Active Waiting

Intro

In the early centuries of the church, Advent almost certainly arose as a result of the fixed dating of Christmas. There is a bit of history behind advent. Once December 25 became Christmas, it was the center of gravity for the later half of the year—a perfect balance to Easter in the first half. In this way, Advent took on significance the same way Lent did: both were preparation for the more significant season on the horizon. You see no one actually thought at the time that Jesus was born in December, but there was significance in placing it then. Other then taking the place of a pagan Holiday it was on the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year. So to celebrate the coming of the light of the messiah on the darkest day makes sense. Advent in history had a twin focus. The Latin word adventus was the translation of the Greek parousia—a word used for both the coming of Christ in human flesh and his Second Coming. Advent, then, always tended to focus on both. Advent and Christmas are never held as a full re-enactment of the life of Christ but point to our place between the Resurrection and Second Coming.

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-history-of-advent/

What the plan for this advent season and every advent season is to focus us on the real reason for christmas, the coming of the messiah as a baby to die for our sins and the second coming of the messiah. The series we will be going through based on this is titled “What are You Waiting For?” I believe this to be important because we often have troubles waiting. You see, we live in an instant life where we get everything we want right away. Instant food, instant coffee, instant internet (remember dialup). I have troubles with waiting. I have learned to be patient most of the time. I had to learn this when driving city bus. When you are driving a 45' or 60' bus full of people in a city, you have to learn to be patient or you will go insane. There where times where I drove a 65” articulating bus loaded with people from side to side front to back. I had to make sure the short people where to my side so I could see out the mirror. I was not going anywhere fast with that heavy of a load so you have to be patient even though everyone is in a hurry.

Waiting is one of those spiritual disciplines that we as Christians exercise as we await Christ’s second coming, but also as we wait for answers to our prayers and as we show patience toward individuals or circumstances that we wish would change but haven’t yet. As the world around us rushes toward Christmas and demands instant gratification, the church pauses to experience the waiting of Advent. The time of waiting and remembering what Jesus did for us and eagerly waiting for the second coming of the messiah when we will all worship Him in glory. But what does all this waiting mean? as we remember what Jesus did for us so long ago how do we wait for Him to come again?

The message that the world tells us is that waiting for God is futile and foolish. Jesus describes it another way in Luke 12:35–40. This passage is the parable of the servants who are waiting for their master to return. Waiting is part of the Christian life. In light of this parable, we are called to wait patiently for Jesus’ return—his second Advent—expectantly (not a passive waiting, but watching for God’s activity) and faithfully (doing what God has called us to do in service while we wait). This first message is intended to set the stage for Advent: the people were waiting for something to happen.

As we look into What we are waiting for this Christmas season we start out with Active waiting.

Main Idea - Actively waiting means that we will be waiting for the messiah, watching for His return and working at the responsibilities left to us.

Luke 12:35-40 - Waiting and Watching

what Are you waiting for this Christmas season? My kids love reading the flyers that come in the mail that we generally throw out in the trash just for that reason. They like looking at all of the toys and telling us what they would like for Christmas or birthdays. And we tell them that we will add it to our ever growing list.

but we look to the book of Luke to show us as Christians what is most important that we really wait for. and it is a different type of waiting then what you would think. I want to turn to the book of Luke to show us what exactly I mean by active waiting and why it should affect our lives.

Jesus here had begun to earn the anger of the Pharisees and other devout religious leaders for what He had been teaching. They where trying their hardest to get him to say something that would go against the word of God and their traditions to trap Him in something he said. A crowd started to gather around Him one day, Many thousands came together to Hear what Jesus had to say. It was so many people that they where starting to trample one another.

So Jesus started to teach them and tell them parables. We get into the talks starting in Verse 35. Jesus had just taught them what it means to not worry But to seek God and the K of G. Seek God and He will provide for your needs. No need to be anxious. Another aspect of what it means to trust in God is where we come into the sermon.

Luke 12:35–36 (CSB)

“Be ready for service and have your lamps lit. You are to be like people waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once.

We are told that we are to live our lives as people who are waiting for their masters to return from a Banquet, we are to be ready. Let us start with the first verse, because this has some history behind it. Luke 12:35

Luke 12:35 (CSB)

“Be ready for service and have your lamps lit.

This is the same thing as the phrase “gird up your loins.” another phrase that has been lost in time. look back to Exodus 12:11

Exodus 12:11 (CSB)

Here is how you must eat it: You must be dressed for travel, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. You are to eat it in a hurry; it is the Lord’s Passover.

It was the instructions for the very first Passover. They where to be ready to leave Egypt at a moments notice. to tie up any loose clothing, tie up the sandals make sure they are ready for action whenever the call came. That is, if they where told that very second that they where going to have to flee Egypt, nothing would get in the way and they could run.

but why are we supposed to be ready? because the master is going return any second. The parable follows the return of the master to His servants. He went off to a wedding Banquet and left His servants to be ready for His return at a moments notice.

