True Wokeness

True Wokeness

Luke 8:40-56

We have a lot of things to deal with in this generation. Things we never thought would come our way, never thought would be issues. We deal with suicide often in this generation because of our decadence. We are so spoiled; so entertained; so distracted by all this world that we feel sorry for ourselves and think we are missing something.

Young people, I hope this doesn’t fall on deaf ears, but your social media is not bringing you happiness. They are mostly actors on social media. They are not any happier than you are.

Today we deal with cancel culture. If you do not line up with their belief system and you get in the crosshair of this progressive culture, they will do all they can to destroy you.

Another plague in our society is rather than teaching the importance of righteousness, they promote wokeness or being woke.

Merriam-Webster says: aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice)

I was surprised at the Urban dictionary’s definitions it said this: Deluded or fake awareness.

The former definition was first used in 1972.

Today, I would like to bring it back to what it is really supposed to mean, which is this: it is the past tense of wake - which means to be or remain awake; and as transitive verb it means “to rouse from as if from sleep”

There are some very great lessons that we can see in this passage that remind us of what our focus needs to be. We should be, as Christ was, always about the Father’s business.

We see herein a man named Jarius who had a great need. He was a father who loved his daughter for she lay sick and dying. Now Jarius was a one of the rulers of the synagogue. This means several things. It means he was gifted in the law, he had to know all of it in order to be a ruler in the synagogue. A synagogue for those of you who are unfamiliar with the term was a local chapter of the system that was set up by Ezra and the other scribes 400 years before. It was system to where the Law could be taught in different localities so all Jews could know about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Jarius was a ruler in one of these synagogues in this part of Galilee.

He knew the law, he knew that there was a coming Messiah. He knew of Jesus.

I can only imagine the conviction these men who knew the law felt as they heard of Jesus and His Words.

You see there are three general responses to the Word of God in your life:

- It either causes you to angry

- It causes you to get right

or because you are so indifferent, your conscious is so seared as with a hot iron that

- It has no affect on you

But this Jarius, what ever his background, things had changed today. His daughter was sick, she lay dieing in her bed.

I believe Jarius, a truly loving father, would do anything for his daughter, he would spare no expense to see that he did all that he could do. I’m sure that he hired the best doctors that he could find, and brought them in. But none of them were able to help her; they probably said that her case was hopeless.

I. Awakening through trials

So Jarius was at his wits end. He had to do something; he had to try something. He finally decided to go to the one who had been cut off by the rulers and chief priests. He had to go to the one that perhaps even he questioned, maybe he blasphemed, said horrible things about, but was his only hope.

This Father had to go through several things to get to the Lord.

A. This Father humbled himself before the Lord

Luke 8:41 And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house:

B. This Father had to fight through the crowd to get to the Lord

Luke 8:42 For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him.

C. This Father had to wait to have the Lord come

Luke 8:42-48 talk about the woman with a bleeding issue likely, and before Jarius could get his attention, he had to wait.

D. This Father had to fight through hopelessness

Luke 8:50 But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole. 51 And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.

Now the Bible doesn’t say whether Jarius got saved or not, but I gotta believe that he did, verse 56 says he was astonished though. That gives me an indication that he was moved by Jesus.

What is it going to take the for the Lord to move you. The trial in your life is to bring you to Him or bring you closer to Him. Will you have an Awakening to the fact that Jesus is Lord through you trial.

II. Awakening to a New Life

The illustration here is wonderful. Notice what was happening.

A. The worlds view of death - Weeping

Luke 8:52 says And all Wept...

There is much to bewail. There is much to be sad about; there is a lot to mourn over – for the person that has died is utterly hopeless.

Even those with some type of religion have no assurances even if they are have a member of that religion for their whole life.

Of course, in Israel it was common place to hire mourners and that is what we likely see in the passage.

B. The world’s view of life after death - Hopelessness & Scorn

· Luke 8:52 And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. 53 And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.

Christ was telling them more than they knew here.

He was telling them that those who die in Christ are not really dead, yes their bodies lie there, but there will be a day when that bodies will rise again. So Jesus knew that already.

But notice that their hopelessness resulted in scorn of the Savior, to say that she is not dead but is only sleeping.

I was watching one of the talking heads on television one day during the President Bush’s days office, and one of the CNN reporters said, how can we trust this guy, who prays to God and says that he follows God’s will for his life. How can we trust such a man who has his finger on the launch button of thousands of nuclear war heads.”

Basically he was mocking President Bush, scorning him for his faith.

This world doesn’t like it when you display your faith, they don’t mind you having it, just don’t share it with anyone else.

C. But in Christ there is Something wonderful to look forward to - We will awaken to see Him

The wonderful thing here is that that daughter awakened to a new life. And it was an illustration of not only that when we die in Christ, we get to be with Christ, but in this life we get to see Him.

When Jesus said unto her, “Maid, arise.” He was showing us what exactly he does for us.

Before Christ, you and I were lost in our sins, the Bible says that we were condemned already to die and go to hell.

We were dead in our sins, meaning we could not save ourselves, we were hopeless.

Ephesians 2:1 AV

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

So when she rose, it was all by the power of God, and when we are saved it is because of what Christ has done for us on the cross of Calvary.

Titus 3:5 AV

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

But remember, Christ did not just awaken you to save you and then you die, no – he has awakened you through a trial – to salvation – in order to be of service.

III. Awakening to see what Christ can do for others

Now we see not only was the father awakened through trials, and the daughter was awakened to a new life, we also see some men awakening to know the Lord in a wonderful way.

In Mark 5:37 we see the Lord Bible giving a little more detail, Jesus brought in three people with them.

Mark 5:37 AV

And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

Why did he do that – so they could see what Christ could do for through them.

Someone might observe and say, well, the fact is that only Christ can do this. Yes, but he chosen to work through us today.

John 14:12 AV

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

IV. Awakening to eternity

There is an eternity coming, and eternity we must face. Everyone will go on to eternity.

There is an eternity that awaits all of us. Here is a very important and sobering verse:

Daniel 12:2–3 AV

And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Listen, if you have already awakened unto Christ, quit making your excuses for not living for Him.

Praise the Lord you are saved, but you are wasting your life that could be fruitful one but instead, is a fruitless one. You say, “NOT SO PASTOR!” Show me the fruit then, I’m talking more than your family, if your family is the only fruit you have, then you are failing as a Christian. If your only fruit is some tithing records; it isn’t what Christ is looking for. He is looking for a consecrated life:

But, if you are here, and you haven’t awakened to the truth that Christ died for sins to save your soul, woe unto you. There is hope, perhaps this morning, God has spoken to your heart, perhaps this morning, He has “woke” you to some truths such as his love for you and eternal life, and to escape eternal damnation in hell.

He loves you, he wants to save you, the question is “will you place your faith in Him as your Lord and Savior.”

True Wokeness

Luke 8:40-56