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Amen, so what an action-packed opening chapter to the Gospel of Mark, it's kind of just all action isn't it from the beginning and I want to focus particularly on the passage from verse 32 to 39, so Mark chapter 1 verse 32, and even when the sun did set they brought unto him all that were diseased and them that were possessed with devils and all the city was gathered together at the door and he healed many that were sick of diverse diseases and cast out many devils and suffered not the devil's to speak because they knew him and in the morning rising up a great while before day he went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed and Simon and they that were with him followed after him when they had found him they said unto him all men seek for thee and he said unto them let us go into the next town I may preach there also for therefore came I forth and he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee and cast out devils and the title of my sermon today is be an early bird be an early bird let's go to the Lord in a word of prayer father I thank you for this day I thank you for this church please fill me with your spirit now help me to preach boldly help me to preach preach what you want me to preach people give them open ears and open hearts and then we ask all these things in Jesus name Amen okay so verse 32 that and even when the sun did set they brought unto him all that were diseased and them that were possessed with devils so Jesus is healing people casting out devils all day and basically goes straight into the evening work doesn't he verse 33 says and all the city was gathered together at the door now there are estimates around that the population of Capernaum was around 1500 I don't know how accurate that is the Bible doesn't say but here it says that all the city was gathered together at his door so there's obviously a lot of people there yeah okay a lot of people it's not described as a village it describes a city I'd say yeah 1500 probably sounds about right they're all gathered at his door that's a lot of people isn't it okay that's a lot of people now it says here and he healed many that were sick of divers diseases and cast out many devils and suffered not the devil's to speak because they knew him said he healed many sick cast out many devils sounds like he put a shift in doesn't it sounds like he put a bit pretty big shift in there he's got the whole city at his door this is this is in the evening the sun set at this point and he's in the evening and he's healing many now divers diseases many cast out many devils okay then look at verse 35 and in the morning rising up a great while before day he went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed so he's rising up a great while before day so after a day and night of healing and exorcism Jesus is getting up not just a little early but a great while before day yeah you see that there he rises up a great while before day now you might say oh but that's Jesus he's God yeah but he was a hundred percent human too wasn't he we saw the other week of John 4 6 that he was worried with his journey wasn't he and he sat on Jacob's well yeah we read with his journey Hebrews 4 15 you don't have to turn this says for we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with a feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin okay our high priest got up a great while before day having just done a night shift of healing okay and notice how it's still called the morning not the night even though it's dark there yeah so there's a great while before day but it said he rose up in the morning didn't it because you know we can sometimes especially this country think in the winter when it's kind of not lighting up to eight well it's not morning yet you know lying in bed it's hey I know what times the latest it gets dark in England in the winter it's pretty late isn't it and look according to this it was still the morning wasn't it okay he got up it was dark but it was still the morning now I don't know exactly what that cutoff point is but I think we've probably we could probably all have a guess at that but it was it was a morning but it was a great while before day which is basically a great while before light wasn't it before daybreak okay why did he get up so early firstly to be on his own in prayer wasn't it so said here he got up a great while before day he went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed so it was to be on his own in prayer and look being an early bird is important for number one on our list today number one it's important for prayer okay it's important for prayer I think it's essential for prayer in verse 35 so it said in the morning rises up a great well before day he went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed it was a solitary place that's on his own yeah so he's out on his own verse 36 is Simon and they that were with him followed after him and when they had found him they said unto him unto him all men seek for thee they had to find him didn't they they had to find him they didn't they weren't just kind of right behind they were trying to find him kind of makes you think of maybe a busy mum who's trying to you know just get some time away for the kids for five minutes and they just always find you don't know they'll always end up find you chase you around find you he's trying to get some peace and quiet just wants that that bit of time on his own praying to God now with mums they do always find you don't know eventually but Jesus he still got that time he went into a solitary place and they're prayed now many mums on you know on that point do say and I've heard this a lot from from different mums and different people over time that I never get any time alone you've heard that before I just never get any time alone I never get to be on my own I never get that time alone that Jesus rose a great while before day to get his time alone didn't he he rose a great while before day but it wasn't to watch his favorite show it wasn't a catch up on his phone stare at viral videos or anything like that he went out and depart into a solitary place and they're prayed didn't he now it's worthwhile getting less sleep isn't it if it means time alone with God surely it's got to be worthwhile getting less sleep if it means