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 “Ready, or Not”
1 Corinthians 1:3-9, Mark 13:24-37
November 27, 2005 (1^st Sunday of Advent)
The Rev. Kong Namkung

Today is the first Sunday of Advent.  The word “advent” means “coming.”  Jesus is coming!  We will the birth of Jesus and his coming for the next four weeks. The scripture says, “Two women will grind a mill one will be taken and the other will be remained.”  What would you do if Jesus comes for the next 28 days?  

September 11, 2004, more than 3,000 people died.  As a result of the Tsunami in Indonesia, on December 26, 2004, more than 168,000 people lost their lives.  And in 2005 we experienced Hurricane Katrina, the Earthquake in Singapore, and a deadly Tornado in Indiana. All these national and international disasters caused the loss of countless lives, vast destructions, and total devastation.  Most of these just happened without warning.  I wonder if people would have responded any differently if people would recognize warning.  Our first response might be heartily “Yes.”  However, what about the people in Louisiana who knew the hurricane coming, but did they not prepare?  They had same opportunity as others.  Unfortunately, there were those who if they had financial resources would have left, but there were many who were financially able to leave, but they were not prepared for the storm.  Perhaps some felt that the hurricane would not be as devastated as it was.  Perhaps some were so attached to material things; they did not want to leave them behind.  The point is many had been warned that the storm was coming and for some reasons they did not prepare for its coming. 

Today’s scripture lesson tells us that Jesus, who died and rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, will come back and we must prepare for his coming. 

I.                  Jesus will come back

1. Natural symptoms (Mk 13:14-15)

“The sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, the stars will be falling from heaven, the power in heavens will be shaken.” I am thankful to God because the end of the world, the second coming of Jesus Christ shows in the nature.  We can see it, feel it, and recognize it.  God always reveals what God will do to His people. 

2. Coming with great power and glory (Mk13:26)

“The Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.”  Have you ever thought about how much power Jesus’ coming with?  Yes.  It is Great power.  It is more than the power which divides Red Sea and dries it up completely.  It is more than the healing power that heals all sicknesses and diseases, and brokenness of all human beings.  It is more than the power that break all of our sins and transgressions.  With that power Jesus will count what you and I had done to the rich and the poor, adults and children, powerful people and less influential.

3. Gathering His elect from the four winds (v 27)

“He will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds.” All God’s people will be gathered together in the presence of God from the east to the west and from the south to the north beyond the colors of skins, languages, and cultures. All of us will be gathered and “every knees shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord.” 

4. Suddenly (v36) “he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly.”

A new preacher had just begun his sermon.  He was a little nervous, and about ten minutes into the talk his mind went blank.  He remember what they had taught him in seminary to do when a situation like this would arise- repeat your last point.  Often this would help you remember what was coming net.  So he thought he would give it a try. “Behold, I come quickly,” he said, still his mind was blank.  He thought he would try it again, “Behold I come quickly.”  Still nothing he tried it one more time with such force that he fell forward, knocking the pulpit to one side, tripping over a flowerpot, and falling into the lap of a little old lady in the front row.  The young preacher apologized and tried to explain what happened. “That’s all right.  Young man, it was my fault.  I should have gotten out of the way.  You told me three times that you are coming.”  Like this young preacher, Jesus will come back to us suddenly and we need to hear what the scripture says about his coming and prepare for his coming. 

5. Days like days of Noah (Matthew 24:37)

“For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.  For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark. And they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man.” I believe that there was raining before God destroyed the flood. However, the raining of the flood was different.  Some people might think that it was a simple raining and expected to stop soon, but it rained 40 days and nights.  First few days, maybe first few weeks, people drank and ate as usual.  But when they saw the water came up higher than their angels, knees, and waist. And then it quickly swallowed houses.  It happened suddenly.  You never know how suddenly Jesus comes.  Prepare for it!

6. Leviticus 11:44, “Be holy, because I am holy.”

II. Our responsibility

1.     Realize and believe His coming (v 28) 

“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.” Again, there will be many signs before Jesus comes back.  Read Matthew 24. 

