This evening, I invite you to turn with me to Mark 13. Mark 13, we will read the chapter considering the last few verses, verses 32 through 37, which in my Bible, the heading says, The Day and the Hour Unknown. And the editor's note before verse 1 says, The signs of the end of the age, a portion of Scripture that is considered in Matthew and in Luke as well. Matthew just about says most of what Mark says. Luke, there are some variations as far as what is covered by all three, but all three do cover some of the same material. It's obvious that our Lord Jesus Christ spoke much on this topic and that the apostles, for their own purposes, for their own audiences, included what they had included. So we'll read together the entire chapter of Mark 13, considering the last number of verses. Before we do so, let's bow together, asking our God's blessing upon His Word tonight. Father, we do come before You as servants, but servants who are weak, servants who are needy, servants who are not able to understand anything that You have to say on our own. servants, children of Yours who depend wholly and completely upon Your Holy Spirit. And we thank You, Father, for Your Word. We thank You for the blessing of it. We might consider it even this evening hour. And we pray that by Your Spirit You would open our hearts and minds in a particular way that we might see the wonderful truths that You have hidden here to be revealed to Your people. And strengthen and bless us, O Lord, and bless not only the reading, with the preaching and the hearing of Your Word and help us again by Your Spirit to apply it to our hearts and lives as only You can do. We ask that You would hear us for Jesus' sake and in His name we pray. Amen. Mark 13. Hear now the Word of God. As He was leaving the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, Look, Teacher, what massive stones, what magnificent buildings. Do you see all these great buildings? replied Jesus. Not one stone here will be left on another. Every one will be thrown down. As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, tell us when will these things happen and what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled? Jesus said to them, watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in My name claiming I am He and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me, you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the Gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given to you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. Brother will betray brother to death, and to father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of Me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you see the abomination that causes desolation standing where it does not belong, let the reader understand. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers. Pray that this will not take place in winter because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning. When God created the world, until now, and never be equaled again. If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect whom He has chosen, He has shortened them. At that time, 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 appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect, if that were possible. So be on your guard. I have told you everything ahead of time. But in those days, following that distress, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. The stars will fall from the sky and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time, men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And He will send His angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens. Now learn this lesson from the fig tree. As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near right at the door. I tell you the truth. This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. And now the words of our text. No one knows about that day or hour. 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. It's like a man going away. He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his 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. There ends the reading of God's holy word. Beloved in Christ the Lord, when the cat is away, the mice will play. Of course, we know that that's a catchy way of describing, for example, what happens when mom and dad are either not looking or when mom and dad are away and the children bend the household rules a little bit or when a teacher leaves the classroom for a few minutes and the time that is meant for quietly doing an assignment becomes a time of talking and of goofing off, a time of chaos among the students or when the boss is away for the afternoon and liberties are taken by the employees at work. When the cat is away, the mice will play. Really, it's describing when the authority figure is absent and those who are under that authority figure become careless. Yet sometimes the cat returns when the mice least expect it. And they get caught off guard. And there is trouble. Jesus was getting ready to go to the cross to suffer hellish agony and punishment for sin. The time was near. It was right around the corner. He was beginning to feel its weight. He could, as it were, see the shadow of the cross approaching. But first, He teaches about His second coming to judge the living and the dead. He teaches about His second coming for which no one could prepare apart from His saving work on the cross. His disciples asked for signs of when these things, the passage says, would happen. And these things includes the destruction of the temple which took place a matter of years later in 70 A.D., which itself was a sign and pointed forward to the final judgment that is to come. Listen to how Matthew records it in Matthew 24, verse 3. As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. Tell us, they said, when this, meaning the destruction of the temple, the toppling over of all those stones, tell us when this will happen and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age. Our Lord had been prophesying, as it were, of a number of things in the future. Some that would happen fairly soon in the future, only a matter of years