Awake Thou That Sleepest - Snares of Entertainment - Business - Greed — Phil Beach Jr.

We adore You and we bow down in Your presence, Lord, and we thank You for Your faithfulness. Lord, we thank You for blessing us with Your presence today, restoring our hearts. We thank You, Lord, that we have feelings.

We hear so much about faith, and it's right, Lord, we must understand faith. But we thank You, Lord, that You made us with feelings and that we feel Your love today, Lord. We thank You for that gift. And now, Lord, I pray that You would grant to us, Lord, ears to hear.

Speak to us, Lord. Speak to us by the power of Your word through the enabling of the Holy Spirit. By Your word today, Lord, I pray that You will shine light that comes from Your own countenance, Lord.

And by this light, Lord, You will dispel darkness. You will cause us all to be naked spiritually in Your presence, not able to hide behind anything. Not able to hide behind our self-righteousness. Not able to hide behind our religion.

And all that we think we can offer to God. All of our good deeds and our good works and our involvements in religious activity. Help us, Lord, not to be able to hide behind anything today, but to be naked spiritually in Your presence, allowing the light that comes from Your countenance to transform us and change us into the image of Jesus Christ.

God's Reality and the Need for Spiritual Awakening

Father, perform this, I pray, by Your power. In Jesus' name, Amen and Amen. Truly, God is real. Truly, God is more real than anything in this world, isn't He? There is a reality to God that supersedes any reality that you might know.

It might be a dream. It might be a hope. It might be a person. It might be whatever it is. God is more real than your reality today. And I'll tell you something else about God, and that is God doesn't get old.

He doesn't get boring. He is real. And He can transform your life today. He can transform your life. We're living in a very, very difficult generation. And today, for a few moments, I would like to talk with you about a cry within the heart of God.

If Jesus could walk into this auditorium as a man, walk down the aisle here this morning, and stand before us and speak, what would He say? What would He say to you? What would He say to us gathered here?

There are a lot of voices in the world today. There's a lot of voices in the church world today. We've got talk radio. We've got television. We've got newspapers. We've got magazines. We've got tapes.

We've got Bible tapes. We've got preachers. We've got all kinds of things that we can listen to. One of the first things that Jesus would say to you and I, if He would appear to us as a man and walk into our midst and begin to open His mouth and speak His heart to us, one of the first things that He would say to you and me as individuals, He would say, take heed who you are listening to.

Hearing God's Voice in Isaiah 55

Are you listening to Isaiah chapter 55? Isaiah is in the Old Testament one of the prophets. Take heed who you are listening to today. What voice are you following today? It is of utmost importance that we resolve this matter in our hearts, this morning, Isaiah chapter 55.

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. And he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat. Yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for that which is not bread?

And your labor for that which does not satisfy? Hearken diligently unto me. This is a cry of the Spirit of God in the Scriptures. God is saying, hearken diligently unto me. God is saying to you and I this morning, He's saying it to all of His children scattered throughout the four corners of the earth, hearken diligently to what I am saying.

There is a clear call from the heart of God today to every Christian, to every Christian family, and to every gathering of Christians. And that clear call is this, hearken to what I am saying. Seek to know what I am saying.

Seek to know God's heart. Seek to know what God is speaking. It is so important for us to hear. Notice the words of the prophet. He is addressing all who are thirsty. Are you thirsty this morning? Now I'm not referring to a physical thirst, but a spiritual thirst.

A thirst within. A longing. An insatiable thirst. You want reality. You might even be a Christian. You might even have accepted Jesus in your life today. You might know that your sins are forgiven, but inside you're still thirsty.

You are still hungry. You are still not satisfied. Your heart is crying out, Oh God, oh God, I'm thirsty. If that's the case, then this is a word from God to your heart this morning. It says, Ho, everyone that is thirsty, come ye to the waters, to the living water.

Jesus refers to himself as living water because water satisfies thirst, doesn't it? There's nothing better when you're thirsty than a cold, refreshing glass of water. And that's why Jesus calls himself the river of life.

Verse 2, Hearken diligently unto me and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, verse 3, and come unto me and hear, and your soul shall live. Do you see what the prophet is saying here?

He's addressing all who are thirsty. He's addressing all whose hearts, whose inner hearts are longing for reality. And he's saying, Listen to me, hearken to me, hear, listen to what I, God, am saying, and I will lead you and guide you to living water that satisfies your soul.

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman: The Living Water

John chapter 4, there's a story about Jesus. He was going somewhere, and he went through a certain town, Samaria. John chapter 4, and we come to where in verse 6, that there was Jacob's well there, and Jesus, being wearied on his journey, sat on the well, and it was about the sixth hour.

