Wake Up & Stay Awake | Mark 13:33-37 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Series)

I invite you to turn with me to the gospel of Mark chapter 13. Mark 13, and please place your finger there, verse 33. If you want a little insight of what a preacher has to go through every week, yes, he has to prepare and ensure that the text that he is dealing with is faithfully interpreted and faithfully and faithfully applied. But more than that, that same preacher has to seek God for power. Seek God for power from on high to help communicate that truth for it to be transformed from a lesson to a heavenly empowered exhortation.

And so if you've ever shared something, perhaps you felt that dependency on God, the need for him to come through, for you to disappear, and for those that you stand before to see Christ alone. And I ask you to join with me to seek God for that help from the Holy Spirit. Can we do that? Lord, we do ask for real power, that you would subdue any distraction, any walls that have been built that would resist the truth capturing our hearts completely. Lord, we know that no matter what man does in his strength, it will be to no avail unless the Holy Spirit blesses it.

So we do ask for the Holy Spirit's help. And we do ask, oh, Lord, that joy, encouragement, conviction, whatever is needed in every heart here, you know the hearts of all men, would be delivered faithfully and powerfully. And so even at this time, may we hear you and you alone, and may our hearts see you and you alone. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Mark 13, and let's begin actually in verse 32, but our main focus will be verse 33 to verse 37. But now concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the son, but only the father. Be on guard, keep awake, for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore, stay awake, For you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning, lest he comes suddenly and find you asleep.

And what I say to you, I say to all, stay awake. After explaining the rising calamities and devastations and deceptions and persecutions and tribulations that will pave the way for the coming of the king, and after depicting the exact moment of the return of Christ, the lord Jesus concludes his thoughts, this discourse, with a strong and urgent appeal. We look here at verse 37 and realize that what he says to these disciples, he's intending to say to all, to all people of all time who take heed to his word. You see here, Christ's teaching about the last days is not meant to simply clarify any misunderstandings or to sharpen your conception of the culminating events of human history. Obviously, what Christ is intending to do with this teaching is to sober us and strengthen us spiritually.

And that is why in a in a in a brief segment of verses, Christ in rapid fire, succession here is wrapping up everything with the repeated command to stay awake. Stay awake. Keep awake. Stay awake. That's how the ESV renders it, but in other translations, it would be the repeated word watch or keep on alert.

This is what he wants us to do. This is the main application of of the past few weeks. What you're supposed to take away from this practically is this very statement, stay awake. But before we delve into these verses, it's important to clarify what the Lord means by that statement. Obviously, Christ is not contending for physical consciousness uninterrupted.

What he is demanding though is our maintenance of a vigorous and vigilant spiritual life. The opposite of being spiritually awake is what? Being spiritually asleep. Right? And that condition, being asleep, is something that the New Testament frequently warns about in more than one place.

You see it sprinkled throughout the epistles. And at this point, you might be wondering, well, then what's the difference? How do I know if I am spiritually awake versus being spiritually asleep? You might be wondering, what does that look like? You might be wondering, what are the practical evidences of it?

And we're gonna get the clarification throughout this message. But if I can offer a basic understanding of it, to be spiritually asleep is synonymous with being spiritually inactive or unresponsive. We all know what physical sleep does. Somebody who is in slumber isn't participating in anything. Somebody who's asleep isn't aware of their environment.

And so it is with the one who is spiritually asleep. They're dormant. There is no activity. There's no pulse. There's no engagement.

And so it is one who is sluggish, one who is unconcerned about matters that they are called to attend to. And if that's the case for someone who's spiritually asleep, then to be spiritually awake, to stay awake is the positive opposite, that you are active, that you are engaged, that you are in touch, that you are aware in the very things that God has called you to. Now if you're like me, then you would do this, I'm sure, that if you know that there is an important appointment that you have to meet the next day, then you might ask a family member to ensure that you wake up by a certain time. You don't even wanna trust your alarm clock. And though being awakened from that sleep may not be the most pleasant experience, you appreciate the one who was faithful enough to shake you out of your slumber.

