Sunday Morning Worship | Pastor McCool “Awake”
by Mark McCool
First Apostolic Church of Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: Matthew 28:11-15, Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 25:1-13, Matthew 27:59-66, Matthew 28:2-6, Romans 13:8-14, Ephesians 1:7-9, Luke 21:27-28, Romans 3:9-10, Romans 3:23-25, Romans 3:29, Psalm 49:6-10, Hebrews 9:12-15

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/mark-mccool--sunday-morning-worship-12
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

------------------------------------------------------------
Calling your attention to the book of Matthew the 28th chapter. The book of Matthew the 28th chapter begin reading at verse number 11. Matthew 28 beginning at verse number 11. Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city. Now the they that were going were the witnesses that had been to an empty grave. Some of the watch, this would be the Roman soldiers, came into the city and showed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. They testified to the resurrection of Christ. And when they were assembled with the elders and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, saying, "Say ye, his disciples came by night, stole him away while we slept." Help me everybody say, "While we slept. And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him and secure you. We got your back. We're going to back you up on this story. So they took the money and did as they were taught. And this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. for a few moments on this resurrection Sunday. I would speak to you on this subject while we slept. Let's pray. Savior, I love you. God, thank you for this wonderful congregation of believers, saints of God who have joined together on this day here at First Apostolic Church as our entire world celebrates your resurrection. Lord, let us be reminded. Let us be refreshed. Let us be renewed and encouraged in our faith in you today. Lord, I pray if there's an individual here that has not yet got to know you as their personal savior, they've not obeyed the salvation message, I pray that you would stir, convict their heart, and change them. Lord, I pray that we would once again reflect and celebrate all you have done in ourstead. For this, we're grateful and thankful. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. While we slept, one of the most frequently heard excuses for being late or a missed appointment is I overslept. Varying versions include, "My alarm didn't go off. I didn't hear my alarm go off. I set my alarm wrong. Or I forgot to set my alarm." Or that ultimate excuse, "The old pillow monster got me." Oversleeping is the excuse given by approximately 31% of all excuses for being late. According to one study I read, being too tired, almost 23% of professionals use tiredness and oversleeping as an excuse to miss work. But in our text, those who were in charge, the chief priests and the elders have given the Roman guards an excuse that they should explain away the greatest miracle in his in the history of mankind that they indeed are a witness to. Can you imagine being a witness to such a miracle? The greatest event in humankind, yet you're being bought off and given an excuse by those in charge of you. So they were told that their answer for Jesus resurrection was while we slept, his disciples took his body. We overslept. We went to sleep on the job. Under normal circumstances, such a confession meant the highest of offense for a Roman guard. Going to sleep or oversleeping at your post was the ultimate form of dereliction of duty and carried an immediate death penalty punishment. No matter the soldier's strength, ability, dexterity, or cunning, while he was asleep, anything could take place. And yes, we condemn this compromise of principles for a bribe. But let us also realize that the enemy himself is constantly making God's people offers to sell out and go to sleep on the responsibilities which he has given us as followers of Christ. Just give into temptation. Sleep through its destruction to you and your family. Just sleep through properly bringing your children up in the fear and admonition of the Lord and see the fallout in their lives later. Just sleep through the call to be a witness and awake to the regrets of the opportunities to win the lost that you have missed. just sleep through the opportunity to have integrity on your job or in your business only to lose your reputation as a business person employee and most of all as a child of God. Just say this happened as we slept. Jesus gave parables of the danger of going to sleep. These parables were examples of sleeping at the wrong time. In Matthew 13:24, it states another parable put he forth unto them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is likened unto man which sweth good seed in his field. But while men slept, his enemy came and swed tears among the wheat, and went his way. And when the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tears also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, "Sir, did not we thou sow good seed in the field? From whence hath it tears?" And he said unto them, "A enemy done this?" The servant saith unto him, "Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?" But he said, "Nay, lest while we gather up the tears, you root up also the wheat. Let both grow together until the harvest in the time of the harvest. I will say to the reapers, gather ye first the tears and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." There are cares of life, temptations, attitudes, and lifestyle. If we stay spiritually awake, we will never allow them to be planted in the fields of our existence. If we'll just stay awake at the proper time, the enemy has tears. He wants to sew into your life. But if you'll stay awake, you can say, "Oh no, enemy. You're not going to put that in my life." There are temptations. There are attitudes we can develop in our life that appear just to be seedlings that really doesn't make a difference. Some however oversleep in the sewing season of their lives. They allow the enemy to plant tears which may even resemble wheat but are really a weed that can choke the life out of the mature yield of the field. The term tears when defined has two meanings. Number one, an injurous weed resembling wheat when it's young. You see, there are some things that can even resemble good. It's just not part of serving God. There are some things that