Sermon Notes, Sunday, July 25, 2021

Pastor Troy Brewer, OpenDoor Church, Burleson, TX

Those who are truly listening to the Lord would agree we are at an urgent hour in history. The greatest thing the enemy desires at this time would be to for you and me to miss the urgency of the hour by putting our attention on secondary matters. 

HIGH ALERT 

Our military has a system of terrorist condition indicators. It is called the Threat-Con system. Posted at entrances and in key locations on each military base are Threat-Con signs. 

Most of the time, they read “normal.” That means standard operating procedures are in place. You do your job. You go to class, keep things nice—you put in your time. Normal Alert conditions are very INWARD focused.

When a country is on High Alert– everything changes. There is an OUTWARD focus. Awareness.

Normal things might still happen—inspections, classes, graduations—but they are not what everyone is focused on. They are focused on what is going on in the world and how they are going to be part of it.

There is a Kingdom counterpart to Threat-Con that’s throughout the Bible: 

Be ready.  Be Watchful.  Be sober.  Be vigilant.

BEING WATCHFUL IS A LOT LIKE TAKING IT SERIOUSLY WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING AT NIGHT. “I CAN’T FALL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL.” 

ANYBODY EVER GONE THROUGH THAT TERRIFYING MOMENT WHEN YOU DO FALL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL?

It’s not romantic. It’s not attractive, but it is imperative to our success in the day that we live in.

1 Peter 5:8 – GBe sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Revelation 3:2 – Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

In context, let’s just look at this whole segment of scripture:

Revelation 3:1 – “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,

‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.”’

Two Warnings for Not Being WATCHFUL

1. The devil will pounce on you to destroy you, and you won’t know until it’s too late. 

2. Jesus will show up to bless and deliver you, but you will miss it. 

Matthew 23:37-38 –  “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See! Your house is left to you desolate;”

Luke 17:26-30  – And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

THEY MISSED THEIR ESCAPE (OPPORTUNITY TO BE IN GOD’S PRESENCE INSTEAD OF BEING UNDER HIS WRATH) BECAUSE THEY’RE CAUGHT UP IN THE STREAM OF SOMETHING THAT IS NOT THE KINGDOM. 

Many of you will know this passage. It says, 

Proverbs 4:23 – “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” 

This is wisdom literature, and a father is telling his son to watch over his heart. Some versions say “keep your heart” or “guard your heart.” That’s implied in watchfulness because from the heart flow the springs of life.

Proverbs 4:23 (KJV)  – Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life

Proverbs 4:23 (The Message Bible) – Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts.

Proverbs 4:23 (Evangelical Heritage Version)  – Above all else, guard your heart carefully, because your life flows from it.

Proverbs 4:23 (Expanded Bible Version)  – Be careful what you think [ Above all that you guard, protect your heart], because your thoughts run your life [life flows from it].

To live a truly watchful life is to take on the responsibility of being watchful over our own hearts. 

Psalm 51:10 (KJV) – Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Psalm 73:26 (KJV) – My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

Matthew 5:8 (KJV) – Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

You remember Jesus’s words in Matthew 26:41. He’s in the garden of Gethsemane with his disciples, and he tells them to watch with him and to pray. But they fall asleep. Do you remember what Jesus says? He says, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Jesus’ disciples asked him when the end of the world would be. He gives them a list of signs like wars, famines, earthquakes and the like, then he says something curious…

Luke 21:28 – “…when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

Why would he say “look up” AND “lift your heads?”

First, looking up is not only looking for the promised heavenly signs, but it’s looking for Jesus himself coming on the clouds. 

But why would He follow that up with, “Lift up your heads”? Could it be because he knew we would be busy–even addicted–to the things on this earth? 

  • Lift up your head from your work. 
  • Lift up your head from your cell phone and Candy Crush. 
  • Lift up your head from the news media and the things that are keeping you in fear.
  • Lift up your head from The Marvel Universe, DC and the YouTube hunting videos that are keeping you from advancing in the Kingdom.
  • Lift up your head from your comfortable life, fashion and all the things that will pass away from this world.
  • GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE LAP OF DELILAH! 
  • Put away childish things and put your attention on King Jesus and the Kingdom He is trusting you to bring to earth. 

King Jesus, please help me to be spiritually sensitive. Let me be filled with your Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, help me to be vigilant and to have the presence of mind to recognize the enemy’s attack on me.

Please bless me and let me grow in grace and anointing. Make me a warrior, fully awake, not deceived. Make me a threat to enemy and let me be fully set free in Jesus’ name. Amen.