WEBVTT - Billy Lambert - Oct 26 - 10:00 am 0:00:11.960 --> 0:00:15.140 This is Getting to Know Your Bible, a program dedicated 0:00:15.180 --> 0:00:17.849 to the proclaiming of the good news of Jesus Christ. 0:00:23.670 --> 0:00:24.810 Here's Billy Lambert. 0:00:25.570 --> 0:00:26.770 Hello, I'm Billy Lambert. 0:00:27.010 --> 0:00:30.480 I am the regular speaker on Getting to Know Your Bible. 0:00:31.770 --> 0:00:33.800 And I want to welcome you today. This may be 0:00:33.880 --> 0:00:37.160 the very first time that you have seen this telecast. 0:00:38.300 --> 0:00:40.379 I want you to know that the thing that we 0:00:40.520 --> 0:00:44.080 emphasize on getting to know your Bible is the Word 0:00:44.120 --> 0:00:46.989 of God. The Bible is the greatest book that has 0:00:47.130 --> 0:00:51.090 ever been written. Many years ago, there were those that 0:00:51.409 --> 0:00:54.190 wrote books that thought they would replace the Bible. That's 0:00:54.210 --> 0:00:57.110 what Thomas Paine thought when he wrote The Age of Reasons. 0:00:57.730 --> 0:01:01.510 But the Bible continues to live century after century. Jesus 0:01:01.570 --> 0:01:04.600 said heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word 0:01:04.620 --> 0:01:08.020 shall not pass away. So on getting to know your Bible, 0:01:08.060 --> 0:01:13.060 we're teaching from the timeless word of God. The Bible 0:01:13.120 --> 0:01:15.830 is God's book, the greatest book that has ever been written. 0:01:16.550 --> 0:01:19.169 And today we're going to be opening up the pages 0:01:19.209 --> 0:01:22.610 of the word of God and delivering a message to 0:01:22.670 --> 0:01:27.480 you from God's book. Today we're going to be seeing 0:01:28.020 --> 0:01:32.280 one of our classics. That is a production of one 0:01:32.319 --> 0:01:36.220 of our telecasts from time in the past. And we 0:01:36.260 --> 0:01:39.120 want you to stay tuned. We're going to be offering 0:01:39.200 --> 0:01:43.110 a free Bible correspondence course today. And we will see 0:01:43.190 --> 0:01:45.890 information on the screen as to how you can receive 0:01:45.930 --> 0:01:48.850 that course. And so we want to pause at this time. 0:01:50.250 --> 0:01:52.190 To help you in your study of the Bible, we 0:01:52.230 --> 0:01:55.900 want to send you this Bible correspondence course. This course 0:01:55.960 --> 0:02:00.080 is non-denominational. It's based on the Bible. It's conducted by mail, 0:02:00.260 --> 0:02:03.620 and it's free. To receive this course, write to Getting 0:02:03.640 --> 0:02:06.520 to Know Your Bible, P.O. Box 314, Somerdale, Alabama, 36580. 0:02:06.520 --> 0:02:08.750 Or call toll-free 1-877-711-5214. The book of Ezekiel is a 0:02:08.750 --> 0:02:10.630 rather interesting book of prophecy. 0:02:26.440 --> 0:02:29.660 In the book of Ezekiel, Ezekiel, as we come to 0:02:29.700 --> 0:02:34.079 chapter 2, is sent to a rebellious people, to rebellious Israel. 0:02:35.139 --> 0:02:37.660 And he is to speak to them and to warn 0:02:37.720 --> 0:02:42.340 them about their sin. In the third chapter, Ezekiel comes 0:02:42.419 --> 0:02:45.970 down to a river. It comes down to, in verse 15, 0:02:45.960 --> 0:02:50.040 he came and dwelt by the river Chibar. And he said, 0:02:50.120 --> 0:02:53.209 I sat where they sat, remained there astonished among them 0:02:53.250 --> 0:02:56.010 seven days. It seems to me that he wanted to 0:02:56.130 --> 0:02:59.700 sit among the people, and he wanted to be able 0:02:59.760 --> 0:03:02.139 to see what was going on so that he could 0:03:02.840 --> 0:03:04.780 know exactly what he needed to say. 0:03:05.500 --> 0:03:07.560 He did not open his mouth for seven days. 0:03:08.220 --> 0:03:11.450 But then, and in verse 16, I want to read 0:03:11.510 --> 0:03:13.810 to you beginning of verse 16 down through verse 19. 