[The following is the manuscript of my sermon delivered on the first Sunday in Advent, the 30th of November, 2014.]
As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives with the Temple of Jerusalem in view, He was joined by the four men He chose to be His first disciples, the two sets of brothers who were probably His closest friends: Peter and Andrew, James and John. He had just spoken to all His followers of a future day when the Temple would be destroyed. And now these four sat with Him privately and asked when they should expect that destruction to occur.
Jesus responded by warning them of the great time of tribulation to come. And then He told them of what would follow that unimaginably trying period. Hear the words Jesus spoke to us all, as recorded in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 13, verses 24 through 37…
24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.
28 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near — at the doors! 30 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
32 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. 34 It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 35 Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming — in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning — 36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”
--Mark 13:24-37 (NKJV)
Let us pray... Heavenly Father, we come into Your presence to worship You and to hear the message You have for us today. Speak to our hearts, Lord, and touch our very core with Your Holy Spirit, that we might better know Your will for us. In the glorious name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Danny Pinksen of the Salvation Army told of a missionary who traveled to a small Chinese town. After she arrived, she soon learned that a gang of bandits had just destroyed the little town and everything in it. A native Christian showed the missionary the ruins of his home - a burnt roof and structure and furniture, all turned to ashes. Then, in what appeared to be the last straw, the Chinese Christian pointed to a small pile of charred remains and said, “They even burned my Bible and hymnbook!” From the ruins the native plucked a single page of his Chinese hymnbook, the only thing to escape the flames! The missionary took up the piece of paper and it read “Joy to the world, the Lord is come!” What an apparent mockery, a note of joy in the midst of total destruction. But the missionary went on to say that if you could have gone to their little chapel and seen the light on the faces of those native Christians that evening, you might have a better understanding of the hope our Christ offers. Those who had lost nearly everything were speaking of the home that Jesus has prepared for all those who love Him. “Yes”, the missionary claimed, “there is joy to the world, but only because the Lord is come!”
Today marks the first Sunday of Advent, that season leading up to the day when our Lord did indeed come into our world bringing us great joy. We’ll spend the next month getting ready for the celebration of His birth. We’ll buy and wrap gifts for our loved ones. We’ll adorn our homes and church with bright decorations that both lift our spirits and remind us of what Christmas truly means to us and the world. We’ll sing carols and share joyful times, preparing our hearts to receive our Lord. We’ll marvel at how a little baby could so dramatically change the world, could provide salvation for all mankind.
Advent also gives us pause to consider the next time Jesus comes to this earth. Some people have tried to predict exactly when that will happen, but Jesus Himself tells us in verse 32 of today’s scripture that we simply don’t know when. Not even He or the angels in heaven know the appointed day. Only God knows when He will send His Son back to earth to gather His church unto Himself and bring it home for eternity.
Verse 26 promises that on that wondrous day, we will see Jesus, the Son of Man, coming in the clouds in all His might and glory. But we don’t know when it will happen so we’re supposed to stay alert and watch for His coming. Jesus obviously feels it important that we do so, because he tells us three times: once in verse 33, again in verse 35, and yet again in verse 37. His last word in our scripture today is “Watch”, with an exclamation mark!
Oh, and He also tells us to pray and to repent while we’re watching and waiting.
The Apostle Paul repeats and confirms what Jesus tells us. Hear what he says about the timing of the return of Christ, from the 5th chapter of his 1st letter to the Thessalonians, verses 1 through 6…
Danny Pinksen of the Salvation Army told of a missionary who traveled to a small Chinese town. After she arrived, she soon learned that a gang of bandits had just destroyed the little town and everything in it. A native Christian showed the missionary the ruins of his home - a burnt roof and structure and furniture, all turned to ashes. Then, in what appeared to be the last straw, the Chinese Christian pointed to a small pile of charred remains and said, “They even burned my Bible and hymnbook!” From the ruins the native plucked a single page of his Chinese hymnbook, the only thing to escape the flames! The missionary took up the piece of paper and it read “Joy to the world, the Lord is come!” What an apparent mockery, a note of joy in the midst of total destruction. But the missionary went on to say that if you could have gone to their little chapel and seen the light on the faces of those native Christians that evening, you might have a better understanding of the hope our Christ offers. Those who had lost nearly everything were speaking of the home that Jesus has prepared for all those who love Him. “Yes”, the missionary claimed, “there is joy to the world, but only because the Lord is come!”
