Being a watchman over your field
The best way to protect the area you are called to own is to understand why you are guarding it and what you are guarding it from.
You need to understand the value of the treasure you are protecting
You need to understand the tactics the enemy will use to steel what you are guarding.
You don’t build a tall fence to keep out the gophers.
You don’t build a short fence to keep out the deer
1 Timothy 6:20 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge—
(Watchman walks in integrity to keep their field fruitful and pure)
2 Timothy 1:14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. (Watchman guard and war over their destiny)
2 Timothy 4:5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (Watchman are not man pleasers)
The three enemies of a Vineyard
Rodents/little foxes, Songs of Solomon 2:15 catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes.
Birds of prey
Genesis 15:11 the birds of prey came down on the carcasses (sacrifice) but Abram drove them away
Pestilence. Psalm 91:3-6
But there are also scorpions that we will tread upon, snakes that we will crush and locust that we will munch on.
Each one of theses predators need a precise type of ammunition. Each field we discuss tonight will encounter one if not all of these enemies. Where there’s fruit there’s bugs. But a good vinedresser has a few strategies up her sleeve to combat these pesky varmints.
Noise/Gunshots
Nets but only at harvest
Boundaries for the tender roots
Grafting to make a week plant strong and resistant John 15
Pesticides.
A Gunshot or loud noise scares the birds of prey that come in only when the fruit is ripe. A vinedresser actually has programmed gunshot machines to shoot off periodically through the time of harvest.
These birds of prey come in when its time to harvest, When the fruit is ready and ripe, when its time to celebrate. When you are nearing the end, is when the enemy comes in the hardest, but one shout of praise will disperse the enemy.
The children of Israel were marching for 6 days. The birds of prey were the people watching them look silly marching around silently. But one obedient shout at the right time dispersed the enemy.
Joshua 6:10 Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.
Psalm 81:10 [[To the chief Musician upon Gittith [A Psalm] of Asaph Sing aloud unto God our strength make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob
Read 2 Chronicles 20 Jehosaphat surrounded.
What is gained by prayer must be maintained by prayer
How to Guard your Heart and what comes out of it.
The First area we must be watchmen or women over is ourselves. We have an enemy of our heart whose soul desire is to destroy ours. The best way to hurt a parent is to wound their child. We must stand guard over our own hearts and guard our speech. This is our first field we are called to guard and cultivate.
Proverbs 16:32 Amplified Bible
He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, he who rules his [own] spirit than he who takes a city.
Hebrew meaning of Rule is to, have dominion, reign, govern.
Proverbs 16:17 The highway of the upright avoids evil; those who guard their ways preserve their lives. (Watchman guard the road they walk on and clear the road for those who are following them)
Proverbs13:3 Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin. (Watchman do not speak destructive words over their territory, over our lives or over our families lives)
Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue
Psalm 45:1 My Tongue is the pen of a ready writer
Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. (Watchman set good boundaries over their hearts) Don’t let a yak die in your wellspring.
Matthew 12:34 The abundance of the heart the mouth speaks
Guarding your field
Being a Watchman over our territories is a being a good owner of our field.
We have to stand guard over the land we are called to posses or own. Our Families, our children, our jobs, our ministries. Keeping a look out for the deadly three that attempt to invade our precious fields can be a continual time of prayer with out ceasing, praying in the spirit while you sleeping, Praying while your walking, running eating.
Proverbs 13:6 Righteousness guards the person of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.
Nehemiah 4:8-9 and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. 9 Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.
Mark 13:22-23 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time. (Watchmen are discerning)
How to guard your fruit.
The fun part about fruit is somebody has to pick it, it doesn’t grow with out fertilizer and the only way a seed can grow is if it’s planted in the dirt. King Tut was found with seed in his tomb to start his next life. When they planted it, 3000 years later it still grew. The trick with seed is, it doesn’t do any good when it’s not deposited.
Galatians 5:22-24
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires
The word fruit here is taken from the Greek work coming from an intimate moment, like conception. The incorruptible seed of all this spiritual fruit is deposited during intimate times with God. But fertilized by the poo of heartache, disappointment, sorrow, betrayals, testing and trials. Watered by His morning Mercies and our joyful and sorrowful tears that have been stored up and bottled by His loving hands. Then harvested by those who are in need of the fruit that has been so lovingly cultivated by our Vinedresser.
Homework
What is your field producing that the enemy is so desperate to steel?
What are the Boundaries you need to build?
How are you going to be better watchmen over the fields in your life?
