Ephesians 5:14-16 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.
INTRODUCTION: I understand that the title of this message may be offensive to many faithful church goers. Most in the church like to think that their weekly attendance is all that is required by God, most like to hear sermons about the needy, those down and out, the drunks and drug users. The average church member seems to think they are a cut above the rest and that most of the Bible does not touch their life.
As we look deeper into the Word of God we find that when a sinner is delivered from the power of Satan, and brought into the family of God, there are responsibilities placed on that life. Listen to the words of the Savior, Matthew 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
The scribes and Pharisees attended church faithfully, paid their tithe, and performed many other religious duties, but they did it as an outward show only. Our service to God must exceed this phony exterior and be a service of love from the heart. There are many things that a born-again believer will naturally begin to do after meeting the Savior, but the responsibility we want to speak of in this message is that of reaching the lost for Jesus Christ.
I. THE SLEEPING SAINTS AT EPHESUS
The Apostle Paul said to these saints, “.. .Awake thou that sleepest…” Their bodies were there, but their souls were asleep. This agrees with what Jesus told John to write to the church at Ephesus in Rev 2:4-5,
- Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
- Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
They were living in spiritual slumber because they had left their first love. Some sin had crept into their life and had extinguished their love for Christ, and His cause in the world.
Notice how this can happen to an individual, or to an entire church.
The message was clear, they needed to awake and receive light (or understanding) from the Savior again. The light of God had been covered by willful disobedience and now they could only see their selfish little world. A life of reaching others with the message of hope was darkened, and now they were as one asleep and unaware of those perishing right at their doorstep.
As we see how the enemy fought the first century church it is easier to understand why the world has not been reached with the gospel.
Though man has deviated from the cause of Christ, there is no excuse, as the message is still the same to all in every generation.
Ephesians 5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
Rev 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
II. EVANGELISM BEGINS WITH GOD
God was the first soulwinner. When Adam and Eve sinned and tried to hide from God, He went looking for them.
Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
- And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
The Bible is a book of soulwinning; it reveals how God reaches out to a lost and a dying world. It has been said that God had one Son, and He made Him a missionary.
fohn 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Everywhere Jesus the soulwinner went He was reaching out to lost men and women.
Luke 19:9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
- For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
III.THE GOD OF EVANGELISM IN US
At salvation this God takes up residence in our life. Peter said,
2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
When God comes into us He does not become like us, but we become like Him. At salvation you will have a desire to be a soul winner – this is the nature of God. Listen to the words of Jesus.
John. 15(15)(8) I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
- Every branch in me that be are the not fruit he take th away: and every branch that be are the fruit, he purge the it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
- Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
- Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine;
no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
- I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
- Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
The biggest hindrance to soul winning is fear. The devil will put fear in our minds, trying to stop us from reaching others for Christ; because when we are soulwinning, we arc fighting the devil and his kingdom. This is the reason Jesus commanded the disciples to receive the Holy Ghost.
John 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
The Holy Ghost gives us proof of our sonship:
Galatians 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
The Holy Ghost gives us the power we need:
Luke 24:49And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
The Holy Ghost comes to make us a witness for Christ:
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
My brethren let us not be satisfied with the works of religion, such as a homeless outreach, feeding the poor, etc. This we will do as the Lord permits, but let us go higher, let us awake. Let the fire of the Holy Ghost be rekindled in the church and in every heart. Let us be willing to go, to give, to pray. The lost must be reached at home and abroad. We must go forward, as it has been said, “We must evangelize, or we will fossilize.”