The Gospel According to Mark (Part 42)

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The Gospel According to Mark

(Part 42)

Good morning and welcome to Jesus Church

Last week (If you missed) we dove into a heavy/controversial chapter

• Jesus tells us about the destruction of the temple
  • And what signs will proceed the destruction
  • Also what will happen b4 the end of the world as we know it
• And with it Jesus gives us three warnings
  • Do not be deceived
  • Preserver through persecution
  • And that he is coming back
• And that is where we left off… but Jesus is not done yet
  • Because we still have 6 verses left
  • And the text just gets more interesting

Mk 13:32-37

But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven nor the son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. Its like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back – whether in the evening or at midnight, or when the rooster crows or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: “Watch!”

[PRAY]

Story

I think most Xians remember 1^st time they heard: Jesus is coming back

• Had a babysitter who actually told me I couldn’t read Revelation
  • Because I wasn’t old enough… and its too scary
• I think he used some reverse psychology on me
  • Because he got me obsessed with reading about the end times
  • Then I saw a terrifying movie about the rapture w/ a guillotine
  • I had nightmares for months

And then Y2K started approaching… I just graduated high school

• And I was convinced that come midnight – Jesus was coming back
  • I was in my first year of college: The semester ends in December
  • No joke… I didn’t even sign up for my January classes
  • Which is so embarrassing to say at this point
• But we were all convinced this had to be the moment
  • People were selling their houses
  • Stockpile guns & baked beans (made no sense if we were gone)
  • I knew people who ran up credit card debt just for fun
• Midnight struck while I was downtown Seattle under Space Needle
  • And absolutely nothing happened…
  • I mean… my computer didn’t even crash

Maybe I should have been better at listening to Jesus

Because this is how Jesus start off…

Mk 13:32

But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven nor the son, but only the Father.

• Now when Jesus uses the phrase “That day or hour”
  • The was stock language to talk about the Day of the Lord
  • Which is a Jewish way of saying: Turning point of human history
  • And what all creation is getting closer to every single day

Matt 7:22-23 (For example)

Many will say to me on THAT DAY, “Lord, Lord did we not prophesy yin your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly. I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”

2 Tim 4:8 (Then Paul writes to his protégé Timothy this…)

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me ON THAT DAY – and not only me, but also to all those who have longed for his appearing.

1 Cor 3:12 (Or in 1^st Corinthians)

If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay or straw, the work of each will come to light, for THE DAY will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire and the fire will test the quality of each one’s work.

So this day Jesus is talking about: End goal for this period of all creation

• Remember when Jesus says right b4 this: The end is yet to come
  • The word End (Telios) never means the end of everything
  • But more like the end of an act in a play

And when THAT DAY comes – 4 things will happen

1 – The Messiah returns

2 – All dead are resurrected: The Righteous 2 life / Wicked 2 destruction

3 – Judgment – Where God puts the world to right

• And as scary as judgment sounds… not PC in the world we live in
  • We all CRAVE judgment – End injustice/death/pain/perversion
  • For God to finally set the world right again

4 – Healing of creation itself (The new Heavens & new Earth)

• Now whether “The Day” is literally 24hrs or a movement in history
  • That’s really not the point
  • The point is that THE DAY OF THE LORD is in our future

And again how this all ties in together with the beginning of Mk 13

• Look at timeline of present age: Like dropping a marble in a funnel
  • Where a marble keeps circling… but faster/closer as it nears end
    • Jesus relates the signs of the end to birth pains
    • Where what happened… is happening… will happen again
    • But like birth pains – More intense and closer together
• Remember last week Jesus talks about abomination of desolation
  • That was Jesus referring to the desecration of the 1^st temple
    • This Asyrian king in the 2^nd Century BC
    • Sacrifices a pig on alter & drinks its blood in pagan worship
    • So it happened
  • But its also Jesus predicting that in the near future
    • Something like this is gonna happen again
    • And we know it did when Titus destroyed 2^nd temple
  • Yet in the future as the marble gets closer to the end
    • More still to come –Paul says to the church of Thessalonica
    • There is this dark figure coming resembling times past
    • Paul calls him Anti-Christ – he WILL COME in same spirit

Point: This happened… is happening… will happen b4 Day of the Lord

• And I think that’s how you have to read Mk 13 / Matt 24 / Lk 21
  • And also the book of Revelation
  • We want to tie everything as this singular point in time
  • But as we have seen… these events repeat themselves
• Suffering… a catastrophic ending… and then new life
  • Suffering & Persecution (Christians killed after Jesus death)
  • Ending in a catastrophic event (Destruction of the temple)
  • Then breaking out into new life (Worldwide spread of Gospel)
• And we even see a microcosm of this in our own lives as well
  • How many times do we have persecution/suffering in our lives
  • Ends in a catastrophic event – Not end of world… but of a world
    • The end of a relationship… job… a dream
  • But then bursting out into new life… creativity… freedom
    • And even if you haven’t seen that end result
    • It will happen either in this life – or the life to come

And about this day – No one knows when it will come

Mk 13:33 (But we are given a warning)

Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come…

Jesus is saying – You aren’t going to know when… there is no secret code

• Way too often people are trying crack some code
  • But Jesus says neither the angels in heaven nor the son himself
    • Know when this is going to happen
    • If Jesus doesn’t know… you definitely don’t know
• And b/c you aren’t going to know… Jesus very strongly says: Watch
  • Don’t guess… don’t have your eyes on some new DiVinci code
  • Jesus actually commands us not to do that…
• So why is Jesus so down on speculation about the future
  • 1 – Because its futile and you’re not gonna figure it out
  • 2 – Because it’s a distraction from the task at hand

Mk 13:34 (exactly what Jesus teaches in what comes next)

Its like a man going away: He leaves his house & puts servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

In the ancient time when the master would go away (no phones/email)

• His servants would watch over the house
  • And “the one at the door” or the doorkeeper was in charge
    • It was his job to keep the wrong people out
    • To protect everyone who was in the house
    • And make sure all the others servants were hard at work
  • So in this parable – The master is Jesus
    • The servants are the followers of Jesus
    • And the “one at the door” is you and me

Mk 13:35-36 (now look at what it all means)

Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back – whether in the evening, or at midnight or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.

• In the Roman world – Night broke down into 4 watches
  • A servant would stand guard on one of those watches
  • Midnight / Dusk / Day / Dawn
• Now usually a servant only had one watch
  • Jesus is talking about a servant that’s always on watch 24/7
  • And you’re main goal is to be on guard when the master returns
• Wouldn’t make sense for master to come home at midnight/Dawn
  • Because coming home from a long journey in the dark
  • It would be near impossible and extremely dangerous
  • So if ur at the door… chance anyone comes at midnight
    • Its basically 0 percent chance

But Jesus says it doesn’t matter… it can come even if it seems illogical

Mk 13:37 (So… Jesus finishes with)

What I say to you, I say to everyone Watch!

• So this not just to Peter/James/John… or even 1^st century church
  • This is for EVERYONE – you and me as well
  • Its almost like if Mark was a movie… Jesus talking to disciples
  • Then he turns to the camera and says “I say to everyone Watch”

So because of this… What are we called to do (2 things)

1 – First thing we are called to… do our job

The parable is about servants who are left with an ASSIGNED TASK

• We all have an assigned task: What’s yours – what’s mine
  • For one… There’s the Gospel
    • Last week: Gospel MUST be preached to all nations
    • So if you follow of Jesus – Called to share good news
    • So if you’re questioning purpose… just start there
• Then there’s the role you and only you play in the kingdom
  • Might have name – for me two of those names are
    • Dad (Joey/Lyla)
    • Husband (Michelle)
  • That name could be neighbor… friend… coworker
    • And it’s a name assigned to you for a specific task
• And there’s the doors God opens for you to walk through
  • This week I had the opportunity to join Rich at prison
    • Rich cooked an entire thanksgiving dinner for 51
    • We got to see 30 men give their lives to the Lord
      • That absolutely is a calling on his life… door opened
      • And you should definitely talk to him about helping
  • Or maybe its your role at the church…
    • From a greeter to Kids’ church teacher to a life group
    • Whatever your assigned task is – Do it and do it well

2 – Do your job and then WATCH

All three commands say basically same thing: Be on guard/alert/watch

• And all 3 have an exclamation mark behind them… pay attention
  • Be on guard (Amblepo) – Means BEWARE
    • Of what… in context that you have time to spare
    • Don’t be fooled because you do not
    • Paul say: Live every day as if Jesus was coming tomorrow
  • Be alert (Agra-paneo) – Don’t fall asleep
    • I think here Jesus is saying don’t fall asleep spiritually
      • Far too easy to get lazy in your walk with Jesus
      • Sleep thru church… stop reading Bible… worshipping
    • Jesus says no – Stay alert (same word used in Mk 14)
      • When Jesus asks the disciples to watch and pray
      • And they can’t do it… stay alert
      • How many times are we the say… God speaks
        • We go home and forget everything God said
  • Watch (Ga-gorio) – Watch the horizon with anticipation
    • Believing and anticipating Jesus coming at any moment
    • And living your life with that mindset and motivation

And to close here is what Jesus is calling us to…

First: Live your life in the HERE & NOW

• And to do it well and with urgency
  • As if your master could come back at any second
• Yes with one eye on the horizon… but also grounded in today
  • And the task the master has put before you while he’s gone
  • 1^st – Be a son or daughter of the King (live in who you are)
  • 2^nd – Do what your father asks you to do… whatever that is

Second: Trust in him…

• Throughout the OT God forbids going to fortune tellers
  • One because you are opening yourself up to the demonic
  • But have you ever thought of how the demonic uses the future
• Why are reading ur zodiac… tarot cards… palm readers dangerous
  • Yes because the Bible says so: BUT WHY DOES THE BIBLE SAY SO
  • Its because God wants us to trust Him
  • And yes there is a time for seeking Gods future… prophecy
    • But underneath it all – What God wants is TRUST
• But I don’t want to trust… I want to know
  • Because knowledge is power
  • And to get knowledge of the future is power over the future
  • So I can manage… manipulate… and keep control in my hands

But that’s actually not whats best for you

• Your spirit is ignited by faith… not by knowledge
  • And we have to learn to live in that space
  • To be ok with Jesus being King of the universe… not you
• And Jesus will make all things new
  • Whatever pain… suffering… anxiety… sickness
  • Jesus will do that – But you have to trust him
• And the invitation for you…
  • Isn’t to map out a timeline or solve a code on the future
  • Its to trust in God to plan your tomorrows
  • And partner with God in work for today

[PRAY]