we, if we aren't careful, will rationalize that we will say, "It looks like this might be a little more important in my life right now than being in the house of God and being in church." Oh, it's not going to hurt for my kids not to be in the house of God to do this or to go here. It's not going to hurt my family just not to be apart for this much because it's it's still good. Let me tell you, if you go to sleep in the infancy of raising your family, you can find tears that start growing up in your life. Attitudes, tears of life, lifestyles that suddenly grow among you that cannot be weeded out without ultimately destroying the fruit of the wheat. There are two things we learn from Jesus parable. Number one, going to sleep and allowing the enemy to plant tears can happen. But number two, if you awake and find tears in your field, you don't need to overreact either because you can destroy a good crop when you overreact. Let me give you an example. There are some things that you can allow to evolve in your existence that suddenly a good church service and good conviction comes in and you decide I'm going to clean up my lifestyle. I'm going to get it fixed and we should do that. But you can go let I I'll put it this way. I heard one preacher say there are ditches on both sides of the road. You can go so far to the right or so far to the left that you're having a wreck either way you go. You need to sometimes say, "God, there's something I need to commit to prayer. I allowed this to happen early in my life, but I'm not going to destroy everything else, all the good that's done because the reaper's coming. The reaper's going to come and clean some stuff up eventually." Don't overreact in life. But understand that if you'll give yourself to the Lord, if you'll stay awake now, there's so much that you can prevent that would affect you later on in life. Jesus also told the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. I will read some but might paraphrase a bit as well. In Matthew 25:1, then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened, in other words, this is a parable. unto 10 virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish, and they were they that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. Have you planned for your spiritual future? Let me ask you to ask you the question. Have you planned for your spiritual future? Many of us, we know how secure our retirement is. Many of us have our plans for when we will cash in on our savings and our 401k. But have you considered your spiritual future? The life that you're living right now, where is it going to take you? The things that you do now, where will it take you? I submit to you, we must have some advanced planning for the time that Christ has come back. I want to be found with my oil in my lamp, trimmed and burning, not out of fuel. And at the midnight there was a cry made, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh, go you out to meet him." Now, what had happened back in verse five? It said, "They all slumbered and slept." Sleeping's not wrong at the proper time. Just don't oversleep. Make sure you've made your plans and provisions for your spiritual future, for your family's spiritual future, for you and your spouse's spiritual future. The decisions you make right now will determine your spiritual success later in life. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, "Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out." Invariably the unprepared wants to draw on the resources of the prepared. But the wise answered, saying, "Not so, lest there be not enough for us and you. But go rather to them that sell, buy for yourselves. might sound a bit selfish to some, but the real truth was the wise virgins had considered their oil consumption already. They knew how much fuel they needed to be prepared for the bridegroom that would come. So the foolish at the last moment begins seeking to buy the oil, the fuel for their lamps. I can only imagine I know not the complete custom of where they got their oil. I don't know if they had a 7-Eleven oil mart or not, but in their haste to come and find oil, they begin finding the closed signs not available. Come back tomorrow. Come back at a more convenient time. Too oft I see those who have foolishly squandered the fuel of success, the fuel of their youth, the fuel of their talents and abilities, only to draw closer to the coming of the bridegroom in their life and find that they're out of oil. are unprepared and scrambling to find the provisions that would keep them. He said in verse 13 of that chapter, "Watch therefore, for ye not for ye know neither the day nor the hour when the son of man cometh." This is not meant to be ominous but it is to be reminding us to be aware to be vigilant spiritually in our lives that all of us face one or two one of two endings. Either Christ will come back for all of us or he is coming back individually for some of us between now and then. Bible says it's appointed under man once to die and then the judgment. Have you been fueled? Are you ready? Oh, it may seem that he's terried but the bridegroom is coming. Never find yourself without fuel. I see too many who are trying to live on their original experience with God and never find time for a daily refueling in his presence. Listen, I'm thankful for the day at a camp meeting altar that I as a child went and lifted up my hands and was filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost. I'm so thankful for the day when we were out at Boyd's Bridge and there was a baptizing going on just as a child. My dad baptized me in Jesus name. I'm thankful for that. But I cannot live alone on that experience. I've got to have a daily refueling. Let me tell you, be thankful for how you came to the Lord. But don't settle for the past. Live in the right now. Lord, fuel me up. I need to be in your presence again. I got to have a daily prayer life. I've got to have a daily communion to be filled with his spirit. I don't want to run on empty. Yeah. Too many of us spiritually try to do like we did when we were teenagers. Oh, I'm not going to fill my tank up. I'm just going to put enough fuel in there to get to the next place. And then pray that the E doesn't really mean empty. Hey, let's face it. There's some of y'all, if you were like me, you knew exactly how much was left after that little light beside the E came on. You know, I've got at least 24 more miles I can go. You know, we need