Stay Awake! The King Is Coming PJ Garton- March 30th, 2025 Mark 13:28-37

So also when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near at the very gate. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But concerning that day or that hour, wrong way, Willie. Thank you. But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard. Keep awake, for you do not know when the time will come. It's like a man going on a journey when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his own 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. Let's pray. Father, I thank you and I praise you for your word. I thank you and praise you that this morning we get to be here together as brothers and sisters looking at it, learning from your Holy Spirit. And just from this message, I pray that Father, we would just be challenged to leave this place filled and prepared for this week ahead and entering it courageously for whatever you have for us. I ask now, Lord, that just the words of my mouth, the meditation of my heart

Would be pleasing in your sight and that you would be high and lifted up this morning in our time together. I ask this in your name. Amen. I've titled the message this morning, Stay awake, the King is coming. And my the very first part here in verse 28 that we're going to be looking at is this fig tree. We're familiar with fig trees because we've been here before in Mark's Gospel where he's used other parables that included a fig tree. But this one is he's using it in a different context and he's showing us that when you see the changing of seasons, when the limbs and the buds of the trees are tender, that summer is coming right around the corner. And what perfect timing. We're we're pretty close to that now ourselves. And the things but in the same way when you see certain things that we're going to explore here in a little bit about referring to the end times which here in this these very first verses is going to refer to the destruction of the temple that happened. The Lord wants us to be paying attention to these signs as well. Because they're pointing to a purpose, to a thing to things that he's doing that are less tangible but nonetheless with eternal significance. I my first point I'm going to have three points just like any good Baptist preacher, but my first one is eternal focus. And this invites us to look to look for the rhythm and sequence of God's plan. Have you ever known that God is working, but it makes no sense? You there's things going on and you know that God is up to something but you just don't have enough information to really know what's going on but you know that he's doing something or you think you have an idea and it totally turns out in a different way than you had expected but in the end you know that it was

Definitely the Lord Sometimes it's mysterious and I my apologies for those in the back for the type being so small but just the mysteriousness of how God works. Thinking about these disciples here in this place, you know, they're asking questions. They want to know details. They want to know when all these things are going to happen. And they needed that for their just so they would feel or be content. And the Lord was like, "You don't need to know those things." Isaiah 55:8-9 says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. And what like that just is so cool to me because we can rest in that truth. We can we don't have to be anxious and like I got to know what's going on or what's going to happen. We have an Almighty God that his thoughts are far superior than our we can't even begin to comprehend them and yet we can trust him. Another point is that the way God his rhythm his the sequence how he does things is always whether or not we understand them they're always intentional. And I have here, this is not always fun, is it? When God intentionally does things that, he removes us from situations or he brings a difficult trial into our life and walks with us through it. It wouldn't be something we would choose, but yet it's intentional and it's for our good and his glory. I have a little commercial here. I've shared it with some before, but if you Google or go to YouTube, there's these guys called the skit guys. I don't

Know if anybody's ever seen them, but there's this skit. If you Google it, it's called the hammer. I would encourage you to check that out this a not now this afternoon, but it has this picture. I'm spoiling it obviously, but these two guys, there's one, they help each other and the whole picture is there's this person with more than what they need. Like they're like, picture a brick or whatever. And the other guy is there with a hammer and chisel knocking things off. And the result that will happen is the image of Christ is revealed. And isn't that what God is doing in us and through us? With his intentional work in helping us to not be so caught up with the circumstances and with the tangible, the present, what we see and experience, but with the wonder and the all of it doesn't matter. Like he has us here for a purpose and we are equipped. We lack nothing and whether it's mysterious or intentional we can trust him. Another aspect is it's always for a purpose. He doesn't just do things just to make our life miserable. We all know these I hope we all know these verses. Romans 8:28 and 29 says, "We know that for those who love God, all things work together for good. For those who are called according to his purpose, for those whom he forneew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that we might be the firstborn among many brothers." It's always his plan, the things he's up to is always on purpose. And these purposes. We may not see or comprehend or understand this side of eternity, but we know. And I don't know, maybe when we get home to heaven, maybe he will reveal this is the why. But I don't think it will be a concern of ours anymore because we're going to be so