starting your day with time alone with God turn to Psalm chapter 5 Psalm chapter 5 and verse 1 Psalm 5 1 says give ear to my words Oh Lord consider my meditation hearken unto the voice of my crime my king and my God for unto thee will I pray my voice shout now here in the morning Oh Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and we'll look up we should start and we'll look up we should start our day with prayer shouldn't we we have to start a day of prayer my voice shout thou here in the morning not my voice might thou here in the morning if I can get my sorry backside out of bed not my voice might thou here in the morning if I don't get distracted by my messages first or not my voice might thou here in the morning if I managed to get to sleep after staring at a screen right beforehand at night you know I decide I've had enough of whatever I've decided the hours I need to sleep yeah no my voice shout now here in the morning shout now here in the morning and that time alone means that you can pray without distractions doesn't it that time in the morning it's without interruptions it's without it's got to be without your kids there if your mum's dad's as well without them they're talking to you calling to you distract you keeping on them while they are my voice shout thou here in the morning okay and and when you're talking to God surely it's worth being on your own to talk to God isn't it now you might think well that's not easy I've got maybe a baby that's up at this time find a time find a time and the best time is first thing in the morning isn't it without important without interruption the importance of prayer isn't it important prayer what a blessing we've all been given to be able to pray to God to be able to talk directly to God yeah how many people are really taking advantage of that and how many people are preferring those extra 10 minutes 15 minutes sleep to getting up and talking to God my voice shout thou here in the morning now Jesus is God isn't he and when Jesus is praying he's speaking the words of God okay but we aren't gods are we despite what some of these weird religions will try and tell you we're not gods Simon and the others also got up a great while before day to follow Jesus I didn't they verse 36 is and Simon and they that were with him followed after him and when they had found him they said unto him to him all men seek for thee so they're up early looking for the Word of God aren't they okay then they're up early looking for Jesus Christ the Word of God and being an early bird is important for number two Bible reading okay number two Bible reading turn to Psalm 143 Psalm 143 and verse 8 143 verse 8 says cause me to hear thy loving-kindness in the morning for in thee do I trust cause me to know the way wherein I should walk for I lift up soul unto thee how do we hear his loving-kindness by reading his word yeah I don't think anyone is in any doubt of that we hear his loving-kindness by reading his word why in the morning because we should start our day with the Word of God shouldn't we okay if you want to know the way wherein you should walk you need to look at the map before you start walking don't you you need to know where you're going you need to know your route before you start walking you don't want to wander off into your day and get the map out when you're already lost yeah you know I'm gonna walk off I don't know where I'm going what I'm doing but I'll get the map out at some point and what a waste of time you've had before that then it's hard to find when you're where you are on the map doesn't it you go out with a map you go out before before you know you've looked at the map and suddenly you're trying to find where you are you don't know where you are you don't have your reference points in the same way it's like that with the Word of God and and the thing is that's if you're not too stubborn to then look at the map once you got lost because how many people go out with a map you know they know where they're meant to go and then they you know especially us men you know I don't need a map you know well I know I'll find it you know follow you know start fee especially maybe the old-fashioned men were more like that we just shove on our sat-navs now don't we you know but the old-fashioned men you know I'm gonna get this through I know I'm going you know my kids always moan at me if we're in the supermarkets I'm gonna find it just ask someone no way weakness giving it but but truthfully you won't you know a lot of the time you'll be stubborn to look at the map and when you do look at the map it's pretty hard to focus sometimes isn't it it could be pretty hard to focus especially once the distractions around yeah especially once people are talking to you maybe the kids are shouting you're trying to find where you're going the phones going you know you got all these other issues problems going on now and look when you're up early when you're up early with the Word of God you can give it 100% focus can't you 100% folks you're up before anyone else is up or at least if you know you and your if you're married your spouse gets up you know you're not there to get up to have a chat get up pray to God read the Word of God and look then you know then you can focus on what you're doing where you're going and what you want to start the day like that don't you I want to start the day like I said and and you ignore all that and then suddenly you're already in trouble you'd be in trouble within five minutes of the day can't you okay and you need that Word of God to ground you at the beginning of day you need that prayer to ground you as well speak to God and listen to what God's got to say to you his word is a lamp unto our feet and light unto our path don't don't leave the lamp in a drawer at home you know and then get it out halfway through the day okay well I got it on my phone yeah but at what point are you getting out well I read my Bible in the evening okay so you've just gone through a whole day without that lamp you've gone for a whole day without that map haven't you 2000 years ago everyone wasn't walking around with a copy of God's Word though were they okay turn to John chapter 8 and by the way this sermon I actually I started kind of writing bits of it when I started going through the Gospel of John chapter 8 early in the week and then I kind of