Ephesians 5:14 - Sleep is WAAAAY overrated...

"Therefore it is saying, 'Be rising, the [one] sleeping, and rise up out of the dead, and the Christ will shine upon you.'"

-The ‘it’ which is saying what Paul is quoting here is not Scripture.  Most likely it was part of some early Christian liturgy, possibly a baptism hymn based loosely on Isaiah 60.1.  The imagery is most definitely that of resurrection, arising and rising out of the dead into blazingly glorious new life, a life which will be illuminated and animated by the Light of heaven, Jesus Christ Himself.  It is a summary appeal based upon the previous eight verses.

-But sleeping is reserved for the darkness.  That is typically the course of things after dark (absent the advent of the electric light bulb) - either you are getting off course, into some kind of nefarious trouble, or else you are asleep (or probably should be).  In this case, we have sleep as a metaphor for death, which in turn is not the cessation of physical existence but rather the metaphysical state of the one who is separated from Christ, dead in their transgressions.  Jesus Christ came to wake us up, to get us up out of our spiritual seplucher, that cradle of lies and darkness on which we were dead asleep, and ultimately to light up our lives with His blazing goodness for all to see.  But note the order.  This is no busting in on a sleeping adolescent and turning on the light the way your mom or dad used to do it when you were younger.  First we wake up.  Then that heavenly Light goes on.  To be sure, the Light, the light of God’s truth and glory is all around us, even for those who are dead asleep in their life lived apart from God.  All they need do is open their eyes...

-And yet, there is another form of sleep, a tragic slumber.  Sadly, asleep in the Light is the western church today, a modern-day Sardis really (Revelation 3.1-3) - sated with past glories, full of head knowledge and fire insurance but woefully timid and impotent and increasingly marginalized, distracted by all the bling and baubles and all the trappings of modern life, so much time for recreation and entertainment but not enough to engage my neighbor, more than enough resources to build great buildings and huge homes, for fancy cars and flamboyant vacations and fully funded 401k’s but not enough to fully support those who are taking the Good News to the ends of the earth (much less forsake it all to go there herself), rooted in comfort and ease and unwilling to risk too much for the cause of Christ.  To us our Savior likewise urges, ‘Wake up! Your work is not finished...!’  In the economy of Heaven, sleep is way overrated.  To quote Robert Frost,

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   

But I have promises to keep,   

And miles to go before I sleep,   

And miles to go before I sleep.”