In this sermon, the speaker focuses on a passage from the book of Nahum, specifically verses 6 and 7. The speaker highlights the contrast between God's anger and his goodness. Despite the troubled times that God's people may face, the speaker emphasizes that it will be a time of great joy because it will reveal the goodness of God. The speaker also references a newsletter by Pastor David Wilkerson, who warns about the coming storm and the need for Christians to cultivate a strong faith through prayer and daily devotion. The sermon concludes by addressing the reasons why people may not take the voice of the Lord's watchman seriously, including false security and apathy.

This morning I want to talk to you about he heard the sound of the trumpet and took not warning He heard the sound of the trumpet and took not warning. Go with me to Ezekiel chapter 33 We're going to start with verse 1 Ezekiel 33 verse 1 says again the word of the Lord came unto me saying Son of man speak to the children of my people and say unto them when I bring the sword upon the land People of the land take a man of their coast and set him for their watchmen If when he see it the sword come upon the land He blow the trumpet and warn the people then whosoever here at the sound of the trumpet and taketh not warning 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 Overtime the Lord has been speaking so very strongly to my heart and so very intently to my heart about as a pastor seeing the seriousness of the times and Staying sold out to the call of God. That's upon my life God has been speaking very intently about the importance very vital importance of guarding my heart and keeping my heart and Protecting my heart from letting other affections come in That would steal my focus of what God has called me to do what God has called me to be in the ministry And that would steal my focus from being holy Wholeheartedly committed to what the Lord has put before me to do Beloved in this hour that we're living in deception is eating the church up like like a cancer Wolves and false teachers and false prophets have come in and many have departed because of them from the genuine faith Giving heed to seducing spirits and the doctrine of devils also one over the horizon just over the horizon as Brother hemp was talking about there are some very dark days coming to our nation and coming to our world and What God needs is is watchmen who are standing in the pulpits Standing in his pulpits clearly hearing the word of the Lord from his mouth. They're sold out to their calling Everything else that's not the will of the God for their life has been nailed to the cross and has died Because it's very critical that we be in tune with the Lord and we know what the Lord is speaking to us And the Lord has been so challenging in my heart To be sold out So the call of God that's on my life because of the critical days that were in and the critical days that are ahead in Ezekiel chapter 8 God took Ezekiel in a vision to the temple Jerusalem and Set him by a wall and the Lord told his prophet he told his prophet to dig in the wall and see what was going on in the secret chamber and So the prophet dug into the wall and inside the secret chamber. He saw the elders of Israel Worshiping every abominable creature and as I was looking at that the thought just came to my mind Why didn't the Lord just set Ezekiel in this chamber? Why did he set him before a wall and tell him that he had to dig if he was going to see what was going on In that chamber and that's what the Lord did It was as if the Lord was saying to Ezekiel Ezekiel if you are going to see what's going on in that chamber then you have to dig and What the Lord really ministered to my heart out of that is simply this that as a pastor and as a watchman if Watchmen are truly going to see and discern what is going on in people's hearts Then they cannot have a shallow life in the word and they cannot have a shallow life in prayer That they have to have a depth in the Lord and brothers and sisters as watchmen Watchmen today they have to have the ability to see what is going on in people's hearts Because the heart is such a very vital and important thing They have to have the discernment to know that when they come into a service. There's just something that's not right here And it's because something is sitting in someone's heart or people's heart and it's something that the Lord has got to to get at It's something that the Lord has got to bring a cleansing to because it will put that person or people on a wrong path Brothers and sisters God's watchmen today have to have the ability to discern what is going on in the heart It's not that they're being nosy It's not that they're meddling in people's business, but the heart is a very important issue to the people of the Lord With all my heart. I truly believe that every pastor is called to be a watchman He is called to be a watchman over people's hearts reminding them of Christ's commandment to love and to forgive and to Keep yourself unspotted from the world He is also called to be a watchman over the corporate body God has placed under his care Protecting that body from anything of the enemy that is false and would try to slip into that church Every pastor is called to be a watchman Now with that understanding, I would just want to ask this question. What are the characteristics of a watchman? What are the characteristics of a watchman? I briefly want to mention five things that the Lord has put upon my heart That are the characteristics of a watchman first of all Watchmen understand the necessary and vital need to watch they understand at any time danger can appear over the horizon and God's people need to be warned before that danger gets there the God's people need to be warned before That danger is there at the gate in His watchman today. God has put something in their hearts That caused him to know