A Fire Within, A Call to Wake!

Mark 14:32-42

Have you ever felt it? That…weight? Not the crushing weight of despair, but a weight of knowing. A weight that settles deep in your spirit, a burden for another soul, a pull towards fervent prayer? A feeling that compels you, demands you, to intercede?

Brothers and sisters, that is the touch of God! It’s the Holy Spirit stirring within you, revealing a need and igniting a passion for His will to be fulfilled. It signifies growth, a blossoming of your spiritual sensitivity! When God places a burden of intercession on your heart, He's saying, “I am working here, and I want you to join Me!”

But be warned! The enemy, the Accuser of the Brethren, the father of lies and very first murderer, is a master mimic. What God brings, Satan mimics. What God creates, Satan defiles. What God provisions, Satan attempts to steal, kill, and destroy.

Satan knows the weight God places upon us, and he attempts to counterfeit it. He doesn't impose burdens on others; instead, he burdens himself. He delivers grief, sorrow, depression, turmoil, trials, tribulations, and drowning. We suffocate beneath the weight of chaotic seas. Moreover, he offers slumber—a heavy, deadening sleep that stifles the spirit, dulls the senses, and leaves us lost in spiritual darkness.

Listen to the prophet Isaiah! (Isaiah 29:10) "For the Lord hath poured out a spirit of slumber, and an eye of darkness upon them; and they shall reel and stumble, and fall, and not rise up." A spirit of slumber! A darkness that blinds us to the needs around us, to the urgency of the hour!

Paul cries out to us in Romans 13:11: "And that, knowing the time, that it is now high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed." The time is now! The return of our Lord draws near! We cannot afford to be lulled into complacency!

And Paul continues in 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8: “Let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that watch watch for the day. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.” We are children of the light! We are called to watch, to pray, to be ready!

Now, let us turn to the Garden of Gethsemane. (Mark 14:32-42). Picture the scene: Jesus, knowing the agonizing weight of what lay before Him – the betrayal, the suffering, the sacrifice – poured out His heart to the Father in desperate prayer. He needed strength, He needed guidance, He needed connection with His Father.

And what did He find? His disciples… sleeping. He pleaded with Peter, James, and John. "What? Could ye not watch one hour?" (Mark 14:37) One hour! He wasn't asking for a lifetime of vigil, just a single hour of companionship in His most profound moment of need.

Think about that. The Son of God, facing the weight of the world’s sin, begging for someone to stay awake with Him in prayer simply.

Friends, isn’t that a mirror reflecting our time? How often do we, the Church, slumber while Jesus cries out? How frequently do we allow the distractions of the world, the comforts of our routines, and the spirit of slumber to weigh us down and keep us from fervent, passionate prayer?

The fire is dwindling in too many hearts. The boldness is fading. The urgency is lost. We are becoming a sleeping church, a lukewarm church that has forgotten the power of intercession, the power of standing watch and praying.

I implore you to wake up! Shake off the slumber! Seek the weight of God’s burden for others. Pray with passion, urgency, and unwavering faith. Let us be a church that watches and prays, a church that is ready to meet our Lord with joy and anticipation. Let us not be found sleeping when He returns!

Have you ever felt a weight on you that burdened you? Have you ever felt a weight on you that spurred you to action on behalf of the Lord? That gave you boldness, prompted by the Holy Spirit to pray for someone, lay hands on someone, and intercede for someone?

Just as God uses that weight to place a burden of intercession on us, we know that the Accuser of the Brethren mimics everything. If God puts a burden on you for intercession, that burden signals spiritual growth in your life, and if you do not have that burden, chances are that you are not spiritually growing. But the inverse is equally true—Satan uses the spirit of slumber as a burden on us that deadens spiritually.

I feel a weight pressing down, a sense of urgency.

It’s the echo of a garden, the shadow of a cross, and the chilling realization that we live in the shadow of the hour. As we approach Resurrection Sunday, there is a truth that so many disregard: the purpose of Jesus Christ going to the Cross, the purpose of Jesus Christ dying on the Cross, the purpose of Jesus Christ’s Resurrection, and the purpose of Jesus Christ’s Ascension.

So we wrestle and toil with ourselves and allow that spirit of slumber to come upon us.

The "spirit of slumber" is profoundly significant, particularly when viewed through the lens of spiritual awakening. It's not simply about physical sleep, but a divine sending of lethargy, dullness, and an inability to perceive truth, often as a judgment and test. In today’s message, we see a test of Jesus’s closest disciples.

1. Isaiah 29:10 - Blinded and Seduced to Sleep

Israel rejected God, offering empty rituals while their hearts remained cold! (Isaiah 29:13) They trusted in themselves, not Him, and judgment fell. Isaiah warns of a “spirit of slumber,” not peace, but a divinely sent spiritual paralysis! “An eye of darkness” – a blinding of understanding, leaving them stumbling, falling, utterly helpless before disaster! Unable to see truth, discern God’s will, or heed His warnings. Church, are we listening? Distracted by the world, unable to tell truth from lies, unwilling to confront sin? We are vulnerable to the same slumber! Wake up! Before pride blinds us, and darkness consumes us! Let us seek God with all our hearts, or face the devastating consequences of a sleeping spirit!

2. Romans 13:11 - The Hour is Late- Where is your Salvation?

Paul doesn’t just call us to obedience, he shouts a warning: (Romans 13:11) It is now high time to awake out of sleep! Sleep” isn’t rest – it’s spiritual apathy! Complacency! We live as if Christ’s return is distant, but Paul declares: the hour is LATE! Salvation – the fullness of God’s Kingdom – is nearer than when we first believed! To remain asleep is to miss the blessings, to be unprepared for His coming! This isn’t a gentle nudge, it’s a desperate plea – echoing even from Gethsemane! Don’t be caught off guard! Live with urgency! Live in the light of His imminent return! WAKE UP NOW!

3. 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8 - Don’t Surrender to Darkness

Paul cries out: Don't sleep! (1 Thessalonians 5:6) Don’t let the world lull you into spiritual slumber! Some sleep in the night, unaware – but we are children of the day! We must be sober, alert, and self-controlled! This isn’t passive waiting, it’s active preparedness! Put on the armor of God: faith, love, and the hope of salvation! (1 Thessalonians 5:8) Resist complacency! Reject the darkness! Stay vigilant! Our watchfulness is not optional – it’s essential for surviving the battle and welcoming our Lord’s return!

The Overarching Theme:

This isn’t comfort – it’s judgment! A spirit of slumber descends upon those who disobey, blinding them to truth, leaving them vulnerable to deception, deaf to God’s call. The antidote? Watchfulness! Sobriety! Prayer! Total surrender! The hour is late, and this slumber is gripping the Church. God is exposing it now. Look to Gethsemane! Jesus, burdened with the weight of the world and His coming sacrifice, He begged His disciples to stay awake. He sought companionship in His agony… and found them sleeping. Not once, not twice, but three times! He asked, “What? Could you not watch one hour?” (Mark 14:37) Are we answering Him today? Or are we still lost in the oblivion of sleep, while our Savior cries out? WAKE UP! The time for slumber is over!

It’s a scene that should haunt us and one that speaks with terrifying relevance to our present day. I believe, with all my heart, that this isn’t just a story about tired men; it’s a prophetic picture of the Church, lulled into a dangerous, debilitating sleep while the message of Christ is dissipating and evaporating.

Bible Passage

32 And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray.  33 And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;  34 And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.  35 And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.  36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.  37 And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?  38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.  39 And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words.  40 And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him.  41 And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  42 Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand. 

