Wake Up Sleeper, its time to Rise!
Ephesians 5:8-15
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
I am a morning person, I’m routine based, I get up at the same times and typically don’t have to set an alarm to get up.
I love starting the day fresh and ready for something good to take place.
One alarm or no alarm, I’m up. Ready to go.
My wife on the other hand sets 15 alarms that go off every other two minutes even when she is off and on vacation until I’ve had enough and tell her to cut them off.
People need different things to wake up.
The Death of Lazarus
John 11
11 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”
9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. 10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”
11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”
12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
Christianity faces many battles and struggles in their long journey home.
Home will be when we enter through those gates and hear the words “well done” not rotting in the grave.
However there are times where we may find ourselves in a place of stand still, no forward movement.
We stay in the same grave that God called us out of, because its seems like its safer.
Still alive but asleep.
The problem is while we hide from the world we experience death, that death can deteriorate our spirit.
Just as Lazarus’s sisters suggested that if the tomb was opened you would smell him because he had been dead for 4 days.
You ever catch a wiff of a smelly Christian.
I bet you have, just not in the sense of rotting flesh but instead its seen as a rotting spirit.
Traits that develop in the grave
Judgementallness, doubt, fear these are elements strongly experienced by someone that is spiritually dead.
You see they are afraid to move but they’ll have all the answers for why you should be doing something or what your doing wrong, yet they will remain in place.
Fear can overwhelm and is powerful as it keeps the Christian from moving at all, we find ourselves hiding in our pews afraid to step out in God’s name.
Fear is one of the enemies greatest tools, it cripples the saints, creates anxiety and depression, doubt.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
But 2 Timothy 1:7 says 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
Sometimes when we experience these things in our walks we need to conduct a self-check, “am I connected to God?”
Conducting a self evaluation
Ephesians 5
9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord.
We can feel safe within the grave, hidden away and out of the way where the enemy doesn’t see us or he’s not concerned about us.
That safety can create a false sense of security, we can become comfortable and growth can be halted in our spiritual walks.
Our focus can extend to other areas of our lives while God takes a backseat, money, careers and other distractions can form and develop.
The more comfortable we are the more we can fall asleep and the devils not concerned about a church that’s asleep.
Complacency
Hebrews 5:11-12
New International Version
Warning Against Falling Away
11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
if were sleeping then he’s working, if were sleeping church then we aren’t in His will.
If were sleeping who’s reaching this world.
To be the hands and feet of Christ, caring and reaching to this world using our God givin abilities to impact the world around us.
Feeding the poor, praying for the sick, and not just on Sunday mornings.
This walk isn’t supposed to be easy, it demands sacrifice.
We need to wake up church!
We have a world to reach.
Now is our time.
This moment is primed for us.
The world has been dramatically affected by a global pandemic and our time is now.
Like Lazarus Christ is calling us out of the grave, our testimony will save lives.
You have a testimony.
John 11
14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
From the time that you stepped into this church or heard God’s word
You have a testimony!
The difference we make today will impact a lifetime, but first, we have to wake up!
No one knows your testimony better than you and God.
No one understands your fears, your doubts your concerns better than God.
But they will because when God calls you to come forth you’ll be given the opportunity to tell the world what he did for you.
Your testimony which was something the enemy planned to use for your destruction has now become a tool used by God to tear down walls and not just your walls but those around you.
Before your salvation took place we were in a state of death, we were sleeping because God had not woken us up yet.
Wake up Sleeper!
Your testimony becomes a weapon that God can use to bring life to others.
Wake up sleeper!
He’s got a plan for you, you’re not too dead he can’t revive you, you’re not too funky that he can’t use you.
Wake up sleeper!
Revelation 12:11
New International Version
They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
We need to come against the liar of all lies because he’s whispering to some today that you don’t have what it takes, that your too weak, you’ve made too many mistakes.
God says in your weakness I’ll make you strong.
Your life will be used to confuse the enemy.
The smaller you feel the greater you can be used.
God loves the underdog, you just gotta wake up.
Mark 6:5
5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.
Jesus was limited in his earthly work.
He was not able to reach the world in the same capacity that we can today.
It was not his time yet.
Our time is now.
Our opportunity is now.
No waiting, no stalling, no sleeping.
