even though it's not an alarm, he says, having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He hath consecrated for us through the veil. There's a ripped veil this morning. Through the veil, that is to say, His flesh, and having an high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. But He doesn't stop there. He says, let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for He is faithful that promised. And He doesn't stop there. And He says, and let us consider one another, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another. And so much the more, as you see the day approaching, we have heard this weekend the trumpet call of assembly. We want to seek to be a part of the potent blessing of the body of Christ coming together as serious soldiers. You follow that phrase in the New Testament. Paul says, when you are come together in my spirit. When you come together, you'll find that phrase a number of times, the call for assembly. But you know, we've heard another trumpet blast. Oh, the blessed blast of God. We've heard another trumpet blast this weekend, and it's the trumpet call of alarm and war. The second chapter of Joel, we read those words, blow you the trumpet in Zion, sound an alarm in my holy mountain. We know on down through that chapter, those words were brought back of the last days there on the day of Pentecost. And quoted again from the prophecy of Joel. Our brother already referred to the 58th chapter of Isaiah where the prophet says, God says to his prophet, actually, cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet, and tell my people who curse of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways as a nation that did righteousness and forsook not the ordinance of God. They ask of me the ordinances of justice. They take delight in approaching to God. Yes, that's the story of many sad situations in America today that there are people who take delight in approaching to God, so to speak. Lift up your voice like a trumpet, and we've heard that trumpet call this weekend, the trumpet call of alarm and war. It's a staccato blast. It's a variegated sound. It's an alarm warning. Have you ever heard a siren to evacuate the building? Have you ever heard a warning? There's a tornado nearby. It's an alarm warning, a trumpet call of warning. We have heard those this weekend. We have heard the alarm trumpet of the innocent bloodshed that is going on across our land in America. Will we plug our ears and retreat into the avoidance ethic that we heard about? Was a sobering call to me. Or will we pray and boldly preach and ask God to show us what should we do for these children and for the society around us that doesn't even have a standard of right and wrong anymore? Will we lift up a standard in love and in compassion and in holiness? The trumpet, alarm trumpet of innocent bloodshed and abortion. These days we've heard the alarm trumpet of the plague of immorality across America. We've heard that. Brothers and I thank you, those of you who have taken part in sounding that alarm so effectively this weekend. Brothers and sisters, will we listen? Will we declare war? Will we weep? The call in the second chapter of Joel is let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar. And we witnessed personally and observed weeping of the ministers of God this weekend because of this sin. Save thy people, O God. Give not your heritage over to reproach. Will we weep? But will we not stop there? Will we fight? Will we fight? This is a trumpet call of alarm and assembly for war. Will we just let our children and our congregations listen to the spirit of the age and the doctrine of Balaam? Or will we carry on with a resolve to go to battle, to cut off arms and to pluck out eyes? And the Bible doesn't just say to cut off your arm, brother. Pluck out your eye, sister, and just set it nearby where you can reach and get it again if you happen to need it. It says cut off your arm and cast it from you. Pluck out your eye and cast it from you. Get it out of there. Whatever that stumbling block is, will we go to war against the plague of immorality and seek the blood of Jesus Christ for its cleansing and purifying and sanctifying power? Oh, the blood of the Lamb that washes from sin at any cost, brothers. At any cost. I so well remember the day a man came into my office and said, I've been addicted to immorality for years and I'm ready to be done whatever it takes. That man got victory. I've noticed through the years when someone reaches that point, they have victory. Whatever it takes. Whatever it takes. God called. The men of God to that last night. He's still calling today. We've heard the alarm trumpet this weekend of the jihad of Islam. Will we cower in fear, brothers and sisters, or will we march? Will we hear the sound of the trumpet and march, letting perfect love well within us and cast out our fear and go with compassion and with grace to those from differing backgrounds such as Islam and reach out to them and invite them into our homes? I was convicted by