0:03:13.810 --> 0:03:17.010 Now it came to pass at the end of the 0:03:17.050 --> 0:03:20.480 seven days that the word of the Lord came to 0:03:20.520 --> 0:03:25.540 me saying, Son of man, I have made you a 0:03:25.620 --> 0:03:29.520 watchman for the house of Israel. Therefore hear a word 0:03:29.560 --> 0:03:33.660 from my mouth, and give them warning from me. When 0:03:33.740 --> 0:03:37.200 I say to the wicked, You shall surely die, and 0:03:37.220 --> 0:03:39.540 you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the 0:03:39.580 --> 0:03:43.240 wicked from his wicked way to save his life, that 0:03:43.440 --> 0:03:48.000 same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his 0:03:48.060 --> 0:03:51.520 blood I will require at your hand. Yet if you 0:03:51.600 --> 0:03:53.940 warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his 0:03:53.980 --> 0:03:57.840 wickedness nor from his wicked way, he shall die in 0:03:57.980 --> 0:03:59.020 his iniquity. 0:04:00.200 --> 0:04:03.200 But you have delivered your soul. 0:04:04.710 --> 0:04:07.870 The passage that I have just read from Ezekiel chapter 0:04:07.870 --> 0:04:16.270 3 underscores the severity with which God will deal with 0:04:16.310 --> 0:04:18.809 an individual who. 0:04:18.750 --> 0:04:20.390 Is derelict in his duty. 0:04:22.120 --> 0:04:25.100 Ezekiel was made a watchman to the house of Israel. 0:04:26.520 --> 0:04:31.650 The expression watchman refers to a practice in the Old Testament. 0:04:32.690 --> 0:04:33.650 Of a man who. 0:04:33.570 --> 0:04:36.170 Would stand on the wall that would surround the city, 0:04:37.790 --> 0:04:40.370 and he would have several duties and responsibilities as a. 0:04:40.370 --> 0:04:41.469 Watchman on the wall. 0:04:43.110 --> 0:04:46.419 He was a watch for the approach of the enemy 0:04:46.480 --> 0:04:49.800 and warned the people in the city to prepare for battle. 0:04:51.480 --> 0:04:58.180 But in our text, the watchman, that is Ezekiel, is called. 0:04:57.860 --> 0:05:02.570 Upon to warn a people about their spiritual state. 0:05:03.970 --> 0:05:07.410 One of the greatest needs of modern man, I said 0:05:07.510 --> 0:05:14.110 modern man, are watchmen. Watchmen who will warn people of 0:05:15.190 --> 0:05:21.300 moral and spiritual decline and encourage people to find peace. 0:05:21.720 --> 0:05:26.539 a place of safety. All of us ought to be watchmen, 0:05:27.820 --> 0:05:31.730 watchmen on the walls of Zion. You may say, Brother Lambert, 0:05:31.770 --> 0:05:33.930 why would you mention a thing like that? Why should 0:05:33.970 --> 0:05:38.490 people be watchmen today? Why should we be warning people today? 0:05:39.250 --> 0:05:42.930 One reason is because the very principle of being my 0:05:42.990 --> 0:05:46.860 brother's keeper demands it. The question is asked in Genesis 0:05:46.860 --> 0:05:52.190 4 and 9, am I my brother's keeper? And In 0:05:52.330 --> 0:05:55.070 a real sense of the word, we are our brother's keeper. 0:05:55.130 --> 0:05:56.620 I think it would have been better for this man 0:05:56.630 --> 0:05:59.480 to have been his brother's brother and treated him as 0:05:59.540 --> 0:06:03.480 a brother because he killed his brother. But we indeed 0:06:03.680 --> 0:06:07.400 are our brother's keeper. Jesus said, Thou shalt love thy 0:06:07.540 --> 0:06:08.740 neighbor as thyself. 0:06:09.620 --> 0:06:10.500 We live in a day. 0:06:10.380 --> 0:06:12.900 Where people don't want to be involved with the lives 0:06:12.960 --> 0:06:16.350 of other people. But you see, we need to be watchmen, 0:06:17.050 --> 0:06:20.750 looking out and helping and warning and guiding other people. 0:06:21.670 --> 0:06:26.529 The danger to which a man can be exposed demands 0:06:26.610 --> 0:06:31.330 that we be watchmen on the walls of Zion. In 0:06:31.370 --> 0:06:35.330 Matthew 16 and 26, Jesus warns about the danger to 0:06:35.390 --> 0:06:39.050 which a man can be exposed. Jesus said, For what 0:06:39.270 --> 0:06:42.409 is a man profited if he shall gain the whole 0:06:42.470 --> 0:06:46.150 world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a 0:06:46.170 --> 0:06:49.190 man give in exchange for his soul? So when we 0:06:49.230 --> 0:06:52.880 think about the danger to which people are exposed, that is, 0:06:52.910 --> 0:06:56.270 they can lose their soul, surely we need to be watchmen. 