Luke 12:36 (CSB)

You are to be like people waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once.

We are to be ready for the return of the master so he barely has time to ring the doorbell before we open the door for Him to come in and sit down and rest. but the great thing is that if we are found ready and waiting, everything prepared for the return of the master he will come in and serve us, will bless us and love on us! what a picture.

we are given another reason why we are to be prepared for the coming of the messiah, we follow the parable a little farther for more details. There will be those that will try and come in to steal and destroy. if we are lounging around and not caring then we will be easier catch by surprise and the thief, the false teachers will be able to come in and lead people astray and try to ruin what God has done through us. Luke 12:39

Luke 12:39 (CSB)

But know this: If the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.

during this Christmas season as we look to the birth of Jesus and all that means for us, we need to be actively waiting and watching for the return of the messiah again. When Jesus came to earth he promised that He was going to be coming back again some day the same way that He left. He told us though that like this parable of the servants waiting for the master we need to be activeley waiting for the second coming of the messiah. so that when He comes we will be found doing His will. His coming, we are told, will be like a thief in the night, no one will know that it is happening till it happens.

The second coming of the Messiah will be unannounced and unexpected so we must not be caught by surprise but be found prepared, ready and waiting for His return.

Luke 12:41-49 - Working

We need to be actively waiting for the second coming of the messiah, this is the first thing we remember as we are reminded of the birth of Jesus. I used to work at a place, at a grain terminal where the manager expected you to be working at all times. no breaks. He always told us if it was slow, to grab a broom and sweep something. Needless to say if there was slow times we held brooms to be able to start sweeping when the manager came down.

Next we read that not only do we need to be actively waiting and prepared for the coming of the messiah, but we also need to be found working, faithfully doing His will as He is gone in preparation for His coming again. We have an example of two types of servants, the servant who does what his master says and is found waiting and prepared for the masters return so that He is ready to do whatever the master wants at a moments notice. This is Active waiting. Not waiting lazily lounging on the couch playing video games but waiting patiently while doing everything He can to make sure he is ready. Waiting with a purpose you could call it i guess. Luke 12:43-44

Luke 12:43–44 (CSB)

Blessed is that servant whom the master finds doing his job when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

then there is the second servant. The first one is found actively waiting for the masters return and is blessed with a reward when He does return. The second one is not faithful with the masters orders or anything that the master has given him to watch over. Luke 12:45

Luke 12:45 (CSB)

But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and starts to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk,

There will also be consequences for this servant, the ones that knew the master was coming back, or people told them the master is coming soon, you better be ready but they did not listen, there will be consequences for their lack of faith Luke 12:48

Luke 12:48 (CSB)

But the one who did not know and did what deserved punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be expected.

We are to use what God has given us, use the tools, the gifts, everything we have we are to use to prepare and get ready for the second coming of the messiah.

If much has been given, much will be required when You see Jesus again. To actively wait no only means to be prepared and not caught by surprise when Jesus comes but it also means that we will be found working, using all that He has given us for the glory of the Lord.

There will be punishment for those apathetic Christians, the rewards promised us in Heaven (just read 1 Cor 3:13-15) Some will make it through the refining fire just barely only to arrive at the other end in heaven with only themselves in tact. There is an old phrase that has come to mean to just barely make it that applies here, some will make it by the “skin of their teeth” (phrase from Job 19:20)

There will be some though that have put on a good show, that made it look like they where living their lives for God but where not Actively Waiting and working for the return of the savior. They will be found out and will not survive that refining fire but will perish.

So What?

What are we waiting for? This is the question we are going to be looking at this advent season. The first answer to this question of what

We are to be doing is Actively waiting and working.

This means that we will be preparing for the coming of the messiah. We will be using all the Lord has given us top prepare the way for the Lord.

What the Birth of the messiah shows us is that we now need to await the second coming of the messiah. Though it will be a surprise and unexpected that does not mean that we can not be ready for His coming. We need to live our lives with purpose and let the whole world know that He is coming again so be ready.

we need to be found using all that He has given us for His glory. whether we think He is coming tomorrow or tonight or in 100 years, we need to be found using all He has given us for His glory.

and lastely some practical ways in which we can await the coming of the messiah.

Pray, Listen, Watch, Store, Grow

This may all seem like common sense, but we need to be doing what we can to await the coming of the messiah. We do not stop just because we think Jesus is coming soon so we can sit back and watch. But we need to be on the move, seeking God’s will, doing what He has called us to do, using the gifts He has given us for His glory.

How are you actively awaiting the coming Messiah this Christmas season.