Ready, Set, Wait

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ACU’s Graduate Chapel, November 8, 2017

Ready, Set, Wait (Mt. 25:1-13)

Every generation believes Christ will come again in their lifetime. On October 2, 1982, many waited for Christ’s return on a mountain. They had sold their lands, quit their jobs, and traveled to the site hoping for the clouds to part. I didn’t hold much stock in the predictions. Instead, I got married on that day hoping for a full-life right here on earth. Every generation, there are some who believe Christ will come in our lifetime and some who will go about their daily business. Our generation is no exception. I believe it is natural for me to expect Jesus to come at any time. The sooner the better — Come Lord Jesus! But each generation to date has had to deal with the problem in the delay in the second coming. Even the NT gives evidence of a belief that Christians had that he would come soon. There was wavering on the part of some because of the delay.

  • 2 Pet. 3:3-4 “First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, `Where is this coming he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”
  • Every generation waits — Where is this coming? Some ask hopefully. Some ask scoffing.
  • It was the same in the days of Noah. The people scoffed at Noah for building an Ark. Rain? Flood? Where is this rain you have promised? Even though he warned them for 120 years, they would not prepare themselves for the unforeseeable. How could anyone predict? Weather Watch News First Action News 12 with up to the date weather information had no warning. The Weather Channel did not predict it. The old coot down the road with his divining rod had no clue. So why do you get prepared just because Noah says so? And they were unprepared when the waters engulfed the world. Noah believed it! But most asked, “Where is this coming?”
  • Every generation believes Christ will come again in their lifetime. And like every generation, we wait.

So it was in the parable that Jesus told about the ten maidens who waited on the bridegroom.

  • These maidens were waiting for the bridegroom to return when the unexpected happened — the bridegroom was delayed. No phone, no text message, all they could do was wait. And they waited. And five maidens ran out of oil.
  • The last instructions given to the bride’s maids said, “Be on time for when they close the doors, no one will open them again.” And the wedding started on time and ended exactly 30 minutes later. But that’s not always the case.
  • Flat tire, Groomsman late, the preacher got sick, …Being prepared for all foreseeable problems, but what about the unpredictable catastrophes? Your motto might be, “Be Prepared.” But sometimes we are caught with our pants down.
  • Both wise and foolish virgins doze, no praise or blame attaches to either group for this. There is no point in seeing hidden meanings in the oil or sleep. The sole distinction between the two groups is this: the wise bring not only oil in their lamps but an extra supply in separate jars, while the foolish bring no extra oil. The foolish expect to meet the groom, but are unprepared for his delay. The wise virgins cannot share their oil for that would cancel their own preparedness. The unexpected happened. Those not allowed in is the rejection of those who, despite appearances, never made preparation for the coming of the kingdom.

And we wait. Christians have been waiting for 2000 years. Maybe Jesus will return tomorrow, maybe another 2000 years. So we wait.

MEANWHILE–

  • Spouse is unfaithful
  • The doctor says cancer
  • A church leader disappoints
  • The church closes its doors after 99 years of service. Stories are shared of the good times and the disappointments. They waited, but the natural life cycle of a church kicked in, just as it has many times in 2000 years.
  • God is silent
  • The list is endless of the unexpected calamities that might come while we are waiting: financial, physical, social, and theological.
  • So we wait.

Imagine with me a city street where various people stand unemployed on the corner while others asking for handouts, selling drugs, fighting, or peeking out a jail cell crowd the sidewalk. On the other side of the street is a church. On any given Sunday, after the breaking of the bread, folks flow out of the church and begin to interact with the other side of the street. One intervenes in a domestic dispute. Another assists an addict into a hospital. A Bible school class lays head to toe in front of a bulldozer about to destroy low-cost housing. Still others bring bags of groceries to those who are hungry. Can you imagine the scene? And can you see Jesus as he bends down with arms spread wide to gather up everything and everyone who is waiting?

So we wait …

On any given Sunday, after the breaking of the bread …

we wait by …

…Watching

…Fulfilling our responsibilities

…Preparing for the unexpected

…And Thankfully, we wait with each other with our lamps trimmed and our oil ready. Amen.