there is a need to watch it's something that's imparted by the Lord It doesn't come out of their own heart. It's something God has put into their heart It's something in their gut that they can't shake It's something in their gut that says I need to be on the walls and I need to be watching. It's divinely instilled by the Lord Secondly watchmen are upon the wall and they are awake Watchmen understand the dire consequences of being asleep They know that that if they are asleep on the wall, they're not going to see the enemy until it's too late Watchmen understand that in order to have discernment to see what the Lord wants them to see they have to have a depth in prayer In their word and their life has to be wholly given to the Word of God in prayer. They cannot be asleep on the wall Thirdly watchmen have this deep awareness in their heart that they are accountable to the Lord Ezekiel 33 says but if the watchman see the sword and blow not the trumpet and The people be not warned if the sword come and take any person from among them. His blood will I require at the watchman's hands? This is an accountability that God himself Divinely instills within the heart of his watchmen God divinely instills this sense of accountability to the Lord and watchmen are compelled to speak what God has put in their heart Whether people take them serious or not whether people believe them or not a Watchman has this thing in their heart put there by the Lord that says I'm holding you Accountable for the Word of the Lord and I'm holding you accountable for what I'm speaking into your heart. You're accountable Whether anyone takes you serious or not Whether anyone believes you or not You are accountable for the word that I have put into your heart It's divinely instilled by the Lord it doesn't come from flesh doesn't come from a man's own spirit it comes from the Lord Fourth of all watchmen are broken vessels who simply watch because they have a deep love for God and his people It is because of this deep love that God has anointed them to be watchmen and then place them upon the walls Today in the age of the church that we live in there's so many people who proclaim to be prophets So many people who want to be prophets there's just something about having a prophetic ministry and a prophetic man on a prophetic calling that they think is glorious and they think is glamorous and Overall the reason so many desire the office of the prophet and they call themselves a prophet Really when you get to the heart of it, it's because they desire the recognition of men But a true watchman has no no desire in his heart to be called a prophet because he knows he's not a prophet it's simply because he loves God and he loves his body and it's because of that deep love in his heart that God has put something in his heart to watch and Fourthly a watchman knows they have a word from the Lord Because of the life that is in that word They know what they're speaking is from the Lord and not out of their own heart because of the life that is in that word Jeremiah chapter 20 verse 9 Jeremiah said then I said I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name But his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones He said his word was a fire shut up in my bones. What was that fire? It was the life that was in that word That word was so alive within his heart and a watchman knows whether anyone takes him serious or not or whether anyone believes him or not a Watchman knows he has a word from the Lord and it's the life that is in that word that compels him to speak the word of the Lord Now concerning the Lord's watchman What is the misfortune? The misfortune is simply a people That do not heed the voice of the watchman The misfortune is simply a people that do not take serious The voice of the watchman, that's the misfortune Now with that the question that comes to my mind and my heart is simply this well Why do a people not take serious the voice of the Lord's watchman? Well, the Lord has given me three things Why do a people not take serious the voice of the Lord's watchman first of all false security false security Because we have a good job and money and our happiness comes from the pleasures that money can buy we have this false sense of security that everything is well and Ultimately this false sense of security then breeds apathy in our hearts So many people sitting in pews who have such apathy in their hearts because they just feel like everything is well But everything is not well Jesus addresses this tragedy in the church of Laodicea He tells the Laodicean church that they are lukewarm and apathetic and then he tells them why? he says because I'll say as I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing as Americans were living in this Laodicean age as Americans most Americans are living in this bubble and we really don't see the seriousness of the times or the criticalness of the times as Americans so many Americans are prosperous and we have our jobs and we have our money and Materialism and nothing is wrong with that in itself But we've come into this false security and we really don't see the seriousness of the times We really don't see what's happening in the Middle East. We really don't see what's happening between Israel and their enemies Because if you really had eyes to see it you have you will understand that things are not going to keep going on the same They've always been going on something is about to happen in our world That's going to change our world and it's going to change our nation if we really had eyes to see it But so many are caught up in this this bubble. They're caught up in their own little world They're caught up in their own little ministry caught up in their own little church So many are caught up in their apathy because they feel like everything is well But brothers and sisters in the world's eyes everything is not well false sense