God's Last Words

“GOD IS WATCHING”
MARK 13: 24-37  NRSV

Children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Christian school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. Someone had written a note and placed it next to the apples. It read, "Take only one, God is watching."

Moving through the line, to the other end of the table, was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. One little boy wrote his own note and snuck it next to the cookies, "Take all you want, God is watching the apples."

Have you ever had a job, a task, or a mission to watch something, and then react to it? Or been in a situation where you were being watched?

As a new recruit in Boot Camp I was terrorized by failing to know any of the “general orders” of a sentry as we stood watches. Drill instructors or officers would jump out and ask us: “What is your (number) order of a sentry?”

The Navy version had 11 and here are the first five of them:

1. To take charge of this post and all government property in view.

2. To walk my post in a military manner, keeping always on the alert, and observing everything that takes place within sight or hearing.
3. To report all violations of orders I am instructed to enforce.
4. To repeat all calls from posts more distant from the guard house than my own.
5. To quit my post only when properly relieved.

You get the idea. In the military watchers are expected to perform certain functions and do their duty appropriately. It’s a serious business that can literally be life and death.

In our namby-pamby easy world of today we have been spoiled in that our faith and beliefs are rarely challenged, tested, or even matter. People sometimes get mad when asked for an opinion. But those days are over. In today’s world what you believe, and how you live, matters. You (and I) do need to be watchful and careful of, in the words of that Children’s song, what our hands, our feet, and our eyes see.

Listen to MARK 13: 24-37 –  "But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and glory.

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. "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near.

So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.

It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch.

Therefore, keep awake--for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake."

Jesus clearly wants us to keep aware of what’s going on around us. We are to keep awake – we must be watchful. In the military it is understood you may be executed if you fall asleep on duty. If you fall asleep as a Christian the danger is that others perish because you didn’t stay awake.

1 Peter 3: 15 commands us as Christians to always be ready to give a defense of our faith to those outside the church, and Jude 3 calls us to defend it within the Church.

I tell you that Jude had to have been aware of Peter’s proclamation because his book seems to be an extension of Peter’s Second Epistle on the false teachers who were beginning to come into the church.

Paul and Jude tell us we are to watch and JUDGE those inside and outside the church by standards set by Jesus. Jesus said: “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged.” (Matthew 7: 2).

If you judge something by the word of God you must be willing to be judged by the same standard. Jesus repeatedly taught men to judge rightly, insisting they “judge with righteous judgment” (John 7: 24) and He praised a man who “rightly judged” (Luke 7: 43).

We are to be watchful of those around us and on guard at all times.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “He who is spiritual judges all things” for “we have the mind of Christ” (1Corinthians 2: 15-16). We are never to judge the eternal destiny of someone, but we are commanded to judge their teachings and examples.

When a teaching or practice does not line up with God’s Word, Titus 1: 9 says we are commanded “by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.”

We are told to “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” (2 Timothy. 4:2).

Ephesians 5: 11 also tells us “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (show them for what they really are) them.”

In Isaiah 21:6 it says “Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he sees.”  The watchman was the first line of defense of a fortified city. They stood on the watchtower and were trained to spot the enemies of Israel and would warn of an approaching enemy. Watchman in Hebrew is opeh, meaning “one who looks out, spies, watches.” Today we’d call them those who consume information and read and search to discern society.

Watchmen are under the conviction of the Holy Spirit and will become guilty if they do not say something. Just as Ezekiel was the watchman for Israel God has his watchmen for the church.

Today’s watchmen who are warning the church, standing for the truth, having  become the target for all kinds of attacks. Those who exercise discernment make themselves more of a target to be attacked more than any other ministry because they are contending with the truth against the falsehood that is so prevalent today.

Sometimes people don’t know a good thing until they really need it. To be on watch is be viewed as problematic and disruptive. In today’s world to obey the negative biblical commands of Christ are unloving-To carefully test things by the Bible is unloving-To warn of false gospels is unloving-To mark and avoid false teachers is mean-spirited and unloving.

