When will everything be OK? Have you ever asked yourself that question? You’re sitting on the couch, watching the news. You see that the economy has gotten a lot of attention lately. Banks are getting bailed out. Car makers are begging to get bailed out. So many foreclosures, you see. You get tired of watching all of this, and so you change the channel, and now you see stories that show that the moral climate of our country isn’t so good, as government officials fight with each other over what the definition of marriage should be. People seem to be more and more accepting of sinful lifestyles, you notice. You get tired of watching that, and so you change the channel again, and now you see people fighting over how the war against terrorism should be handled. Finally, you turn off the TV. So many problems in the world. When will everything be OK?
And then you think about your own life, and you know that not everything is perfect. Not everything is just right for you at home, or at work, or with your health, your finances. When will everything be OK?
What’s the answer? When will there finally be peace on earth? “Keep watch,” Jesus says. Because that day is coming. A day when all problems will disappear. A day when the economy will be perfect. A day when everyone finally agrees with each other. There will be perfect morality and no war. A day is coming when your life will be perfect, and there will be no more stress or worry at home or at work or anywhere else. “Keep watch,” Jesus says. In our verse of the day, Jesus told us, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Our text for this morning tells us to be on guard. To be alert. But what does that mean, to be alert? Would you be ready, right now, if Jesus opened up the sky and came down to this earth at this moment and looked into your soul, and judged you? Today we will think about all these things as we consider the theme “Waiting for Christ.” We wait, ready and alert. And we wait, filled with hope.
As you can see, we are in the season of Advent, and today is the first Sunday. The color purple is a royal color. It reminds us that a king is coming. The word advent means “coming” or “arrival.” During this time of the year, we celebrate the first arrival of Christ, when the King and Creator of all things, became the creation – when God became man. What an awesome day that was, that first Christmas, many years ago. In Advent, we also look forward to the second coming of Christ, when the King will return on Judgment Day.
Jesus tells us why we need to be alert: “You do not know when that time will come.” In other words, it will be an unexpected moment. The normal flow of your day will be interrupted, and you will be caught off guard. Jesus paints the picture of an owner of a house leaving, and putting his servants in charge, each with his assigned task. We are those servants, and Jesus is that owner. “Keep watch,” Jesus says, “because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back.” And here’s the warning… “Do not let him find you sleeping.”
This is a warning intended for you and me. Do not let God finding you sleeping, when he returns on Judgment Day. How is your faith – is it awake and alert? Or, is your faith asleep? Do you know the difference? Some Christians read the Word of God on a regular basis. And they regularly pray to God. And they come to church faithfully and pay attention. And whatever they do in life, whether it be at home with their family, or at work, or in their neighborhoods and communities, they are striving to glorify God with their thoughts, and words, and actions. Their faith is alert. Is that you?
There are others who do not read the Word of God on a regular basis. They just talk about it how they should start doing that, but they never do it.. They really don’t pray all that much – just when they’re in trouble. Maybe they come to church, but their mind is far far away. When they’re at home, or at work, or in their neighborhoods and communities, thoughts of glorifying God are far far away. Which one are you? Is your faith awake and alert? Or is your faith asleep?
Are you ready for your soul to be inspected by God, if Judgment Day were to come today? If we are honest with ourselves, we all would have to admit, that at times, we have been asleep spiritually. As our Old Testament reading said for today, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. No one calls on your name, or strives to lay hold of you.” Isn’t that us, at times? And so we pray with Isaiah, “Do not be angry, beyond measure, O Lord. Do not remember our sins forever.”
We deserve God’s punishment, but what does God say to us? He forgives us, doesn’t he. He takes our sins away. He sends his Son. And so Jesus comes that first Christmas, in a humble quiet way. God becomes a human being. And then Jesus humbles himself even more, becoming our sin. He dies for us on the cross. And he gives us his righteousness as a free gift, and does all this because he loves us.
What an amazing God we have! This is the God who is coming again a second time. And what a day that will be. His first Advent was humble and quiet – only a few people knew about it. His second Advent will be loud – the sound of trumpets. And majestic - the king riding on the clouds, surrounded by millions of angels, the same ones who sang his praises that first Christmas many years ago.
He comes to raise the dead. He comes looking for you. And when he finds you, he stretches out his arms toward you, and he gives you something that blows away any earthly gift. He gives you a new body, a glorified body, free from sin, and he gives you a new heaven and a new earth, the home or righteousness. And he lives with you in a way that you can see him.
Are you ready? As Christians, we eagerly wait for that day. We stay alert. We stay ready. Do you know what the secret is, to keeping yourself spiritual alert, every day? You can be spiritually alert, whether it be the Advent season, or the middle of July. When times are good, and times are bad. When you are healthy, and when you are sick. You can be spiritually alert. What is the caffeine the soul needs, to stay awake?
It’s the Word of God – caffeine for the soul. Every time you read it, or hear it, or think about it, or pray to God about it, you are doing something for your soul. You’re keeping your soul awake, and alert, ready for Jesus Christ. While the rest of the world spends the month of December stressing over money, and worrying, and complaining, there is you. And you’re different. You’re taking the Lord’s Supper, receiving the forgiveness of sins. You’re reading the Word. And your soul says “Thank you!”
You’re ready to that first arrival of Jesus, Christmas. Someone once said to a Christian, “This is going to be the best Christmas ever!” And the Christian responded, “I thought the first Christmas was the best Christmas ever.” You’re ready to celebrate that. But you’re also ready for the second time Jesus comes, the day when everything will finally be perfect, and it will be that way forever.
O Lord, how shall I meet you, how welcome you aright? Your people long to greet you, my hope, my heart’s delight. O Jesus, let your Word be, a lamp to light my way, to show me how to please you, to guide me every day. Amen.
