Avoiding the Spiritual Snooze Button

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Overview

The Lowdown

a 10k foot look at the plan, looking at God’s story of redemption through the genealogies, and how enemies of God are shown redeemed

Temple Make Over

Looking at how compromise can lead to continual sin

How many people in here hit the snooze button?

OK, so if you hit the snooze button you are not alone, nearly 70% of people hit the button on a regular bases

I want to show you a real life rep. of my morning (Video)

How many are with me? just joking

But how many of us are hitting the “snooze button on our spiritual lives?

Luke 21:34–36 NIV

“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

To understand the context of what is being said we have to look at what Jesus was saying before this

He is talking about the signs of the end times

A time of great trouble and tribulation

We have to be ready for what is to come

What keeps us from being ready?

Mark 4:19 NIV

but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.

We add things to our lives that in fact keeps us from being ready, but when those things consume us then it becomes a problem

Watch Netflix for hours upon hours

video games

social media

and even work

when we consume these things and neglect our faith are we really really watching for the Lord?

The gospel gives us different priorities from those of the popular culture and offers us a different agenda from that of the political economy.

Jim Wallis

Matthew 22:36–38 NIV

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.

If we put Netflix before God, are we really following God?

Are we really watching for Him?

The fact that Christ at the end of this passage follows up with

That you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.

Should stand out, it is not just waiting for the end times it is for the end of our lives as well.

How do we make sure that we are making our faith come first

We Make Prayer a Daily Priority.

Matthew 26:41 NIV

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

We need to be controlling our flesh, if we are not in prayer, how do we expect God to be working in our lives?

We Have to Know What To Look For

Jesus, near the end of his life saw it fit to talk about these things

To warn about these things, we should pay attention

Luke 21:36 NIV

Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

We know what to look for by studying the Word

Everyday we fill our minds with stuff that is not of God

Social media

tv

news

music

ECt.

There is nothing inherently wrong with these in themselves, but when we put the Word of God at the bottom of the list, are we really producing a watchful eye that Christ is warning us about,

and setting ourselves up to be able to have a solid faith?

We Cannot Become So Consumed About the End Times That Will Lose Sight Of Our Mission.

It is so very easy to become so focused on the future that we for get what is going on right now.

Matthew 6:34 NIV

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

We should now the signs, and what to look for, but not lose sight of today and what God has laid before us.

What are will suppose to be doing? What is God’s Will for Us?

First

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 NIV

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Second

1 Timothy 2:3–4 NIV

This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

We Need to reevaluate our priorities, if there is anything that comes before God, we need to change that right now.