this. There's a young man, Muhammad, that I've met in our local university in Ellensburg nearby. And he came out to our home. My wife had a thought this way and sought if there were any international students that might not have a place to go for Christmas dinner. And Muhammad called up and said, can I come to your house? And he came from Saudi Arabia. What a blessing. A nice time we had. And we've met together and we've shared since. But he told me some time back he sent me a message. When Ramadan is over, I want to come out to your house and have a meal and I want to make you Arabian coffee. And I've been busy and I've been cumbered and I responded, but we haven't made it happen and I'm ashamed this weekend. Will we reach out in love against the jihad of Islam? Or will we read the paper articles or the news articles and talk and fear and retreat and have government other kingdom opinions about all of this and not do anything ourselves? The trumpet call. Trumpet call. These deceived ones are entering our communities by the hundreds and by the thousands. Will we reach out with the love and truth of Jesus Christ and the gospel that can still cleanse a man and a woman from sin. I don't care where they've been. The blood of Christ is able to do that yet. And it can do it and is doing it for those coming out of Islam. We've heard that trumpet call this weekend. We've heard this morning the alarm trumpet of the evil of divorce. God says in the book of Malachi I hate divorce. You want to know how God feels about it? It's pretty simple. That's what God says. I hate it. I hate it. There are probably situations in this room with deep pain. You hate it too but it's touched your life very painfully. We recognize and we heard at the beginning of this service that the handwriting is on the wall. Mene, Mene, Tico, you farson. And as the king saw that writing his knees began to shake and his bowels were loose and he began to have great fear and trembling and that night it was over for that king and for that kingdom. But the handwriting is beginning to write on the wall in America. What will we do? In our churches in our situations will we retreat in apathy? Or will we rise up in courage? It's a shock. A great tragedy. Some weeks ago I received the reality that a couple I married I married some beautiful children several years ago haven't had a close connection and the man left his wife for men. It's a shame and yet it's a reality in our land and a bleeding sister and there's repentance and there's opportunity for that man to turn and find Jesus Christ. We've heard that this weekend but will we lift up a clear standard? Will the trumpet give a certain sound so that we know? Remember there were different kinds of blasts. I think Paul knew what he was talking about. If the trumpet gives an uncertain sound it's not clearly an alarm warning then who would know whether this is a battle trumpet or not? Maybe it's just let's get together and have a nice time trumpet. No, we need to give a certain sound when it's an alarm. A staccato blast. Alarm. The trumpet must give a certain sound. Well we have heard these trumpet calls this weekend. A war trumpet. Are you ready? But remember brothers and sisters and maybe there's someone that's wandered in here that doesn't even realize this for sure but I want to remind you and I want to make it very clear that the weapons of our warfare as we respond to this battle cry the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. That means they're not fleshly. That means they're not pistols and they're not knives and they're not rifles and they're not cannons and they're not torpedoes and they're not those kinds of things. Though our weapons aren't carnal but they are mighty. In fact they're a lot more mighty than those weapons. In fact they have the actual ability to pull down strongholds and to cast down imaginations and every high thing that would dare to exalt itself against the knowledge of God and to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. That is mighty weapons brothers and that's the weapons we're going to be using as we go forward into war from here. Those flesh weapons should be estranged to us as Saul's armor was to David. No I that doesn't work for me. I'm going in the name of the Lord God of Israel. But you know I want to remind you there was a day there was a day when David missed the trumpet. He missed the battle trumpet. There was a day the Bible says when the kings go to battle and David stayed at home. He didn't hear the trumpet. He stayed at home at great loss to the kingdom and to his own life. We've been reminded of that this weekend and last night especially. Will you stay at home? Probably some of the most vulnerable times in my life when the enemy when the temptations come knocking at the door of my heart is if I've relaxed a little bit. It's time to just rest a little bit from the battle. There's a land of rest coming. Oh, land of rest for thee I sigh. When will the moment come when I shall lay my armor by and dwell with Christ at home? But it's not yet. It's not yet. Don't stay home when the kings go to battle, brothers. Let's be a part of the battle. Let's be a part of the battle. Our weapons are mighty through God. God has not shortchanged His church and I must close. I want to read to you one more passage of Scripture if you would turn with me to the third chapter of Revelation. Revelation chapter 3. I want to read verses 7 and 8 and I want you to read out loud these verses with me this morning. Revelation chapter 3 verses 7 and 8. Would you please join me in reading these verses out loud. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia, write, These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth, I know thy works. Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it. For thou hast a little strength, and hast kept My word, and hast not denied My name. Thank you. Did you notice those words? Did you see who was speaking? This is Jesus Christ this morning and I believe He's speaking that message as He spoke it to the churches. It includes us this morning. It's Jesus. It's the one who has the key of David. It's the one who the first chapter of Revelation when John saw that vision of the glorified Christ, do you imagine that? This was the Apostle John. This is the one who lay on Jesus' breast and said, Lord, is it I? This was John, that disciple whom Jesus loved. And now he heard a voice, and he turned, and there was one behind him. And he saw, and his hair and his head were white like wool, and his eyes were as a flame of fire, and his feet were like brass that burned in a furnace, and John fell at his feet. And he said, I am Jesus. I'm Jesus. I have the keys of death and of hell. I am He that liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And have the keys of death and hell. That's the one who's speaking here. He's also the one who has the key of David. He says, I can open and no man can shut. I can also shut and no man can open. But he said this, and I want to leave you with this this morning. He said, behold, I have set before you an open door. Just consider those words for just a moment as we close. Behold. That word is an alert call. It means stop and take a look at the reality of this. Behold it. Don't just glance at it. Stop and look. Behold. Now let's look a little further. Behold, I. That's Jesus. I, Jesus said. That's the one who has the keys of death and hell. That's the one who can open and shut. That's the one who, he said, the Father has given all authority unto the Son. That's the one that men are going to stand before in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Christ Jesus, according to my gospel. That's the one who said, behold, I. He has the authority this morning. I. Let's go on in that verse. Behold. Behold, I. Behold, I have sat before you. Before you. An open door. I want you to think about that, brothers and sisters. There are a lot of doors behind us. A lot of life is behind us. In fact, every moment before this moment is behind us. You can't change the past. Not one of us can go back and change one day of the past. It's the past. The Apostle Paul had some griefs, but it was the past. What did he say? Forgetting those things which are behind. Forgetting those things which are behind. Reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Brothers, this morning, Jesus said, I have set before you an open door. Forget about the lost opportunities. Forget about, yes, sometimes we can learn lessons from the past. But we can't dwell on the failures of the past. We're talking about doors before us. And Jesus said, I have set before you an open door. And no man can shut it. No man can shut it. An open door. Oh, what a blessing. This morning, God can do that. God can do that. Take courage, brother. There are doors open as you look at these areas where the Spirit of God has raised up a standard. Will you stand? Will you look at the open doors? And don't wring your hands at the doors of the past. They're past. But God has open doors before us. He set them before us. But remember. Remember. We'll soon be hearing the trumpet call for the journeying of the camp to leave this place. I want to remind you of one more trumpet. One more trumpet. The Apostle Paul said, Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. The last trump. For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. We shall be changed. There's a last trump coming. There's an unconverted one here this morning. If there's someone here who has not yet repented of your sin, and given your life without reservation to Jesus Christ, and allowed His pardon payment of the blood, that incorruptible blood, to pay for your sin, there's still time. But I don't know how much time. Because He that opens the door before us is also the one who can shut, and no man can open. You remember those virgins? Lord, Lord, open unto us. Open unto us. But the door was shut. This morning it's still open. There's yet a trumpet. Are you listening? Are you ready for that trumpet? May God bless us as we go from here. God bless you.