Awake, Arise & Accept

AWAKE, ARISE AND ACCEPT

Text: Eph 5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

I. AWAKE - "Awake thou that sleepest"

a. The world is asleep Spiritually: They read books,

watch TV, go to movies, but ignore the Bible.

b. Because they are asleep; The world is unaware of Christ’s 2nd coming. There are over three hundred direct references in the New Testament to the return of Christ.

1. Jesus himself declared that he would return on

the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.

(Matt 24:30)

2. Paul spoke of "the glorious appearing of our

great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:13)

3. Paul also said: The Lord Jesus is revealed from

heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.

(2 Thess 1:7)

c. The world ignores the signs of the last days:

Read 2 Tim 3:1-7

1. Perilous times - With terrorism rampant today, no

one is safe. Is there a bomb on your airliner, or

your bus?

2. Men shall be lovers of their own selves,

covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient

to parents, unthankful, unholy - Are there not many

people like this today?

3. In Daniel 12:4 Daniel is told that in the end

time two things would be prevalent:

a. First: many shall run to and fro, One hundred

years ago many did not go over 20 miles from home.

Many in this generation, have been all over the

world. Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye

into all the world, and preach the gospel to every

creature. Today you can board a plane and be

halfway around the world in a day and a half.

b. Second, Daniel was told that in the last days:

knowledge shall be increased. Today knowledge is

doubling every 10 years and printed materials every

15 years. 80 percent of all scientists in history

are alive today. When Apollo 13 ran into trouble a

few years back while 205,000 miles from the earth,

scientists working with computers figured out the

correct return flight path for the crippled craft

in just 84 minutes. Working with a pencil and paper

in the pre-computer age, it would have taken one

man 1,040,256 years.

d. The world ignores the words of Jesus:

Read Matt 24:3,and 32-34

1. Jesus answers these questions in reverse order,

first what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of

the end of the world? Answer: Earthquakes, false

prophets, iniquity abounding.

2. when shall these things be? Read vs 32-34

Answer: The generation that sees the things above.

Wake up, Jesus is coming again to receive the believers to eternal glory and the unbelievers to eternal separation from God

II. ARISE - arise from the dead - Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: Death is separation, the unsaved are separated from God by sin. Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Arise from your comfort zone, quit thinking of today and tomorrow and think of eternity.

A. The three lepers at the gate of Samaria said "Why sit we hear until we die" How much time to you have before you face eternity?

B. The Prodical Son said "I will Arise and go to my

father"

III. ACCEPT - Christ shall give thee light

John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

1. Notice first that the Light is a gift from Christ.

2. Notice than the Light of Christ is called the

light of Life, meaning if you receive Christ, you

will have eternal life.

3. You will understand where you are going, why you

were born and how you should walk.

2 Cor 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 2 Cor 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

1. The God of this world system is Satan, he blinds

the minds of the lost so that they are: Ever

learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of

the truth. 2 Tim 3:7

2. Only Christ can help you to understand Spiritual

things. He may be speaking to you tonight. His is a

still small voice, His knock at the door of your

heart is gentle. If you believe, take the first step

tonight. Salvation is a free gift of God but a gift

has to be received, God loves you, He is pleading for

you to come to Jesus, but you must accept His Offer.

--->Read Romans 10:9 & 10<----