Advent 1
30
November 2014
Mark
13:33-37
Stay
alert!
Stir up we implore You, Your
power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the
threatening perils of our sin and be saved by Your mighty deliverance;
Today we celebrate the first Sunday of a new Church year. As
we prepare for the celebration of the Savior’s first Advent, we prepare for His
Second Advent – His sure and certain return on the Last Great Day. You and I as
21st Century Christians have no better way to live our lives now
then from the perspective of eternity. As we prepare for the observance of our
Lord’s first coming, we must remember that the entire Christian life is
oriented towards the last advent of Christ with its glorious eternal salvation.
God requires of us alertness.
1. The Lord
wants us to be spiritually alert at all times.
A.
Jesus’ inevitable return in
power and glory will be sudden, and unexpected. Verse 35 refers to the four
watches of the night - making the point that the Lord’s coming can come at any
time. "So keep watch! You do not
know when the owner of the house will come back. It may be in the evening or at
midnight. It may be when the rooster crows or at dawn.
B. While we wait, there can be many
things that cause us to neglect our responsibilities of watching and waiting
for the Lord sure and certain return.
1
This can happen by
overlooking the threatening dangers of our own sinfulness. This is what we pray
for in the prayer of the day that we might be rescued from the threatening
perils of our sin and then be saved by the Savior’s might deliverance. Isaiah makes mention of this in the Old
Testament lesson for today when he says, All
of us have become like someone who is "unclean." All of the good
things we do are like polluted rags to you. All of us are like leaves that have
dried up. Our sins sweep us away like the wind. [Isaiah 64:6]
2 Then there is the temptation to
confirm to the world’s view of the supreme importance of material things.
Thinking that have the latest thing will cause us true happiness.
Says the
Savior in the Sermon on the Mount, Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What
shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the
Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you
need them all.
But seek
first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be
added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow
will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. [Matthew
6:31-34;]
3 Then of course, there is the very
weakness of our own flesh. We are by nature sinful and unclean. We need,
especially in this Advent season to pray to the Lord, “Kyrie Elysian.”
C. The result of yielding to temptation
is misbelieve, despair, and prodigal living all of which call forth the wrath
of the Lord. Although it is correct to conclude that our neglect of God-given
responsibilities calls for God’s wrath and punishment it is not correct to give
the impression that we can somehow earn God’s favor by changing our lives and
carrying out our responsibilities. In other words, the answer to the Law is not
more Law. We can’t get right with God by simply
saying, “We’ll work harder at it!”The
solution to our issues with sin is found in the sweet and comforting message of
the Gospel. The returning Lord has already come to endure in our place the
punishment for our sinful disobedience and failings: in Him, we have the grace
of God and so you do not lack any gift; God has called you into fellowship with
His Son, who will confirm us to the end. This Paul announces to us in the
Epistle lesson for this day!
Transition: God
requires alertness and He works it in you.
2. God Himself
effects spiritual alertness in us.
A. Mark’s Gospel proclaims the works of
our Savior Jesus. In this new church year, we will hear 37 selections from the
Gospel of Mark. Mark's Gospel has also been called a story of the death of
Jesus with a long introduction. Mark's
Gospel is about the period leading up to
and just after the death of Jesus.
B. The retuning Lord has already come
once to accept the punishment for our failings. This is the story of the cross.
God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself not counting our sins
against us and He has now given us this message of reconciliation. This is what
causes us to say with joy “Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them
second birth!”
C. By bringing us to faith in Jesus,
God now motivates and enables us to seek and do His will. The Holy Spirit
instructs believers by answering the question
that arises from faith-filled hearts “what is my Savior’s will for my
Life?” The Holy Spirit helps us realize
the importance of spiritual alertness.
And in
His Supper, the Lord provides the nourishment that enables us to remain alert.
In providing for us this “food for the soul”, we are enabled to remain alert
waiting for the Lord’s coming.
Only by God’s grace in Christ
can we eagerly and alertly look forward to the Lord’s return. No better preparation can be found, either
for Christmas or for Judgment Day, than the spiritual alertness that God wills
and works.
Words –958
Passive Sentences –2%
Reading Ease –71%
Reading Level -7.3
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