Watch It, Church!

"You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." (Luke 12:40)

She blurted the words out through pain, "I'm just ready for Jesus to come back, Miriam. The world's going more and more downhill, and I don't want to be here. I'm just praying He comes soon and takes us all out of here!"
I took a deep breath. "I know it's difficult to see and hear of the pain in the world right now, but I'm not ready for Jesus to come back; I have friends who don't yet know Jesus. I pray He delays judgment."
She sighed. "Well, I don't have any friends like that so I'm ready."

~ ~ ~

I sat with another friend in an empty coffee shop. Her words pierced me to my inner core. "Miriam, this is a unreachable generation; there's no point in trying to reach them. We're casting pearls before swine. Scripture says to wait for His coming. So that's what I'm doing. Just waiting. And hoping He comes tomorrow. I've been reading about heaven, and I've just decided that I want to go there instead."
My heart wanted to break.

~ ~ ~

He spoke words I'd grown all too accustomed to hearing the past few months. "Miriam, the signs of the times point toward His coming, and I'm ready for His return. I'm sick of this mess, of people going after all their sinful ways, of those opposed to Christianity seeking to destroy the church. Why doesn't Jesus just return already? We'd be better off."
My whole frame threatened to shake with the grief that swelled up within me. I wanted to scream, "What happened to the church?"

~ ~ ~

Why doesn't Jesus come back already, anyway? He ended Revelation with "Surely I come quickly", didn't He? This generation has rejected Him already, right?

I've realized as I pondered on these conversations for the past few weeks, that this has actually become a much-more widespread attitude within the Church than I've ever realized before. Are you just hanging out in this world, coasting to the finish line and hoping it's as soon as possible?

I'd like to turn your attention to 2 Peter 3:9:12, 14-18.  I believe Peter gave us very valuable insight into this question the Church seems to be asking left and right.

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. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God...Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Jesus also gave us another insight, commanding that we don't just wait, but that we "watch therefore, for we do not know neither the day nor the hour." (Matthew 25:13) Watching requires engagement.

Engagement in what?
 
Simple as these may feel, there are three main reasons for why Jesus has left us awaiting His coming. Basic truths of our faith? Yes. But basic truths the Church as a whole seems to often have forgotten or thrown aside. And none of them allow for passive siting and wishing. Are you willing to engage in the action?

Jesus leaves us here today to watch because:

1.His desire is that EVERYONE would come to know His salvation. Jesus is less concerned with the Church's present comfort and more concerned with the future destination of the rest of the world who are on a path toward eternal separation. What are we actively choosing to do each day to take the focus off ourselves and on to others? We are commanded to "walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of time." (Col. 4:5) When is the last time you shared your faith? Do you have active relationships with non-believers? If you answered no, stop reading right now, GO to a local place where people gather in your community and MAKE ONE. Start today. Not tomorrow. We're not promised tomorrow. There is no excuse for any believer to not have non-believing friends. I cannot emphasize this enough. 

2. He desires that we grow in Him, understanding more of His grace and the knowledge of Him. Jesus is less concerned with you "enduring" this world until you finally make it to His presence and more concerned with revealing His presence in this very day.  Jesus asked the Father to send the Spirit, and we "know Him for He dwells with us and will be in us." (John 14:17) How have you paused to notice His presence and grow in your knowledge of how incredible our God is today?

3. He desires that we encourage others to realize His presence. Jesus is less concerned with you filling your schedule to the brim with good Christian activities, and more concerned with you intentionally investing specifically in a few people. He requires mercy before sacrifice, people before projects. After being "strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus," we are to entrust all that we learn of Jesus to others who will be able to in turn "teach others also." (2 Timothy 2:1-2)

As I am sitting here writing this, I am listening to a random playlist of instrumental music. Just as I begin to wonder how I am to conclude this, an all-too-familiar (my favorite) and loved Christmas song, "Joy to the World", starts playing in my ears. I cannot help but smile, friends. We sing these words at Christmas with gusto, but perhaps we need to sing them today, right in the middle of August. Will you allow yourself to take them to heart? 

 Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Will you place yourself out in the world and proclaim His love, truth, and grace despite the curse? The Curse's greatest desire is for you to sit still passively waiting, BUT "thanks be to God Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore, my friends, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord, your labor is not in vain." (I Cor. 15:57-58)

We weren't meant to simply wait, but to wait AND watch. Watch it, Church!