Subject: Stay woke

Subject: Stay woke

Matthew 26:36-43

“Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.”

Matthew 26:36-43 KJV

Subject: Staying spiritual woke when your Eyes are heavy.

Introduction:

If the question was asked if you had 24 hours on this earth what would you do. Who would you spend it with, where would you go, Some would say they will take a foreign trip, others would say they will attempt to check off everything on their bucket list. However, my brothers and sisters in Matthew we find Jesus, knowing his time was at hand, and his hour was at hand. He choses the place of Gethseneme, He chose his disciples to spend this time with, and he spends this time in prayer with the father, We find Jesus asking the disciples if they could watch and pray… because he understood that the time was nearing that he would be going to cross. However, when came back he found the disciples sleep.

My brothers and sister the bible speaks of three specific references of two in which we are references today. It speaks of a physical sleep, a spiritual sleep.

Natural Sleep The sleep that the human body needs., and during a person’s sleep in biblical God may make his will known by a dream or vision.

However there is a Moral or Spiritual sleep In a figurative way that is used in the bible, sleep is used as a symbol of spiritual laziness, spiritual carelessness, or spiritual inactivity. . In the New Testament those who are the Lord’s servants are called to watch and to be sure that when their Master comes he will not find them sleeping Jesus gives an example of the kingdom of God being compared to 5 wise virgins who had oil in their lamps and 5 foolish who did not have any oil in their lamp and instead of the foolish going to get oil they all fell asleep and behold the bridegroom came and foolish asked the wise for their oil but I believe the wise stated if you would have stayed woke you wouldn’t have to ask for our oil. This scripture is compared to Christ’s return, for no man knows the day our the hour he shall return, the bible says he coming like a thief in the night, this scripture advises not to let him catch us sleeping with our work undone.

My brother and sisters we must stay focused on the spiritual call and assignment on our lives.During this life we are constantly challenged to maintain our spiritual life.

The challenge to maintain spiritual alertness and to refrain from spiritual sleep comes in a number of scriptures in the epistles: (Eph 5:14, states Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light” ;(1 Thes 5:6, states“So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Watch for his return and stay sober” .

My brothers and sisters in Matthew 26th chapter we find the disciples sleeping, although the disciples were physically sleep they were also sleep in the spirit. . .I believe we all at some point or another need a spiritual awakening, Look at someone and say are you woke.

My brothers and sisters by no means am I telling you not to get your physical sleep. Please get your physical 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep as recommended by the health experts.However, my brothers and sisters we are referencing being awake in the spirit.

Keep your spirit alive.

Many of can remember a couple of years ago the term woke became a term used to define someone who is in tune with what is going on in society. When someone was “woke” to something it was assumed that they were aware of something they were attentive to something.

In contrast if someone was sleep on something or someone it meant they were not aware of something or doubting something.

My brother and sisters I believe we all should stay woke spiritually.

We stay woke spiritually when our prayer life is awake, we stay woke spiritually when we are in Gods word. Its imperative that we all should stay woke spiritually because the enemy is constantly looking for ways to distract us, to get us off track in any way he can. When we are spiritually woke we understand the enemy tactics and strategies.

1 Peter 5:8 advises us to stay alert what out for our great enemy the devil, He prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Paul tells the Corinthians that Lest Satan should get the advantage of us we are not ignorant of his devices.

We have to understand that the enemy is constantly trying to defeat us and if he see us sleeping, if he catches us sleeping in the spirit. He will get the victory.

Context

Text-As we get to the text we find that

Jesus Goes to pray in the Garden of Gasthemene, He and his disciples were just departing the last supper, the feast of the leaven bread, He understands the season that he was in, Prayer was necessary as his spirit was vexed, As he and his disciples went to toward Gesthemene he asks the disciples to sit and wait and he taks Peter James and John to the mountain of Gethseneme to watch and pray.

It is at Gethsemane we see get a glimpse of the relationship of the God the father and God the son communicating. We get to sit in the prayer room of Jesus as he goes into prayer.He goes into prayer because he understands that he was about to go the cross and become the ultimate sacrifice for sins.