So today, I want you to view me in that manner. I want you to see me as somebody who loves you and is willing to disturb you for no other reason other than to ensure that if you have come to this place or if you have been spiritually asleep that you won't sleepwalk out of the same room. And this message in particular, I'm going to be assigned the role of an alarm clock. And it's up to you if you hit the snooze button. It's up to you if you wanna ignore my efforts.

That's okay. Because I want to be at rest knowing that I did my part by God's grace and power to help open some eyes, and for others to help them stay awake and to avoid drifting into a place where they don't wanna be. And I'm gonna attempt to do that this afternoon, though we are breaking bread to give you at least two reasons why being spiritually awake and staying awake is not optional. It's absolutely crucial. So if you can remember these two points, you'll be okay.

The first reason why staying awake spiritually is important is because you and I are prone to drift into spiritual sleep. Come back with me here and look at verse 33. Jesus says, be on guard. Keep awake for you do not know when the time will come. Notice that he begins his verse with be on guard, and he connects that discipline to being awake.

Now the question is, be on guard for what exactly? If you're telling me to to occupy a post and to look out for something or to be vigilant about something, what am I looking for? What am I to monitor? What am I to supervise? And it's not until you go to Luke's account of the very same teaching where you get the insight.

So look at Luke 21, the very same account, though with different insight and details that help make this more complete. Luke 21 in your bibles in verse 34. Here's the parallel teaching from Luke's vantage point. Luke twenty one thirty four reads, but watch who? What?

But watch yourselves. But watch yourselves, lest your heart be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that they come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. So when Mark says be on guard, Luke completes it by saying, what you're watching for is yourself. Which means that the greatest threat to your spiritual health is you.

There are other threats, but the most prominent one is yourself. So there must be an effort because according to Jesus, our disposition is not to be careful about our inner man, but to be careless. So then there's a call for you and I to again watch and be consistently aware of what are what are the interactivities going on here in my bosom, in my mind? What's my spiritual diet like? What kind of environments do I place myself in?

What kind of things are influencing me for the better or for the worse? Jesus says, be on guard. Don't be mindless. Don't be careless. And notice that the Lord highlights some examples of what someone who fails to be on guard to stay awake will eventually be overtaken by.

He names three things according to Luke's version. The first thing is dissipation. Right? Be on guard. Watch yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation.

Number two, drunkenness. Number three, the cares of this life. He's talking to Christians. He's talking to believers. Yes.

He's talking to all people, but including his disciples. And so you can pair the first two things together, dissipation and drunkenness. What's dissipation? It's when you get a headache, when you get dizzy because of intoxication. You could say it's a hangover.

And here's the main point. Jesus is saying, if you're not on guard, if you're not gonna watch yourself, your heart could be weighed down by dissipation and drunkenness, meaning, you know you are spiritually asleep when you pursue illegitimate pleasures, like substances that impair your judgment, substances that make you lose control. When you chase a high that is not permitted by God. And you know you are not awake when you crave and begin to indulge in activities that not only harm your body, but end up harming your testimony. I'll never forget the time I preach at a conference many years ago and a young man came up to me, and he came to me sheepishly.

And he heard a strong message that night, and he confessed that he was struggling to come back to the Lord. He knew the Lord all his life, but he was in the the worst place, he admitted. And I said, what's the main thing? What's holding you back from walking with the Lord wholeheartedly again? And he said, I'm bound by weed, man.

I I can't I can't live without a high. I can't function without it. It's such a part of my life. And when I began to probe and ask more, I says, well, where did this begin for you? How did this door even open up for you?

And he told me this. He says, well, it was when I began to hang out with some of the members of my church, specifically people on the worship team because they used to get drunk and high all the time. And that's where it started for me. So don't think what Jesus is speaking about here concerning dissipation and drunkenness is irrelevant to the church. It is very relevant to Christendom.

And so there's that guy that I explained to you who's bound in shackles. I don't know if he ever even got free. But let's not limit this to drunkenness either because Christ is obviously giving us one example, but it's speaking about sin altogether. Because like many truths in the gospels, you find in the epistles, but expanded. And so you're there in Luke 21.

