“WIDE AWAKE”
I chose the Title “Wide Awake” because sometimes you can just be awakened so quickly with a sudden turning of events. What you didn’t see previously, all of a sudden, you see it so clearly. You wonder, why didn’t I see this before?
NOW I SEE IT! It is right in front of me. Sometimes we need a picture drawn to understand what we are talking about.
I think many people awakened this week to a new level of spiritual consciousness.
Transparently, I was not well-acquainted with Charlie Kirk.
- Many of us have learned what Charlie Kirk was quietly doing behind the scenes since he was 18.
- He loved the younger generation, and God was using him to spread a message of God’s love, Marriage, and Love for America.
- Charlie believed in righteousness, and he believed in Jesus as the answer for the nation.
I had no idea that he started 9,000 college chapters and 1,150 High school Campus Turning Point Chapters.
- I had no idea that he could quote the Bible like he did.
- I am so thankful that he engaged a generation of young people…..
- “He stood for what was right, and what was wrong with the wrong.
- He stood against disinformation, and he believed that the next generation had the answer.
INTRO.:
The events of this week have caused deep personal and national reflection and deep remorse. We no longer hear about things, but we see things. We experience pain on an individual level as we witness the violence all across America.
I could name so many events, even beyond the Charlie Kirk assassination.
Today, our nation is awash with violence and a need for deep national transformation and reform.
TEXT:
Ephesians 5:14-“ Therefore He says: ‘Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
Romans 13:11- “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”
I Thess. 5:6 – “ Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.”
Matt. 24:42 – “ Watch therefore, for you do not know what [a]hour your Lord is coming.” (The Lord is coming this….day. It is a false gospel.)
Things will likely get worse as we get closer to the coming of the Lord, but we must not be surprised, and we must be willing to stand for truth and not be afraid. Paul, “The day of the Lord should not overtake you as a thief.”
-Which implies that some won’t know what is going on.
WHAT IS GOING ON?
THIS IS FIRST AND FOREMOST – A SPIRITUAL WAR THAT WE ARE IN.
ILLUS.: Charlie Kirk’s widow spoke on Friday night, Ericka Kirk, “Our battle is not simply a political one. Above all, it is spiritual. Spiritual warfare is palpable.”
POINT: If people don’t have a spiritual foundation, they don’t understand what is happening. They see all the chaos, all the craziness, and wonder, “Has everybody lost their mind?” No, no, people of faith don’t lose their mind……..We understand what we are dealing with…..We should see it very clearly…
Eph. 6:12-13
We who are Christians understand what is going on.
This is the lead-up to the coming of the Lord. The voices of darkness are trying to silence the voices of righteousness. The voices of the Anti-Christ would love to drown out the voices of Jesus Christ, who was Crucified, died, and risen again. THEY WILL NOT WIN!
I’M SURE MANY ACROSS AMERICA ARE ASKING, “Why is there so much violence in the world?” What’s wrong with our world?
- IT IS A NATURAL QUESTION, AND ONE THAT CAN’T BE IGNORED.
Like most complex problems that have multiple issues feeding into it, we understand, according to the Bible, there’s one answer: sin, disobedience to God, has caused these painful events.
It is a convergence of causes, all creating a perfect storm, causing normal, everyday neighbors to dislike other neighbors simply because they have a different opinion.
It is way more than a PARTISAN political argument.
It is beyond Democrats and Republicans.
It is beyond Conservative and Liberal.
It is beyond the Left and the Right.
It transcends both old and new ideologies.
THIS IS A BATTLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL.
Nothing more and nothing less.
Christians don’t get to hate. We don’t get to stand on the sidelines of bigotry, bitterness, and ugliness. We believe in the BEATTITUDES:
8 BLESSINGS
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
This is a persecution for a belief that we can actually sit down, have conversations, and help each other.
- Charlie Kirk was not murdered; he was martyred. This feels different. Your flesh may not have known him, but your soul felt his commitment to Jesus.
- In the words of the Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the mastermind of the Pearl Harbor attack
“I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.”
- There are moments in history that are watershed moments, that erupt and change the course of history. The youth of our nation are about to help change our nation for the greater glory of God.
- Every revival, every great move of God, has started with the youth being the surge behind it.