to be awake. We need to be a vigilant. We need to be a vigilant people. So, let me take a moment on this resurrection Sunday to refute the agreed to excuse while we slept concerning the soldiers sleeping through such an epic event. And let's let the scripture at least give us the narrative. Matthew 27:59 said, "And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and he laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewned out in the rock. He rolled a great stone to the door of the supplr, and departed." And there was Mary Magdalene and the other Mary sitting over against the suppler. Now the day that followed, the day of preparation, the chief priest and the Pharisees came together unto Pilate, saying, "Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, after three days, I will rise again. Command thee that the sephiler be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, he has risen from the dead, so the last error shall be worse than the first." Pilate said unto them, "Ye have a watch. You have your soldiers. In other words, go your way. Make it as sure as you can. I find Pilate's statement there quite interesting. Do you detect maybe just a little bit of doubt in Pilot's mind? Pilate had already dealt with Jesus and was struggling with the inaccuracies of the accusations against Jesus. Yet was required by tradition and Roman law to give in to the mob and the masses. He said, "I'll give you guards. Go your way. Make it as sure as you can. There's no guarantees." Here's what it sound like he's saying. Historic accounts tell that the Jews had a core of Roman troops put in their care consisting of several temple guards, companies that were given leave of employment by Rome to watch the tomb by Pilate himself. The tomb was sealed by the governor's seal to prevent corrupt soldiers from allowing theft. But you see, when Jesus does a work, it can stand up and face man's scrutiny. For Matthew 28 says this, and this is why we celebrate today. And behold, there was a great earthquake. For the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it, and his countenance was like lightning, and his raignment white as snow. And for fear the keepers did shake, and became dead men. They didn't go to sleep, but they might have passed out. Let me tell you, you don't sleep through earthquakes and sleep through an angel coming down and moving back the stone. Don't tell me you went to sleep. God did a miraculous thing in this world for every one of us. And the angel, the angel's countenance was like lightning. His raignment like as white as snow. They turned on the lights as well. It might have been dark, but the place lit up. And the angel answered and said unto the women, "Fear not ye, for I know you seek Jesus which was crucified. He is not here. Bishop, you told it there was an empty tomb. He is risen. If you want to see a historic lesson, you can come see where he was. But he's not here. I'm here to proclaim today, our Jesus is alive. He is alive and well. Don't go to sleep on your call. Don't go to sleep on what he's called you to do [Applause] today. Let me move quickly. natural human tendencies would have told everyone that was a witness to it. Tell everybody you can about this supernatural event. It's the greatest event in history. But the assembled elders bought off the guards, gave them a story, said, "We'll even cover for you with Rome when you confess that you went to sleep." The senators of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Council of State, all agreed to this enormous falsehood. But if you back up, I want you to think just how ridiculous their story was. Is it likely that so many trained soldiers would fall asleep? They knew that if a Roman guard dozed off, it was instant death. His commander had the authority to take his life then and there. Could they be so sound asleep as not be disturbed by an earthquake, a rolling stone, an angel descending, and the bright lights? Could I use our own vernacular? Give me a break. Are you kidding me? while we slept. Could Jesus disciples possibly have pulled this off, been that sneaky, been that stealthy to slip in and take Jesus' body? And after all, their story didn't hold water. If they were asleep, how do they know who took the body? Just saying. Inquiring minds want to know. I submit that this witnesses to the supernatural while bought off didn't even have a good story of why we slept. I'm here to tell you we're here to today to proclaim we're awake and he's alive. We're celebrating the awareness of knowing and being a witness to his saving power. We're a witness to his redeeming power on this resurrection Sunday. Oh, hallelujah. So, preacher, what's the ultimate? I'm glad you asked. I'll take us close to the end before your ham burns this afternoon. Romans 13:8 said, "Owe no man anything but to love one another. For he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Thou shalt not covet. And if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Wake up. We need to love each other. Love workketh no ill will to his neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. Verse 11, notice. And that knowing the time, it is now high time to awake out of sleep. Let me tell you, God's called his people to wake up. Don't you let anything be planted in your field. Don't you make some excuse that I went to sleep at the wheel. I'm awake. Enemy, you're not going to plant anything in my field. I'm awake. I'm alive. I'm a witness to the supernatural. He said it's high time to wipe the sleep out of your eyes and wake up. Why? For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent. The day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantingness, not in strife and envy, but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provisions for the flesh, to fulfill the lust thereof, that includes the temptations of the pillow monster. Don't go to sleep. So, what have we been celebrating? What have we been talking about? What have we been singing about? Thank you choir for letting pastor get to sing just once in a while. Especially a song about redemption. What does it really mean to be redeemed? In fact, praise team musicians, get ready. We're going to head to the house in a minute. Ephesians 1:7 says, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the the riches of his grace." Why did that crucifixion take place? Not just so we could have a a a good Sunday once a year, but we are celebrating his shed blood for our redemption, wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of his will. What's his will? that none should perish, but that all should have everlasting life, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself. Wake up. Redemption's here for us. Jesus said in Luke 21:27, "And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up. Get your head up. I I've heard of no one yet going to sleep by nodding up. You may nod down or nod off. He said, "Look up. Lift up your head for your redemption drawth nigh." If you want to know what redemption means, if you want the classic definitions, one says to compensate for faults or bad aspects of something. Man, when I got redemption, was he ever more having to compensate for a lot of faults and bad aspects of me. But it also means to gain or regain possession of something in exchange for payment. Who's redemption for anyway? Man, I'm so good. I don't know if I need redemption. Might need to heal that lying spirit first. Romans 3:9 said, "What then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise, for we have before proved that both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin. The argument was that the Jews and the Gentiles had a different standard that Jesus because he was born in a particular race that there was some standard of difference in sin's redemption. Paul's telling the Romans verse 10, as it is written, there is none righteous, know not one. There is none that understandeth. There is none that seeketh after God. That they are all gone out of the way. They are together become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good. No, not one. verse 23 of the same chapter in Romans 3. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. I've been redeemed. I've been bloodbought. I've been purchased. How do I know? Verse 25 said, "Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation or a substitution through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forebearing of God." Somebody hear me on this morning. This is just not a a little service to have. We're celebrating our redemption. We've been bought. We've been purchased. [Applause] He goes on in verse 29 to say, "Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also. Redemption's for everybody. Stand with me. Wake up. Redemption's for us all." Oh, but pastor, wait a minute. I I have been so successful in life. Um, I I'm not bragging, but I I've just been so successful. I'm I'm wealthy. Maybe I'm wealthy monetarily or I I I'm wealthy in influence. I I I I'm a rich guy. Do Do I need this redemption stuff? Here's what the psalmist said. Psalms 49:6. They that trust in their wealth and boast themselves in a multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him. There's no price that we can pay alone for redemption. Verse eight says, "For the redemption of their soul is precious and ceaseth forever, that he should still live forever and not seek corruption. For he seeth that the wise men die. Likewise the fool and the brutish person perish and leave their wealth to others." The old saying is you can't take it with you. And I got news for you. You can't buy your way into heaven either. There's only one way, and that's the redemption power of the blood of Jesus. Are you thankful you've been redeemed today? Are you thankful you've been redeemed today? I wonder if we could lift our voices just a minute with a prayer. Say, "God, I want to thank you for your redemption power, for your shed blood. I want to thank you, Lord, for saving me." Hebrews said it this way, "Neither by the blood of goats and calavs, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of a hepher sprinkling the unclean sacrifice of the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serving the living God? We're celebrating redemption today. And for this cause, he is the mediator, the man Christ, the flesh, God, robing himself in flesh as Christ Jesus and giving his flesh for our our eternal redemption. Verse 15, and I'll close with this. For this cause he is the mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgression that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of the eternal herit inheritance. Listen, that ought to make you excited today. You have an eternal inheritance. I have an eternal inheritance. I didn't purchase it. I didn't buy it. He shed his blood for it. I would ask you today, it's a time of celebration. Would you step out in the aisle and gather with us for a few moments of worship and praise, proclaiming his redemptive power, celebrating what he's done for us. Sing for us. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Yes. to follow Jesus the world behind. I won't turn back. Sing it. Hey, hey, hey. [Music] I won't turn back to follow Jesus. The world behind the cross before. I won't turn back [Music] [Applause] the world behind and the cross before. I won't turn back. I won't turn back. I won't turn back. I won't turn back. I won't turn back. Behind the world behind the cross before. I won't turn back. I won't turn around. I won't turn back. Yeah. Turn back. I won't turn back. The world behind [Music] the res. [Music] [Applause] I'm awake. I'm awake. I'm alive. Yeah. Because he lives. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Now I'm on again. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Have you been born again? [Applause] Praise the Lord. I've been born [Music] again. Hallelujah. Think about the enemy thought he had you. He thought you were under. Because he lives, I live because he lives. You live that I live in. Dancing on the grave that I once lived in. Dancing on the grave that I once lived in. Dancing on the dancing on the grave that [Music] I live in. Dancing on the grave that I live in. Dancing on the grave that I live in. Dancing on the praise the Lord. I've been born again. Lift your hands and praise him. Jesus, we celebrate you. We live because you live. We have eternal redemption because of your shed blood. We celebrate this day. We celebrate you this day. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Glory. Glory. Thank you everyone for being in the house of the Lord with us today. Please remember we have service this evening. Prayer time at 6 main evangelistic service at 6:30. We continue to celebrate this day. Don't forget there is a special gift, a token of our love for you as you go through the double doors today. We'll see you tonight. Lord bless you. You're dismissed in Jesus name. Shake hands and be friendly.