The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
Isaiah 62:1quoted as the voice of Isaiah expressing his heart for Jerusalem and his commitment to pray for her until her righteousness shines and her salvation blazes
1 For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning lamp.
the full chapter read aloud by members of the congregation as the text for the whole series
1 For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning lamp.
2 The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory, and you will be called by a new name, which Yahweh‘s mouth will name.
3 You will also be a crown of beauty in Yahweh‘s hand, and a royal diadem in your God‘s hand.
4 You will not be called Forsaken any more; nor will your land be called Desolate any more: but you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for Yahweh delights in you, and your land will be married.
5 For as a young man marries a virgin, so your sons will marry you. As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so your God will rejoice over you.
6 I have set watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem. They will never be silent day nor night. You who call on Yahweh, take no rest,
7 and give him no rest, until he establishes, and until he makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
8 Yahweh has sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, “Surely I will no more give your grain to be food for your enemies; and foreigners will not drink your new wine, for which you have labored;
9 but those who have harvested it will eat it, and praise Yahweh; and those who have gathered it will drink it in the courts of my sanctuary.”
10 Go through, go through the gates! Prepare the way of the people! Build up, build up the highway! Gather out the stones! Lift up a banner for the peoples.
11 Behold, Yahweh has proclaimed to the end of the earth, “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your salvation comes. Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.’”
read to contrast the people appointing their own watchmen with God appointing watchmen for Zion, and used to illustrate the prophetic ministry
1 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and tell them, ‘When I bring the sword on a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and set him for their watchman;
3 if, when he sees the sword come on the land, he blows the trumpet, and warns the people;
4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet, and doesn’t heed the warning, if the sword comes, and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head.
5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and didn’t take warning. His blood will be on him; whereas if he had heeded the warning, he would have delivered his soul.
6 But if the watchman sees the sword come, and doesn’t blow the trumpet, and the people aren’t warned, and the sword comes, and takes any person from among them; he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’
raised by a congregation member to describe watchmen who are blind, silent and derelict, titled Israel's irresponsible leaders
10 His watchmen are blind. They are all without knowledge. They are all mute dogs. They can’t bark; dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.
11 Yes, the dogs are greedy. They can never have enough. They are shepherds who can’t understand. They have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter.
12 “Come,” say they, “I will get wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be as today, great beyond measure.”
referenced as the source of the fivefold ministry gifts given by Jesus to the church
1 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,
2 with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love;
3 being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all.
7 But to each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
8 Therefore he says, “When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.”
9 Now this, “He ascended”, what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.
11 He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers;
12 for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ;
13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
14 that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;
15 but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ;
16 from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love.
17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,
18 being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts;
19 who having become callous gave themselves up to lust, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But you did not learn Christ that way;
21 if indeed you heard him, and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus:
22 that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man, that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit;
23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.
25 Therefore putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor. For we are members of one another.
26 “Be angry, and don’t sin.” Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath,
27 and don’t give place to the devil.
28 Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, producing with his hands something that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need.
29 Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.
30 Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice.
32 And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.
quoted at the close as Jesus grieving over Jerusalem and saying Israel would not see him again until they say blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!
referenced by a congregation member connecting the gate imagery in Isaiah 62:10 to the narrow gate
1 “Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged.
2 For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you.
3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye?
4 Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye;’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye?
5 You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.
6 “Don’t give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
7 “Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you.
8 For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened.
9 Or who is there among you, who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, who will give him a serpent?
11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
12 Therefore whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
13 “Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter in by it.
14 How narrow is the gate, and restricted is the way that leads to life! Few are those who find it.
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.
16 By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?
17 Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit.
18 A good tree can’t produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit.
19 Every tree that doesn’t grow good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire.
20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 Many will tell me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?’
23 Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’
24 “Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock.
25 The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 Everyone who hears these words of mine, and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand.
27 The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching,
29 for he taught them with authority, and not like the scribes.
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
This week Brian continued the Isaiah 62 series with one week left to go, focusing on verse six and what it means for God to post watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem. The conversation ranged from the prophetic ministry in the local church to the very practical question of what it looks like to pray for Israel right now, and what it means that the Holy Spirit stands as a watchman on the wall of your own heart.
What was said
Brian opened by asking the room what the series had been surfacing for them. Several people shared, and the thread that kept coming back was the connection between Israel's physical and spiritual restoration. One observation that shaped the rest of the morning came when Bob said he was increasingly amazed by how inseparable the physical place of Jerusalem is from God's plan for all of humanity.
Verse six anchors the whole message. Brian pointed out that when God says "I have posted watchmen," the language is deliberate, God is the one doing the appointing, not the community. That is different from Ezekiel 33, where the people of a land choose their own watchman. For Zion, God handpicks. The implication is that this is not a casual assignment and not a role anyone wanders into on their own.
From there Brian walked through the fivefold ministry in Ephesians, using the hand analogy, and landed on the prophet as the biblical picture of a watchman. The prophet has a perspective the rest of the congregation inside the city walls simply does not have, foresight and insight into what is approaching. He said he hopes this series might be one of the ways God stirs someone at Tribe toward that role, whether for the church, for the valley, or specifically for Israel.
Brian connected the watchman language to Advent. In the generation when Jesus first arrived, God was already preparing hearts, Anna praying in the temple, Simeon waiting, John the Baptist on the scene, and a whole nation stirred with the question of whether the Messiah had come. He said he believes God is doing something similar now, raising up a generation to pray without rest until the second advent.
The question of what to actually pray got specific. Brian pointed back to verse one, the promise that Jerusalem's righteousness would shine like the dawn and her salvation blaze like a burning torch, and said that praying scripture back to God over a situation is more than venting a problem. It is agreeing with what God has already said he intends to do, and that kind of prayer frees up his hands to move.
A moment late in the message got direct. Brian said that with two demonstrations on the town square in support of Palestine having already taken place, he did not want God's people to stay silent. He was careful to separate support for Israeli civilians from blanket endorsement of every action, and equally clear that concern for Palestinian civilians does not require standing against Israel. His point was simply that standing with Israel is a position that demands more than a bumper sticker, it demands prayer, specifically the prayer of verse one.
Brian closed by turning the watchman image inward. He said the Holy Spirit serves as the watchman on the wall of every believer's heart, warning of danger and pointing toward good things, and that the Spirit is never derelict in that job. The only question is whether the person inside the city is listening. He ended with a prayer that felt aimed at someone specific, naming a rider approaching the city gates called healing for a broken heart, and asking whoever needed to hear it to consider opening the gate.
Touch points
Things you could actually do this week.
Come to the building at 8:45 Sunday morning and join Lanisha in praying over the service before anyone else arrives.
Pray specifically for Israel using the words of Isaiah 62:1, that her righteousness would shine like the dawn and her salvation blaze like a burning torch.
The next time you feel your heart rate rise and sense the Lord nudging you toward someone, act on it instead of letting the moment pass.
If you are a young adult, show up Tuesday evening at the TNC for the life group conversation on evangelism led by Jay and Justin and Carla.
Mark December 24 on your calendar and plan to be on the town square at 6:30 for the Christmas Eve service.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages
in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
Brian talked about the idea that God handpicks watchmen for Israel rather than leaving it to people to appoint their own. What do you think it looks like in practice for someone to be appointed by God to a role like that, and have you ever sensed that kind of appointment in your own life?
Clay shared that reading 'pass through the gates' connected him to the narrow gate in Matthew 7, and he talked about needing to stay laser focused on God rather than the world. Where in your own life do you find that focus hardest to hold?
Brian predicó el segundo penúltimo mensaje de la serie sobre Isaías 62, enfocándose en el versículo seis: "He puesto centinelas sobre tus muros, Jerusalén. Orarán día y noche sin cesar. Los que invocan al Señor no deben descansar." Explicó que Dios mismo escoge y coloca a estas personas como centinelas, a diferencia de otras situaciones en las que es el pueblo quien las nombra. Conectó esto con el ministerio profético dentro de la iglesia local, usando la imagen del hombre en la muralla que tiene una perspectiva que los que viven dentro de la ciudad no pueden tener.
Brian habló también del Adviento como una temporada de preparar el corazón para la llegada de Jesús, y señaló que así como hubo una generación que oró y esperó el primer advenimiento, hay una generación hoy que está siendo llamada a orar sin descanso por el segundo. Mencionó que hay desarrollos reales en el mundo, como planes de una vía férrea entre Arabia Saudita e Israel, que sugieren que las profecías de estos capítulos están comenzando a cumplirse de maneras concretas. También aplicó la imagen del centinela de manera personal: el Espíritu Santo es el centinela sobre el muro de cada corazón, y la pregunta es si estamos dispuestos a escuchar su voz.
Al cerrar, Brian oró específicamente por quienes tienen el corazón cerrado a la sanidad, diciendo que el Espíritu Santo ve acercarse al jinete llamado "sanidad para el corazón roto" y está pidiendo que abran las puertas.
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Pasajes bíblicos usados:
Isaías 62 (capítulo completo, leído en voz alta por la congregación)
Isaías 62:1 (versión que comienza "Porque amo a Sión, no guardaré silencio")
Isaías 56:10-12 (los centinelas ciegos, mencionado por un miembro de la congregación)
Ezequiel 33:1-6 (el papel del centinela y su responsabilidad)
Mateo 23:37 (Jesús llora sobre Jerusalén)
1 Tesalonicenses 5 (orad sin cesar, mencionado por un miembro de la congregación)
Efesios (los cinco ministerios de la iglesia, referencia general)
Read the full transcript10,734 words
Alright, this is the verse we wrote. It goes like this. Em every year at Christmas but just how real that this is the joy to the world Just close your eyes with me. Oh, Lord, we come before you this morning. We just tell you that you are faithful.
We remind ourselves this morning. We come before you today, and we just tell you. We're here for you. We're here to meet with you. We're here because of you.
And we just as a body of believers, we just come before you and we declare who you are today. We adore you. We look upon you. We let our gaze be fixed on you. In Jesus' name.
Let's encourage ourselves in worship today that we are the ones making a difference in the valley. We are the watchmen that in our worship, there's things happening in the supernatural. There's things happening in the spirit realm right now. Darkness has to flee when we worship. Do you believe that right now in Jesus' name?
That's happening right now. Do not take that lightly what we are doing in this
place today.
So come all you faithful. Come. Let's lift up a joyful song. I could be free. And so, Lord, we just tell ourselves again today, remind ourselves of the free gift that you have given us, how worthy you are for us to just with open arms say, here it is, Lord.
Everything I have, everything I am. It's all I have to give back to you for what you gave to me. Eternal life. Everything I put into my body, Lord, I surrender it to you. Every song I listen to, everything I meditate on, every show I watch, the way I treat people, Lord, how I plan my future, all of them.
You're worthy. Never could I do enough to earn what you gave for me. And that's the way you designed it, that we couldn't earn it, and we don't deserve it, but you gave it freedom. So we thank you again today. In this time of worship, we come because we don't know what else to do except just give back to you our prayers and our thanksgiving.
Thank you that you are here in the midst of us today. Thank you that you are here today. Come and change us today. Let us keep those swinging saloon is different when we came
in today because we've never came in before.
Maybe there's sin in our lives right now that even just trying to press in, you're you're calling to mind. Or let us be quick to repent. Thank you that your kindness leads us to repentance. We love you. Thank you for everyone gathered in this room today.
Speak individually to each one of us today. We tell you we love you in Jesus' name. Everybody said, amen. Go fill
up your coffee. Get a
little donut treat and get your Bible out. Jesus is ready to meet with you.
Absolutely. Everybody get shoveled out this morning, or did you just say, it'll still be there when I'm done and you shovel out later? Oh, what a good. So this is the first year that Lisa's parents this year gave us an an old great Ford truck with a snow plow on it. And so I was I was terrified and excited to, like, plow out our driveway and everything.
And so I could feel my chest hair growing this morning. Like, before the sun came up. I was, like, driving the truck around and plowing, and so so I feel good this morning. And if you if you if you need chest hair to grow, I'll be happy to let you come to our house and run the snowblower and shovel and do whatever you need to do. If you if you don't have places to shovel at at your house.
If you have your Bible with you this morning, would you turn to the book of Isaiah 62 and while you're turning to Isaiah 62, you can also pull up your phone and look at your calendar. The end is near. For the Isaiah 62 series. Jen Green, you're really carrying everybody today. Well, let's just all behold one more time.
We will all behold and acknowledge single handedly bringing in all of the Christmas spirit for everybody on his big, broad shoulders with that very festive sweater. So today is December 3. Next week, December 10 will be the last Sunday that we're on the Isaiah 62 series. So, we'll land the plane there December 17. We're going to get our hearts and minds ready for Christmas Eve service and then, December 24, which is Christmas Eve, we are doing service only that evening, okay?
So, you can stay in, eat lots of candy canes, get all hopped up on hot chocolate, invite your friends, and then and bundled up and then we'll see you on the town square for this will be the third year? 06/30. Yep, 06/30 on the town square. So, just keep that in mind but this is the second to last week of the Isaiah 62 series and we're going to read Isaiah 62 and then I'd like to check-in with you right off the bat and ask you, what have you, what do you see this time as we read Isaiah 62 and or what is a theme that the lord has been highlighting to you as we've stayed on this. This is week five.
