15-3-15 You are Sleeping While The Savior Suffers
You Are Sleeping While The Savior Suffers
Summary: A look at the response of Jesus' disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Date: 15, March 2015
Date: 15, March 2015
Series: The Resurrection and The Redeemed
Scripture Reading: Mark 14:27-40Series Introduction
Today we are starting a new series with the eight series of messages on The Resurrection and The Redeemed. we are going focus on Triumphal entry, Gethsemane, suffering on the cross, thieves response, our response and disciples response. along with our reaction to His death and resurrection.
The following series of sermons we are going to look at:
You Are Sleeping While The Savior Suffers
A look at the response of Jesus'
disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Redemption Response
How will you respond to the redemption
Jesus secured at Calvary?
Three Crosses On Calvary's Hill
A look at the responses of the 2 men
who were crucified on each side of Jesus.
The Road To Victory
A look at the events of Jesus'
Triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
What A Risen Savior Can Do For You
A brief examination of Mary's reaction
to the empty tomb and the sight of her Savior.
Resurrected Disciples
A sermon addressing the fact that you
can be restored.
Walking With The Risen Savior
We have the opportunity to walk with
Jesus. When we do it will create a "fire in our hearts"
Until The Day
A sermon examining what Christians
should do until our Savior returns.
Don't miss coming six Sundays and April third. The Holy Spirit has a plan for you! You and your family must be redeemed now!
Scripture Reading
27 And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered . 28 But after that I am risen , I will go before you into Galilee. 29 But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended , yet will not I. 30 And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. 31 But he spake the more vehemently , If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all. 32 And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray . 33 And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed , and to be very heavy ; 34 And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch . 35 And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36 And he said , Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will , but what thou wilt. 37 And he cometh , and findeth them sleeping , and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou ? couldest not thou watch one hour? 38 Watch ye and pray , lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. 39 And again he went away , and prayed , and spake the same words. 40 And when he returned , he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy ,) neither wist they what to answer him.
This is the word of God. Thanks be to the LORD. May the sweet Holy Spirit add His manifold blessings to our text this morning .... Amen! You may be seated in God's Presence.
Introduction
I read an article about a couple who were on vacation. They were asleep and the woman was awakened by an intruder. The man attacked her and sexually assaulted her and her husband slept through the entire attack. He finally woke up when it was to late! Can you imagine how devastated he was when he awoke to find the love of his life beaten, bloody and terrified? I tend not to worry about intruders during the day time, but at night Sunita and I both check and double check the doors. There are some nights when I hear noises and I jump up and look out the balcony and sometimes even go outside to check. Why? Because my family is precious to me and I want to protect them for anything or anyone that would do them harm. But there are some nights when I go to sleep and a freight train couldn’t wake me up!
Unfortunately there are many
Christians who are asleep spiritually and the enemy is attacking and
planning more attacks! Today the church is “Sleeping While The Savior
Suffers”. We find a great illustration of the problems that brings in
our selected text today.
At this point in the life of our Savior, His purpose for coming to this earth was soon to be fulfilled. For some 33 years:
He had taught with great authority
He had fulfilled many prophecies
He had performed many miracles
He had changed many lives.
In
verses 12-26 we read where they have “celebrated the Passover”. Then
they left the upper room and set out for Jerusalem. They made their way
through the Kidron Valley to the Garden of Gethsemane. While on this
journey Jesus taught them about: Heaven, The Peace of God, Surrendering
to the Lord, The coming of the Holy Spirit. - Then we find the true
“Lord’s Prayer” in John 17.
