Right before that last verse
is sung, I feel like crawling over behind that last pew and
not coming out. In the light of this task, especially
this morning in light of the text before me, I've been reading
through the book of Isaiah and was reading this portion, turned
to Isaiah chapter 21. Isaiah chapter 21, I read this
portion of Scripture and stopped at a couple of verses and could
not get away from them. Yet they're very seemingly, it's
a very obscure passage, I'm not sure any of us have considered
it. I don't know, maybe you have.
I certainly hadn't before. And it's frightening. It's very obscure and very difficult
to understand, but I could not get away from it. And I hope
that that, I hope it was God that was speaking to me and giving
me something for you. Now, there's nothing that's more
spiritually deadening than this world, the things of this world. Nearly everything in this world
has an appeal to our flesh and has a tendency to make us forget
about God. It ought to have the opposite
effect because everything should in some way remind us of our
great Creator and remind us of His mercy and grace to us. It
should, but it seems to have the opposite effect. We seem
to become consumed with these things, and it makes us forget
about God. Most people are bound by the
flesh, bound by it and slaves to it. And even God's people,
who are supposed to be walking by God's Spirit, are walking
in the Spirit, are spiritually minded. much of the time, probably most
of the time, consumed with this world, taken up by it, and very
often walking in the flesh just like everybody else out there.
The Scripture says in 1 John 2, love not the world, neither
the things of the world. If any man loved the world, the
love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world,
the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride
of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the
world passes away, and the lust thereof. But he that doeth the
will of God abideth forever. Little children, it's the last
time. That's what John said. the warnings
and instructions and admonitions of the apostle there. Little
children don't love the world. Why? Because it's the last time. It's the last time. But the things
of this world, whether they be person, place or thing, I'm talking
about family also. Husband, wife, son or daughter
or grandchildren. The things of this world have
a grip on us, a firm and strong grip upon us so that we completely
lose track of time, don't we? Have you ever become engrossed
in doing something and completely lose track of time? Have you?
And then maybe you run out of time. Darkness comes on. I know some of you have been
out in your field or garden or whatever. It's been so completely
engrossed that you forget what time it is, and finally darkness
comes over and you have to quit. Well, men and women live some
50, 60, 70, 80, or 90 years in this world, enwrapped in it,
taken up with it, engrossed with it, and completely forget God
until time runs out. Until it gets dark. Or that is,
they come to their deathbed. And then, Henry, then they give
a thought to God. And by then it's too late, isn't
it? And if we have a deathbed, if we have a time to call upon
God, that's when men seem to wait, don't they? But then it's
usually too late, too late. Well, look here at Isaiah 21
with me. Look at verse 11. And this is
the verse of Scripture that I stopped at, these two verses, 11 and
12. Isaiah 21, verse 11, he says,
"...the burden of Duma." Now this is a man named Duma. He
had a burden, or that is something weighing heavily upon his mind
and upon his heart. The burden of Duma, and he called
to me, he calleth to me, he talked to the prophet. He asked the
prophet something. He calleth to me out of a place
called Seir. The burden of this man Duma,
and he called to the prophet, how I wish that men and women,
how I wish that I had a great burden for something other than
what I shall wear or what I shall eat or what I shall drink. How
I wish that men and women had a burden for their eternal souls
about their condition before the Holy God. And how I wish
that folks would call upon God for mercy and for grace and for
salvation before it's everlastingly too late. And how I wish, and
just like this man, he called upon the prophet. How I wish
that somebody would ask me a question that had some eternal value to
it. Ask me something. Call upon the
preacher for something other than being married or being buried.
That seems to be the only time when people need a preacher.
And how I wish that people would call upon me for answers to genuinely
needful questions, genuinely needful questions about God,
about Christ, about sin, about eternal life, about judgment,
something other than. And this is the response I always
get upon someone finding out that I'm a preacher. How many
do you have down there? What are you doing for your kids,
or what this, or what that? Tell me about your programs.