0:06:56.990 --> 0:06:59.430 And then we need to be watchmen today on the 0:06:59.470 --> 0:07:03.940 walls of Zion because of our answerability at the judgment. 0:07:04.420 --> 0:07:06.220 We're going to answer to God. 0:07:06.279 --> 0:07:10.820 And that necessitates our being watchmen. In 2 Corinthians chapter 0:07:10.820 --> 0:07:13.440 5 and verse 10, the Bible says we must all 0:07:13.500 --> 0:07:18.340 appear before the judgment seat of Christ. But now for 0:07:18.520 --> 0:07:24.160 what are we to watch today? If we're to be watchmen, 0:07:24.200 --> 0:07:27.380 for what are we to watch? We are to watch 0:07:28.220 --> 0:07:33.360 for Satan's tricks. And he has a bag full of them. 0:07:34.160 --> 0:07:38.070 We are to watch for Satan's snares, for his traps. 0:07:39.450 --> 0:07:44.210 He is so cunning. If one doesn't work, he has 0:07:44.270 --> 0:07:47.809 another one he will use. In 1 Peter 5 and 8, 0:07:47.810 --> 0:07:54.160 Peter warns us Be sober, be vigilant, for your adversary 0:07:54.200 --> 0:07:58.340 the devil is a roaring lion, walks about seeking whom 0:07:58.380 --> 0:08:02.120 he may devour. It's no wonder Paul wrote in Ephesians 0:08:02.580 --> 0:08:06.620 chapter 4 and verse 27, neither give place to the devil. 0:08:07.640 --> 0:08:11.590 And so we need to be watchmen because of Satan's 0:08:11.670 --> 0:08:17.710 attempts to ensnare our very soul and the souls of others. 0:08:18.560 --> 0:08:22.360 We need to watch for a gradual drifting away from 0:08:22.500 --> 0:08:26.780 things that are spiritual in nature. In Hebrews, the second 0:08:26.820 --> 0:08:30.700 chapter in verse 1, there the writer says, Therefore let 0:08:30.750 --> 0:08:32.570 us give heed to the things which we have heard, 0:08:33.510 --> 0:08:37.530 lest at any time we should let them slip. That's 0:08:37.570 --> 0:08:40.969 the reading in the King James Version. In the American 0:08:41.010 --> 0:08:44.520 Standard Version, as well as other translations, it reads like this. 0:08:45.350 --> 0:08:47.270 Let us give heed to the things which you have heard, 0:08:47.330 --> 0:08:50.970 lest any time we should drift away from them. And 0:08:51.030 --> 0:08:56.790 there is always the danger of drifting away, a gradual 0:08:56.830 --> 0:09:01.030 drifting away, from things that are spiritual, things that are right, 0:09:01.110 --> 0:09:04.370 things that are good, things that are holy, things that 0:09:04.410 --> 0:09:09.290 are spiritual, things that you would naturally associate and connect 0:09:09.350 --> 0:09:15.240 with God. You see, drifting from God doesn't happen instantaneously. 0:09:16.540 --> 0:09:19.679 If it happened instantaneously, people. 0:09:19.460 --> 0:09:24.640 Would be alarmed. But drifting happens gradually. 0:09:25.440 --> 0:09:28.740 And we need to be watchmen, and we need to 0:09:29.220 --> 0:09:33.929 be on guard for a gradual drifting in the doctrine 0:09:33.990 --> 0:09:38.069 of Jesus Christ. We need to abide in His doctrine. 0:09:38.730 --> 0:09:40.949 In 2 John 9, the Bible says that if a 0:09:40.990 --> 0:09:44.290 man does not abide in the doctrine of Christ, he 0:09:44.390 --> 0:09:47.560 hath not God. But if you abide in the doctrine 0:09:47.600 --> 0:09:49.600 of Christ, you have both the Father and the Son. 0:09:50.260 --> 0:09:52.300 You cannot be in fellowship with the Father and the 0:09:52.340 --> 0:09:58.130 Son without abiding in the doctrine. And people gradually drift 0:09:58.250 --> 0:10:01.630 from that doctrine. That happened in the church at Galatia. 