Sermons

Thank you, Luke. Good morning, Trinity. It is so good to be here with you all this morning. I do apologize in advance that you have to listen to another preacher from California. I know there's been an invasion of us in this pulpit lately, but just take comfort. Remember, there's hope. Change is coming. Soon you will be graced every week with that alluring accent of the one and only Andrew Curry.

I don't think it's quite the same for Americans going over there as it will be for Andrew coming over here. But we are so excited for Andrew to come and to minister here. Andrew's been such a great friend, and it really is a joy to be here this morning. It's been so encouraging these last six or seven years to follow Trinity from afar, and just so amazing to see God's faithfulness to y'all. We're so excited for this new chapter that God has for your church.

And as Luke just mentioned, I do want to publicly thank you as a church. I know several teams have gone over to minister at Hope and to other congregations in Ireland, and your prayers, your involvement, your support are so needed over there. So, we praise God for this congregation, and we look forward to continuing to partner with you all in the months and years ahead.

Well, take your Bibles and turn with me to the gospel of Luke. We're pressing on this morning in our study of Luke's account of Jesus's life and ministry. And our text for this morning is Luke chapter 12, verses 35 through 40. And I've titled our sermon for this morning, “How The Wise Wait.” “How The Wise Wait.” Luke chapter 12, beginning in verse 35. I encourage you to follow along as I read the text.

Luke writes this, quoting Jesus. Jesus says, “stay dressed for action. Keep your lamps burning. And be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch or in the third and finds them awake, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

[Prayer] Father, we ask now for understanding by the power of your Spirit. Open our eyes, open our hearts to the instruction that we need this morning from these six verses. Use your word to mold our minds, conform our conduct, and sanctify our souls. For our good and for your glory, we ask in Jesus' name, amen. [End]

Well, I've only met a very few of you in this room, but I'm quite confident that I could tell almost everyone in this room something about themselves. I'm pretty confident that there is something that I know about just about everyone here today. And you know what it is? It's this. We don't like to wait. We don't like to wait. I've never met a person in my life who says, I love waiting, it's the best. If you hear someone say that, no shot, you're gonna believe them, right? No one likes to wait, no one. It goes against the natural inclination of our hearts.

You've probably heard that saying, “all good things come to those who wait.” There's some debate on the origin of that statement, but most people credit it to a 19th century poet who went by the pen name Violet Fane. But the way we've actually modernized that quote takes it out of context. We've sermonized it into this pithy proverb about how waiting is always going to be worthwhile. That waiting is always going to produce a positive result. Well, Violet Fane, the writer of that, didn't actually quite share our optimism. She was more pessimistic. Listen to the quote in context. It's just a really brief poem. She says, “all good things come to those who wait. I say these words to make me glad,” now catch this, “but something answers, soft and sad. They come, but often too late.”

No one likes to wait. I mean, entire companies and industries are built around that fact. Fast food, same-day delivery, instant messaging, binge-releasing versus weekly episodes. I read that the average attention span for humans today is eight seconds. Goldfish have us beat with an average of nine seconds. That gives me so much confidence preaching to you this morning, a 50-minute sermon. Not only do we dislike waiting, but we're almost incapable of waiting in this society. And how did I read that? Well, one simple click and search on Google. 48 million results in 0.36 seconds. No wait necessary.

While waiting at the airport for our plane to board on Friday, I watched a toddler standing in line with his mom. He was literally probably only three years old. And after 15 seconds in line, I watched this whole thing take place, 15 seconds in line, he looks up to his mom and goes, mom, this is taking forever. Even toddlers don't like to wait. Now, you can be godly about waiting, but I bet you still don't enjoy it.

Take Friday night, for example. We land in Dallas and a sweet couple from Trinity, Michael and Michelle Stone, graciously arranged to take us out to dinner. We're running late by the time we leave the rental car lot, so I text him and say, “hey, so sorry, but we're gonna be about 20 minutes late.” “No problem,” he responds, “we'll see you soon.” Well, Sarah, my wife, enters the restaurant into our Maps app and asks me for confirmation. “It's Cafe Brazil on Central Expressway, correct?” “Yeah, that's it.” 20 minutes later, we walk into the restaurant, no Michael, no Michelle. Apparently, there are two Cafe Brazils on Central Expressway. And I told Sarah the wrong one.

