Awake From Your Slumber!
Proverbs 24:30-34
When I was a 13 year old boy, our family moved from my childhood home. When my parents sold that house it had been completely renovated. It was like new. The kitchen and bathroom had been remodeled. All of the bedrooms and the family room had been painted, and new carpet was installed. There was a new roof, and new siding on the exterior.
Within a few years that house was in a state of state of disrepair. The siding was falling off, the roof was caving in, the windows were broken out, the floors were rotten, the walls had holes in them. All the electrical and plumbing supplies had been stolen.
Today that house no longer stands, all that remains is an empty lot that once contained a nice home. The strange fact is that that it didn't take 20 years for that house to decay, it actually happened rather quickly.
Neglect quickly leads to decay and destruction. If you neglect your physical health problems arise. The same is true concerning your spiritual health.
We know certain people who were once "spiritual giants". They were soul winners, prayer warriors, faithful servants, and church leaders. They were load bearers, burden sharers, people of the Word. They were people who were faithful to the church and the ministry. But somewhere along the way they began to neglect the things of God, and now they are now a mere shell of what they once were. Perhaps you would be honest enough to admit that you are not where you once were spiritually. Maybe your passion and zeal has been replaced with complacency and apathy. You suffer from a far too common problem in the modern church, that problem is called "spiritual neglect".
Proverbs 24 sounds an alarm to those who suffer from spiritual neglect. I would like to examine this passage and encourage you to
"Awake From Your Slumber".
Solomon journeyed past a local field and he noticed a vineyard. It didn't take long for him to realize that something was amiss. The field was grown over with thorns and thistles. The wall that once protected the estate was now broken down. In those days agriculture was a very honorable profession. Farmers and vineyard husbandmen were well respected. But the owner of this land earned no respect from Solomon. In fact, Solomon says that he was "slothful, lazy and lacking sense."
Solomon draws our attention to the obvious neglect, and he proclaims the results of such slothfulness. He says that poverty is imminent for the man who had abandoned his duty. Many of our fellow Christians are headed towards spiritual poverty; even worse, some of them are already there!
- Look with me to verses 30-31 as we see:
I. THE CRISIS OF SPIRITUAL NEGLECT
v30 I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; 31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.
The owner had neglected his vineyard. Unless he woke up and gave it the proper attention, the situation would only get worse. If you refuse to address the spiritual crisis in your life, things will only get worse. If you would honestly appraise your spiritual condition you may find that that you have become slothful in the things of God. Your spiritual life is withering away. Your heart is as hard as the fallow ground. You are indifferent toward the things of God. You are backslidden!
Like the church at Ephesus you have "left your first love". Whether you realize it or not, you are in the midst of a spiritual crisis!
- Let's take a moment and consider:
A. THE DURATION OF THIS CRISIS
This field was not consumed with weeds and nettles overnight. Nor was the vineyard overgrown in just a few days. The wall did not decay in a short period of time. An extended period of neglect caused all of these issues.
If you find yourself away from God, chances are things have gone unaddressed for some time. You began to stray and step by step you walked further and further away from the Lord. The crisis of spiritual neglect begins when we take our eyes off of the Savior. This followed by apathy and complacency concerning the things of God. The natural result of this is returning to the things of this world.
David Wilkerson said - The river of neglect slowly carries you farther and farther away from the Lord. And the farther downstream you go, the swifter and more dangerous that river becomes! You don't know it, but there are raging falls ahead - a place where there are forces beyond your control, a place of no turning back, (a place) of shipwreck!
Spiritual negligence is an issue that has ruined many who were once faithful followers of Christ. Perhaps you noticed problems in the past, but you did not address them. Because they were not addressed they have grown worse.
- Sadly, many people fail to realize just how severe their situation is. Notice for a moment:
B. THIS DISCERNMENT OF THIS CRISIS
It appears that the owner of this estate simply did not care about the pitiful shape of his vineyard and fields. Solomon was indeed the wisest man who ever lived, by anyone could see that this vineyard had been neglected for some time.
Any true Christian knows when they are backslidden. This is because we who are saved possess the Holy Spirit of God. And the Holy Spirit will convict you when you sin. So why is it that so many people fail to address their backslidden condition? It is because their heart had become so hard that they just don't care! Like Solomon, your fellow Christians notice your situation immediately. Perhaps they have attempted to hold you accountable. They may have tried to warn you of the perils of spiritual neglect. But you remain in your slumber as the fields of your life are overtaken with the weeds of sin, the vineyard of your heart is consumed with your transgressions and the walls of protection are broken down. If you are in the midst of a spiritual crisis, there is help for you today. But you must first acknowledge that you are in the midst of a crisis!
