Hope Resurrected - March 27, 2016 sermon

By Pastor Greg

Notre Dame Cathedral

After Quasimodo's death, the Bishop of the Notre Dame Cathedral decided that a new bell ringer was needed.  He decided to conduct the interviews personally and went up into the belfry to begin the screening process.  The Bishop wasn’t pleased with any of the candidates that day.  However, just as he was ready to leave, an armless man approached him and announced that he was there to apply for the bell ringer's job.  The Bishop was incredulous: "You have no arms!” he said.  “No matter," said the man, "Observe!” and he began striking the bells with his face, producing a beautiful melody.  The Bishop listened in astonishment; convinced he had finally found a replacement for Quasimodo.  But suddenly, rushing forward to strike a bell, the armless man tripped and plunged headlong out of the belfry window to his death in the street below.  The stunned Bishop rushed down the staircase.  When he reached the street, a crowd had gathered around the fallen figure.  As the Bishop approached, one of them asked, "Who was this man?"  The Bishop replied sadly, "I don't know.  I don't know his name but … his face sure rings a bell!"

The following day the Bishop continued his interviews.  The first man to approach him said, "Your Excellency, I am the brother of the poor armless man that fell to his death yesterday.  I pray that you honor his life by allowing me to replace him in this duty."  The Bishop agreed to give the man an audition, and, as the armless man's brother stooped to pick up a mallet to strike the first bell, he moaned, clutched at his chest, twirled around, and died on the spot.  It was too much.  The Bishop wailed in grief.  Soon, other monks arrived wondering what had happened.  Rushing up the stairs, one monk asked, "What has happened?  Who is this man?"  “I don’t know.  I don't know his name," sighed the Bishop”, but … he's a dead ringer for his brother”.  [If I keep telling jokes like that, I’m the one who will be lying in the street]

I tell you that story in hopes that you chuckle, but I also tell you that story because it speaks of the finality of death.  Quasimodo died (at least he did in Victor Hugo’s book), the armless man and his brother died.  All that death weighed heavy on the Bishops heart.  It affected him profoundly because death is something so tragic.  I mean no one likes death.  It’s a disturbing part of life.  Many of us fear death.  The separation we feel with those who have died seems to be so permanent.  I mean, no one expects to see a dead person alive again.  No one down through history has ever looked at a dead person and said, “Just wait a couple of days; they’ll be back.”  Not even the disciples of Jesus expected Him to come back to life.  None of the men or women thought the Tomb would be empty on Easter morning.

(John 20:1-20) Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. ² She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” ³ Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. ⁴ They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, ⁷ while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. ⁸ Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed—⁹ for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. ¹⁰ Then they went home. ¹¹ Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. ¹² She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. ¹³ “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” ¹⁴ She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. ¹⁵ “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” ¹⁶ “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”). ¹⁷ “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”  ¹⁸ Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message. ¹⁹ That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. ²⁰ As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! ^[1]

  The women who came to the Tomb on Easter morning were preparing to anoint Jesus with more oil and perfume.  They wondered who might roll away the stone so they could pour more spices on the body of Jesus (Mark 16:3).  None of these women, not Salome, Joanne, or the two Mary’s expected to see Jesus alive again.  John confesses that up until the point when he saw the folded linen wrappings, he had no idea Jesus would rise from the dead (verse 9).  Up until that point, no one expected to see Jesus again.  He was gone.  And any hope they may have had in life was snatched away; kidnaped by death. After all, death is something so permanent.  No one comes back to life once they have permanently died.

I have stood next to more caskets than I can remember, many of those people I deeply loved.  But do you want to know a little secret?  You see, Easter has taught me something.  The empty tomb teaches me, and you, something about the permanence of life, not the permanence of death.  When John and Peter walked into that empty grave on Easter morning, they realized something.  They realized that the body of Jesus had not been stolen, but that Jesus had risen from the dead.  Knowing this resurrected hope within their hearts.

The author of Hebrews points out that “Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. ¹⁵ Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying”^[2] (Hebrews 2:14-15).  This is why you and I need to fix our eyes on the empty tomb.  The empty tomb sets us free from the fear of death.  It takes away its permanence. 

