It Is High Time To Be Awake

Alba 6-6-2022

IT IS HIGH TIME TO AWAKE

Romans 13:11-14

They say the average American adult doesn't get enough sleep. Sleeping is a wonderful blessing. It refreshes the body and gives new strength.

A Japanese transistor manufacturer scheduled 30-second "yawn breaks" into the factory schedule. It is based on the idea that the yawn stimulates the brain.

On cue, everyone raises his hands over their heads and yawns in unison. The manufacturer claims production has jumped considerably. Shall we try it?

A student at Bucknell University was invited to speak at a church in New Columbia, Pennsylvania. The night before, he set his alarm for ample time to reach the church and be ready. Unknown to him, his roommate came in late that night and turned off the alarm.

He awoke with a start an hour later than he’d planned. By the time he reached the church he was 35 minutes late for the service.

When he finally got up to preach, he had to announce his key scripture. It was from Romans 13:11. He read, "Knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep."

Many of the church people had their eyebrows raised, knowing that the speaker himself was late to wake up!

How many times have you heard someone say, “It is high time!” They usually want something to change when they say that.

Well, those words are in our text for today. Let's read as we turn to Romans 13:11-14. “11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

“12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

In the Bible there are accounts of people who fell asleep at odd moments. In Genesis chapter 15 it tells that Abraham fell asleep while God was talking to him. Daniel was able to sleep in the lion’s den while the King had insomnia in his palace (Daniel 6:18).

Acts chapter twelve tells us that Peter slept soundly the night before he was expected to be executed until, as it says, “an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, 'Arise quickly!'” And he was miraculously delivered.

But today we’re going to look at the danger of sleeping spiritually. Romans 13:12 gives us two reasons: “The night is far spent, the day is at hand.” We are told that this is no time to sleep. It is high time to awake. First...

1. Because the night is far spent

When traveling, it can be important to be awake on time.

They have "wake up calls" at hotels so a person won’t miss planes, trains, or buses. We have used alarm clocks and clock radios so we won’t be late for what we plan to do the next day.

We make our plans, set our goals, and look to the future. In general we expect to be here tomorrow. When thousands of people die in hurricanes, terrorist attacks, or epidemics, it should serve as a wake up call to the rest of us. None of those who died expected to meet their God as soon as they did. It is high time to be awake.

Remember the ten virgin bridesmaids who were waiting for the bridegroom to appear? Matthew 25:5 says, “But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.”

When the bridegroom did arrive, five of the virgins realized they didn't have enough oil for their lamps. By the time they got what they needed, it was too late. The door was shut and they couldn't get in.

It should be the believer’s desire to live a lifestyle that would be Christ approved and makes us ready for His return. We don’t want to be ashamed if Jesus would come and find us with things in our life that should not be there.

As believers, we are responsible for being spiritually alert, morally upright and diligently serving as we await Christ’s return.

There was a 77-year-old man in Palm Harbor, Florida who was a sleepwalker. Have you ever done that? It could be a real problem. The story is that one day 77-year-old James Currens sleepwalked out of his house, stumbled down an embankment and didn’t wake up until he was stuck in an alligator-infested pond.