Place your hand there, but go to Romans chapter 13 and look at verse 11. And you're gonna see the same theme about sleep and how that's synonymous with spiritual lethargy. And not just spiritual lethargy, but sinfulness. Romans 13 verse 11. Paul writes, besides this, you know the time that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep.

He's echoing Jesus. The hour has come for you to wake from sleep for salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. Now keep that in mind. He's he's still speaking about being asleep and awakening from sleep. And in verse 12, the night is far gone.

The day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime. Not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. So again, we're we're still bound to that same theme, wake up from sleep.

And Paul describes what it looks like when you are spiritually asleep. He brings up orgies and drunkenness, sexual morality and sensuality. Here's what shocks me. He connects these things that are blatant and obvious and offensive with not quarreling, check this out, and jealousy. So what's the larger picture here for the church?

It's this, if I find myself no longer concerned about personal holiness, if I find myself in a place continually seeking, not seeking God to purify my heart and my motives if if I'm no longer mindful about my attitude towards believers and even unbelievers. I'm asleep. I'm asleep. If I'm just drifting with the wind, if I'm just going wherever the day takes me and I'm not missional anymore, and I'm not examining anymore. And of course, we're not speaking about intense introspection where you torture yourself, but your desires, your longings, your sense of sanctification.

When you're asleep, you put your sanctification on the shelf. And that's not the only thing that Jesus tells us can lull lull us into a comatose state. Go back to Luke 21. And what did he say? Yeah.

He mentioned dissipation and drunkenness. This is where it might hit home. Remember, I'm the alarm clock. Don't hit snooze. Don't hit snooze on me, please.

He highlights the cares of this life. You know, some of you might never sip any alcohol, but you might be drunk with the anxieties of this life. He certainly, by mentioning the cares of this life, is not denoting anything inherently sinful. He underscores things that the average person worries about. Money, clothes, food.

Where am I gonna go to school? How am I gonna finish this schooling? Activities for the children, jobs, the economy, investments, safety, extracurricular activities, travels. It's not that the Lord denounces us for being engaged or even strategic about these things, but he warns that if you don't watch yourself, if you're not on guard, these cares can choke you. And what they do is they suffocate you to the degree that you have nothing left, no energy, no resources, nor time for any matter concerning the kingdom of God.

Because you see the tricky part about these concerns is that we look around us and we see everybody else involved with them and caught up in them, and we learn that they are unavoidable realities to our day to day life. And we end our end up underestimating how dangerous it is to get caught up in them. So here's what you have to remember as you plow through your life, as you plan your life, as you desire to enjoy life. You're a Christian. You're a follower of Jesus Christ.

Your marching orders come from heaven. You live with eternity in view. And if you don't watch that, if you don't keep that in the forefront of your mind, very quickly, you can make even such commands as this, suggestive and optional, not central and primary. So if you find yourself pulling away from the church, distancing yourself from the word of God, no no longer visiting the presence of the Lord in the place of prayer, You may call it busyness, but you are falling asleep at the wheel and not even realizing it. And that's the main part of this message really is that it doesn't take much for us to come to this point.

It doesn't take an ungodly, adulterous relationship. It doesn't really even take a major promotion. It doesn't require a past addiction to resurface. The cares of this life can do the job. I remember meeting somebody I forgot when, But I'll never forget the conversation, and this came to mind when I was studying this past.

He worked. He did his day to day, nine to five. But, man, this guy tried to find a way to stay connected to the Lord, and he found one way. He kept his Bible in his car, and he put it in the passenger seat. Whenever he hit a red light, he opened his Bible and read it.

And then he waited till the next light and it came to a red light again. He would hope I ever read where he first left off. Now there are things called audiobooks, so you don't need to do that. And I'm not suggesting that. But just to give you a little idea of someone who understands that, yes, there are things that I have to do in life, but I can do them with Christ.

I must do them with Christ. I can never afford to stop walking with him. I can never allow the things in this life to take me away from him. So Jesus tells us that it's very possible to be overtaken by even the cares of this life and to fall asleep because of it. How do I know if I'm spiritually awake then?