He understood the necessity of prayer-

He often separated himself away from others to pray.

He withdrew himself to go to the wilderness

He withdrew himself to go to the garden of Gastemene.

He made sure he maintained communication with the Father.

He set the example for prayer for his disciples. They need not have an excuse for praying.

He set the examples for us as well that in times of trouble and uncertainty we should not hesitate to pray.

My brothers and sisters in times as this I believe we need stay prayerful as never before.

with Crime rate steady raising in our community we need to stay prayerful.

With social and political unrest, we must stay prayerful.

With wars and rumors of war we must stay prayerful.

When our children cant go to school without the fear of being shot down, we must stay prayerful.

As We continue to fight for social justice,.

When we cant go into the grocery store without fear. There is no doubt we need to stay prayerful.

Because Jesus understood the necessity of prayer y.The first time he prays that the Lord take the cup--

He prays the first time and makes the petition, father, if it is possible may this cup pass away from from me. However, despite all of this he understood that God’s will should be done.

Truth of the matter is I believe all of us have been at this point. Is there anyone ever prayed for God to take some things away from you. Jesus shows that even he himself would rather not go through, however if it its in his will Lord im willing. There are times we may pray Lord take this cup away from me, However the truth of the matter is some things we are just going to have to go through, Even in midst of this we understand that God is with us as long as you keep going through sooner or later your going to come out.

Jesus is at the point in the prayer giving himself totally to the cross.He understands his mission. However, he prays and ask God is there another way that I can accomplished this task. He then returns to his disciples from prayer and he finds the disciples sleep.

He comes back from prayer and he find the disciples caught sleeping.

Can you imagine being caught sleeping on the Job by Jesus your boss. Not once not twice but three times.

The disciples had one job and that was to watch and pray. Be on the look out. Be aware. Stay alert.

The second prayer he prays Lord let your will be done..2. The second prayer - was a submission to the fathers will. “He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.”

Matthew 26:42 KJV

(In other words he was sayingLord do it your way)

He came back and found the disciples sleep again.

This was the three times, each time he came back

In the most pivotal moment of Jesus he finds the disciples that were in his inner circle sleep. These were the same three disciples Peter,

James and John, that Jesus took with him on the mount of transfiguration, which shows that these were the ones who he trusted to complete the task.

However, When he needed them disciples most he found them sleep.

He asks his disciples could you not pray with me for an hour.

These were the same disciples that disrupted Jesus sleep when the storm raged and Jesus was at the bottom of the boat sleeping.

Is there anyone can relate to fact that sometimes those you have need of are sometimes sleep, It is at this point that Jesus understand that he had to face this battle alone.

My brothers and sisters its good to have a support system, its good to have people in your corner, however the truth of the matter is that sometimes we wont always get encouragement from others, sometimes the ones we think are praying for us is praying on us, However, I can testify that it is this point, that if we cant find no one else to encourage you, if you cant find anyone to pray for you or pat you on the back sometimes you have to do as David did and encourage yourself in the lord, as the song writer Donald Lawrence stated speak over yourself encourage yourself in the Lord.

Although the disciples time and time again failed Jesus in their inability to stay alert, Jesus continued to show them grace because he understood that what he was about to do on the cross, the sacrifice of his flesh was going to cover the failures of their flesh. Is there anyone her Glad that no matter how many times I messed up Im glad God gave me grace after grace.

As I read this text I thought to myself how could the disciples sleep on the son of the living God. How could the disciples sleep on the way maker,How could they sleep on the miracle worker. How could they sleep on the Promise keeper the light in The darkness.

However, I had to take inventory of myself. If we I were to be honest, Yes, I may be woke physically but there are some things that I have been spiritually sleeping on. There are some things in my life that I’m waiting on God to do. However, in a spiritual sense I have fell asleep. There are some things in your life that you’ve been praying for but in a spiritual sense you have fell asleep. Look at somebody and say wake up. I know it seems as though its taking long but stay woke, I know it look bad but stay woke. I know it seems as though the odds are against you but stay woke.