0:10:02.230 --> 0:10:04.870 In Galatians 1 and 6, I marvel that you're so 0:10:04.929 --> 0:10:09.700 soon removed from Him that He called you by the 0:10:09.720 --> 0:10:13.420 gospel to another gospel, which is not another. But there'd 0:10:13.460 --> 0:10:17.640 be some that would trouble you and would pervert the gospel. Why, see, 0:10:17.679 --> 0:10:22.430 there were those that had perverted the true gospel of 0:10:22.470 --> 0:10:26.830 the Lord Jesus Christ. And they were teaching things that 0:10:26.910 --> 0:10:30.410 the gospel did not teach. And Paul went on to 0:10:30.450 --> 0:10:33.470 say in verse 7, though we are an angel from heaven. 0:10:34.030 --> 0:10:36.290 preach any other gospel unto you than that which we 0:10:36.309 --> 0:10:38.750 have preached, let him be accursed. As I said before, 0:10:39.230 --> 0:10:41.429 so shall I now again. If any man preach any 0:10:41.510 --> 0:10:44.790 other gospel than which we have preached, let him be accursed. 0:10:44.820 --> 0:10:47.840 That is anathema. And so there is the. 0:10:47.800 --> 0:10:53.020 Danger that people will gradually drift away from God and 0:10:53.160 --> 0:10:58.210 gradually drift away from His Word. And I suppose one 0:10:58.230 --> 0:11:01.130 of the things that most people that are knowledgeable at 0:11:01.190 --> 0:11:06.460 least or at least observant know that in America people 0:11:06.860 --> 0:11:12.980 have drifted away from God and from His Word. We 0:11:13.059 --> 0:11:16.970 also need to watch for a gradual drifting in active service. 0:11:17.470 --> 0:11:20.450 Here's an individual who's just become a Christian, and they're 0:11:20.490 --> 0:11:23.380 so excited. They want to read the Bible every day. 0:11:23.420 --> 0:11:25.620 They want to pray every day. They want to attend 0:11:25.780 --> 0:11:28.660 every service that the church might have. They want to 0:11:28.700 --> 0:11:31.319 get out and talk to people and encourage people to 0:11:31.340 --> 0:11:32.079 become Christians. 0:11:32.100 --> 0:11:35.860 They are so filled with enthusiasm, so filled with zeal. 0:11:36.540 --> 0:11:38.609 And then you come back and see them maybe several 0:11:38.640 --> 0:11:42.910 months later, maybe a few years later. And that enthusiasm 0:11:42.950 --> 0:11:45.610 and that zeal that they had at the very beginning 0:11:45.710 --> 0:11:49.750 is gone while they can just hardly get to the 0:11:49.790 --> 0:11:53.420 next service. And it becomes a thing of drudgery to them. 0:11:53.500 --> 0:11:58.080 What has happened to that individual? They have gradually drifted away. 0:11:58.760 --> 0:12:00.819 The Lord wrote a letter to a church like. 0:12:00.640 --> 0:12:02.929 That in Revelation chapter 2. 0:12:02.929 --> 0:12:04.730 It was a letter to the church at Ephesus. The 0:12:04.770 --> 0:12:08.069 Lord commended them for so many good things. But he said, 0:12:08.130 --> 0:12:11.949 I have somewhat against thee because you have left your 0:12:11.970 --> 0:12:16.579 first love. They had drifted away from where they had 0:12:16.740 --> 0:12:21.350 been at one time spiritually speaking. And there are those 0:12:21.410 --> 0:12:23.850 that at one time were active in service that no 0:12:23.910 --> 0:12:28.860 longer are. They are no longer even attending a service 0:12:29.020 --> 0:12:32.040 of the church. They're no longer worshiping God on the 0:12:32.059 --> 0:12:36.280 Lord's day. We need also watch for drifting in morals 0:12:36.360 --> 0:12:40.520 in our country. And there has been a drift. Paul 0:12:40.679 --> 0:12:45.520 was addressing a letter to a church where immorality was 0:12:45.580 --> 0:12:50.329 very prevalent. And that was the church in Corinth. immorality 0:12:50.370 --> 0:12:53.910 was so prevalent in Corinth. And as Paul wrote to 0:12:53.970 --> 0:12:57.870 them in the first Corinthians, the sixth chapter, he addresses 0:12:57.929 --> 0:13:02.630 this issue of the immorality of that age. It's almost 0:13:02.730 --> 0:13:06.510 like reading our newspaper today to read from the book 0:13:06.530 --> 0:13:11.100 of first Corinthians chapter six. Listen to verse nine. Do 0:13:11.140 --> 0:13:18.319 you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the 0:13:18.830 --> 0:13:22.860 The kingdom of God. Now I don't know how we 0:13:22.880 --> 0:13:23.980 can misunderstand that. 0:13:24.010 --> 0:13:24.860 That's a question. 