Asleep at the Wheel
Jonah 1: 3-6
But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence
of the LORD, and went down to Joppa;
and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare
thereof, and went down into it, to go with them
unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.
Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea,
to lighten it of them.
But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship;
and he lay, and was fast asleep.
So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him,
What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God,
if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.
14Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said,
We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee,
let us not perish for this man's life,
and lay not upon us innocent blood:
for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.
So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea:
and the sea ceased from her raging.
Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly,
and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.
Life brings to each of us certain opportunities and challenges.
Someone said, “It is important what happens to you, but HOW YOU respond to what happens to you is MUCH more important.”
Like it or not…We actually DO determine our own destiny.
Sure there are LOTS of factors that INFLUENCE the choices we all make, but the bottom line is WE are IN the driver’s seat of life.
Most of us drive the same route to work each day.
I wonder if you, like me, have gotten to work and could not remember much along the way to work that day.
We go through the motions without much thought at all.
Ever do that in other areas of our journey here on earth?
Sometimes we allow our lives to become stale and uninspiring.
We begin to settle for the good enoughs and we don’t challenge ourselves to be who God has meant each of us to be.
We may pretend we are living a passionate life,
but really we are just going through the motions.
There have many times when I perfected the art of being busy.
My workload and long hours was impressive to some,
but I wasn’t accomplishing much of anything of real substance.
I wasn’t improving my relationships and I was not moving any closer to living my life’s purpose…I was not drawing nearer to God.
For me, it’s too easy to go through the motions.
I can get up in the morning, shave and begin my day with a calm and self-assured outward appearance.
I know how to say the right things and what to do, and not to do, that will create a favorable impression.
I know how to act like I‘ve got it all together,
but underneath the polished exterior I feel like I‘m falling apart.
My heart and my soul are longing for more.
We need to be honest when the realization smacks us in the face that we are moving, but not really going anywhere.
We sometimes confuse activity with progress…they are not the same.
When we feel our faith shaken, it’s time to be real with ourselves.
No more pretending.
No more going through the motions.
Right now is the right time to take hold of the gifts we have been given and let His presence awaken our weary souls.
We can NOT remain…Asleep at the Wheel.
John 8:36
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
When we hear our souls cry out to be free, we can choose to ignore the quiet desperation or we can respond by allowing His spirit to grant us the freedom it craves.
We often build personal prisons with walls constructed of should haves and poor choices of the past.
But to grow we need to wake our souls and tell them there is more to this life worrying about things we can NOT change.
Waiting for all of us is passion, loving kindness and the ability to open our minds and hearts to the refreshing overflow of His Spirit.
Be free to begin living the dream you have painted in your mind.
Be free to take the first brick out the wall that has made you motionless. Use these bricks to begin building a path to take you wherever you’ve always wanted to go.
Wake up and allow the fire God placed within you to ignite afresh.
I am challenging all of us today to choose a different path.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.
If we continue to live the way we’ve always lived,
we will receive what we’ve always received.
Step out of the Box of your comfort zones, and experience the presence and power of God like you did in the beginning.
YOU are in the driver’s seat.. don’t fall… Asleep at the Wheel.
We are never alone.
While there are times loneliness can be the agony of our souls,
an invitation from the Savior is always extended to share our burdens…casting our cares on Him.
However, the power of prayer is not in the opportunity to ask for our problems to be resolved, but rather in seeking our relationship with the Lord Jesus to become more alive than ever before.
It may be easy to forget the need for that close relationship when things are going well.
But none of us really know when disappointment and pain will surface again.
Consistent prayer keeps the communication channel open.
When we pray, if we really pay attention we can hear the voice of God and feel the urging of His Spirit to draw closer to Him.
When the spirit of God within us HELPS us pray…
We can feel the difference…we get up changed…we get up renewed.
There have been times, I felt like I was drowning and no one heard my cry for help. I’ve been waiting to be saved and feeling frustrated that no one is responding.
The truth is I have had the power all along to save myself.
Acts 2:40
And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying,
Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
All the tools are at our fingertips.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ the One True God is ours!
The Truth of the Word of God is a integral part of our lives.
His love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost.
What more could we ask for…Yet there IS still more.
Surrounding you today are people that LOVE and CARE for your Soul.
Don’t find yourself…Asleep at the Wheel.
It happens to all of us at some time or another.
The daily demands of life, the disappointments, shattered dreams,
Our focus is drawn away, We forget we are in control.
Proverbs 6:10
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to sleep:
Jonah, was running from what God’s perfect plan for him was.
Tarshish was his destination of choice.
The culture was somewhat different but these people too, needed to hear the Word of the Lord.
It appears that Jonah might have had a “better” idea than God.
He was so convinced he was right, the bible says he was FAST asleep in the bottom of the ship.
Yet a little sleep…its NOT the BIG things that will separate you from the rejuvenating POWER of God in your life…it’s the little things.
It may start with a little bit of an attitude that’s not dealt with.
Or it may be a little part of your heart that remains protected from the will of God.
Grandma used to say, If you mind your pennies son, your Dollars will mind themselves.
The truth is if we pay close attention to the little things that continually strive to produce roots of bitterness, rebellion and indifference,
We will not be sidetracked by even BIGGER issues of life.
I am here today to provide a wake up call to all saints.
Gentlemen, I want for a moment to address the leadership of the households of faith, that would be you and I.
I read recently the definition of Mother’s day was a time to honor mothers for all they are and all they do.
And the definition of Father’s day is a time to beat up on Dad for not doing a better job.
THAT is not my intention at all.
But allow me to focus on Men in an attempt to wake the Mighty Men.
1 Thessalonians 5:6
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
Here’s a few wake up calls to render your attention to :
· My children are out of control
· My wife is distant, and the family doesn’t respect me
· I don’t have a close relationship with any of my brethren
· I can’t properly explain basic biblical truths to others or find the verses that support such teaching.
· I don’t have a close relationship with my children.
· I am starting to make the same arguments and excuses that unbelievers make.
· I have come to the conclusion that one doesn’t have to obey every command of God to be saved .
· I am not presently trying to convert anyone.
· I haven’t prayed… REALLY prayed through in a while.
· I am involved in a sinful habit.
· I am trying to find happiness, purpose, and meaning for my life in something other than my relationship with God and my family.
· I have a negative attitude toward too many things in life.
It happens my friend, too often…but it doesn’t have to happen anymore…YOU are in the driver’s seat…don’t be Asleep at the Wheel.
Finally I’m going to address the last part of our scripture text.
The other men in the ship exhausted every option they had to try to survive this storm on their own…without success.
Somehow they were finally convinced that throwing Jonah overboard was the final opportunity to possibly insure their salvation.
And so Up and Over the side Jonah goes, and the storm ceases.
Jonah 1:16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.
I have to believe these men on the ship were not sissies.
No doubt they had weathered many storms before.
The wind, the sun and the salt water had taken its toll on them and they had become hardened to the tempests of life.
And yet still, this event was destined if you please to change the direction of MORE than just a prophet running from God.
Sometimes its totally devastating circumstances that have to come
to bring us to a place where brokenness can work repentance in our lives.
They are to awake us out of our lethargy…
To keep us from falling Asleep at the Wheel.
