WHAT MEANEST THOU, O SLEEPER?
“Are you sleeping, Are you sleeping,
Christian man, Christian man,
Judgment bells are ringing,
Judgment bells are ringing,
Ding, ding, dong;
Ding, ding, dong.”
Jonah 1:6 – “So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What
meanest thou. O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will
think upon us, that we perish not.”
It is as if the shipmasters of the world are crying out to the Church of
the Lord Jesus Christ to “arise, call upon thy God” because of the things
are happening all around us.
Jonah 1:7 – In light of the events that have been going on in America as
well as in the nations of the world over the past few months, it is as if
the heathen are saying, “Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for
whose cause this evil is upon us.”
The sad commentary of it all is that while storms, tragedies, terrorism,
and wars are taking place, the church -generally speaking – is like the
Prophet Jonah – asleep and running from God. She has been given a Divine
Mandate to PREACH THE WORD to a lost and dying world – to call this
nation and all the other nations to repentance like the Prophet Jonah
called Ninevah to repentance. Instead, we find her asleep in the midst of
it all, going in the opposite direction, and doing her own will rather
than God’s Will.
1 Corinthians 15:34 – “Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have
not the knowledge of God; I speak this to your shame.”
God is calling His Church to arouse herself. He is calling her to shake
off her slumber, wake-up from the deep sleep that she presently finds
herself in, and awake fully and earnestly to her duty and call from Him.
He is calling her to be alarmed by the dangers that surround her from
those who would lead her into error and sin. He is calling her to “sin
not” – break off all sin by righteousness. Renounce and forsake every
evil and demonic way. Correct whatever is amiss in your life. “Go and sin
no more.” “Do not err, my beloved brethren.” Run from all error and
embrace the Truth. WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!
There are two main reasons for her much needed vigilance at this hour.
The Apostle Peter tells us what these two reasons are –
1 Peter 4:7 – “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore
sober, and watch unto prayer.”
1 Peter 5:8 – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil,
as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
First of all, human affairs on a global scale are winding down. We are
nearing the end of all times. On a national scale, we don’t know how much
longer our nation will continue on in her sin without experiencing the
wrath and judgment of Almighty God as Sodom and Gomorrah and other
nations which failed to repent and change their ways. On a personal
basis, none of us knows the day nor the hour when we will leave this
world and stand before God in judgment. Therefore, “the end” is near to
all of us in one way or another.
Besides the time of the hour, Peter urgently reminds us that we are in a
spiritual warfare where we are faced with a ferocious enemy who is set on
our physical and spiritual destruction. He is likened unto a “roaring
lion.” Why this particular description? A “roaring lion” roars when he is
roused with hunger. This is when he is the most fierce and dead-set on
seeking his prey. The “roaring lion” – Satan – is hungry for the souls of
men, fierce, strong, walking about, “seeking whom he may devour” –
especially those who are unaware of his tactics and negligent in their
Christian duties.
We will notice in both Scriptures that the Apostle Peter calls us to
Soberness and Vigilance. “Be sober, be vigilant…” “Watch unto prayer.”
It seems, more than ever, that there is such a spirit of frivolity,
levity, and vanity in our midst. Hollywood is set on having it so.
Through the various TV shows, people are encouraged to laugh at SIN and
the serious and tragic things happening all around us. Every thing is
turned into a joke of some sort. But we see that the Scriptures are
calling us as God’s people to seriousness, circumspection, prayerfulness,
temperance, and discretion. We cannot afford to grow careless,
complacent, or secure at this time. We must give strict attention to all
the danger signs that are surrounding us. We must at all times and in
every place be on guard against the wiles and treacherous ways of our
adversary – the devil. We cannot afford to enter into the spirit of the
age in which we live. We must keep ourselves separated from it all and
consecrated unto God.
Mark 13:37 – Here we find a general command given to the Body of Christ –
“And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” “Watch.” This is the
Word of the Lord to us today. It entails the following –
Be cautious.
Give strict attention to what is taking place in your midst.
Stay awake.
Don’t get lazy or drunk on the pleasures of sin.
Don’t become indifferent to your salvation or careless and unconcerned
about your duty.