Today marks the first Sunday of Advent, that season leading up to the day when our Lord did indeed come into our world bringing us great joy. We’ll spend the next month getting ready for the celebration of His birth. We’ll buy and wrap gifts for our loved ones. We’ll adorn our homes and church with bright decorations that both lift our spirits and remind us of what Christmas truly means to us and the world. We’ll sing carols and share joyful times, preparing our hearts to receive our Lord. We’ll marvel at how a little baby could so dramatically change the world, could provide salvation for all mankind.
Advent also gives us pause to consider the next time Jesus comes to this earth. Some people have tried to predict exactly when that will happen, but Jesus Himself tells us in verse 32 of today’s scripture that we simply don’t know when. Not even He or the angels in heaven know the appointed day. Only God knows when He will send His Son back to earth to gather His church unto Himself and bring it home for eternity.
Verse 26 promises that on that wondrous day, we will see Jesus, the Son of Man, coming in the clouds in all His might and glory. But we don’t know when it will happen so we’re supposed to stay alert and watch for His coming. Jesus obviously feels it important that we do so, because he tells us three times: once in verse 33, again in verse 35, and yet again in verse 37. His last word in our scripture today is “Watch”, with an exclamation mark!
Oh, and He also tells us to pray and to repent while we’re watching and waiting.
The Apostle Paul repeats and confirms what Jesus tells us. Hear what he says about the timing of the return of Christ, from the 5th chapter of his 1st letter to the Thessalonians, verses 1 through 6…
1 Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. 2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. 3 When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.
4 But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. 5 For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. 6 So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.--1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 (NLT)
So since our Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, as Paul puts it, we just have to wait for Him to come. The children of Israel waited for hundreds of years for their promised Messiah, and then most didn’t recognize Him when He finally appeared, maybe because they didn’t understand what they had been told of His coming. We’ve been waiting for nearly 2000 years now for Jesus to come to earth again, but I bet we’ll recognize His arrival this time, based on what He tells us in the first verses this morning.
Most of us don’t wait very well - we’re not a terribly patient people. We want to do like Isaiah, when he prayed to God for direct divine intervention into the lives of mankind. Listen to the prophet’s plea from the book of Isaiah, chapter 64, verse 1…
Most of us don’t wait very well - we’re not a terribly patient people. We want to do like Isaiah, when he prayed to God for direct divine intervention into the lives of mankind. Listen to the prophet’s plea from the book of Isaiah, chapter 64, verse 1…
1 If only you would tear apart the sky and come down!
The mountains would tremble before you!--Isaiah 64:1 (NET Bible)
I know there’ve been times when I’ve felt like that. “Lord, how can You put up with this for so long? Why don’t You just come down and set things straight?” But I’ve had about as much success in getting God to act on my schedule as Isaiah did - meaning none, no success. So all we can do is wait.
In verses 4 through 7 of the 1st chapter of his 1st letter to the church in Corinth, Paul tells us that we, as believers, already have everything we need to endure that wait…
Ah, but Paul implies there’s more to it than just sitting around as we wait, even if we’re sitting here on pews. Paul says we have the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and even the power to speak for Christ! We have the gifts that we need while we wait. What could that mean? I suppose patience would be a good gift for a long wait. But I believe there’s a more important message in this.
In His revelation to the Apostle John, Jesus told the disciple He loved to write letters to the seven churches in Asia - the seven individual churches that collectively represent every Christian church in every nation throughout the time since Jesus ascended into heaven, including Pilgrim Reformed Church right here in Lexington, NC. When it came to the church in Sardis, Jesus first described them as being dead, but He meant spiritually dead because He gave them, and us, some very important instructions.
Listen to what Jesus had for the church in Sardis, from the Book of Revelation, chapter 3, verses 2 and 3…
I believe He means us: mankind, the human race. I believe He wants us to strengthen and encourage each other, to help each other through this life while we wait. Jesus commissioned us to go into all the world spreading the Gospel and making disciples, baptizing in His name. I believe He wants us to carry out His mission as we await His return.
While we wait, we can be His personal witness, testifying to others with our lives and with our words of what He has done for us, of how He has changed us. While we wait, we can share the joy of our salvation with those who do not know that joy. While we wait, we can seek the lost and help them back to His side before it is too late for them. While we wait we can do our part to advance God’s kingdom.
While we wait.
Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your only Son into the world to save us. Thank You for Your amazing grace that gives us eternal life with You in heaven if we only believe in Jesus and repent of our sin against You. We light up the night with bright lights everywhere, heralding the birth of Your Son. We prepare to receive the baby Jesus into our hearts in this time leading up to Christmas day.