but also pointing to his coming again at the end of the age as someone has described it kind of like looking at at mountain peaks and you see them from a distance and it's hard to tell at the time which one is in front of the other one the second one might be a long distance from the first one but you kind of see them together and we see that throughout mark chapter 13 as we read it that he is he is pointing forward at different times in different ways to both that time of turmoil in 70 A.D., but also pointing to the end of the age and the terrible tribulation to come. And indeed, Jesus gives signs of things that will take place before His return. He will physically go away, boys and girls, as we know. And He will physically come back again. And He talks about the signs, but in a sense, He teaches don't get too caught up in the signs themselves. Don't let your guard down. Don't play in a way that is unbecoming of the kingdom citizen. Instead, always be ready for the second coming of Christ. Always be ready. First of all, waiting. Verse 32 says again, no one knows about that day or hour, Not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Always be ready, waiting. Waiting, we might say, for the known. What day or hour is He talking about? Well, in verse 26, He says, At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. He's talking about the day or hour of Christ's return. What we do know, you see, is that Jesus is coming back. That's not even the question, is it? It is certain that He is coming back. And as Matthew records it, it will be visible like the lightning seen all throughout the sky. It will be with the sound of the trumpet. It will be with an entourage of angels. And it will be with signs. Yet except for the signs of the darkened sun and moon and the falling stars, which it seems will happen as He comes with great glory and power. The other signs, which we know have been consistent all throughout history ever since the ascension and even before. But those signs that have taken place all throughout history, earthquakes, wars, famines, natural disasters, and the like, these are all reminders to believers as well as warnings to unbelievers, not of the actual time of His return, but of the certainty of Christ's return. Even as we wait for the unknown. We know that He's coming again. But we don't know the actual time. We don't know the year or the month or the day or the hour or the moment. It is unknown, as Jesus says, to the angels. The angels who stand in a very close relationship with God as the beginning of Isaiah chapter 6 points out, singing holy, holy, holy to the Lord God of hosts. The angels whom we know will be active in the events of the second coming. They will gather the nations together. They will then separate the wheat from the weeds, the sheep from the goats, believers from unbelievers. But they don't know when that will be. And it is unknown to the Son Himself. Now that one we may have a hard time comprehending after all. He is God. Yet I believe that we are to understand, I agree with those who say we are to understand Jesus here to be talking about the limitation of His humanity. As Paul says, He emptied Himself. He emptied Himself by taking on that human nature with certain limitations with regard to the human nature. Indeed, as God in His divinity, the Son knew all things. But in His humiliation as man, as someone has suggested, He used His divine attributes in a restrictive way. Only insofar as to accomplish His mediatorial work even as He walked this earth. And I believe we see that when we think about the death of Jesus' dear friend Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha. From a distance, as God, from a distance, He could say in truth to His disciples, Lazarus has died. But once they arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus, He says to Martha, where have they laid Him? As a man, He did not know where they had laid Him. The time is unknown to the angels. It is unknown to the Son and His humanity. It is unknown to you and me, but it is not unknown to the Father alone who knows when the Gospel will have reached all the nations. And therefore, beloved, we are to thank God for the uncertain time of this certain event. In order to keep believers, in order to keep you and me in an attitude, in a posture of expectation, of anticipation, of I can't wait. Boys and girls and young people, just like sometimes when you look for a special relative or a special friend that you haven't seen for some time to arrive, you know they're coming sometime. You don't know exactly when, but you can't wait. You are expecting it. You're looking forward to it. You maybe even look down the street once in a while. You see, beloved, if we would know the time because of the sin that we struggle with, we might be tempted to put it on our calendar or to record it on our Palm Pilot and not think about it until the date comes near. And we would be tempted to become lazy in our walk with the Lord thinking, I've got plenty of time. I can enjoy the sinful pleasures of this life. I don't have to worry about these things right now. But instead, Jesus says we are to always be ready, waiting. And in the second place, watching. Watching with careful attention. Verse 33 says, Be on guard. Be alert. You do not know when that time will come. Watching with careful attention to danger. To danger. Indeed, we are to be watching for and anticipating the Lord's return, but not to the point of ignoring what's going on around us. Four times in this chapter, Jesus says, watch out or be on your guard. It's the same Greek term. We find it in v. 5, 9, 23, and 33. And the idea behind that term there, that phrase, is to beware, to pay attention, to take heed. And it implies contemplating, thinking about. It implies comprehending, understanding. But what? Some might say, be on guard, be alert for Christ's return. And indeed, in a sense, that's true. But that's not what these verses are talking about. Be on guard, be alert. These verses point out that which would distract us. That which would deceive us. That which would take our hearts and minds off of Jesus Christ and off of our relationship