How do you sing your songs? How I wish that somebody would
ask something of some value, have a burden about things of
eternal value, and ask like this prophet did. Look at what this
man asked the prophet. The burden of Duma. He called
to me out of seer. And he said, Watchman, what of
the night? Watchman, what of the night? Now, prophets and preachers used
to be called watchmen. Paul said, as those that watch
for your soul. And the prophet said over here
in Isaiah 62, he said, God said through him, he said, I've set
watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their
peace, day nor night. He says, you that make mention,
they're called the Lord's Remembrances, Remembrances, you that make mention
of the Lord, keep not silence, the Lord's watchmen, and give
him no rest. And these watchmen pretty much
say the same thing over and over again. They've got one message.
They're on the watch. A watchman was, or used to be,
and is, or should be, still, one who is on the lookout for
the camp, on the lookout, one who has the safety and the welfare
of the people in mind, who has their concern foremost in his
mind, who watches out for the enemy and loudly cries when he
sees the enemy approaching. One who is awake and lively about
his senses and on guard lest the enemy sneak into camp. One
who is faithful to the one who made him watchman. Faithful to
tell the things that the watchman or that his employer tells him
to say. And readily leads and guides
and instructs and warns and admonishes. Like that passage there in Ezekiel.
If you went on to read that, it said that the Lord told Ezekiel,
you go warn these people. And if you fail to warn them
to turn from their iniquity, then their blood will be upon
your hands. But if you warn them, you're free. You're free. But
the watchman has to say all these things. All the scriptures are
profitable for doctrine and reproof, instruction in righteousness
and so forth. But a watchman is a faithful steward of the
word of God, a faithful steward and one who admonishes anyone
and everyone according to the word of his master. Now look
up at verse 6 here in chapter 21. Thus saith the Lord, thus
hath the Lord said unto me, Go set a watchman, let him declare
what he sees. Now a watchman is one who is
to declare what he sees, whether men want to hear it or not. He
tells it like it is. That's what a true watchman is.
He's unafraid of the consequences, whether it be a friend or foe.
He's unafraid of the consequences, and he tells it like it is, as
he sees it. Well, look over at Isaiah 56
with me. Isaiah 56. We'll get back to
the text there in a moment. Hold your place there in Isaiah
21. A watchman is one who declares
what he sees. I can understand. Now, this man
named Duma came to the true watchman, to the true prophet, Isaiah,
and he asked him a question. Well, I can understand why people
aren't asking so-called watchmen today any pertinent questions. I can understand it. Yeah, I
can. Why? Because look at verse 10, Isaiah
56. His watchmen are blind. He knew not You need not ask
these fellows anything they can't see. The watchmen are to tell
what they see. But these watchmen, he says,
are blind. They're blind. They think they can't see God.
They don't know God and all His holiness. Therefore, they're
not declaring God as He is. They don't see Christ as men's
only hope. And therefore, they're not declaring
Him as their only hope of righteousness. They don't see men as totally
depraved, without God, without hope, without help, without strength.
under the condemnation and wrath of God by nature. They don't
see that, and therefore they're not declarant. They're blind,
the Scripture says. And it says they're all ignorant.
Ignorant. You don't need to ask these watchmen
today much about the Bible. They don't know much about the
Bible. Don't ask them a question concerning propitiation or justification
or sanctification or reconciliation or anything of pertinent or eternal
value. Don't ask them these questions
about the election. They don't know. Why? They don't know God. They don't know God. They don't
know Christ, whom to know is to understand all the Scriptures.
They're ignorant, the Scripture says here. And they're all, look
at it, dumb dogs. Dumb dog. You ever had a dog
that was pretty dumb, that couldn't really do anything for you, that
really just ate a mooching pooch? He just really ate food and that's
about it, and lay around and sleep. He said he wouldn't bark.
He says they're dumb dogs. Cannot bark. Cannot bark. They can't preach. They don't
know what preaching is all about. Cannot bark. Dumb dogs. And most of them wear collars.
So if they get lost, they'll remember where they are. They're
out in public, you know, so they'll remember that, hey, I'm supposed
to be a preacher. Dumb dogs, and they cannot bark,
or will not, for fear of the enemy. Run and hide, tail between
legs. Dumb dogs, they cannot bark.
