Mark 13:14-37 - Be ready for when Jesus returns
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Big Idea:
Big Idea:
Don’t get caught slippin. Be ready for Jesus.
Intro:
Intro:
Hi Church Online, thanks for joining us.
Growing up, my family didn’t have a lot of money...
You remember the movie, Hook? The one with Robin Williams playing a grown up Peter Pan? I loved that movie. Still do. And in one scene, the Lost Boys are pretending to have a feast. There’s no food, but in their mind, it’s Thanksgiving.
That was real life for my brother and I. We LITERALLY used to eat ice cubes and pretend it was food, because we didn’t have money. My mom worked 3 jobs just to provide a home.
As you can imagine, being a single mom of two boys, working 3 jobs, can be pretty stressful. My mom worked late into the night… sometimes getting home at like 2am, only to go back to work at 6. Therefore, my brother and I’s job was to clean the house. And my mom’s only expectation was, “This house better be clean by the time I get home.”
Some of you had moms like mine, so you know what I’m talking about… Mom is serious. Mom ain’t playing. And back in the day, Mom would whoop that behind...
But here’s the thing… since my mom was always gone, we thought we had time to clean later. And so we’d wait… and wait… and play… and watch tv… and wait… and then… we’d fall asleep.
And in the middle of an amazing dream - one where I was eating food - I’d suddenly wake up to pounding on the door like it was the PO-lice.
Some of yall are thinking, “Why are you saying PO-lice.” Let me explain. I didn’t grow up in Glastonbury. GPD knock on the door and say, “Excuse, Mr. Owens, this is Officer Smith, may we speak about how we can protect and serve you?” That’s the “police.”
We didn’t have police. We had the PO-lice. They knock like this (pound). And then yell, “Open up, this is the police.”
And when my mom - tired from a long day of work - came home at 2am to a dirty house, she busted into our room like the PO-lice. And judgment (the wrath of God) fell, because we weren’t ready.
As we continue thru the Book of Mark, Jesus is gonna talk to us about BEING READY. Last week, Jesus began to answer a question about the end of the world and any signs connected to it. He told them, “Expect hard times. When they happen, you won’t be surprised, and can focus on what really matters - the opportunities God gives you, to seek His Kingdom, in every circumstance.”G
Today, we pick up that conversation... starting in verse 14...
“But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
Exegesis:
Exegesis:
Oh boy… it just got serious. In the previous passage, Jesus describes all the difficult things they should expect, but then adds, “But that’s not the sign of the end… that’s just the beginning.” But now He adds, “when you see,” or in other words, “Here’s a sign for the end of the world.” And the specific sign is the “abomination of desolation.”
Now, we can go pretty deep down this rabbit hole, but we won’t today. However, I understand that it’s too crazy of a subject just to skip over, so I’m gonna give a brief synopsis...
The “abomination of desolation” is a phrase connecting a person, event, and biblical prophecy (something the Bible says will happen in the future). And something helpful to understand about prophecy is..
There is usually a “near” fulfillment.
There is a “far” and ultimate fulfillment.
And because it’s part of God’s living word, there is a present application to our lives, regardless of fulfillment.
Again, this subject is part of Jesus answering a question about the end times, but also part of the conversation about the destruction of the temple of God. And the “abomination of desolation” happens in the temple of God...
Abomination refers to a sacrilegious practices.
Desolation means to be left in a state of emptiness or destruction.
The “abomination of desolation” refers to a future event that will involve a person performing an abomination in the temple of God that leaves it desolate.
The near fulfillment of this prophecy happened around 70AD when the Jewish temple was destroyed by Rome.
But the far and ultimate fulfillment is still future...
Anyone heard of the “anti-christ?” That’s a real thing. One day in the future there will be a man, filled with the spirit and power of the devil, who will lead the world to destruction. That’s the anti-christ.
In the future (when? we don’t know…), the temple of God will be rebuilt in Jerusalem. And this world leader (who will be seen as someone who brings world peace) will enter the temple, do abominable things, and leave it desolate. When that happens, THAT’S THE SIGN… the end is near!