1. Issue Then (The Weight of Anticipation)

In Gethsemane, the disciples were exhausted, yes, but I believe their sleep was more than physical - we see the vestiges of spiritual warfare present. They were overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of what was unfolding. Jesus had repeatedly told them He would be betrayed, crucified, and resurrected. They couldn’t comprehend it. Their minds wrestled with the impossible, and in their inability to grasp the divine plan, they retreated into a spiritual numbness. They were on the precipice of history, about to witness the ultimate sacrifice, yet they were asleep to its significance.

They were overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of what was unfolding. Jesus had repeatedly told them He would be betrayed, crucified, and resurrected. They couldn’t comprehend it. Their minds wrestled with the impossible, and in their inability to grasp the divine plan, they retreated into a spiritual numbness. They were on the precipice of history, about to witness the ultimate sacrifice, yet they were asleep to its significance.

In Ecclesiastes, we see times and seasons spoken of; today, the Church misses the crucial moments because of distractions, comfort, and the unwillingness to face the hard truths. Spiritual slumber isn’t a passive state; it's a choice – a turning away from the weight of God’s calling - God’s voice. Like the disciples in Gethsemane, asleep to the significance in the garden and avoiding the pain of fully engaging with the reality of what Jesus was facing, they were clinging to their understanding and expectations and refusing to enter into His suffering. Scripture consistently warns against clinging to our knowledge.

Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Instead of leaning on God’s revealed will, the disciples attempted to reconcile it with their preconceived notions, expectations of a triumphant Messiah, and fear of suffering. This attempt to control the narrative, to fit God into their box, led to a spiritual paralysis.

Are you asleep? Are you aware of the significance, spiritually, where God is trying to awaken you? Have you retreated into spiritual numbness?

2. Issue Now (The Church Asleep Today)

Today, I see churches and Christians largely preoccupied with comfort, entertainment, and worldly pursuits. Do you see spirituality and walking in righteousness evaporating? Has the church traded and exchanged prophetic discernment for progressive ideas, speaking solely of love and grace, but avoiding the hard edges of truth and the voice of God calling us to wake up? We are drowning in information, yet starving for revelation. We are being lulled to sleep by a thousand distractions: social media, political debates, material possessions, and a relentless pursuit of personal happiness.

We fill our lives with noise that silences the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to us. We’ve built walls of religious routine around ourselves and church expectations that cost us biblically. We have forgotten the call of discipleship, watered down the Gospel, and lost power with no substance in our lives.

We are a generation that has largely forgotten the cost of discipleship. We’ve watered down the Gospel, making it palatable to the world, and in doing so, we’ve lost our power. We’ve become spectators rather than participants in the drama of redemption.

As Spurgeon so powerfully stated, “It is not enough to know the truth; we must live it. It is not enough to hear the Gospel; we must feel it in our hearts, and show it in our lives.” We know the truth, but are we living it? Are we truly awake to the spiritual battle raging around us?

2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

We are seeing this prophecy fulfilled – a turning away from the hard truths of the Gospel in favor of comforting fables.

Have we let ourselves drown in information, but we starve for revelation? Have we been lulled to sleep by a thousand directions, cut apart by the enemy with a thousand cuts?

3. God Then (Jesus' Plea in the Garden)

Jesus’ repeated pleas, “What? Could you not watch with me even one hour?” (Mark 14:37) aren’t a rebuke born of anger, but a desperate cry for companionship in the face of unspeakable agony. He wasn’t simply seeking someone to stay awake; He was seeking someone to share the burden, enter into His suffering, and stand with Him in the darkest hour.

He knew what was coming—the betrayal, abandonment, torture, crucifixion, and the weight of sin that He was about to bear. He longed for His friends to be awake, alert, and prepared to stand with Him. He wanted them to understand the moment's gravity and recognize the spiritual warfare unfolding before their eyes.

Hebrews 2:1, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest we let them slip.”

He was offering them a front-row seat to history, an opportunity to participate in the greatest act of redemption the world has ever known. But they were asleep. They missed it.

