Sleepy Friends - Asleep on the Job?

Memory Verse: Luke 13:24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not be able to.”

Your lesson starts out with the story of two friends, Katie and Diane. Katie had a terminal illness but her friend Diane was there for her until the end. Diane was even at Katie’s side at the hospital and she comforted Katie all through the night that she died. She did not sleep or even take any rest. She was there with Katie all through the end.

Would you be able to stay all night with a friend who was dying? It would be very hard, but do you think you could do it?

We read about Jesus’ friends – his disciples – the men who had spent 31/2 years with Jesus, day and night, watching Him perform miracles, seeing Him raise His friend Lazarus from the dead, and listening to Him talk to the people. They had learned much from Him. Jesus had even told them he was going to be betrayed and die before it even happened.

Matthew 16:21 From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.

Matthew 17:22-23 After they gathered again in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. 23 He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” And the disciples were filled with grief.

Matthew 20:17-19 17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him. 18 “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. 19 Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”

Matthew 26:2 2 “As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

Do you think Jesus’ disciples believed Him? Why or why not? Were they watching?

When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, He asked His disciples to wait and pray with Him. Mark 14:32-42 32 They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, “Sit here while I go and pray.” 33 He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. 34 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 35 He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. 36 “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” 37 Then he returned and found the disciples asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 38 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” 39 Then Jesus left them again and prayed the same prayer as before. 40 When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open. And they didn’ t know what to say. 41 When he returned to them the third time, he said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But no—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”

Jesus’ disciples could not even stay awake as Jesus had asked. They should have known something was going on, since Jesus had told them several times that He would be betrayed by one of them, that He would be crucified, die and be buried. They were caught unawares. They panicked and fled, leaving Jesus all alone to deal with what was ahead.

Would you say His disciples were asleep on the job? What does that mean for us?

Are you asleep – complacent, unbothered, unconcerned? The dictionary defines complacent as: pleased, especially with oneself or one's merits, advantages, situation, etc., often without awareness of some potential danger or defect -- self- satisfied:

What happens if you fall asleep at the wheel? You have an accident – maybe even a fatal one.

What happens if you fall asleep on the job? You might have or cause an accident – you might even lose your job.

Are you sleepwalking through life, complacent and self- satisfied, while all around you things are happening of which you should be aware? What kinds of things should you be aware of? (proliferation or rapid spread and increase of evil; intense interest and practice of the occult; acceptance by the public of behavior that would have outraged and shocked them a few years ago; many hurting people around you that need Jesus in their lives; etc.)

Are you too comfortable in your life to notice these things?

We all get comfortable in our day-to-day life and so caught up in living our lives, feeding our families, paying our bills that we fall into complacency in our spiritual lives. We can’t afford to do that. A predator does not attack prey that is aware and careful. It looks for one prey not paying attention. 1Peter 5:8 8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

Satan is waiting to pounce on the unwary – the unprepared. What must we do?

We must remember to put on our armor everyday so we are protected. Ephesians 6: 10-18 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Without our armor we are defenseless. We need to remember everyday to put on each piece, for each has its own special function to protect us from the enemy. Even leaving out one can open us up for spiritual attack and defeat.

We must remember to establish and nourish our relationship with God through prayer. Philippians 4:6-7 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 “Never stop praying”.

Matthew 7:7-8 7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Prayer is talking to God. We must keep the lines of communication open. We must know how we should proceed in any given situation. Unless we are in close contact with God we will not know how to proceed further with a decision or action or response with which we are dealing at the moment. Knowing how God wants you to think, act, and respond will keep you safe, so keep those lines of communication open. We are at war and we must know what our commander-in-chief wants us to do.

We must remember to read and study our manual for life – the Holy Bible. 2Tim 2:15 15 Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.”

In order to know what God wants us to do, we must know His Word. He has set down for us words of life. If we don’t know them, we will fall.

We must set this sinful world a good example by obeying God’ s Laws ourselves. 1John 2:3-6 3 And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. 4 If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. 5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

Actions are louder than words. If we live just like the world lives – in sin – what can we teach others? But, if the world sees that we have the courage and wisdom to do right, they might want to find out how we know. This is another path that leads to evangelism – preaching the gospel to others. We are called to be lights and salt. Lights and salt aren’t noisy, hurtful or demeaning. Light illuminate. They show the way in dark places. We are set here to show the world there is a different way to live.

We must remember to reach out to unbelievers and especially to those who show an interest in knowing about Jesus, sharing our story and our faith with them. Matthew 28:19-20 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

We are called to lead others to Jesus. We can do this through our relationships with others, by our words, actions, attitudes, and love for the unsaved. We don’t have to approve of their sin, but through our visible love and acceptance of them as a child of God, maybe they will see their sin, repent and come into a relationship with God.

We must watch for Jesus’ return as that is the only thing that will save this world Matthew 24:4-22 4 Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. 9 “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. 10 And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. 11 And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. 12 Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come. 15 “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!) 16 “Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. 17 A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. 18 A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. 19 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. 20 And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. 22 In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones.

Matthew 24:42-44 42 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. 43 Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. 44 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.

Our being the world’s mightiest country with the mightiest military power is not going to save the world. Having the world joined together in a one-world government is not going to save the world. Only Jesus’ return will save the world because man’s human nature will never let him live peaceably with others. He will always be wanting what someone else has. He will always be wanting to have power over others. Only Jesus’ return will save this world and the people that live on it.

Just as Jesus told His disciples about His death before it happened, He tells us about His return before it happens. Just as Jesus asked His disciples to watch and pray with Him when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane, He tells us to watch and pray about His return.

His disciples let Him down by falling asleep when He needed them most. Are you going to let Jesus down too by falling asleep, by not wearing your armor everyday, by not praying, by not studying the Word of God, by not obeying God’s laws, by not sharing the gospel with others, by not watching for His return? Or will you listen to Him and be there for Him? Don’t go to sleep. Be awake and aware and working for God, looking for the return of His Son Jesus to this earth.

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