0:13:25.540 --> 0:13:28.360 He says do you not know that the unrighteous will 0:13:28.440 --> 0:13:29.440 not inherit. 0:13:30.000 --> 0:13:34.440 The kingdom of God. And then he says. Do not. 0:13:35.440 --> 0:13:40.870 Be deceived. You see people can be deceived. They can 0:13:40.929 --> 0:13:44.709 think they're right when they're wrong. And then he said 0:13:44.750 --> 0:13:54.929 don't be deceived. He said neither. fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, 0:13:56.330 --> 0:14:05.670 nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, 0:14:06.580 --> 0:14:12.420 nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 0:14:13.380 --> 0:14:18.559 Someone says, Brother Lambert, that's very narrow-minded in thinking for No, no, 0:14:20.020 --> 0:14:22.770 I'm reading what the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write 0:14:23.690 --> 0:14:27.590 in 1 Corinthians chapter 6. He says the unrighteous will 0:14:27.630 --> 0:14:31.109 not inherit the kingdom of God. You need to read 0:14:31.150 --> 0:14:35.670 verse 11 because here's the good news. Here's where the 0:14:35.730 --> 0:14:39.680 love and grace of God comes in. Here's where Christianity 0:14:39.740 --> 0:14:42.040 comes in in verse 11. 0:14:42.040 --> 0:14:46.780 It's not narrow-minded at all. He said, and such were 0:14:46.820 --> 0:14:47.320 some of you. 0:14:48.300 --> 0:14:50.360 There was a time in the past that some of 0:14:50.400 --> 0:14:56.120 them were guilty of things like fornication and adultery and 0:14:56.490 --> 0:15:00.250 sodomy and thievery and being covetous and the like. He said, 0:15:00.290 --> 0:15:02.950 and such were some of you. Well, what about them 0:15:02.990 --> 0:15:07.150 right now? Is there any hope for people who have 0:15:07.190 --> 0:15:10.450 become involved in those kinds of things? He said, and 0:15:10.510 --> 0:15:13.480 such were some of you, but you were washed, but 0:15:13.520 --> 0:15:17.310 you were sanctified, and you were justified. in the name 0:15:17.330 --> 0:15:19.650 of the Lord Jesus by the Spirit of our God. 0:15:20.170 --> 0:15:22.989 You see, that's what the Bible teaches. But if we're 0:15:23.050 --> 0:15:26.590 not careful, we will become so involved with the world 0:15:26.970 --> 0:15:28.340 that it will cause us to. 0:15:28.250 --> 0:15:29.510 Drift away from God. 0:15:29.980 --> 0:15:33.300 And so we need to be watchmen for the moral 0:15:33.360 --> 0:15:37.180 and spiritual state of people today. We need to be 0:15:37.260 --> 0:15:40.800 watching today not only for gradual drifting away from God. 0:15:41.360 --> 0:15:45.060 We need to watch for ways to encourage people to 0:15:45.140 --> 0:15:48.520 stay close to God. I think the average person today 0:15:48.600 --> 0:15:51.760 really needs encouragement. I don't know that I've ever met 0:15:51.780 --> 0:15:54.410 a person who said, I wish people would try to 0:15:54.450 --> 0:15:57.550 discourage me more and more. But I have met many 0:15:57.610 --> 0:16:02.230 people who would say, I need all the encouragement that 0:16:02.370 --> 0:16:05.350 I can get. And I can tell you, you're looking 0:16:05.390 --> 0:16:07.810 at a preacher like that. This is a preacher that 0:16:07.850 --> 0:16:10.810 needs all the encouragement that he can get. Over the years, 0:16:11.250 --> 0:16:14.950 I've gotten lots of letters and cards from people and 0:16:15.450 --> 0:16:18.350 And even from small children, when I would go out 0:16:18.410 --> 0:16:20.850 and I would preach in a gospel meeting in some city, 0:16:21.270 --> 0:16:24.370 I've always gotten some