of security That's a big reason why people they can hear a word from a watchman and it goes in one ear and out the other They can hear it agree with the mental ascent and then walk out the door after the church is over and just forget about everything That he has said false sense of security Also regarding a false sense of security there are many hearts that are not right because we are abusing the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ Many are sitting in pews living in sin and disobedience, but have this attitude that says yes I have sin and blatant disobedience in my life, but regardless God is going to keep me There are many in the church living in sin and who hear the watchman crying out that there are dark days coming yet They comfort themselves with this thought that though I'm living in sin. God is going to keep me false sense of security Beloved the scriptures tell us clearly that when we see the dark clouds gathering It's time to really make sure our hearts are right with God Peter talking about the last day judgment says in 2nd Peter 3 11 He says seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved What manner a person ought you to be in holy behavior and godliness? Verse 14 he says wherefore beloved seeing that you look for such things be diligent that you may be found in peace without Spot and blameless before the Lord He's not talking about covering of righteousness He's talking about having your heart right with God in that scripture, and he says be diligent in this Because the storm clouds are gathering What Peter is saying is when you see the storm clouds gathering now is not the time to be playing around with the grace of God Now is not the time to abuse the grace of God God has graciously given you grace to live a holy life before the Lord God has graciously given you grace to put away sin and to live soberly and godly in this present age And you need to lay a hold of that grace and put away sin That's what he's saying So why do people not take serious the voice of the Lord's watchman first of all false security second of all familiarity Jesus said a prophet is not without honor save in his own country and in his own house Brothers and sisters I think there's something about sitting and listening to a pastor preach Sunday after Sunday after Sunday that can cause a dullness to come to the heart Because we get so familiar with that pastor and get so familiar with hearing him preach It can cause a dullness to come to the heart and to the ears Also when you sit under a pastor or leader for a considerable amount of time you begin to see their flaws You begin to see their imperfections and we can lose that sense of honor But we have to understand as imperfect as they may be if they truly love the Lord and they have a word from the Lord Then they are not speaking out of their own heart, but they're speaking by the Spirit of God Truly believes there are many who do not take the voice of their watchman the voice of the pastor the voice of their leadership serious Simply because they have become so familiar with their leadership brings a dullness to the hearing of the ears and Thirdly, why do a people not take serious the voice of the Lord's watchman thirdly? trial weary trial weary In this last minute of the last day Saints are going through trial after trial after trial and often in these trials a weariness can come to our soul Often in these trials a cry can evolve up out of the heart. It says listen Along with everything else that I'm going through. I just do not want to hear this This is just one more thing on top of everything else that I'm going through and I just don't want to deal with this I don't want to hear it I don't want to hear about that days getting darker and the times getting worse if you only knew everything that I'm going through now I do not want to hear that and We shut the voice of the watchman off But brothers sisters the Lord thinking about this and meditating upon this the Lord really has given me compassion in my heart I feel the compassion of the Lord for those who are truly in a time of trial God is not indifferent to the things that you're going through But there are two things the Lord put upon my heart to say this morning first of all Even though we find ourselves weary in our trials. We cannot close our ears to the Word of the Lord God will give us the grace to hear it because we need to hear it and understand and prepare our hearts and Secondly, these trials are a preparation for what is coming God is building endurance in our life God is teaching us how to walk in his strength and his grace God is revealing his faithfulness and cultivating Testimonies in our life that is going to strengthen our faith and is strengthening our faith and When people's hearts are failing with fear the testimonies in our life are going to point them to the hope and the comfort that is in Christ Listen in these dark times people are going to stand in boldness and courage and say you know what I I have to be honest With you not trying to be be be boastful or proud or anything, but I've already been through the fires with God I've already been through the trials and the tribulations and the floods with the Lord and I'm here to tell you it doesn't matter how Dark and hard and difficult times are going to get my God is a faithful God He's a faithful God. I've already been through it with the Lord Now I'm an anchor to the body of Christ Now with all this in mind, let's ask a question. Is there a word? From the Lord about the coming days that the body of Christ should be hearing there is a word from the Lord and It's something that I've been hearing in my spirit over and over and over again very intently from the Lord And that word is simply this it's so vital That the Lord's people become really rooted and grounded in his word and in prayer now It's so vital It's so vital brothers sisters there are very