Text: Mark 13:28-37, Title: Redbuds, Baseball, & Turkeys Gobblin’, Date/Place: NRBC, 2/1/09, PM
A. Opening illustration: Redbuds, Baseball, & Turkeys Gobblin’
B. Background to passage: this is the closing of the Olivet Discourse, except for the portions found in Matthew 24-25. And most of them carry the same message as what is finally found here in Mark. Jesus is driving home the main application of this teaching about the end times: you know that they are coming by the signs that you will see, you are not given the exact date, the Son doesn’t even know, but the beginning is now, the Word of God is sure and enduring, so now as good stewards do what you know to do! And even though this entire chapter is laden with numerous imperatives,
C. Main thought: Jesus boils them down to the two main things—watch and pray.
A. Watch (v. 28-29)
1. The word here is interesting. It connotes a duty of diligent alertness, vigilance, a mindfulness of threatening dangers which, with conscious earnestness and an alert mind, keeps it from all drowsiness and all slackening in the energy of faith and conduct, to take heed lest through remission and indolence some destructive calamity suddenly overtake one. The idea is to be on guard as a sentry. It is a wartime word. The picture is of a soldier keenly watching for any usual phenomenon, and staying alert and awake so that he could faithfully discharge his post. Jesus is saying, “have your eyes in the skies, your ear to the ground, and be faithful in carrying out your duties. Jesus is admonishing them to remember that their knowledge and foresight to the end times should motivate and drive them to doing their work better. And their job was the protection of the things that belong to the Master. And their sole responsibility was to see that it was done and done well and done until the coming of the Master.
2. 1 Cor 16:13; Col 4:2; 1 Thess 5:6; 1 Pet 5:8; Rev 3:2-3, 16:15, 1 Pet 5:8, Luk 12:37, Heb 10:25,
3. Illustration: “The disciple is not called to eliminate his ignorance of the timing of the end, he is called to cope with it and respond to it appropriately.” “How can a doorkeeper fulfill his duties if he spends his time calculating how long the delay will be?” In the temple, during the night, the captain of the temple made his rounds, and the guards had to rise at his approach and salute him in a particular manner. Any guard found asleep on duty was beaten, or his garments set on fire, A gardener for a large estate in northern Italy was conducting a visitor through the castle and the beautiful, well-groomed grounds. As the visitor had lunch with the gardener and his wife, he commended them for the beautiful way they were keeping the gardens. He asked, "By the way, when was the last time the owner was here? He said, "I was about ten years ago." The visitor asked, "Then why do you keep the gardens in such an immaculate, lovely manner?" He said, "Because I’m expecting him to return." He persisted, "Is he coming next week?" The gardener replied, "I don’t know when he is coming, but I am expecting him today." Although he didn’t come that day, he was living in the light of the owner’s imminent return. The gardener wasn’t hanging over the gate, watching down the road to see whether his master was coming. He was in the garden, trimming, cutting, mowing, weeding, and planting. He was busy.
4. We are entrusted with one life, one precious lifetime to give away to the Master. And regarding His return, he asked that we watch and work. How do we faithfully carry out our duties as a guard of His things and a steward of life that we are given? We are faithfully doing what we can to win the world. Tell about the retiree who has witnessed to 11,000 people in three years. Essentially our eternal life is to know and love God with all of our being. Are you faithfully pursuing that goal? This is your post, what steps are you taking to love Him more? Part of our duty is to lay aside every weight in us and in the church that will hinder us from reaching our full potential to bring glory to Jesus. Are their things that get in your way of doing that? Things in NRBC’s way? Do we need to slim down to a wartime mentality of consumption and reexamine our real commitment to the kingdom? The question is not am I still in church, saying my prayers, reading my bible that fully demonstrates our faithfulness. But are we wasting our lives, or investing them in risky kingdom ventures that will bring much fruit, many souls, and much glory? Finally, note the blessing of those found watching when Christ returns. What will Christ say in His evaluation of our stewardship and our watchfulness.
B. Pray (v. 33-37)
1. The second simple imperative is to pray. Sounds like a good religious answer. Something that we do regularly. But remember, Jesus is saying, “in light of the end times” or “in light of your responsibility to be faithful stewards,” pray! So how and what should a sentry on duty pray? Glad you asked.