little note from some child, and 0:16:24.450 --> 0:16:26.370 I'll put that in my pocket. I'll take it home, 0:16:26.930 --> 0:16:29.670 and I put it in what I have called my 0:16:29.730 --> 0:16:33.270 encouragement box. And when I need some encouragement, I'll just 0:16:33.340 --> 0:16:35.360 reach down in that box, and I'll pull out one 0:16:35.380 --> 0:16:37.280 of those little cards. I'll put out one of those 0:16:37.340 --> 0:16:41.880 letters that I've received from some child of God somewhere, 0:16:42.200 --> 0:16:45.480 and I'll read that, and Somebody says, well, are all 0:16:45.520 --> 0:16:48.479 the letters that you put in that encouragement box letters 0:16:48.540 --> 0:16:51.040 of encouragement? Yes, I have a place to put the 0:16:51.140 --> 0:16:54.800 other kind, the negative kind. And I call that the 0:16:54.900 --> 0:16:57.740 round file. That is, I throw them away because I 0:16:57.780 --> 0:17:00.870 don't need to be discouraged. I need to be encouraged. 0:17:00.920 --> 0:17:03.610 I think all people need to be encouraged. Thinking about 0:17:03.650 --> 0:17:06.630 those little notes that I have received over the years, 0:17:06.730 --> 0:17:09.470 I remember many years ago I was preaching in a 0:17:09.510 --> 0:17:11.470 place and a little girl brought me a little piece 0:17:11.510 --> 0:17:14.869 of paper that and it was orange in color, and 0:17:14.960 --> 0:17:18.290 I shall never forget what she had on it. On 0:17:18.470 --> 0:17:21.210 one side of it, she had drawn my picture, glasses 0:17:21.290 --> 0:17:24.250 and all, and that's when my hair was a little 0:17:24.290 --> 0:17:28.760 bit longer and a different color in those days. And 0:17:28.859 --> 0:17:31.300 on the front of it, she said, Brother Lambert, I 0:17:31.380 --> 0:17:36.439 love your preaching. Brother Lambert, I love you. And on 0:17:36.480 --> 0:17:39.060 the back side of it, she had written a note 0:17:39.140 --> 0:17:45.040 to her sisters. She wrote, I didn't want it wrote on. 0:17:46.460 --> 0:17:50.300 When we get home, I'm going to knock your teeth out. 0:17:51.280 --> 0:17:54.070 And I've kept that little note because I have an 0:17:54.140 --> 0:17:57.830 idea that young lady now has grandchildren. It's been so 0:17:57.890 --> 0:18:00.810 long ago. But it's been precious to me. It's been 0:18:00.850 --> 0:18:03.630 a way of encouraging me. We need to watch for 0:18:03.710 --> 0:18:07.240 ways that we can encourage people. People need lifting up. 0:18:07.609 --> 0:18:10.590 That's why the Bible says, bear one another's burdens tightly. 0:18:10.980 --> 0:18:14.370 And so fulfill the law of Christ, Galatians 6 and 2. 0:18:14.369 --> 0:18:17.869 That's why in Hebrews 10, 24 we read, Let us 0:18:17.950 --> 0:18:21.250 provoke one another unto love and good works. That means 0:18:21.290 --> 0:18:25.389 to let us encourage each other to do good things. 0:18:26.210 --> 0:18:33.540 Who are watchmen today? Well, parents of all people are watchmen. 0:18:34.260 --> 0:18:38.500 You see, they're watching for their children. In Ephesians 6, 0:18:38.500 --> 0:18:41.909 verses 3 and 4, Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, 0:18:42.510 --> 0:18:44.929 but bring them up in the nurture and in the 0:18:45.250 --> 0:18:50.129 admonition of the Lord. Proverbs 22 and 6, Train up 0:18:50.190 --> 0:18:52.610 a child in the way he should go, and when 0:18:52.650 --> 0:18:56.540 he is old, he will not depart from it. You see, 0:18:56.730 --> 0:19:01.100 the souls of our children are at stake. God is 0:19:01.140 --> 0:19:03.840 the one who gave us those children. They're gifts from God. 0:19:04.420 --> 0:19:07.180 In Genesis 4 and 1, Mother Eve said, I have 0:19:07.220 --> 0:19:10.980 gotten a man from the Lord. God is the one 0:19:11.050 --> 0:19:15.030 who gave us those children. And God expects us to 0:19:15.130 --> 0:19:21.050 do what is right with our children. And there isn't 0:19:21.369 --> 0:19:26.040 anything that will ever take the place of good parental 0:19:26.280 --> 0:19:28.360 example before your children. 