Do you want to know why Easter is such a special day for Christians?  It’s special because the Empty Tomb resurrects hope in our own hearts.  Not only did Jesus break the shackles of death, but He also set hope free.  His resurrection points to our own resurrection.  One day you and I and all whom we have loved will be called forth from the grave to life everlasting.  One day, death will be swallowed up in victory.  “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” ^[3] writes Paul (1 Corinthians 15:55).  For Christ rose triumphant, setting us free from the fear of death.  Since Jesus rose from the dead, all who have died believing in Him will one day rise again to everlasting life (1 Corinthians 15:20).

Therefore, do not fix your eyes on your present problems and worries.  Do not focus on all that is wrong.  That will lead to fear; a loss of hope.  “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! ¹⁸ So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever”^[4] (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).  Fix your eyes on the empty tomb, for in this way hope is resurrected. Death is now no longer something permanent.  It is Life that is now permanent.  This is what Easter has taught me.  The empty tomb has resurrected hope. 

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^[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Jn 20:1–20). Carol Stream, IL.

^[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Heb 2:14–15). Carol Stream, IL.

^[3] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. 1995 (1 Co 15:55). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

^[4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (2 Co 4:17–18). Carol Stream, IL.

The Birth of Hope - March 20, 2016 sermon

By Pastor Greg

Everyone in the apartment complex knew Ugly. Ugly was the resident tomcat. Ugly loved three things in this world: fighting, eating garbage, and, shall we say, love.  These things, combined with a life spent outside, had their effect on Ugly.  To start with, he had only one eye, and where the other should have been there was a gaping hole. He was also missing his ear on the same side, his left foot appeared to have been badly broken at one time, and had healed at an unnatural angle. His tail had been lost, leaving only the smallest stub, which he would constantly jerk and twitch.  Ugly had sores covering his head, neck, even his shoulders.  And every time someone saw Ugly there was the same reaction.  "That's one UGLY cat!!"

All the children were warned not to touch him. The adults threw rocks at him, or would hose him down when he tried to come into their homes. But Ugly always had the same reaction. If you turned the hose on him, he would stand there, getting soaked until you gave up and quit. If you threw things at him, he would curl his lanky body around feet in forgiveness.

Whenever he spied children, he would come running meowing frantically and bump his head against their hands, begging for their love.  But sadly they too saw the cat as Ugly and treated him just like everyone else did.

One day a new man moved into the apartment complex.  He seemed gentle and quiet.  That very day Ugly was mauled by some dogs in the neighborhood, and his sad life of rejection was coming to an end.  But this new neighbor rushed to where ugly lay tore and bleeding.  He picked that ugly cat up into his arms and started to carry him home.  And as this gentle, loving man cradled Ugly in his hands, that cat began to purr and snuggle in those loving arms.

What strikes me about that story is not that I might be the kind, benevolent man overflowing with compassion, but that I am Ugly.  I am the scarred and wounded cat longing for compassion and affection and tenderness.  And Christ is the One who takes me in His arms, gently holding me and caring for me and loving me while others would not.

When I realize that I am the broken one; when I understand my sin and the wounds caused by living in a sinful world, then I can understand why the people of Israel shouted when Jesus rode into town.

¹² The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors ¹³ took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!” ¹⁴ Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said: ¹⁵ “Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem. Look, your King is coming, riding on a donkey’s colt.” ¹⁶ His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him. ¹⁷ Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it. ¹⁸ That was the reason so many went out to meet him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign. ¹⁹ Then the Pharisees said to each other, “There’s nothing we can do. Look, everyone* has gone after him!” (John 12:12-19).

“Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” The people shouted.  This crowd of people was enthusiastic.  They raised their hands and made a carpet of coats and palm branches.  John says much of the enthusiasm surrounded what Jesus had done for Lazarus.  However, others in the crowd had been given back their sight, been healed from diseases, were able to walk again because of Jesus, and were free from the demons that held them hostage.  In the crowd shouting praise to Jesus were the ugly ones; the people the world rejected.  Yet it was these ugly, broken people whom Jesus held and healed.  How could they keep from praising the Lord?  How could they possibly remain silent?  If they were to remain silent, surely the rocks would cry out “Blessed is the Lord” (compare Luke 19:40).