A pastor and the Elders are responsible for teaching the truth in their own church, and they need to know the condition of their flock. Like shepherding a literal sheep flock requires vigilance and a sharp eye for danger (not to mention an occasional correcting guidance for grazing in a bad pasture), some pastors haven’t taken seriously the call to be watchmen.

Why. God’s word doesn’t change but human desires to change it abound.

More watchmen are needed today not less. Why? God’s Word has been given.

Jude says that God’s word has been delivered unto the saints, and that means “once for all,” that it is completed. He is referencing the apostles teaching, that we now all share as believers. This confirms the finality of the revelation of God in Christ.

If we are in the faith we are implored to use it. But this is not to be done in a contentious way. 2 Timothy 2: 23-26 says “But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”

We are to strive lawfully, so that we do not disqualify ourselves or give the unbeliever or believer something to point to; we are to testify without ruining our testimony. That no one would have anything to say about our character, but only about the truth that we presented about Jesus. We are not to revile nor seek vengeance, but use the judgment from the word of God not judge by our feelings or own opinions.

In the same way, the church has been harmed today and has been taken over by lukewarm faith that allows and tolerates everything. Did you know that the church has never been harmed from the outside.

Persecution caused it to grow by leaps and bounds. Today we are witnessing the destruction of the church from the inside-it's an inside job. It’s always been those from the inside.

Last week the National Cathedral allowed Islamic prayer in its chapel. It was on the 100th anniversary of the Caliphate of the Ottoman Empire.

 

Why would a church body allow that unless they had no real faith in scripture and Jesus Christ? Only one person, one member challenged it – and she was not so gently ushered out the side door – of her own family church of which she has been a member for many years!

Jesus knew the weakness of the Church - Christ was betrayed from the inside, not from the outside. One of His own betrayed Him over to His nation. His nation betrayed Him over to the Romans, and the Romans: brought Him to the cross.

The church is being betrayed today by the ones who, have gotten: in by that same side door faithful Christians are being tossed through.

Today’s ecumenical unity is based on finding and maintaining our lowest common denominator, not interested in pursuit of our highest calling and purpose. When we sacrifice truth for unity no disagreement is found because there is no Biblical standard upheld to agree on.

Grechen Machen stated, “We are told that our theological differences will disappear if we just get down on our knees together in prayer. Well, I can only say about that kind of prayer, which is indifferent to the question whether the gospel is true or false, that it is not Christian prayer; it is bowing down in the house of Mammon. God save us from it!”

Our core beliefs must be upheld. Not all things are considered serious but some are, some battles are worth fighting over. Those who say they don’t believe what their church doctrine and policy say yet remain are just as guilty as they who swear to it.

Some say don’t judge. But that’s the problem - we do not have enough judgment, and this is why the church is in the state it is in. Hebrews 5: 13-14 says: “For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. ”

We are to maintain a constant watchfulness, as though we are in warfare; because we are in spiritual warfare. Solomon’s guidance: “Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.” (Proverbs 19:27).

Listen carefully: Solomon says to walk away from those who teach error. Paul does, John does and so does Jesus. God’s Word tells us to judge and put away, separate ourselves from false teachers and false teaching when they appear in our midst. It is for our spiritual survival.

The Times-Reporter of New Philadelphia, Ohio, reported in September, 1985 a celebration of a New Orleans municipal pool. The party around the pool was held to celebrate the first summer in memory without a drowning at the New Orleans city pool. In honor of the occasion, 200 people gathered, including 100 certified lifeguards.who choose to party and not do their duty and keep watch.

As the party was breaking up and the four lifeguards on duty began to clear the pool, they found a fully dressed body in the deep end. They tried to revive Jerome Moody, 31, but it was too late. He had drowned surrounded by lifeguards celebrating their successful season.

To me this is the metaphor that describes our mainline churches today. They are celebrating while some are dying. Do not be fooled – God is watching. Amen