realized I'd written like half a sermon and I'd only done one one or two verses so I actually thought okay I'm gonna separate this so turn to John 8 and verse 2 he said and early in the morning he came again into the temple and all the people came unto him and he sat down and taught them okay this is Jesus here now God is making a point again here that it's early in the morning the info is there for a reason isn't it I was gonna just said in the morning he's made a point it's early in the morning in Mark it was a great while wasn't it okay and he and that we're gonna see some more of these in a minute he makes a point here it's early in the morning okay that Jesus he it says and early in the morning he came again unto the temple and all the people came unto him and I think okay you could sell it as much later I think it was it was pretty soon after and he sat down and taught them but Jesus arrives at temple in Jerusalem early in the morning all these people come to be taught by the Word of God don't they so the people are so hungry for the word that they're there early in the morning yeah okay all the people came unto him I doubt there were many having lions out of those I think all the people came unto him do you think there is anyone there that thought yeah well they're all going to Jesus but didn't get so much sleep last night I'm gonna stay in bed forget forget the Word of God no I mean they actually had to make an effort to go and listen to the Word of God didn't they to go and hear the Word of God and they made that effort they're up early and they're at the temple you know I mean you have to go there but it seems from chapter 9 it was probably the Sabbath day the way it reads it looks like because it then we see it's Sabbath day life it doesn't look like a days gone by or any other days in between that and you might be thinking well you know they could have thought it's my one day off it's my one day off you know I've got stuff to do it's my one time to relax it's my lion day a lot of people think that Sundays a lot of us have grown up in the world Sundays a day to lie in bed isn't it watch a load of junk on TV people do without even getting out of bed you know the kids are downstairs turning on the cartoons in many houses around this out or whatever other rubbish they're watching that's what goes on sadly around this around this country and around a lot of the world but since when did God say that on the Sabbath day what were they doing on their on their their rest day they'd go into the temple listening to early early in the morning and Jesus was up early in the morning in the temple wasn't he okay now verse 38 back in back in mark 1 verse 38 and he said unto them let us go into the next towns that I may preach there also for therefore came my fourth so being an early bird is also important for number three being productive being productive Jesus is up a great while before day to be alone with God and now he's off to work yeah now he's off to work even after prayer and Bible time you get so much more done in the morning if you get out of bed don't you everyone knows the morning is the time you're productive isn't it and I don't think it depends on who you are either I think pretty much everyone the mornings the time you're more productive he said let us go into the next towns plural so he's got a lot of work ahead of him yeah now turn to Proverbs 24 will I read Proverbs chapter 31 verse 15 so Proverbs 31 is describing the dream woman here yeah okay the one that heavy every man is sinking and now I'm joking but this is you know kind of the benchmark isn't it progress 31 15 says she rises also while it is yet night and giveth meat to her household and a portion to her maidens so she goes a step further the virtuous woman she's up a great while before day in fact a great great while before day isn't she okay now she's up while it's still night because she has to fit in time with God before preparing breakfast I've no doubt the virtuous woman is getting up and she's praying to God and she's really a Bible before she's preparing food for a household yeah okay now you might be saying wait a minute brother and I'll be exhausted I'll be no good to anyone getting up at night getting up that long before morning but there's a truth in life isn't there there's a truth in the Bible and there's a line obviously there's a line okay there is a line but the less you do and the more you sleep or for many lie in bed unable to sleep the more tired you often are that's the truth isn't it there's a line of course you don't want to under sleep and to the point where you just burn the candle at both ends you're bleary-eyed the whole time but a lot of people who all they're going about his sleep they're just always tired aren't they and I've noticed I've noticed you know growing up and a lot of the time the more I slept the more tired I felt when you kind of go over that point and you're sleeping long lines you just feel tired you feel sluggish you feel like the sluggard all day don't you now you're in you're in Proverbs 24 and verse 30 says I went by the field of the slothful and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding and lo it was all grown over with thorns and nettles had covered the face thereof and the stone wall thereof was broken down then I saw and considered it well I looked upon it and received instruction yet a little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep so shall thy poverty come as one that traveleth and thy want as an armed man now look at verse 30 there the slothful is a lazy these these people don't have understanding they're not wise are they verse 31 the place is a mess okay the place is a mess it's all grown over with thorns nettled had covered the face a stone wall thereof was broken down verse 32 and 33 he's basically saying here that laziness and idolizing sleep go hand in hand yeah people all they're talking about is sleep and how much sleep they want how much sleep they're not getting it goes hand in hand with laziness doesn't it look I'm not getting on I know there are some people here got kids up all night and everything else I'm not getting on at them yeah but but look there is a truth there isn't there and people it does it goes hand in hand and verse 34 so shall thy poverty come as one that travelth and I want as an armed man is saying you'll