Jesus came to his disciples 3 times. Somebody said he was taking a break from prayer but- I don’t believe he needed a break after praying for only an hour, when he had prayed for 30 days and 30 nights previously in the wilderness. I believe He was seeking for the disciples devotion, He was looking for their encouragement, their praise, their prayers, He was wondering if they were dependable. They had just left the last supper where Jesus had taught them the importance of service when he washed their feet, now they couldn't serve for an hour in prayer.

The truth of matter is all of us have been there before. The question I have for you is What are we sleeping on?

Are we sleeping in our prayer life

Are we sleeping on the word of God

Are we sleeping on Jesus

Are we sleeping on God.

Don't sleep on God.

He tells them to watch with me because he knew that the that one his disciples would betray him as stated at the last supper.So he wanted the disciples to be alert and aware.

He teaches the disciples a lesson on 2 occasions when he finds them sleep.

He tells them to watch and pray because although the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

Jesus understood that disciples meant well. The disciples had every intention in their spirit to say awake, to stay alert, to stay aware. However, there physical body was tired.These disciples did all they could to obey his words.

2. The disciples were depending on the flesh to handle a spiritual assignment. Galations 5:16 speaks But I say, Walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other;

How is that Peter was just willing to die with Jesus verse 35. However, now in 40th verse he couldn’t even stay awake for an hour to watch and pray!

My brothers and sisters. We must stay spiritually awoke if we want to defeat life’s trials and tribulations.

We must stay woke that when the life test us, will be spiritually strengthened to past the test that life brings.

There was a story of a young man in college class and he was always sleep. He would come to class out her backpack up and within 10 minutes he would be sleep and at the end of the week the test came and as everyone one was moving through testing.He could not withstand the test as he looked at the professed and asked I don’t remember you teaching this. The teacher replied I gave you all the answers to the test but during the process you were sleep. He could not withstand the Test because he slept through the process.

Can I just encourage you don’t sleep through the process. If you stay spiritual woke in the process you can stand the spiritual test.

Look at somebody and say wake up!!

1. My brothers The disciples were not only sleeping on Jesus however they were sleeping on themselves in a sense because they negated the assignment that Jesus gave them. They took for granted that Jesus only chose three disciples to completed the assignment.

Can I just encourage you today don’t sleep on yourself. You are somebody. God has given you a gift. God have given you assignment. Don’t sleep on yourself. Some of us have been doubting our assignment. Can I just encourage you to stop sleeping on yourself. You have what it takes. You are fearfully and wonderfully made.Don’t sleep on yourself you can do all things through Christ that strengthens you. Don’t sleep on yourself you are the head and not the tail. Don’t sleep on yourself, you are good enough. You are talented enough.

Jesus searches the disciples during this time to seeking for their prayers and their support. God is searching for the same with us. He is looking for us to stay woke, He is looking for the prayer warriors, He is looking for true worshipers, He is looking for those who are watching and praying, he searching for us to be dependable, The world is looking at the church to stay woke.

John 24:23 confirms my point when Jesus says God is searching the earth looking for true worshippers that will worship him in spirit and In truth.

My brothers we must be sure that we are awake spiritually.

Our children is looking for us to stay Woke our family is dependent on us to stay woke.

Because if the enemy can catch us sleeping he will destroy our family, he will destroy our relationship with God.Do I have anyone that can say. I’m going to stay woke. I’m going keep pressing, I’m going to keep praying, I, I’m going to keep trusting God, .Can I encourage you today don't sleep on God.

He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or think don't sleep.The issue you’ve been praying for, Don’t fall a sleep.Don’t fall asleep on your children, Don’t fall asleep on your business.

However, our brokenness leads us to drifting and dozing off.

Life trials and tribulations leads us to dozing off Sickness leads us to dozing off. All of us have been there before

All of us or either at one or three places. Either we are woke. we are drifting and dozing off or sleep.