So we've only been here five weeks. We've had a triad birthday, we've had pecky day in between. So we've been here for a while, but we've only talked about this for five weeks. But I would love to check-in with you and hear from you. What is a theme that is highlighted to you or what is something that you're seeing or that you're getting out of this series of Isaiah 62 and then we're going to focus in on one specific verse this morning and unpack it and really look at it.
Without further ado, why don't we take turns and we'll read through Isaiah 62.
For Zion's sake, I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake, I will not be quiet. Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness and her salvation as a burning torch, The nation shall see your righteousness and all the kings your glory. And you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. And you shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no more be termed forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed desolate, but you shall be called my delight is in her, and your land married for the lord delights in you, and your land shall be married.
Excuse me. Do you wanna read still?
A young man marries a young woman, so will your builder marry you. As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your god rejoice over you. I have posted watchmen on your walls. And, yeah, I pushed the wrong button, guys. Okay.
I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem. They will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.
Would you like to read? Ready.
The lord has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm, never again will I give your grain or as food for your enemies. And never again will foreigners drink the new wine for which you have toiled. But those who harvest it will eat it and praise the lord and those who gather the grapes will drink it in the courts of my sanctuary.
Pass through. Pass through the gates. Prepare the way for the people. Build up. Build up the highway.
Remove
the Quick question. Does yours say pass through twice? It does. Oh. Okay.
Just take another run at that. That's pretty cool.
Okay. Pass through. Pass through the gates. Prepare the way for the people. Build up.
Build up the highway. Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. The lord has made proclamation to the ends of the earth. Say to daughter Zion, see your savior comes.
See his reward is with him and his recompense accompanies him. They will be called the holy people, the redeemed of the lord, and you will be called sought after, the city no longer deserted.
Woah. Great. Thank you. If you're new or if you haven't been in a while, even though it kind of looks like we're in you got a center aisle and, you know, rows, it it might you might have the tendency to fall into just a normal congregational participation rut which normally the congregation they get to what sing maybe and then they just sit there and listen and absorb which is not bad and then, then, you get to give and then you get to leave but even though it it kind of looks maybe a little bit like what you might be used to. Although, I don't know if you've ever been to a church in a bar.
I want us to abandon the rut of just you sitting there as a spectator and not participating. You are invited into the conversation today and how do you participate? Well, you can ask questions, you can make comments, you can make connections, and we would love to hear from you. And in fact, in just a moment, I've already prepped you with the first question that I have for you. How has this series impacted you or what is a takeaway that you're getting from this series with only after this week, only one week left but I really want this to be a conversation where you get to engage with me and engage with the material and engage with the text because when you engage and interact with it, you tend to get more out of it and I certainly get more out of it with your comments, your questions, or when you say, oh oh, I have a connection.
It reminds me of this Bible verse or last week, this happened to me. It's so valuable to me and it's valuable to the rest of us. That's also the reason why we have the mic and that mic gets passed around the room. So, if you have a question, comment, or connection, just raise your hand. The mic will go to you.
We could probably hear your voice without the mic, but the mic is for all of our families that are watching on the livestream who are snuggled warm in their beds still this morning. Love you guys. So with that, let me check-in with you. What is something that you have gotten out of this series so far? Something that stuck with you or something that you're learning from this series?
So, while I've been gone, I have had a lot of time to do some soul searching, reflection, and what have you but but the scriptures here like in verse 10, go through, go through the gates, makes me think of Matthew seven where it talks about narrow is the gate that we are to go through and how we need to be, I mean, laser focused on god and not the world. You know, I I feel like I ought to steal a line from Alcoholics Anonymous and get up every morning and go, my name is Clay Irwin, and I'm a sinner. Period. And, you know, I could just stop there. I need to focus.
I need to praise god for the breath that I have, that he's given me, and I have a choice. I can take the easy route through the wide gate and follow the world or I can choose to follow Jesus and go through the narrow gate and get my life right.
That's good. Open up the gates. And this scripture just is telling us to get ready. Clear the road. Clear the path.
Get ready. Yes. Yes. And and I I didn't bring we talked about this passage specifically. I believe it was last week.
Yeah. We spent two weeks on it talking about a spiritual sense and then also very real practical sense, but you can you can Google this on your own, that there is a proposed plan as part of normalization of agreements between Saudi Arabia and and Israel. There's literally there are literally plans for first a railway to be built between Saudi Arabia and Israel that's literally a highway between this place of the desert going up into Israel that is in that's in the works today, that has never that that's that's nothing like that has ever happened in the history of the world, and plans are underway to create a railway there right now. If you think the return of the lord is far off in these passages are only symbolic or spiritual, they are symbolic, they are spiritual, but there is a very real coming literal fulfillment of this that we are seeing unfolding in these days that for two thousand years have not even been in a position to begin to unfold. With that being said, oh, let me ask you.
Anybody else, something that you're getting out of this series? Yes, Lanisha.
Going off going off of what you just said in voice seven, how it says to give him no rest and still until he established it, it's so easy for us to be like, oh, you haven't done it yet. Okay, God, we're done. But how you just said, I obviously didn't know there was plans in work. But how there's still plans being unfolded for the return of Christ, like, we have to give God no rest until he establishes in Jerusalem.
Well, that just happens to be where we're going next week. So good.
I I am more than ever am amazed by the spiritual and physical connection to the the physical place of Jerusalem as part of God's plan for humanity. It's just amazing.
That's a remarkable, remarkable insight. And and we're gonna we're gonna talk a little bit more about that here in just a moment. So what I'd like us to do today is focus on one verse. We're gonna look at verse six, and I'll put it up here on the screen. Verse six says, oh Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls.
They will pray day and night continually. Take no rest, all of you who pray to the Lord. So what I'd like to do is for us to take a little bit of time this morning, and we're gonna look at several different phrases from this passage. But before I share what I feel like the lord put on my heart to share, I wanna hear from you. As you look at this verse, oh Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls.
They will pray day and night continually. Take no rest, all of you who pray to the Lord. I would love to hear from you. What do you see in this particular passage? What stands out to you?
What do you see? What do you notice?
Okay. So in 2019, I worked at a summer camp. And the owner and pastor of the summer camp used to say, take a day off. Get eaten by a lion. So when I read, like, take no rest, all you who pray to the Lord, I think of, like, diving into your word and not taking a day off of it.
Wow. That's awesome. Start one more time. Keep the mic. Say what your camp boss said.
