Feeding the Lambs - Sleep Walking

"I know your deeds; you have a reputation for being alive, yet you are dead. Wake up and strengthen what remains, which was about to die; for I have found your deeds incomplete in the sight of My God."

Written by the Apostle John, 1st century

Revelation 3:1-2

[35th message of the New Believer Series]

In the two preceding messages of this series, we already read what the Lord said to two churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation (as revealed to and written by the Apostle John).

In this excerpt above, John is writing what the Lord is feeling about the believers in the first church in Sardis (like the ones from the previous messages, this was a church back in the 1st century, in a place now located in modern day Turkey).

[These messages have now quickly become a mini series of "I Know Your Deeds" and "The Seven Churches of Revelation"]

The passage above is a warning to some believers (both the new and not so new) in that church. And that is to not be sleep walking (in their faith).

Sleep Walking

The verse following the passage above is a stern warming and it goes like this:

"Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know the hour when I will come upon you."

Now we can understand what the context of sleep walking is about. These believers in the City of Sardis after having heard and accepted the message about the Kingdom of God, fell asleep and weren't even aware that they are back to being the Walking Dead people that they were before they heard and accepted the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Solution

The fix given was this (3Rs):

1. Reawaken (Wake Up!)

2. Repent (Return to Walking in The Way)

3. Remember (Rekindle the Fire)

Spiritual Things

In the natural, these believers were walking around like other believers but spiritually they were asleep, just sleep walking.

They were going through the motions but it's only just a matter of time until they get into trouble because sleep walking is a dangeous thing to be doing (both physically and spiritually, in the natural or in the spiritual realm).

Incomplete

God was telling these believers that their deeds were incomplete. People are always going to be incomplete apart from God. But keep in kind, even believers would be incomplete when their deeds are lacking. 

He Who Has Ears

Again this passage ends with:

"He (or she) who has an ear, let him (her) hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

God is always speaking to the churches. And on this one, He is speaking to those of us who need a wake up call.

The irony is that some  believers (then and now) will sleep through the alarm call, hit the snooze button, ignore it and pretend not to hear His call nor the gentle proddings of His Spirit.

Any believer, new and old must not fall into this trap.

"Like them, he who overcomes will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels."



The New Believers Series

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons