There Is a Distress Signal Being Sent by God: Take Heed

Sunday, September 21, 2025

Sermon Notes

Pastor Derk Adams

Ezekiel 33:2–5 (KJV)

“Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.”

Introduction

Throughout history, God has always given warning signals before judgment falls. He raised up Noah to sound the alarm before the flood. He sent prophets to Israel before Babylon’s captivity. And today, God is sending out distress signals through His Word, through world events, and through the convicting voice of the Holy Ghost.

A distress signal is never casual—it means danger is near, time is short, and action must be taken. To take heed means not only to hear, but to act upon what is heard. We live in a time where men ignore alarms, where many churches have silenced the trumpet, and where society mocks the warnings of God. But the silence of man does not cancel the signal of Heaven. God is still sending out His distress calls—and the question is: Are we listening?

Definition of Distress

English Definition:

“Distress” means extreme sorrow, suffering, trouble,

or danger. It carries the sense of being pressed, hemmed in, or afflicted

without escape. A distress signal is an urgent cry for help because danger

is present.

Hebrew Definition:

The Hebrew word most often translated as distress is

“tsarah” (צָרָה). Strong’s #6869 – straits, trouble, affliction, adversity,

anguish, tribulation. From the root “tsar” (צָרַר) meaning to be narrow,

confined, pressed, or oppressed.

So, in the Hebrew sense, distress paints the picture of being trapped in a

narrow place, pressed in by enemies or circumstances, without a way

out—where only God’s deliverance can bring relief.

Psalm 120:1 (KJV)

“In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me.”

Jeremiah 30:7 (KJV)

“Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it

is even the time of Jacob’s trouble (tsarah); but he shall be saved out of it.”

When God sends out a distress signal, it is His urgent warning: “You are

hemmed in, danger is at hand, repent, return, and take heed before it’s too

late!”

Background on the Text

Ezekiel was appointed as a watchman to warn Israel of God’s impending

judgment. The role of a watchman was serious—his duty was to sound the

alarm when danger approached. If the people ignored the trumpet, their

destruction was on their own head. But if the watchman failed to blow the

trumpet, their blood was required at his hands.

This passage is not just about ancient Israel—it reflects the urgency of our

time. God has placed watchmen in pulpits, in homes, and in communities to

sound the alarm. Yet many are asleep at their post. The distress signal from

God is not a faint whisper—it is a trumpet blast. But the tragedy of our

generation is that many are covering their ears instead of taking heed.

Hebrews 2:1 (KJV)

“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.”

Amos 3:7 (KJV)

“Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”

Key Points

1. The Distress Signal Is Being Sent Through World Events

• Earthquakes, wars, pandemics, political chaos, and economic shakings are not coincidences, they are signs.

• Matthew 24:6-7 reminds us of “wars and rumours of wars… famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places.”

• These signals are God’s way of shaking man’s false security and calling us back to repentance.

2. The Distress Signal Is Being Sent Through the Decline of Morality

• Violence in our streets, confusion of identity, lawlessness, and a generation mocking God’s Word show the alarms are blaring.

• 2 Timothy 3:1-2 warns, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves…”

• The moral collapse of society is God’s distress signal that His return is near.

3. The Distress Signal Is Being Sent Through the Church’s Condition

• Many churches have lost their fire, traded holiness for popularity, and exchanged truth for entertainment.

• Revelation 3:16 warns of lukewarmness: “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”

• God is calling His people to wake up and take heed before judgment begins at the house of God.

4. The Distress Signal Is Being Sent Through the Voice of the Spirit

• The Spirit convicts, warns, and urges men to repent. But too many resist His voice.

John 16:8

“And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”

• Ignoring the Spirit’s warning hardens the heart and silences the only lifeline God has extended.

5. The Distress Signal Demands a Response: Take Heed

• It is not enough to hear the trumpet—we must respond.

James 1:22

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

• Taking heed means repenting, watching, praying, and preparing for the coming of the Lord. The danger is real, the time is short, and the trumpet is sounding now.

Closing Plea

Beloved, God is not silent. The distress signal is loud, urgent, and clear. The question is not whether God is warning, but whether we are heeding the warning. Do not ignore the trumpet. Do not cover your ears. Take heed before it’s too late.

Closing Scripture

Luke 21:36 (KJV)

“Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”