"Ready Or Not… Here I Come!" Series

“Ready or Not… Here I Come!"

Mark 13:32-37

First Sunday of Advent

Mark 13:32-37 “32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. 35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

Pause right there. “Are you ready for Christmas?” That’s a popular question this time of year. It has to do with Christmas card lists and presents for the family. Let me ask you a different question – are you ready for the return of Christ? Are you? Isn’t that more important? By the way, you might want to mention the more important question to those how ask, “Are you ready for Christmas?”

&&&&&&&&&&&&

Did all of you play hide and seek when you were children? Probably? I sure did. Grew up on a farm in Suffolk ( actually it was Nansemond County ). There were so many good hiding places in the barns! When it was my turn to count and find the other kids, I would say it real loud, “5-10-15-20.” All the way to 100. Do you remember what it was like to be in your hiding place and hear that one kid yell, “READY OR NOT, HERE I COME!” You never wanted to be found and have to be “it” the next time.

Today, on this First Sunday of Advent, the Apostolic Church chose to look forward to the Second Coming of Christ. Guess when? One day closer today than yesterday is always my answer. “32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Guess how? That’s an easy one! 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 “16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

Now – guess what? It’s going to be something like the game of Hide and Seek. There is a time of counting. That’s going on right now: “5-10-15-20.” On that day, there will be winners and losers. On that day, it will be Jesus who proclaims: “READY OR NOT, HERE I COME!”

Where does that leave us? We have to do what Jesus instructed us to do in Mark 13:37 “What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

On this First Sunday in the Christian Calendar, I want to offer you three ways for us to be Watchful Believers who are READY!

First – WAKE UP AND WATCH!

35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.”

I have told you before that I meet with 2 other ministers every week on Zoom. We have been in a Discipleship Band for almost 3 years. We start each of our meetings with one person saying, “Awake, O sleeper and rise from the dead.” The others respond, “And Christ will shine on you.” These words are found in Ephesians 5:13-16

“13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,

rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.”

15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

A Discipleship Band is a group of 3-5 men or 3-5 women who meet as a means to accountable discipleship. We meet and say those words to open for a reason. Rev. JD Walt, the founder of Seedbed Ministries, put it like this: “The hardest part (of living an awakened life), I am pretty sure I’m already awake.”

This message of WAKE UP is not a message to the world because they don’t believe Jesus is coming back to gather in the sheep of His pasture. This message of WAKE UP is for the Believers who just don’t care. Let me assure all of you, the Return of Christ is NOT optional. It’s coming. Hey, we keep praying for it every Sunday – “Thy Kingdom come.” If you read the end of the Book – there is what we call the consummation of all things. Revelation 21:3-5 “3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”