dark days coming I don't know I don't know exactly what it is but I know America and our nation is headed in for some very dark times and People it's not going to be business as usual and all this superficial joy that you see people have is going to be stripped away and there's going to be chaos and there's going to be confusion and people are going to be running to and fro with great fear in Their heart because of the things that are coming and brothers and sisters in these very dark and difficult Times that are coming that is not the time to try to lay a hold of God That will not be the time to try to get rooted and grounded in the Lord Now is the time the watchman is calling out dark times are coming and you're going to need a strong faith in your heart if you're Going to make it through If you're going to be a strength and a pillar to the body of Christ when these times come now is the time to get Ahold of God now is the time to press in now is the time to discipline yourself and get a daily Devotional time with God and say I'm not going to let my time with God slip I'm going to seek the Lord Brothers sisters when when these dark and difficult times come that are coming. I want to be a pillar in the body of Christ I don't want to be like new converts who who are saved because many people are going to be saved But yet they're not going to have the faith to stand on their own strength And so they're going to need pillars are going to need anchors in the body of Christ. I want to be one of those anchors I Don't want to be one of those people that's been sitting in church for years and then come to find out in these times I need an anchor. I Need someone's testimony. I need someone strong in the Lord. I Want to be somebody who's already found my anchor in Christ and they're a pillar to the body of Christ So my question is that is that is the cry of the watchman now To get rooted in the Lord and getting rooted in the Lord is not sitting watching Christian television I just feel in my heart to say a devotion a daily devotional life with God is not sitting in front of the television watching Christian television You sit and watch that stuff long enough. You won't even believe in God Daily devotional life is getting your Bible and getting that secret place and say God. I'm here to seek your face I know you have a word for my heart That's the Lord's cry. I Just want to read you something You know, God has been stirring up my heart to preach this message again. I've already preached it three or four times I'm not telling you anything new And the Lord has been stirring my heart to speak it again But something just rose up in my heart and said but Lord they've already heard this God some of them probably are even becoming weary with this and Lord really I would appreciate just another message but the Lord Through Pastor David Wilkerson's last newsletter. The Lord just began to stir my heart again Pastor Dave wrote something along these same lines He preached something along these same lines and when I read it the Lord just began to stir my heart again This is the word of the Lord So I just want to read you just briefly from his last newsletter Something very powerful the cry of a watchman Pastor Dave writes every Christian claims to trust the Lord Yet in reality many of God's children aren't ready to face the black storm coming upon the world Unless we lay a hold of a special unshakable trust in our Lord. We won't be ready for the hard times now or in the future When the full fury of the storm breaks and uncertainty falls over humankind like a cloud Multitudes of Christians won't be able to handle it Overcome with fear. They will lose their song of victory Who are these believers who won't be prepared to endure the storm? They are those who haven't cultivated a life of prayer with the Lord and are not grounded in his Word For years godly shepherds have urged Christians to set aside a time each day to meet God in prayer Thank the Lord many have heard and have learned to pour out their hearts to Jesus and they are being rewarded with a holy faith and trust indeed their faith grows daily by the Reliance on his word and brothers sisters. That is the voice and the cry of the watchman in this hour like brother ham said the storm clouds are howling and If we're going to have that special faith to get through those dark times We've got to become a people who daily have a time with God in his word Listen excuses won't suffice If we have excuses why we can't daily spend time in God's Word and prayer the real reason is it's not the priority of our life Something else has priority in our life and the Lord is calling us to hear it this morning You're gonna need that faith and it only comes From having that devotional life with the Lord Now I want to end by talking about the comfort Yes, the storm clouds are gathering and dark days are coming But God doesn't want his people living in fear Above all else in these times. God wants his people to seize the opportunity to glorify Christ in These times God wants his people to seize the opportunity to be strong in faith Grasping the opportunity to refill Christ and his faithfulness Now there's a scripture. The Lord is strongly impressed upon my heart Regarding troubled times and I just want to look at it go with me to the book of Nahum chapter 1 What a word of comfort the Lord gives his people in troubled times Nahum chapter 1 is about judgment that God is about to bring upon a people and In the very center of this chapter God speaks a word of comfort to his people look with me at verse 7 We'll start with verse 6 and read through verse 7 says who can stand before his Indignation and who can abide in his fierceness of his anger His fury is poured out like fire and the rocks are thrown down by him and then right in the center of this chapter he gives a word of encouragement to his people and cover it says the Lord is good