Sleeping, sleeping, too full of fun food. Lying down, loving
to slumber. Yeah, they're greedy dogs, the
Scripture said. Can't get enough, never have
enough. Merchandisers of men's souls,
the Scripture said. We'll look back at the text in
chapter 21. Yet there are a few, there are
still a few by God's grace, by God's mercy, a few watchmen that
watch for men's souls and tell things as they see them. Tell
the Word of God as it is, the Word of God, making no apology,
a few watchmen. And here's the question that
needs to be asked, just what this man asked. Watchmen, what
are the nights? And he was so consumed with this
question, he asked, he said, watch me. What is the night? In other words, he's saying,
what time is it? Tell me what you see. What time
is it? Have you ever had a pressing
engagement to where you kept looking at your watch or kept
looking at the calendar? I know there's been times when
I've been working on this house and Mindy told me to be home
for dinner at 630 or whatever time. I didn't have a watch on
me, and somebody might be with me. What time is it? Don't want
to be late. I'd be working a little bit, about five more minutes.
What time is it? Five minutes after you asked me the last time.
Oppressed, or have you ever been waiting on somebody, anxious
to see them? What time is it? Are they here
yet? What time? You men that have been waiting
on that child to be born, have you ever walked that waiting
room? Anxious, anxious. Well, that was this man here
named Duma. He was anxious. He wanted to
know something from this property. He was so interested and so pressed
for an answer, he asked him twice. Watchman, what time is it? Watchman,
what time is it? Asked him twice. Well, I've seen
people come since I've been here even. I've seen people come once. I've seen them come even twice. But, oh, for somebody who would
continually keep coming and asking, asking the same questions. What
about this holy God? What about Christ? What about
the gospel? Tell me that gospel one more
time. You've got to hear it. We've got some in here asking
the same question. And this is God's true people,
and they're asking pertinent questions. Tell me again. I've
got to hear it. What time is it? What do you
see? What do you see from God's Word? Tell me. I need to know.
Tell me the truth. What do you see? What time is
it? And this is the faithful answer
of the prophet then and the prophet now, verse 12. The watchman said,
The morning's coming. The morning's coming. In other
words, it's daytime. What time is it? It's daytime.
Today is the day of salvation. Not tomorrow, today. Today is the day of salvation.
Christ is the Son of Righteousness who has arisen with healing in
his wings. He is right now seated on his
throne of, it's called, grace. There's going to come a time
when he's no longer on that throne of grace, but he's going to come
down from that throne in judgment. And the true prophet of God says,
today is the day of salvation. Christ is having mercy and having
grace upon people right now. Christ reigns in grace and in
mercy right now. Someday we'll be in judgment
and we'll be everlastingly too late. And that's a faithful watchman
telling people, being faithful to their soul. Today is the day,
not tomorrow, today is the day of salvation. Today the sun is
shining. The sun is shining. There's still
time. But it's right now. Not tomorrow. Maybe not tonight. It's right
now. The morning. Right now is the morning. It's
right here. We're living in gospel times. That's what we're living in right
now. This is the day of grace. There's no promise of tomorrow.
There's no promise for procrastinators. Today is the day of salvation. If you will hear His voice, harden
not your heart. While it is still called today,
after so long a time, it's still today by God's mercy and grace. And while it's still today, we
need to ask the same question, the same questions like this
man with a burden. And the promises, the answers,
are only for those that are asking. Ask and you shall receive, as
Scripture says. Answers are only for askers.
If you're not asking, you're not going to get any answers. Findings are only for those who
are seeking. You know what, you can principally
describe a child of God as a seeker, a follower. Say that over and
over again. The findings are only for those
that seek. The door is open only for those
knocking. Only for those that are knocking.
