Don’t Sleep Your Life Away

 

Introduction

                                                                                                                         

There are 3 definitions of sleep and the 1^st 2 are not for this study:

1)    Natural, daily sleep

2)    People who are dead 1Thessalonians 4:13

3)    People blind to things going on around them (distracted with things in life; they are ‘asleep spiritually). 

 

If we are not awake, we are unable to perform, cannot fight the enemy, defend ourselves, or see the signs of the time.

 

I.              The Sleeping Unbeliever – non-religious

 

A.            This is the group of many non-religious, unbelievers walking around as in a daze, unable to understand the meaning of life as events unfold & sometimes clearly point out a problem in sin calling them to change. 

 

But they are too deep in sleep.  

 

Song of Solomon 7:9 And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak. 

 

B.            Living & breathing people walking around in sin are called dead, or we could say, they are asleep & cannot hear or see what is happening even if you tell them & point it out. 

 

Why can’t they understand?  The answer is easy – they are asleep & only God knows how to wake them up. Then truth will be offered, they will be allowed a time to repent, change or go back to sleep.

 

1 Timothy 5:6 But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. 

 

A carnal person is asleep – they can’t see themselves so they continue in fleshly pleasure – God calls them dead while they live.

 

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

 

They talk spiritual things & they cannot see it, it confuses them, they don’t want the pleasure to be ended – it feels good. So they are unable to discern eternal things.

 

II.            The Sleeping, False Christian

 

Isaiah 4:1 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

 

A.            They don’t want to obey Christ but they see a benefit in Him so they use His name & continue to sin. 

 

They have no truth, no power, and no righteousness. Here is what happens to them: (see 2 Timothy 3:5; religious but denying the power)

 

Acts 19:13-16

13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.

14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.

15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?

16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

 

Seven men, brothers, sons of a chief priest, tried to face a devil possessed man & cast it out. Reality is too much for those asleep. (People run to booze & drugs, other sins of distraction, to escape reality). First we need to wake up & get back to the way that please Jesus most – use the Bible teachings & examples. Wake up & promote Jesus!

III.          The Sleeping Believer

 

Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

 

A.            The word ‘Christian’ originated in Antioch during the time Barnabas spent there exhorting the believers & God added many to the church, (Paul came to help & stay another year). 

 

The people who believed in & followed the teachings of Christ, were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, their God was Jesus Christ, told everyone they witnessed to. 

 

The name of Jesus was promoted over & over, causing the disciples to be called Christians. 

 

Are we acting like the church in Antioch back then? 

• Have psychology methods attempting to reach the lost ‘our way’ made us forget that God adds to the church?
• Are we using the name enough to make sure people know we are Christians? 

 

Matthew 2:1-7

2 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

 

B.            Wise men ask for the location of the newborn king.

C.             The Jews were believers of God’s word & coming Messiah. This caused a stir. Why?

1.             The Jews were asleep; Herod hears about it & sends for the religious leaders, who are supposed to have all the answers, they repeat scripture but they are asleep too; some know the Bible but are they awake spiritually? (Do they understand & have the anointing). 

 

Mary, Joseph, Simeon, Anna, Zacharias, Elizabeth, some shepherds, & wise men were all awake. 

 

A religious nation was asleep.

 

There are churches today, truth, born again churches, fast asleep! They have forgotten their 1^st love. 

 

John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 

 

Only God can bring them & save them.

 

Romans 13:11  And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

 

Conclusion

 

• The basics for revival have never changed. If we change from the basics then ‘we’ hinder revival. 

 

• Don’t fear witnessing about One God in Jesus, the Acts 2:38 new birth & righteous living – God loves it & always has.  

 

• Lift Him up & He’ll bring them. It is time to wake up & get back to the basics – it is too close to the end!