Would you please pray for my wife? She has to deal with me just in another state. Can you imagine what it's gonna be like in a whole nother country? I called Michael, explained the situation and the bad news that we're going to be another 20 minutes late. That they were so gracious and so kind about it, but I'm sure they still didn't enjoy the wait.

I don't know what you're waiting for this morning, Trinity Bible Church. Maybe it's something wonderful. Marriage, the birth of a child, a new job, retirement, a new car, a new home, or just simply that overdue vacation. Or maybe you're waiting for something that's worrisome, an upcoming review at work, the phone call from the doctor this week with the diagnosis, the uncertainty of a wayward child, or just simply how you're gonna come up with next month's rent.

Waiting despite our disdain for it; it's an inevitable part of life. It really is a daily part of life. And here's why that's important. Here's why I'm belaboring this point. We tend to be, as humans, preoccupied by whatever it is we're waiting for. Or let me put it a different way. We're affected today by what we're anticipating tomorrow. You guys tracking with me? We tend to be so absorbed in our thoughts, in our conduct, in our actions, by something that we're waiting for. Which is exactly why these six verses are so important for our lives.

Everybody is waiting for something. But Jesus is asking us through this text, are you waiting for what matters most? Are you waiting for me? Everyone in this world is waiting for something, but this passage informs us how the wise wait, both what they wait for and how they do it. And to see that, we'll divide our text into two sections this morning. We'll first look at “How The Wise Embrace What is Certain.” In verses 35 through 38 the wise embrace what is certain. And second, we'll consider “How The Wise Embrace What is Uncertain.” In verses 39 and 40. How the wise embrace what is uncertain.

Well, let's start in verses 35 through 38 with how the wise embrace what is certain. Remember, we're in a section of Luke where Jesus and his disciples are on a journey, a journey towards Jerusalem. It started all the way back in Luke chapter 9 verse 51, “when the days drew near for Jesus to be taken up, He set His face to Jerusalem.” And the passage we're in is in about a six-month process of Jesus traveling with His disciples, with His followers, to Jerusalem. And Jesus knew what was going to be awaiting Him there. Three times he tells His followers that He's going to suffer, that He's going to be rejected, that He will be killed.

As they journey to Jerusalem, what Jesus is doing is He's preparing His followers for His betrayal, for His trial, for His death on the cross. But He's also preparing His disciples for how to live after His departure. How to be faithful in post-resurrection reality. And that entails not just knowing how to conduct yourself after Jesus' ascension, but it also entails preparing yourself for His return. Which is precisely what these six verses are all about.

Jesus is coming back. And the wise embrace that truth and orient their entire life around that future certainty. Jesus illustrates this very point by using three analogies in verses 35 through 38. The first two come in verse 35, look at it again with me. Verse 35, Jesus says, “stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning.” As He does so frequently, Jesus uses rich metaphors here to communicate His message.

This first metaphor is, “stay dressed for action.” Or maybe your Bible says, “be dressed in readiness.” Or simply, “be prepared.” Literally, the Greek is, “gird up your loins.” This is a word picture that Jesus is using. An echo from the Old Testament. Language that was used during one of Israel's most monumental moments. The Exodus. This is language Jesus is borrowing directly from Exodus 12, verse 11, where God prepared His people for the installation of the Passover. God's about to bring judgment upon Egypt, and Israel must be ready for action. They have to be ready to move at God's command.

They would have welcomed this news with great excitement and great anticipation after 400 years in Egyptian slavery. They were to gird up their loins, to tie up any loose fabric from their long robes and garments that would hinder mobility. I mean, we can imagine this. I know we don't really wear robes today, but imagine someone telling you at your graduation, when you're in your cap and gown, they come up to you and say, “hey, it's time. You gotta go run a marathon.” You're gonna have to make some serious changes to your attire. You're gonna have to tie up your loose garments a little bit to help not be so tied down. And Jesus is using that imagery here to make a point. Not about external clothing, but internal readiness.

Are you alert? Or are you asleep? Do you live in such a way that embraces the ever-present reality that Christ may return at any moment? Trinity, are you prepared for God to usher in His next phase of redemptive history? Have you girded up your loins, or are you just sitting around in slumber?

