Accountability of the Watchmen

God placed the caretakers (watchmen, pastorate) ministry in the Church for the developing of the five-fold ministry and for the perfecting of the saints. However, the watchmen have focused on the physical display of the Holy Ghost and bodily exercise such as speaking in tongues and praise and worship. There has been little concern with the perfecting of the soul because the Pastorate is concerned with bringing the body of Christ into seeking the material wealth of this world. One of the greatest responsibilities of the watchmen is to “watch” over your soul because God is holding them accountable for your spiritual disposition. The Lord instructed His watchmen to bring His people into holiness, not to seek the wealth of this world.

6822 Watchman: tsaphah (tsaw-faw');

to peer into the distance; by implication, to observe, await: to look into the spirit world. To see those things that will affect or oppose the body of Christ.

From the nation of Israel to the Church, the Lord has placed watchmen over the people. Let us go back to the first house of the Lord to discover the responsibility of the watchmen.

Isaiah 62:6-7

6 I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,

7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

It is the responsibility of the watchmen to preach the Word of God, bring the people to the righteous standards set by the Lord and to a place of praise in the earth, so they may continue to receive the blessings of the Lord. They are not to keep silent, but continuously minister those things that pertain to godliness.

Jeremiah 6:13-17

13 For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.

Here we see that the nation of Israel had moved off course along with the priests and the prophets. Everyone was seeking to fill their own bellies and committed abominations before the Lord. They did not consider the hurts and dispositions of the people but instead became proud and lifted up.

However, when the Lord raised up true watchmen, with a real word from the Lord, they rejected that word, preferring to hold on to the false prophecies and promises of leaders who did not fear the Lord. Thus the priests and the prophets became a stumblingblock to the people. The Lord admonished them to return to the way of righteousness where there was rest for their souls, but they rejected the path of righteousness and continued in the way of rebellion.

This is the state of the Church today. The clergy has lead the saints into wantonness and gainsaying and have turned the house of God into promotion companies and enterprising networks. Leaders are so caught up in enterprising, until the souls of the people have been forsaken. Their hurts, negative mindsets and overall spiritual needs have been abandoned. The people have become numbers and dollar signs in the congregations that allow the leaders to accomplish the lusts of their hearts.

There is a striving to build the largest buildings and bring in the largest celebrities, thus making merchandise of the people of God. No attention is being placed on the saving or perfecting of souls. The people have become hungry for truth and realize there is a void in their salvation. The saints have failed to glorify God in their circumstances, situations and relationships and have committed sins that they believe are a part of them.

SOUND THE ALARM

Ezekiel 3:17-21

17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

In the above passage, it is the responsibility of the watchmen of the Lord to warn the saved and the lost. Those who are over the household of faith must sound the alarm to the world, as well as the Church. However, today many are turning a deaf ear to what the Spirit is saying to the church through the watchmen.

We must understand that the warning comes from God and not the watchmen. They are just spokesmen carrying out the responsibility that has been given to them. The responsibility is so great that it is possible they may lose their own lives. But if you hear what God is saying through the watchmen, your soul would be saved and you will not die in your sins.

There are so many people today who are turning away from righteousness. Who then is to blame? Each of us has a responsibility to the Father. A righteous man who falls away needs to hear a Word from the Lord that he may be restored to the saving of his soul. If not, his righteousness will not be remembered. We, as watchmen, are held accountable.

We must not allow anything to hinder us from speaking the Word, not even our own sin, since the same Word that God gives you to deliver others will also deliver your soul. In our infirmities, reproaches, necessities, persecutions and distresses we must preach the Word. This is the only method God has given us that the world might be saved. Let us look at more scriptures to further confirm what is being said.

Ezekiel 33:6-9

6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.

7 So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.

8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

We understand that the blood is the life of a man, and the life is always related to the soul. Here we see again that the Lord is holding the watchmen accountable for the blood of the people if he fails to preach the Word.

One of the greatest dangers in a watchman’s life is “spiritual slumber.” This is a condition of insensitivity to divine things that will cause him to become “alert to the things of this world.”

Ephesians 5:14-21

14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

In the above scripture the Lord is certainly showing us the disposition of a watchman that has fallen asleep.

• They become carnal. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God. (Romans 8:7)
• They begin to walk in darkness. And this is the condemnation, that lightis come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light (St.John 3: 19)
• They become fools. . . . but the fool walketh in darkness. (Ecclesiastes 2:14)
• They become evil. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be fullof darkness. (Matthew 6:23)]
• They become drunk. For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. (I Thessalonians 5:7)

Anytime you fall asleep, you begin to operate inside these negative mindsets that render you inoperable in peoples’ lives. These mindsets are sensual and are controlled and governed by human nature, instead of by the Word and by the Spirit.

Let us take a closer look at the word drunk. The scripture is not making reference to being intoxicated with wine, but being in a state of mental intoxication making one insensible, unconscious and unaware. A watchman then becomes unable to lead God’s people.

Let us look at a watchman who remains on guard:

• He or she is full of light. The light of the body is the eye: if thereforethine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. (Matthew6:22)
• They are wise. And the Lord said, who then is that faithful and wisesteward. (Luke 12:42)
• They understand the will of God. Wherefore be ye not unwise,but understanding what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:17)
• They will be filled with the Spirit. And be not drunk with wine,wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18)

The only replacement for carnality is spirituality because being spiritual will allow you to remain focused, with your heart and mind fixed on things pertaining to God.

It is very important that the body of Christ begin to focus on the perfecting of the soul and coming into the knowledge of the truth. We must step aside, deny self and allow the Holy Ghost to do what He came to do. To lead and guide the body of Christ into the heart and mind of the Father.

We must willingly submit to the will and purpose of God and allow the Holy Ghost to lead the Church because God is not impressed with our things, talents or our fame, but rather with our submission and obedience to His Word.

It is time for the watchmen to stop choosing themselves as leaders and allow God to choose His own leaders. We are His church, the Lord chose us, we did not choose Him. We cannot go on deceiving ourselves by thinking God is going to allow His anointing to rest upon us, as it did the Apostles, without our obedience to His Word.

God is not going to zap us into the anointing, but we are going to live our way into it by living a sinless life before the Father.

Acts 2:14-18

14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

Love, Bishop