Awaken Church!

As we start this new year, 2025, it is a good time to revive our lives concerning our spiritual walk with Jesus! It the short time of the new year there has already been tragic things that have happened. The fireworks incident on Oahu, the truck being driven into the New Years crowd in New Orleans killing and wounding many. My friend’s dad and sister were shot and killed in their home in Michigan. The dad was a pastor. Many other crazy things have happened that we don’t even know about. Now we can get angry and frustrated and even want to have our voices heard on certain matters that we feel strong about. In a way that’s good. But we cannot fight the world in the flesh. Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)

12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

So what we really need to concentrate on is Awakening the Church and that’s us. We are the Church that Jesus is building. We the Church that Jesus said the gates of hell would not prevail against!

We need to awaken and get busy doing the Great Commission of going into all the world and preaching the Gospel and make disciples. This is the time that the world really needs the Church be strong, vibrant and awake!

Ephesians 5:14–20 AMP

14 Therefore He says, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine (make day dawn) upon you and give you light. 15 Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), 16 Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit. 19 Speak out to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, offering praise with voices [and instruments] and making melody with all your heart to the Lord, 20 At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.

It’s Time to Awaken Our Walk!

We are not like the world and we are not what we used to be. It’s time for us to live purposefully, not unwise and witless, but live as wise, intelligent people! We need to walk as Christians who understand that the will of God is. Our walk, the way we live, needs to reflect a life of thanksgiving to God because of what He’s done for us!

Romans 13:11–14 TPT

11 To live like this is all the more urgent, for time is running out and you know it is a strategic hour in human history. It is time for us to wake up! For our full salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 Night’s darkness is dissolving away as a new day of destiny dawns. So we must once and for all strip away what is done in the shadows of darkness, removing it like filthy clothes. And once and for all we clothe ourselves with the radiance of light as our weapon. 13 We must live honorably, surrounded by the light of this new day, not in the darkness of drunkenness and debauchery, not in promiscuity and sensuality, not being argumentative or jealous of others. 14 Instead fully immerse yourselves into the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, and don’t waste even a moment’s thought on your former identity to awaken its selfish desires.

It’s Time to Awaken Purpose!

We need to know our purpose of reaching the world with the Gospel because time is running out. We must be the light in the darkness. People we work with, our neighbors, our relatives who don’t follow Jesus, are all around us looking for a way out of situations they might find themselves in. Our purpose is to show them what a life given to Jesus can produce. If we don’t awaken that way of living in our lives, there is no hope for them. Fully immersing our lives in Jesus awakens our purpose!

Revelation 3:1–6 MSG

1 Write this to Sardis, to the Angel of the church. The One holding the Seven Spirits of God in one hand, a firm grip on the Seven Stars with the other, speaks: “I see right through your work. You have a reputation for vigor and zest, but you’re dead, stone-dead. 2 “Up on your feet! Take a deep breath! Maybe there’s life in you yet. But I wouldn’t know it by looking at your busywork; nothing of God’s work has been completed. Your condition is desperate. 3 Think of the gift you once had in your hands, the Message you heard with your ears—grasp it again and turn back to God. “If you pull the covers back over your head and sleep on, oblivious to God, I’ll return when you least expect it, break into your life like a thief in the night. 4 “You still have a few followers of Jesus in Sardis who haven’t ruined themselves wallowing in the muck of the world’s ways. They’ll walk with me on parade! They’ve proved their worth! 5 “Conquerors will march in the victory parade, their names indelible in the Book of Life. I’ll lead them up and present them by name to my Father and his Angels. 6 “Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.”

It’s Time to Awaken Our Faith!

We must ask ourselves, is our faith a show? Do we look good on the outside and life in fear and doubt on the inside? I don’t like to admit it but there are times when I say the right things, you know what the Bible says to say, but I’m really trying to “convince” myself that hit’s going to happen. How can we live in faith and have fear at the same time? Are we like this church of Sardis in this passage of Scripture? Looking good but not doing good? It’s time to awaken our faith. It’s time to build up our faith with God’s word!

Acts 2:36–42 NIV

36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

It’s Time to Awaken Our Mission!

On the day of Pentecost, which is the day the Church was born, the 120 in the upper room were filled with the Holy Spirit. Remember Jesus told them that they would receive power to be witnesses after the Holy Spirit came upon them. When this happened, they spoke with other tongues in the streets praising God. Yes they broke out of where they were staying in the upper room. Everyone heard them in their own languages. Some accused them of being drunk. Then Peter stood and preached. He got on board with the mission Jesus gave them. Be my witnesses. That day three thousand were saved and the Lord added daily to that number. They were doing the mission they were sent to do, be witnesses of Jesus. We today have that same mission. It’s time to awaken that. In the weeks to come we will look at our core beliefs, and what we believe. Not the vision of Overflow, though we will add this in, but what we believe as a church in the Assemblies of God. We will do this to awaken our church so we can see more people follow Jesus than ever before. It’s time to Awaken Church!