Don’t Get Caught Slippin’

July 13

Read: Mark 13

Don’t Get Caught Slippin’

“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.” - Jesus (v.35-37)

The last thing anyone of us wants is for “the master to show up and find us asleep”. (v.36) You can imagine the scenario: you are at work and you fall asleep on the job only to have your boss walk in and find you. How embarrassing, right? What are we doing as the people of God while “on the clock”? How do we function in this world while there is such crucial work at hand.

Jesus acknowledges what we all know from experience, that we have a tendency to “drift of”… to “day dream” to “fall asleep on the job”. We get easily lulled into complacency and comfort. We quickly forget what is most important… what it is that God has called us to. We grow tired of the work… or of the WAITING… and we “fall asleep”. Jesus commands to “stay awake” and uses that term 4 times in 7 verses. If you include the idea of not falling asleep as the same as remaining awake, then it is 5 times in 7 verses. The instruction is pretty clear: STAY AWAKE.

The people of God MUST NOT fall asleep on the job. We must not grow weary of the waiting … the waiting for the culmination of the Kingdom and the final coming again of Christ. We will be tempted to “lay down” on the job and “fall asleep”…We cannot allow ourselves to be “lulled asleep”. Jesus ends this teaching to Peter, James, John and Andrew with an emphatic “Stay Awake”.

So what is it that we are supposed to remain aware of… so what is the work that we are supposed to remain “awakened” to? I think sometimes we get a little confused. When you read this passage it is easy fixate on all the trouble… on the “doom and gloom”. Look at this list:

• Temple destroyed, “There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” (v.2)

• “wars and rumors of wars…” (v.7)

• “nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom…” (v.8)

• “earthquakes in various places; there will be famines…” (v.8)

• Persecution, “For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them…” (v.9)

• Division, “brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. And you will be hated by all for my name's sake… (v.12)

These are the things that easily capture our attention… think about it! These are the things that LITERALLY KEEP US AWAKE AT NIGHT. So, it makes sense that these are NOT the things we need to be told to stay aware of. These are not the things we will “fall asleep” on. These are the things the enemy uses to capture our attention and to make us feel desperate. But I think there are just as many things buried in this passage that we DO fall asleep on… that we forget about… that we dose off on. Look at this ENCOURAGING list that we often forget about:

1.) God has a plan - and it is right on time… on track… working the way he planned it!

“do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet…” We need not be alarmed by these things that MUST take place as part of the plan. God is working. He has not forgotten his creation or his people. God has not fallen asleep on the job, and neither should we!

2.) God is proclaiming the “good news” (gospel) to ALL NATIONS.

“And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations…” We must stay awake to this truth, that God is not done calling a people to himself. The gospel must go out to ALL NATIONS. That is a job that it is easy to fall asleep on… to lose site of. Think of how much more energy is devoted to fear-mongering and politics within the church as opposed to the gospel going to all nations!?!

3.) The Holy Spirit speaks through God’s people, and gives us the words to say when we need them.

“do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.” God is constantly giving us the words we need to speak truth into the places he brings us… even if those places involve some suffering and hardship. We must not fall asleep on the job and stop delivering the words being given us by the Spirit.

4.) “The ones who endure will be saved” and God is going to “cut short these days” for the sake of his elect. (v.13,20)

5.) Jesus is coming again and will gather his people to dwell for eternity in a new heavens and new earth. (cf. Rev. 20,21 and Mark 13:24-31)

Jesus will truly come again one day in “glory and power”. We will be gathered together as God people … from all the ends of the earth: “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.” This is good news! Because it has been so long since Jesus was here the first time, we have “fallen asleep” concerning his coming again. It seems more like a “dream” than a reality at times… and we dream when we are asleep. This truth (the coming again of Christ and that we are citizens of a new Kingdom / our home is a new heavies and new earth) is one we must be AWAKENED to.

Jesus says one peculiar thing towards the end: “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” (v.30) Jesus has already told us these things ahead of time… it is a done deal. We need not fixate on the bad things that are to come or sit about stewing over the bad things that are here. We all get it… Jesus warned us… this is happening… it has been for more than 1000 years! So we “should not be alarmed” but rather “be on our guard” and “stay awake”! May we be awakened as God’s people to his voice telling us what to say, to the message of his Kingdom going out to all nations, to hope of his plan and the sureness of our salvation. May our eyes be opened to the coming new heavens and new earth and the way God is gathering his people from all four corners of the earth. Wake us up Lord to these truths… wake us up! Love you guys. - JDP