Wednesday night, something in Pastor Bonnie prayer, really hit my heart. She doesn’t even know that it floored me. But she prayed for revival to sweep across the land and to begin in each one of us. My spirit spoke to me and said I need my people to wake up.
So I began questioning the Lord how does revival and the words “wake up” correlate? Lord what are you trying to tell me. Lord, what do I need to tell your children this week?
As I look out, across the congregation, and the people accessing the Internet, I say to the Lord these people look awake to me. They are not yawning and they are not asleep yet. It was as if my soul laughed. Not physically, Silly, and spiritually. Oh, we need not to be lukewarm this morning. We need to be on fire for God. We need to be taken every opportunity to tell someone about Jesus. We need to be taken every opportunity to invite people to come to church. We need to be trying every avenue to reach the people God puts in our path.
Turn with me to Ephesians chapter 5:14 “14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”
God calls us to be vigilant and know what’s going on in the world. We are not to be asleep at the wheel. God gives us rest in our bodies need rest, but here news are mine daily. When we open our Bibles it’s not time to go to sleep.
As we fall asleep we let sin creep back into our lives. Sometimes, we start up old habits. Before you know it we stop coming to church. Then, our spirit gets weaker and weaker. It becomes harder and harder to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd. Paul comes to us in this passage and says wake up! You think you are actually awake, but you are asleep. Do you think you are a child of God, but your actions contradict what you feel inside.
Think about the time we’ve been watching on TV. Think about the quality of things that we are watching on television. Think about the times that we are introduced to pornography and nudity. It’s not invited but through television, advertisements on Facebook, and other places it’s there. Think about the time we are actually for taking in sinful activities. Think about how many times we linger and focus on those things. We don’t even turn them off or turn away from them. They become our norm. Where is our Focus? Is it on the things of God or is it on the things of the world? Do we have a thirst and hunger for the things of God? Paul warns us to just stop such activities.
Join me in reading Ephesians 5:1-3.
Ephesians 5
King James Version
5 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
These things should not be spoken about and definitely should not be part of our lives. Through this we see how God enables us to live a life of abundance and joy. We need to live a life that brings glory to God. These things in verse three should be even uttered if we are a Christian. That’s strong language. If you are a Christian you should not be partaking in these types of activities, because it does not bring glory to God and it actually made Greek a refresh to the name of God. I like the last part of verse three. Paul tells us that our heart should be full of Thanksgiving. We should be thankful and blessed bunch of people this morning. Just for a few seconds take time to thank God now for something.
Instead of partaking in sinful activities God has made a way of escape for us. Instead of following through with our Temptations we should start thanking him. This will change our focus and our attitude in that moment. When we praise God and give him the glory or when we testify it draws him to us. We can feel his presence. Thanksgiving drives out notations of fornication and all uncleanness. Thanksgiving robs out the dark and brings in the light.
Wickedness can so easily creep into our lives. We must guard our heart Scripture says. If you have been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ; you have been given a new life. You are sealed with the Holy Spirit. With the chastisement of the Holy Spirit we as Christians are most miserable when we partake of sin. The Bible says that God has given you a new nature you have been born a new. You have the power within you to walk upright and not fall into the darkness. You have been bought with a price and brought into the new Ways. We have a new life filled with a new Hope. We have been given a second chance and a brighter and healthier future.
But what happens to us is that we fall asleep in this new life. Paul tells us here to wake up, to be vigilant, and I’m saying to you hunger and thirst after the things of God. We want revival and It has to begin with us, but we must be awake. We must be seeking first the kingdom of God.
Sometimes, our sin is so secretive that we justify it. We even become such a habit of it that we can seal it. We think it’s OK to Sin as long as mom and dad don’t find out. We think it’s OK to sin as long as the preacher doesn’t know. We think it’s OK to sin as long as our husbands or wives don’t know. But can I tell you this morning that God knows. We can’t hide our sin from God.
Proverbs 28:13 “If you hide your sins, you will not succeed. If you confess and reject them, you will receive mercy.
Jeremiah 16:17-18 “I see everything they do. They cannot hide from me the things they do; their sin is not hidden from my eyes. I will pay back the people of Judah twice for every one of their sins, because they have made my land unclean. They have filled my country with their hateful idols.”
OK, getting back to the scripture. . covetousness Where we long for those things that we don’t have. Or we want more and more of what we don’t have this becomes disorderly in our lives.For example, we long to more money That it takes up all of our thinking. We long to have more stuff and this takes up all of our thinking. This becomes a distraction that slowly takes us away from the things of God. Listen, the scripture, Paul, tales to ask the antidote to habitual sin it’s Thanksgiving. Sometimes, we are ashamed of it but we can’t get away from it. Yet, here God reveals a beautiful truth to us. The antidote to hidden sin wickedness, sexual immorality, is A life of thanks. Realizing who God he is, and that God is in control, and given him glory is a life for Thanksgiving.
