Come Awake!

Come Awake!

-Pastor Robbie Cheuvront

 

This past Sunday, I taught a new song to our congregation. It’s not necessarily a new song, but it was new for us. The song is Matt Maher’s “Christ Is Risen”. If you’re not familiar with it, you can check it out here. Couple that with Sunday’s sermon from the Gospel of Matthew, concerning Peter’s denial of Jesus, and you get this blog post.

The words of Matt’s song say:

Christ is risen from the dead Trampling over death by death. Come awake! Come awake! Come and rise us from the grave. Christ is risen from the grave, We are one with Him again. Come awake! Come awake! Come and rise up from the grave!

The subject of Pastor Erik’s message:

Though Peter was responsible for his actions, Satan had demanded that he sift Peter like wheat. And Jesus gives us insight into the fact that Peter would be subjected to spiritual warfare. We know this because immediately after Jesus tells Peter this, He says, “But I’ve prayed for you…” If you weren’t with us for the message and would like to hear it in its entirety, you can do so here.

So the ultimate point of both is this: We (believers) will experience spiritual warfare. Paul even tells us in Ephesians that the battle we wage is not just of human flesh, but of the principalities and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Satan and his myriad of fallen angels have one goal here on earth. That is to either drag your soul to hell (if you are a non-believer), or make your life a living hell here on earth by trying to steal your joy, kill your relationship with God (your faith), and destroy your relationship with God (your witness). That is, if you are a believer.

But if you are a believer, you need to remember something. Your “mantra”, if you will, should be that it is no longer you who live, but Christ who lives in you. And Christ defeated death. He has trampled over Satan’s attempts. He has authority over everything, even Satan. And Satan knows this.

See we often make a HUGE mistake when thinking about the relationship between God and Satan. We tend to put them up on a chart, whereby Satan is equal with God. Friends, do not allow yourselves to be deceived by this. This is a lie, authored by the Father of Lies. God is Sovereign. And even Satan is subjected to that authority. Remember when Satan wanted to sift Job? God told Satan he could only go so far. In other words, God would permit Satan to war against Job, but only up and to a point. Why, you ask? Why would God permit Satan to wage spiritual warfare against His children? Because, ultimately, in doing so, God will be glorified. God will exact His wrath against those who persecute His children. But it is also in those times that God will draw us closer to Him. And this leads to our sanctification.

Here’s what you need to know. Romans 8:1 says, There is, therefore, no condemnation for those found in Christ. This means that, if you are found in Christ, when you feel condemnation, it does not come from God. We need to recognize the power that we have been given in the name of Jesus. The Bible says that the demons flee at the name of Jesus.

If you are a believer… rise up, oh saved one. Understand that you are responsible for your choices. But also realize that your identity is found in Christ. He is victorious over death. He is victorious over sin. He is victorious over Satan. Rise up, oh believer! You have been made one with Him again. You are His, and He is yours. And His promise says that nothing or no one can ever snatch you from His hands. Live today as a freed soul. Do not allow the roaring lion to devour you. Call upon the Lion of Judah who has the power to devour the one who would seek to kill steal and destroy!

-Robbie Cheuvront