Clergy, Church Teachers And Wives Rededication Retreat By Ven Dr. A. J. T Otobotekere

Diocese Of Ogbia Clergy, Church Teachers And Wives Rededication Retreat Friday, 17 January 2025

THEME: Awake and seek the Lord, thou that sleepest (Psalm 63:1; Eph 5:14)

Introduction

We appreciate the Lord Bishop of Ogbia Diocese and his wife, the Rt. Rev. Matthew Tamunotari and Mrs Margret Obaze for giving me and my wife the privilege of leading the Clergy, Church Teachers and wives rededication retreat of this year. We do not take this grace for granted and pray that the Lord will use us to impact the retreatants positively for better ministry outcome.

The Church, Body of Christ in her universal, national and local settings is an entity to function and achieve God’s Kingdom objectives. The main objective of the Church is to make disciples of Christ who will be sent out as wheat amongst tares in the world. They are to preach the gospel of Christ for the salvation of souls, make converts for Christ, and deliver them from sin and the power of the Devil and teach them to conform to the image of Christ to qualify for entry into the Kingdom of God (Matt. 28:18-20). These tasks require a willing, vibrant, vigilant and dedicated workforce, empowered by the Holy Spirit that can resist the wiles of the devil (Eph. 6:10-12). Both the leaders and members of the Church must therefore be conscious of things that will weigh them down and cause them to sleep.

Satan is an adversary of God, opposing all that God does and putting pressure on believers to slacken or totally turn away from God and His purpose. The main points of entry are the desires of the world; lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and pride of life (Gen. 3: 1-8 cp Matt. 4:1-11; 1 John 2:15-17). Through these means, believers are made insensitivity to the needs of the Holy Spirit and slide into inactiveness and finally stupor. Christians/believers who develop carnal indifference to spiritual things are spiritually asleep and in a slumbering state of soul, stupefied by conformity to the world and being insensitive to divine things and are separated from God. Separation from God results in “deep sleep” that could lead to eternal death.

This retreat aims to galvanize those who are “asleep” to awake and seek the Lord, receive the light of Christ and be restored to function in line with the Holy Spirit to benefit from God’s promises for His children.

Definitions

Awake (Heb. (oor) – Opening the eyes; to wake literally or figuratively; to awaken, to awaken up; lift up (self), master, raise (up), stir up (self). Awoke – To become active: to awake from either sleep (Ps. 78:65) or from a state of drunkenness (Gen. 9:24). It has to do with awakening to undertake some activity.  In the NT Awake (Grk: egeiro) – through the idea of collecting one’s faculties; to waken i.e. rouse (literally, from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death; or figuratively, from obscurity, inactivity, ruins, nonexistence). Awake is synonymous with Arise (to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative): get up, lift up (again), raise (up), rear (up), (a-) rise (up) (again, against), rouse up, set (up), (make to) stand (up), stir up, strengthen, etc. Arise conveys a figurative sense of undertaking an action or starting to do something (1 Kings 17:9).

Seek: Various Hebrew and Greek words are translated as “seek” meaning to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive after: ask, beg, beseech, desire, endeavour, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure, (make) request, require, seek (for). To seek is to diligently look for, to search earnestly till the object of the search is located. The presence of the Lord must especially be sought (Ps. 27:8; Acts 17:27).   

Sleep: translated from various Hebrew and Greek words meaning: to sleep; be asleep; to lie down to rest, i.e. (by implication) to fall asleep (literally or figuratively). Figuratively, sleep describes condition of being slack or languid; to die; to grow old, stale or inveterate; stupefy i.e. to stun; lethargy, carnal indifference to spiritual things on the part of believers (Eph. 5:14; 1 Thess 5: 6, 10); condition of insensibility to divine things involving conformity to the world (Mk 13:36). Metaphorically, a slumbering state of soul, i.e. spiritual conformity to the world, out of which believers are warned to awake (Rom. 13:11).

Causes Of Sleep In Believers

The Christian goes into spiritual sleep when he/she no longer hungers or thirsts for the things of God and His righteousness. Some principal causes of sleep in beliefs are:

1. Falling from the first love (Rev. 2:4; Luke 9:62).
2. Love for the world and deceitful riches (Gen. 3:1-8; 1 John 2:15-17; Matt. 13:7, 22; Mark 10:17-22; Luke 8:14; 21:24).
3. Failure to abide in Christ (John 15:4-7).
4. Carnal indifference to spiritual things and taking the will of God for granted (Mk 13:35-36; Rom. 13:11-13; Eph. 5:11-14; 1 Thess 5:6-10).
5. Turning to strange doctrines, relying on articles and rituals (2 Thess. 2:3-4; 1 Tim. 4:1-2; 2 Tim 4:3-4; Jude 3-4).

Implications For Being Asleep

There are several consequences when Christians go asleep, some are:

1. Being insensitive and morally insensible (Psalms 50:16-17; 2 John 1:7-11): Not noticing the effect of something or showing any reaction for something or unable to feel something. Being morally insensible is to lack moral sensibility or the power to be moved or affected. Not burdened by the sins of the community.
2. No volunteers or willing disciples (Phil 3:18-19; 1 Cor. 6:13): No desire for God. Ministry activities are carried out on compulsion, directive or for self-gain.
3. Faithless and powerless believers (Matt. 17:21): No manifestation of the Holy Spirit or the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Manipulation and use of force become the order of the day.
4. Activities do not glorify God (Rom. 1:20-21).
5. The Church becomes worldly, no more focused on God’s Kingdom and glory: Preachings and prayers focus on material possessions, defeat of enemies and miracles (2 Tim. 4:3-4).
6. God’s name is blasphemed (Rom. 2:24 see 2 Sam. 12:14).

Awake And Seek God (Jonah 1:4-5)

To awake and seek God entails the amongst others:

1. Examine yourself (2 Cor. 13:5; Gen. 35: 1-4: Luke 15:17-19)
2. Repent of your sin and point of fall (Eph. 5:14; Isa. 56:6; Luke 15:20-21; Rev. 2:5).
3. Earnestly pray to God for restoration (Isa. 62:1-2)
4. Begin and continue to thirst for God and the things of God (Psalms 42:1-2; 63:1-8)
5. Make the word of God your guide (Psalm 119:105; John 1:1-5, 14).
6. Be intentional in making disciples (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 3:13-15; 16:15-18). Deliberate effort at making willing people disciples of Christ to receive power from the Holy Spirit to implement the Great Commission

Conclusion

Sleep, as a natural physical phenomenon when carried out in the proper dose refreshes the body, making it healthy, active and functional. Over indulgence and indiscipline result in excessive sleep and slumber that may negatively impact bodily performance and functionality of the mind. A Christian is functional when the spirit, soul and mind are positively activated and the body undefiled. Just as over indulgence results in physical slumber, so does the spirit weaken with worldliness of believers.  Church leaders and congregation that are spiritually asleep will compromise their faith and tolerate sin. They cannot walk in righteousness, manifest the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit and function to meet basic expectation of expanding the Kingdom of God on earth.

It is appropriate for everyone to do self-examination to identify areas of compromise or backsliding that lead to sleep, in order to repent and return to God. To awake from sleep and earnestly seek God is apt for our work and walk with God. It enhances us to prepare ourselves and others as disciples of Jesus Christ, receive the Holy Spirit to function effectively, overcome the devices of the Devil, expand the Kingdom of heaven and bring glory to God on earth.