Also in the crowd that day were the scoffers.  They are the ones who told Jesus to silence the people.  “Tell them to stop saying those words” they scolded.  When I think of the scoffers in the crowd – those who threw rocks at the ugly ones – I am reminded that even today there are people like this.  It is people like this who come to mind when I read Paul’s words from Romans 3.  “No one is righteous - not even one. ¹¹ No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. ¹² All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one. Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies. Snake venom drips from their lips. ¹⁴ Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. ¹⁵ They rush to commit murder. ¹⁶ Destruction and misery always follow them” (Romans 3:10-16).  The sinful, wicked people in this world seem so ugly sometimes.  Their words cut, their deeds bruise. But then I realize that they are not the only people who are ugly.  Yes, they are cruel and destructive, but I too am a sinful person.  I have been just as cruel.  I am also ugly.

The only difference between me and those who are cruel and ugly is that I have recognized my ugliness.  “They don’t know where to find peace,” says Paul (Romans 3:17), but I have found my hope in Jesus Christ.  As ugly as I am, the Lord held me in His arms.  Smelling like death, He touched my wounds and healed me.  This is why I praise His name.  In my heart, the Lord has given birth to hope.

Please don’t take this personally, but you are ugly too.  You bear the scars of living in this sinful, evil world.  Your heart is scarred from the cruel words spoken, the years of rejection.  Your mind is filled with memories of failure and regret.  Even our bodies bear the marks.  Smelling like death, we lay on the ground bleeding and broken; a person without any hope.  Then along comes Jesus, who, in tenderness and compassion, picks us up and holds us in His loving arms.  Why wouldn’t we shout with Joy?  Why would we remain silent?  We join our voices with the other ugly people around us and praise the Lord.  Blessed is He who has come!  Blessed is He who has ransomed our souls!  Blessed is He who holds us and loves us!  Blessed is He who touched us and made us whole.

We Believe - March 13, 2016 sermon

By Pastor Greg

A man was driving along the highway when he saw the Easter Bunny hopping across the middle of the road.  He swerved to avoid hitting him, but unfortunately, the rabbit jumped in front of his car.  He heard the sickening “thump” and saw the basket of eggs fly all over the place.  Candy, too.  The driver pulled over to the side of the road and got out to see what had happened.  Much to his dismay, the rabbit was dead.  The driver began to cry.  A woman driving down the same highway saw the man crying on the side of the road and pulled over.  When she asked the man what was wrong, he sobbed, "I feel terrible.  I accidentally hit the Easter Bunny and killed it.  There may not be an Easter for the children because me.  What should I do?”  The woman told the man not to worry.  She went to her car, pulled out a spray can, then walked over to the limp, dead Bunny, and sprayed him with the entire contents of the can.  Miraculously the Easter Bunny came to back life.  He jumped up, picked up the spilled eggs and candy, waved its paw and hopped on down the road.  Fifty feet away he stopped, turned around, waved and hopped on down the road.  Then in another 50 feet, he did it again!  He continued to stop and wave every 50 feet until he was out of sight.  The man was astonished.  "What in heaven's name is in your spray can?” he asked.  “What was it that you sprayed on the Easter Bunny?”  The woman turned the can around so that the man could read the label.  It said, "Hairspray.  Restores life to dead hair.  Adds permanent wave."

Wait!  Why are you laughing?  Do you think this is a joke?  Do you think I’m making this up?  Perhaps you’d believe if you had seen it with your own eyes.  “Seeing is believing,” they say.  However, blessed are those who believe without seeing.  Yet, we are rather skeptical people, are we not?  We want proof.  Take, for instance, a royal official from Capernaum.  Only after he witnessed a miracle did he finally believe that Jesus was the Messiah.