end up like poor people that are always traveling because if you're constantly traveling you're not working just all over the place you're gonna be poor and I want as an armed man basically gonna be desperate like someone armed that's how I see that okay now verses 33 and 34 I'm guessing probably most people recognize them they're actually repeated as well in another passage of Proverbs where we're also they're given the solution so turn to Proverbs 6 Proverbs chapter 6 and from verse 6 Proverbs 6 6 says go to the ant thou sluggard consider her ways and be wise which having no guide overseer or ruler provided her meat in the summer and gathereth her food in the harvest how long wilt thou sleep I've sluggard when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep yet a little sleep a little slumber little folding of the hands asleep so shall thy poverty come as one that travelth and I want as an armed man now the solution is in verses six to eight isn't it go to the ant are sluggard consider her ways and be wise consider the ways of the ant which having no guide overseer or ruler provided her meat in the summer and gathereth her food in the harvest she doesn't need anyone telling you how to get up and work does she okay she's busy when there's work to be done she's bit when there's work to be done she's up working she's doing she doesn't need someone nagging at her she doesn't need she doesn't need this preaching you know tried preaching to the ants I know they don't need it yeah they don't need any of this do they because the ant the ants having no guide overseer or ruler she just gets on at works and that we should be considering we should be looking at that and saying okay that's how I need to be I need just get on and get working get grafting but again it's contrasted with the eternal sleeper isn't it the yet a little sleep a little slumber somebody's just constantly just craving desiring wanting chasing that sleep little folding of the hands to sleep now look we need sleep yeah of course we need sleep there are people that go too far the other way and then they're just they're just completely tired of fully sleep all day it could be dangerous obviously if you're driving as well can't it okay but there's a line isn't there and I think a lot of us we just chasing or account people can count hours can't I used to do this when I was younger you know I've got to get this amount of sleep or I'm not gonna be as productive with this and with sport and other things but when you just focused on that you're not focused on work you know focus on on just doing what you need to do verse Proverbs 20 13 you'd have to earn this says love not sleep lest thou come to poverty open thine eyes and thou shalt be satisfied with bread we've got a not love sleep don't we and again look I'm not talking about people that there are people with illnesses and sicknesses as well I'm not talking about that I'm talking as a rule in life we shouldn't be loving sleep should we we shouldn't be chasing sleep focusing idolizing some people idolize sleep hey that's all they can think about it's all they want we shouldn't be like that we should love not sleep lest thou come to poverty open thine eyes if thou shalt be satisfied with bread get up get working get on with the day and in fact a lot of time you get more energy and the productivity comes in the first part of the day doesn't it why is that because at night you're just getting tired you're starting to wind down you should be in a way you should be winding down as you get to bedtime because it's hard to see if you've literally just been 100 miles an hour and then you just get home and try and go to sleep I remember years ago working in in a restaurant and I couldn't sleep and you know and it was hard work because I literally oh you know you're just busy busy busy and then you get high right it's you know 11 12 whatever time time to go to sleep can go to sleep and and suddenly that was then my evening when I'm trying to wind down for a couple of hours but look you know the evening is when you're not going to get much done isn't it you do need to wind down before bed but the morning is the time to get on with it get up get productive get stuff done you'd be amazed at how much you can get done early in the morning okay verse 39 of mark 1 says and he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee and cast out devils by a number for here being an early bird is important for doing great things for God okay it's important for doing great things for God Jesus is up and at them early morning and he's casting out devils everywhere and this is a theme throughout the Bible where great men of God are getting up early and doing great things okay Abraham gets up early to offer Isaac as a sacrifice in Genesis 22 3 now you'd be more likely to hope that you slept in wouldn't you I know a lot of you would probably just hope that you'd missed it I mean he's up early he's up early to offer Isaac if you have a look at Genesis 22 Genesis 22 in verse 3 Genesis 22 3 says in Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his ass and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son and clave the wood for the burnt offering and rose up and went unto the place of which God had told him so Abraham's up early in the morning he's not just up in the morning again it's there for a reason he's up early in the morning to do something for God God had told her do it gets up early to do that now you don't have to turn there but he was up early in the morning a few chapters earlier and saw the remains of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19 27 to 28 where it says and Abraham get up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord and he looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the plain and beheld and lo the smoke of the country went up as a smoke of a furnace maybe getting up early also helps you see the great things that God has done amen you know amen you looking and looking at the great things that God has done now I'm gonna go through a few here you don't have to turn there okay Jacob rose up early in Bethel before meeting his future wife Rachel in Genesis 28 18 and Jacob rose up early in the morning and took the stone that he had put for his pillows and set it up for a pillar and poured oil upon the top of it and then he goes out then