a Stronghold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him So the Lord says three things here. The Lord says three things here And I just want to break these three things now first of all Regarding these troubled times the Bible says the Lord is good Do you know what that speaks to me? When it says the Lord is good. Do you know what it speaks to me? It speaks to me that in these times of trouble for the Lord's people. It's going to be a time of great joy It's going to be a time of great joy because there's going to be such a revelation of the goodness of God In these troubled times in the midst of these troubled times the people of God There's just going to be such a joy and a peace and a rest in their heart Because their eyes are going to be open and they're going to have this incredible revelation of the goodness of God Now, let me just read to you some things that God's people are going to see there's going to be such an open vision of Christ God's going to open their eyes and they're going to see him in a way that they've never seen him before such a greater way There's going to be abundant life in his word His people will see his miraculous provision They will see a loved one say They're going to see Christ glorified through the great testimonies that God has established in their hearts It's going to be an incredible time of seeing the goodness of God in This time of trouble God's house is going to be filled with incredible praise Because the hearts of God's people are going to be abounding with Thanksgiving going to be overflowing with Thanksgiving With all the chaos going on outside in the Lord's house, there's going to be such a song and a faith magnifying the goodness of the Lord That doesn't bring comfort. I don't know. I will Incredible revelation of the goodness of God number two Secondly, not only does the Lord say that he is good. Look at verse 7 it says the Lord is good name chapter 1 verse 7 the Lord is good a Stronghold in the day of trouble this speaks to me of seeing the incredible faithfulness of the Lord God is going to supernaturally protect his people. God is going to supernaturally provide for his people God is going to supernaturally make a way for his people Regarding the Lord's faithfulness ultimately God's people are going to find such life in his word God's Word is going to strengthen them. God's Word is going to Comfort them God's Word is going to breed such a hope in their hearts during these times God's Word is going to lead them and guide them and give them discernment a stronghold in the day of trouble speaks about the incredible faithfulness of the Lord God is going to be faithful to his people and Thirdly going back to verse 7 says the Lord is good a stronghold in the day of trouble and he knows them that trust in him One of the wonderful truths this speaks to me is this that God's people will know the presence and the peace of the Lord Those in whom the Lord knows will experience his wonderful presence and comfort in their lives Brother sisters water God doesn't leave his people without comfort and God doesn't leave his people without hope and God doesn't leave his people without strength Yes, there are very dark times coming but God is good and he is a stronghold in a day of trouble And he knows them that are his He knows them that are his and he knows how to reveal himself. He knows how to let them know I know that you belong to me wonderful word of comfort from the Lord So brothers and sisters, I just truly praying that we have ears to hear the Lord's watchman And we don't just hear it Make a mental ascent and then walk out of the door and just forget what the Lord is saying. No, no, no We're going into 2008 More than ever before we need to have a life in the Word of God And I'm gonna tell you something more than anything else. You need to be sold out to the call of God past agendas past dreams Past affections you need to nail them to the cross and let them die because times are too critical not to be sold out Very soon God is going to need pillars and anchors and I want to be that person I want you to be that person Mount Zion Church of the Holy Spirit So I pray you have ears to hear and the question is do you have that day daily devotional time with the Lord is? Knowing God and seeking God really the preeminent thing in your heart. I'm not talking about watching Christian television My word to you is if that's your whole walk with God, you don't have a walk with the Lord And you need to turn that thing off and get into that prayer closets and say God I know you have a word for my heart. I know you have something that you want to reveal to my heart Brothers and sisters a lot of I'm just going to say it in love a lot of these big-time Preachers that we talk about and put our trust in they're going to be exposed God's going to reveal who's false and who's not But I have confidence in the Church of Jesus Christ Jesus said in Matthew 16, I will build my church. He didn't say a pastor's going to build my church He didn't say TV evangelists are going to build my church Doesn't matter who's false and who gets exposed for being a hypocrite. Jesus has a church because he's building a church So he's the one you need to get to know get into that word get in the prayer. Let God cultivate that faith For what's coming? Stand with me this morning There's a scripture the Lord just really put upon my heart just to give you, you know talking about the darkness It's going to be an awesome time for the church This reads your scripture says arise shine for the light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon thee For behold the darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness to people But the Lord shall arise upon thee and his glory shall be seen upon thee and the Gentiles shall come to thy light and the kings The brightness of thy rising it's going to be an incredible time for the church