He says, take a day off, get eaten by a lion. Because it's like, if you take a day off, the devil's gonna do what he can to just constantly nag at you.
Yeah. Did you write that down for another t shirt? Can't there it is. Great. Alright.
Expected tried merch very soon. That's really great. Any any anything else? What what else do you do you see? Colin.
I
just I guess I gotta assume that God is raised up in every generation prayer warriors for Israel, and that those are the watchmen.
Yeah. That's really good. I wonder if in my in my little secret heart of hearts, I have thought that maybe one of the goals of this series that initially originally stood out to me as he was directing me for this series, that there might be somebody in here, and maybe they won't even get here until the very last week, next week of this series, but that the Lord would touch at least one, maybe more people's hearts that something would would begin to glow in their heart, I think the lord might be appointing me as a watchman. Whether it is for tribe or for the town of Jackson or maybe even specifically here, Israel, but you just touched on and we might not even know it or or see it, but at the end, when when I stand before the lord and give an account and I will be held to a higher standard because of this thing that I have here and this, I'll be held to a higher standard. We're gonna go back and he's gonna show the game film of every single sermon I preached, every single series that we did, and what for for better or for worse.
Some of the series, he's gonna be like, hey. See that one? I'm like, oh, yeah. It was so good. And he's like, nah.
That was your flesh. But maybe this series maybe this series is of the lord, and that he would say, here's a result of this series. That that that one little duder that came and something you didn't even say it, Brian, but I used your weak little message, and I touched his heart and appointed him as a watchman, and there he stood, devoted himself to day and night continually and to take no rest. And so, that would just be awesome. There are a few phrases in here that I'd like us to just touch on, land on briefly, and then we'll hop to the next one.
So, I wanna highlight the first phrase on the screen here. And if you're taking notes, you can write the title of this morning's conversation that we're have having. The title of this morning's conversation is no rest for the watchman. No rest for the watchman. And back to verse six, I wanna highlight that first phrase, oh Jerusalem.
Oh, Jerusalem. When the writer of this passage says, oh, Jerusalem, it is the prophet Isaiah speaking, but he is speaking inspired by the lord. If you ever heard that saying, you are who you hang out with. Right? Like, if you show me your friends, I'll show you who you'll be in five to ten years.
You are who you hang out with. And so, yes, this is Isaiah speaking, but he is reiterating, echoing the heart of the lord for Israel. And he starts out by saying, oh Jerusalem. When you look at this phrase, oh, Jerusalem, in Hebrew, this is not Isaiah just saying, oh, Jerusalem, like my mom used to always say to me. Oh, Brian.
Oh, this is not like you've really messed up and done it this time. This is, oh, Jerusalem, as a deep heart yearn and cry that is not superficial emotional sentimentality. This is not a I stand with Ukraine bumper sticker slapped on your car to just think that you get points because you stand with Ukraine, literally the most corrupt government in all of Europe. But this is goes beyond virtue signaling. Oh, Jerusalem.
The cry that comes up out of the heart of Isaiah. Oh, Jerusalem. And there is action implied. Look at verse one of Isaiah 62, and you can draw a little arrow so you can create a manual hyperlink in your bible. Look at verse one.
Because I love Zion, I will not keep still. Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn and her salvation blazes like a burning torch. How many of you, during this month, you celebrate or track Advent? Raise your hand.
Okay. For how many of you are like, sounds like a churchy word. Yeah. I I would kinda be there too. But Advent simply means the arrival in people or entire denominations that that take how many of you have come from a church denomination that was really big on Advent?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, okay. So I didn't. And so just Advent, I was like, But I was really into, like, if Advent means I get candy every day from a little calendar that I can open up, like a new chocolate. Okay.
I'm down for Advent. Like, it was just like little doors and chocolates for me. That's all Advent was for me. But but the idea behind Advent is a season of preparing our hearts every year for the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah of Israel, and the hope and savior of the whole world. And this verse, when you look at verse six and verse one, I cannot remain silent.
I will not stop praying for her until when? Her righteousness shines like the dawn, and her salvation blazes like a burning torch. In the generation when Jesus first arrived on planet Earth incarnate as baby Jesus laid in a manger in Bethlehem, did you know that there was a a a climate, a sense, a feeling that that something was about to happen in the in the nation of Israel? I don't know if you've ever thought about like if you were to put your finger on the cultural pulse, what was going on when Jesus arrived in Bethlehem but if you were to culturally put your finger on the pulse of what was going on in the hearts and minds of Israel, the Bible says that all of Israel had this stir among them. Is now the time the arrival?
He was preparing the hearts of people. God was divinely, sovereignly preparing the hearts of people for the advent, the arrival of the Messiah. Now let me ask you to biblically prove the statement that I just made. What verses come to your mind that would support or defend the statement that I just made? You think and tell me.
I make the statements, you back it up. This is fun. Help me. Kate, the mic's coming to Kate.
I'm just thinking about Simeon. Yes. That's all I'm gonna say.
Oh, sorry. Oh, you really you really helped me. So tell us a little bit about Simeon. Tell us a little more. That
he he was awaiting the arrival of the messian, that it it was burning in his heart that this and then he sees him, and he and he knows immediately, like, this is the one I've been waiting
for. Yes. Yes. Scan to that part of the story in your brain, and who else was there? And Anna was there.
She was praying in the temple. When? How often? Yeah. Yeah.
Maybe I should just point to the screen. Like, and night continually. And who else? There's one there's one there's one big figure that was on the scene. You're gonna be like, oh, yeah.
That guy. I mean oh, alright. Alright. So he was he was he was being bonded at that time, but who? John the Baptist.
Yeah. John the Baptist. And then Romans, I believe, is chapter five or six. It says, at just the right time, Jesus. And then it the verse goes on.
At just the right time. Can anybody maybe I don't want us to get stuck in an echo chamber because we we talk about it a lot here, but I believe it's because the Lord's touching our hearts collectively as a faith community. But does it not feel like God is about to break in and move once again for the second advent, the return of Jesus? Doesn't it feel like those days are like, yes, we're one day closer than we were two thousand years ago, but doesn't it do you are are you getting a sense in your heart that that his arrival, things are being set on the stage for his second advent? Do you feel that in your heart?
Do you see it? Misty Edwards used to sing this song, People get ready. Jesus is coming. Oh, Jerusalem. Look at the second phrase that I have highlight or underline.
I have posted. The lord knows us and just like it says in the New Testament that he says that that one person in the body of Christ has one function like one body part, another person in that same body of Christ, the church has a different function and vital role to fill. Look at this phrase right here, I have posted. The lord is speaking and he says that he is the one who places people like watchmen on the wall. Maybe over the course of this series, somehow, someway, the lord would just touch your heart and invite you to step into in a greater measure that role of being a watchman And we're gonna talk about that that word watchman in in in just a moment.