⁴⁶ Therefore He came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum. ⁴⁷ When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and was imploring Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. ⁴⁸ So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.” ⁴⁹ The royal official said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” ⁵⁰ Jesus said to him, “Go; your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off. ⁵¹ As he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was living. ⁵² So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” ⁵³ So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives”; and he himself believed and his whole household. ⁵⁴ This is again a second sign that Jesus performed when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.^[1]

This royal official already had belief and faith.  First, the royal official believed that Jesus could heal his son.  That’s why he made the 20-mile journey to Cana (verse 47), he believed Jesus could do something to help.  Next, he believed what Jesus said (verse 50).  Jesus said the boy was healed, and this man believed it to be true.  Yet his faith and belief frustrated Jesus (verse 48).  Look closely at verse 53.  John says that after his son was healed, only then did the man and his family believe.  But “what” did they believe?  I mean, the man already believed Jesus could heal his son and that He would heal his son.  So the “belief” mentioned in verse 53 must mean something more.  No longer did this man merely place his faith in the fact that Jesus could perform a miracle or that He would.  Instead, his faith was placed in the Man himself; that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.  His faith in Jesus was anchored where it needed to be, and it was this belief that truly transformed this man’s life.

I think there are many Christians today who have the same kind of faith this official had at the beginning.  “Sure I believe in Jesus,” many will claim.  “I believe He is real, that He is the Son of God, that He suffered and died on the cross, that He rose again from the grave, and that He is coming back again.”  However, these “confessions of faith” only speak about who Jesus is, or what happened in His life.  They do not mention how these things affect our own lives.  His death and resurrection are more than a historic event for they were directed toward you and me.

You and I need to recognize the cross for what it is.  It needs to become personal.  We need to believe that the Lord died for us, personally.  He looked into your heart and, out of love, allowed Himself to be crucified.  He died in your place.  You also need to keep in mind that your sin held Him there.  After all, remember what Jesus told Nicodemus.  He said that humanity is dying (John 3:15), that because of sin, humanity does not have eternal life.  The Lord told Nicodemus that the only way to escape death is to believe in Him.  Jesus is the only one who can heal us from sin.  Knowing this, Jesus offered His life to be a ransom, a sacrifice for you.  This is what the Messiah was sent to do, and this is what the royal official finally believed; not that Jesus could do a miracle, but that He was the Messiah – the giver of life.

This is where our faith and belief need to be anchored.  Although it is a difficult concept to believe, the Messiah’s death covers our sin.  His death offered eternal life for all humanity.  Oh, I know this is a difficult concept to grasp.  It might even sound like a wild story, yet to receive eternal life, we must believe this.  We need to believe that Jesus is the Messiah; that we are sinners in need of a Savior.  We need to believe that without Jesus, we will never find eternal life.  We need to place our life in the hands of Jesus.  This belief – this faith – is what grants us eternal life.

I think most of us are a lot like this royal official.  It takes a crisis for our faith in Jesus to grow.  Sometimes it takes a miracle for us to reach this level of faith – not a faith that Jesus is real, that He died, and rose again – but a faith that believes His death grants us eternal life.  Often times we need to be broken before we believe that our sin is real and we have no other hope than the Messiah.  Only once we lose all hope do we finally realize that “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all” ^[2] (Isaiah 53:6).  However, I am praying that you believe just because the Lord has made you this promise; that you would be spared the trial or the crisis; that you would not need to be broken but would be counted among those who are blessed. “Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed”,^[3] says the Lord.

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^[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. 1995 (Jn 4:46–54). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

^[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Is 53:6). Carol Stream, IL

^[3] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. 1995 (Jn 20:29). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

The Harvest - March 5th, 2016 sermon

By Pastor Greg

A pastor was on a plane traveling from Baltimore to Chicago, when the flight ran into some very severe turbulence.  As it got worse, the passengers became more and more alarmed, and even the flight attendants began to look concerned.  Finally, one of them noticed that the pastor had 'Rev.' in front of his name on the passenger list.  She approached him and said, “Sir, this is really frightening. Do you suppose you could, I don't know...do something religious?”  So he took up a collection.