Jesus says..
Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that it may not happen in winter. For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be. And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.
So, if the “near” fulfillment already passed… and this “far” fulfillment is in the future, what’s the application for us today? Well, like last week… we should EXPECT HARD TIMES. When this life gets difficult, remember Jesus said to EXPECT it. But the application is also this… verse 23...
But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.
We need to BE READY!!! More on this in a second, but let me first read the next few verses...
“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
I’m gonna be honest, I don’t know if this is symbolic or literal. I personally think it’s literal. I mean… Jesus is talking about the end of the world. Therefore, we shouldn’t be surprised if crazy things happen. In fact, they are a SIGNAL to BE READY.
…BUT… why be ready? Are we just to be ready for hard times? For future cosmically cataclysmic events? No. The point isn’t “be ready for craziness.” It’s BE READY for the RETURN OF JESUS!
And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
One day, King Jesus is coming back to bring the fullness of His Kingdom to earth. He’s coming back for the church He loves. He’s coming back to make all things right.
But let me clarify that we aren’t to be ready ONLY when we see “signs of the end” happening, but the reality is… since Jesus died and rose again, we’ve been in the end times. Every day is one day closer to the return of Jesus. And that’s what we’re waiting for! That’s what we need to be ready for!
… and church family… this should be exciting for us! Because do you know why Jesus left? Do you know why He’s been gone so long? Let me answer the 2nd question first...
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
One reason Jesus has been gone so long is because God so loves the world that He’s wants everyone to make it to heaven! He’s patiently waiting for us REPENT (to turn from our sin) and, by faith, turn to Him and be saved.
But now, let me answer the first question: Why did Jesus leave? Listen to what Jesus says...
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
One reason Jesus left (and has been gone so long) is He is preparing a perfect, eternal HOME for us. That’s exciting! If God created all this beauty in 7 days, after all this time, what kind of home awaits us in eternity?
We would be stoked beyond imagination if Chip and Joanna Gaines were designing a home for us.
The home Jesus is preparing for us infinitely better. Christians - be excited for the return of Jesus! Because on that day, we will finally be invited to our forever-home.
And building on this, here’s the application for this passage: Our hope isn’t found in this world. This world is broken. It’s falling apart. The end times only make that more visible.
Too often, we think worldly solutions will fix our lives:
If only I could make more money.
If only I could be better looking.
If we could have the right president in office.
If I just had the right resources, right education, or the right spouse.
I’m sorry to tell you, while those CAN have a positive impact on our lives, we shouldn’t put our hope in them. Power, money, politics, education, legislation can’t save us or the world. The problem in this world isn’t bad systems.
Today is 9/11. The tragedy of 9/11 wasn’t simply a political or religious system problem. Ultimately, it was a SIN PROBLEM. Sinful people did evil things.
And the only true remedy for sin is the salvation found in Jesus Christ. He alone is the hope of the world. Things will only get truly better when He returns. Therefore, get READY for His return!
“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.
Here in New England, summer is almost over. So we gotta change the tree lesson. When the leaves start changing color and the air gets a crispy cold… we know that Fall is near! In the same way, when these signs happen (chaos, natural disasters, wars, a one-world leader, cosmic destruction), GET READY, the end is near!
And again, this STILL applies to us NOW, because we ARE in the last times. Paul said in his day, “The mystery of lawlessness is already at work.” (2 Thess. 2:7). And the context for this statement was talking about the future anti-christ! He said, “The anti-christ will come one day… but the spirit of the devil that empowerS him is ALREADY at work, behind the scenes of our world, bringing about the right circumstances for the anti-christ to take over.” That’s super creepy… but it’s true! We see the truth of this coming chaos in our world today... GET READY!
So, how do we GET READY? Look at what Jesus says next...
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
You want to get ready? Get into God’s word. While the world is falling apart, God’s word is eternal. I know I talk about this all the time. And the reason that I do is because I want to make sure I’m ready. My family is ready. Our church is ready! In order to do that, we must get into God’s word, because it tells us exactly how we are supposed to live.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
God’s word gets us ready.
