Wake Up, Sleeper

There are seasons when we are physically awake but spiritually asleep. In this powerful episode based on Ephesians 5:14, Coach Dombrowski challenges listeners to recognize the signs of spiritual numbness, drift, and discouragement.

This episode walks through how people slowly fall asleep to their calling, why God still speaks to those who feel disconnected, and what it looks like to wake back up to purpose, passion, and the light of Christ. If you have been surviving instead of living, this episode is your wake-up call.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

There are people walking around today with a pulse but no passion. They go to work, they come home, they scroll, they smile when somebody asks if they're okay, and they tell everybody, I'm just tired. But deep down they know it's more than being tired. They have fallen asleep to who they are. They have fallen asleep to their purpose, to the calling that God placed in their life. And the dangerous thing about spiritual sleep is that you can stay asleep and still look awake. You can sit in church and still be asleep. You can quote scripture and still be asleep. You can lead people and still be asleep. Man, you can go through the motions and still be asleep. Enemy does not need to destroy you if he can distract you. He does not always need to take you out if he can simply make you numb. Because a numb believer is easier to control than a passionate one. And today, maybe this episode is not here to come for you. Maybe it's here just to wake you up. Welcome to the Intentional Grounding Godcast Letters to Isaiah. I'm your faith strategist, Coach Dombrowski, and today we're diving into one of the shortest verses with one of the loudest messages in the entire Bible, Ephesians 5, verse 14. And it says, Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. So this verse is not written to people who are physically asleep. It's written to people who have drifted, people who have become spiritually numb, people who have once burned with passion, but now barely have a spark left. And before you shut this off, because you think that's not me, let me tell you something. Sometimes the people who are the most asleep are the people who are the busiest. All right. So Paul, he's writing to believers in this city, Ephesus, right? An ancient city. It's like modern-day Turkey. This was a city full of distractions, false gods, pressure, temptation, tons of noise. Honestly, it sounds a lot like today. So the people were surrounded by entertainment, pressure to fit in, confusion, compromise, spiritual darkness. And in the middle of all of that, God sends this message: wake up. Not later, not when life slows down, not when everything gets easier. Wake up now. And nobody decides overnight that they're gonna become spiritually numb. It happens slowly. You stop praying because you're busy, and then you stop reading scripture because you're tired. And well, then you stop believing in God, or even just believing that God can still use you because life didn't go the way that you planned. You get hurt, you get disappointed, you get overlooked, right? You start carrying shame. And before long, you're not living with expectation anymore. You're just surviving. And maybe there's someone listening right now who are not even angry at God. You're just not connected. You still love Him, you still believe. But if you're honest, you've been on autopilot, right? You've been spiritually asleep. Or maybe you used to be the person who worshiped with your whole heart. Maybe you used to pray boldly. Maybe you used to believe that God had something big for your life, but somewhere along the way, a life hit you, right? A relationship broke, or a prayer seemed unanswered, or we had a little church hurt, you know, or a dream didn't happen. And you didn't stop believing in God, you just stopped believing that He would still move in your life. That, my friends, that is spiritual sleep, not rebellion, right? Just resignation. So the verse says, wake up, sleeper. Right? Notice that it God does not say, wake up, failure. He doesn't say, wake up, disappointment. He doesn't say, wake up, hypocrite. He calls you sleeper, right? Because sleep is not your identity, it's your current condition. You're not permanently broken, you're not permanently lost, you're not permanently stuck, you're just asleep. And if you're asleep, guess what? You can wake up. Right? Think about somebody sleeping in a house while the sun is rising outside, right? The light is already there, the opportunity is there, the day is already beginning. But if they stay asleep, they miss what's already available. That's what is happening spiritually. God's moving, he's calling, he's opening doors, he's trying to restore your joy and your purpose, your identity, your confidence. But if you stay asleep, you'll keep missing what God is already doing. Not because he's absent, because you are unaware. All right. Now I do want to read Romans 13, 11 for you as well. And it says the hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. So again, wake up. Why? Because too much is at stake. There are people depending on the version of you that is healed. People that are depending on the version of you that is walking in purpose. There are people who need the encouragement, the wisdom, the testimony, and calling that God placed inside of you. And if you stay asleep, they never receive what God wanted to do through you. You don't need a brand new life. You need to wake up to the life that God already gave you. You know what I'm saying? You don't need to become somebody else. You need to remember who you were before fear, before hurt and disappointment and exhaustion, convinced you otherwise, right? The enemy wants you to think that it's too late. You missed your chance. You know, you're too far gone. You're, you're just, you're too damaged. But Ephesians 5.14 says something completely different. Rise and Christ will shine on you. That means when you take one step towards God, he doesn't shame on you. He shines on you, right? He doesn't condemn you, he calls you. He doesn't say, Why did you fall asleep? He says, Wow, brother, I'm glad you're awake. Right? And if you quit here, you'll keep leaving beneath the calling on your life. You'll settle settle for surviving, you know, when God created you to lead. Not a great feeling. You'll settle for existing when God created you to live, or settle for comfort when God created you for purpose. And five years from now, you'll wonder why nothing changed. Because nothing changes until something wakes up. And there are generations connected to your obedience, whether you want to believe it or not. Your children, your family, your friends, your coworkers, your future. And when you wake up spiritually, it doesn't just change you, it changes the atmosphere around you. Somebody has to be the one in the family that breaks the cycle, right? Somebody has to be the one that says, it stops with me. I'm waking up. And maybe that somebody is you. You know? And my grandson, Isaiah, buddy, one day there will be moments in your life where you feel tired and discouraged and disappointed, maybe even lost. And there may be seasons where you stop believing in yourself. But I want you to remember that just because you fell asleep inside doesn't mean that God is finished with you. The light of Christ can still reach you. The purpose of God can still find you. The calling on your life, it does not disappear just because you had a hard season. When life tries to convince you to give up, man, I really pray that you remember Ephesians 5:14. Wake up, sleeper, rise, and let Christ shine on you. Because there is too much inside of you to stay sleeping forever. I love you, buddy. Well, if you've been spiritually asleep, today's your wake-up call. Not tomorrow, not next week, today. Go back to prayer, go back to scripture, go back to the purpose that God placed inside of you. You don't need to have it all figured out. You just need to take one step, one prayer, one verse, one act of obedience. And watch what happens when Christ shines on the parts of your life you thought were too dark. Because you're not too far gone. You are not too broken. You're not too late. You're just one awakening away from becoming who God created you to be. Until next time. Coach Dombrowski. I'll be praying for you.