Sleepwalking
“So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.” - (1 Thessalonians 5:6)
Have you ever gone sleepwalking? It is kind of scary, really—especially the next day when someone tells you what you did.
There are people in the church today who have gone to sleep. They are not watching the signs of the times. There is a lethargy, a passiveness—even a laziness—in some Christians. There is an apparent disconnect between their so-called spiritual lives and real lives. Instead of walking in the Spirit, some believers are sleepwalking.
We need to wake up. The Bible says, “So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded” (1 Thessalonians 5:6).
In other words, we need to wake up to the urgency of the time. We need to wake up to the imminence of the Lord’s return.
We also need to sober up. 1 Thessalonians 5 goes on to say, “Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation” (verses 7–8).
I think we can interpret this both literally and figuratively. An obvious interpretation is, don’t get drunk. Don’t be under the influence of anyone or anything except Jesus Christ.
But figuratively speaking, we can be intoxicated with other things. Jesus said, “Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware” (Luke 21:34). What you will eat or wear or where you will live are normal human concerns as you provide for yourself and your family. But let’s not allow these things to become our preoccupation. Let’s not allow ourselves to become intoxicated with things that are not the main thing.
Copyright © 2012 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
and
Listen to Greg Laurie's daily broadcast on OnePlace.com.
Watch Greg Laurie's weekly television broadcast on LightSource.com.
SPECIAL OFFER
Pastor Greg’s newest book, Hope will be sent to you in appreciation for your gift to Harvest Ministries this month.
“The Bible speaks of a blessed hope that Christians possess—a hope that can function as an anchor for our little boat in the midst of a stormy sea. It is the only hope that will never disappoint: hope in God and in His Word. Hope is a great book to use in reaching out to people you know who are facing those hard situations. It’s also a great way to prepare for times of difficulty in your own life.” --Greg Laurie
Hope, provides biblical teaching about hope for those who have lost loved ones, those with hurting marriages, those with prodigal children, those who are lonely, and more