Scripture says in Mat 10:33  But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. The word deny in Greek means ‘ar-neh’-om-ahee’ IOWs to contradict, to disavow, to reject, to abnegate, or to refuse. The use of speech is found only with the word to disavow. To contradict, to reject, to abnegate, and refuse. Going further, the word abnegate means to renounce, referring to our personal desires, privileges, and responsibilities.

To abnegate, reject, or refuse Jesus is not just with words but also by deeds. James says we should be doers of the word, not just hearers. By your actions, if you're not living as a Christ-like person by definition, you are denying Christ, and Jesus says he will deny you to his Father! ‘

Can we stand with Jesus, pick up our cross, and follow him? Can we even find our cross? Can we stand amidst the weight of sin, or will we collapse?

4. God Now (The Hour is Come - Stand Guard)

I believe the hour is come. The signs are all around us. The world is reeling from chaos, division, and moral decay. Darkness is gathering, and the enemy is relentless. Jesus is still pleading with us, “Could you not watch with me even one hour?” He is calling us to break free from our spiritual slumber, to shed our complacency, and to stand guard.

This isn’t a call to fear, but a call to faith. It's a call to watchfulness. It's a call to prayer. It's a call to action.

Spurgeon warned, “A sleeping Church is a powerless Church. A Church that is dreaming of earthly things is a Church that has lost its spiritual vitality.”

1 Peter 5:8 urges us, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” We are not to be passive, but actively resisting the enemy’s schemes.

Jesus wants us to be alert, discerning, and prepared for the challenges that lie ahead. He wants us to be rooted in His Word, filled with His Spirit, and committed to His purpose. He wants us to be bold in our witness, compassionate in our service, and unwavering in our faith.

He wants us to wake up the unbelievers around us, to share the Gospel with a world desperately in need of hope, and to wake up our fellow believers, to challenge them to live lives of radical discipleship and embrace the fullness of God’s calling.

Are you prepared for the challenges ahead? Will the Spirit of Slumber lure you to your spiritual death? Jesus calls you to wake up!! Jesus calls you to have discernment! Jesus calls you to share the Gospel! Jesus calls you to be rooted in His Word, filled with the Holy Spirit, and committed to His purpose. Are you about your Father’s business?

Wake up, Church! The time is now!

Psalm 116:12-16 speaks of the cup of salvation, a symbol of God's deliverance and mercy. The psalmist asks, "What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me?" and answers with a declaration: "I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord." “You break my bonds, Lord God!” This is not just a passive reception—it is an active commitment, a response to the overwhelming grace of God.

This cup of salvation is the very essence of our calling. It is the cup Christ Himself lifted at the Last Supper, the cup of redemption sealed by His blood. It is the cup offered to all who would wake up and recognize the urgency of the hour.

This isn't a burden to carry alone. This is a collective call to arms. We must pray—not just for ourselves, but for the awakening of the Church. We must challenge complacency, confront compromise, and champion truth. We must be willing to stand against the tide of darkness, even when it feels overwhelming.

We are called to the relentless pursuit of God, a life marked by sacrifice and unwavering commitment. True revival does not come from comfort—it comes from a broken heart, a contrite spirit, a life fully surrendered to the will of God.

Let us not be found sleeping when the Master returns. Let us heed the call to watchfulness, prayer, and action. Let us embrace the weight of Gethsemane and stand guard with Jesus in this, the hour of His coming. Let us be awake, alert, and ready to fulfill our calling as ambassadors of the King.

The time is now. The hour has come. It is time for us to wake up, surrender, and drink from the cup of salvation!

Are you ready to take up this call? Will you lift the cup and declare your allegiance to Christ? The moment is here—rise, Church, and awaken!

The time is now. The hour has come. It is time for us to wake up, surrender, and drink from the cup of salvation!

Benediction

Rom 16:25  Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, Rom 16:26  But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: Rom 16:27  To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.

This passage reminds us that God establishes us, strengthens us in the gospel, and calls us to stand firm in Christ. It is a declaration of His wisdom, power, and eternal glory, sending us forth confidently in His salvation.