Roasted rutabaga with maple syrup and thyme**Wake up!

Ephesians 5: 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

The church (speaking to believers) are constantly exhorted to wake up.

In Romans 13:11 we’re told “The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed”.

In Thessalonians 5:6, it says, “Let us not be like others who are asleep, but let us be alert”.

You see, there is such a thing as “spiritual sleep”.

Notice that our scripture verse for today says, "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead."

This verse is often spoken to sinners, but it was not written to sinners.

Ephesians was never written to sinners.

In fact, it’s not a message to sinners at all, but a message written to the Ephesian church.

Yet the writer is telling them to, "Wake up”

This is what A.W. Tozer said about this verse:

It is perfectly possible for a good, faithful, loyal church member to be spiritually asleep—being in a spiritual state that parallels natural sleep.

“When you go to sleep tonight, the fact that you are unconscious and out of the running for a while is not bothering you. You know that normally you will wake up again. You are not dead, but you are cut off from your environment, all but that which is reflex—breathing and a few other things.  Likewise, it is possible to be a Christian, to be in the church and yet be asleep spiritually. Then you have to be wakened suddenly.

Now I want to point out that this is not suggesting that there are two classes of Christians, the sleeping Christian and the Christian that is awake, but that there are times when every Christian can fall asleep.

And like many of us need an alarm to wake up in the morning, we need to be awoken from our spiritual slumber!

So, what characterizes a slumbering Christian?

First, a lack of feeling. A sleeping Christian is unaware of what is happening all around them. The world goes on, but they don’t know anything about it.

There could be a fire across the street at their neighbor’s house. The home is burning down and the family is shouting for help, but the person that’s asleep is unaware and can do nothing to help them.

For the Christian in this condition, there is little compassion for the lost, or sorrow for sin. Even their love for the brethren has waned as well as their joy in the Lord, there is an emptiness within.

Second, is a place of insecurity, Just like when we are naturally sleeping, when we’re in spiritual sleep, we cannot defend ourselves, we are vulnerable and can’t ward off an enemy and strike back.

A sleeping Christian is in danger. It is when we’re laid back and careless and not giving much thought of Christ, that Satan (our enemy) will come since we are at our weakest.

And third, a state of inactivity. Think about what would happen to your crops or your animals if you failed to care for them. what would happen to your home or your family if you did nothing.

The same is true of Christians that do nothing. At one time they worked for the Lord but now they no longer reach out to others. Instead of having their focus on the Lord, they’re living for themselves, for their own needs.

They’re focus is no longer on the Lord and His will.

So, what causes us to slumber? One is when our outward circumstance are the most pleasant.

Second, is when everything is well in spiritual matters.

And third, a Christian sleeps when they think they’re getting near the end of their journey.

Perhaps, these three points would make a good study in the future…

I pray that the Lord  will use His Word now to wake up and see the world around us –  That we would be ready at his appearing… unashamed… our lamp burning, our loins girded… and AWAKE!