ICS Daily Devotions
Stay Awake
Matthew 25: 5-6,13 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ ’“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
In the Bible dictionary, the world “slumbered” signifies simply “nodded,” or, “became drowsy”; while the world “slept” is the usual word for lying down to sleep, denoting two stages of spiritual declension–first, that half-involuntary lethargy or drowsiness which is apt to steal over one who falls into inactivity; and then a conscious, deliberate yielding to it, after a little vain resistance. Such was the state alike of the wise and the foolish virgins, even till the cry of the Bridegroom’s approach awoke them.
Both the wise and foolish virgins slumbered and slept while waiting for the bridegroom. The church can be offering services to the congregation but we can be “asleep” because we have slackened in our walk thus going through the motion of a service. A church can go through services in its form but without LIFE! Remember, the church is made up of individual members, therefore we must not slacken in our walk with God especially the leaders.
If there isn’t much life in the church, one can sense the lethargy in the church. Everyone is just going through the motion. From the worship team to the children activities all the way to the pulpit ministry. It is lifeless.
We could even be sleepwalking throughout our Christian life and we do not know that we are asleep! We might be distracted by other unimportant things in life while we wait for the return of the Lord because we thought it will take a long time before He returns.
A church can lose her passion for the Lord and not seek out the unique call of the local church especially to the local community and overseas mission. A church can be sleeping……and we won’t know if we are in deep sleep until the midnight cry!
We have learned from the Book of Revelation that we must not lose our first love. We must not be lukewarm, must not compromise our faith and must not have dead faith, but be the faithful church though we might face persecution. We won’t know the exact time when Jesus will return again. The message for us is to stay awake and be ready when He returns.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
No bridegroom would like to be late on the big day and this is especially true when he is so much in love with the bride. However, do you know why the bridegroom was delayed in the parable? Because God is patient and is waiting for us to be reconciled to Him.
Psalm 145:8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy.
Matthew 18:14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
We need to get involved in what is close to the heart of God so that we are found faithful when He returns. We should keep ourselves focused on what He has called us to do or else we will be easily distracted by the world and the things in the world.
The church must be walking with the Lord and be doing all that He has entrusted to us. We must not be found asleep but be ready when the Bridegroom returns. We have to stay awake and not slumber.
Sermon Series: The Wise and Foolish Virgins