When gratitude is not a part of our life it is like a wedge in our faith. It’s being like a spoiled child. It’s like expecting something for nothing. It’s like taking something for granted. As a Christian, it’s falling asleep at the wheel. This wedge in our faith opens us up to all sorts of things. It allows the counterfeiter to come in and move God out. This allows Satan a creak to tell us that God is not good and that God has been holding out on you. Perhaps, he has convinced you that you need to find satisfaction somewhere else, because God cannot satisfy you. These are the traits that do not bring gratitude. At this point your heart is full of greed and not gratitude. You want more and more. Do you have enough money to meet the needs of your family and deliver some of your wants, but you continue to want more and more. You are at the brink of distraction. Your family is suffering from your absence, but longing to fill the void is still there. You’re constantly looking for something, but never being able to fill the void. This is where Satan brings you. This is what you get when you follow the prince of this world. An endless void.
Friends, when we fall asleep, sin and Satan doesn’t walk up and say here I am. This little wedge it’s a slippery slope and eventually you’ll fall off. God is calling for us to wake up this morning it is proven in scripture.
1 Thessalonians 5:8
King James Version “But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.”
At the center of a life filled by the Holy Spirit is A heart that produces fruit. We are judged am I judge others by the fruit that we see. We do not want to be seen as hypocrites. We want to be seen and known as a Christian sold out which is sanctified with Christ Jesus. Put aside our sin and first put on the helmet of salvation. Then, put on the breastplate of faith and love.
Later in first Thessalonians 5:18 we find these words: 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. No matter what your circumstances this morning. Whether you’re having relationship problems or financial problems God is in control. We should never compare ourselves to our neighbors this opens a crack in our heart for Satan to enter in. God does not want us to lust, because he knows that Satan can hook us. When we want more and more our heart can become so squeezed much that there is no room for Thanksgiving. Where there is no Thanksgiving there is no rejoicing or happiness.
Let’s consider Eve in the garden. This would be in the book of Genesis chapter 3. The serpent was a very crafty animal. The serpent to dig God actually tell you that you cannot partake of the tree? Satan said to her can you really trust God? He says don’t you know God lied to you? Don’t you know that God has been holding out on you? What is Eve had had a heart full of gratitude? What if she just push the pause button and started thanking God for everything that he has done for her. She could’ve reversed about how God created her and his knee and age. She could’ve been thankful for the blessed husband that he gave her. She could’ve been rejoicing over how he put him and her in this garden and provided all of their needs. And a boot, she could have thanked him for walking and talk to talking to them every evening in the garden.But we stay here that there was just a tiny crack and eaves heart. It was not full of gratitude. And the same thing happens to us today doesn’t it?
How many of us in here this morning and watching by the way of Facebook are living lives of Thanksgiving? I don’t know? How many times of this week did you complain about your circumstances? Why God did you put me with this man or this woman? Why God do I not have enough money to do XYNZ? My God am I just not satisfied? I think most of us are thinking tomorrow looks better and brighter, and that void will be filled with something, and then will have joy and peace. That is the biggest lie from the father of lies.
Nothing could be further from the truth. God has granted us and given us everything we need. In fact, he’s given us a life full of abundance. Our heart should always be turned toward him, I asked should always be focused on him, we should all be in service to him, and we should have a heart full of Thanksgiving. Now, I know there are many out there suffering and facing tragedies. In no way shape or form want to pour salt into your wound this morning. I want to bring you the good news of the gospel. I want to bring you the good news of Jesus Christ. And I have been studying the fruits of the spirit, I know that we have love from the father that opens the door to you; so you can be full of joy, peace, faithfulness, and kindness in the mist of your storm. In the mist of whatever is going on in this world. You can still have love peace and joy through tragedies because of Jesus Christ. I’ll wake up. Have a heart of thanks bonus. Let us use this knowledge and understanding to restore revival.
Let’s thank the Lord to gather this morning.
Isn’t he the one that not only gives us love, peace, and joy, but he answers our prayers?
Isn’t he the one that created us in his image and provides for each and every need, even before we ask him for it?
Isn’t he the one that created heaven and earth? Isn’t he the one that were bad Jesus Christ?
Isn’t he the one that’s in his only son to die so that we can have life eternal?
You’re not up Shouting right now do you need to have a talk with my friend Jesus. You need to be safe today. These are Shouting statements my friend.
We need to come to him in this manner every day, because this is where we will find peace. This is where we will find our strength. I guarantee you if we are in the midst of temptation and we begin calling or shouting out these facts we will not want what we were tempted with. Because we have so much more in Christ Jesus.
And him his love and power. Let’s thirst and hunger for it.
