ARE
WE EXPECTING?
Mark 13:32-37
32 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in
heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.
34 It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave
authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to
watch.
35 Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is
coming — in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the
morning —
36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.
37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"
WATCH - agrupneo - to be sleepless, to chase, to be watchful, the word expresses
not mere wakefulness, but the "watchfulness" of those who are intent
upon a thing. (Vine's Expository Dictionary)
Jesus is speaking here of His return.
I wonder are we really ready for that glorious event?
Most of the time we seem to be so caught up in the things we are doing,
the things our church is doing, what we are believing for to make our life here
better and go days or even weeks without even considering that Jesus could come
the next second.
If we knew that our Lord was coming in exactly 24 hours what would we do
differently. If we knew that Jesus
would open the eastern sky in one hour would we change our plans or just go
about business as usual.
I don’t know what you were doing at
1 o’clock
yesterday afternoon or at
8 o’clock
last night, but ask yourself, “Would you have wanted Jesus to come at that
time?” Would we change the things we do or the places we go if we really
thought Jesus might come while we were there or while we were doing the things
we were doing.
As Christians we always say we are prepared for His coming, or we look
forward to His coming, but are we living and doing as though it could be any
moment.
In Matthew 25 verses 1 thru 13 Jesus gives us this parable, "Then
the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and
went out to meet the bridegroom. Now
five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but
the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom
was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And
at
midnight
a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom
is coming; go out to meet him!'
Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our
lamps are going out.' But the wise
answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go
rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were
ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!'
But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'
Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the
Son of Man is coming.
We
have heard many sermons preached on this passage of scripture, but the principle
of the story is very simple. Half of
the virgins were prepared for the coming and half were not.
They were all virgins, they were all meant to go but half did not, why?
Because only half were prepared and expecting, ready for the event.
Notice the bridegroom came at night not during the day.
If he had come during the day there would have been no need for the
lamps, but he didn’t, he came at night and because of this half of them were
not prepared.
I think this is how many Christians are.
We are prepared if Jesus comes on Sunday or Wednesday night.
We are prepared if He comes when we are at Prayer Meeting.
But what about Saturday night at
eleven o’clock
, are we prepared then. What about
tonight or in the morning, will we be prepared?
Once Jesus comes it will be to late to prepare.
Let’s not be like the foolish virgins crying to get in, we don’t want
to hear those words, “I do not know
you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need
that I should write to you.
2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as
a thief in the night.
3 For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden
destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they
shall not escape.
4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should
overtake you as a thief.
5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night
nor of darkness.
6
Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.
