Don't Sleep/Watch and Be Sober

Driving home: those in the state of spiritual slumber constantly seeking to push off the nagging voice of conscience forget the past forget the past forget the past forget the present

Martin uses Webster's definition of natural sleep (rest, little conscious thought/sensation/movement) as a basis to understand spiritual sleep, noting exceptions like snoring or sleepwalking.

will touch briefly on the other what did he mean when he said in the light of the suddenness of the Lord's return we will not sleep we will not sleep we will not sleep we will not sleep we will not sleep we should not sleep what is an adequate definition of the apostles use of the word sleep well as with so much in scripture natural functions are borrowed from the natural world and are given significance in the spiritual life now what is sleep naturally don't try to understand what he means in a spiritual sense until you understand what it is in the natural sense what is sleep well mr. Webster...

9:21 - 10:43 Read in full sermon

Driving home: those in the state of spiritual slumber constantly seeking to push off the nagging voice of conscience forget the past forget the past forget the past forget the present

A sailor falls asleep inches from a 40-50 foot drop, oblivious to danger until he wakes up falling. This illustrates how spiritual sleep renders one insensitive to impending spiritual danger and doom.

talking mr. Webster's definition is for the most part an accurate one it's a condition of rest for the body and mind during which there is little or no conscious thought sensation no contact with the world of reality about if a person is in the middle of the night and he is in the middle of the night and he is in the middle of the night and he is in the middle of the night and he is in the middle of the night and he is in the middle of the night and he is in the middle of the night and he is in the middle of the night sound asleep you could put the most succulent steak under his nose and he go...

10:43 - 12:09 Read in full sermon

Driving home: those in the state of spiritual slumber constantly seeking to push off the nagging voice of conscience forget the past forget the past forget the past forget the present

Martin describes how sleep allows one to forget past troubles (haunting conscience), present anxieties (unpaid bills), and future apprehensions (death row), illustrating the insensitivity of spiritual sleep.

from terrible tragedy and possible death he was utterly oblivious to it sleep is that peculiar state in which we are rendered insensitive to danger we can to be more specific we can enter into that state and utterly forget the past while living a man's past may loom up before him and haunt his conscience and drive him to despair but if he falls asleep suddenly his past no longer troubles him not only that he's insensitive to the present he may have been up till 12 o'clock scratching his head to figure out how in the world can you make $300 in the checking account cover $700 worth of bills and ...

12:09 - 13:37 Read in full sermon

Driving home: those in the state of spiritual slumber constantly seeking to push off the nagging voice of conscience forget the past forget the past forget the past forget the present

Martin recounts his Bible school roommate who was extremely difficult to wake up, even requiring a wet washcloth threat. This illustrates how people in spiritual sleep resist being aroused from their comfortable state.

and in the fourth place forget the past insensitive to the present no apprehension of the future it's a state from which we don't like to be aroused it's a comfortable state I never saw anybody who was awakened other than you know just waking up naturally but who was rudely awakened whoever just bounded out of bed and started singing oh what a beautiful morning oh what a beautiful day and thanked God the person who awakened him I remember having a roommate in Bible school that had a terrible job getting out of bed in the morning maybe the Lord was preparing me for my experience with my own dea...

13:37 - 15:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Resist the first symptoms of spiritual sleep, which is drowsiness, by being determined to stop when conscious of it.

Martin uses the experience of falling asleep while driving, noting that it starts with drowsiness, to illustrate that spiritual sleep doesn't happen suddenly but begins with spiritual drowsiness that must be resisted.

Have any of you ever fallen asleep at the wheel of a car? I never have. I've talked with people who have, and almost invariably they say, well, all I remember is that I was a bit drowsy, and I thought I'd just make it a few more miles to the next station. You see, sleep does not overtake a man like this, unless he has some physical ailment.

22:41 - 22:58 Read in full sermon

The point: Resist the first symptoms of spiritual sleep, which is drowsiness, by being determined to stop when conscious of it.

Hopeful and Christian encounter the 'enchanted ground' where Hopeful wants to rest and sleep, but Christian reminds him of the shepherds' warning. This illustrates the danger of spiritual drowsiness and the need for mutual exhortation.

This is brought out so clearly in Pilgrim's Progress. Hopeful and Pilgrim are talking with the shepherds. And one of the last exhortations the shepherds give them is this, beware of the enchanted ground. Well, a little bit later they come into a place where hope will begin.

24:01 - 24:20 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin defines 'watching' as the antonym of sleeping, meaning to be fully awake and consciously employing all faculties in spiritual preparedness. He uses analogies of a soldier…

A soldier pulling watch in Vietnam must be fully awake and intently focused on detecting any irregularity. This illustrates that spiritual watching is not passive but active, conscious employment of all faculties in preparedness.

Watching is seen in the analogy of the soldier at his post. Here's a man who's pulled watch over there in some, around some rice patty in Vietnam.

