A sleeping Church is a powerless Church!

On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples and followers of Jesus while they were praying and praising God together in the upper room.

As a result of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, the Church experienced many supernatural miracles expanded greatly (Acts 2:46-47).

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit had awaken the Church from its slumber with power and vitality, and the effects of an awaken Church was manifested worldwide.

However, it is important to recognize that the Church was not established after the Day of Pentecost, but was established by Jesus before His death and resurrection.

Let us examine closely the establishment of the Church.

The establishment of the Church

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised on the third day. (Matthew 16:13-21 NKJV)

That very same day when Jesus spoke the word, He established His Church. He established the Church upon the ROCK!

This Rock is based upon the foundation of His crucifixion, death, and resurrection.

This solid foundation is Jesus Christ who is the anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and who enters the Presence behind the veil as our supreme High Priest (Hebrews 6:19).

This foundation possesses the keys to death and hell because Jesus gave the Church the keys to the kingdom of heaven.

These keys can open the windows of heaven and close the gates of hell.

This was also the first time that the word ‘church’ was mentioned in the Bible. After Jesus established the Church (comprising His disciples), He began to prepare them for His death and resurrection.

He was preparing the Church for the intense trials that would descend upon the land.

But the Church did not understand!

The preparation of the Church

Jesus told the Church that they must deny themselves, take up the cross, and follow Him wherever He went even to the foot of the cross.

He said to the Church, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25).

But the Church did not understand!

Six days later, Jesus took the Church upon a high mountain and transfigured before them (Matthew 17).

The word “transfigure” is from the Greek Word metamorphoō (G3339) which means to change or transform into another form. Thus, Jesus changed His appearance into His glorious image.

This is the image that the Church needs to transform(G3339) into by the renewing of the mind and not conforming to the sinful pattern of the world. The Church will then learn God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will for their lives (Romans 12:2).

Jesus changed into His glorious form to show the Church that when they look upon His face they too will be “changed^G3339 into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV)

But the Church did not understand!

Instead, the Church wanted to return to the old days and build three tabernacles to memorialize their ancestors.

The Church wanted to continue in its traditional rituals. Does this sound familiar?

Although the Church was given the keys to the kingdom of heaven, they neglected to fast and pray and so became powerless to cast out a demon from a child (Matthew 17:14-20).

Jesus continued to prepare the Church for His hour of trials and persecution.

He taught the Church that humility will elevate them into the kingdom of heaven.

He warned them that there would be offenses in this world, but “woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” (Matthew 18:7 NKJV).

Consequently, the Church must be radical in their walk with Him and must be willing to cut off whoever or whatever causes them to sin.

“And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.” (Matthew 18:8 NKJV)

The Church must be willing to go after the lost sheep and restore them into the fold (Matthew 18: 10-14).

Jesus taught the Church to be compassionate and willing to forgive (Matthew 18:15-35).

He taught them that keeping all ten commandments will not guarantee eternal life. Instead, eternal life can only be achieved when you deny yourselves and give to the poor. (Matthew 19).

As Jesus continued to teach and heal the people, He continued to prepare the Church for His crucifixion, which was the hour of trials.

But the Church still did not understand!

The sleeping Church

Finally, as the tragic hour approached when the Shepherd would be struck in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus became exceedingly sorrowful and begged the Church to watch and pray with Him (Matthew 26:31, 38).

But the Church fell asleep!

Jesus woke the Church and said, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:40-41 NKJV)

But the Church fell asleep again!

So, Jesus left and continued to travail alone while the Church slept.

When Jesus returned a second time, He found the Church still sleeping and so He left them and prayed alone.

On the third time when Jesus checked the Church, they were still sleeping.

Jesus said to His Church, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand…” (Matthew 26:45 NKJV)

While the Church sleeps, the hour of travail is upon the world!

But the Church still sleeps!

The terrible effects of a sleeping Church

“But while men (the Church) slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.” (Matthew 13:25 NKJV)

While the Church sleeps the enemy is wreaking havoc in our lives!

While the Church sleeps, the enemy is instigating rumors of wars all over this earth.

There is gang violence in Haiti right here in our Caribbean region.

The Israeli war in Gaza that is now spreading to Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen.

There are ongoing conflicts in Sudan, in Russia, and Ukraine, which threaten to spread to other areas of Europe.

There are wars and conflicts in Myanmar, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, China, Taiwan, the USA, Mexico, Iraq, and Libya.

These war-torn countries are too numerous to mention, but the Church continues to sleep.

As a result of these wars, thousands of innocent men, women and children are dying every single day.

Millions of people are displaced from their homes and living in makeshift shelters along the borders of countries who do not want them.

As a result of these wars, famine has been escalating. People are dying of thirst and hunger in Gaza, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Sudan – all over the world.

The hour of travail is upon the land.

While the Church sleeps!

The enemy is attacking the minds of the believers.

He is sowing seeds of depression, oppression, distress, sickness, diseases, pride, fear, conflicts and death

But the Church continues to sleep!

Join us next week on Sunday afternoon as we awaken the Church from its slumber.

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Continue to Part Two – Wake up!