Awake O' Sleeper, Arise from the Dead

I'd like to begin by reading from Ephesians chapter 5, verse 14 only. Paul is writing and he says, Therefore it is said, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you life. During the first three and a half years, or you say those three and a half years that preceded our Lord's death and resurrection, Jesus kept using an expression which his disciples found baffling and sometimes found downright offensive.

He would refer to people who were very healthy and very active and often very prosperous as dead. I'll follow your Lord, says the man whom Jesus had called to discipleship, but first let me go and bury my father. Jesus answers, Leave the dead to bury their own dead.

But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God. In his parable of the prodigal son, when the prodigal finally comes to his senses and returns, the father has a wonderful feast for him, and of course the older brother of the prodigal is jealous and angry. The father explains this feast to his other son, the older brother, by saying, It's only right for us to have this feast.

Your brother was dead. Now he's alive. Or when Jesus says, The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear shall live.

He's talking about dead people who look very much alive. They buy cars, they go to ball games. It was really not until after the resurrection that the disciples began to catch on to what Jesus was talking about.

Reading from Matthew 28, verse 1. Now after the Sabbath, or the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the sepulchre. And behold, there was a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back a stone and sat upon it.

His appearance was like lightning and his raiment white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, Do not be afraid, for I know who you seek.

You seek Jesus who was crucified. He's not here. He's risen.

As he said, Come and see the place where the Lord lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead and behold, he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, all I have told you.

And so they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and with great joy and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said to them, Hail. And they came up and took all of his feet and worshipped him.

Then Jesus said to them, Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brethren that I go to Galilee and there they will see me. What happened to these women? In this first meeting with Jesus alive from the dead can be described in no other way but as a resurrection.

This encounter with Jesus actually raised them from the dead. It filled them with a life that was in him. The same thing happened to the disciples when they saw him alive from the dead.

And then their eyes were opened and they could begin to understand what Jesus meant. And they could now see that this world is full of walking dead. What it really means to be alive.

Now in the apostolic church, this distinction between the living and the dead among the apparent living was very, very clear. And I quoted that, I started out with that quote that Paul uses. Really what that was, that was used in the apostolic church.

It was their Sunday hymn, resurrection hymn. And the line of it went, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead. And Christ shall give you life.

We read also in Ephesians chapter 2. And you, he made alive. When you were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once walked. Following the course of this world.

Following the prince and power of the air. The spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. Among these you, we all once lived in the passions of our flesh.

Following the desires of body and mind. And so we were by nature children of wrath. Out of the great love with which he loved us.

Even when we were dead through our trespasses. Made us alive together with Christ. And raised us up with him.

And made us to sit with him in the heavenly place. You're dead when you're alienated from the life of God. Cut off from the spring that you were made to drink from.

From this breath you were made to breathe. And when that's the case, when you're cut off from that life. You may be getting all the gusto this world can offer.

You may be loaded with money. You may be brilliant, successful, and highly thought of. But you are dead.

And when the moment comes for you to leave this world. All the things you loved. And all the things you would cling to.

They all belong to the realm. You are alive. When you are moving in the will of God.

When you are no longer whimpering through this life. Muttering, what's in it for me? Are my needs being met? I mean, that's okay for a baby at it's mother's breast to say that. But there comes a time when we need to grow up.

And we have to do the feeding. And you are alive when you are now moving with the Lord. The King.

And saying with him, thy will, O God. Not my will. Thy will be done.

I know I come to do your will. This day, I give it to you. Break it.

Use it any way you want. The poor can hear the good news. And the captives can be set free.

And the blind can have their sight. And the oppressed may be delivered. Use me, Lord God.

You are alive. When the spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. Quickens you in the same way.

And makes your daily life. And when the moment comes for you to leave this realm of flesh and blood. You will take your treasure.

Because your treasure is the Lord. And nothing can separate you. Now the power is the voice of the Lamb who was slain.

And who rose again. The hour is coming. And now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God.

When he speaks his living word. That word has the power to raise us out of our death. Up into the life of God.

And hold us there. And that power is in this place today. His word is able to raise us out of whatever death we still may be lingering in.

You know, we read the book of Acts. And we marvel at the sudden and radical changes in lifestyle. I mean, they thought nothing of just making this quick change.

You know, throwing away their money. Or leaving where they were. Or changing their jobs.

Or all kinds of radical changes to place in their lives. Because when you are raised from the dead. It's easy to leave the trappings of death that cluttered your life before.

For instance, if I'm a millionaire. But I'm dead in my millions. And Jesus raises me from the dead by his living word.

And I see God. And I see the kingdom. And I hear the call.

And I now know the purpose of my life. And I commit myself to that. To shake off and leave this old life that held me before all those things that held me down.

And bound me like a tomb. And I can do exactly what Zacchaeus did. I can say, half my goods I give to the poor.

