"Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die;' and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself." - Ezekiel 33: 7-9

We in The Bahamas, like many around the region, have just gone through a most devastating hurricane. It is one of the strongest that many of us have ever experienced. Even though we in Nassau were spared the full impact of Hurricane Irma, many of our brothers and sisters in the southern islands felt the terror of Irma. Praise the Lord. We have not had any deaths.
As the hurricane approached these islands, many warnings went out to the people of The Bahamas. There were constant reminders about the intensity of hurricane Irma and the potential for disaster, if we did not take precaution.
Warnings do help. They give us notice and allow us to make proper preparations, both for the protection of our properties and for our personal safety.
When we get warnings about impending natural disasters, for the most part, we head them. We make preparations and we take precaution.
In the above text, God gives a warning, particularly to those who are entrusted with his word. God always gives fair warning. In fact, he has been giving us warnings since the fall of man.
Even though this message was given to the Prophet Ezekiel many centuries ago, it is relevant to us today. We who call ourselves Christians are charged with giving warnings to people everywhere, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with them.
This warning is not about our possessions. It is about our lives. Unlike the natural disasters, which we may sometimes survive even though we do not adhere to the warnings, with God if we fail to take precaution, we are doomed to eternal damnation.
We are to warn the wicked about their iniquities, their sins. We are to stand up for justice and what is right. We are to display the love of Christ in our daily living.
Who are the wicked? They are all who go contrary to God's word and spurn the work or our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. They neglect church attendance and live at odds with their neighbors. They are the spiritually wayward.
These people, whose lives are in jeopardy, are our neighbors. They are members of our family. They are in the workplace and all around us.
As the hurricane approached, we made it our business to warn people about the danger of the hurricane. We made sure that they took proper precaution.
If we felt it our responsibility to warn our family and neighbors about the impending hurricane, then why are we not warning them about that which is most important, eternal life.
We cannot claim ignorance. God calls us all to be watchmen and to send out the warning to the people around us.
More than any time in history, people of the twenty-first century seem more evil and overt in their behavior. They have no regard for the things of God or for God. They are spiritually dead.
Consequently, we have a responsibility to warn them. We can't save them. God does that through the Holy Spirit.
Instead, we are called to warn them of their wicked ways and to share the gospel with them. We are to demonstrate the love of God in Christ Jesus through our daily living. Amen.

o Rev. Samuel M. Boodle, pastor, The Lutheran Church of Nassau, P. O. Box N 4794, Nassau, Bah. Phone: 426-9084; E-mail: lutheranchurch@coralwave.com.

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