Jesus continues with another image in this verse. Not only does He say to stay dressed for action, but He also says, “keep your lamps burning.” Scholars have slightly different interpretations of what this may mean, but I think Jesus is continuing to draw upon the Old Testament. Light and lamps appear all throughout the Bible, but this particular language of keeping your lamps burning was found directly in Leviticus chapter 24. There the priests are instructed to keep the seven lamps in the tabernacle burning at all times. This had a practical purpose for them in the tabernacle. This was their only source of light. So, keeping these lamps burning was a source of light for them to do their work.

But it also had a richer, more symbolic meaning for Israel. That light within the tabernacle represented God's continued presence with His people. That persistent flame was a reminder for Israel, especially the priests as they're going about the Lord's work, to always be aware of God's presence, to be set apart at all times. To obey God's word and follow His ways.

There's a book called “The Practice of the Presence of God” written by a French monk named Brother Lawrence. I don't know if I necessarily recommend the book, but the title itself is just so good. “The Practice of the Presence of God.” Seeking to live a life that is always acutely aware of the divine. Of His presence, of His work, of His ways, of His relationship to us and our relationship to Him. Practicing His presence, always being mindful that God is with us. I think that's what Jesus is trying to get at with this metaphor based on Leviticus 24.

And the question for us is, do we live like that? Do we live in light of God's invisible presence now, today, anticipating that one day that His presence will be made visible forever? Do you live like that? You will see Him. All will see Him. And how you live now has eternal implications for when He does return. So, live with alertness, with your loins girded. And live with awareness, mindful of God's presence. Keep your lamps burning.

Third, live with anticipation. With anticipation. Which brings us to verses 36 through 38, where Jesus uses a parable to drive home this point. Look again with me at verse 36. Jesus says, “be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch or in the third and finds them awake, blessed are those servants.”

We could call verse 36 the readiness of the servants, and verses 37 and 38 the reward of the servants. Jesus pictures a group of house servants who are waiting for the return of their master. A master who is away at a wedding feast. First century weddings were very, very different than weddings today. There wasn't a set time when the wedding would necessarily start. Instead, once the preparations were finalized and complete, then the wedding guests would be called to come. And the wedding celebration typically wouldn't just last hours. It would last days, sometimes weeks. Can you imagine that? A three-week wedding?

The point is, these servants would have no idea when their master's gonna come, because they didn't know how long the wedding was gonna go for. Or the master may make additional stops on the way back. They're totally in the dark about when their master's coming home. No cell phones, no emails, no location tracking, nothing. But they are ready. They're anticipating. When the master comes, when he knocks at the door, they will be there to welcome him. Even if it's during the second or third watch of the night, verse 38. That's between the hours of 9 p.m. and 3 a.m., when idleness would be most expected, and when the arrival home would be least anticipated.

But it's what happens next that's absolutely shocking. The reward they are given in these verses here would be so unexpected. When the master returns, he honors his faithful servants for their diligence, for their anticipation. And in doing so, he actually reverses their roles. The servants would be ready upon their master coming home to serve him a meal. But instead, it's the master who serves them. He dresses himself, or literally, it's the same word, he girds himself, same word as verse 35, and has his servants recline at a table for a meal. The faithful servants are no longer treated as servants. They're treated like honored guests. Like family.

Listen to one scholar's insights about ancient mealtime customs. It's a little bit of a long quote, but it's so helpful. It says this: “In the ancient Mediterranean world, mealtime was a social event whose significance far outdistanced the need to satisfy one's hunger. To welcome people at the table had become tantamount to extending them intimacy, solidarity, and acceptance. Table companions were treated as though they were extended family. Sharing food encoded messages about hierarchy, inclusion, and exclusion, boundaries, and crossing boundaries. Who ate with whom, where one sat in relation to whom at the table, such questions as these were charged with social meaning in the time of Jesus and Luke.”

This is the point. The point is, this is no ordinary master here in this parable. This is the kind of master that any servant would long to labor for. This is a gracious master, a kind master, a warm and welcoming, loving master, a very unique master. This is a master just like Jesus. This parable is a portrait of what it is that we as believers anticipate, of how we will be shown grace upon grace upon grace. Christ, the eternal God, the Ruler and Sustainer of the universe, our High Priest, our Mediator, our Lord, our Master, will treat us like friends, like equals.