Captivated with his majesty and his splendor. It's also an invitation. I got ahead of myself. An invitation to not just drift in through life only catching the immediate but actively engaged in understanding the various seasons of our lives from an eternal perspective. Isn't it easy sometimes to be so caught up in what we're doing even in good things in min church ministry or whatever daily life we can get so focused and honed in on the immediate the what we can see in our per peripheral vision and we lose sight of the grand scheme the grand plan of what God is accomplishing for his glory. Some other familiar verses in Proverbs 35 and six. I'm sure some of us could quote them, but it says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths." I just this whole thinking about this whole idea of our eternal focus like having an eternal focus. We're looking, but now we're li we want to talk about listening closely. I did have it on there. Okay. Yeah, listen closely. And this talks about how God communicates. Wouldn't it be nice if he would communicate to us audibly? But he doesn't. He's given us his Holy Spirit. He's given us his word and sometimes it's through ordinary in various he uses all kind of means to communicate with us but sometimes through ordinary I can't even read my writing ordinary elements of our daily life our daytoday I have an example this past week where I parked my car at campus is at the lakefront and I pull in and usually

Every morning there's a heron right there and I you sometimes I'll just sit there and just check him out and as I was studying this week I was like oh yeah thank you Lord by the way just things we take for granted, but it's the extraordinary in the ordinary that we need to be paying attention to and more alert to. He invites us also in communicate in inviting us to listen. He invites us to a deeper relationship with him. I Yeah, there we go. When we don't take for granted, when we live in with a posture of being expectant and with a an eternal focus, we're picking up on the things that matter. We're not distracted by the things that don't matter. Finally, under this listening we can trust his guidance and timing. That's easier said than done, isn't it? We don't like his timing sometimes. We prefer things to either speed up or slow down depending on what it is. But it's his timing. It's his kingdom. It's his work. We're not in charge. He is. And again, man, that comes off so easy to say, but when we're given opportunities to walk through that oh man, I want to draw our attention to verse 28 and 29 of chapter 13. And another disclaimer, I am not a Greek scholar. I actually get really nervous when I'm trying to study and like h man, I can't figure this all out. But 28 talks about is I'll just reread it. It says, "Now learn this parable The fig tree when it branches has already become tender and puts forth its leaves. These two words you know that summer is near. In verse 29 it says, "Even so you too when you see these things happening recognize that he is

Near right at the door." In verse 29, even so you also in my reference it says you too. But it the first in verse 28 it's more it is known. You can count on it. It's going to happen. And then in verse 29 it refers more to men know. Earlier in verse four the disciples when they first asked a question to Jesus after he had prophesied in verses 21 and two about the destruction of the temple. They asked for this for a sign of when these things would happen. And the phrase these things is referring I believe specifically to the birth painans that's mentioned in verse eight. He's speaking and this is again the timing of how the Lord Jesus does things and how he you know when we think of Jesus as God incarnate, he's he took on human flesh. He's with us with these disciples who like us aren't always observant thickheaded maybe. And yet he's so patient and he's such a gentle shepherd and a teacher and teaching them. We're we're not very many hours away from his crucifixion. It's right before the Passover when and I don't want to spoil the sermons coming up in a couple weeks, but just thinking about the whole picture of what the next few hours will look like for Jesus and how he's able to just teach in this way. The fig tree, back to the fig tree, it illustrates that the destruction of the temple is close. We've looked as we've looked at chapter 13, it bounces back and forth between things that are close that are going to happen and things still yet to happen in the future. Back in 11:es 12 to 14, Jesus cursed the fig tree because it was barren. There was no fruit and it was a foreshadowing of this destruction of the temple. So far, we've looked at this

Eternal focus of looking, of listening, and being alert to what God is doing and his the rhythm, the sequence of how he does things. Now, we're going to look at his eternal words. And we're looking at verses 30 to 31. And he makes this profound promise that his words will be fulfilled. Let me just read those two verses again real quick. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. But my words will not pass away. But on that day or hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the nor the son, but the father alone. It at the time of this writing or at this scene, it's projected that it was about 30 AD. And when Jesus spoke these words, at that time, a generation was usually about 40 years. And the temple was destro we know that the temple was destroyed by the Roman army led by Titus in AD.70. And this fulfilled that prophecy from verse 30 that this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. And it points back even to verses 24 to 25 in the same chapter. I'm getting yes. Psalm Psalms 102 verses 25- 27 says, "Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain. They will wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe. They will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end. Another reference is Isaiah 40 7-8. The grass withers, the flowers fade. When the breath of the Lord blows on it, surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God will stand forever. And his word. We know this is we know his word will be accomplished. And this is probably my favorite part of the message this morning. I've

