Sunday November 29, 2020
Welcome …This is the first Sunday of Advent. Our theme this Advent season is, ”Love came down at Christmas “. Our message this week is from Mark 13. I invite you to read the entire chapter. But due to our time limitations I would like you to read with me these final verses. 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!’ “ This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. A couple of pastors from local churches, who had just attended a communications seminar, were standing by the side of the road holding up signs. The Baptist pastor’s sign read, “The End is Near!” The Presbyterian pastor, on the other side of the road, held up a sign which read, “Turn before it’s too late!” They planned to hold up their signs to each passing car. “Get a job,” The first driver yelled at them when he saw the sign. The second driver, immediately behind the first, yelled, “Leave us alone you religious freaks!” Shortly, from around the curve, the two clergy heard screeching tires and a splash followed by more screeching tires and another splash. The Baptist pastor looked over to the other and said, “Do you think we should try a different sign?” The Presbyterian pastor responded thoughtfully, “Perhaps our signs ought to say simply ‘Bridge Out.’ This, the first Sunday of Advent, we light the candle of Hope. I would encourage you to read the entire 13th chapter of Mark. Because I don’t want you to be like the drivers I told about in my opening story.
Like Paul when he wrote to the Corinthians in 1Corinthians 15:33;”Do not be misled”, or in 15:34 where he writes,” for there are some who are ignorant of God.” In my preparation this week, I found one commentary writer who describes this chapter by writing; ”Mark 13 warns readers against attempts at constructing timetables and deciphering signs of the second coming. Disciples are advised to be alert and watchful , for neither they nor even Jesus knows the time of the end. Disciples are not to be led astray by even the most obvious signs, for the end is not yet.
Discipleship is not fulfilled by predicting future events but by faithfulness in the present, especially in trials, adversity, and suffering. In other words, the 13th chapter Mark was not given to promote discussions on prophetic timetables but to give us Hope and stimulate right living for God in a world where he is largely ignored. We are to Watch! Our message this morning, I’ve titled. “STANDING WATCH” Jesus tells his disciples and us how to live as we are, ”STANDING WATCH “. How to have Hope, while we wait on His return. Here’s a quick synopsis. (1)” Do not be alarmed” We are not to be misled by confusing claims or speculative interpretations of what will happen (13:5,6). (2) ” Be on your guard” We should not be afraid to tell people about Christ, despite what they say or do to us (13:9-11). (3) “ Stand firm” We must not be surprised by persecution (13:13). (4) We must have Hope (13:26-27).” Men will see the son of man coming in the clouds”, “ he will send his angels and gather his elect”. (5) “Be alert!” We must be waiting on His return (13:28-34). (6) “Watch!” We must be watching for His return (13:35-37). Today I thought first we need to know what it means to, HOPE, to WAIT ON and to WATCH. So according to Webster’s dictionary here are their definitions. Hope 1. A desire of some good, accompanied with at least a slight expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is obtainable. 2. Confidence in a future event. So, what is the Hope that we should have? According to the Bible the prophet Joel writes, “The Lord will be the hope of his people” (Joel 3:16 KJV). To wait on, 1 : to remain stationary in readiness or expectation 2 : to pause for another to catch up 3 : to look forward expectantly 4 : to hold back expectantly 5 : to serve 6 : to be ready and available Jesus definition to wait on is to; “Be alert!” We must be waiting on His return (13:28-34). Watch according to Webster is to… 1. Observe over a period of time. 2. Attendance without sleep. 3. Attention; close observation. 4. Guard; vigilance for keeping or protecting against danger. Jesus’ final instruction was in Mark was ”Watch!”(13:37) Keep watch Jesus tells His disciples,(13:35). “Standing watch! ”This is not an easy task. I know this because when I joined the Navy, they sent me to Boot Camp. Their I spent 9 weeks learning how to stand watch. So, I thought I should share with you what I’ve learned. Here are some of the rules to “standing watch” that sailors learn. 