Mark 23:33-37
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.
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Words –930
Passive Sentences – 13%
Readability – 70%
Reading Level – 7.5
Woodcut by Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld, © WELS
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