Living Hope Fellowship Church

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. Living Hope Fellowship Church....Sermons by the Pastor

THE WATCHMAN

by Brother Sam Bowles, Associate Pastor (05/17/06 p.m.)

Genesis 4:8 tells us that Cain slew Abel. Verse 9 says, “And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?”

We see people who don’t look, act, or smell like us, yet it is our responsibility to let them know who Jesus Christ is. I met a young man with tattoos of The Three Stooges from the top of his head to the soles of his feet! I loved “The Three Stooges” growing up, but I don’t want them all over me! I see people whose matted hair looks like it has not been washed in a year! I see others who are well dressed, who smell nice, and who seem to be well educated. Everyone needs Jesus, and the same blood can save them all.

Am I my brother’s keeper? YES. Christ abides in me, and as I meet people they should see Jesus in me, and His love should flow out of me to them! What are they seeing and hearing?

A gentleman on the phone at work one day made me upset. The man on the phone was upset because we had not delivered an appliance to him. When I tried to get his number so that I could help him, he wouldn’t give it to me. I thought, Well, how am I going to help you? Our system works off of your telephone number or your name. I asked him for his name. He said, I’m not giving you my name. I’ve given it to everybody else, and they just put me on hold, and now I have you. WHAT’S YOUR NAME? I clarified who I was, but he continued on and on. Finally in distress, I raised the phone above my head and shook it and let out a disgusted growl! One of the managers saw it about the same time I saw him. I said, Come here. Here’s a live one for you! I can’t help him. The manager said, What’s the problem? I said, I don’t know who he is! He said, Well, ask him his name. I replied, YOU ask him his name! He won’t give it to me!

Later I wondered how many people saw what I did. At that point I didn’t show Jesus in my life. Everywhere we go and in everything we do, we are being watched by the world!

Ezekiel 3:18-19 says, “When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.”

It is our job to proclaim the liberty of Jesus Christ and tell every one that Jesus is alive. We have to tell them that their sins will send them to hell unless the blood of Jesus washes them clean so they can go to heaven. We have to tell them that they are in bondage, and the only way out is to get rid of sin!

God made you a watchman! Guards guard valuable things. The most precious thing I have is my salvation, and I must guard it. I don’t watch evil programs on TV. I have an anointing to protect. I have to shut that bad stuff off!

If you get in a conversation with somebody that turns into gossip, walk away. Guard your salvation. People are watching you. You are a watchman against sin. Jesus has to reign supreme in our lives, and you have to live it in front of people outside the church walls. Do you want your name written down in the Lamb’s book of life? You have to warn people of their sins, because people are dying and going to hell all around us.

Ezekiel 3:20-21 says, “Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.”

1 Peter 4:17 says that, “. . . judgment must begin at the house of God. . . .” It will start at the pulpit and go all the way to the back pew. You will get in or you will get out.

Revelation 2:2-5 talks about the works, and labor, and patience of a church, but they had left their first love. They were told to repent! At first the people seemed like pretty good folks, but they forgot to LOVE.

Let’s examine the depth of our love. Let’s pray for lost souls. If we don’t love others, then we don’t love Jesus. If we don’t love Him, we can’t make heaven our home. In John 14:6 Jesus said, “. . . I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” From this day forward say, “I AM MY BROTHER’S KEEPER. I am a watchman. I will warn them.” God has appointed us to watch!

livinghope@hughes.net