March 16, 2008
Rev. Terry D. Campbell
Palm Sunday

It’s Like Old Times
Mark 13:32-37 (MsgB)

“’But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven’s angels, not even the Son. Only the Father. ³³So keep a sharp lookout, for you don’t know the timetable. ³⁴It’s like a man who takes a trip, leaving home and putting his servants in charge, each assigned a task, and commanding the gatekeeper to stand watch. ³⁵So, stay at your post, watching. You have no idea when the homeowner is returning, whether evening, midnight, cockcrow, or morning. ³⁶You don’t want him showing up unannounced, with you asleep on the job. ³⁷I say it to you, and I’m saying it to all: Stay at your post. Keep watch.’”

One of the things Jesus told the disciples during Holy Week was that He would return.  But several of the things Jesus spoke about happening before he would come, have happened over and over again.  So much so that today just looks like “old times.”  Many Christians have lost the expectation of Jesus’ return.  Even worse, Christians loose an excitement and drive to be faithful.  There is always tomorrow.  Will we allow monotony to lull us into careless living?  Jesus’ final word to us in our text is “Keep watch.”  How do we do that when each day seems like old times?

We know:

I.  Jesus is coming again one day.

Even though we don’t know the exact day, don’t forget that Jesus Christ will return to take complete charge and make all things right.  Jesus said that God the Father knows the exact day when EVERYTHING will change and Christ will return to earth.  So Jesus says in vs. 33, “So keep a sharp lookout, for you don’t know the timetable.”  In other words, remember that He is coming and be doing what you’re suppose to be doing when He does come.  If we knew, it might be that we would be tempted to sit or coast, or wait to work until closer to that time.  This way we must be ready every day.

2 Peter 3:9-10a-“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.”

It is not a matter of “if” but of “when”.  Every day should be seen as precious to us.  We should never take “today” for granted.  A week ago Saturday, I was going to a District Ministry meeting in Indianapolis, driving along on I-70 about 50 or 55—you remember the weather wasn’t very good that day—and all of a sudden I was not in control of my truck, slipping over the interstate.  I went sideways and then off the side of the road, down the side and was only stopped by about 10 yards of wire fence.  After feeling myself all over and realizing I was alright, I said thanks to God.  But on later reflection, I was not the only person on the interstate.  There were semis and other vehicles that could have changed my outcome.  My point is—we shouldn’t take our time here for granted—we should live faithfully and energetically all the time we have.  We don’t know when Jesus might come to us or when we might go to Him.

Some things remind us that Jesus’ return is nearer than ever before—The re-establishment of the nation of Israel in 1948 and Israel reclaiming Jerusalem in 1967 for the first time since A.D. 70.  Some things remind us that we wish He would hurry.  As brother and sister Christians are tortured and murdered for the Faith in countries around the world.  As we hear of more babies being abused or killed by their parents or friends.  As human conflicts continue to irrupt.  Humanity can’t stop the power of sin, but Jesus can.  One day He will and we have that hope.

II.  Meanwhile we have jobs to do.

³⁴It’s like a man who takes a trip, leaving home and putting his servants in charge, each assigned a task, and commanding the gatekeeper to stand watch.”

Jesus says here what the apostle Paul would echo a couple years later in Ephesians 2:8, 10-“For it is by grace you have been saved through faith . . . created in Christ Jesus to do the good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

We have jobs to do!  We had better learn or remember—Salvation is life transformed with new priorities.  We weren’t just saved for ourselves.  A major part of our new creation is participation in the work our family is to do.  Whether we like it or not that is the way God wants it.  It’s like when I was a youth at home, I had things I wanted to do on the weekends or in the summer, but my dad would have a list of things for me to accomplish—cut the grass, clean the garage, weeding the garden, etc.  Those were my jobs as part of our family.

Jesus said in John 14:12-“’I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.’”  Christians are to continue the work Jesus began.

It begins with our attitudes and  continues through our actions.  Like Jesus, we are to show respect to everyone.  Not necessarily niceness, but honor them as people for whom Christ died and to whom He extends His love—through US.  As Clarinda reminded us last week, we are not to call Moslems or Arabs “gray people” and treat them disrespectfully.  Jesus treated friend AND enemy with respect—whether he agreed with them or not.  He did this for the poor and hurting, for the sinner caught in the act of sin and for the self-righteous and the hypocrite.

Some of the jobs Jesus put on Christian’s list are

2 Cor. 5:18-“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:”  2 Cor. 5:20-“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.”

Matthew 25:35-36-“’For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

1 Tim. 2:1-‘I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone.”

James 1:26-27-“If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. ²⁷Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

2 Tim. 2:15-“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

III.  Christians need a sense of urgency.

“Stay at your post.  Keep watch!”  These are words with some sense of urgency about them.  Make this a priority.  Put energy into this.  There are many things that Jesus, the Home owner, wants to have happen and we need to be working today toward making it happen.  Sin is having a heyday destroying lives and we need to at least match its intensity to be faithful on our “watch.”

During his 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy often closed his speeches with the story of Colonel Davenport, the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives:   On May 19th, 1780 the sky of Hartford darkened ominously, and some of the representatives, glancing out the windows, feared the end was at hand. Quelling a clamor for immediate adjournment, Davenport rose and said, “The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty.  Therefore, I wish that candles be brought.” Rather than fearing what is to come, we are to be faithful till Christ returns. Instead of fearing the dark, we’re to be lights as we watch and wait.^[i]

We need to deepen our passion for God.  Out of that will grow our urgency of service.  Ephesus- As God told Ephesus, Intimate relationships are based on love-an involved caring, not just service.  Love me besides serve me.  Activity doesn’t necessarily mean a godly, spiritual fellowship.

Smyrna-Suffering will be limited—hold on.  We need to be willing to endure whatever comes to be faithful.  A greater joy is coming after the suffering ends.

Pergamum- Remember that soap is only good when used! Use God’s word to stay clean before God. 

Thyatira-Spiritual authority grows out of living like Jesus.  We must live the values we claim.  Only this will we have creditability with the world.

Sardis- Don’t just look successful, be faithful to God.  Hear the call to spiritual renewal.

Philadelphia-Christ makes us successful through our weakness as we trust in Him.

Laodicea-Whatever our limitations we don’t have to be lukewarm.  Rev up the energy and excitement for Jesus.

What will you do now?

People’s physical, mental, social, and spiritual life are hanging in the balance.  The congregation that pulsates with a sense of God’s plan, God’s hope, and God’s involvement is the one that will be able to stand their watch, even when it seems like old times.  Amen.

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