29:00 - 29:10 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin defines 'watching' as the antonym of sleeping, meaning to be fully awake and consciously employing all faculties in spiritual preparedness. He uses analogies of a soldier…

A mariner watches for obstacles/storms, and a wife prepares the home while glancing out for her husband's return. These illustrate active watchfulness combined with diligent work and preparedness.

He's not watching. He could be fully awake writing a letter to his sweetheart. That's not watching. He's to be fully awake and then all of his faculties are to be consciously and intently focused upon looking for the first sign of any irregularity out there in the rustling in the rice patty. Any unusual noise. Every faculty focused consciously, deliberately, wholeheartedly watching, peering into the night. That's the figure. It's the picture of a mariner on the deck of his ship watching, looking for any obstacles, any icebergs, looking for any rising of clouds that might indicate a squall or a...

29:22 - 30:38 Read in full sermon

The point: Be alert and fully awake, consciously employing all your faculties in spiritual preparedness.

Christ's wrestling in prayer in Gethsemane while his disciples slept illustrates the contrast between vital contact with spiritual reality (watching) and being utterly out of touch (sleeping).

Our Lord himself in his own experience gave a very clear example of what it means to watch as opposed to sleeping. He said in the 26th of Matthew as he entered into Gethsemane, watch with me one hour. Then what did he do? It says he went forward a stone's throw and fell upon his face and he began to pray. What did he do?

31:17 - 31:39 Read in full sermon

The point: Be sober, calm, and collected in your spirit, allowing nothing to intoxicate your mind or judgment, choosing preparedness for Christ's return over temporal pleasures.

A demented man choosing cheap play sand over solid gold bricks illustrates the suspended judgment of one who is not sober, choosing temporal pleasure over preparedness for Christ's return.

Suppose you saw a man who had presented to him solid gold bricks and cheap play sand and he chose the sand in place of the bricks. You'd say he's demented. His powers of judgment have been suspended. Something wrong.

39:32 - 39:46 Read in full sermon

The point: Use every legitimate means to keep alert and sober, including physical means, attending the assembly of God's people, and mutual exhortation.

Martin shares personal examples of using physical means (cold air, standing up, dumbbells, cold water) to fight drowsiness while driving or studying, illustrating that legitimate means should be used to stay spiritually alert.

You're driving down the highway as I've done many times. You just get that first little thing of drowsiness. Turn that wind vent in. Let that good fresh air come and smack you in the face.

40:27 - 40:36 Read in full sermon

The point: Husbands and wives, minister to one another by being 'rib wrappers' in love, exhorting each other out of spiritual drowsiness.

Just as a driver takes someone along to stay awake, believers need Christian friends who will lovingly 'wrap you in the ribs' (exhort you) when they see you becoming spiritually drowsy or insensitive.

What are some of those means? Well, you know them. Being into the assembly of the people of God whenever possible, who are awake spiritually, whose perspective is that of eternity and of the return of Christ. Breathe some of the clear air of the presence of God in the midst of His people. The exhortation of our brethren, Hebrews 3 and verse 13. Exhort one another, lest any of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. How often does someone say, well, I never go anywhere, I have to drive late, I take someone with me, so I don't fall asleep. Well, you better pick up some friends along the way...

41:11 - 42:01 Read in full sermon

The point: Resolutely refuse anything which stupefies and causes slumber, even seemingly innocent things that make God and spiritual reality less real.

The 'great enemy' of a believer is not overt evil but seemingly 'innocent' things (like newspapers or TV) that are welcomed into the home but secretly administer 'sleeping pills' to the soul, causing slumber.

Then get rid of it. Is it your TV? Get rid of it. I don't care what it is. And the great enemy of the true child of God is not that which has stamped on it evil, sin, unclean. It's that which comes to us saying innocent. And you welcome it right into your house and lo and behold it's got a pocket of sleeping pills that it's putting in your food all the time. And before you know it, you're in a state of slumber.

43:41 - 44:07 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize the absolute necessity of being watchful and sober as a matter of spiritual life and death.

A soldier at his post in Vietnam shakes off sleep at any cost because drifting off could mean a knife in his shoulder blades (death). This illustrates the life-and-death importance of spiritual watchfulness.

Beloved, I want to say in tones that I trust will not forget, and this has been my prayer, Lord, bear down upon us this morning the awesome importance of this duty. This is a matter of life and death. That's so you're sitting at his post in Vietnam, the thing that'll make him shake off sleep at any cost as long as he remembers this. The moment I drift off into sleep, it may mean that a knife will be slipped between my shoulder blades.

45:59 - 46:30 Read in full sermon

The point: Fear spiritual drowsiness like death itself.

Martin recounts his own practice of talking to himself, 'Buster, you could kill yourself if you play with drowsiness,' to refuse to fall asleep while driving. This illustrates the personal resolve needed for spiritual watchfulness as a matter of life and death.

It may mean death. The thing that kept me all those years in the itinerant ministry from ever toying with falling asleep at the wheel is I just used to talk to myself and say, Buster, you could kill yourself if you play with drowsiness. I refuse to do it. It's a matter of life and death.

46:30 - 46:46 Read in full sermon