Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Aug 11th, 2013 Asleep at the Switch

Today’s Passage – Isaiah 53 – 57 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – John 15 – 16; Psalms 51 – 55; Proverbs 11)

Scripture Memorization for June – Pre-Tribulation Rapture Passages

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 89:1

Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “9 Marks of Excellence in Church Leadership“

Read the “0811 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from today’s reading passage – “Look Beyond the Cross“

“His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.” (Isaiah 56:10)

“Asleep at the switch” is an old expression that I have used since a child which, I believe, originated with the men who had the responsibility of switching the track that a train was traveling on. If the man was asleep at the switch the train would go down the wrong track and would crash head on with another train. God speaks hear of the prophets of Israel who were spiritually asleep at the switch. Though all of the warning signs were there, these “men of God” ignored them, and failed to warn the people of the judgment that was coming. Oh there were a few godly prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah, but for the most part the watchmen were  asleep, and numb to the fact that the people of God were on the track heading for destruction.

As a dad and as a pastor, I am a watchman. God expects me to be looking out for the enemies that are always trying to slip through the fences in order to destroy the people that God has given me to protect. I must be alert for things that will cause the people I love to go down the wrong track. It may be a person; or it may be a false doctrine; it may be a worldly influence. The list is really endless; but my job is to watch, and then warn. How about your family, or your ministry. Is Satan having a field day sending in through your watch things or people that are going to harm. We need to be sober and vigilant, don’t we. Let’s wake up, and stop ignoring all of the dangers that are creeping into our families and our churches.