(What is commonly referred to as “the Lord’s prayer” is better
described as “The Model Prayer”. In this chapter we see Jesus’ heart as
He cries out to His Father)
Jesus’ had made the statement in the
past that “My hour has not come”…well now His hour was come. He would
soon be betrayed by one of His own into the hands of His enemies. And He
would be abandoned by His closest followers. (the remaining 11
disciples). This was no surprise to Jesus, He even proclaimed in our
text that this would be the case - “All ye shall be offended because of
me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the
sheep shall be scattered”
As they approached Gethsemane, Jesus
told the disciples to sit down for a while. Then we read in verse 33
{that} he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore
amazed, and to be very heavy; In this time of great sorrow, He gave His
followers a simple task to obey. He told them to “Sit, Watch and Pray.” - Unfortunately, instead of watching and praying
His followers fell asleep... Not once but three times. Before we go any
farther I want to consider a few things about their situation:
Some very shocking news has been revealed to them. Jesus had told them that they would be “scattered that very night” He revealed that one of them would “betray Him”. Peter had been told specifically that he would “deny Jesus three times” before the next morning.
This
was an eventful and devastating night for Peter, James and John. Let
it also be said that it was a great honor that Jesus took them a little
farther than the rest of the disciples. It is apparent through the
scriptures that these men were Jesus’ inner circle. One lesson to learn
is that even those closest to Jesus may fail from time to time. (but
restoration is possible) We stand in a very similar situation today as
followers of Christ. Before ascending to Heaven, Jesus revealed that “He
would return for His bride”. This was over 2,000 years ago and His
promise will be fulfilled, HE WILL RETURN!
Sermon:
We are living in a
very dark time in history. Christ and His followers are under attack
from the enemy like never before. Unfortunately, many today have
followed the example of Peter, James and John in the Garden At such an
important time in Christian history, the church has gone to sleep. As
we move through these verses I want to consider the circumstances and the reaction of the disciples and preach on the subject “You are Sleeping When The Savior Suffers”
There are Four thoughts I would like to pull from these verses:
1) We Live In A Day Of Severe Circumstances
2) There Is A Need For Steadfast Devotion
3) Jesus Has Given Us Specific Instructions
4) We Must Address Our Shameful Apathy
Let’s start in verses 27-28 and examine the fact that:
I. WE LIVE IN A DAY OF SEVERE CIRCUMSTANCES
v27 And Jesus saith unto
them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is
written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.28
But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.
Jesus
reveals to His followers that things are about to get difficult.He
addresses the fact that they will be scattered. These men had witnessed
and experienced some great times while following Jesus. They had been
present in the beginning when great multitudes came to Jesus for
healing. These men experienced some great things while following Jesus:
• They saw heal people form their diseases
• They saw Him give sight to the blind
• They saw Him give hearing to the deaf
• They saw Him give the dumb the ability to speak.
• They saw Him cleanse the lepers.
• They saw Him cast out demons
• They saw Him raise people from the dead.
• They were the ones who picked up the fragments after Jesus fed the 5000
They had been present on that first “Palm Sunday” when Jesus made His “Triumphal entry into
Jerusalem”. They witnessed the people singing “Hosanna, Blessed is He
who comes in the name of the Lord” They were also privileged to be alone
with Jesus. When the crowds went away they were able to speak to Him
one on one....They laughed with Him, They cried with Him, Truly, these
men experienced some great times in their walk with Christ!
They
experienced some difficult times as well. They faced several physical
storms and were fearful. They did experience some persecution. They were
present as Jesus was constantly challenged and rejected by the
Pharisees and Sadducees. Now Jesus tells them that there is trouble
coming like they have never seen and that “they would be scattered” and
abandon Him. As Christians we have those “Mountain Top” experiences and
we spend some time “in the valley” - It has often been said that “if
you want to see who someone really is, watch their reaction when
troubles come” There are many who profess to be followers of Christ and
every thing is good ….UNTIL TROUBLE COMES!
The “Church”…”the body of Christ” has experienced some good times and some bad times as well.
