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"So You Also Must Be Ready"
December 2, 2001 Rev. Gary LeTourneau
In the past week the New York Times had an article entitled "Apocalyptic theology revitalized by the attacks"--and of course, that's the 9-11 attacks. The article is several columns, but it says that at Christian bookstores across the nation titles on biblical prophecy, both fiction and nonfiction, have flown off the shelves in the last two months. A recent survey of 500 bookstores found that the number of nonfiction books about prophecy sold in the eight weeks after September 11th had increased by 71% from the previous eight weeks. The novel Desecration by Tim LaHaye in the "Left Behind" series made its debut last week at the top of the New York Times bestseller list. That's not just of Christian books--that's of all books. The initial printing of Desecration was 2.97 million copies. We could round that to three million. They had to print some more to fill the demand before Christmas.
Thinking about this, I realized that this morning's sermon--every year at Advent, the text on the first Sunday of the Advent season fits right in with the times. There is perhaps now in the United States the greatest interest in the "end times," the apocalypse, that we've ever seen. And so it does us well in the first Sunday of Advent to revisit and renew our understanding of what Jesus Himself said about his own second coming.
I scooted around on the Internet a little bit to do some preparation. I found a web page with a "rapture index." This is really right there on the web! I'll give you the address afterwards, if you'd like. It is an index that factors together a number of related end time components into one cohesive indicator. It has about 45 different things. You could say the "rapture index" is a Dow Jones Industrial average of end time, prophetic activity. Then it actually tells you that if the rapture index is 85 and lower, there's slow prophetic activity. If it's 85 to 110, there's moderate prophetic activity; 110 to 145, heavy prophetic activity. Above 145, fasten your seatbelt! The highest ever recorded was on September 24th--182 (up in the "fasten your seatbelt" range). The lowest ever, 57 on December 12th of 1993. This weekend, the current reading is 175.
I have to make a confession: I have not read any of the nine novels in the "Left Behind" series. I know many of you have and have profited from them. I have not. Prior to that series, I did not read any of the novels in the "This Present Darkness" series by Frank Peretti. I know many of you have. I did not. Jumping back a few years before that, I missed the title 88 Reasons Why Jesus Christ is Coming Back in 1988. I also missed the next year's followup, 89 Reasons Why Jesus is Coming Back in 1989! I didn't need to miss the 1990 revision, because they ran out of steam by then! But I have to go all the way back to The Late Great Planet Earth, written by Hal Lindsay, which I read and at the time found very helpful back in the late '60s or early '70s when I was in high school. I remember very distinctly reading The Late Great Planet Earth. He talks about the gathering of the ten nations to the north and that he believed that was Europe which would come together in some kind of common market. The very day that I read that passage, in the news it talked about the enabling principal treaty agreement to become the European Common Market. I put the book down and I thought, "He's right! It's going to happen any time now!" And here we are, 30 years later, and it hasn't happened yet. And so I take great comfort in the words of Jesus, which I want to be sure you hear, Matthew 24, verse 36:
That's what Jesus said about speculating about the end times. I know that the authors of the "Left Behind" series are Christians. I know they are sincere in their belief, I know the material is biblical, and I know that many of you have read it to your profit. But I do want you to know that that whole genre of literature which I cataloged, climaxing now in the "Left Behind" series, is all premised on a particular interpretation of the end times which includes the thought that when Jesus comes back, He's going to come back not once, but two times. The first time He comes back is for what's called the "rapture" of the Church. "Rapture" is a word that doesn't appear in the Bible, but this theology assumes that Jesus will come back, will take out of the world the Church--the faithful Church. Everyone else will be left behind. And then will come a time when there's an incredible battle between good and evil--terrible suffering. People will have a second chance to come around and accept Jesus, and then at the conclusion of history, Jesus will come back for the second half of the second coming, when it's all over.
Now, that may be right. I'm not prepared to say I know it's wrong, because I agree with what Jesus says: "of that day and hour no one knows." And I'd put myself as the first on the list. I don't know! But let me just caution you that the Church of Jesus Christ got along for almost 1900 years without ever understanding that Jesus would come back twice. And when you read the New Testament passages, it appears to be a lot simpler than that.
Let me read, for instance, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, beginning in verse 13. The Thessalonian church was one which was really caught up in speculating about the end times. They were convinced it was going to happen any minute--so much so that people in the church quit their jobs just to prepare themselves so they didn't have any worldly obligations or concerns and they were ready to meet the Lord. After a while, they ran out of food (because He hadn't come back yet). And they got hungry and they came to the church and said, "Look, we're the faithful ones. We really believe Jesus is coming back. Now it's up to you, church, to feed us." And when you read First Thessalonians, you understand why Paul was so blunt in saying, in his advice to that church, "Those who will not work," [Do you know what he said?] "let them not eat." Now, he wasn't talking about the poor who can't work. He was talking about Christians who had abandoned everything in the world because they believed Jesus was coming back quickly. So Paul writes his understanding of the coming of the Lord, First Thessalonians 4:13.
Did you hear two comings? Did you hear a rapture of the Church separated by a period of a thousand years (or any period)? When the New Testament authors write about the coming of the Lord, they do so in a spirit of simplicity and they do so in a spirit of confidence and encouragement. Paul says, "I write these things so you can be encouraged." You're believers in Jesus Christ. You recognize His first coming in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. He's your Lord and your Savior. He lives with you and He lives in you. You need fear nothing about the future. Your Lord has it in His complete and total control and He holds you dearly to Himself. I believe that's what the New Testament would have us believe about the second coming.