Well, this man was knocking, this man was asking, this man
was seeking. Watchman! What time is it? What time is it? And the watchman
said, it's morning, it's morning. What time is it? You ask me,
I'm going to tell you what time it is from God's Word. What time
is it? The Spirit speaketh expressly
that in the latter times, this is the latter times. Henry, we're
in the last times. That's what time it is. We're
in the last times. In these last times, men are
departing from the faith, that is, the gospel. Men have departed
from the gospel of God's grace and God's glory in Jesus Christ,
the gospel of God's sovereign grace. We're most definitely
in these last times. No doubt about it in my mind.
If you have eyes to see and ears to hear what's going on around
you, like an earthquake, if you have a feeling at all about the
tremblings that are going to the sound of the shaking of the
mulberry bushes, the Scripture says. Mulberry trees, the sounds
in the tops of the goings of the mulberry trees. We're in
the last days, no doubt about it. I know it's a pretty day
out there. Things are going pretty well. All things continue as
they have since the beginning of time, Scripture says. Where
is the promise of his coming? The promise is sure, and he's
coming at a time when you think not. And it'll probably be a
nice sunny day like today. These are the last times. The
last time, latter time. Well, what time is it? I'll tell
you what time it is from the Scripture. A perilous time. Men should be lovers of their
own selves, covetous, boasters. This is such a picture of today. Covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers. Don't hesitate for a minute to
take God's name on their lips, the name of Christ. Disobedient
to parents. It's very clear that children
have no respect whatsoever for authority anymore. Disobedient
to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truth-breakers,
false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that
are good, lovers of pleasure more than God, having a form
of godliness, appearing to be Christians but denying the power
thereof, or that is, not bearing in any way, shape, form or fashion
any hint of being a true child of God. That's what time it is. That's what times we're living
in. And I say that, what time is it? The morning's coming. Christ is coming. Christ is coming. Maybe tonight. We don't think that, do we? We
really do not think that, do we? It may be. Right? It may
be. And the faithful watchman continually
reminds people, wake up. Christ is coming. Christ is coming. And this is what he says also.
Look here. The morning cometh, and also the night. Do you see the darkness that's
upon us? Do you? Do you see the darkness coming?
Do you see the nighttime coming? You see this general, this all-pervading
spirit of darkness and spiritual ignorance that's coming upon
this generation? The light of the gospel, the
light of the glorious gospel of God in the face of Christ
Jesus is out, isn't it? It's out, like old Eli in the
temple, fat and sassy and sleepy. Old Eli, and the scripture says
the lamp went out. The gospel has gone out of the
pulpit, hasn't it? The gospel light went out. The
term was written across the door. Ichabod, the glory has departed. The glorious gospel has departed
the Church, isn't it? Yes, it has. Darkness is upon
the land. The night's coming. It's coming. And nighttime is upon us, and
oh, what darkness! A darkness of hell and wrath
and judgment. I listened to a message this
morning by Brother Danny Blair, and the title of it was, Turn
or Burn. I know that sounds, and I saw some of you smile. I know that sounds so old-fashioned.
And people talk about, they're going to preach on hellfire and
damnation. But the truth remains. The truth remains. repent or perish. It still holds
true today. It's still the needful message
of the hour. It's still the message of the
hour, because nighttime is upon us, and men don't realize what
darkness they're in, and don't realize the utter darkness that
awaits. The darkness of hell, where the
only light will be the light of fire that consumes them. The night is coming. Well,
look at this. Here's a promise, though. I like
to preach like this. I like to bring us to utter despair.
I like to bring us down in the dirt to pick us up. This is what
the gospel does. This is what the gospel does
every time. It shows us God high and holy and lifted up, and us
under His wrath and condemnation, and brings us down in the dust
at His feet, seemingly without hope, without help. And then
the promise comes. And then the good news comes.
Or look at this. And the prophet says these are
the last words that he gives to this man. Look at it. Are
you going to look at it? Verse 11. Verse 12. The watchman
said the morning comes. Today is the day of salvation.
And then night time is coming. Can anything change? Now if you
will inquire, you better inquire. You see that? If you will inquire, if anybody
is really interested, now's the time. If anybody really is interested,
if anybody will earnestly, sincerely, diligently, importunately seek
mercy and grace at God's hand, it's right now. Not tonight,
I'm telling you. I don't care how old you are.