2. Mark 14:37-38, Luke 18:1, 21:36; Eph 6:18; Col 4:2; 1 Pet 4:7, 1 Thess 5:17, Heb 2:1, 3:12,
3. Illustration: My friend Curt Hatch went to Moody Bible Institute. He paid his own way by working at a night job. Curt had to choose, at times, which classes in which he would stay awake. One of those was not a first period study of church history. At the start of each class the professors at Moody call the roll, then call on a student to pray for the class. Curt normally waited until the prayer began, and then he would go into "deep meditation" for the duration of the lecture. One day Curt didn’t last through roll call. By the time prayer had been offered by another student, Curt was nearly comatose. A "friend" of Curt’s sat next to him in this class, and could sometimes barely contain his jealousy over the fact that Curt was getting an hour’s sleep while he took notes. His "buddy" poked him in the side and whispered, "Hatch, wake up...He wants you to pray." Curt stood bolt upright and bowed his head, "Father, thank you for this day, and this gathering of students...bless us as we study." When Curt sat down, after a brief pause, the bewildered professor finally said, "Thank you, Mr. Hatch, for that...er...inspiring moment of spirituality; you may return to your normal activities." “Life is war. That’s not all it is. But it is always that. Our weakness in prayer is owing largely to our neglect of this truth. Prayer is primarily a wartime walkie-talkie for the mission of the church as it advances against the powers of darkness and unbelief. It is not surprising that prayer malfunctions when we try to make it a domestic intercom to call upstairs for more comforts in the den. God has given us prayer as a wartime walkie-talkie so that we can call headquarters for everything we need as the kingdom of Christ advances in the world. Prayer gives us the significance of front-line forces, and gives God the glory of a limitless Provider. The one who gives the power gets the glory. Thus prayer safeguards the supremacy of God in missions while linking us with endless grace for every need.” -John Piper, As we begin to focus upon God, the things of the Spirit will take shape before our inner eyes. A. W. Tozer
4. We are to pray in the Spirit—that is under His empowerment, direction, and strength. We are to pray regularly, spontaneously, powerfully, unceasingly, and kingdom-oriented. Pray with a sense of urgency, with a confident belief in Christ and His willingness to answer prayer in accord with His will. Pray with an understanding of the fact that our prayers affect world events and circumstances as that move the muscles of omnipotence. So what do we pray? Pray against falling asleep. Pray that we not drift away. Pray for revival in our land, and a moving of the Spirit of God upon the church. Pray for the work of the Master among His bride, and for her advancement against the gates of hell. Pray for a wartime mentality. Pray for the other troops that fight alongside and for the ones who have fallen asleep like Eutychus. Pray for the making of disciples and that laborers would be sent out into the harvest. Jesus tells us to pray for our enemies, that God would call them out of darkness into His light. And as these prayers are answered, God is glorified in that we bear much fruit and receive what we plead for in Jesus’ name.
A. Closing illustration: Some time ago as a mother was tucking her little girl into bed when the young daughter asked, “Mother, can you tell me the greatest day of your life?” The mother thought for just a second and then said, “Honey, I can tell you the greatest day in my life. As you know, my father was a man who fought in the Civil War. I remember it as though it was just yesterday. My mother and I were sitting on the porch one warm day. My dad had fought in the war and several months earlier we had gotten word that he had been killed in battle. I was playing with my kitten as my mother and I where sitting in the swing. Ever since Mother lost Father, she had missed him very much. But that day, we saw someone coming down the long, dusty road that ran in front of our small house. My mother said, ‘Oh, there’s a man coming down the road.’ A moment later she said to me, ‘Sweetheart, I declare that man kind of favors your father.’ After another moment, she said, ‘Darling, I really do think that is your Father.’ At that she burst from the porch, across the front yard, through the picket fence gate, and down the road toward the open arms of my father. I was right behind my mother and jumped for my father’s arm as I often did as a little girl and he would swing me. However, all I found was an empty coat sleeve. I saw the scars of battle on my Daddy’s face and I saw that his body was bruised from the war. I knew that he was missing an arm because of the warfare. My mother said to me, ‘Little girl, the greatest day in my life was when my Daddy came back home.’
B. Questions and Answers
Additional Notes
• Is Christ Exalted, Magnified, Honored, and Glorified?