And there came a woman of Samaria to draw water, and Jesus said to this woman, Give me a drink. So here Jesus was sitting on a well, and this woman from Samaria came to draw water, and Jesus looked at this woman and said, Ma 'am, would you please give me a drink?

His disciples had gone to another city to buy meat. And the woman of Samaria said, How is it that you, being a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan, for water? For the Jews had no dealings with Samaritans. There was a lot of racial conflict back then.

And there was a lot of prejudice and hard feelings. And Jews and Samaritans just didn't talk to one another. Just didn't talk to one another. But notice what Jesus' response was to her. And this is what Jesus is saying to you and I this morning, Christian or non-Christian.

Listen. Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, you would have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water. Jesus is saying to you and I here right now, If you knew who Jesus is, if you really knew who He was, and if you already know Him, if you are continuously coming to know Him in a greater, deeper, more intimate way, you would say to Him, Give me to drink.

And Jesus said, I would give you living water. The great crisis in the world and in the church today is that we have forsaken the living water, Jesus Himself. We're thirsty. We're hungry. We feel empty.

We're not satisfied. But we're not asking Him, Give me a drink. We're going to all different manner of things to try and satisfy our thirst, but nothing works. Nothing works. But Jesus said, If you knew who it was that asked you, Give me a drink, that referred to Himself.

And if you knew the gift of God, that referred to Himself. He is the gift of God to mankind. He is the gift of God to you today. He's the gift of God to the church. But the church has taken Jesus and put Him on the side.

And now church is about everything except Him. Lives are about everything except Him. And this is why there is a fatal thirst going on within the ranks of Christendom today. In response to Jesus, verse 11, the woman said, Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep.

Where are you going to get this living water? See, she didn't get it yet. She thought that He was going to draw water from Jacob's well and give her living water. Her spiritual eyes were not quite open.

They were going to get open very soon. And this is the way it is with us today. We hear Jesus say, I am the living water. We know we're thirsty. And then when He says, ask Me for a drink, this is what we say, Lord, how are You going to give me a drink?

How are You going to give me a drink? What are You going to give me to satisfy me? We're exactly like this woman. Now let's follow the story. Verse 12, the woman says, Are you greater than our father Jacob, which gave us this well, and drank thereof himself and his children and his cattle?

Jesus, the Samaritan woman is saying, Sir, do you have water that's greater than the water that's in this well? I mean, this is Jacob's well. There's nothing greater than this. There's a lot of religious history here.

Jesus, verse 13, answered and said to her, Whosoever drinks of this water shall thirst again. Whosoever is drinking of this water shall not be satisfied. He was referring to the water in the well. But that water in the well refers to anything that we are currently doing in order to satisfy that deep longing in our heart.

Whatever it is that you're doing, trying to satisfy that deep need in your life, it will not quench your thirst. It will not satisfy you. The natural water will not satisfy you. The natural water represents all of the things that we are currently doing, trying to satisfy our thirst and our hunger.

Verse 14,. But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst. But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. What water are you drinking from today?

What water? I know that you're thirsty because God's word says that there is something in the heart of man that cannot be satisfied except through Jesus Christ. Are you drinking from Jacob's well, thinking that's going to satisfy you today?

You say, what do you mean drinking from Jacob's well? Jacob's well represents running everywhere, trying everything, but the one thing that satisfies Jesus Christ. We have 20 after. Would you like to listen for a few more minutes to a few of the things that we are turning to, to try and satisfy us but are leaving us dry?

The Snares of Entertainment

Now, this is from the Lord. This is from the heart of the Lord. Listen carefully. If you're a Christian this morning, it is possible that one of these snares that I'm about to mention has gotten your attention and you have tried to be satisfied through it, and that's why your soul is empty.

If you're not a Christian, then most likely you have fallen into the trap of one of these things. Jesus said, whoever drinks of this water shall thirst again, and whoever is looking to these things that I'm about to read as the source of your satisfaction, you are going to continue to thirst.

Number one, God give us ears to hear. Beware of the spirit of entertainment. The spirit of entertainment has come into the world and is seducing the church. There is a driving force from hell itself walking in the midst of Christianity, seducing many Christians into allegiance with inordinate affection to entertainment.

2 Timothy 3, verse number 4. 2 Timothy 3, verse number 4. The Bible says, In the last days men will be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. There is a warning from the heart of God to the church and also to the world, and that is this, beware of the spirit of entertainment.

Beware when you are thriving on and seeking to be satisfied with entertainment. There are so many forms of entertainment today in the world, we couldn't list them all now. But I lovingly warn you by the Spirit of God that the spirit of entertainment represents one of the many snares that the church is falling into, looking to this as a source of satisfaction and is being left dry.