Maybe you're out of here and have a car wreck and you're gone. Right now, this morning, right
now, as Baxter used to say, I preach as one that may never preach
again. I preach as a dying man to dying men. We've lost sight
of that fact. I really believe that. Because
of what I said in the very beginning, the world, the spirit of the
world that grips us and makes us forget about God and forget
about what time it is. It's what makes us forget about
the message right after the message is over. The world and the things
of it. And the prophet says, love not
the world, neither the things of the world. And he goes on
down and says, little children, it's the last time. What about those children, those
people that he said that to? They're dead. They're dead. And somebody in
here is going to die on the sound of my voice eventually. And a
faithful watchman says it's the last time. It's the day of salvation. It's the last time. It may not
be tomorrow. And if you will inquire, if you will seek after
salvation, do it. Do it now before it's ever less
than the two of us. Now. Don't wait on the night. Don't wait on next Sunday. Not for a more convenient time.
There may not be a more convenient time. There may not be another
time. If you will inquire, if you hear the Word of the Lord,
if you ask, seek, knock, and the Word says unto you, eat it,
right now, I say unto every one of us, eat it. Take it down into
your belly, down into your heart, down into your soul, and believe
it. Hear it. Act upon it. He says,
if you will inquire, inquire ye. And look at this. And return. Return. This can mean many things,
but it doesn't mean what it appears to mean right there. Return.
As if to go back to where you used to be. No, we've never been
with God. We've been strangers all of our
lives. Far from God. Strangers. But the word here
is turn back. Turn away from. Or the word also
meant to lay down. Lie down. I was telling Rick
yesterday, like Scott always says, stack your arms. Stack
your guns. Give up the fight. Turn your
back. And like I said, the message
is still repent. As old-fashioned as it may sound,
it's still the message. Repent of your sins. Repentance
toward God. God against thee and thee only.
Have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight? That you might
be justified when you speak and clear when you judge me. And
he's going to be. I don't care who it is in here.
Me. Unless he has mercy and grace
upon us. And the message is still turn
from your iniquity and from your sin and turn your back upon this
world and go therefore unto him without the camp bearing his
reproach. It's still turn from your idols
to worship and serve the living God. It's still the same. And
it's still the same turn from your self-righteousness. Turn
from your dead works. We're trying to be accepted by
God. Turn from that to Christ. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, the
Scripture says. Turn to look upon Him. Look.
It's over. When you turn away from something,
you've got to turn to something, don't you? When you turn your
eyes and your heart and your affection from this world and
from yourself and from your sin and your self-righteousness,
you turn to Him, to Christ. Return. And look at what it says
also, and come. Come. Come to Christ. Christ
said, any man that labors, a heavy laden, come. Come unto me, and
I'll give you rest. I'll give you rest. Lay down
and come. How can you do that? Cast your poor soul at his weary
feet. Is that right? Cast your poor
soul at the Savior's feet. Weary, laboring, hungry, and
thirsty, tired, one in his righteousness. Feast from your own labors, and
the scripture says, the labored enter into his rest. Come to
Christ. Come to Christ. Now, look over
here with me at Isaiah chapter 30. Isaiah chapter 30, and I'll
be brief. Isaiah chapter 30. He says here
in verse 15, Thus saith the Lord, thus saith the Lord God, the
Holy One of Israel, in returning Eternity, that word there, is
not to go back to God. We never were with God in the
first place. But unless you be one like the
church who has left their first love. But it's to repent, to turn from
self, self-righteousness, from an old profession of religion,
whatever it may be, but to turn from that, turn away from that.
And repentance is a very simple word. It really does mean to
turn away, to turn about, to make a change. We do not make
that change. The gifts and calling of God
are without repentance, and the goodness of God leads us to repentance.
But if God has spoken to you at all, if you've heard his word
at all, then turn from this dying world to Christ, and come, and
come to Christ, and rest, and you'll find rest. You know, we've
looked for so much satisfaction in this world. That's the reason
the world consumes us like it does. We're looking for something
better, greener pasture. And nothing in this world satisfies.
