Don’t Sleep on Jesus: Stay Woke!

Pericope: Matthew 26: 36-45 36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” 40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” 43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. 45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners.

Sermon Text: Matthew 26: 45 45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners.

Sermon Title: Don’t Sleep on Jesus: Stay Woke!

Point 1: Someone has to keep watch. Vs. 37. 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee [James and John] along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.

Vs. 41 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Point 2: Jesus arrest is eminent. Vs 46. 46 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

John 11:46-48 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”

John 13: 26, 30 26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night. 55 In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?

Point 3: Watch and Pray not Fuss and Cut. John 18: 10-11 10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)

1 Corinthians 10:13 TLB 13 But remember this—the wrong desires that come into your life aren’t anything new and different. Many others have faced exactly the same problems before you. And no temptation is irresistible. You can trust God to keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it, for he has promised this and will do what he says. He will show you how to escape temptation’s power so that you can bear up patiently against it. 

Point 4:  Don’t disown Jesus demand his release. Vs. 74-75 74 Then he [Peter] began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times…”

Don’t disown Jesus, Demand his release!

1. Speak up for the less fortunate, disenfranchised injustice, vote biblically not politically

2. Get involved United Congregational Metro East (a justice organization that New Life is part of) & the NAACP.

3. Become a student of your history, your culture

4. Become a LifeChanger – be a part of a woke community.