How do I know with all the things that I am called to do and all the responsibilities and all the how do I know if I'm in the right place? Well, the Lord gives us answers. At least two major ways, and one is found here in the very same passage in Luke. Look at Luke 21 verse 36. But stay awake at all times, Praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the son of man.

What does Christ expect of us if we are a people who are awake? You're praying. You're praying. You're praying because you have this awesome revelation that you need his strength. That you depend on him, and so you seek him continually.

You draw from his power. You inquire of him. You include him. So notice that Christ is attaching staying awake with praying. So how do I know if I'm spiritually awake?

How do I know if I'm staying awake? To the degree that you are praying. If you are weakening in prayer, you are falling asleep. If you have ceased to pray completely, you are sound asleep. Yes, you're busy.

Yes, you're physically awake. Yes, you have all these things to accomplish, but spiritually speaking, you're sleeping. That's not the only thing that Christ highlights concerning what it means to be spiritually weak. We have to go back to our main text in Mark 13. Mark 13 verse thirty three and thirty four again.

When there is no more personal communion with the Lord, I'm not where I'm supposed to be, but it's something else that we have to also be mindful of. He says, be on guard, keep awake, for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. So Mark merges staying awake with praying or Luke rather. And Mark now links working with staying awake.

Working what? The work of the ministry. And notice how specific the Lord is. He says, each with his work. His work.

And so it's not an exclusive type of service that the Lord has in mind here. No. Rather one that the Lord has individually commissioned each of us to. And so if I'm awake to some degree, I'm serving. I'm working for the kingdom.

I'm doing something. I'm involved. I'm contributing. I'm active. And I know some might be wondering, well, how do I know what work I'm called to?

I'm glad you're asking that question and there are different ways of answering, but I encourage you in the meantime, though you're on this quest to discover your ultimate call, your ultimate mission. Can I suggest something? Find a need and fulfill it. Because serving God will help you stay awake. And to find a need and to occupy it is the best thing that you can do for yourself and for others.

You know, I was thinking when I when I came to this point last night, I was thinking about all these different examples, men and women of God who serve God. And And one of my favorite examples is the man David, the man after God's own heart. When you read about David in in first Samuel 16, he was under the age of 20 for sure because he was not at war with the Philistines. And he was chosen by God to be the next king, the succeeding ruler of the nation of Israel. Samuel, the prophet, approaches him and anoints him in the presence of his father, Jesse, and his siblings.

And we're told there at the end of first Samuel 16 that the spirit of God rushed upon David. And so that was a powerful moment. Imagine as a teenager being given a sure word that you will occupy the throne of Israel one day. And that's how first Samuel 16 ends. And then you come to chapter 17 and you think, okay, here it comes.

David is summoned to the palace because at the same time when the spirit of the Lord rushed upon David, the spirit of the Lord removed himself from Saul, and a tormenting spirit came instead. And so he needed therapy. So news went around that there was this musician from Bethlehem and he was able to play in such a manner that it soothed you and it healed you. And so they brought David in into the courts of the king and he played music and you're thinking to yourself, okay, I see what God is doing here. The Lord is leading him to the palace.

Next thing you know, he's gonna get promoted to be a soldier maybe and then he's gonna get to the throne. You you can see the trajectory. And then all of a sudden, you realize that David goes from a full time musician, full time therapist to part time. That kinda happens when you serve the Lord. You think you're going somewhere and then there's a setback.

And so now he's part time and he's called from time to time. So he's back at his father's fields. And this man who's been anointed to be the king of Israel, we're told, was asked to do the following. You don't have to turn there. Just listen to this.

In first Samuel seventeen seventeen, and Jesse said to David his son, take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain and these 10 loaves and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers. Also take these 10 cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See if your brothers are well and bring some token from them. What's David called to do? Deliver cheese, sandwiches, resources for his brothers.

You know what's interesting? You you read you read of the several brothers who are called to war war, but it's not all his brothers, and he had many other brothers. Why didn't Jesse ask the other brothers? I think it had something to do with David's work ethic. Jesse knew that he could trust David.

That's not the main point. You would think that after you were anointed in the presence of your father and your brothers that you're gonna get some kind of good treatment. You would expect it. Right? You would expect them to say, okay, you're the next king, so we're gonna pamper you and we're gonna lavish you and we're gonna prepare you, serve you.

I love Jesse. He said, come here, boy. I need you to deliver some stuff to your dad to your brothers, and tell him that dad loves them, and check up on them. You would think that David would protest. You would think that with his special calling in mind that he would resist.

You would think that this man who's been destined for great things for God would reserve himself for only great things, But instead, he gives himself to small things, menial things. And what I see here is an example among many of the attitude that is necessary to see any advancement in God's assignments for us. You know what? If you think about it even further, if David had rejected this, if he had resisted, he would have missed out on Goliath because it would be this humble obedience, this willingness to apply himself to where there is a need that would lead him to meeting Goliath. Providence.

And providence doesn't work with passivity. Providence works with faithful activity. And so if you're in a place wondering, well, I know the Lord's asked me to stay awake and if that means to pray and remain in communion with him, okay. But if he's commanded each with his own work, a spiritually awake person will say, I wanna work for him. I talked with a handful of brothers who are visiting us this weekend, and one of the gentlemen who moved to another state told me that he plugged himself into a a church.

And he said that he's serving there and he's ready to become a member, and I I so appreciated his approach in this season of his life. He said, I walked into the church and he said, what's the need here? And without hesitation, I know how the pastors feel. They said, sound, the soundboard. We need somebody on the soundboard.

No experience with the sound, yet he learned. I don't know much about the brother, but according to Jesus' words, I think he's awake. I think he's awake. We must be conscious. We must be vigilant.

We must be aware that our default is to drift. Our default is to fall asleep. Our default is to allow things to weigh us down, to strip things away from what matters most. Not to negate these other things, but then your heart have a heartbeat that says I wanna stay connected to my lord, and I wanna serve him in whatever capacity he has called me to, whatever capacity has been made available to me. But there's a second reason why we must stay awake, and it is this.

We must stay awake because Christ's return is unexpected. Christ's return is unexpected. That's Mark 13. We read it in verse 34 already, but he emphasized on it again in verse 35. Therefore, stay awake for you do not know when the master of the house will come.

In the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning, lest he suddenly come and find you asleep. And what I say to you, I say to all, stay awake. So notice here now, Jesus is highlighting different time stamps of the day. Different watches of the day and he he essentially covers the entirety of it. So he says, you don't know when he's gonna come.

It can be in the evening. It can be in the midnight. It can be in the morning. What's he trying to convey here? That when we are called to stay awake, we're called to stay awake at all times.

At all times. Can't afford to fall asleep at any time. And I'm sure you've seen it. I've seen it too many times that there are so many who are who are awake at one time, but because of a phase in life or a milestone in life, they they slowly fall asleep. They were once excited.

They were once focused. They were once energetic. They were once sacrificial and then they distance themselves and they get quiet and then virtually shut down. So the Lord here is being even specifically saying, look, I'm telling you at all times and all seasons, make sure that you stay awake because you don't know when I'm coming. And when I come, I have a desire.

Yes, Jesus has desires and his desire is that he would find you and I awake. He would find us abiding in him. He would find us serving him. And what's shocking to me is that sometimes you even talk to individuals, and, yes, I understand that they're goodhearted and they're even humble and admitting it. But you inquire how's your walk with the Lord and they know that they're not where they're supposed to be.

They even look down, they're embarrassed to look you in the eyes and say, I I I'm weak, man. I'm weak. I'm I'm distracted. I'm caught up in this and that. And that's fine.

You need to be able to at least admit it. But with so many of those same people, they admit it, but they don't change anything about it. As though confession in itself is what's needed and required alone. No. You you realize it then you say, okay.

Now what needs to change? And let me give you one of the most motivating verses of my own life that have helped me stay awake all these years. First John, turn your bibles there in chapter two verse 28. First John two twenty eight. Remember, John is speaking to Christians in this verse, and he says the following.

And now, little children, abide in him so that when he appears, we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. So many things to say from this verse, but one thing that I personally took from it is that a a true spiritual leader will care and will call for his people, the people that God's entrusted to him to remain in fellowship with Christ. Look at this term of endearment, little children. There's sensitivity there. There's love there.