The next thing we do is learn to live by faith.
“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
This is hard to understand. Jesus says that no one (including Himself - God the Son) knows the exact timing of these end times events. Only the Father. But you know what… I’m okay with that. Why? Because I live by faith.
Faith is willing to believe God’s promises, even when I don’t understand. I don’t understand and I don’t need to. I trust God - I follow the One who does know.
…and check this out. Our FAITH is connected to God’s word.
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
That means I need God’s word to live by faith. And if my faith is lacking, it’s probably because I’m NOT in God’s word. God’s word builds my faith.
You know at The River Church we are huge fans of the YouVersion Bible app. One way to stay in God’s word and build your faith is to start each day with the YouVersion Story of the day.
And this is the POWER of the God’s Word. Just meditating on ONE VERSE for the entire day will radically bless your life!
Psalm 1 says BLESSED is the man whose...
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
If you commit to God’s word, you’ll BE READY.
Let’s finish with this...
Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”
In other words, WAKE UP. BE READY. Because you don’t want wake up to Jesus bustin into this world like the PO-lice.
Response:
Response:
I’m gonna close by teaching you a phrase from where I grew up:
Don’t get caught slippin - it means you weren’t ready.
One day, Jesus is coming back. And you don’t want Jesus to catch you slippin. Because if you can’t tell, this is serious business! Jesus is serious about saving the world from sin and death...
Sin is serious. It’s not a joke. Jesus - the eternal Son of God - had to die because of it.
Jesus also takes the mission He gives His church seriously. When we put our faith in Jesus, our future is secure by the blood of Jesus. We’re going to heaven - guaranteed! However, the reason we don’t immediately go to heaven is because He’s got serious work for us to do. As Christians, God’s called and chosen us to go tell people the good news that we can have eternal life in His name. That’s serious! It’s the most important mission in the world.
One day, Jesus is coming back. Don’t get caught slippin. Instead, be ready! Take your faith seriously. How you live MATTERS!
So, [as the worship team comes up], here are 4 ways to NOT be caught slippin…
First and foremost, if you have not repented of your sins and put your faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, you CANNOT be ready. Only people who belong to Jesus can be ready… otherwise Jesus is coming back not just like the PO-lice, but as the Judge too - because sin’s no joke. Don’t get caught slippin. Get right with Him today… If
If you need to do that today, say “Lord, forgive me for my sins and save me. I put my trust in You. Give me a new heart. Give me a new life!” [baptism today - be there at 230pm]
Do the Master’s work. Jesus has given us work to do. Therefore, stop living for your own selfish ambitions. Some of us invest too much into things that don’t matter. Things that will pass away with this world. Live for an eternal purpose. Do what the Master calls you to do.
When you make decisions, do you ask, “Jesus, is this what you want me to do?”
Don’t let fear paralyze you. We live in crazy times. Mental health problems are skyrocketing… and the end of the world makes worries worse. But we mustn’t focus on our fears.
Instead, give your worries to God. As Craig Groeschel says, “Anxiety is a signal alerting us to pray.” When we have problems, we don’t live paralyzed… we pray. And in exchange God promises us supernatural peace.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Don’t know how to pray? That’s okay. Pray with us on Sunday mornings at 930. Or, join us on Thursday morning for Zoom prayer meetings. You don’t even have to turn on your camera. You can be in your pajamas. Praying will make your ready.
4. Stop hiding your sin. First of all, God knows everything. He sees it all. But also, did you know there is healing power in confessing your sin to others?
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
If you want to be READY, don’t hide, find healing... by being honest with your church family. And the best space to do that at The River Church is at Life Groups.
Get ready because within the next couple weeks, I’m going to talk more about Life Groups and how you can be a part of one. In fact, you can come to the one at my house this upcoming Thursday! Let’s get ready for Jesus together.
[Finally, let’s get ready for Jesus by remembering Jesus. And we do that by taking communion]
Let’s pray...
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