We're gonna talk about it a a little bit more. But it is the lord who divinely appoints people, and we're gonna jump into we're gonna take a step into the the next phrase, which is watchmen on your walls, and we're gonna we're gonna look at a verse of scripture here, and then we're gonna compare that phrase I have posted with this idea. So if you have your if you have your bible, flip to page Ezekiel 33.
Page Ezekiel.
Page Ezekiel 33. Ezekiel 33. And I love it. I love it. If you have to turn to the table of contents to find the book of Ezekiel and then, like, go to that page number or look what it's around.
Do you know how great that is? How many of you by raising of your hands started out having to do that? Every single one of us.
If I didn't know a song, I would have just done it. Just know.
Say what?
If I didn't know that.
Oh, yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Like, yeah. Here's Lizzie going to the table of contents. Where's Ezekiel again? And then, help her find it. That's good.
But, she also has a cheat code, which is a song. We should put that You know what we should do? We should put that Your unique version of that song on our tribe worship Spotify page. Oh, there was a yes and an amen and a do it. Alright.
Okay. It's so helpful. Yep. Yep. Kai was a subject, suffered from that song, Agnausium, when he was little.
And now he knows where that book of the Bible is. Ezekiel chapter 33, and I'm gonna read verses one through six. It's not up on the screen, so just turn there. Click on that page. Ezekiel thirty three one through six.
Once again, a message came to me from the lord. Son of man, give your people this message. When I bring an army against a country now interesting. Who's bringing the army against the country? The lord.
Everybody say, The people of that land choose one of their own to be a watchman. In this passage, who is appointing the watchman? The people of that land. Now that's in contrast to what we read in Isaiah 62. Who posts watchmen for Israel?
God. Everybody say, Verse three. When the watchman sees the enemy coming, he sounds the alarm to warn the people. Then if those who hear the alarm refuse to a take action, it is their own fault if they die. They heard the alarm but ignored it, so the responsibility is theirs.
Caution, wet floors. If they had listened to the warning, they could have saved their lives. But if the watchman sees the enemy coming and doesn't sound the alarm to warn the people, he is responsible for their captivity. They will die in their sins, but I will hold the watchman responsible for their deaths. Now I would love to hear from you.
Any of you who have heard this passage used as a teaching for for a vital and important role or ministry within the context of the local church. You've probably heard this passage before. And how have you heard this passage taught or or or preached? What it it what is it a picture of? I am kinda going somewhere with this.
Being opponent being appointed a role when it comes to defense and action, like war and whatnot.
An appointed role or position or place in the church for defense or action. Or did you say war?
Yes.
Oh, yeah. Alright. Yeah. That's admissible. But what else?
There there is something I'm trying to get at. This is a great verse for what vital ministry within the context of a local church. I like how you're I can see your brains are really thinking. Yes. You're engaging.
I love this. What? Pastor? Yeah. In some way.
In some way. You're getting close to that bull's eye, but it but you're on the right track. It's it's not it's not the it's not the pastor or the shepherd. Look. So of the fivefold, it's this what?
The prophet. The prophet. Now now defend your answer.
Hang on.
The mic's coming.
I said it was the prophet because they're the ones that are given both foresight and insight from the Lord to see what's coming that not necessarily the rest of the congregation can see.
Come on. How many of you would agree with that answer? Alright. Let's give them full credit. Now did you know that, or were you just kinda thinking?
My first thought was, like, security.
Security? For, like, where it was. Ah, like, this role. Ah, yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. First thought. Alright.
Then I got I thought it was fivefold.
There you go. There you go. So this is a great this is if you're if you're unfamiliar with the fivefold ministry, it's in Ephesians. And Paul says, and God gave these and Jesus gave these gifts to the church, and he lists he lists five important gifts or expressions that should be within every healthy church. First of all, is the apostolic.
And and how many of you know that the hand analogy? Oh, it's so good. You're gonna get it again. Alright? First of all, you won't forget it when you get this.
Hold your hands up. Okay? One hand up. The first one is the apostle. Point to your thumb.
The apostle is the one who establishes and governs, and he touches all of the other ministries. Okay? Like your thumb. Peep. Peep.
Peep. Okay? The next one is the prophet. The prophet points the people of God back to the way of the Lord, and he acts as a watchman. Okay?
The the the prophetic ministry has insight and and sometimes even foresight into what what all is going on. The apostle and the prophet, they work great together in establishing new works, a new witness for the gospel in in in places and in unreached nations. Okay? The next is the evangelist because he is the longest finger, and he reaches out to the gondola and the tram line and the bars and the the town square with hot chocolate and is the evangelist to bring in people to the to the local church. The next is which one?
The ring finger. The ring finger. And this this person is married to the church. And who is this person? Pastor.
The pastor. He's married to the church. He loves the bride. And when we were at Snow King, you know that sub that set out on front, and I called it, like, my preacher's diving board to step out there and just really reach out and grab you by the neck to love you. But on there does anybody remember what I had taped on that sub?
And we just don't have it taped right here. Three words, what?
Evoke her beauty.
Evoke her beauty. That's really what I want to do. I want to evoke, provoke, cajole, awaken the beauty of the bride of Christ like a bride on her wedding day, waiting for her groom, longing for her groom. So then, finally, what do we have here? The pinky.
And this person is the what? The teacher. And their job is to get in with the word of God and clean out all that nasty wax of unbelief or disbelief or wrong doctrine to open up your ears to hear the spirit of God speak to you through the word of god. Cool, Everybody say cool. Cool.
I have posted watchmen on your walls. That that passage Ezekiel chapter 33 verse one through six, you can put a bracket around that whole passage and put the prophetic ministry. This is what the expression of prophetic ministry is and does in the local church. They stand as a watchman on the wall. They have a unique perspective of foresight and of insight.
Think of the rest of us like within the city walls. None of us have ever lived in a community where there are big giant walls that physically protect us from the outside world. I don't think any of us have. Have any of you? No.
Okay. How many of you have ever been to a city, maybe it's just a historic site or maybe it's an actual live city where there there's still a wall intact around the city? What what city have you what city have you been to? Yeah. Saint Mello.
Saint Mello? In France. Oh, in France. Oh, super cool. Where have you been, Kate?
It was in Italy.
In Italy. Some old city in Italy. Where where have you been?
There is a old part of Belize.