Like this pastor, Christians sometimes miss an opportunity to change someone’s life for eternity.  Christians will sometimes make decisions and plans that are completely irrelevant to the dying world around them.  For example, consider the woman Jesus meets at the well.  Jesus offered her Living Water, not merely a cup of cold water.  Jesus offered something that would change her life.  Yet, I can’t help but wonder what I would have done if I had met this woman at the well.  Would you or I have the courage to offer her the Living Water of Jesus?

The good news about this woman is that during her conversation with Jesus, she begins to change.  She begins to grasp the idea that in spite of all she has done, God had not rejecter her.  Yahweh had not forgotten her.  What I find to be significant is her reaction to this news as compared to the reaction we see in the disciples.

²⁷ Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?” ²⁸ The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, ²⁹ “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” ³⁰ So the people came streaming from the village to see him.  ³¹ Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus, “Rabbi, eat something.”  ³² But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.”  ³³ “Did someone bring him food while we were gone?” the disciples asked each other.

³⁴ Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work. ³⁵ You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. ³⁶ The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike! ³⁷ You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true. ³⁸ I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest.”

³⁹ Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” ⁴⁰ When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, ⁴¹ long enough for many more to hear his message and believe. ⁴² Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.” ^[1] (John 4:27-42).

You can see the change in this woman’s life.  Her encounter with the Christ washed away the old and created something new.  Enthused, she rushes back to the city and begins asking, “This couldn’t be the Messiah, could it?”  And the people in that city came out to the well to meet Jesus.  This lonely, rejected woman becomes a witness for Jesus.  In spite of her past and her present circumstances, she is transformed by the Living Water Jesus had promised, and this Water (which is best understood to represent the Holy Spirit), fills her and begins to overflow.  This Man, this “Messiah”, had washed her clean and made her new.

What is significant about this part of the story is that the disciples of Jesus were just in that same village.  They had been buying food, which means they had been interacting with people in the marketplace.  Oddly, no one followed them out to meet the Messiah.  No one came looking for the Christ.  Apparently, the disciples didn’t talk to anyone about the Man who could give them Living Water.  However, this woman did, and I find that to be quite significant.

What happened to this group of disciples?  Earlier, they were running to family and friends saying “come and see”.  However, we see none of that enthusiasm here.  Oh, it’s not like these Samaritan people were a tough cookie to crack.  Jesus says that someone else had already planted a seed in this town.  Someone had already been telling them that the Messiah had come.  Jesus says that “I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest” (John 4:38).  A seed had been planted in the hearts of these people.  The disciples simply needed to bring them to Jesus – to help them “come and see”.  They didn’t, but this woman did, and I believe there is an important lesson here for you and me.

If you’ll permit me, I’d like to talk with those who have already “Tasted the kindness of the Lord” (1 Peter 2:3).  To those individuals, Jesus says, “Wake up and look around.  The fields are already ripe for harvest” (John 4:35).  As I had said before, there are many people in this world who need the Living Water Jesus is offering.  They need a relationship with Jesus to wash away their sadness, loneliness, and hurt.  But why are so few Christians inviting these people to come and meet the Man who changed their life?  Why does sharing this Good News become such a burden?  Why are so many Christians content to follow Jesus but never compelled share the message of Jesus?  It just seems so odd to me that some Christians need to be pushed and prodded to tell others about Jesus.

Do you ever find yourself thinking that this whole Church experience is lacking something?  Does Church sometime feel dead?  I suggest to you it’s because we are starving.  Jesus said, “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God”.  So should ours.  We have a responsibility to wake up and look around, to keep our eyes on the field.  We must either be sowing seeds or reaping a harvest – telling people about the Living Water Jesus offers, or help them be filled by the Lord’s Living Water.  Complacency or indifference is not an option.  I tell you that we will never truly be satisfied unless we participate in the harvest. 

Incidentally, the other place the Lord told people to “wake up” was to the church in Sardis.  The Lord said to them, “Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God” ^[2] (Revelation 3:2).  The Lord looked at that church and declared them to be dead (verse 1).  I pray He never says that about you or me or this church.

                  

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^[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Jn 4:27–42). Carol Stream, IL

^[2] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. 1995 (Re 3:2). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.