Watch and Pray! - Mark 13

Watch and Pray!

November 6, 2011

Mark 13:1-37

Introduction

• I am sure we would all love to know what is going to happen tomorrow!
• If you know what is coming, you can take precautionary measures
• I remember one day when I was a teenager in Sydney Australia, the sky became an ominous yellow and became darker and darker
• I hurried home to safety, because something bad seemed about to happen
• Colonel Davenport was the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives.
• One day in 1789, 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."
• Today we are going to take a peek at what Jesus tells us about the future, and focus on the underlying message he tells us to remember, and how to make preparat6ion for it

Disciples ask about the temple at Jerusalem

• Mark 13:1-4 What will be the sign?
• The disciples were there in real time
• They saw the magnificent temple built by King Herod 50 years before to appease the Jews during the Roman occupation
• It was awesome!
• It was built of enormous building blocks 50 feet wide, which were quarried from underneath Jerusalem near the northern entrance called the Damascus Gate
• The temple itself was 165 feet tall, as tall as a 16-story building
• It stood on the top of what previously was known as Mount Moriah, where Abraham was told to sacrifice his son Isaac
• But while they were sitting on the mount of Olives, overlooking the temple mount, the disciples asked what he meant by the destruction of the temple, and how would they know when this would happen?
• 40 years later, the Romans destroyed the Temple
• In response to their questions, Jesus tells them a summary of what the next couple of thousand years would be like
• And he gives us a warning, to watch and pray!

The future

• V5-8 Deceivers, wars, earthquakes, famines
• These things have been with us ever since the time Jesus uttered these words
• There have been people saying that they were Christ, and they are easy to spot as imposters
• But there have also been people saying Jesus was Christ, and used this as a vehicle for deception
• There have only been around 2 years of absolute peace in the world since 1900 and if you want to check it out take a look at Wikipedia which lists all recorded wars starting before 1000 ad
• As Jesus says, these are the beginning of birth pains
• What is the birth? It is the birth of Jesus’ rule as king over this whole planet!
• One of our Foursquare symbols is the crown which represents Jesus our Soon-Coming King
• Then Jesus continues
• V9-13 – there will be persecution of Christians
• Many will have to stand for their beliefs, under pain of death
• Hundreds of thousands of Christians have been martyred during the last 2000 years
• But more Christians were martyred during the last century than during the previous 1900 years
• It doesn’t make the headlines in the newspapers, but Christians die for their faith in many countries around the world
• V14-20 - Prophecy tells us there will be a future time of persecution which will be the worst ever in history
• V21-23 – We are reminded to be on our guard against deception, even if it is supported by miracles
• V24-26 – Then there will be miraculous signs in the skies above us – the sun will be darkened, the light from the moon will be extinguished, and there will be meteor showers.
• This is the time of Jesus’ return
• The elect, the Church, will be gathered together with him at the time of the rapture, and Jesus will return with power and great glory

The warning

• V28-37 – we don’t know when Jesus will return
• But we are told to be awake and on our guard not to be deceived
• V5 – watch out that no one deceives you
• V9 – You must be on your guard
• V23 – So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time
• V33 – Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come
• V36 – If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch!
• For each of us, the future is uncertain
• We don’t know when we will see Jesus’ return
• Will we experience the things we have been talking about?
• We don’t know, because we may go home to be with Jesus tonight
• The focus is that we should be watchful and praying, and doing the task God has given us
• When we are doing our job, we have nothing to fear

Conclusion

• So be on the job
• I remember someone with whom I used to work while at college, who would literally lie down on the job
• I knew someone else who would take a nap in the waste paper bins at a printing press where I used to work
• Don’t be a Christian who gets tired and lays down on the job
• Be doing what Jesus tells us – occupy till I come