An old part of Belize with the city wall. Okay. Alright. A border wall, Jerusalem has walls around its city, the old city. In many places, the wall is still intact and you can see that that in some places, there's actually still like a rampart or a catwalk that you can stand on top of, and you literally have a height advantage to be able to look out beyond the city walls and see all of what's surrounding the city, and you have a unique advantage and perspective that those of us in the city don't have.
And that is a beautiful picture or allegory of what prophetic ministry is. And I I I pray and I welcome with healthiness and balance that we would see greater expression of prophetic ministry in this local church. We need tribe needs watchmen on the wall that are looking and praying and seeing what's coming down, what's happening out there. They have the advantage of perspective that we just miss for those of us that are going about our our our daily lives as a part of a local church. We we miss what the what the prophetic sees.
In Ezekiel chapter 33, it says, when an enemy comes, that the city appoints the watchman, but there's something different about Zion. And Bob hit the nail on the head when he says, through this series, I'm seeing that that god has a special place in his heart for Israel and, specifically, for this the eternal city of the great king, Jerusalem. And he uses in verse one, a pet name or a name of affection. How many of you have a pet a pet name for your spouse? Alright?
Those of you with your hands raised, tell us what it is. Just kidding. But god has a pet name. He has multiple pet names for Jerusalem. And one of those pet names or names of affection is Zion.
And he says in verse one, for Zion's sake, because I love Zion. This city is so special to the lord that he's not gonna allow just anybody to to to be a watchman and to be a guard. But the bible tells us that when it comes to Zion, god's like, oh, no. No. No.
No. I'm going to specifically pick handpick people to be watchmen on the wall for Israel. What happened to the watchmen on the wall October 6? I don't know. Oh, cat.
I
thought it was interesting that you brought that up just a couple chapters earlier in Isaiah chapter 56 verses 10 through 12. It reads that his watchmen are blind. They are all without Wait.
Wait. Where are you?
I'm in Isaiah
Okay.
Chapter 56 Oh. Verse 10. I'm sorry.
I'm with you.
Okay. It reads, his watchmen are blind. They are all without knowledge. They are all silent dogs, they cannot bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber. The dogs have a mighty appetite, they never have enough, but they are shepherds who have no understanding.
They have all turned their own way, each to his own gain one and all. So that's interesting to me that the Lord's picking and the title of that passage is Israel's irresponsible leaders. And it's interesting to me that, k, if the Lord's picking these people to be on the watchmen, why are they not doing their job?
Conversation. I love this. And and just as a side note, it's not distracting to me. Don't let it be distracting to you because of where we meet. There's a simultaneous event happening in another room.
Just keep your focus. Keep your focus.
It just means we'll talk louder, which is a good thing I have the mic because no, I'm kidding. I don't think that this is what Jay or you, Brian, are saying at all. But I just do feel like I felt the little thing that I needed to say because there is some narratives out there in the world that this is Israel's fault, what happened on October 7. And so what I want to say is just because Watchmen are praying day and night doesn't mean that things won't come to pass that need to. So I just felt the need to have to say that.
That's really good. Okay. I'm going to ask you an additional question. As Jay was talking and you felt the need to share that, could you feel and and if you say no, it's fine. Could you feel your blood pressure rising or your heart rate increasing like I have to say this?
Yes.
Yes. Okay. For me also, when sometimes when I feel something that is of the lord that must be said or done or stated, One of the ways that I know that it is of the Lord is I can feel I can feel my heartbeat, like, in my neck, and there's, like, this coming up. Is yeah? Yes.
Anybody else, when when when you're like, is this of me or is this of the lord? You can feel it in your heart. Just raise your hand. Oh. Woah.
Look at that. Remember that. Because because it's one thing when you feel that. It's one thing when you feel that in in in you're in church. It's another thing when you feel that in your like in in in line the the thunder line.
It's a whole another thing when you're in the grocery store and you see a person, and you're like, what? And you're like, uh-oh, Lord. What is that? That's the prophetic ministry. So recently, quick side story about this.
Recently, I had to go over to Idaho Falls and get snow tires put on one of our vehicles, and I didn't really want to like Here I am being a great evangelist. I didn't want to sit in the lobby of like the tire shop because like all the tires are in there and it smells and gives me a headache, and and so I was like, can I just sit in the truck? And they're like, yeah, pull the truck in. You know? So I'm sitting in my truck, like, in the bay while they're doing all the stuff, and I'm looking at the people, running around like ants doing their thing, and there's a really great work environment and light lively atmosphere.
And the Lord just highlighted this one guy. I actually took a video of it. I've it I don't I'm not tech savvy enough to airdrop it. Maybe I'll show it to you another time. I took a video on the card because I could feel my heartbeat beating out of my chest in my neck, and the Lord just highlighted one guy for me.
And he was just the favor of the Lord was so on him. And so I was like, all right. I'll pray for him in the truck and the lord's like, no, no. You're gonna when they're all done, you're gonna get out of your truck. You're gonna huddle up the entire shop of mechanics and you're gonna speak this word of life over him to all the mechanics.
And I was like, oh, no. I'm not. And he's like, oh, yes. You are. And I was like, no.
That's too weird. And he's like, well, I'll just get somebody else to do it. Okay. Fine. I'll do it.
So I'll show you the picture and or video sometime maybe next week. Remind me. But who knows how it went? I was obedient. They were all like Well, gave them knuckles.
Gotta go, guys. And hightailed it out of there as fast as I could. Be take a risk. Take a risk if you feel that. How many of you have ever felt that maybe a person or a situation and then you didn't do anything?
He's the god of second chances and third chances and fourth chances and fifth chances and sixth chances and eighth chances, just ask them again, oh, I missed that one. Give me another chance. Alright. What is the next phrase? Yep.
Pray. Well, what do you oh. I
just wanted to read this scripture in first Thessalonians. I'll just always be joyful and never stop praying and be thankful in all circumstances for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Do not stifle the Holy Spirit and do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good and stay away from every kind of evil. And I think when it's saying like don't stifle the Holy Spirit, to answer your first question that you asked us in the beginning, I think I've just been called to, like, move to action.
Like, God is doing a lot of things and as his body, like, we're supposed to be moving along with him. And so just like everything from Tuesday night at the young adults thing, like I just felt like this real burning like God's like, you got to move. Like if you want to be a part of this, you got to move. And so I think when you choose not to, that's stifling what the Holy Spirit wants to do through you and just speaking into what you were saying about like when you feel like God is calling you to move, you can move or he's gonna call somebody else, right, to do the work. And so I'm like, oh, I don't want the rocks to cry out for me.
Like, I like, this is what I want to do. And so yeah.