he meets then he meets Rachel now admittedly here the stone might have had something to do with that okay I don't know if I if you had a stone for a pillow maybe you might be up early as well or maybe you wouldn't have got a great night's sleep you'd be in bed late just trying to get a couple more hours but okay that might have something to do with it now again you don't have to turn to these but I'm gonna give you a few quick fires okay so Moses was told to get up early to speak to Pharaoh in Exodus 8 20 and to warn him of the plague of flies if he doesn't says and the Lord said unto Moses rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh lo he cometh forth the water and said to him thus saith the Lord let my people go that they may serve me and Exodus 9 13 to warn him of the hail and the Lord said unto Moses rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and said to him thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews let my people go that they may serve me in Exodus 24 4 Moses got up early before sprinkling the blood of the Covenant on the people it says and Moses wrote all the words of the Lord rose up early in the morning and build an altar under the hill and 12 pillars according to 12 tribes of Israel same in Exodus 34 4 to write the commandments the second time and he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first and Moses rose up early in the morning and went up unto Mount Sinai as the Lord had command him and took in his hand the two tables of stone Joshua is an early bird to in Joshua 3 1 and Joshua rose early in the morning and they removed from Shittim and came to Jordan he and all the children of Israel and lodged there before they passed over he and all the children of Israel not just Joshua he's leading them he's up early lenient Joshua 6 12 but before destroying Jericho and Joshua rose early in the morning and the priest took up the Ark of the Lord in Joshua 7 16 to deal with Achan and the cursed thing so Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes and the tribe of Judah was taken Joshua 8 10 to defeat AI and Joshua rose up early in the morning and numbered the people and went up he and the elders of Israel before the people to AI in 1st Samuel 1 19 El Kanna and Hannah were up early worshiping God before Hannah's barren womb was finally open and they rose up in the early morning and worship before the Lord and returned and came to the house to Ramah and El Kanna knew Hannah his wife and the Lord remembered her in 1st Samuel 9 26 Saul and Samuel got up early before Samuel anointed Saul as future king of Israel and they arose early and it came to pass about spring of the day that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house saying up that I may send thee away and Saul arose and they went out both of them he and Samuel abroad 1st Samuel 17 20 David arose early before defeating Goliath and David rose up early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper and took and went as Jesse commanded him and he came to the trench as a host going forth the fight and shouted for the battle nearly done guys 2nd Chronicles 29 20 Hezekiah rose early before getting the kingdom right with God then Hezekiah the king rose early and gathered the rulers of the city and went up to the house of the Lord Job rose early to offer burnt sacrifices in case his children sinned in Job 1 5 and it was so when the days of their feasting were gone about that Job sent and sanctified them and rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all for Job said it may be that my sons have sinned and curse God in their hearts thus did job job continually they came early in the morning here Jesus preached in Luke 21 38 and all the people came early in the morning to hear him in the temple for to hear him they came early to the sepulcher before seeing the resurrected Christ in mark 16 2 and very early in the morning the first day of the week very early in the morning the first day of the week they came up sorry they came unto the sepulcher at the rise of the Sun and the apostles were up early teaching right off their jailbreak in Acts 5 21 and when they heard that they entered into the temple early in the morning and told early in the morning and told if you want to do great things for God you need to get up out of your pit don't you you need to get up out of bed if you want to do great things for God are we not doing great things for God at this church we are aren't we we are doing great things for God at this church everyone here is a part of that 10 30 a.m. services are hardly before daybreak are they 10 30 a.m. is hardly before daybreak turn of Psalm 57 Psalm 57 now these verses we're about to read are repeated at the beginning of Psalm 108 it's clearly important and look what we've just read as well nothing as we've heard many times nothing is coincidental is it in the Bible you know it's all there for a reason and that is taught and there are only some of the what I could have listed more as well they're just some that I wanted a list and just show you early in the morning early in the morning early in a great minute got up early in the morning to do things for God okay verse 7 says my heart is fixed Oh God and by the way great women as well obviously we've seen that the virtuous woman was up even earlier okay so we might get you know the great men need to get up early the great women need to get up well it's still night according to the Word of God there that's a benchmark verse 7 says my heart is fixed Oh God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise you're in sorry Psalm 57 this is that was verse 7 verse 8 awake up my glory awake sultry and harp I myself will awake early I will praise thee O Lord among the people I will sing unto thee among the nations for thy mercy is great unto the heavens and thy truth unto the clouds be thou exalted O God above the heavens let thy glory be above all the earth singing and giving praise to God is worth getting up early for isn't it it's got to be worth getting up early for I myself will awake early I will praise you Lord among the people that's in the congregation that's Church isn't it his mercy for us is great unto the heavens it's got to be worth it hasn't it missing the first him just missing the first him of church is a him that you then haven't sung to God that day yeah that you