WE’VE GOT THE POWER – 3
“WAKE UP SLEEPY HEAD”
Text: Ephesians 5:14-21
Introduction: Over the past few weeks I’ve been preaching a series called, “We’ve Got The Power”. This morning, I want to continue with the third part of this series called, “Wake Up Sleepy Head”. But before moving on, let me recap what I have preached so far.
The first sermon in this series was called, ”Where It All Began”. In this sermon I talked about when the New Testament Church actually began. Through Scripture we learned that the church did not begin on the Day of Pentecost, as some believe, but that it began at the day Jesus ascended up into heaven. I then went on to explain that there are in fact two distinct and very different baptisms (three if you want to get technical) (explain the 3).
Then, in the second sermon called, “What’s The Purpose”, I spoke on some of the purposes of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit - both individually as well as collectively. In other words, the purpose of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Today, the title of my message is: “Wake Up Sleepy Head” Our text is found in, Ephesians 5:14-21. It says, “Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light." See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.” (NKJ)
There is an illustration that comes from one of George Orwell’s essays. It offers a graphic image of human laziness. Orwell describes a wasp that "was sucking jam on my plate and I cut him in half. He paid no attention, merely went on with his meal, while a tiny stream of jam trickled out of his severed esophagus. Only when he tried to fly away did he grasp the dreadful thing that had happened to him."
We are living in the VERY LAST DAYS! as described in Luke 21.
In this Scripture, Christ Himself says in verses 31 - 33, "So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
Billy Graham wrote in his book, Storm Warning, “In the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew’s devastation, as my grandson, Stephan-Nelson, was working night and day helping the survivors to get water and food, he noticed a sign on the roof of one house which read: "Okay, God. You’ve got our attention. Now what?" I see storms of apocalyptic proportions on the horizon. God is beginning to get our attention. Now what?
I. My question to you today is this: Is God really getting the Church of God universal’s attention? (expound)
A. Look at verses 34 & 35 of our text this morning. It says, "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. "For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.” (expound)
B. Revelation 3:15-21 describes it this way: "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. "Because you say, ’I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’-- and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked--"I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” (NKJ) (Expound).
II. Simply put this morning, I believe that the Church has fallen asleep in these last days. And I believe that it is time to wake up THE SLEEPING GIANT- THE CHURCH OF GOD UNIVERSAL!
A. Christ said that when He comes, He will come so quickly that many will be caught in a trap. Luke 21: 34 says, "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth.”
B. The people that Jesus is talking to here is the church. And He is warning the Church to come; the Church that will be here on the earth when all of this begins to happen. He is talking to us – you and I – and every other believer in this entire world! (expound)
A missionary went to Sierra Leone, West Africa. When she first arrived there, she was fascinated to see people wearing American T-shirts even when they didn’t know what the words meant. Her biggest laugh came the day she saw a man wearing a pink shirt with an arrow pointing to his tummy with the words: "Baby on board." (expound)
C. It is time to wake up! To get on with the Lord’s business. Nothing else matters. (expound).
III. How do you wake up a sleeping giant? (tell about waking up kids, etc.).
A. How do you wake up a sleeping giant? Look at verse 36 of our text this morning. It says, "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." Luke 22:46 says, “Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation." 1Thes 5:5-6 says, “You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.”
B. How do you wake up a sleeping giant? A man named Floyd Collins, in 1925, was exploring near Mammoth Cave in Kentucky and got stuck. He was fifty-five feet from the surface and he got stuck. Icy water was dripping in his face. The rescuers came in and diverted the water, and they talked with him, they calmed him down, but they couldn’t get him out.
He began to come unglued there, stuck in that cave. He was able to see the light, able to see where he wanted to be, hearing voices, getting food, but he was stuck and he couldn’t get out. So he slowly began to have raving lunacies about everything from chicken sandwiches to angels in white chariots.
The newspapers got in on it, and ten thousand people came to see him. They sold hot dogs and sandwiches. It was a side show. Seventeen days later Floyd Collins died in that hole, able to see where he wanted to be and not able to get there. (Expound).
C. I want you to know that we can get there this morning – but we have to change! And the only way to change is to do something different. You can’t expect change if we keep dong the same things over and over - - - because you will always end up with the same results (expound). So how do we change?
IV. We’ve Got The Power! It’s right in front of our face! Look at Revelation 3:18. It says,
A. Revelation 3:18, “My advice to you is to buy pure gold from me, gold purified by fire-- only then will you truly be rich. And to purchase from me white garments, clean and pure, so you won’t be naked and ashamed; and to get medicine from me to heal your eyes and give you back your sight.”
B. The key word here is fire! In Joel 2:28 it says, “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.” In Proverbs 1:23 it says, “Turn at my rebuke; surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.” Acts 2:17-21 says, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ (expound).
C. We need the FIRE! Pentecostal POWER – TONGES OF FIRE! To wake up the church of God! (expound)
Conclusion: Jesus said in the last days He’s pour out His Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit – the Baptism in the Holy Spirit – a total emersion in the Holy Spirit to make it through this life! Nothing else matters. Eccl 12:8-14 says, "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "All is vanity." And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and set in order many proverbs. The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written was upright-- words of truth. The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd. And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” (NKJ)
Gordon MacDonald,in an article called, “When Religion
Becomes Serious Business said, “Yesterday morning I was on the phone with our daughter who lives with her husband in North Carolina. We were having a great conversation. I was using a wireless phone, and suddenly the phone went dead, and her voice was cut off. I heard only static. I looked at the phone. A little red light was on, and I realized the battery had run out. Suddenly there was no contact.
God created us with the capacity to hear and send signals back and forth to heaven, but sin ruined that. It deadened the batteries of the soul. And Paul, in modern-day terminology, might say we’re people with dead batteries. We have the ability to commune with God, but we can’t because we’re dead. Someone has to recharge the battery. Someone has to put a new battery in.” (expound)
Wake up sleepy head! It’s time to get back in touch with God.
You can e-mail me at: Sharing_Him_Today@msn.com