That's good. On Tuesdays at our young adult service, it's becoming it's less of a service, as you would think of this, and more of of a life group. And they have just embarked on a series of discussions and conversations where Nugget is thrown out, talk about it collectively, and then split into small groups and unpack it further. But they're talking about evangelism and what a great time and season led by Jay and Justin and Carla. And what a great time to be talking about evangelism that reaches way out there at the beginning of a new ski season.
And we got all kinds of ninety day wonders that are, like, finding their way to the valley. And and, Jay, if you haven't already said this, I know that you will this week, This town loves to eat ninety day wonders. And maybe when you got here, like, you felt the world, the the pull of this town trying to chew on you a little bit. And who knows? Maybe even some of us have got bite marks still from this valley when we first moved when we first moved here.
But this town will promise you the moon and deliver you absolute hell on earth. So you got to pray. Pray. Pray. Pray.
But what do you pray? Let's talk specifically about Israel. That's what this whole passage is about. What do you pray? Go back to verse one.
Because I love Zion, I will not keep silent. Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn and her salvation blazes like a burning torch. Because there were watchmen that were appointed and and specially called during the generation of the arrival of Jesus the the first time, first with preceded by John the Baptist, and then we have Anna and what was your name? Simeon.
Thank you. And others that were praying for Jesus. And in fact, there's at one point where the entire city of Jerusalem is stirred with they're they're buzzing with this idea. Could Jesus of Nazareth could he be the Messiah? Is is he the one that we've been waiting for, expecting?
There is this collective, like like, labor pains growing collectively among the nation of Israel. And because of the prayers of a generation saw the advent of Jesus, the arrival, the savior of the world the first time, but I believe with all of my heart that, again, god will raise up a generation of people that will pray night and day and give the lord no rest until we see the second advent of Jesus. Now there's this very interesting tension to manage between praying for something to happen and the inevitability of something happening. K. Are you ready for a tricky not a trick, but a tricky question?
K? Hold on to your seats. Nod your head. Yes. Okay.
Would Jesus come back if there wasn't a generation praying for him to come back?
I
think Ella said it right just now. Ella goes, and you could see her little wheels turning. Let's not answer that question right now, because that's going to be a big rabbit trail. The lord delights to partner with people who are praying his will. The lord is sovereign.
He does when he wants, how he wants, but there's also something about the prayers of people praying in agreement with his plan and with his will. How many of you have ever prayed to the lord coming to him with a problem? Every one of us. How many of you have ever come to the lord with your problem, but you pray the solution? Okay.
Yeah. Let me clarify. Let me clarify. Let me clarify. Instead of come to him like, Lord, here's my problem, and here's what I want you to do, that that that's not what I'm talking about.
That and that's really good comment because I wanna clarify. But you come to him praying his already stated in scripture promises over that problem. Let's for example, you have a big financial need, which is all of us living in Teton County. Every month, we have a big financial need. Lord, I have this problem.
Lord, I have this fine there's too much month left at the end of my paycheck. Again, this is happening. Ah, here's my problem. Here's my problem. Here's my problem.
It's okay. Pour your heart out to the Lord. That's it. That's alright. That's alright.
He can handle it. But how much more effective effectual would your prayers be, and how much more does it free up his hands to operate if you say, Lord, here's my problem, but I know you promise to supply all of my needs according to your riches and glory. Now that gets the attention of heaven. They will pray day and night continually. Take no rest, all of you who pray to the lord specifically.
When it comes to Israel, what do I pray? You pray verse one. I will not keep silent. I will not keep still. Oh, I'm gonna just say something out of my mouth.
The team and everybody else are gonna be like, b. But guys, we gotta do something on the town square.
Yeah.
Enough of this enough of this worldly, unbiblical narrative being shouted with posters on the town square without a response from god's people. And if I'm the only one, it's fine. Worship. Worship. Mhmm.
That's the problem with
us people.
Mhmm. Yeah. This is not so if you know what I'm talking about, there have been two now demonstrations in support of of Palestine. I tell you what, I am all for the civilian population of Palestine. Horrible, awful, tragic.
What would happen to civilians in war? And I agree with the statement that Palestine should be free from Hamas. But if you stand against Israel, you are standing against the Lord. If you stand with Israel, that does not mean that you condone and support every single one of their actions by every single individual. That's not what we're saying.
What I'm saying is I will stand on the side of the Lord and his position with Israel. Okay. I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn and her salvation blazes like a burning torch with the second advent and the return of Jesus. Blazes What do what what can how can I, you know, bumper sticker?
I stand with you great, great, awesome, fine. Treat yourself. But if you say I stand with Israel, there is an implication of action. That action every single person can take by praying. Praying for the peace of Jerusalem.
For Zion's sake, I cannot remain silent. When do you pray? Day and night without ceasing. What do you pray? Pray that her righteousness would shine like the dawn and her salvation would blaze like a burning torch.
And that is the man of Jesus, the Messiah of Israel and the savior of the whole world. The Bible tells us that he will return burning like fire, riding on the clouds with healing in his wings. Oh, Jesus, come back. Inaugurate the restoration of all things. Ransom, captive, and broken, and imperfect Israel.
And this is the last thing I'll I'll say. The preacher's Bible is closed. There is a watchman or a generation, a company, a company of men and women that the Lord has appointed today to be watchmen for Israel, praying night and day and morning Israel. There is hopefully an increase of expression of prophetic ministry here at Tribe, a prophetic expression of of watchmen that stand on the walls that pray for Tribe, and pray for the leadership team, and and pray for the the governing body of tribe, our board of trustees, and our pastor's council. Lanisha is part of that, that every every Sunday, and throughout the week, but every Sunday, she's here at 08:30 to pray over the service.
Something stirs in your heart. Lanisha, wave your hand. You need you can connect with her or just be here at 08:30 and and pray anything that could be lingering here in the bar just gets chased out before we have service. But there's one other. This is the very real Monday morning rubber meets the road practical application.
You have a watchman on your wall. You get bogged down or distracted with those things that are right in front of you. Worries, needs, stress, desires, bumping along, checking the weather weather forecast and the AVI report. But you have a watchman whose job it is to look over no other city wall but your own, and that is the person of the Holy Spirit. If you've invited Jesus into your life and he is the boss of your life and calls the shots in your life, the Holy Spirit is the watchman on the wall of your heart, and he stands to warn and to guide you of danger and trouble, and to lead and guide you in the best possible way for your life.
He is not like the watchmen that have been appointed that Jay referenced earlier in Isaiah that have that are derelict in their job. He is vigilant and he is always warning. The trick is as citizens of our own the city of our own heart, do we listen to the voice of the watchmen on the wall? Do we listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit will be held liable in the courtroom of heaven when you stand before him if he has failed in any way to guide or warn you and steer you out of harm's way.
