Introduction:
· Isaiah 52:1-2 - “Awake, awake, put on your strength oh Zion, put on your beautiful garments oh Jerusalem, the Holy City”
- Call to the church to awaken from sleep and to arise into its’ proper place of operation
- Awake = 5782 = to open the eyes, stir self up, arouse from place of sleep
- Prophetic call to the church that requires a faith action – response
- Personal Word: “Awake, awake from your slumber of Jezebel…”
What is the Slumber of Jezebel?
a) Jezebel: 1 Kings 16:31-32
· Jezebel = Baal exalts, under the favour of Baal, not cohabiting with
· The 1st portrayal in the bible as a wicked queen who killed prophets and established idolatry
· Next portrayed in the Bible – Revelation 2:20 – as a person with the same evil character and intent
· Two different eras – same spiritual power exercising a destructive influence on the people of God
· Operates to seduce = 4105 = to wander away from safety, from truth, go astray
· Operates to intimidate and control
i) External Spiritual Pressure – ‘Outer Space’ Ephesians 6:12
ii) Internal Spiritual Pressure – ‘Inner Space’ entering through personal
strongholds 2 Corinthians 10:4
- How we think and behave
- Spiritual powers seducing people, and the people beginning to yield to them
b) Slumber Romans 11:8
· Slumber = to sleep, be in a state of in activity
· Spiritual Slumber
- Spiritual sensitivity dull
- Cannot see or hear spiritually
- Unaware of spiritual influences at work, can’t do anything about it
- Living in a ‘trance’ – unaware what is happening
- Ultimately it leads to a loss of hope and destiny
c) Slumber of Jezebel – spiritual power that shuts you down, no strength, become weak:
· State of spiritual dullness and the lack of awareness brought on by yielding to the invisible activity of the Jezebel power
· One of the major causes of this is spiritual laziness
· Proverbs 19:15 - “Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep”
3. Bible Examples:
· There are several examples of people who came under the influence of this invisible activity of the Jezebel power
i) Judges 16:19-21 - Samson: “she made him sleep on her knees”
· Samson forgot his identity, forgot his calling as a mighty deliverer
· He opened his soul to the Jezebel spirit through sexual sin, false comforts
· He was spiritually unaware of the danger, focused comfort on Delilah – v 5,9 – 5 lords of the Philistines waiting there
· He lost his crown of dominion, and he did not know it v20
· He lost his vision, his strength, his destiny and was brought into bondage
· The Jezebel spirit strips people of strength, vision, hope => bondage
· When Samson repented his strength was restored. The power of God came around him again
· Arise to this spirit, don’t let it steal your dreams, inheritance and legacy of the next generation
· Spirit power requires spiritual weapons
· If you get connected with the living God you will be stronger than ever
ii) 1 Kings 19:1-5 - Elijah: “he lay and slept under a broom tree”
· A mighty man of faith
· Elijah forgot his identity, forgot his calling as a mighty deliverer
· He opened his soul to the Jezebel spirit when he received Jezebels messenger v2,3
· The messenger (demonic) wounded him, stripped him of confidence and fear entered
· Fear = abandoning position, isolate, discourage, loss of perspective, desire to die
· Juniper tree = to bind or put in a yoke
· He lost his courage that came from the anointing flowing, he forgot who he was, loss of perspective, withdraw, hurt and discourage
· When people curse and accuse you a spirit is send out to destroy you
· v7,15 His strength returned through the touch of God and the prophetic word
iii) Luke 22:45-46 - The Disciples: “…he found them sleeping for sorrow”
· The disciples forgot their identity, forgot their calling as mighty Apostles of God
· They opened their soul to the Jezebel Spirit through sorrow – emotional grief and pain
· Sorrow = grief, heaviness, pain, sadness
· They lost their confidence that came from the anointing flowing
· Matthew 26:40-46 “They were awakened from their sleep by Prophetic Confrontation from Jesus”
iv) Galatians 2:11-13 - Peter: “…he separated himself fearing those who were of circumcision”
· Peter forgot his identity, his calling, he forgot his personal revelation he had received
· He let go the personal revelation he had received from the Lord re the Gentiles Acts 10:15
· He opened his soul to the Jezebel spirit through fear
· Fearing = 5399 = to frighten, put to flight, score away, shrink back, conceal self
· The Jewish Christians kept the law and introduced the pressure of legalism
· Disemble = 4942 = to act a stage player, pretend to act out of one motive when another motive inspired the action
· The church came into great conflict as Peter withdrew, out of fear
· v11 Paul confronted Peter – Apostolic Confrontation with truth
v) Galatians 3:1-2 - Galatian Church: “did you receive the spirit by works of law or hearing by faith”
· The Galatian Church forgot their identity, the calling as Gentiles, they forgot the liberty of the Holy Spirit
· They opened their soul to the Jezebel spirit through wrong belief and performance beliefs
· Foolish = 453 = lacking spiritual understanding, mind not being exercised
· Bewitched = 940 = to fascinate, charm, cast spell over, captivate, place under power rt = wicca - sorcerer
· The Galatians had opened their soul to spiritual influence of the Jezebel spirit by allowing legalism – religion based on performance not faith
· They began in the spirit with miracles and ended in flesh striving
· Galatians 3:1 - Paul confronted the church – Apostolic Confrontation with the truth
vi) 2 Kings 9:11-13 - Captains of Army: “Jehu is King”
· The Soldiers (captains v5) had forgotten their identity, they forgotten their calling
· They opened their soul to the Jezebel spirit over the nation by ‘need for security’
· The Spirit of Jezebel had cast influence over the whole nation of Israel
· The King of Israel: Jehoram = ‘The exalted One’ = Pride
· They were spiritually asleep and could not recognize what was happening v11
· v12,13 Apostolic declaration of Prophetic Word broke the demonic influence
4. Awake, Awake!
· Mark 13:33-37 - “Watch … lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping”
· Doorkeeper = watcher, sentry, guardian of door, portal, gate to Kingdom
· Watch = 1127 = to keep awake, rouse from sleep, proactive, diligent attention
· Watching is connected to:
i) Strong Prayer Mark 14:38
ii) Be sober 1 Peter 4:7
iii) Repentance and Strengthening self Revelation 3:3
iv) Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit Habakkuk 2:1