There have been times of affluence and prosperity
There have been times of lack and poverty
There have been times of intense persecution
There have been times of great revival
There have been times of great fear and anxiety
There have been times of great boldness and activity
Today,
we live in a day where things are bad and seemingly getting worse. Our
society is growing increasingly secular. There are constant attacks on
the church. Christians are being persecuted all over the world. Our own
government is becoming (or has become) anti-God. Our Savior is under
attack and it seems that the church is fast asleep while the savior
suffers.
Some one has said said - The church is asleep, snuggled up
in her pews with the covers pulled up over her head, and the sanctuary
is dark. God’s alarm clock is going off. This is no time to push the
snooze button!
Jesus doesn't need anymore sleeping saints; He is looking for DEVOTED SERVANTS! We live in a day of severe circumstances, as a result:
II. THERE IS A NEED FOR STEADFAST DEVOTION
v.29
But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.
30 And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day,
even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me
thrice. 31 But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I
will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.
When it comes to “steadfast devotion” there is more involved than just proclaiming that devotion. Devotion Involves More Than Words - v.29 But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I
… v.31a If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise.
...v.31b likewise also said they all.
Peter
boldly professes that even if everyone else is “offended” he would not
be. Jesus then reveals that Peter would not only be “offended” but that
he would “deny Him three times before the roster crowed” Basically Peter
calls Jesus a liar. He says “he would die before he abandoned Jesus! The
rest of the disciples echoed what Peter said. “Likewise also said they
all” I honestly believe that each of the men really meant what they said
when they said it. But when the time came they failed.
Many people are quick to profess their devotion to Christ
o They SAY they are willing to deny themselves
o They SAY they will forsake all
o They SAY they will follow Christ
Many
say that they would never abandon Christ or His cause and then they
face circumstances that they had never imagined and before long they are
gone! - Even though Peter said that “He would never leave Christ”
….. Jesus knew better. The same is true for the remainder of the
disciples….. Look to the events of the Crucifixion and see who was
present and who was absent! (John was there, the rest were hiding in
fear.) Some of you have professed devotion to Christ and then somewhere
along the way you left Him! It is easy to make a profession in the
atmosphere of a church. It often can be difficult to follow through when
troubles come. Understand this; there are those who were personally
chosen by Jesus! These WERE devoted followers who had left everything to
follow Him. Through this text we see that no one is exempt from failure
in the Christian life.
While that fact may be discouraging,
Jesus gives us some encouragement in v.28 “after I am risen, I will go
before you into Galilee” - Aren't you glad that Jesus doesn't throw us
away when we fail!! In the wicked age in which we live we must have
steadfast devotion! Our Savior is under attack and we must be devoted to
His cause! Satan is attacking Christ and His people in every way he
can! Jesus doesn't need half-hearted followers who talk a good talk. He
is seeking those who will be “steadfast immovable and always abounding
in the work of the Lord” - We when have that “Steadfast Devotion” we
will be obedient to Christ’s commands and instructions in our life.
III. JESUS HAS GIVEN SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS
V.32a And they came to a place
which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here,
while I shall pray. 33And he taketh with him Peter and James and John,
and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; 34 And saith unto
them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and
watch.
Notice this: Jesus took them to Gethsemane.He leaves some
behind and takes Peter, James and John a little further. He gives them
simple specific instructions:
“Sit Here”
“Tarry ye here
“watch”
There are many things that we may be called
to do some things that are very demanding.The Christian faith is an
active faith. But there are times when we are commanded to do some
things that are less demanding. Many times we read where Jesus took
some time to get into a quiet place and pray. Sometimes He would have us
to step away from the struggles and get alone with God. These times may
be less active than others, but even in these times we must be sober
and on guard. During those “down times” …those times when we are not on
the frontlines, we are still on the battlefield. And we must always
listen to the direction from the Master.
When He says sit, watch and pray…. That is exactly what we must do! We are not to go ahead
and seek the next battle, we are to sit, watch, and pray! Jesus has
given us universal instructions such as “go forth and making disciples”
But He also gives specific instructions for us to follow as individuals.