0:19:28.540 --> 0:19:29.359 Let me tell you why. 0:19:29.780 --> 0:19:32.460 They're going to grow up to be just like you. 0:19:33.240 --> 0:19:36.840 They're going to follow in your footsteps for the most 0:19:36.920 --> 0:19:40.500 part and grow up to be just like father, be 0:19:40.540 --> 0:19:46.189 just like their mother. They're going to follow your example. And, 0:19:46.230 --> 0:19:49.430 of course, there may be some exceptions to that, but 0:19:49.470 --> 0:19:52.780 for the most part. children are born imitators. And we 0:19:52.840 --> 0:19:55.720 need to do everything that we can to set the 0:19:55.820 --> 0:19:59.260 right example before our children. If you want your children 0:19:59.280 --> 0:20:01.380 to love God, they better know that you love God. 0:20:01.910 --> 0:20:04.050 If you want your children to attend worship, you better 0:20:04.090 --> 0:20:06.689 see that you attend worship. If you want your children 0:20:06.710 --> 0:20:08.980 to be in Sunday school, you'd better be in Sunday school. 0:20:09.340 --> 0:20:11.820 If you want your children to pray, you'd better pray. 0:20:12.180 --> 0:20:14.400 If you want your children to read the Bible, you 0:20:14.420 --> 0:20:16.740 better see that you read the Bible. If you want 0:20:16.780 --> 0:20:19.500 your children to be honest, then you need to be honest. 0:20:19.820 --> 0:20:21.700 If you want your children to tell the truth, then 0:20:21.740 --> 0:20:23.820 you'd better tell the truth. If you want your children 0:20:23.840 --> 0:20:26.030 to be kind, you need to be kind. If you 0:20:26.050 --> 0:20:28.430 want your children to be forgiving, you need to see 0:20:28.470 --> 0:20:30.350 that you are forgiving. 0:20:30.590 --> 0:20:30.750 Why? 0:20:30.910 --> 0:20:36.650 Because they're going to be just like you. And so 0:20:36.750 --> 0:20:39.730 parents are to be watchmen. And so we need to 0:20:39.790 --> 0:20:42.560 do everything that we can to bring our children up 0:20:43.460 --> 0:20:46.280 in the way that they ought to go. We need 0:20:46.320 --> 0:20:48.820 to warn children about the dangers there are out there 0:20:48.840 --> 0:20:51.390 in the world. And there are dangers in the world. 0:20:51.410 --> 0:20:54.010 We need to warn them about the lust of the flesh, 0:20:54.070 --> 0:20:55.770 the lust of the eye, and the pride of life 0:20:56.070 --> 0:20:58.330 that is not of the Father, but is of the world. 0:20:58.330 --> 0:21:02.080 1 John chapter 2, verses 15 to 17. We need 0:21:02.119 --> 0:21:06.580 to warn our children about dangers of living without God. 0:21:07.119 --> 0:21:10.030 And oh, what a danger that is. In Luke, the 0:21:10.090 --> 0:21:12.810 12th chapter, verses 15 to 21, there was a man 0:21:13.250 --> 0:21:17.060 who went in the barn building business because his produce 0:21:17.100 --> 0:21:18.880 was so great he didn't have a place to put 0:21:18.920 --> 0:21:20.880 it all. And he said, I'm going to tear down 0:21:20.920 --> 0:21:23.540 my barns. I'm going to build greater barns. And there 0:21:23.580 --> 0:21:25.480 I'll bestow my fruits and all of my goods. And 0:21:25.520 --> 0:21:27.760 I'll say to my soul, soul, you've got goods for 0:21:27.780 --> 0:21:29.820 many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry 0:21:30.060 --> 0:21:32.640 for tomorrow. And then God said to him, thou fool. 0:21:33.910 --> 0:21:36.670 This night thy soul shall be required of thee. Then 0:21:36.730 --> 0:21:39.510 who shall those things be which thou hast provided? So 0:21:39.570 --> 0:21:41.610 is he that layeth up treasure for himself is not 0:21:41.670 --> 0:21:44.830 rich toward God. Are we teaching our children to be 0:21:45.330 --> 0:21:50.040 rich toward God? Oh, we make a mistake when we 0:21:50.100 --> 0:21:53.480 leave God out in the rearing of our children. We 0:21:53.520 --> 0:21:56.100 make a mistake when we don't teach our children the 0:21:56.220 --> 0:22:03.020 danger of leaving God out of their life. Parents are watchmen. 