Closing-tune up-

the 43rd verse of 26th chapter of Matthew explains that Their eyes were heavy.

I came to encourage those whose doing your best to stay woke but your eyes are heavy,

to hang on in there just a little while longer, Sooner or later, God is getting ready to turn somethings in your favor,

I know you eyes are heavy , but look to heals from which cometh your help, and all your help cometh from the Lord,

Im talking to somebody who’s eyes are heavy you feel like paul in 2nd corinthians we are troubled on everyside yet not distressed. Perplexed but not in despair Persecuted are perplexed on everyside, cast down but not forsaken, cast down but not destroyed.

I know youre eyes are heavy, but if you can hang on in there until the morning Joy coming in the morning....

Isaih 40:29 states that he gives strength to the faint and to them who have no might he increases strength.

After he finds them sleeping the third time he says let us retreat, notice he did not retreat to run from the the enemy but he explains to the disciples the time is now come and runs to Judas and those who would betray him……

Because understood that there was no way that he could save humankind from their sins, There was no other way he could wake up mankind from the sleep of sins. was to shed his innocent blood,

He was captured, brought before pilate who could not find no fault in him, he was then brought before Herod. He carried the cross, they hung him high they stretched him wide, he was bruised he was crushed. One Friday night he died.However he set the alarm clock to wake up mankind from their sings for Early Sunday Morning. They took him to a hill call Golgotha, where he laid in Josephs borrowed tomb, He stayed there one day, two days, but early the third day morning he got up, and woke mankind up from the nightmare.

Since He woke us up from the nightmare of sin, Can I can encourage to stay woke,

The storm may rise but stay woke, the wind may blow but stay woke, friends may leave you but stay woke, I know your hurt but stay woke.

When you woke you don’t have to wait until you see it with your eyes you can praise him in advance,

When your woke you don’t have to wait until God do it you can praise him now.

This is the season my brothers and sisters when God is looking for some praisers and some prayer warriors, I know some people gonna stay sleep, However, can I just get about two or three worshipers who are woke to give God a woke praise.

Look at somebody and say stay woke. If your woke you ought to give God a woke praise, Praise hime like you woke.

Alter Call & Prayer

Alter Call & Prayer

God help us to understand that we when you died in the cross we don’t have to be sleeping in our sins.God we are awake in you. When we accept Jesus as our savior we become woke.God help us to stay woke.God we pray for those who are dozing off, whose eyes are heavy. Who are tired, who need your strength. Give them strength God. God I pray for those who have totally fell asleep. Who have fell victim to the flesh. God wake us up, make us aware, redeem us back to our rightful place with you. Thank you Jesus, for your redeeming power to wake us up.

In Jesus name we pray amen

(for Structure focus on three things to put the sermon in in form.)

The disciples.

.t

Concise Oxford English Dictionary Sleep

sleep

■ noun

1 a regularly recurring condition of body and mind in which the nervous system is inactive, the eyes closed, the postural muscles relaxed, and consciousness practically suspended.

Sleeping in class analogy

~~~~The 43rd verse explains that their eyes were heavy.

In others words they were doing all they could to stay woke. Can I just encourage those who have spiritual heavy eyes.

What is it that have made your eyes heavy, the lost of a loved on can make your eyes heavy, sickness can make your eyes heavy, hurt can make your eyes heavy,

You have done all you can to do right.

You have faith but your eyes are heavy.You believe but your eyes are heavy To those who are spiritually tired.

Can I just encourage those who eyes are heavy, that God is getting ready to give you a second wind

I came to encourage those who are spiritually tired, that God is getting ready to give you the strength you need to get to your next level.

How many can testify that He will give you strength to stand even in the midst of weakness the Bible says He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Isaih 40:30-31Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength

They will soar on wings like eagles

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint. I came to encourage you to Keep on believing keep on trusting, keep on depending on God.

My bro and sisters be not dismayed, whatever be tired, God will take care of you.

he goes up to prayer and he gives his disciples one job, to watch and pra