And Father, we also use this season of Advent to prepare ourselves for the time when our Lord Jesus will return to gather up His church and bring us home to heaven. We look forward to the home He has prepared for us, to Your many roomed mansion. We cry out, “Come, Lord Jesus, come”, thinking about both His birth and His return. Even in this time of great rejoicing and giving thanks, we still have needs, Father, needs that only You can fill. We pray, knowing our only hope is in You.
O God, sometimes we just can’t put into words our greatest needs, our deepest desires, our fondest hopes. Hear us now, please Father, as we reach out to You from our hearts in this hushed place…
Lord Jesus, You came to us when we were dead in our sin. You came to us as a tiny baby, sinless and defenseless. You gave Your all for us just so we might believe in You and live forever. And Lord, You promised You would come again someday for us, to take us home. Come, Lord Jesus. Come. In Your holy name Christ Jesus we pray. Amen.
In verses 4 through 7 of the 1st chapter of his 1st letter to the church in Corinth, Paul tells us that we, as believers, already have everything we need to endure that wait…
So we’re all set, right? We have everything we need to wait out our Lord’s coming. We’ve got plenty of popcorn and Pepsi and a nice comfy couch.4 I am thankful to God all the time for you. I am thankful for the loving-favor God has given to you because you belong to Christ Jesus. 5 He has made your lives rich in every way. Now you have power to speak for Him. He gave you good understanding. 6 This shows that what I told you about Christ and what He could do for you has been done in your lives. 7 You have the gifts of the Holy Spirit that you need while you wait for the Lord Jesus Christ to come again.--1 Corinthians 1:4-7 (NLV)
Ah, but Paul implies there’s more to it than just sitting around as we wait, even if we’re sitting here on pews. Paul says we have the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and even the power to speak for Christ! We have the gifts that we need while we wait. What could that mean? I suppose patience would be a good gift for a long wait. But I believe there’s a more important message in this.
In His revelation to the Apostle John, Jesus told the disciple He loved to write letters to the seven churches in Asia - the seven individual churches that collectively represent every Christian church in every nation throughout the time since Jesus ascended into heaven, including Pilgrim Reformed Church right here in Lexington, NC. When it came to the church in Sardis, Jesus first described them as being dead, but He meant spiritually dead because He gave them, and us, some very important instructions.
Listen to what Jesus had for the church in Sardis, from the Book of Revelation, chapter 3, verses 2 and 3…
There’s that familiar phrase again: be watchful. But then Jesus adds that we should strengthen the things that remain, the things that are about to die. What “things” remain since He ascended to heaven?2 “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.”--Revelation 3:2-3 (NKJV)
I believe He means us: mankind, the human race. I believe He wants us to strengthen and encourage each other, to help each other through this life while we wait. Jesus commissioned us to go into all the world spreading the Gospel and making disciples, baptizing in His name. I believe He wants us to carry out His mission as we await His return.
While we wait, we can be His personal witness, testifying to others with our lives and with our words of what He has done for us, of how He has changed us. While we wait, we can share the joy of our salvation with those who do not know that joy. While we wait, we can seek the lost and help them back to His side before it is too late for them. While we wait we can do our part to advance God’s kingdom.
While we wait.
Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your only Son into the world to save us. Thank You for Your amazing grace that gives us eternal life with You in heaven if we only believe in Jesus and repent of our sin against You. We light up the night with bright lights everywhere, heralding the birth of Your Son. We prepare to receive the baby Jesus into our hearts in this time leading up to Christmas day.
And Father, we also use this season of Advent to prepare ourselves for the time when our Lord Jesus will return to gather up His church and bring us home to heaven. We look forward to the home He has prepared for us, to Your many roomed mansion. We cry out, “Come, Lord Jesus, come”, thinking about both His birth and His return. Even in this time of great rejoicing and giving thanks, we still have needs, Father, needs that only You can fill. We pray, knowing our only hope is in You.
O God, sometimes we just can’t put into words our greatest needs, our deepest desires, our fondest hopes. Hear us now, please Father, as we reach out to You from our hearts in this hushed place…
Lord Jesus, You came to us when we were dead in our sin. You came to us as a tiny baby, sinless and defenseless. You gave Your all for us just so we might believe in You and live forever. And Lord, You promised You would come again someday for us, to take us home. Come, Lord Jesus. Come. In Your holy name Christ Jesus we pray. Amen.
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