Don’t Be Found Asleep!
Are you watching and waiting?
1 Thess 5:1-11
“Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” -1 Thess 5:6 (KJV)
“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” – Heb 9:28 (KJV)
Many people are asleep today concerning God, the church, salvation and the Lord’s return. Many have become spiritually lethargic and rigor mortis has set in. People seem to care less about what the Bible says about Christ’s Second Coming and the events preceding it. Most turn away from end-time discussions. They write it off as gloom and doom; they don’t want to hear it. Most scoff more than wonder about what it is and when it will happen. I find that many have grown cold and callous to this news – they have fallen [spiritually] asleep. Some even purposely…
Paul tells the Thessalonians that they knew perfectly well that the Day of the Lord would come as a thief in the night. ‘Perfectly’ or akribos in Greek (Strong’s G199), means they knew very well and accurately that the Day of the Lord would come as a thief in the night. Paul instructed them carefully and exactly. Do our pastors, elders, priests and bishops carefully teach us these things today? The Day of the Lord is an all-inclusive term describing a span of time encompassing His wrath, His Second Coming, final Judgment and the burning up of the earth – 2 Pet 3:10. We need to be seeking the meaning of this by reading the Bible and seeking wisdom and thereby gaining understanding and knowledge from Almighty God. Don’t be found asleep!
Paul instructed the Thessalonians that they should not sleep as others do but watch and be sober. We have three action items to do in this one verse: 1) not sleep, 2) watch and 3) be sober. Not sleep does not carry a physiological meaning but a spiritual implication and command as we are not of the the darkness as others are -1 Th 5:5. Our spiritual condition should never be evidenced by sleep or sleepiness. We should also be watchful, ever watching for the signs of His coming. Even today the signs for the first time in human history are converging into the time Jesus talked about in Matt 24:33. He is at the door. And thirdly, it’s time to be sober, not a reference to alcoholic drinking, but in a state of self-control and alertness marked like a warrior or soldier on duty, at the ready -1 Tim 2:3. Don’t fall asleep!
And finally – are you waiting anxiously for His return? Are you looking for His arrival, staying the course, like a watchman on the wall? Are you guarding your heart, mind and soul for His Second Coming? Are you immersed in His word daily? Can you confidently instruct others? Will you be ready to comfort others with these words (1 Th 4:18) as the days get harder and perilous times increase? Folks, this is all about your preparation for His return and where your soul will spend eternity. This will not be a ‘vacation’, you will not return to continue living where you left off. There will be no “re-do’s” or any place like purgatory. Christ is coming, the signs are increasing in intensity and frequency. Will you be ready to meet your Creator, to look into His fiery eyes (Rev 1:14, 19:12) and have Him say to you – well done thou good and faithful servant? Don’t be found asleep!
Are you saved today? Remember we are not guaranteed one more heartbeat or breath in this life. There are no new or old ‘body‘ warranties implied or written. If you are not saved, head for the Salvation page – see menu above. Please I urge you to do this today – the hour is late my friends and time is growing ever closer to unbelievable wrath and judgment. Here’s a final question for those who call themselves ‘Christians’ today… If you are not watching, not reading His word, not praying but just coasting along in this life, care little about Godly things and living, don’t confess and repent of your sin, do you really think you will see Him when He comes in the air to retrieve His church (1 Th 4:16-17, Heb 9:28)? There are many a church goer that practice fake Christianity. Please don’t be found weighed in the balances, caught in a sinful and complacent lifestyle and then found wanting for judgment -Dan 5:27. Yes, tough words, I know, but I care more for your soul than if you like me or not.
-BPWatcher
“Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?”
– 2 Peter 3:11-12
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