1. Get Rest For day watches, take a short twenty-minute nap within an hour of your watch. This will keep you alert for several hours. If you have a late-night watch that extends into the early morning hours, hit the bed early to be well rested for watch. They didn’t promote this often while I was in boot camp. So as recruits we trained our bodies and our minds how to take advantage of the times when we could sleep. Seeing that deer season is here, I will use this example, to help you better relate to this. DEER CAMP Four guys were at a deer camp. No one wanted to room with Rocky because he snored so badly. They decided it wasn’t fair to make one of them stay with him the whole time, so they voted to take turns. The first guy slept with Rocky and comes to breakfast the next morning with his hair a mess and his eyes all bloodshot said, “Man, what happened to you?” He said, “Rocky snored so loudly, I just sat up and watched him all night.” The next night it was a different guy’s turn. In the morning, same thing, hair all standing up, eyes all bloodshot. They said, “Man, what happened to you? You look awful!” He said, “Man, that Rocky shakes the roof with his snoring. I watched him all night.” The third night was Fred’s turn. Fred was a tanned, older cowboy… a man’s man. The next morning, he came to breakfast bright-eyed and bushy tailed. “Good morning!” he said. They couldn’t believe it. They said, “Man, what happened?” He said, “Well, we got ready for bed. I went and tucked Rocky into bed, patted him on the butt, and kissed him good night. Rocky sat up and watched me all night.” We laugh at this story, but do you get the point. It’s not easy to get rest when so many things are happening around us, in our world today. 2. Wear the Right Gear There’s a saying that I heard one time that goes something like this: “There’s no such thing as bad weather…only bad clothes”. Indeed, I believe that hits it right on the head. Prepare yourself for the weather in the future so that you are ready if and when that weather arrives aboard the boat. Few environments are as dynamic as the sea. Even in mid-summer, a nighttime ocean watch can become quite cool or a squall can bring high winds and buckets of rain. Keep your foul weather gear close at hand to stay dry and comfortable. In boot camp we spent a lot of time learning how to care for our clothes. How to fold and stow, so they were in good condition and proper place. At the ready in case of bad weather. With daily inspections and consequences if they were not in order. Bad weather is always a consistent danger aboard ship, so having the right gear to wear was of the utmost importance.
Paul tells us to “Wear the right gear” in Ephesians 6:11;” Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Paul definitely knew what to wear while ,”STANDING WATCH “. 3.Follow the Skipper’s SOP Most skippers have standard operating procedures that tell you when to keep the log (once an hour or once per watch), when to wake him or her, and safety procedures on watch. Alert the skipper if you are in doubt or have a question that affects the safety of the crew. Jesus left us with the SOP ‘s. His Standard operating procedures, and we find them in His word, the Bible. In our reading this morning he reminds his disciples with a story of a man who leaves his servants in charge. (13:34) “Each with his assigned task,”. To follow his SOP‘s, in other words to do the Lords will.
Reminds me of the story of the pastor who was out sitting on his porch and thinking about the unpredictability of life. At any moment one’s life could change, and so one should live every moment looking to God. As the preacher sat there, his neighbor passed by leading his horse. The preacher called out, “What are you doing with your horse?” The man answered, “I’m going into town to sell it.” The pastor said, “You ought to say that you are going to sell it if it be the Lord’s will.” The man said, “What does this have to do with the Lord’s will? This is a good, healthy horse and it’ll be sold before you know it.” The pastor said, “Have you forgotten that God is watching you? You need to put everything in God’s hands in order for it to work out. You should say, ‘If it be the Lord’s will.”” The man said, “This is my horse and I have raised it specifically to be sold. I’ve even gotten a buyer for it. The Lord’s will won’t change anything.” Later that day the neighbor passed by the preacher’s house again. He was covered in dirt, his clothes were ripped to pieces, and he was sore from one end to the other. The astonished preacher asked what had happened. The man said, “Well, I talked to you for so long that I was late for my appointment with my buyer. To get there on time, I took a short cut across a corn field owned by a cross old buzzard. Well, he saw me tramping through his field and he started shooting at my horse. The horse panicked and fell over on top of me, then it kicked me in the eye. Trying to get out from under the horse, I tore my clothes all to pieces. I ran from that old man and his gun and ran smack dab into a barbed wire fence. That’s what happened to me.” The pastor asked, “Well, where are you going now?” The man answered, “Well, I’m going home now if it be the Lord’s will.”
