Title: What Should You Be Aware of?
What should I be awake about?
Text/ Psalm 42:5, Matthew 24:40-50
1. Introduction
* Why are you discouraged, O my soul, and why are you troubled within me? Put your hope in God, and I will still sing praises because He appears and helps (Psalm 42:5) Come on, I will wake up the dawn (Psalm 57:8) * Stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord will come (Matthew 24:40-50) * So stay awake (Mark 13:34-37).
2. Do not sleep, stay awake (keep watch)
Jesus’ rituals were not only in emergencies (wilderness prayer, transfiguration events, Pharisees-priests-scribes conspiracy, Gethsemane prayer, crucifixion-架上七言, etc.) (As Jesus was going out on the road, a man ran up to him and knelt down and asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? There is no one good except God." Mark 10:17-18).
What is the life of faith - life of faith - spiritual practice - piety practice - 修道生活 (monastic life - cultivating the way)? My heart-consciousness-unconsciousness-given motion-fish cake sympathy-washing tablewawa means to always remain awake in an emergency or ordinary daily life like Jesus did.
* Many people say, “My soul, why are you troubled within me?” He cannot hear the still small voice of his inner self. Because your consciousness is dormant. Only those who are clearly conscious can hear the voice of their inner self (Psalm 42:5).
* Just like servants waiting for their master who does not know when they will come, they are girded around their waist and lit a lamp and are awake (Luke 12:35-40).
* Therefore, let us not sleep like others, but let us be awake and sober. Those who are sleeping sleep at night, and those who are drunk are drunk at night, but since we belong to the day, be sober, put on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to receive salvation through Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-10)
3. What should we be vigilant about?
first. You have to wake up from the negative habits of everyday life - stereotypes - banal lifestyle. Each of us just let it go as usual, without any criticism of the way we live our day-to-day life without conscious awareness. Is this kind of your own life-everyday lifestyle really desirable?
Not long ago, I heard of a TV ban movement in the living room. Will it be just the TV? So are smartphones. When you go on a bus or subway, you see a lot of people of all ages and genders looking at their smartphones. When I get home, I unconsciously turn on the television. In particular, the elderly are said to watch TV all day. We have to look at these unconscious daily habits with open eyes.
In addition, I woke up in the morning - when I went to bed in the evening - eating habits - using cars - making appointments - wearing clothes - shopping habits - my reactions to family and friends, etc. If you look at it again with your own eyes, I think amazing things will happen.
second. I need to be aware of my potential. A Western proverb says, "You don't know what can you do before you try".
I don't have to appreciate or underestimate my own abilities. You should not be conceited from the beginning, nor should you be shy from the beginning. We only move forward with the belief that “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). This is a natural attitude to be aware of my potential. So, when I touch God's hand in what I do, everything becomes a source of miracles-Everything is miraculous to man of faith insofar as it is touched by the hand of God!
third. We must be awake before death. All human beings are beings who live alone, live alone, die alone, come alone and return alone. The issue of life and death is God's creation order that no one can avoid. Therefore, before my life is engulfed in the swamp of oblivion the darkness of consciousness and the despair of not expecting anything, so that with a clear consciousness, I can reconstruct my faith before God and renew the assurance of salvation, just like Moses’ death You must be awake.
Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, but his eyes were not dim and his strength did not fail (Deuteronomy 34:7) Amen!