Will you do just that? Thus far we have seen that:
1) We Live In A Day Of Severe Circumstances
2) There Is A Need For Steadfast Devotion
3) Jesus Has Given Us Specific Instructions
Finally I would like to see that:
IV. We Must Address Our Shameful Apathy
v.35 And he went forward a little,
and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour
might pass from him.36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are
possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I
will, but what thou wilt.
Here we see our Savior in deep sorrow
and great anguish. “He goes a little farther and falls to the ground
and cries out to His Father.” He knows what is soon to take place. He
will soon become the sacrifice for the sins of the world. And while
their beloved Master is in anguish and agony, The Disciples have fallen
asleep. Notice:
Nap #1. - v37 And he cometh, and findeth them
sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou
watch one hour? 38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The
spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. 39 And again he went
away, and prayed, and spake the same words.
Nap #2. - v.40 And
when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were
heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him.
Nap #3. - v.41 And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest:
They
not only fell asleep the first time, but two more times after being
confronted by Jesus. As the disciples slept, and as Jesus prayed. There
was something else going on, not too far away from them. Consider: - "it
is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into
the hands of sinners.42 Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is
at hand"
Judas has agreed to betray Christ with a kiss for the
sum of 30 pieces of silver. We know that the ultimate victory was won at
Calvary. We know who wins the war. But in the Garden there was a battle raging. There is still a battle raging today! Satan has
been defeated and it is his desire to destroy all that he can before he
meets his demise. He is waging a vicious war as we speak. While the
attacks come on Christ and the church, we are fast asleep. It is time
that we address our shameful apathy!
Apathy – Lack of emotion, lack of interest; Indifference.
We
all would agree that Christ and His Church is under attack today. There
is an increasing hostility and intolerance toward Christian beliefs and
values.We have all seen the attacks on:
Good Friday is Removed from our Holiday List... more over Christmas day is now celebrated as "good governance day" and Christian Teachers and Students are now forced to work on this holiday.
(Ill. Persecution in America...
The 10 Commandments in public places.
Prayer in schools
“Under God” in the pledge of allegiance
“In God we trust” on our money
Recently
Catholic Charities in Illinois shut down its adoption services rather
than place children with same-sex couples (as the state required). A
Christian counselor was recently penalized for refusing to advise gay
couples. Despite religious reservations, A court clerk in New York was
told to issue same-sex marriage licenses. A wedding photographer was
sued for refusing to shoot a same-sex wedding. A cake maker has gone out
of business after being sued for not making a cake for a gay wedding.
Christian missionaries were arrested by Dearborn, Michigan for
discussing Christianity on a public sidewalk outside the annual Arab
festival. Jesus Christ is constantly mocked and blasphemed on T.V, Radio
and Internet. I could share similar stories for the rest of the day.)
Invitation And Final Challenge
Just
like Jesus told these men to “sit, watch and pray”, He has given us
some specific instructions to follow. There are many things that we are
called to do as Christians. But like Peter James and John “You Are Sleeping When The Savior Suffers” Let us address our apathy, WAKE UP
and do what we can, while we can! For the lost man as well as the saved
we must grasp the fact that time is short and Jesus is coming. To the
unbeliever I ask, will you wait until it is too late to surrender to
Jesus? To the believer I ask, will you wait until it is too late to
serve Jesus?
Listen to the last verse of a song by "Casting Crowns": it's not just for America but for other nation too...
“United States Of America”
“Looks like another silent night”
“As we’re sung to sleep by philosophies”
“That save the trees and kill the children”
“And while we’re lying in the dark”
“There’s a shout heard across the Eastern sky”
“For the Bridegroom has returned”
“And carried His Bride away in the night”
“America, what will we miss”
“While we are sleeping”
“Will Jesus come again and leave us slumbering where we lay?”
“America will we go down in history”
“As a nation with no room for it’s King”
“Will we be sleeping?”
"You Are Sleeping When The Savior Suffers”?
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