Follow His SOP‘s, do the Lord’s will! So how do we know His will as we, keep watch, stand watch? As a sailor were taught to… 4. Scan the Horizon Use binoculars to scan 360 degrees around the horizon. On a black night, the horizon can be tough to find. Look just beneath the lowest layer of stars. Scan just above the line of the horizon. Studies have shown that this technique helps you pick out hard-to-see objects in low light conditions. As his disciples we “scan the horizon” through prayer and meditation on His word. Paul in his first letter for Timothy writes,” For everything God created is good, and nothing to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer” (1Timothy 4:4,5). Then, like any sailor knows we need to… 5. Check the Course It’s easy to forget about the course if you’re on autopilot. Those silent crewmembers do tend to wander sometimes like a sailor with one-too-many rum punches! Check the compass course every 30 minutes to make sure you stay on the sailing course. But if we are “STANDIND WATCH “for Christ ,Paul tells us to “check our course” to check our compass to;” Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God‘s will for you in Christ Jesus.”(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) So, the last rule to ”STANDING WATCH “is… 6. Pass on Your Knowledge Before you go below, give your relief an easy-to-remember summary. Has the wind shifted? What speed are you making good? Have you sighted any vessels and where are they now?
What weather can he or she expect on watch? Keep it simple and clear. As we begin this Advent season is your Hope the Lord? As Joel writes, “The Lord will be the hope of his people” (Joel 3:16 KJV). Are you “STANDING WATCH “as Jesus commands? Remember He’s coming! Don’t be alarmed. Be on your guard. Stand firm. Have hope. Be alert. Watch for his return ! So, if we are standing watch, we will see how that Love Came Down at Christmas.
Standing watch.
In His Service,
Pastor Joe
Listen To Audio: Sermon 20201129
Listen to Audio: Service 11292020
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Pastor Joe is available at the church every Thursday from 2 to 4p.m. If you wish to speak with him, his contact numbers are: 570-465-7303 or his cell 570-267-4570.
The Loose change (coins & bills) offering today goes to the local food bank.
Sunday School begins at 8:30. All are welcome.
Thursday Dec. 3 at 9:30, Ladies will meet to get candy and cards ready for the folks at Barnes Kasson nursing home. Bring candy and cards for them. If you have extra Christmas cards and want to donate them to Meadow View so patients can send out cards to loved ones, please bring those too.
Thursday Dec. 10, 11:00 a.m. Ladies Christmas luncheon, catered by Kendra and Dave Darrow. Don’t forget to bring your Secret Sister gift.
Worship team – Bring cookies on Dec. 10th to be packed for the 13th.
BILL’s Kids for Christmas Mission: Rev. Bill Townsend was the Director of Spiritual Life at the Children’s Home in Binghamton. Our congregation has been donating money for many years to help to make Christmas more merry for the residents; until Sunday, November 29. TODAY
The Worship Services for the Advent Season have been planned. A Christmas Eve Service will take place at 7pm. Ushers will be used to escort people to a pew. They will try to keep families together. People will wear a mask as they enter the Church and go to a pew. Pews will be marked off as to where to sit for social distancing. When the pews are full people will be escorted to the community building where they can watch the Christmas Eve Service on the TV. Mask will be worn and social distancing will take place while in the community building. Those who wish to stay in the parking lot can do so and listen to the service on 89.5 FM radio. The candle lighting will take place by the congregation. Candles will be available for those in the community building. People will be asked to hold something in back of the candle flame as they blow it out. It could be their hand, the hymnal or a bulletin. They could also use their fingers to distinguish the flame. Ushers will escort people from the Church when the service is over. Candles will be collected as they leave.
Winter Months – Session discussed the procedures the congregation will follow during the winter months. People will enter and leave the Church by the front door. Mask must be worn as they enter and go to a pew. Mask must be worn when they leave the Church. Pastor Joe will stand near the pulpit when the service is finished to speak to people before they leave. He will not stand by the front door. Session is asking that people do not congregate in the vestibule or loiter for a long time in the sanctuary when they leave. Hand sanitizer will be located by the front door for people to use.
If you are in the parking lot, PLEASE TUNE YOUR RADIO TO 89.5 FM TO HEAR THE MORNING SERVICE.
Please check your mailbox in the vestibule