2.     Believe God’s faithfulness (V 31)

“heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” 

1 Peter 1:24, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass, the grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures forever.”  There are some people who think that there is no second coming of Jesus Christ.  They said, “The scripture was written 2,000 years ago, but it has not had fulfilled yet.  So I do not believe His coming when I am alive.  Maybe he comes after I die, who cares?”  They justify their evil desires instead of spiritual preparing for Jesus’ returning and discourage what we believe and what we hope for. They encourage the believers to follow their evil desires.

2 peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but it patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.”

3.     Do not figure out the day or hour (V32)

The question is not “if Jesus will return?” but “when will He return?”  “About that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”  Do not be a Joseph Smith, who told people the end of the world and collected all their possessions and formed a religious group, Mormon.  The Son of Man will come next week, or this week, maybe at an hour.  We do not know what we know about his coming is we do not know. Do not ask anyone about the end of the world. 

How do we live in constant anticipation of the Lord’s coming?  How do we live as if the Lord might come today? 

4.      Keep alert (V 33) “’Keep awake, keep awake.”

Whenever we are expecting an important even we spend a lot of time and energy preparing of it.  For example, when we are expecting a child, we buy clothes, crib, diapers, blanket, pillow, painting baby’s room, and so on.  Then we sit down and wait until the baby arrives. We prepare for His coming.

     Keep alert!  A Roman soldier would be put to death for falling asleep on his watch because the outcome could be just as fatal for the person but the whole soldiers who were depending upon him.  So keep alert for yourself and for other Christians.

5.     Have the conviction that our citizenship in heaven (v34)

Live like a heavenly citizen, think like a heavenly citizen, and act like a heavenly citizen. 

2 Peter 3:11, “What sort of persons ought you to be in leading livers of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God.”

1 Peter 4:7, “The end of all things is near.  Therefore, be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers.  Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.  Be hospital to one another without complaining.”

I want to invite you to take time right now to confess your sins, to ask God for forgiveness, ask God to give you the spirit of reconciliation, to ask God to give up ungodly and unholy life and to live godly and holy life. 

Good News: Jesus Christ will also strengthen you to the day, so that you may be blames on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  (1Corinthians 1:8) 

My beloved, brothers and sisters, unlike those killed and injured in the Twin Tower attack, and those killed and lost everything that they had by the recent Tsunami in Indonesia, and those who caught off guard by the recent earthquake in Singapore and tornado in Indiana we have been warned.  The question is how will be heed the warning?  Will we prepare ourselves like those who heeded the warning for the Hurricane Katrina?  Or will we ignore the warning, refuse to prepare ourselves and try to ride out the storm?   Unlike with the recent hurricanes, when the Lord comes, there will no survivors who do not heed the warning.  One of my favorite Christian songs is “Soon and very soon.  We are going to see the King.”

The year before last year, on the way back home from the trip to Korea I was on the plane from Atlanta, Georgia to Fayetteville.  One lady sat beside me.  She and I began to talk to each other.  She married a solider about little over one year ago.  After she married, as soon as they came back from their honeymoon, her husband was deployed to Korea for one year.  She went back her home town and was on the way to come back to Fayetteville her home.  She showed me his picture from his purse.  She was very excited to come back to her own home and the city of Fayetteville. Above all, I read her face that had a dazzling smile and excitement because she identifies herself as a bride and her husband as a bridegroom.  She was going to see him face to face soon. 

You wonder sometimes why Christians live as they do and make the choices they make.  They are on their way to see their bridegroom, yet they go right out and live in the world as thought it made no effect in their life at all.  Why do people live they way they live in the light of the fact that Jesus is coming again.  This is the blessed hoper and we are going to see him.

Joseph Bayly said, “God’s people should plan for a voyage of a thousand years, but be prepared to abandon ship tonight.”  Ready or not Jesus is coming!  Ready or not He is coming.  Ready or not!   Ready …… or not, HE IS COMING!  READY, OR NOT!

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1 Corinthians 1:3-9

3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way — in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— 6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
NIV

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Mark 13:24-37

24 "But in those days, following that distress,
"'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'
26 "At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 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.
28 "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. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. 30 I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
32 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 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.
35 "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. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'"
NIV

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