0:22:04.400 --> 0:22:08.129 Watchmen of their children. And I wish there was a 0:22:08.150 --> 0:22:11.890 way that I could convince every father. That I could 0:22:12.150 --> 0:22:16.750 convince every mother in America. Yea every mother and father 0:22:16.790 --> 0:22:22.470 throughout the whole world. To do what is right. By 0:22:22.510 --> 0:22:28.050 their children. Oh it is so vital. It is so vital. 0:22:29.070 --> 0:22:34.860 But not only parents watchmen. Could I suggest that local 0:22:35.080 --> 0:22:42.620 and national leaders are also watchmen? They're to be watching 0:22:42.720 --> 0:22:47.740 for the welfare of the citizens of the community, the 0:22:47.859 --> 0:22:52.320 citizens of the nation. That they're not to be watching 0:22:53.020 --> 0:22:58.729 for personal good and personal gain. They're not to be 0:22:58.810 --> 0:23:04.290 watching for self-interest, special interest, But they'll be watching for 0:23:04.330 --> 0:23:06.770 the interest of all people. 0:23:06.869 --> 0:23:07.550 Of the land. 0:23:09.030 --> 0:23:12.690 We need men and women today in positions of leadership 0:23:14.310 --> 0:23:17.649 on the local scene and in our states and in 0:23:17.690 --> 0:23:22.449 the nation who will see themselves as watchmen on the 0:23:22.570 --> 0:23:27.530 walls of Zion watching for the spiritual, the ethical, and 0:23:27.570 --> 0:23:33.580 the moral good of the citizens of the land for 0:23:33.619 --> 0:23:37.879 the people who have put them into office. They also 0:23:37.960 --> 0:23:42.910 suggest that preachers are watchmen. They have a serious responsibility 0:23:43.050 --> 0:23:47.150 in preaching the gospel. Maybe being a watchman is what 0:23:47.330 --> 0:23:51.130 Isaiah had in mind in Isaiah 58 in verse 1. 0:23:51.130 --> 0:23:55.140 Cry aloud and spare not. Lift up your voice like 0:23:55.180 --> 0:23:58.320 a trumpet and show my people their transgressions and the 0:23:58.340 --> 0:24:03.170 house of Jacob their sins. Someone called me one day 0:24:03.190 --> 0:24:07.109 and they wanted to interview me on the telephone. And 0:24:07.130 --> 0:24:11.990 they asked me this question, what is your philosophy of preaching? Well, 0:24:12.040 --> 0:24:13.859 that caught me a little bit off guard because I 0:24:13.900 --> 0:24:18.580 wasn't anticipating that question. But here's the way I answered 0:24:18.600 --> 0:24:20.780 it so I could give them a. 0:24:20.580 --> 0:24:21.420 Very brief answer. 0:24:22.359 --> 0:24:24.000 I believe that it is the duty and it is 0:24:24.020 --> 0:24:26.510 the responsibility of a gospel preacher. 0:24:27.670 --> 0:24:34.160 To afflict the comfortable. and to comfort the afflicted. 0:24:35.780 --> 0:24:39.570 We are to preach the whole counsel of God. Preach 0:24:39.609 --> 0:24:44.429 the word in season and out of season. I'm to reprove, 0:24:44.510 --> 0:24:48.590 I'm to rebuke, I'm to exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 0:24:49.490 --> 0:24:53.730 Preachers are watchmen. And what a responsibility it is to 0:24:53.770 --> 0:24:56.660 be a preacher. The first thing I need to watch 0:24:56.700 --> 0:25:00.340 is myself. In 1 Timothy 4, 16, Paul said, Take 0:25:00.380 --> 0:25:03.520 heed thyself and of thy doctrine. Continue in them, for 0:25:03.560 --> 0:25:06.120 in doing this thou shalt save both thyself and them 0:25:06.140 --> 0:25:08.600 that hear thee. See, I'm not just saving other people 0:25:08.619 --> 0:25:10.740 when I preach. I'm saving myself as well. 0:25:11.380 --> 0:25:15.980 I need to watch without partiality, without prejudice. 0:25:16.740 --> 0:25:20.740 I need to watch for those that are showing signs 0:25:20.940 --> 0:25:27.900 of weakening spiritually. I need to watch what I preach 0:25:29.180 --> 0:25:33.359