- To the Youth I say, You can make a difference, To the youth I say, “You have a voice.” To the Youth I say, “Let no one despise your youth.”
LAY SOMETHING ON THE TABLE:
The democrats will need a real plan to help our nation beyond: “I don’t like TRUMP.” I get it, many people don’t like TRUMP. That’s not helping. The republicans will need a real plan to help our nation beyond: “I don’t like democrats.”
The devil plans to divide and conquer.
HERE’S THE PLAN: Love God, Love People, and Love America!
1. WE WILL LIVE WITH EVIL UNTIL JESUS COMES & ESTABLISHES HIS KINGDOM.
The shock, anger, and grief that we feel only remind us of an uncomfortable reality. WE ARE NOT ALONE. WE ARE IN THIS THING TOGETHER.
Many people who deny the existence of God are now describing this week’s tragedy as CELEBRATORY. It is a new low. We must not be angry at people.
EDMUND BURKE: “EVIL WILL ALWAYS TRIUMPH WHEN GOOD MEN DO NOTHING.”
It is during these times that the inconsistencies of atheism are most apparent.
Atheists are more willing to believe in the incarnate presence of evil than they are in a loving God.
THE BIBLE HAS NEVER BEEN SILENT ABOUT THIS UNCOMFORTABLE REALITY OF EVIL IN OUR WORLD.
We have been created as spiritual beings in a spiritual world. We’re engaged in a cosmic battle between good and evil.
Jesus told us that we must coexist with evil until we get to heaven. (Matthew 13:24-30)-The enemy always sows tares among the good grain.
But make no mistake about it, that same evil that is taking innocent lives in random acts of violence all over the world, exists in many forms and capacities.
THE DEVIL’S THIRST FOR DEATH AND DESTRUCTION IS NEVER SATISFIED.
POINT: The devil will not stop attacking you until he has destroyed your life, your marriage, your children, your future, your self-esteem and every other good intention God has for your life.
It must not and cannot be ignored. That is why Christ went to the cross. He refused to accept shallow, cheap, and cosmetic solutions. He took sin head-on by taking it upon Himself. He who knew no sin became sin so that we could have forgiveness. Hallelujah.
ILLUS.: Ericka Kirk: “Go to Church…” Serve God…
The devil couldn’t outsmart, out-debate, out-think, or out-commit, Charlie Kirk, so the devil had him assassinated.
IT IS DEMONIC…
- The shooting of 23 children at the Church of Annunciation in Minneapolis, MN, was demonic.
- The stabbing of the Ukrainian refugee on a city bus was just for the fun of it. -DEMONIC.
- The High School shooting in Colorado this past week -DEMONIC
- The violence in Memphis TN-DEMONIC.
- Keeping liquor stores and smoke shacks open during Covid, calling them essential, but closing churches -DEMONIC.
- Calling abortion health care- DEMONIC
- The media calling Marriage antiquated -DEMONIC
ILLUS.: In the words of Ericka Kirk, “Marriage is such a beautiful gift.”
- Celebrating the premeditated murder or killing of anyone, whether you agree with them or not – DEMONIC.
POINT: In all the craziness…we must acknowledge that God is IN CONTROL….
2. WE WILL ALWAYS REAP WHAT WE SOW.
You may be wondering if these events are increasing in frequency and intensity. You’re not crazy. They are!
Not as acts of God’s judgment, but as results of consequences, compromise, and disobedience.
The more our nation moves out from under the umbrella of God’s principles and favor, the more our nation exposes itself to the consequences of a godless climate.
We celebrate sin, we celebrate debauchery. We call good bad, and bad good. Charlie Kirk was a godly man standing up for righteousness.
- We have men and women who have cheered the death of a righteous man. It sounds akin to the gladiators who used Christians for sport in the 1st Century. However, I choose not to be offended by those I do not know.
I am saying that we, as a culture, have sown seeds of violence and narcissism for decades.
Through arcades, video game systems, television, movies, and music, we have systematically desensitized an entire generation to the things only hardened veterans of war used to experience.
Our children have already shot, punched, stabbed, murdered, stolen cars, and blown up half the world through simulated technology. AM I SPEAKING THE TRUTH?
- We are no longer bothered by the pain of others.
- Worse yet, greed has produced wildly successful gaming companies that have profited off the cheapening of human life.