The water of this world doesn't quench our thirst. Not at all.
It just leaves us like beer. It leaves you thirsty for one
more. One more. And there's nothing satisfying
in this world. But you'll find rest and pride
in Christ. It's the truth. It's the truth. I found it. Some people here
have found rest in Christ. True satisfaction. I didn't find
it in this world. In returning and rest, you shall
be saved even. That's the only place salvation
is, not in our works. And rest, you'll be saved in
quietness, that is, sitting quietly at his feet right here on the
sound of the gospel, and in confidence, that is, trusting, leaning, looking
to him, trusting in him, hearing his gospel and believing it.
That'll be your strength. That'll be your strength, your
growth, your nourishment, your comfort. Well, look at these
sad words there. Have you looked at it? Verse
15. And you would not. And you would not. Watchman,
what time is it? It's the last time, a perilous
time. But it's a time of salvation.
It's a time of grace. It's a gospel time. You heard
it one more time this morning. It may not be another time because
the night time is coming. The darkness is coming. But if
you will inquire, do it. Inquire diligently, earnestly,
importunately. Don't quit. and come to Christ. He'll save
you. And I hope the Word's not written
of you, but he or she would not. Would not. And like the prophet Ezekiel, I'm pure. I'm pure this morning
from the blood of anybody's hands in here if I never preach another
I'm pure in the blood of your hands. I told you our condition
before God and told you the only place to go for help. Your salvation is in God's hands,
but we're responsible. We're accountable to use the
means. Now, if you will inquire, be
here tonight and inquire. I've got a message
tonight. calls for a thanksgiving real
blessing steadying and it says anytime from one of them if you
want to read it preparation said many times over the and that's what i'm in fact right
now today is how they've got to be very good and very good I mean, he ought
to drop the floor out right now and send us to hell with our
shoes on. Everybody in here, including the preacher. We don't
deserve it. But this is a day of mercy, a
day of grace. But this coming darkness is coming. And we don't
have any inkling of what... I don't even have any inkling,
really, of what I'm talking about. This thing of hell, this reason
it's so difficult to preach upon hell. reason men scoff at it,
because they're so far removed from it, but it's true. Our Lord
Himself spoke of it more than anybody. But today is the day. What time is it, Watchman? The
day's the day, shall they say. I'm talking right now. Right
now. Have you returned? Have you come
to Christ? Sounds real Arminian, doesn't it? Sounds real appeal,
or sound like an altar call, don't it? Yeah, it's an altar
call. Come to Christ, the altar. Kneel at his feet. Don't have
a bench down here. I don't care who you are. Don't
be too proud. I don't care if you've made twenty
professions of faith, or none. It's time. It's time that you
turned and come to Christ. That is. And I'm like John Newton. Lord, if I hadn't turned yet,
turn me right now. I mean right now. I want to confess, if it was
lawful, I believe I'd confess it in baptism over and over again. Who wants to join me? It's been awful good to us. And
that goodness, that time of His grace and gospel Flittering away. Darkness is coming. Flittering
away. I don't take it for granted everybody
in here knows Christ. Not at all. I know some people
in here don't know it. I know it. It's obvious. And
I tell you, as a faithful watchman, you better come to Christ while
there's still time. Stand with me and I'll dismiss
this and pray. Our Lord, your word is sharper
than a two-edged sword. It pierces. It divides. Lord, we hope that
you take this word. Pierce us. Break us. Pierce, break open our hard heads. Pierce and break and plow up
these hard hearts. Plant this Word. Plant it. The
incorruptible seed of Your Word that brings forth fruit unto
salvation. Life. Plant it, Lord, in our
hearts. Some young person in here this
morning. Just the Word. Plant it in their heart. In their
mind. Show them their desperate need.
of the Lord Jesus Christ before it's everlastingly too late. And then water it and nourish
it with more gospel till we all come to a knowledge of the Lord
Jesus Christ, come to faith in Him. Grant it, Lord, for your
glory, for our good, I mean it. It is clear.