Stay Awake

32 “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33  Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. 34  It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35  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— 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

            - Mark 13:32-36

We have all heard this worldwide rumor that the world is going to end on December 21, 2012. It is something that is entirely based on guesses and error-filled human hogwash. The world is not going to end on December 21, 2012. This passage makes it very clear that no one knows when Jesus will return. The angels don’t know. Even Jesus didn’t know. Only the Father knows when that day or that hour will come. Jesus tells us to stay awake and to keep our eyes open. “It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake.” Jesus has returned to his Father and he has left us, his servants, in charge. Each of us with our own work to do.

The warning Jesus gives at the end ought to terrify us. “…lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.” Stay awake! Do you want Jesus to find you lying around asleep and not doing the work that he left you to do? We have all had our parents or our boss leave us with a job to do while they were away. No matter how big or small it is, we know that there will be consequences if we don’t get it done. We know this because we have all been on the receiving end of the not so pleasant response to our laziness. What gives us the right to think Jesus will be any different? Jesus has left us with work to do. He has left his church with work to do. And we’re the big lazy inanimate kid who is sitting around watching TV and falling asleep instead of getting off our comfortable couch with our comfortable friends in our comfortable house and doing the work that Jesus has left for us.

Take initiative. Own your faith. Do the work that he has left for you wherever you are. Wake up! And stay awake! Lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.

God Reclaiming

There is no doubt that God's work is being accomplished throughout the world. Just this week I've heard crazy stories that would shock your view of God's work through Christianity all over the globe. 5,000 churches have planted in Cuba in the past few years. There are over 100 million believers in China now...there were only 1 million Chinese believers 50 years ago. Reports estimate that between 20,000 and 25,000 people are becoming Christians every day in Eastern Asia. The Brazilian protestant church has gone from 27 million to 59 million in the past 10 years and is expected to exceed 100 million in the next 10 years. Thousands are being baptized weekly in Middle Eastern countries that heavily persecute Christians.

Crazy things are happening around the world. There is no stopping the overwhelming and unfathomable power of God.  Millions of people are coming to know Christ in the face of persecution. Missionaries are being sent out by the thousands like never before. The worldwide church is exploding in way that the world has never seen. God is at work in this world. God is moving. God is reclaiming this earth.

One thing that is important to keep in mind is that none of this is because of us. None of this is because of you or me or anyone else. Yes, those who are obedient and faithful to God's calling are spreading the Good News, but only through the power of God. The explosions that we are seeing have not started with us but with God's divine authority. God's work in this world and his plan will come to be exactly how he wants it to with or without our help. People from all over the world are seeing Jesus in their dreams and he is beckoning them to himself. They know nothing of Christianity and have never met a Christian before, and yet Jesus is appearing to them. God doesn't need us to accomplish his works.

As Christians, we have been called to be obedient to Christ's calling. We have been called to go and make disciples. We have been sent out by Jesus. Our calling is to be obedient and faithful to the commands that he has given us through his Word. What you have to decide is if you are going to be a part of the wonderful works of God. Whether you are going to be a part of his kingdom coming to this earth. Whether you are going to be obedient and serve in whatever way he has called you to. Seek his calling and know that when you are bold, faithful, and obedient, God will use you and allow you to share in his glorious reclaiming and redemption of this world.

Overemotionalization

A common trend facing the Christian church today is the overemotionalization of Christianity. Many people think that having emotions and feelings is what Christianity is all about. Christian songwriters are pumping song after song filled with nothing more than emotional rambling about a mushy gushy sort of love that someone feels for God. Now I must not speak too harshly. As human beings, we are emotional; and created that way by God. Emotions are tricky things and we have a hard time mastering them the way that we should. Emotion is a good thing. Anger, fear, contentment…these are all good things at certain times. However, any emotion taken to the extreme becomes harmful. In the case of Christianity and spirituality, emotions are dangerous.

Watchman Nee said:

Emotion is what believers mistake most for spirituality…Christians whose tendency is emotional in character habitually crave sensation in their lives. They desire to sense the presence of God in their hearts; they yearn to feel a love-fire burning. They want to feel elated, to be uplifted in spiritual life…. True, spiritual believers sometimes do have such sensations, yet their progress and joy are not contingent upon these.

Spiritual growth and true joy are not rooted in emotions. The overemotionalization of American Christianity is causing people to fall face flat in a broken Christianity. It is placing an emphasis where it ought not be placed. It would be like saying a relationship with ones spouse ought to be doused in emotion first and foremost. No! Emotions are important, but they are not the defining factor in a relationship of any kind! Especially with God! It is teaching us that God is someone with whom we are supposed to fall in mushy gushy love. Well guess what, God already loves you and that is not going to change. Just like any relationship, it is not always emotional. It is not always happy-go-lucky on top of the world smiley I’m so in love with Jesus. Real relationships take work. They take thought. They take discipline. Emotions are no doubt an essential and valuable part of any relationship. Feeling love for God is one of the most basic things that Christians are called to. And through this love for God, we begin to love other people. I am not undermining the value of love. Love is the most priceless thing in the universe. However, emotion does not equal love. 

Don’t let your emotions rule you. Don’t mistake your emotions for spiritual growth or joy. Don’t underestimate the value of spiritual thought and intellectual growth. Have emotions but don’t let them define your Christianity and your relationship with God. Let your commitment, compassion, love and desire to serve be the foundation of your relationship with God.