And Jesus stresses that on numerous occasions all throughout the Bible. There's this repeated imagery of Jesus's followers gathering around a table. And culturally then, that had so much richness, so much meaning. Luke 13:29-30, “and people will come from east and west and from north and south and recline at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

Trinity, do you know your Master, your King, your Lord, like this? Is this how you relate to Him? How much good it will do your soul to meditate on the richness of this truth. We have a seat at the table through Christ. With that in mind, it's understandable why twice in this parable Jesus calls these servants blessed. Once in verse 37, once in verse 38. There's few words biblically that a person would rather be called than blessed. Blessed is a label given to a person who is clearly favored by God regardless of the earthly circumstances of their life. A person who is in right standing with God and everyone around them knows it.

You're blessed, Trinity, if you anticipate Jesus's return with this kind of zeal. You know, I've heard people in the church talk about Jesus' return with mixed emotions, both excitement and hesitancy. I can't wait for Jesus to return, but I'd love for fill-in-the-blank to happen first. Maybe it's marriage, maybe it's kids, retirement, you get the idea. And I'm not judging, I'm sure I've said similar things, or I know if I'm honest, I've at least thought them. But church, we need to regularly remind ourselves at how awesome it will be when Christ returns.

We live in a world, a good world that God has created. A world that evidences His goodness all around us. And God wants us to enjoy those good gifts that He's given us and to thank Him for it. But we shouldn't want this world forever. We might do a good job at ignoring it or pretending it's not so bad, but this life is so full of pain and brokenness and hardship and trials and turmoil. Sin runs rampant everywhere. It wreaks havoc on the world, as does Satan. Even as believers, we bear the consequences of our sin every day.

I'm thankful for this created world, but I want a new one. A world where righteousness reigns. A world where I don't have to fight temptation anymore. A world with no more tears and no more pain, no more sickness, no more death. A world where we will live in perfect harmony with God and each other. We just have to remind ourselves of that more often. And none of that is going to happen until Jesus returns. That's the next part of the redemptive plan. Until our sacrificial master returns, we await.

Don't you want that church? Doesn't your heart long for something better? Again, this is a good world, enjoy it. But there's something far, far greater that is coming. We need to expand our vision and remind ourselves of that truth every day. Are you ready for Jesus to come knocking at your door?

I have a friend who's a missionary in Brazil. And back in 2019, Sarah and I were a part of a team that got to go down and visit with him and see his ministry down there. And I was so convicted by the way that he prays. He would end every single prayer the exact same way. No matter if he was praying for a person, for a meal, or a situation, he always ended his prayers the same way. “Lord Jesus, we ask that You come soon. But if You tarry, keep us faithful all our days. In Jesus' name, amen.” Every prayer. That's how he ended his prayers.

I mean, talk about how to get practical about remembering that Christ's return is imminent. Let's just start praying that way, ending our prayers with a reminder, asking Jesus, Jesus, would you come back? I need that perspective more in my life. I need to live more faithfully in light of what is so certain. It is certain that Jesus is coming back. And the wise embrace that. Be alert, be aware, be in anticipation. No day in your life will be sweeter than the day when you see Jesus face-to-face, and He will welcome you to recline with Him at His table.

Well, not only do the wise wait by embracing what is certain, but they also wait by embracing what is uncertain. Which brings us to verses 39 and 40. Look again with me at verse 39. Jesus continues, He says, “but know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.”

Jesus gives us a fourth analogy here to cement the point into our hearts and into our minds. Once again, a master of a house is involved, but now in completely different circumstances. There's no wedding, there's no servants. It's just a homeowner and an unexpected intruder. We don't know the reason that the master is away in this parable, but that's not important. What matters is he's gone, and the thief looks to take full advantage of his absence.

Homes were obviously constructed very differently 2,000 years ago, but mechanisms were still put in place to prevent robberies. In fact, thieves, in order to break into a home, would often have to cut a hole in the side of a home and enter in through that hole. Regardless, the implication of this parable is clearly stated at the end of verse 39. We don't know how the thief got in, but that doesn't matter. What matters is this, at the end of verse 39, “the master of the home would not have left his house if he knew that the thief was coming.”

If you're a husband here, and responsible for the safety of your wife, your children, there's no way that you would leave your house if you got tipped off that someone was coming to break in tonight, right? There's no way you're leaving your house. You're staying up night. You're guarding the home. You're calling the cops. I mean, we're in Texas. You probably got your own personal armory ready to go. If you know a burglar is coming, you're gonna be prepared.