Really enjoyed this part. Just faith in God's word. Growing up in the 80s there were bumper stickers was a thing and there was this one that was quite popular especially among believers that said God said it I believe it that settles it and this points to a strong unwavering faith and acceptance that what God has said requires no further evidence or questioning. Let me read that again. This points to a strong unwavering faith and acceptance that what God has said requires no further evidence or questioning. Wouldn't that be cool to remember that when we're watching the news or we're seeing things on social media that just really fire us up and we want to do something about it, we can look, we can be reminded that God's word will be accomplished. This attitude accentuates a deep trust in God and his word and a determined choice not to doubt or to question what is believed to be God's truth. Mark 13:31, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." Faith in God's word replaces fear and anxiety with peace and hope. In our community group this morning, we spent a little bit of time talking about hope and how that impacts our day-to-day living and our attitude and how we relate to one another and to our community and world. It's estimated that 19% of US adults suffer from a form some form of severe anxiety disorder. Among adolescence 13 ages 13 to 19 that number is even higher. It increases to 30 almost 32%. I see those numbers and they're quite and the this is based on a year these statistics are over a year old. I don't know that I see that as a negative. Yes, it's sad. It's hard to

Digest, but thinking in the context of the church and our hope that we have that we know with when we have an eternal focus when we're out and about and we have we're aware and we're ruminating on the eternal word of God that's not that doesn't change that will happen. What an incredible opportunity we have as a church to engage in conversations with people to help them to that might be struggling that we have no clue about. We don't need to be Bible scholars. We don't need to be going around bashing them with the word. Well, be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, make your requests known to God and it'll be all okay. There could be serious medical diagnosis. We don't know. But I would challenge us all this morning to be learning, developing as we look toward that day when the bridegroom returns for his bride. Let's develop skills that where we can be active listeners, courageous prayer warriors, and men and women of faith. What if we were to live with the reality that man, we are unabashedly convinced that God's word will be accomplished. And if we have that eternal focus, there's no end of opportunities that he will give us to be faithful servants for him. My coordination skills are getting very tested today or getting tested very much today. It replaces passivity with an active vibrant faith. Second Timothy 1:7 says, "For God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control." we don't have to shrivel into our comfort zone. We can be daring and get out and just allow God to work and to do what he needs to do in and through us. Another facet of being of having faith in God's

Unchanging word, it aligns us with his very own heart. Yeah, by that I mean, you know, again, it just goes back to our focus and just you don't just you cannot just conjure these things and these disciplines by yourself. It requires the disciplines of being in the word and in prayer. But when these routines, when these disciplines are happening, this alignment with God's heart is also happening. We've talked about or yeah, these last few weeks we've talked about the unknown time of when Christ will return. It could happen at it could happen this afternoon. But one thing that is important to notice here in verse 32, there's a transition and it transitions from talking about what is known, the destruction of the temple to what is unknown and that's his second coming. There was a similar style of writing that Mark used back in the only time he's used it and that was back in 12:26 where he was talking about the place of marriage in the resurrection life and he shifted the conversation from that from the circum the present the circumstantial to the validity of the resurrection itself and he was advocating for the truth the doctrine of the resurrection in verse four let me back up that day verse 32 that day that hour no one knows not even the angels in heaven nor the son but the father alone this is actually the answer that the disciples wasn't the answer they wanted but it was finally the answer that they asked for. And just this mystery of God of Christ's return and how that invites us that it gets us to the place of living differently because

We don't know when he's going to return. First Peter 1:12 says it was revealed to them that when they were ser that they were not that they were serving not themselves but you in the things that they have now that have now been announced to you through those who preach the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Things into which the angels long to look. When Christ returns, verse 27, he will send his angels to gather the elect. Yet they do not know when that will be. Nor the sun is another important phrase. Yeah, my coordination's gone. It's out the window. This is the only time in Mark's Gospel where Jesus declares himself to be God's son. Earlier in verse 26, he used the reference son of man, but here he uses God's son. Philippians 2:7 says, "But he emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men." And you know, God incarnate, he took on flesh, but in doing so, he didn't forfeit his divine nature or authority. He gave up his right to exercise his deity in order to submit to the father in obedience. When I think about that, I don't I haven't rung that out fully, but man, there's so much profound truth there that he was willing to do that for us. But now we know that in his glorified state where he's seated at the right hand of the father now interceding for us, he surely knows when he'll return. Okay. Acts 17 says, "He said to them, it is not for you to know the times or seasons that the father has fixed by his own authority." Is it any wonder that fortune tellers and mystics are so

