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Urgency of the Hour Session 1: Watch and Pray I. Exploring Jesus’ Neglected Advice: We are so accustomed to thinking about understanding the end times as an optional thing. In this series my hope is that we are able to see that not only is that false, it is quite dangerous to go on not understanding the Biblical storyline of how this age will transition. Jesus didn’t just tell us that we could know it, but He said that we must perceive that we are living in the final generation and then respond in some very specific ways. A. Living in the End: This series will help confirm to us that we are in fact living in the decades that precede His return and give us some insight into what the Bible says that we are to be doing in order make ready for the victory and violence that the final generation will walk through. B. Living Aware: The primary point of this series is that we must become aware of the hour that we are living in and then we must watch and pray as a our life’s response to the revelation that we are living in the final generation. This was a point that Jesus was quite passionate about and that the then the apostles took, further developed, and ingrained this mandate into the New Testament Church. C. Living in Urgency: The signs of the times surround us, it is becoming more and more apparent that we are living in the last generation, the generation that will face the greatest trials that the world has ever known. If it is the case that we are now in the beginning of the end then it is time for the Church to rise up with urgency and live focused lives to make ready for the trials that await us. II. Jesus Said to Watch and Pray: Jesus told us to “watch and pray” as the means to endure and even overcome in the last days. This is a significant principle that the Church really needs to understand and embrace as Jesus repeated gave this same instruction about how to face what is coming. This isn’t currently a popular way to live but it is the only way that the Church will survive what is coming. “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on 1 the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man (Lk. 21:34-36).” A. Jesus Repeatedly Emphasized this Point: This wasn’t a one time thing that Jesus said; He shouted it. This was a repeated theme in the gospels where Jesus spoke about the concept of “watch and pray” over and over again (Mt. 6:9-10, 24:15-20, 24:42-44, 25:1-13; Mk. 13:5, 9, 32-37, 14:37-38; Lk. 18:1-8, 21:8, 36). In His discourse on the signs of the times in Matthew chapter 24 He told His disciples that they were to pay attention to a number of things and that when they saw those things they were to pray specific things; things that we would only know to pray if we were paying attention to the things He told us to watch for. “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand…How dreadful it will be in those days…Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again (Mt. 24:15-20).” B. The Old Testament Prophets Laid Out This Principle: This wasn’t a new idea; while Jesus may have coined the phrase “watch and pray” the prophets had certainly conveyed the idea on many occasions and in many ways. “I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay (Hb. 2:1-3).” “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me (Mi. 7:7).” C. The Apostles Reiterated it Again and Again: After Jesus’ ministry the apostles continued to say the same thing recognizing the importance of the Church being in the right position to receive and respond (Eph. 6:12-18; 1Th. 5:1; 1Pe. 1:13, 4:7). A classic example of this can be found in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, where he tells them that they are in a real war but that they have to be discerning and perceptive in order to fight according to God’s purposes. Then he tells them that to be ready for the end time battle (the day of evil) they will have to be a people who pray and keep praying and who operate in prayer according to the leading of the Holy Spirit. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against…the powers of this dark world…Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then…And pray in the Spirit on all 2 occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people (Eph. 6:12-18).” III. Called to Watch the Signs: If our attention is perked, the first question we should be asking is just what are we to be watching for? If we are supposed to be investing energy in watching and we are to be focused on paying close attention to something; what is that something and how do we know what to look for? The passages where Jesus announces this “watch and pray” concept are in the context of Him announcing the signs of the times; that is the discernable trends and events that would mark the generation that He would return to. These “signs of the times” were proclaimed by Jesus so that we could identity them and so perceive the hour that we are living in. They are the central, though not the only, thing that we are to be watching for. A. Intention of this Series: This series is actually not a study on the signs of the times; we certainly have those but that’s not what we are doing at this time. Our purpose is to draw attention to the fact that there are discernable signs and then alert us to respond accordingly. We will look at some of the signs a little bit in the next session but mostly we want to just become aware of the fact that they are there and that we need to be paying attention. B. You Can’t See What Your Not Looking For: If we are going to be able to discern the signs of the times when they come we have to be familiar enough with them to know what we are looking for. Each of us has a responsibility to know the signs of the times that Jesus told us would come on the planet in the generation before His appearing; He told us to be watching for them. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into (Mt. 24:42-43).” C. The Signs Tell Us that it’s Time: Jesus spoke about these signs coming in a specific season, referring to them as the beginning of birth pains. As time rolls on and things in the world intensify it takes less and less convincing to prove that we are living in the last generation. For those that need it however there is certainly no lack of Bible prophecy unfolding around us that confirms that this is the case. “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains (Mt. 24:4-8).” D. Pay Attention When They Begin: 3 Jesus told us that when the signs of the times begin to take place that we can be certain that He is coming soon. Notice, it’s not after all the signs are fully developed, or after they are completed, it’s when they start. The beginning of the birth pains is a sign that the Church is to be paying close attention now and readying for His coming. “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near (Lk. 21:28).” IV. Called to be People of Prayer: Jesus said watch and pray; the signs of the times are the things that we are to be watching out for but then comes the prayer component. After we see the signs then we are to be rallying together to pray as our corporate response to what is happening and what is called for. A. Jesus’ Warning About Not Being Prayerful at the End: Jesus gave multiple warnings about those who weren’t found praying when He comes. Since we don’t know the exact timing of His coming the mandate is clear, live a life of prayer at all times so that no matter when He comes we are ready and that we will be able to stand in the evil day. “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up...And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth (Lk. 18:1-8)?” “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man (Lk. 21:34-36).” “Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive (Mt. 24:20-22)” B. Defining What Jesus Meant by Pray: Jesus wasn’t talking to individuals about an individual prayer response, He was calling His end time Church into the place of prayer as the ones who hold the keys to the Kingdom. He was calling for a corporate response not merely an individual’s cry. This is the consistent testimony of the New Testament related to the end times; that there must be a corporate and unified prayer response in order to overcome what is coming. “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them (Mt. 18:19-20).” 4 “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come…If anyone adds…And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon (Re. 22:17-20).” C. God’s Expression of the End Time Church: It’s not enough that we would come together a pray from time to time; Jesus quoted the Prophet Isaiah and proclaimed that this 500 year old prophecy was yet future in it’s fulfillment; that it would apply to the Church in the future. He said that the house of God would become the house of prayer; that is that it would primarily identified by prayer, it is the activity that would define it; prayer would become the predominant expression of the Church. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers (Mt. 21:13).’” D. God’s Intention for the Church to Pray Until He Comes: Not just that prayer would be the expression of the Church for a season but that it this shift in the expression of Christianity would be a permanent one and would continue until He returns. The Lord spoke through Isaiah that He would be posting intercessors who would cry out to God day and night until Jerusalem became the praise of the whole planet – a reality that will manifest once Jesus is on Earth ruling in Jerusalem and not before. In essence God was saying the Church; those who call on the Lord, will shift and become a night and day prayer furnace that will cry out to God in devotion and intercession until Jesus comes back. “I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth (Is. 62:6-7).” V. Called to Know the Generation: We need to feel the gravity of what is happening around us right now and of the response that is demanded of us as those alive on the Earth during this time where Bible prophecy is being fulfilled around us. Jesus actually commanded that the people living in the generation of His return would know that His return was near. He demanded that when all the sign events that He listed off began to occur the Church in that hour must be paying attention and respond. “When you see all these things, know that it is near--at the doors! Assuredly…this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place (Mt. 24:33-34)” 5 A. How to Define a Generation: How long is a biblical generation? In scripture there are many descriptions of how long a generation is; ranging anywhere in between 40 to 100 years (Ge. 15:13-16; Nu. 32:11-13; Ps. 90:10; Mt. 1:17; Ac. 7:6). 1. 40 years: The Lord told Moses that He was going to judge the nation that He brought out of Egypt. He said He would wait until the entire generation died off in the dessert before bringing them into the promised land; this took 40 years (Nu. 32:11-13). 2. 100 years: Moses spoke of Israel’s captivity in Egypt as lasting 400 years, referencing it as 4 generations (Ge. 15:13), thus a generation could be as long as 100 years. 3. 