Beloved Christian believers,
It is not by accident that you are reading this, but by the love of Christ. This message is a wake-up cry to the would-be Bride of Christ who are still sleeping alongside the church crowd. Only those who desire to be part of the Bride of Christ will understand and respond to this timely call. It is time to wake up!
IS THE CHURCH OF CHRIST TRULY SLEEPING?
One may wonder how, with the endless activities and programs in various church organizations, how could anyone think that the church is sleeping. Many church organizations are full of activities, so much so that members do not even have time to cultivate personal relationships with Christ. It is so severe that some do not even allow their members to rest at home during public holidays. Being busy for Christ is not evidence that you are awake in the spirit because one may be in a deep spiritual slumber and yet be busy for Christ. We may liken it to the difference between a prerecorded broadcast, and a live broadcast. The presenter of a prerecorded broadcast may be fast asleep when airing his broadcast, whereas the presenter of a live broadcast must be awake and active to air his live broadcast. Most of the activities that many church organizations preoccupy their members with can be likened to a recorded broadcast because they are lifeless and without inspiration from God. Those programs are primarily for generating income, increasing the number of members, receiving commendations from higher church authorities, gaining more popularity, etc. Conversely, programs inspired by the Holy Spirit are for the salvation of sinners and revival in the body of Christ. The story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42 revealed that the Lord Jesus Christ is more interested in our relationship with Him than our back-to-back church activities.
SHOULD WE BE SURPRISED THAT THE CHURCH IS SLEEPING?
We shouldn’t be surprised to know that the church is in deep slumber because the Lord Jesus Christ foretold the present condition of the church through His parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13.
“While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.” Matthew 25:5
None of the ten virgins was immune to sleep, and Jesus Christ did not condemn them either for sleeping. Instead, He sent another group who were awake and watchful to wake up the sleeping virgins and to alert them to the imminent arrival of the Bridegroom.
Apostle Paul, in most of his Epistles, encourages Christian believers to be spiritually awake. He likens those sleeping spiritually to fools, and those spiritually awake he likens to the wise.
“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:14-16
The wise understand and are conscious of the evil of the times we are living in; they cannot afford to sleep or slumber. After the Lord Jesus Christ had revealed all the signs of His coming to His disciples, He advised them to watch and pray. But how can you watch when you are sleeping? If you are a Christian believer and you are not feeling the urgency of the imminent return of Christ, it simply shows that you are in a deep slumber. Is your Pastor talking frequently about the return of Christ and making references to the events fulfilling prophecies? That show he’s awake.
….. to be continued
Maranatha!
Pastor Olurinmade Solomon