Wealthy? They're selling a lie to appease the human desire to know the future. Here my third point our etern we've looked at our eternal focus. We've looked at our the signance significance of God's eternal words. Now we're looking at eternal hope. What is our Biblical what is a Biblical response to this truth? It is not the answer that the disciples wanted. To put it bluntly, Jesus basically told them, "It's none of your business when I'm going to return." Yet, not having answers, not having the known, we still have abundant hope. Here we go with some commands, imperatives. And the first one, we're to be watchful. And this verb, there's two different Greek words. The fir Greek verbs, first one, gregoro, and it means to keep awake, watch. It can be used literally and figuratively, meaning to be vigilant and watchful. The other one is to be watchful, to stay awake. But it also literally means to be sleepless or to keep awake. I don't think God's expecting us to be awake and have toothpicks in our eyes. That's not what he's saying here. But he's saying like that farmer that was hired or that servant that was hired, you do your work faithfully and you go to bed knowing that your house, your place is in order and that you're prepared. If that landowner comes home during the night, you're prepar you're not going to be caught off guard. 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8 says, "So let So then let us not sleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. The next imperative is very

Similar. Be on guard, keep awake. In verse 33, there's some cool things we just need we can pull out here. The U in verse take heed, keep on the alert for you do not know when the appointed time will come I messed myself. I messed up. But what I was trying to illustrate here is the you do not know is more personal whereas the no one knows is more referring to the principle our relationship to the father in thinking about our eternal our eternal hope. Our relationship to the master this parable talking about the master of the house. He's the owner. It's his house. Property. He has these servants that he's left in charge. And like those servants, we've been given authority to act on his behalf. Our delegated authority is not based on rank. We each have our own work to do according to our gifts that he's given us. We know that his coming will be sudden. The doorkeeper in this parable, he's his job is obviously at the door and he's got a he's got a position of trust and he's authorized to keep out all the unwanted guests. He managed to slaves and they're coming and going. He possessed great privileges and he held great responsibility. Some questions that I would ask you. What is the state of your house? I'm not talking about your physical house in Camden County. Talking about your spiritual house. Is your yard clean? Is there clutter that could trip you up? How about the uninvited guest? Are there any Oh, what's the word? Oh, it's right there. Anyhow, where they're uninvited and they're staying on your property. Are you

Entertaining uninvited guests? Are you eating properly? Are you spending adequate time in the word and in prayer? Are you eating and digesting the right food? And I'm speaking figuratively. In this parable, there are four watches. These watches, we're going to see them again in a couple weeks with the unfolding of Jesus death, burial and resurrection. But they in the evening is going to refer to the evening Passover. At midnight, Jesus arrest in the garden of Gethsemane. When the rooster crows, his arraignment in the morning when he appeared before Pilate, lest he come suddenly and find you asleep, stay awake. Revelation [Music] 22 says, "Behold, I'm coming soon, bringing my recompense with me to repay each one for what he has done." Another reference, Titus 2:1-13 says, "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of our of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. I'd like to invite the worship team to come and get ready. But as we wrap up, as we close, I have a question. How do we prepare to meet the Lord? I'm going to let the Apostle Paul answer this in his letter to the Philip Philippian church. He says in chapter 2 verses 3-8 says do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others. Have this mind in you among

Yourselves which is yours in Christ. Which is yours in Christ Jesus. Who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. But he emptied himself, he took on the form of a servant. Being born in the likeness of men and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death or becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. This morning we've considered our eternal focus. The eternal word, the eternal focus just is an invitation for us to keep our focus on the future, not being distracted by the present. We looked at eternal words. Let's count on God's word and move forward by faith. Finally, our eternal hope. Let's walk in hope, managing his house and being faithful stewards until he returns. Let's pray. Father, I thank you and I praise you. That as your bride, we look forward to that day when you return. And I pray that, Father, as a church, as believers, you will find us faithful. That you will find us ready and prepared for your return. Until then, Father, I pray that we would take advantage of every opportunity to give re to give an account for the reason that we have hope. And Lord, alert us to opportunities in our community to make a difference to make an impact for eternity. And Lord, not only impacting others, but Lord, allowing it to impact us and to just to see you glorified. I ask all this in your name. Amen. Stand with us and sing. [Music] He is thy faithfulness, oh God, my father. There is no shadow of turning with thee. Now changes not though has shown they fail a lot as has been the

Forever will be. Great is thy faithfulness. Great is thy faithfulness. Morning by morning. Whom mercies I see. All I have in thy hand have proided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me. Pardon for sin and the peace that in our breth to cheer into guide strength for today and [Music] bright tomorrow. Bless is the light with temples in shine. Praise is thy faithfulness. Great is thy faithfulness. Morning my morning. Your mercies I see. All I have need in thy hand are provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord to me. And Father, we do praise you for your faithfulness. As we look at your word, we see time and again that you made promises and every single time you have done just as you have said. And Lord, we trust that now that as you said Jesus would return, so we expect him eagerly. Lord, I pray that hope would motivate us as we go out from here to be worthy servants faithful witnesses. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music]