Fall Victim

“If we allow ourselves to become spiritually sleepy, we will believe things that are not true and fall victim to the enemy.” (Danielle Tate)

Now he was back in Cana of Galilee, the place where he made the water into wine. Meanwhile in Capernaum, there was a certain official from the king’s court whose son was sick. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and asked that he come down and heal his son, who was on the brink of death. Jesus put him off: “Unless you people are dazzled by a miracle, you refuse to believe.”

 But the court official wouldn’t be put off. “Come down. It’s life or death for my son.”

Jesus simply replied, “Go home. Your son lives.”

The man believed the bare word Jesus spoke and headed home. On his way back, his servants intercepted him and announced, “Your son lives.”

He asked them what time he began to get better. They said, “The fever broke yesterday afternoon at one o’clock.” The father knew that that was the very moment Jesus had said, “Your son lives.”

That [settled] it. Not only he but his entire household believed. This was now the second sign Jesus gave after having come from Judea into Galilee. (John 4:46-54, MSG)

Verse One
Thank God for the daylight, I spent a long time in the dark
Felt good saying "Goodbye", waking up to a brand new heart
And if you're sleeping like I used to be, in a grave that holds you tight
There's a Savior calling, promising a brand new life
He's saying…

Chorus
Wake up sleeper
Open your eyes
Oh sinner, arise
Leave your past at the door
Wake up sleeper
Come to the light
Christ is alive
Death don't live here anymore
Death don't live here anymore

Verse Two
I bet you like that freedom
Oh, welcome to the kingdom, we all feel that way
So if you meet somebody sleeping like, the way you used to be
Tell 'em bout the Savior, and a little thing called "Free"
Go ahead and say…

Chorus

Bridge
Rise up and come out of that grave
Rise up in that amazing grace
Oh sleeper, won't you come awake?
Come awake
Rise up and come out of that grave
Rise up in that amazing grace
Oh sleeper, won't you come awake?
Come awake

Chorus

Outro
Rise up and come out of that grave
Rise up in that amazing grace
Oh sleeper, won't you come awake?
Come awake
Rise up and come out of that grave
Rise up in that amazing grace
Oh sleeper, won't you come awake?
Come awake[i]

People being treated for the life-threatening condition of sleep apnea are hooked up to a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. The CPAP mask and hose make the patient look just like just a trauma victim in a hospital connected to a breathing apparatus. It can be claustrophobic and cumbersome to wear at times.

At first, learning to use a CPAP machine can seem like its more trouble than it’s worth. Learning to walk with Christ can be difficult to do at times. Just like adjusting to a CPAP machine for a sleep apnea condition, to remain in connection with God will help with a sin condition. Spiritual breathing allows you to live a life acceptable and pleasing to your heavenly Father.

Unconfessed sin is like sleep apnea. The word apnea means breathless. In one account, a man with sleep apnea stopped breathing (arousals) more than eighty times during the night. Unconfessed sin can bring lethargy to your relationship with God just as His desire is for you to have restful sleep at night. God wants you to remain in fellowship with Him, and be spiritually alert and awake. Below are the three simple keys to doing that:

Be attentive to His voice – God speaks to us through the Bible, our circumstances, and other people. The problem is that we must be attentive to hear only Him (and not our surroundings). We must not allow the noise of our life routines to overcome us.

Rest (but do not sleep) – We can't fall asleep spiritually. We need to remain awake. We can rest our physical bodies and our minds, but our spirit should always be at full attention so that it can stay in tune.

Stay in shape– We must understand the characteristics of God, and know how the enemy is operating in our midst. Have you ever been around people you know, and wonder what has gotten into them at that moment? That could be the enemy operating through them to stir up trouble, cause tension, or get you distracted. We must stay in shape with regular Bible study and prayer.

“I wrote ‘Wake Up Sleeper’ about one of my favorite stories in the Bible (found in Luke) when Jesus interrupts a funeral.  A little boy had died, and his widowed mother and a group of people were carrying his body to be buried outside of the town when they encountered Jesus.  Now Jesus  (as a religious leader) should have turned the other way because touching something dead would make Him unclean.  But that didn’t stop Jesus.  He walked up to the coffin and told the little boy to wake up.  In that moment, Jesus took what everyone considered done, over, and dead and brought a little boy back to life.  That’s just what Jesus does today.  I pray this song reminds us all that we were dead in our sins, only Jesus can wake us up. That’s the gospel, and it’s our job to tell the world about a Savior who wakes up sleepers even still today.” (Austin French)

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[i] The song, “Wake Up Sleeper,” by Austin French

Sources used:

·        “Are You Spiritually Asleep?” By Danielle Tate

·        “Are You Spiritually Sleeping?” by Rich Atkinson