There's relational language there. But saying, listen. I'm asking you to abide in him. I'm calling you to to stay daily in touch with him because I want you on that final day when he does come for you to have confidence. And look at this and not shrink from shame.

Why why would a Christian shrink from shame? The coming of the savior. Perhaps one reason be is because in that one moment, they would be overwhelmed by the thought that they've wasted, perhaps, many of those years, that they were asleep, that they had not been in communion with the Lord, that they have not been working the work that he's called them to. You know, when you think about sleeping characters in the bible, you might come to some interesting conclusions. I think of Jonah.

Jonah was asleep on the ship. He was running away from God's call for him and he was heading in the opposite direction. And as he was making way to Tarshish, he was asleep. And what happened? God orchestrated a storm, but it wasn't just a storm for him.

Primarily, yes, for him, but there was other people who were suffering in that storm. You had pagans. You had idol worshipers who were on that boat. And they were being impacted in part because the man of God was not where he was supposed to be. He was asleep.

Can I tell you something? When you and I as Christians are sleepy, it impacts the world negatively. The world that needs a church that is vigorous and active and fruitful. When we fall asleep like Jonah, we do a disservice to the people who don't believe around us. Not just Jonah, I think of Samson.

Samson was asleep at a critical point in his life. Not on a boat. His head was laying on the lap of a vicious woman, Delilah. And while he was asleep, she was playing with his hair ready to cut it off. And that was what was needed for him to remain in the power that God had called him to.

And so as a sleeping saint, what was the risk for him? Forfeiting the call of God for his life. So sleepy Christians not only do a disservice to the world, sleepy Christians also risk canceling God's awesome plan for their lives. Stay sleepy long enough, and you can miss out. That's what Samson represents.

What about Eutychus? He's not as well known. Acts chapter 20. Paul is preaching, and he preaches much longer than I preach, by the way. And Eutychus, a young man in the service, is sitting at the window.

And what happens? He falls asleep. People fall asleep in church. You know? And I take comfort to know that people fell asleep when Paul preached.

He falls out of the window. He dies. What happens? The meeting ends. Paul stops preaching.

And we're told there that the church was alarmed. Sleepy Christians, they make a negative impact on the world. They do the service. They, put themselves at risk like Samson, but they also harm the church. They don't help the church.

They don't participate. They don't build. And I love what Paul does. With the authority of an apostle, he raises him from the dead, and he goes back to the sermon. It's my kinda guy.

But as much as it is a horrible thing to think that me remaining asleep is a disservice to the world, it puts my call at great risk of being forfeited. It doesn't help the body believers I'm connected to. First John two twenty eight always strikes my heart the most to disappoint my master when he comes. And so I want you to understand that it doesn't have to be that way for you because the Bible also describes another possibility for when the Lord arrives suddenly. And it's in our final text before we break bread.

It's in second Peter chapter one. And look at verse 10. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election for if you practice these qualities, you will never fall. Peter, are you suggesting consistency in the Christian walk? Are you actually displaying a hopeful truth that I can live my Christian walk free from scandal, fruitlessness?

Yeah. He he says if you practice certain qualities, you will never fall. But notice verse 11, for in this way, there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. What a difference from John's words, So abide in him so that you can have confidence and not shrink from shame. And here's Peter and he says, listen.

If you practice certain qualities, if you through your life not win your election, not win your salvation but confirm it, what does he say? In this way, there will be richly provided for you an entrance. You know, Paul speaks about barely being saved. That all your works burned to ash, but you escaped the fire. That's not that's not what Peter is trying to describe here.

He's talking about those gates swinging wide open. And it being a celebratory, exciting encounter with Christ. No awkward conversation needs to happen. Just straight to embrace and rejoicing and reward. For who?

For those who are awake. And if you want an idea of, again, what it looks like to be awake, Peter describes it in great parts. And so look there. Let's look at the verses before this. I wasn't planning to, but it's worth it since we're there.

Look at verse five of the same text. For this very reason, make look at this language. Please, look at this language. For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith. Does that sound like a sleepy Christian?