haven't sung to God amongst the people that look I get their problems sometimes yeah there some people travel distances some people get trains that aren't reliable etc but if it's because you're not getting up early then that that's that's pretty shameful isn't it that's pretty shameful we're here to exalt God above the heavens all of us aren't we every one of us here he said he said here he said be thou exalted Oh God above the heavens let thy glory be above all the earth like I said one off lateness is one thing and we're all gonna have reasons why now and again we're late okay now and again we're late for church but the great men of God got up early and got things done yeah I would say the great men and women of God got up early got things done I think Abraham was sneaking out the tabernacle and Sarah was just you know snoring away in there they were up they were up early okay first Thessalonians 5 5 in fact yeah turn there turn left turn the first Thessalonians look if you get up early you'll go to bed early won't you if you get up early you're gonna go to bed early set your alarm get up early and soon enough you'll want to go to bed early won't you if you start doing it regularly you're gonna be tired early what do you want to be up late at night for anyway and again there are people that have to work late at night I'm not talking about them but those people that work in the day and and mums as well that have kids and once those kids are in bed if you wanting to stay up late at night and now you can't get up early in the morning you can't pray to God because your kids have got you up you can't read your Bible because your kids have got you up you can't you know you can't get productive and get on with your day because now suddenly you've got other things to get on with well the Bible says the Bible says here first Thessalonians 5 5 ye are all the children of light and the children of the day we are not of the night nor of darkness what do you want to be up late at night for why do you want to be up late at night because let's be honest when people can't get out of bed when they're always late in the mornings you could start questioning and I'm not saying you should do this but many will start questioning well what are they doing at night what are they what are they up to at night and you don't want people questioning that and I'm not I'm not casting aspersions at anyone here I'm just saying people will naturally just be like well you must be up late at night if you can't get up in the morning so what are you doing at night now some people are working I some people are up with kids and stuff but Proverbs 4 16 talking about the wicked the evil men it says for they sleep not except they have done mischief and their sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall a lot of wickedness happens at night doesn't it doesn't it there are people that can't sleep until they've done something sinful okay there are many people in this world that cannot go to sleep until they've done something sinful the drinking is usually at night if it's not if it's day as well then it gets even worse isn't it the drugs the gambling we talked about last night the sinful move last week the sinful movies the porn the online gambling the junk food the majority happens at night doesn't it it does there are people that that they could be good all day it comes to evening and night and that's when the biscuits have to be cracked open that's when the chocolate comes out that's it it's something about night isn't it what why don't you need that in a day it's like now it's my night now it's my evening now I'm gonna sin you know and eating junk is sinful really isn't it okay I'm not saying it's on the level of other sin but it is isn't it okay and that's when people do it that's when people do it and all the all of it well when are the pubs busiest at night when are the clubs even open at night I mean can you imagine like a daytime night wouldn't be called a nightclub a day club yeah and there are a few I know I know there's what and there for people that haven't gone to sleep yet after the night and then they go to the club in the day well they're still high on drug but it's all at night the parties how many raucous parties start early early well maybe they do but they get raucous at night don't they it's all at night all the sins at night it's you know and yeah people can sin in a day but the majority the vast majority is at night so why do we as children of light as children of the day why do we want to be up late at night what are you doing up late at night what are you doing and and sadly a lot of the time it's something you shouldn't be doing or at least there's more temptation isn't there there's more temptation when you're sitting around at night all I just can't get to sleep and then what you do what do a lot of people do I can't get to sleep so then when it's when it's morning time they switch off the alarm or they don't even put on the alarm because I think it's 1 a.m. I'm still not asleep 2 a.m. you know and I'm still staring at that I'm still staring at YouTube just can't work out why I can't get to sleep you know your eyes are wide while you're looking at all this flickering light and everything else no get up early just get up you get to bed at 4 a.m. get up early get up early and then after a couple of nights you're gonna go to bed early aren't you that's what will happen you'll end up tired you go to bed early get up early get productive and hopefully you'll go to sleep and avoid the temptation won't you Ecclesiastes 5 12 says the sleep of a laboring man is sweet whether he little or much but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep so the sleep of a laboring man is sweet whether he little or much a lot of people they're sleepy after they just shove down a load of food don't they but if you're working hard you don't need that big feed to go to sleep do you but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep look get up get productive and you'll get to sleep at a proper time won't you you're up you're busy you're working and whether that's mental work or physical work you're gonna be tired at night you're gonna be tired okay especially if you're getting up early in the morning now look practically speaking I find that if I set my alarm for a particular time and I routinely get