Families are being destroyed because a relationship with Jesus Christ is being substituted with entertainment in the church and in our homes. We are not called to make entertainment our God. We are called to make Jesus our God.

The Snares of Busyness and Neglecting God's Word

And so I want to lovingly warn us all, beware of the spirit of entertainment. For men shall be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. If you drink that water, you shall continue. To thirst. Number two, beware of the spirit of busyness.

The spirit of busyness. Ephesians 5 .16, the Bible says, Redeem the time. Buy back the time. That is, take the time and devote it to God. Devote it to what matters. Beware of the spirit of busyness. The whole day given over to activity, which dreadfully and woefully causes us to neglect time with the Lord.

Luke 10. Verse 38, Now it came to pass as they went that he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.

Remember, we opened up by saying, Are you listening to Him? Being ensnared by the continuous need to be entertained and being ensnared by the spirit of busyness will prevent you from hearing His Word.

And if we don't hear His Word on a daily basis, what did Jesus say? Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. If we don't hear His Word at His feet every day, we will slowly begin to be overcome by the temptations around about us and by the old sinful desires that lurk within our flesh, won't we?

Beware of busyness. Martha, verse 40, was cumbered about with much serving and came to Him and said, Does Thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve? Bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said, Martha, Martha, you are careful or worried and troubled about many things, but one thing is needful.

And Mary has chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her. Ask yourself this question. Are you taking time to hear His Word? Every day, perhaps that's why things have gotten out of hand.

Perhaps that's why you have found your soul aching. Remember, Jesus said, If you drink of the living water, you shall never thirst for anything else again. I'm about to close and I'm going to give you one more.

I have 12, but we're not going to go into it. And I want you to know, brothers and sisters, before the Lord, these are not arbitrary topics that I just decided I would go through the Scriptures, but these are specific snares that the Holy Spirit instructed me to write down and to share with the body.

You see, when the Holy Spirit begins to move and God begins to move in our midst, these are the things that God will begin to deal with in our lives. He will begin to strip us from everything that gets in our way of Him.

Greed, Self-Indulgence, and Living for the Present

Number three, the third thing that if you are addicted to this, you are going to be thirsty and you're not going to be satisfied. Young people in particular, listen closely. Beware of the spirit of greed and self-indulgence.

Living for the now alone and not for eternity. There is a spirit of greed and self-indulgence that is seducing the church today, resulting in a generation of Christians living for the now, making plans for the now, striving for the now, grasping for the now, trying to get more and more and more and more, and it's leaving them empty and dry and their families are broken and torn apart.

Beware, brothers and sisters, he that gives himself continuously to striving for more and more and more and is feeding the self-indulgent desire of the human nature will find that he will be left dry and empty.

And without hope and without joy, you will not be satisfied. No matter how much you get, no matter how much you have, and if you give yourself to this snare, you'll never have any time to hear him because you'll be too busy trying to get more,.

More, more, more, more. I need more. I need more.

I need more. I need more at the expense of my family. I need more at the expense of my relationship. I need more at the expense of the church. I don't care about anyone else now. I just got to get more.

The Invitation to Receive the Water of Life

God help us if that spirit ever even comes near our home. I close the book of Revelation, the very end. Listen to the words. Verse 17, chapter 22. And the spirit and the bride say, And let him that heareth say, Come.

And let him that is thirsty, Come. And whoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Are you hearing? Do you want the water of life? It is yours for the taking by faith this morning. Let's bow our hearts.

We only have just a few moments. We're under time constraint. We have to be out of here by 10 of 1 so that they can have the doors locked at 1. We only have a few moments. But I want to say this. Jesus is calling you and I to himself.

No matter what your condition, no matter what your past, no matter what your future holds. Now, God is saying, Come to me. He's saying, I'll heal your past and I will take care of your future. Just come.

Every head bowed, every eye closed before God. And if you heard God speak to your spirit today through the singing, through the exhortations, through the preaching of the word, and you want to respond.

I want to invite you in the presence of God to lift your hand up to him. This is before him, not before any person. You're saying, Yes, God. I heard your voice. I'm thirsty and I know what you're saying.

Lay it all down and come to me. Everyone who wants Jesus to be the living water that they drink from, lift your hand before God. You could put it back down as soon as you lift it. This is between you and God.

Anybody else? Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Now, you know who you are and God knows who you are. And I want to pray for you right now. Father, in the name of Jesus, thank you for the grace working in our lives.

And everyone who raised their hand, Lord, I pray that you would enable them to receive by faith the living water, Jesus Christ, and that today you would begin a new thing in their life. Break all the chains, all the snares, all of the sins, all of the fears that have held them from being able to receive the water of life freely in the name of Jesus.

And let them drink by faith today for your honor and for your glory. Hallelujah to God. Amen.