Is sleeping in church a sin? Is it bad to fall asleep in church while the sermon is being preached?

Is it bad to fall asleep in church while the sermon is being preached? Is sleeping in church a sin?

Have you ever asked such a question to know whether it is a sin before God or not?

“Yes” and “No” are my answers.

To fall asleep in church, especially during sermons, may or may not be a sin. It all depends on the motive behind the act of sleeping.

In this post, I am going to outline reasons why it can be said to be okay and also reasons why it can be seen as a bad act.

Read also:

• 8 Obvious Reasons Why People Sleep In Church During The Sermon Period
• How To Prevent Sleeping In Church During The Sermon Period: 9 Sure Practical Ways.

Reasons why falling asleep in church during sermon time may not be bad.

Is sleeping in church a sin?

We must first recognize that we are humans, and many circumstances can cause us to sleep, some of which are beyond our control. Sleepiness can be caused by a variety of factors, ranging from weariness to infirmities. To be honest, preachers sometimes contribute to the reason some people in the pew doze off.

There are people with justifiable reasons why they should be absent from the church, yet they encourage themselves to go. These sets of people can include people with serious infirmities, old people, those on medications, people who have unavoidably stressed themselves out throughout the week, etc.

Such people might say to themselves that it is better for them to go to church and battle with sleep than relax at home. They would prefer they doze off from time to time in the church pew than have an uninterrupted sleep in a comfortable bed.

For such people, I believe that God understands.

Psalms 103:13-14, Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. (KJV)

When God sees such people who head to church to fellowship with the brethren irrespective of the weaknesses of their bodies, I believe that He is pleased with them. This is because their actions demonstrate how much they love the Lord, His word, and His people. God, seeing their faith, may heal them of their ailments or strengthen their bodies.

5 reasons why falling asleep in church during sermon time is bad.

1. It shows irreverence to God and despise of His word.

Value is the degree of importance given to something or someone. The habit of sleeping in church while the sermon is preached can show how important God and his word are to us. It can suggest disrespect to God.

2. It can affect the preacher negatively.

Have you ever preached and found that some of the people you were ministering to were sleeping? To make matters worse, you meticulously planned, diligently examined the scriptures, and sincerely prayed before the sermon.

Perhaps you haven’t had that experience. But try to imagine it. How would you feel if you were that preacher, possibly after staying up all night writing your sermon, and people who were supposed to listen to you were sleeping while you preached?

The truth is that people sleep, even while powerful and popular preachers minister. Well, most popular preachers have not been preachers of short sermons. Considering who Paul was and how powerful and inspiring his message would be, Eutychus dozed off. (Acts 20:7-12)

Falling asleep in church during sermon time can affect the preacher negatively.

3. It can cause damage.

Take a look at the story about Eutychus. He fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. He fell asleep and didn’t realize he was seated in the window (Acts 20:9). If he wasn’t brought back to life, he would have taken his own life in that manner.

Some people in our situation have ruined their gadgets because they fell asleep with their devices in their hands while the sermon was still going on. A few other people have fallen off their seats because they nod off while the preacher is preaching.

I’m not sure if you’ve seen this happen or if you have experienced it yourself.

I once went to church with a friend of mine. The previous week, we seriously stress ourselves out, and also we deprived ourselves of sleep the night before that Sunday. If not for the fact that he gripped the pew in front of him, my friend would have fallen down at one point while we were standing and worshiping God.

4. It can lead to disgrace.

It is possible for someone to fall into a deep sleep in the church, to an extent that he begins to snore.

Among other reasons, to fall asleep in church can be shameful.

5. It can cause one to miss out on one’s blessings.

I believe that miracles can happen at anytime, even while the sermon is still on. God can decide to bless His people while His servant is still preaching.

Do you think that God, while blessing His people, will bless that man who is fast asleep, without a justifiable reason while His word is being declared?

I would say that it is better that you keep your eyes wide open and stay alert whenever you come to the house of God.

Is it bad to fall asleep in church while the sermon is being preached? Is sleeping in church a sin?

Almost every one of us, if not all, has fallen asleep in the church at least once, especially during sermon time. So, this article is not to judge anyone.

St. John 8:7, "… He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” (NKJV)

To answer the questions, “Is sleeping in church a sin? Is it okay to sleep in church during sermon time?” I would say that we look at the surface or appearance, but God looks at the heart. We look at the action; God looks at the intention. Therefore, God knows when it is a sin or not.

1 Samuel 16:7b, "… For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (NKJV)

What is your own opinion?