up at that time it doesn't take long before I'm used to that time so yeah sometimes you have to adjust your routines for things for kids for other things you get that time on your own you get that time look it doesn't take long for your body to adjust to it and soon enough you're waking up before the alarm a lot of the time aren't you you know when the alarm does go off you're not kind of like you know you're just kind of eyes can just come straight open okay that's the time I get up it doesn't take long to make that routine because I think you know I've said this to people before I think when you start right well that day I don't have to get up now I'm having the lion the next day gets harder because the next day you now can't get sleep at night okay because you've just slept into whatever time because I've got my morning off I've got my lion I've got my day or whatever you know whatever it is for people and then a lot of time you can't then get to sleep and then you've just messed it up again just get up at the same time get up pray read your Bible you're tired go to bed early you know lounging around in bed yeah it's fleshly really isn't it it's fleshly get up get stuff done and like say it's harder when you keep changing the time and routine for me routines great you know and and look some people try and fight against it but but I think routines great routines healthy for kids as well you know kids kids get them up at the same time getting to bed at the same time and they're used to it and they're not going to be tired you know we're there to look after them to help and we don't want them just fatigued all day get get to bed early get up early and if that's the problem with work and night shifts because there are people that weren't night shifts aren't there okay and that can be hard because well wait a second I've got to work all night I've got to sleep in a day but it kind of same principle if you're working at night sleeping in a day you can still get up early for your night shift can't you so you still get up in your version of the morning pray read your Bible and get things done now you know I know people I used to be to some degree when I was younger as well one of these where you basically trying to just do everything like fit in everything you can and everything sort of last minute so you know we've seen I'll get that what's the latest I can get up to still get to work on time but it's such a stressful way of living isn't it and I know there's a lot of people that live like that but it's such a stressful way of living but in your mind I get more seat and I get this done and just get up early get up early spend time with the Lord you know cut out that that you know that extra 10 20 half hour whatever is just cut it out get up early and if you can't get to bed early is it the end of the world you look at the end like regardless even if you're like look the kids I've got to do this I can't get six hours seven hours whatever it is you feel you need eight hours nine hours whatever is you feel you need it's more important to be up praying to God and read your Bible on your own no distractions and starting a day with it well I know because I could do that at night you know I get I get a time at this time no start your day with it and add that in well I could do it on my lunch hour add it in yeah do it on your lunch hour but do it first thing in the morning yeah if you're a mum and you're up in the night with the kids resists a temptation to miss your prayer and your Bible reading and stay in bed because it's a temptation isn't it and really it's a temptation of sin because you kind of will always are all with its baby was up a lot but is that extra heart whatever it is is that extra half out of our is that really gonna change everything or don't you think that doing what God says and praying to him first thing in the morning doing what the example and getting up early the example throughout the Bible reading your Bible seeking Jesus first thing in the morning don't you think that's going to be more important than that extra bit of sleep surely it is surely it is what about you've had a late Saturday night you're exhausted after a tough week at work getting up on us getting up on a Sunday a lot of people find tough don't they I've worked hard all week though you know I'm still gonna get up I'm still you know I'll make it to church maybe I'll just make it to the evening service well maybe well you know it's hard you know I live a bit of a distance and again many people travel a lot further than me but if I can get here at 930 a.m. with five children every single Sunday I'm sure everyone here can get here for 10 a.m. now I know some some can't okay some literally travel from too far and can't without staying a night I'm not talking about them okay but for everyone else you know you just get up early okay okay again if you're relying on public transport it depends but I think the trains that I don't know someone tell me afterwards if I'm wrong but I think you still there are people that get the train and still get here for 10 a.m. okay so unless I'm wrong with that if you look close enough it just means you're not getting up early enough get up early the Bible says get up early okay but regardless of getting a church what should you be doing before you come to church praying and what else read your Bible you should be getting up in the morning spending time praying reading the Bible then coming to church because what's the difference oh no well I'll just do it at church what we're reading one chapter is that what you're doing today reading one chapter get up early pray and read your Bible that's what that's what how every Christian should start their day whether it's Sunday Saturday whether it's your birthday you know it doesn't matter get up read your Bible pray and then come to church and you know some could say even have a sing-song as well but you're coming to church you know you sing but but the Bible does say to lift up your voice to him as well doesn't it well I think we should be fine time to do that as well then come to church and do great things for God because that's why we're here we're coming here to get in every single every single great light or maybe not every single great man it gives you example I bet every single great man was getting up early in the morning but it's