But the point of this parable is you don't know. You're not aware. It's uncertain if and when this thief is coming. And Jesus connects that image with the nature of His return in verse 40. He says, “you also must be ready. For the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

So, do you see this tension here? What is certain is that Jesus is coming back. But what is uncertain is when He's coming back. Mark 13:32-36, “but concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven or the Son, but only the Father. So be on guard, keep awake, 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 servants in charge, each with his work and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore, stay awake. For you do not know when the master of the house will come in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning, lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you, I say to all, stay awake.”

No one knows the hour. No one knows the time. So, what's the takeaway? How do the wise live in light of the uncertainty of the timing of Jesus's return? Well, I don't think the takeaway is for us to be driven by what we could call newspaper theology, where we obsess over trying to connect the dots between modern events and the pinpointing of the exact timing of Jesus's return. I don't think that's the takeaway. That's futile. It literally goes against what Jesus just said.

I'm not saying be unaware. I'm not saying be ignorant. And we know things are going to go from bad to worse. And there are clear prophecies that we can find in the scriptures. But I'm just saying that's not the takeaway. The takeaway is we need to embrace this tension that Jesus doesn't resolve in this passage. On the one hand, you're confident He's coming back. But on the other, you're not clued in to when that is. We aren't privy to that information.

So, what do we do? Well, the point is clear within the text itself. Jesus gives us the implication at the beginning of verse 40. Five words in English, four in Greek. Here's the takeaway. You also must be ready. Always alert, always aware, always anticipating.

And so, I wanna ask the question, hopefully a question that will help every one of us. What does it look like practically to be ready? What's the portrait of the wise person who has embraced both this tension of certainty and uncertainty? What does that entail practically for our lives? And I have three thoughts, three responses to that question for us this morning. I think three answers that the New Testament as a whole drives home. The answers are these. One, salvation. Two, sanctification. And three, service.

Salvation, sanctification, and service. If you wanna be ready for the return of Christ, the only starting point is by receiving the offer of salvation, an offer only Jesus can give. And I assume that most people here this morning are already following Jesus, that you've turned from your sins and placed your faith in Him alone for salvation. But I also am aware that there are most likely people listening to this message who have yet to obey. Whose hearts are hardened, who are stubborn, living for sin and living for self.

How many more sermons is it going to take? How many more warnings do you need to receive? The point of this passage is clear. Jesus is coming back. Turn from your sin and place your faith in Him. It is the only way you can be ready for His return. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10: “When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with the mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might when He comes on that day to be glorified in His saints and to be marveled at among all those who have believed.”

I don't say that as a scare tactic. I say that only because it's true. That day, that reality is coming. Look to Jesus. Turn from your sin. Grace is available. Forgiveness is possible. Salvation is an offer to all, but it's an offer that will not stand forever. So may today be the day of salvation if you are here this morning and you have yet to bow the knee to Christ.

So, the starting point of being ready is salvation. But then that leads to sanctification. What does it look like to be prepared for Christ's return as believers? Well, it looks like fighting sin and pursuing holiness. There are many passages throughout the New Testament that connect our future hope with our present progression in Christlikeness. Let me just give you a few. You can jot these down. You don't have to turn there. Let me just give you a few and listen to the connections that the New Testament authors make between this future hope and between our present sanctification. There's so many, but I'll just give us three.

1 Peter 1:13-16: “Therefore, preparing your minds for action and being sober-minded, so in the present, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the salvation of Jesus Christ.” That's future. And now he goes back to the present. Peter says, after that, “as obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance. But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct. Since it is written, you shall be holy for I am holy.” Do you guys hear that connection? You hear that connection he's making between our future salvation and our present fighting for holiness?

1 John 3:2-3, “Beloved, we are God's children” now, in the present, now he switches to future, “and what we will be has not yet appeared. But we know that when He appears,” future, “we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.” Back to the present, “and everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies Himself, as He is pure.”

One more, Romans 13, verses 11 through 14. “Besides this,” Paul writes, “you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation,” final salvation, future salvation, “is nearer to us than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand.” Back to the present, present implication. “So then let us now cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. And let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling or jealousy, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.”

This link is all over the New Testament. It's in pretty much every single book of the New Testament. So, the point is clear. May the imminent return of Jesus propel you to live for Jesus. May that future certainty of His return propel you in Christ-likeness today, now, in the present.

Which takes us to the third observation. So, salvation, sanctification, and finally, service. Being ready for Christ's return practically produces service. I don't know if anyone states this better than the Apostle Peter. 1 Peter 4: 7-11. Peter says, “the end of all things is at hand.” So how are we to live knowing that the end of all things is at hand? Well, just keep reading.