- I realize that not everyone here is suffering from spiritual negligence. And for that I say praise the Lord. But this slothful servant shows us how important it is to guard ourselves from spiritual negligence. One way to protect yourself from spiritual negligence is to know what causes it. We find that information in our selected text. Notice:
II. THE CAUSE OF SPIRITUAL NEGLECT
After pondering the situation for a moment, Solomon saw the source of neglected field and vineyard. He spoke to the fact that:
A. IDLENESS CAUSES SPIRITUAL NEGLECT
v30 "I went by the field of the slothful"
Idleness is defined as - not working, inactive, unemployed, doing nothing. The owner of this vineyard was idle, in fact, Solomon calls him slothful, which means lazy! My Christian friend, if you are not actively serving the Lord...If you have become inactive and idle... trouble is coming!!
There is perhaps no greater example of the severe consequences of idleness than King David. We are told that "at the time the Kings went forth to battle...David tarried still at Jerusalem." He sent his captains, servants and soldiers to war but he stayed at home. David did not go out looking for trouble. He did not plan to walk away from the Lord. He didn't expect to become consumed with sin, but that is exactly what happened. David's calamity did not happen overnight. But his idleness was the beginning of a slippery slope that affected him for the rest of his life. In his moment of inactivity he looked off the top of the palace and was tempted by Bathsheba. He asked who she was,he sent for her, he committed adultery with her, and in time he had her husband killed. Following this, his life continued to spiral downward.
David was a great man of God. He was hand picked to be the King of Israel. He was a man who walked with God, talked with God and served him faithfully This man that God described as "a man after His own heart" became and adulterous murderer. If you continue to read the story you will find that David had no fellowship with his Lord for almost a year! His backslidden condition didn't start with temptation. It didn't start with adultery, it didn't start with murder, it didn't start with a hard heart, it all began with idleness!!! It began when David neglected his duty!
What about you? Are you actively serving the Lord or have you become idle? Many of the brethren who we refer to as "inactive church members" were once active ...faithful...devoted servants. But now they are idle. Their prayer life is covered with weeds and nettles. Their spiritual swords are rusty. Their area of service has gone unattended and there is no fruit being produced. The walls they had built to protect their character are crumbling and broken down. And now they are enduring the consequences of spiritual neglect.
- This spiritual negligence is not only caused by Idleness, we also see that:
B. IGNORANCE CAUSES SPIRITUAL NEGLECT
v30b and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
Solomon says that this man was "lacking in sense". The man who had neglected his estate was steadily ruining himself. Verse 34 says that "Poverty was traveling his way"...but he did not see it. His poverty would sneak up on him like a thief in the night. This man was oblivious to the things that were obvious to anyone who passed his estate. Some people are willfully ignorant of their spiritual condition. They refuse to examine themselves. They believe that they are okay spiritually. The excuses and attempts to justify their neglect are plentiful. And they are willfully ignorant of the spiritual poverty that is rapidly approaching.
- The vineyard owner was ignorant of the consequences of his neglect, and when it came to his duty, he was also indifferent. Let us consider the fact that:
C. INDIFFERENCE CAUSES SPIRITUAL NEGLECT
v32 (Solomon says ) Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. 33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
The owner of this estate knew what needed to be done. In times past he had been faithful to the task at hand. There wouldn't have been a field if he had not cleared the land in the past. There wouldn't have been a vineyard if he hadn't planted one in days gone by. It is also apparent that the fields and vineyard were once precious to him. So precious in fact, that he built a stone wall to protect it!
Many of the people who are suffering from spiritual neglect were once the most faithful among the brethren. But now they have walked away from their Christian duty. They have walked away from specific ministries in the church. In the past, they cleared the fields, they planted vineyards, and they constructed walls to protect the harvest. But somewhere along the way they became indifferent. They know what the Lord has called them to do, but they refuse to do it!
- Just as Solomon had a warning for the slothful man back then, God has a warning for you today. God would have you to know that there is a penalty for your spiritual neglect. Notice in verse 34:
III. The Consequences Of Spiritual Neglect
v34 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.
The consequences of this man's neglect would be swift, unexpected and severe. Solomon paints the picture of a robber coming in unexpectedly and attacking this man in his slumber. The end result of this neglect would be great poverty! The consequences of your spiritual neglect will be spiritual poverty!
- This man's neglect affected several areas in his life. It affected his fields, and his vineyard and his stone walls. Your negligence will affect several areas in your life as well:
A) SPIRITUAL NEGLECT AFFECTS YOUR PRODUCTIVITY
The fields were grown over with thorns and nettles. If a crop had been planted, it would have been choked by the weeds and nettles. The estate owner had not been productive. He had not removed those things that were detrimental to the harvest. When you neglect your own spiritual life, you cannot be productive for the Lord.
Jesus said that ... The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: (Luke 10:2). One reason that the laborers are few is that so many who should be working in the fields are fast asleep!
- We also find that:
B) SPIRITUAL NEGLECT AFFECTS YOUR PEERS
The vineyard owner probably believed his neglect affected no one but himself. But he was wrong! His slothfulness would have a detrimental impact on those around him. The weeds and nettles that consumed his field would eventually cause trouble for his neighbors. The seeds of these weeds would be carried by the wind into the surrounding fields and cause harm to crop of his neighbors.
