The Difference of Being Aware and Awake by Brother Duke Hansen

         Good morning. We are going to be in several places in scripture this morning, so you will need to keep up. This message is about there's a difference in being made aware and awake. There are believers today who think these times are difficult. These days some think that God is not talking to them, and forget that God had cut of the nation of Israel for 400 years. 400 years of silence before the coming of Jesus. This morning's first scripture is going to come from John chapter 1. We will start reading at verse 35. The setting is Jesus going to the river where John the Baptist had been baptizing.

        35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;

        36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

        In verse 36, John knew the true identity of the Jesus as Jesus was just walking toward the water. John was awake in this moment.

        37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

        Now, think about this for a second. John just pronounced the identity of the messiah who the prophets had spoke about. "That's him!" he said. Only two of John's disciples went and followed Jesus. Why didn't the rest of John's disciples follow suit? They were not awake to the truth.

        38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi ( which is to say, being interpreted, Master) where dwellest thou?

        39 He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

        40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

        Andrew, Simon Peter's brother was the first man to spend time with Jesus.

        41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

        Andrew went and found his brother and told him who Jesus was. I want to show you this first because when we go to the book of Matthew chapter 16 and start reading with verse 13, these scriptures will seem very familiar to you.

        13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am?

        14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

        15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

        16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

        Peter answered Jesus as if this was common knowledge. The reason for doing so was he had already been made aware of Jesus. Many pastors and teachers have framed this scripture as some nugget or aha! moment Peter had. It's been preached wrong! There are two types of people in the world and even in church. There are those who seek the truth with their whole heart, and those who merely just show up to collect a paycheck or to feed their flesh in church.

        17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

        18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

        Remember that Andrew knew the truth first. People miss out on opportunities in life because they don't want to hear "no" out of fear of rejection.

        The world says that salvation is really a repeat after me sinners prayer, rather than a close and personal relationship with God. Look back in the gospels at the number of people who would come across Jesus and then deny him. We are going to go back to John. Turn to chapter 21 and verse 17. To set up this scripture, we need to see that in verse 3, Peter tells the disciples that he is going fishing after Jesus had shown himself. We are past resurrection and this chapter deals with Jesus in his final days before the ascension. The disciples were having a hard time trying to catch fish in the Sea of Tiberius.

        Jesus called out to them from the shore, had them cast their nets onto the right side of the boat. The amount of fish caught was enormous. Peter swam out to meet Jesus and when they broke bread over a fire Jesus says.

        17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, loves thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him a third time Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knows all things; thou knows that I love thee. Jesus said unto him, Feed my sheep.

        In this recounting, John knew that it was Jesus on the shore. You will be awake for the world, but, it's hard to be awake for Jesus. In order for that, you need to kill your flesh, turn from temptation. These are actions which are carnal selves do not like. Jesus had fish already with him along with bread and fire going. We are like Peter in this, where we show up to the Lord with nothing in hand. 

        When God shows up to you in life, it isn't to beat you up for something you did last week. He shows up for what you may do today and what you're doing tomorrow. Jesus is trying to find if Peter is truly awake as to what Peter had said. We see that Jesus asked Peter this question three times. Turn to the book of Acts chapter 1 and verse 4.

        4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

        The Holy Ghost verifies that you have been listening to God. Let's continue.

        5 For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 

        6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

        7 And he saith unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

        If you look at the next chapter, you see Peter preaching the word of God, full of the Holy Ghost. He woke 3000 people to the truth Jesus wanted to be spoken.

        You are aware when God is dealing with you, but are you awake to what he's trying to tell you? On the road to Damascus, Paul was faced with the truth which was against all that he had lived and believed. Paul would lose all the material things and status for the truth.

        All the things which bother and angers us we give power to. Paul's missionary journeys were to make people aware of their sins, and that Jesus was God.

        God used Peter to spread the gospel to the Jews as well as the Gentiles. The process of being made aware is a struggle and a fight because the lie is everywhere. You have to be twice as sharp in the word to combat the lie. When we become aware, we have to make a choice. Whatever you are wrestling with will be a choice to be made.

        You cannot serve two masters. Put off the old man and put on the new man. It is up to us to purge out the old man. If you are aware of a situation, your fight is a daily fight. Heaven is not for everyone. Don't want to be awake? God won't wake you up. That choice is up to you. Today we have the opportunity. The percentage of people who fail in pursuing and living the truth is high. The things we love will either save or condemn us.

        If we want to protect our sin and our flesh, we are going to hate God. We have to see the sin first. Next we have to obey the scripture and follow the commandments. There's no man alive that can outlive God. It isn't about who you are but what God wants you to become.