The Bible warns us saying, “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always reap what you sow. (Galatians 6:7)
This isn’t about political parties or platforms. It’s not about gun control or Second Amendment rights. It isn’t about LGBTQ. It isn’t about REPUBLICANS OR DEMOCRATS. IT’S BIGGER THAN THAT!
IT IS ABOUT GOOD VS. EVIL
- It’s about scattering seeds of destruction for decades.
- It’s about a harvest that is now reproducing its own fruit.
- As a nation, we have willingly drifted from under the umbrella of God’s good and wholesome standards.
- Standing alone and unsheltered, we are now experiencing the whole thrust of evil’s rain.
- As long as we continue to drift spiritually, we can only expect more, not less, of what those seeds produce.
- A culture that rejects God can’t be surprised by the realities of a life without Him.
That is why Christ-followers must model faith, bring hope to our cities, and transform our states.
-As a Christian I have Dual -Citizenship. I am a Citizen of heaven and a citizen of the United States of America. SUPER PROUD OF BOTH.
-My first allegiance is to Heaven. We have to defend our heavenly citizenship first.
-Redemption and Nationalism to me are linked together.
-TO ME: The Christian Flag stands as the most significant flag in the world.
-The cross supersedes all other entities. Every political entity.
-When we look at Culture, we must hold to the understanding that Jesus is the Answer for everything we face in society.
- Everything you see in the news, the answer is Christ.
- Every tragic event, every painful expression of sin, Jesus is the answer.
3. LOOK FOR GOD.
Don’t waste valuable time, emotions, and energy trying to understand evil.
Not only would such an understanding be useless in changing events, but it is also impossible. Turn on your spiritual discernment.
Our culture often tries to ease the pain by seeking quick and overly simplistic answers.
- It’s part of the lie that thinking about understanding evil will make our pain easier. It will not.
- Our media machines will line up the psychologists, sociologists, legal experts, and anyone else they can think of to try to explain evil.
- Explanations will be many; they will look at the shooter’s family, the shooter’s friends, but at the end of the day, EVERYBODY LOSES.
- The very nature of evil is irrational, illogical, and senseless.
POINT: That is why the God of the Bible promises us that life only makes sense when we are living it in relationship with Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 1:18) “Come, let us reason together says the Lord.
So, if you are a Christian, don’t try to understand evil as much as you try to look for God moments in the chaos.
BE WIDE AWAKE!
4. DON’T BE DISTRACTED!
Matthew 14:12 Jesus was informed that his cousin John the Baptist had been ruthlessly murdered and beheaded for the entertainment of powerful people.
One can only imagine the sorrow, anger, and grief Jesus felt hearing that senseless evil had visited his own family. But when Jesus learned of the bloody and violent murder of his cousin,
Matthew 14:13.
It is important for us to learn from how Jesus responded to acts of senseless evil.
He did NOT rush to take arms, embrace a political solution, join a lobby, or try to dissect every moment of the situation. He departed to a quiet place of prayer.
-Jesus called John the Baptist the greatest man who walked the earth.
Like Jesus, we must accept the fact that we CAN NOT fight evil with the weapons of this world. We must stay focused on what is really happening in the spiritual realm, go to a quiet place of prayer, and take up the spiritual weapons of warfare.
Two practical things:
1. We can PRAY for family, friends, and our nation. That God will use us to bring healing.
2. We can BRING HOPE by helping others to interpret these events within a spiritual context, not a political context.
Our buildings and ministries are not the church. YOU are the church of the living Christ! So, when your life places you in contact with someone affected by this senseless tragedy, ask yourself why God has allowed this divine appointment.
Slow down enough to be part of God’s solution for healing. But most of all, pray for the victims, for believers in the area, and for our nation as a whole. It is hurting and in need of Christ’s healing power.
CONCLUSION
I think the question isn’t: “What will the culture think of me?” More importantly, “What will God think of me?” What does God say? I love our young people. I want them to know that we are interested in helping them navigate a culturally sensitive and culturally explosive time.
“As a Christian, I am interested in an America that supports 5 tenets of our society: Pro-Family, Pro-Church, Pro-Israel, Pro-Life, and Pro-American.
It has always been the call of the believer to seek justice, give mercy, and walk humbly.
Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”