Your spiritual neglect will not be contained in your own life. The seeds will spread and affect others. God has placed you in a position to have an impact on others. Your neglect will have a negative impact on your family, your friends, your neighbors and co-workers.
C.H Spurgeon said "If we are not blessing our neighbors by the lives we live, we are an injury and an evil to them."
- It is also true that:
C) SPIRITUAL NEGLECT AFFECTS YOUR PROFITABILITY
The vineyard and fields should have supplied this man with food and drink that would sustain he and his family. They would have also provided necessary income to support them throughout the year. But the fields were empty, the ground was fallow, and the vines were bare.
Jesus did not simply call us to "bear fruit". He said that the "Father is glorified when we BEAR MUCH FRUIT!". (John 15:8)
- Look at your life! Examine the fields! Assess the vineyard! If your life is not bearing fruit then you are suffering from spiritual negligence!! And this neglect affects your Productivity, your Peers, your Profitability and last of all we see that:
D) SPIRITUAL NEGLECT AFFECTS YOUR PROTECTION
At some point this man erected a wall to protect the harvest. But he has been idle for so long that the wall is crumbling. The devoted Christian builds walls in his/her life. These walls indicate boundaries that are not to be crossed. These walls also protect us from harm and danger.
When we neglect to maintain those walls: we lose sight of the boundaries, our work is subject to an attack from the enemy and our fruitfulness is at stake.
Are there broken down walls in your life? If so, they are broken down and crumbling because you are asleep spiritually! Seeds of wickedness and sin now consume your life. Harmful nettles have overtaken your field. and whether you know it or not, your adversary is plotting and attack. There is no wall to protect you from the danger that is coming. Spiritual poverty is on it's way and for some it is already at the door! You have neglected the fields and the vineyards. The walls are broken down. The time for sowing has past. It is harvest time and you will reap a bitter crop!
- There is a great danger in spiritual neglect. But there is also a solution for this negligence. I would like to conclude by examining:
IV. THE CURE FOR SPIRITUAL NEGLECT
The owner of this vineyard valued sleep over labor. His only hope of reclaiming his property was to awake from his slumber! My friend, that is the only thing that will prevent you from encountering spiritual poverty. It is imperative that you awake from your slumber! The Christian life is an active life, it is a life of service... it is a life that requires attentiveness, alertness & labor! But some of you have gone to sleep!
Your work for the Lord is idle, your support for the church is waning, your love for others has grown cold, your heart has grown hard, your Christian progress is stagnant and your adversary is planning an attack. And you are sleeping thorough it all!
Your home is being destroyed, your children are rebellious, your family is falling apart and you are ASLEEP!! Our communities are crumbling, our neighbors are hurting, our friends are suffering, and the church is asleep! Society is in a deplorable condition and getting worse. Wickedness abounds, sin is accepted, Jesus is rejected, evil is celebrated, and God is blasphemed. All because the church has been asleep for too long.
God is sounding the alarm for His people to awake from their slumber! He has provided us with countless opportunities we have neglected them. He has opened innumerable doors that we have failed to walk through. All around us there are children who have never been taught the Bible. Each day we encounter people who are lost and bound for hell, yet the church remains asleep!
In many ways the church in America is in pitiful shape! Leaders aren't leading, servants aren't serving, worshippers aren't worshipping. Some aren't giving, others aren't attending, many aren't growing and the majority aren't evangelizing.
We can't blame these problems on the world, we can't blame the government we can't even blame the devil!! The problem is that too many Christians are asleep. And God is calling us to awake from our slumber!
Our fields have gone unattended, our ground is fallow and hard and so is our hearts, our vineyards are withering away, and the walls are crumbling. Seeds of sin and evilness are spreading and overtaking the harvest. While the estate is neglected, there is an enemy at the gates prepared to attack. Too many Christians are caught up in their slumber and do not see him.
Whether you realize it or not, you are headed towards spiritual poverty. It is time that you awake from your slumber! God is sounding the alarm today! He is calling for His people to wake up. The hour is late, the night is far spent, and the day is at hand! Life is too short, eternity is too long souls are too precious, and proclaiming Gospel is too important for us to sleep through it all! Jesus is coming soon. What we are going to do for Him we better do quickly. Paul said in - Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep:
John Wesley said:
"My brothers and sisters, the hour has already come for us to wake from our slumber before the great trumpet of the Lord sounds and our land becomes a field of blood. O may we quickly see what leads to peace, before it is hidden from our eyes!
“Restore us, Lord, and put away your displeasure toward us. O Lord, look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine,” and make us recognize “the time of your coming to us.” “Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of your name! Deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake! And then we will not turn away from you. Revive us, and we will call on your name. Restore us, Lord God Almighty! Make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.”
May that be our prayer today!
Maybe God has revealed to you that you are suffering from spiritual neglect, now is the time for you to awake from your slumber. Till the fallow ground in the field...weed the vineyard and rebuild the broken down walls! It is time to "Awake From Your Slumber"