If I've cheated anybody, I give it back fourfold. Or, if I'm an administrator in headquarters on Madison Avenue. I'm dead in my flesh.

Or, but I'm dead in my political power. And now, Jesus raises me from the dead by his living word. And I see God.

And I see the kingdom. And I hear the call. And I commit myself to that.

It's easy for me to say, get lost to the things that kept me blind and deaf and asleep and dull of heart before. And to follow Jesus into a simple life. Or if I'm the biggest crook in southwest Detroit.

Or I'm a permanent fixture in the carnival bar. And now Jesus raises me from the dead by his living word. And I see the kingdom.

And I see God. And I hear the call. And I commit myself to it.

It's easy for me to leave all that. That was nothing but a grave. And to now commit myself to southwest Detroit, northern Ireland, south France, wherever.

And I've lived a decent life. And I'm raising a decent family. But I'm dead in my decency.

1886, by the power of his living word, raises me from the dead. And it's easy for me to pull off all this respectability. But many times, people who rise from the dead and have found their sins washed in the blood of the lamb.

And their lives quickened by the spirit that raised them from the dead. Nevertheless, begin to slip back. And we need to be awakened.

We need to be stirred. Now that happened to a whole congregation of believers. And John got a message from that church.

Which we find recorded in Revelation chapter 3. And it goes like this. To the angel of the church in Sardis write. The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

I know your works. You have the name of being alive and you are dead. Awake and strengthen what remains of this on the point of death.

Remember that which you have received. I will not awake, I will come like a thief. I will confess his name before my father.

And before his angels. We hear that message in Revelation 3 and often think it's so hard. But it's not hard.

It's a resurrection message. It's a kingdom message. Awake, O sleeper.

Arise from the dead. This Easter is all over the earth. While millions are going to the motions of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus.

This Jesus who is on our lips and on our hymns. Is addressing us. Here and everywhere.

Calling us to wake up and come up out of our tombs and live. The spirit of the Lord. The body of Christ on earth.

Awake, O sleeper. Arise from the dead. Have a look at what's really going on in your life.

The prodigal woke up when he finally came to his senses. He says to himself, what am I doing here? I'm feeding the pigs. And they're getting enough to eat and I'm not.

Far off back home in my father's house. Why the hired servants have bread enough to spare. And here I perish with hunger.

And so now he decides. He wakes up and decides. I will arise and go to my father outside.

I'll be a hired servant for the rest. And so the spirit is saying to the body of Christ. To the individuals and the congregations.

Look at your situation. Be honest about where you are right now. Are you moving in my will? Is your life conformed to my purpose? How does your life.

As you're living it now. Compare. With the way you were living it when you first.

Do you still have your first love? Are you still walking by your first faith? Be honest. Secondly. He says to us.

To all of us. Without exception. Arise from the dead.

In other words. Come up. Come up out of these things that bind you down.

Take that step. Make that move. Perform that act of repentance.

Whatever it is. I know your works. You have the name of being alive and you are dead.

Awake and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death. I have not found your works perfect. Address to us.

Calling us. To come up out of our Babylonian trance. And make that one move.

That one step. That one decision. That he's putting his finger on.

In a way of always coming back with an answer. That is not really helpful or positive. Could be a habit of our eyes or our imagination.

And he's saying. That thing. That habit.

That you're engaging in. Adopted as part of your life. Must change.

Rise up out of it now. Arise from the dead. Don't be in there anymore.

Come forth. I'll help you. Or.

Person you work with. Somebody. An attitude that colors all other relationships.

Arise from the dead. Get out of that thing today. I'll help you.

But come on. Take that step. Get out of that thing.

Or it may be an attachment. Better known as idolatry. That may be a fantasy.

A thing that we put. But something that we're attached to. Something that's.

How attached we are. Maybe. Take that step.

Rise from the dead. Make that move. And you.

Will begin to see miracles. Because the minute you take that step. Christ.

Make that move. Perform that act of repentance. Whatever it is.

And immediately you will find that you have more. You will have light. And that light will open.

It will inform your mind. It will guide your steps. It will empower you to walk in a new way that you could not.

And so. Peace to the resurrection. The best way we can prove to that world out there.

That Jesus is alive from the dead. Is to rise from the dead ourselves. They will see God's glory.

They will feel his power. They will tremble with awe. When they see us.

Living. Daily lives. Distinct.

And apart. From the way of the walking dead. As sons and daughters of the resurrection.

Day in and day out. They will see that. Let your light so shine before men.

That they may see your good works. They will see the message of the spirit. To us today.

And to the church all over the earth is. Awake oh sleeper. Arise from the dead.

And Christ. We're going to continue as we've been doing for a few weeks now. A period of waiting and silence.

And show us specifically where we need to make that step.