Sleep Easy: God Is Awake!

SLEEP EASY: GOD IS AWAKE!

Ps. 121:3-4

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: ANIMALS IN HEAVEN?

1. There’s a natural curiosity about Heaven. One little boy asked his Mom, “Mom, are there animals in Heaven?” She replied, “What kind of animals?”

2. He said, “Regular animals, cows and bees.” She said, “I’m not sure about that. I doubt they will be necessary in Heaven.”

3. “Then where are we going to get enough milk and honey for everybody?” he asked.

B. TEXT

2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot slip—He who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—He will watch over your life; 8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore” Ps. 121:2-4, 7-8.

C. THESIS

1. Sleeping on the job is a growing problem. A new survey reveals that 51% of Americans sleep on the job! [https://www.shrm.org/ResourcesAnd Tools/hr-topics/employee-relations/Pages/ Sleeping-on-the-Job.aspx]

2. For a soldier to fall asleep on duty is a dereliction of duty, because the other soldiers might be attacked while he’s sleeping. So, sleeping at the wrong time can be bad.

3. How many times have YOU struggled to stay awake? [I’m NOT talking about church!] For most of us – often! We have responsibilities, work that must get done, children to look after, an assignment which must be finished, or some event we’re waiting for.

4. But another cause of sleeplessness is worry. Today we’re looking at a marvelous promise by which God wants to end our cares and worries. This message is titled, “Sleep Easy: God is Awake!” It’s implied in these verses that, first,...

I. WE WORRY UNNECESSARILY

A. WORRYING IS A BIG PART OF LIFE

1. We do a lot of worrying. 71% of U.S. adults confess they have fears of some type and at least 40 million people have anxiety disorders!

2. We worry about our future, our jobs & finances, our health, our marriage, our kids, our Facebook profile, and what we’re going to eat for dinner. Studies show that 85 percent of what we worry about never happens! [Huffpost article at conclusion.]

3. SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO WORRY!

a. A man said, “I always feel bad when I feel good because I know I’ll feel bad after a while.”

b. One lady said she liked worrying, because if she didn’t do that, she’d be bored.

c. One man claimed that since 90% of what you worry about doesn’t happen, that was proof that worrying works!

d. Someone said, “If you have no ulcers, you’re not carrying your share of the load!”

B. GO TO GOD FOR HELP

1. The Bible says, “Be anxious for nothing...” Ph. 4:6. “Do not worry about what you’ll eat, drink, or wear... for your heavenly Father knows you need these.” Mt. 6:31-32. All we have to do is pray to Him!

2. ILLUS. Lifetime Rail Pass Goes Unused

a. When Crowfoot, the great chief of the Blackfoot tribe in southern Alberta, gave the Canadian Pacific Railway permission to cross the Blackfoot land, he was given, in return, a lifetime pass on the railroad.

b. Crowfoot put it in a leather case and carried it

around his neck for the rest of his life. There is no record, however, that he ever used his right to travel anywhere on the trains. [Prairie Overcomer]

c. God’s promises are not for decoration. You need to know them and claim them by faith, in prayer, in order to receive the benefits of them!

II. GOD IS WATCHING OVER US

“He who watches over you will not slumber” (121:3)

A. SYMBOL IN SPACE: “THE EYE OF GOD”

1. The Hubble Space Telescope has taken a number of photos of the Helix Nebula that caught the curiosity of the scientists. Some astronomers describe it as “a trillion-mile-long tunnel of glowing gases.”

2. At its center is a dying star that has ejected dust and gas stretching toward its outer rim. Remarkable photos of it look like the blue iris of a human eye complete with eyelids. Because of this, some have called it the “Eye of God.”

3. It’s a reminder of an eternal eye that constantly watches over us. God keeps a watchful eye on every child of God. God’s care is constant and unfailing.

B. DO YOU HAVE A PORTABLE GOD?

1. In 1 Samuel 6, the Israelites thought their God was limited to a golden box called the Ark. But how many of you know, that “God fills the heavens & the earth?” (Jer. 23:24). Even they can’t contain Him! “In Him we live, & move, & have our being” Acts 17:28. I SERVE A BIG GOD!