And you fall into harm's way and the Holy Spirit's like, oh, I forgot to tell him about that. I was too busy taking care of Colin because he really needed it. Why'd you say amen so fast, Jen? Nope. He is ever vigilant.
He's stalwart and faithful to be a watchman on the wall of your heart. If he warns you about something and you fail to heed his warning and you fall into calamity and trouble, it is not as a result of a failure of the watchman on the wall. But you'll stand before the Lord someday, and he's gonna say, you didn't listen to the Holy Spirit, the watchman on the wall of your heart protecting you from danger. Well, I thought I bet I bet and he's gonna be like, his call was right. So this is a good place to for the the wheels to touch down in the smoke.
And let me ask you, is there an area of your heart right now where you are not listening to the voice of the watchman on your life that he may be trying to steer you away from harm or from trouble or an icky relationship? He may be trying to steer you into some opportunity that you can't, like, you're not quite sure about. But he will lead you to lie down by green pasture. He will lead you to still waters. He may need to lead you through the valley of the shadow of death.
It may be hard, but he will always lead you to a place of nourishment, green pastures, and refreshment, still waters. Please, Brian, listen to the voice of the watchman on the wall of your heart, the Holy Spirit. Wait. How this become an uncomfortable one? You deal with the Lord.
Just close your eyes and let everyone talk to you.
Matthew twenty three thirty seven says, oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God's messengers. How often have I wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me. And now look, your house is abandoned and desolate, for I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, blessings on the one who comes in the name name of of the the Lord. Lord. Do you wanna come back up?
No. Okay. What an incredible thing for the Bible to just give us even the words. Sometimes the Bible the Bible is full of treasure and of mysteries for us to dig and find as we get closer to him. And sometimes it just says it plainly.
I tell you this, you will not see me again until you say blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord. That's Jesus as he grieves about Jerusalem, and he grieves over the parts of ark around one's head. The Bible talks later about how we are to provoke jealousy to the non messianic Jews. And they're like, why do these Gentiles love him so much by the way that we live and by the way that we act? And as we just stay in this moment of worship, just a just a minute or two longer.
We bring our time and our offering to the Lord because we love him, because we trust him, because we see him in his word. But we do it out of obedience, and we do it out of an offering of worship to him. It says, I love you and I trust you all the time, but especially when your finances are full of tight. It says, I love and I trust you. God, in full surrender, it's all his anyway.
Right? When we're at that point of full surrender, all of it's his anyway. Everything we have, the very breath in our lungs, certainly our finances. Even though we, with our hands and our feet, we work for it. We work for our paycheck, but man, it's all god's and we just surrender that to him and so, let's pray over our tithes today.
The ways that we give here at Tribe, we don't pass buckets, but there if you have cash or check, there's a box, that has our tribe logo there at the Sweeney Door Saloons on the right. You can drop something in there as you go. You can always give on our website at drivejh.com. And then the easiest way, if you have a smartphone, is just to type in a new number like you're typing, like you met a new friend, and that number is 84321. And you just type in the amount you wanna give, and you go from there.
So let's pray as we close the service with your giving now for another time. Heavenly father, thank you for the opportunity to partner with you in all things like we talked about today, in prayer, in worship, in unity, or in pride, and above and beyond that are offering to you. We do it as
a act of
obedience and to say we love and trust you. Thank you for that partnership, that you've let us. And father, just practically speaking, pray in the hearts of everybody today, all of our triumphant who gives faithful. Lord, thank you for working on their hearts and obedience. Thank you that we will see it and for what it is, a partnership and active obedience and worship to you.
We love you, and we thank you in advance for the fruit that's to come of ministry, people being brought into your kingdom because of these financial things. We love and trust you and all of that. In Jesus' name, we say amen. We already talked about it. Really today, I just wanna reemphasize if you want to come early and pray on Sunday mornings, Lanisha's here at 08:45 and just walks around and does her thing for about an hour, and it's wonderful.
Pray for everyone who's gonna be in these seats and all the things. Also, Town Square, just mark your calendar for that Sunday, December 24, the Christmas Eve. No morning service, but 06:30 in Midtown Square. Come out and be part of that fun building furniture. More details to come that.
And then, again, Tuesday, just to reiterate, Tuesday evening at the TNC. That building that we used to meet in is life group and Jason taking charge on that. So I heard last week was phenomenal and wonderful, and we're seeing thumbs up. So please, if you're a young adult, please go to that on Tuesday nights. It's different.
It's not a repeat of Sunday. It's it's new new own thing. So we love to do that. Would you come up
and pray for us, please?
Thanks for preaching the message I just handed to you. Stand up. Let me pray for you. And as we dismiss, if there's anything that you need prayer for, I'm gonna invite Lanisha. Where can I send her?
Oh, yeah. The booths. Prayer booths. So so Lanisha would love to to pray with you and pray for you if there's anything that you need prayer for. Would that be alright if I quickly collectively prayed for all of us?
Alright? In churchy language, it's called a benediction, but but I really I don't say this just to be like church liturgy. I don't I don't I don't do this just to be churchy, I really I really do care and love for you. I'm married to the church, and and I mean it with my whole heart every week, the blessing that I pray over you. Who among you would receive the blessing from their pastor?
Lord Jesus, I lift up each and every person here on in this room under the sound of my voice and families that are watching the livestream this morning. I command a blessing over their life, Lord. God, I ask that that if their ears are not tuned to the voice of the Holy Spirit spirit posted as a watchman on their wall, that they would tune into that watchman over on their wall. They would listen and heed his voice, Lord. I just feel like as I'm praying for you, just before I dismiss you that maybe somebody in here this morning that that in many areas of your life, you listen to that watchman of the Holy Spirit about danger and and bad things and naughty things and you're like, yep, yep, yep, stay clear.
Got it. But there is a writer approaching your city gates that is called healing for your broken heart. And you have been the watchman of the Holy Spirit has said, open up your gates. But you as the mayor of your city have been like, I don't know. This might be more harm for my heart.
Or or I don't know if I can trust that writer coming. The Holy Spirit would say, I can see what you can't see. The name of the writer approaching the city gate is called healing for your broken heart. And he's asking you to open up your city gates, to receive healing for your broken and injured heart. And for whoever that is, you can unpack it further.
I command a blessing over each and every person from our tribe for our tribe fam here today. We pray these things in Jesus' name, the strong son of God. And everybody said, amen. I love you guys so very much. If there's anything that you need prayer for, Lanisha is recruiting Jay.
Go back there to the prayer booth. They would love to pray for you. Have a great week. Don't wreck your skis. We don't quite have enough snow in the backcountry yet.
And remember, little Selah Green, you got this. Have a great week.