70 years: In Matthew’s genealogical record he showed that there were 14 generations from Abraham to David (Mt. 1:17); this would average out about 70 years marking a generation. B. Rebuked for Not Discerning the Generation: Jesus spoke sternly to those in His day that they had not being able to read the signs of His first coming and discern their generation. The leaders of the day asked Him for a sign, which was a legitimate request because Joel prophesied that the Messiah would give signs from Heaven (Jo. 2:30), but they had completely missed all the signs that He had already been doing which the scripture said would be signs of the Messiah. “The Pharisees…came testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven…Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign (Mt. 16:1-4)” C. Knowing the Time of Our Visitation: Israel’s unresponsiveness to God was partly related to them not knowing the time of their visitation. There is a relationship between the measure to which people are informed of coming prophetic events and the measure in which they respond to God in context to those events. The next Day of Visitation will dwarf the previous in every way. “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace… For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground…because you did not know the time of your visitation (Lk. 19:42-44).” D. The Command to Know the Season: Paul actually taught that the Church should know the times and seasons related to the Lord’s coming; this is even more narrow than knowing the generation. The below exhortation was written to a church that Paul had birthed but was only able to spend 3 weeks at. During the first 3 weeks of these new believers Christian lives and teaching Paul taught them in 6 depth on several aspects of the last days. Look how confidently he references their understanding of these matters. “Concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night (the unprepared suffer unnecessary loss)…But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief...Therefore…let us watch and be sober (1Th. 5:1-6).” VI. Called to be Ready His Coming: Jesus stressed not only the points that He wanted us, watching, praying, and knowing but all of that was supposed to produce what He called “ready for His coming.” This is the whole point of His previous admonishments As we can now see the end time scriptures are filled with advice and commands about what we are supposed to do and know. The final command that we will look at in this session is Jesus’ command that we would ready for Him when He comes. A. Not Taking Our Cue From Previous Generations: Previous generations got by without watching, no enemy came, it wasn’t time so their lack of watching and praying seemed to have worked. This teaches us a very wrong lesson because when it is time, if we’re not found watching then the enemy forces will absolutely come in and destroy the city. B. The Command to be Ready: As plainly as it could be Jesus told us that we are to be ready for His coming. Now that we have spent a whole session looking at what else Jesus had to say about this subject we now have a far better picture of what He was talking about when He said that we need to be ready. That readiness is related to all the conversation we just had about watching and praying. “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him (Mt. 24:44).” “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning (Lk. 12:35)” C. The Blessing of Being Prepared: Jesus speaks to the whole Church and He tells us that we must be ready for His coming, hard at work in the forerunner ministry at the end of the age preparing the way for His coming. He says that we are to be like those who are waiting in eager expectation, awaiting the glorious reunion with their long in coming master. This is to be the active posture of the entire Church across the Earth. To those found watching and waiting Jesus promises great reward, this goes for the entire Body of Christ though it may be doubly applied to those in leadership positions. “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return…It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or 7 toward daybreak.”…Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?” The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns (Lk. 12:35-43).” D. The Warning for Those Who are Unprepared: In this same message Jesus gave a stern warning to two groups of believers; the first group is made up of those who have heard about the Master’s return and who were instructed about what was called for as a response but who simply ignored the instruction. The second group He warns is the massive portion of the Body of Christ who does not understand the hour that they are living in and therefore does nothing to prepare for His coming. Both groups are unprepared at the time of His coming and He promises to beat both groups, the ignorant will be punished less severely but they will still be punished for their lack of preparation. Both groups suffer because they were preoccupied with their own lives and so they were not about their master’s business in the most important hour of human history. Both groups had been entrusted with much as members of God’s household in the final generation; the generation that was most warned to self identify and prepare. “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready…will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked (Lk. 12:47-48).” E. Conclusion: The Bible actually gives us clear warnings about what will happen to us if we aren’t watching, if we aren’t praying and it we aren’t ready for what is coming. There is too much Bible to ignore on these points, it is therefore essential that the Church as a whole and us as individuals shift our focus off of ourselves and onto the agenda that God has for our generation; to make ready for His coming. 8