Now, four quick observations so you don't misunderstand me. The Bible is clear: There is to be a second coming. This world is not the only world that is. There is another Kingdom that is inbreaking on this world and Jesus will come back and, by whatever means it happens, this world will come to an end and the Kingdom of Heaven will be fully inaugurated. And it will happen when Jesus comes back.
Second, whenever the New Testament speaks of the second coming of the Lord, it does so with language which speaks to its suddenness and surprise. Jesus Himself used the example of those in the time of Noah, who thought that the world was going to go on forever and went about their ordinary activities, not knowing that once the rain came, it would be over. And they were surprised. So Jesus says, "Be ready. Be watchful." That's a biblical theme.
Third: Every time the second coming is spoken of, it includes an element that this will be the time of final judgment--that the Lord Himself, our Savior, will come as Judge. Let me caution you, encourage you: The same Jesus who is our Savior, the same Jesus who is our Friend, will also be Judge of the world. We need have no fear in the second coming of the Lord.
The fourth observation or conclusion for me--I really agree with Jesus: "Of that day and of that hour, no one knows." And you know what? When you look back through history, every single prediction of the coming of Christ was wrong, wasn't it? We're still here. As a matter of fact, you go all the way back to the first coming of Jesus Christ and the experts got that wrong! Nobody believed that the Messiah was going to come and be born in a barn! They missed it. My hunch is, when Jesus comes back, we'll all be scratching our heads and saying, "Wow! We had no idea!" Because Jesus said, "Of that day and hour, no one knows."
What are we to do because of the second coming? I want you to open your Bibles to that New Testament text, page 28 of the New Testament. Jesus says:
What does He mean by being ready? Very quickly, Jesus follows talking about the second coming with four parables which describe the readiness which we are to exhibit. We're not going to read all four parables, but I'm going to highlight them. The first parable is of the faithful (or the unfaithful) slave. Verse 46 is the theme--this is chapter 24, verse 46 of Matthew: "Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives." How will we be ready? By working. By going about the business of life that God has given us.
Second, the parable of the ten bridesmaids. This is the parable in which five bridesmaids carry and supply themselves with extra oil; five do not. The bridegroom suddenly appears. Those without oil are without. Verse 13 of chapter 25 is the theme: "Keep awake, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour." It could come any time. So be ready.
The next parable--the parable of the talents. You all know this. Some are given five, one is given two, another is given one. And the one who had five talents invested them well and made five more and his master said to him in verse 21, "Well done, good and trustworthy slave. You have been trustworthy in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master." What's the conclusion? Be busy by profitably employing for the Kingdom all the talents, all the resources that God has given you.
The last one--the judgment of the nations. When the Son of Man comes the world will be divided into sheep and goats. The difference is that the sheep are those who fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited prisoners in jail. And the King Himself--Jesus--says that what you did, you did to me. And the people say, "Well, Lord, when did we feed you, or welcome you, or clothe you?" And verse 40: "The King will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, so you did it to me.' " What would you conclude? Jesus says, "Be ready." And you "be ready" by working by working faithfully, be watchful and alert, feed the hungry, clothe the poor. Be ready by simply living out the faith that God has given you. William Barclay caught it perfectly in just one sentence: "The best way to prepare for the coming of Christ is never to forget the presence of Christ."
Jesus has come once--in the baby born in Bethlehem. Although physically He left the world, He sent His Spirit who is present inside each believer. What do you do with your life, knowing that the God of the universe is present with you by His Holy Spirit? Do those things and you'll be ready for the second coming.
Another way I've heard it put: "What would you do if you knew for a fact that Jesus was going to come back at 3 o'clock this afternoon?" If you knew for a fact He was coming at 3 this afternoon, are there things you've put off? Are there things you've let go? Are there relationships you'd like to tend to if you knew for a fact you were going to be facing the God of the universe at 3 o'clock this afternoon? Be ready by doing those things.
At the same time, "What if you knew for a fact Jesus would not come back for 100 years?" What would you do for the world and for your community, which your children and your children's children will inherit, knowing that Jesus won't come back until long after you've left the earth? Do those things.
Be ready to face Him this afternoon at 3. Be ready for Jesus not to come back for 100 years. I think then we'd have the biblical balance.
We have the opportunity now in our worship to welcome Jesus and to meet Him as He meets us at the table of the Lord Jesus Christ. When we gather around the table, it is said that we Christians look in at least four directions. We look first back to the cross and to what Jesus did for us in His first coming. We also look forward to His second coming, and what He will do for us and for the world then--and so we live in an in-between time. We look up to God and we say, "Thank you, God, for what you've given us and what you've done for us." And then we look sideways, around the room, and we recognize Jesus in the body of Christ, in the people seated here, and we welcome His presence with us. When we come to the Lord's table, we do so expecting to meet Jesus Christ.
Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your promise that this world, with its suffering and evil, is coming to an end. And that one day you will come as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, that you will wipe away every tear, that you will bring your light into the darkness. And thank you, Lord, for the confidence we have that because we know you, we need fear nothing in the future. We thank you for your promise to meet us and we invite you now to join with us at the table. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Rev. Gary LeTourneau Senior Pastor Faith Presbyterian Church Minnetonka, Minnesota
[Transcribed from an audiotape of the 9:00 a.m. worship service on December 2, 2001] |
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