given us plenty of examples throughout the Bible of great men of God great men of God getting up early in the morning to get things done getting and we're coming here to do great things we're coming here to praise the Lord and we should be getting up early to praise the Lord like I said you miss one hymn two hymns three hymns you miss the church service for a lion you've just basically gone now I'm not praising you this morning God I want to sleep sleep some more important to me no get up early get to church being an early bird is important for number one prayer and we and we talked about that number two Bible reading number three being productive in your day as well you just you sleep in you're just lazy I've done this many times over the years I need a lion get a lion that day is a borderline right off you know by the time I am I what am I doing you know and so many kids do this don't they and look kids you get older some of you already teenagers and stuff so many kids will just lie in bed for hours ten eleven it's not and then what are they just up got all that sleep I'm just yeah give me stuff to do no they generally will mope out of bed they're exhausted because you're not built for sleeping that long yeah you might be able to force yourself to oversleep to go back to sleep it's not healthy it's not we should be doing should be getting up early love not sleep that's loving sleep isn't it love not sleep okay being productive and number four was doing great things for God get up early and do great things for God and look if it's a problem you have here because some that we all have different problems we all have sins and issues and problems and and and you know struggles with the flesh that other people don't yeah we all have our own individual issues if it is a problem for you just from you look you got two options today you could sit here and think just getting on me yeah and to be honest this was not a good service to come in late to it and it might have been it might have been the trades or ever else I don't know yeah not a good service coming late for but look it's an important service okay this is important message and and if you can't listen to this and go right I'm changing the word of God is clear here isn't it I think I made it I think I've shown you enough scripture it's not just my opinion okay the word of God is clear if you can't listen to a sermon like this and go away okay you might be a little bit grumpy with me for the day that's cool go away and just go no look I'm getting right I'm gonna sort this out I'm a Christian and I'm gonna be known for being up early and getting out up and out like the great men of God did if you can't do that then you've got a question your heart you've got to say look what's my problem because it's a word of God talking to me here and for those of you that don't have this problem you know again but just apply it to something else in your life because so many other parts of the word of God are gonna speak to you aren't they and you're gonna go okay look I need to get right with God I need to make sure that I'm doing my utmost to be right with God but that starts doesn't it with prayer Bible reading okay that your day has to start with that and it has start with not just a quick flick five minutes I will quit well I'll just read it you know I've spoken the past over the years who their morning is a devotional song you know it's like devotional song read your Bible you know yeah Psalms are great read the Psalms as well in fact something I want to start doing and my wife's been doing is putting a psalm at the end of her Bible reading each time and I think that's great because it's kind of you almost adding a prayer at the end as well aren't you prayer or song to God but regardless get up and read your Bible read your Bible read some proper amount of your Bible as well minimum it's got to be minimum three chapters through once a year surely minimum bare minimum has to be three chapters a day and really should be much more but three chapters a day it's got to be the bare minimum if you're not doing that doesn't matter if you're getting up at 4 a.m. if you're not reading your Bible and you're not you're not praying to God in the morning then you might as well we get be one of the one of the sluggards as well that are lying in so look get up read the Bible get productive as well if you're getting up early and then you're just putting your feet up and doing nothing all day then again you know that this should be speaking to you you're up early get productive get stuff done be busy you know and you'll be happier for it you have more energy for it as well and your body will adjust doesn't it your body adjusts to what you do if you're just lounging around feet up all the time I'm so tired you know I'm just you know exhausted for whatever reasons your body will just adapt to that and that's what your body is used to doing lying around lounging around in fact you're probably your mind adapts to just moaning all day as well get up get get busy get stuff done be productive pray read your Bible do great things for God let's be more like the great men of God and less like the great sluggards yeah okay be an early bird let's pray father I thank you for your word I thank you for you know all the great examples we have in the Bible the great men of God and and thank you for just making it clear we're just so many times you're telling us about people getting up early and doing things for God getting up early praying reading by reading your Bible busy men of God who weren't just lounging around saying I need me time and you know just sitting there doing nothing you know getting up getting busy doing things for you and then ultimately we'll be blessed we'll be happy when we follow your word I pray that you just help all of us in here to be like that help us not you know take the Word of God seriously not to just kind of scoff at it and scoff at the preaching but to you know let it change us let it change our lives we all we all want to to do better for you we want to be more like you want us to be we don't want to be be you know be just fighting against your instruction in our life and and thank you for your word thank you for this church please bless this afternoon help us get out and get many souls saved this afternoon Jesus the name we pray all of this Amen