“Therefore,” and now watch all this present implication of how we are to serve. “Therefore, be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly,” that's service, “since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality,” service, “to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift,” service, “use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace. Whoever speaks as one who speaks oracles of God, whoever serves as one who serves by the strength that God supplies, in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever, amen.”

I mean, what do the apostles do after Jesus' ascension in Acts chapter one? Jesus ascends into heaven, and the apostles are told that just as Jesus ascended into heaven, so will he return from heaven. But the apostles don't just spend their whole lives staring up at the sky. Oh, they knew that Jesus would return. They were totally confident about that. But that knowledge didn't draw them from the world to just stare up at the sky. That knowledge thrusted them into the world. That knowledge motivated them to serve with all the strength that God supplied them. They preached the gospel. They built up the church. They sacrificed for others.

And that's the kind of people that the world needs today. Be that kind of church in your community, Trinity. Those are the kind of people who are truly ready for Christ to return. If we're honest, at least if I'm honest, I know I fall short of this all the time, more than I care to admit. That's why I need these six verses, right? I don't want to waste my life. It's a vapor. I want to be faithful. I want to be ready. Be saved, be sanctified, and give yourself to service.

You know, I really don't think it's accurate to say all good things come to those who wait. Maybe sometimes that's the case, but not always. Life is far messier than that. Life's a lot more complex than that pithy little statement. But we can take comfort in Lamentations chapter three, verses 25 and 26. “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him, It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” And that was so true then, and it's just as true today.

Nobody likes to wait, but waiting on the Lord is so worthwhile every single time. Trinity, the Son of Man, will come like a thief in the night. Are you ready for Him?

1952, a woman by the name of Florence Chadwick attempted to swim between the Catalina Islands and mainland California. It was a 26-mile journey in total. I could barely swim one lap. 26 miles, that's impressive. But by this point in her career, Chadwick had already gained a lot of success. She was the first woman to swim across the English Channel, both directions. And so actually, this 26-mile swim for her should have been fairly easy on paper. But it turned out far more difficult than she originally anticipated.

Roughly 15 hours into the challenge, again, 15 hours of swimming, 15 hours into the challenge, a thick fog began to settle over the ocean. And it was so dense that it was difficult for her to even see the boats that accompanied her. Exhausted, confused, disoriented, she begged to be taken out of the water. but her mom was in one of the boats and encouraged her to keep going. You're almost there, not much further, just keep swimming. Well, Chadwick swam for another hour, but eventually she would reach her breaking point. She refused to keep going and was pulled aboard one of the boats.

A few minutes later, to her great dismay, she realized she was less than half a mile from shore, but she couldn't see it because of all the fog. She was devastated, understandably, and the next day at a news conference, she said the following to a reporter, “all I could see was the fog. I think if I could have seen the shore, I would have made it.”

And two months went by, and she decided to give it another go. And just like last time, she started off very strong. But then, actually around the exact same mile mark, fog began to settle in again. Maybe you've been to California. Every time our family comes out and visit us, they're like, yes, the beach. We go, and it's foggy most of the time. So, fog starts to settle in, the second attempt of this swim but this time she was ready for it. Engulfed in fog, she still couldn't see the shore. But for the rest of the swim, all she did was visualize the shore. She kept imagining the sight of it. And just a few hours later, she felt the sand beneath her feet. She stood on solid ground, walked out of the water, and reached the beach. She had completed her journey. All because she kept on picturing the shore.

Trinity, this life often leaves us in a fog. It's full of uncertainty, it's full of chaos, calamity, confusion. Often, we just feel like we're in a fog amidst the mess. You can't see the shore, but don't believe the lie that it's not there. It's coming. The end is near. Jesus is coming back. So, get ready. and be prepared. Don't stop visualizing His return.

You don't know when Jesus will return. You don't know when, but you never need to doubt if He will return. He certainly will. So, live a life that embraces this tension of our passage. Will you pray with me?

[Prayer] Father, may that be true of all of us here this morning. May we be alert. May we be aware. May we be anticipating. Give us faith to live each day in such a way that embraces the truth that Jesus is coming back. Save the lost, sanctify the saints, and draw us all into Christ-like service. For Your glory and for our good. Amen. [End]

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