with Him and off of His return. Guard oneself, Jesus is saying, against the carelessness of not paying attention to the dangers that threaten our faith. Guard by being alert. It means be sleepless. Be wide awake. Simply paying attention against danger or potential threats. When I think of being alert here, I think of driving in the middle of the night through the Rocky Mountains, for example, with all the curves and really things that are unknown and all you can see is what your headlights show ahead of you. When we have done that on occasion, I find myself fighting the hardest to be fully awake. Drink a soda, eat a snack, whatever I have to do, but I have to be fully alert for whatever surprise may come out, whatever curve may be up ahead. Jesus is saying, be alert. Have your eyes wide open against anything that would cause us to forget Christ or to forget His second coming and to turn our attention and our hearts to the things of this world and away from the day of His coming to judge the living and the dead. Be on guard. Be alert so that nothing would capture our attention or remove our thoughts and desires from Him and His return or cause us as God's people to compromise the Christian life saying, well, I don't need to be ready now. You see, I have plenty of time. Or to compromise the truth to water down the truth of the Word of God. For example, saying, well, there are many ways to be saved. Or all that's important is that I do my part and then I'll be fine. Or to say, well, I do not have to believe the truth of the virgin birth or the resurrection. So many have watered down the truth of the Word of God that they no longer believe the truth. And therefore, they are not ready. Watching with careful attention, but also without careless speculation. You do not know, Jesus says, when that time will come. In a sense, looking His disciples in the eyes saying, you have no idea. You really don't. Watching without careless speculation of fixing a date. Many have attempted throughout history to fix a date, Even one in our own generation, we know, Harold Camping, 1994. A number of years ago already. And I believe if I remember right, he's fixed another date. I don't remember if it's 2011 sometime or 2012, but another date. The careless speculation of fixing a date is foolishness. It is arrogance. As one commentator says, many have tried to know more concerning the end and its exact date than Jesus knew in His humiliation. That careless speculation with its temptation. A temptation to misuse the signs. You see, sometimes we too think about war and unrest and natural disasters that seem to intensify in our short lifespans. And we say, well, it's got to be getting close. I read somewhere that already the first 300 years, somewhere after the start of the early New Testament church, there was a war in every year. There were 300 wars. Notice again what Jesus says beginning at verse 5. Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in My name claiming I am He and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. These are reminders of the truth of His Word, which mean that Jesus was telling the truth. He is coming, but the time is unknown. Yet still, these signs are a temptation for some to sound the alarm. And that's not wrong in and of itself. But for some to say, well, I'd better start getting serious about my Christian walk because all these things are happening, but in two or five or ten years when He hasn't returned, then they begin to doubt Him. We are to understand, beloved, the command of Jesus is that we are to take this faith. We are to take His coming seriously now. Not just when a massive earthquake hits, but every single moment, even in times with the absence of wars and famines and hostility. Always be ready for the second coming. In the third place, working. Of course, not working to make ourselves acceptable to God, but doing the work that Christ has called us to do as believers in this world. Working in preparation for Christ's return. He says it very beautifully with this little parable. It's like a man going away. He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his 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. When I say to you, I say to everyone, watch, working. in preparation for Christ's return, working with diligence while Jesus is away. You see, He expects His believers to behave like believers. Not to play with the fire of sin and temptation or the attractions of the world. Not to blend in with the wicked of the world. Not to live as if Jesus is out of sight and therefore out of mind. Listen to the warning that Matthew gives at the end of chapter 24. Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom the Master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Doing what Christ has called him to do. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, My master is staying away a long time, and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him, and at an hour he is not aware of, he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. A warning against engaging in a lifestyle, in a life that is contrary to the Christian lifestyle. That is different from what our faith professes. Working in preparation for Christ's return with diligence, working with knowledge and assurance that our Redeemer lives. And therefore, living this life as repentant, as believing people, distinctively different than the world, demonstrating faith in Jesus Christ, delighting in obedience to Him, and diligently participating in prayer. Praying that God by His Holy Spirit would equip us more and more to be on guard, to be alert, to see the temptations of the evil one. Diligently participating in the spreading and the promoting of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all things, living as if He were already here. He's at the threshold, remember? And as we said this morning, we live every moment in the presence of God. Working in preparation for Christ's return. Working with expectation of Christ's return. Anticipation, again, that I-can't-wait excitement. Even though the time is unexpected. Even though it will be sudden. Matthew and Luke point out the unexpectedness and