This sermon emphasizes the importance of being spiritually awake and prepared for the coming of the Lord, drawing parallels between historical events in Israel and prophecies in Ezekiel regarding future wars. It warns against spiritual slumber and urges believers to be vigilant, sober, and ready for the return of Jesus Christ, as the signs of the end times become more evident.

in the hands of the Jews, and the Golan Heights, again, was in the hands of the Jews, and they survived that war of annihilation. But they themselves admit that God was there helping them. I met Chaim Herzog, the president of Israel. He wrote a book called The War of Atonement, and he talks about the miracles of the war of atonement, how that God preserved them and helped them from being annihilated in that war. But in chapter 38 of Ezekiel, it tells us that there's going to be another war. This one will be Iran, backed by Russia, and again will be an attempt to annihilate Israel, as the leader of Iran is constantly telling us that Israel is going to be wiped off of the face of the map, that Israel will be annihilated, that it won't exist, and he is given a timing of about two years. Within two years, he declares that Israel will no longer be. Are we and can we indeed be that close? You know, it's interesting. We sort of just slumber and sleep. I read of a fellow who, when they used to have those covered bridges, toll bridges, that there was this fellow, and there was a heavy, heavy rainstorm, and he came to one of these toll bridges, and he went and he knocked on the door of the fellow who took the tolls, and he heard a voice from inside say, coming, and so he waited there, getting soaked in the rain, and no one came, so he knocked on the door again, and he heard the voice say, coming, and so he waited, and again continued to rain and get soaked, no one came, and so he really began to bang on the door, and this fellow came rather sheepishly and very sleepily, and he said, I'm sorry, he said, I've been on the job so long, when people knock, I just don't even wake up, I just call coming, and he apologized for his not being there to open the bridge for this fellow who wanted to cross, and I'm afraid that much of the church is like that, Jesus is sort of knocking at the door, we say, coming, but we sleep on, and now we are getting so close, and so the warnings of the scripture are to wake up, this is what Paul is telling us here in Romans chapter 11, knowing the time, it's high time to wake up out of our sleep, for now is our salvation nearer than it was at the beginning, Jesus said to his disciples, watch therefore, for you do not know the when the master of the house is coming, it may be in the evening, maybe at midnight, maybe when the rooster is crowing in the morning, but you don't want him to catch you sleeping when he comes, so I say unto you, wake up, Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, and he said, for you know perfectly well that the day of the Lord is coming as a thief in the night, for when they are saying peace and safety, then sudden destruction will come upon them, and they shall not escape, but you brothers are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief, therefore stay awake, be alert, be sober, Peter warned, but the end of all things is at hand, therefore be sober, watch and pray, Jesus said to the church of Sardis, remember how you have received, and hurt, and hold tight, if you do not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you do not know what hour I will come upon you, as Paul said, now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed, every day brings us one day closer to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we do not want to be as those wicked servants that Jesus spoke of, who began to say, well the Lord delays his coming, and and they began to live after the flesh, and Jesus said, the Lord will come at a time in which they are not prepared, and he will cut them in sunder, and give their portion, give them their portion with the unbelievers, Jesus warned his disciples, take heed, lest at any time your lives become so involved in eating, and drinking, and the cares of this world, that that day catches you sleeping, as Paul said, the night is far spent, the world has gone through a long night of darkness, and it is getting darker, but thank God, we can see the dawning of a new day, and so Paul says, let's put off the works of darkness, and he describes these works as riotous living, drunkenness, sexual immorality, debauchery, dissension, and jealousy, he said, let's put on the armor of light, and he describes that as putting on the Lord Jesus Christ, and making no provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lust thereof, do not let your carnal desires control your life, you know that one of my greatest concerns, as the pastor of this church, is that there are many people who listen to me, Sunday after Sunday, who are sleeping, and when our Lord comes, they will be like the five foolish virgins, not ready, as Jesus gave that parable of his coming, he said, they that were ready went in, and I am fearful that there are many who will not be awake, they won't be ready, and when the Lord comes, they will be left here, because they haven't taken heed to the word of the Lord, it doesn't mean that they're going to be lost, but it means that to be saved is going to be difficult, it will be.