Don’t allow SIN of any kind to stupefy, blind, and harden your heart and
mind.
Don’t be idle.
Be on the alert at all times.
Be on guard.
Be calm and collected in your spirit.
Be moderate in your use of things.
Be temperate in your appetites and desires, keeping them within
God-ordained bounds.
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.”
There is never an excuse for the Church of the Living God to be caught in
a state of slumber. If anyone should know the times, she should!
We are to always and evermore keep the concept of the nearness of
eternity with us. It must be a deep conviction of ours, stirring us on to
virtue and holiness of living. We must constantly remind ourselves of the
brevity of our life and the lives of others as well as the shortness of
our time to get our work finished.
It is “high time to awake out of sleep.” The world lives in a state of
“sleep” or Darkness. But we have been called out of Darkness into God’s
Marvelous Light.
1 Thessalonians 5:5 – We are “the children of light, and the children of
the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.”
1 Thessalonians 5:6 – “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let
us watch and be sober.”
“Sleep” is a state of inactivity, insensibility, ignorance, stupidity,
and false security. A person who is asleep is unconscious of his
surroundings. He is not aware of any danger that may be near. He is
totally oblivious to the voices all around him that may be warning him of
danger or death. He is not mindful of his real condition.
Ephesians 5:15 – As the Body of Christ, we are called to “walk
circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.” It is utter foolishness to
continue in a certain direction and not adhere to the warning signs that
are in our midst. Those who are “fools” continue in their own way. The
Scriptures warn us to “walk” diligently, carefully, correctly,
accurately, consistently, perfectly, and exactly in the right way. We are
to constantly look round about us, always being watchful, wary, and
cautious. We are to guard against any forms of temptation or danger to
our souls. We should be able to discern our enemies before they ever draw
near to us.
Ephesians 5:16 – The times in which we live are “evil.” It is the “wise”
who are alert and “redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” There
are many allurements, attractions, and temptations that continuously and
feverishly vie for our attention. So many are wasting their time on the
pleasures of this world. We who are “wise” are called upon to improve our
opportunities. We are called to “redeem the time.” We are to cease every
moment for God. We are to embrace every occasion for God’s purpose and
glory.
Ephesians 5:17 – The Scriptures admonish us – “Wherefore be ye not
unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” We are not to be
like the world which is asleep and foolishly wasting their lives away
with frivolous pleasures and enticements in the midst of great danger and
death. As God’s people, we are to be filled with Wisdom and Understanding
of the times in which we live.
Proverbs 28:5 tells us – “Evil men understand not judgment: but they that
seek the LORD understand all things.” The “evil men” of this world are
asleep. They are not aware of the hour in which we are living. They are
not aware of the judgments that are on the horizon for this wicked and
adulterous generation. On the other hand, the Christians – those who are
seeking the LORD – are fully aware of the times in which they live. They
are aware of what the future holds for those who live in rebellion
against God and His Word.
The sad thing about it is that the overall Church for the most part has
fallen into that same stupor and spirit of slumber that the ungodly world
is under. Because of SIN and compromise, she has become dull and
oblivious to her surroundings and the warning signs from God Who is
calling all nations back to Himself.
What should she do?
Revelation 3:2 instructs her to “Be watchful, and strengthen the things
which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works
perfect before God.”
How about you? Do you feel as though you have fallen asleep, intoxicated
on the pleasures of this life? Have you become careless in your walk with
the Lord? Have you let up on your prayer life and the study of God’s
Word? Have you allowed other things to come into your life to draw you
away from your consecration to Jesus? Have you lost ground to the devil
through your negligence, slothfulness, and inattention?
If so, then it it time like never before to “strengthen the things which
remain, that are ready to die.” Thank God that there is still time for
you to get things right with the Lord. Thank God that He is still calling
you, offering you hope, a better way, and a way out of your dangerous
position of slumber.
WAKE UP, O SLEEPER! Arise and call upon your God!
If you obey the Lord by repenting and doing works meet for repentance –
coming back to your first love and doing the first works of prayer, Bible
Study, and fellowshipping with consecrated believers – then He will think
upon you and you will not perish.
Hurry! Time is running out!
May God Bless His Word.
Connie Giordano