suddenness of it by pointing back to Noah and how suddenly the floodwaters came, the storms came, and how it took those outside of the ark completely by surprise. Mark points to the suddenness and the unexpectedness of Christ's return by talking about the four three-hour watch periods in the middle of the night. When a guard would guard for three hours, then another would take his place all throughout the night. You see, ordinarily, company doesn't arrive in the middle of the night, do they? We don't expect them in the middle of the night. Jesus teaches that He will come when He is least expected. And like that doorkeeper who is to be ready at any time to greet and welcome the Master so that the Master finds everything as He expected. Those who wait for the Lord Jesus Christ with expectation, empowered and equipped by Him, doing His will as He has called us to do, they will be ready. They will not be surprised. They will not be caught off guard. But what a warning for sleepers. For those who are spiritually negligent. For those who are unbelieving. Just like the five foolish virgins in another parable, with no oil, they will miss out. Those five foolish virgins didn't make it into the wedding banquet. They missed out. Boys and girls, you know that when you fall asleep, for example, during your favorite TV show, you miss it. It's done. When we're sleeping, we miss whatever is going on all around us. Jesus Christ is coming again at a time when we don't know. He will come suddenly. And for those who are sleeping, that is for those who are unbelieving, it will be too late. Just like those who were on the outside of the ark when the waters came quickly, there will be no second chance. And that is why every single earthquake, every single flood, every single tornado, every single war, and things like it, is a reminder to you and me. And a call to the unbelieving that He is coming. Make ready. So many today live as if there is no rush. Maybe some of you are. Living as if there is no rush, No big hurry. I've got lots of time to think about religion or the faith. Later on, right now, I'm just going to enjoy life. And what you're saying is I'm going to enjoy the sinful pleasures of this life. Who says? Who says there's no rush? Who says there's no big hurry? We've probably all known of those who lost their lives suddenly in a car accident or something of that nature. some here remember Reverend Eric Fenema URC minister in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada a year and a half or two years ago his last sermon that he preached was on these words no one knows the day or the hour his last sermon he did not know that a few short days later the Lord would call him home by way of a massive heart attack beloved, who says who says there's no rush I came across an old fable it's kind of different but please allow me to read it it's about three apprentice devils talking to Satan the first one said I will tell people there is no God Satan replied that will not fool many because they know there is a God the second devil said I will tell them there is no hell Satan said you will never fool many that way because they know there is a hell. The third said, I will tell people there is no hurry. Satan said, go. And you will ruin millions. If you are here tonight and you are sleeping, I plead with you in Jesus' name, wake up. Because it is only by faith in Him that you and I, by His grace, will be ready for His second coming. If you do not believe and you really don't care at this point, you're going through the motions, but deep down inside you know that you had better hope against hope that it's not today that Jesus comes again. Because without this readiness, you are not fit for death. You are not fit for judgment. You are not fit for eternity. You are not ready to meet any of those things because it will be hell. And so I plead with you, do not live another moment apart from Jesus. Receive Him into your heart. Give your life to Him. Give your life to Him alone who saves us from the judgment that is coming. You see, that is why Jesus went to the cross. That is why it is so sweet to trust in Jesus. By His cross, only through His work on the cross, beloved, can you or I or anyone be made ready for His coming. Those who believe, those who trust in His finished work alone will be ready for death, for judgment, for eternity, secure in Him. As God's people praise God that we will not be surprised or caught off guard when He comes for us, either by death or on the clouds of glory, because its terror is gone. Its joy is forever. We cannot consider words like this without some sort of self-examination, asking ourselves, for example, are we looking for the Savior's return? Actively looking. Do we long for His appearing? Do we want it? Can we say with sincerity, Come, Lord Jesus. Do we live as if we expect Christ to come again, maybe even today? Are we anxious and excited for it? Beloved, the greatest joy the child of God looks forward to is Jesus Christ coming again. Is that your joy? There is only one way to be ready for Christ's second coming. Believing in Him by the grace of God. Embracing Him and His perfect, complete work by faith. And then it won't matter, you see, if He comes today or tomorrow or next year or at midnight or at breakfast time because you'll be ready. He guarantees it. Amen. Let's pray together. Father, we pray that You would take away our short-sightedness. We pray that You would take away the blinders that often cover our eyes that we only see today. And we don't think about tomorrow. We don't think about eternity. Indeed, You call us to be responsible Christians in this life, to go about the tasks and duties You have given to us, but to do so in a way, Lord, that anticipates, expects, looks forward to Jesus Christ coming again. Indeed, we thank You for this life. This life during which You have brought us to faith in Jesus Christ. And especially we praise Your name for the life to come when we will be with You forever, uninterrupted, with no sin or sorrow or shame, no Satan to get in the way. That day when we will praise and worship You and live with You forever and ever. To God be the glory. Amen.