No. Only somebody who's awake can make every effort to supplement. Okay. I'm saved. Praise God you're saved.

What do I do now? You make every effort to supplement that faith that saved you. To add to it. To grow in it. To strengthen in it.

Make every f. Not some effort. This is the reason why you live now. To supplement your faith. Now what do I supplement it with?

With virtue. And virtue with knowledge. Knowledge is important. Come to bible study. You'll get more knowledge.

And knowledge with self control. And self control with steadfastness. And steadfastness with godliness. And godliness with brotherly affection. And brotherly affection with love.

Now Now look at this in verse eight. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's what it looks like when you and I are awake. We supplement and we increase. Here's what it looks like when you're asleep.

Verse nine. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. So you and I have a have a chance today to recalibrate and to refocus and to tell the Lord, Lord, I wanna be awake no matter what season of life I'm in. And Lord, if it means to be prayerful, it means to be working, then give me the grace to do it. And today, if you are asleep, Christ is willing to help you wake up.

If you know yourself, if you if you know that you have been weighed down by sin or even by the anxieties of this life to the point that it has completely crippled you, Christ is here to help you. He's here to help you and he can even give you the wisdom. He can give you the he can he will be able to shine light upon how you yes. Busy dad. Yes.

You. Mom, husband, wife, student, businessman, he's ready to help you. Because every command he gives, he gives the grace to fulfill it. Every and any command. And so I invite you today to respond to this truth and to say, Lord, please help me wake up.

And, Lord, not just to wake up, but to stay awake. He's able to do that. Oh, I wish I can say more, but we have to break bread together. But at this time, I wanna invite you to respond to that very same truth. I'm I'm asking you if you're in a place where you need to humbly confess to the Lord.

Lord, I know that if you were to find me where I am today, that I'm more likely to shrink from shame instead of know that there's gonna be a richly provided entrance. Place me where you need to place me, Lord. Save me from these things, oh God. That is what we ask from you, oh Lord. We ask that as your people, Maranatha Bible Church would be vibrant, would be alive, would be fragrant with the fruits of the spirit.

And we ask, Lord, that you would protect us from anything that would cause us to doze off, to slip into sleep, and to stay there. And, Lord, as we even prepare now to partake of this bread and this cup, we ask that the revelation of our forgiveness, salvation freely given would stir us to worship you, to love you, and to serve you again. We ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.

The praise team is gonna come up at this time. We're gonna sing, and then we're gonna partake together. I wanna let you know today that as we're about to break bread, if you're not a follower of Jesus Christ, this is reserved for Christians. And so we humbly ask that you reserve yourself from participating, but you're free to obviously stay and remain in the service. I just wanna exhort you and and challenge you that you can participate in this wonderful feast on one premise, and that's you acknowledging your need for a savior, and that savior is Jesus Christ.

If you have never at any point repented of your sins and believed on him to be your salvation, I wanna use this opportunity to give you a chance to do that, to realize that you have no hope of eternal life, no hope of attaining salvation apart from what he's done for you. That's what these Christians are ready to do as a church. We're gonna gather, and, essentially, why we're here is to celebrate the fact that we have been redeemed. Graciously, we have been forgiven by him, not by our own merit, not by our own efforts, what he has done alone. And so at this time, I I I call you to examine your own heart and to ask yourself if you truly know him.

And if you don't, you can you can speak to him. And you can give him your sins. You can give him your allegiance, and you can leave here a changed man. You can leave here a changed woman. Believer, as we sing these songs, you're reflecting upon what he has done for you.

You're rejoicing the fact that it's his performance that has sealed your redemption, not your own. But at the same time, you're also confessing here that you're one body with the church and that you are walking in the calling of the gospel. And if you find yourself in a place where you're saying, I know that I'm walking in conscious unrepentant sin, repent of it. Turn from it. Give it up.

If you know that you haven't reconciled with a brother or sister, Christ would be more pleased with you to reconcile than to partake, to make that emergency protocol. And so this is a time for all of us to pause, to remember, to rejoice, if needed to repent so that we can eat this in a way that would be worthy unto him. Can we stand and sing and rejoice in the Lord?