Vision 2020Sample

Day 9

Stay Sharp

Luke 21:34 (NLT) Watch out! Don’t let me find you living in careless ease and drunkenness, and filled with the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, as in a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth.

Luke 21:34 (Message) But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap....

One of the toughest things we are ever required to do is wait. Waiting can be unpleasant and wearying. While waiting, we can become distracted and lethargic––kind of disconnected and dull.

Today’s passage is all about waiting the right way for the next most important event in history––the return of Jesus Christ. The Bible promises that one day Jesus Christ will return. Jesus Himself gave us instructions to wait with eager anticipation and in daily expectation of His Second Coming.

Jesus understood the inherent dangers associated with waiting. He warned us about temptations that accompany the anticipation of fulfilled promises that are delayed.

Because none of us knows the time of Jesus’ return, we are tempted to dismiss it from our minds as an event that should concern us right now. If we think of Christ’s Second Coming at all, it is usually something we project into the distant future. It doesn’t occupy a prominent place in the forefront of our thoughts as imminent and important today.

According to Jesus, this tendency to project His return somewhere far out in the tomorrow’s of time makes us vulnerable to spiritual insensitivity and apathy. We soon become deluded by the seemingly urgent desires, demands and duties of the immediate. We become distracted by the appeals, attractions and activities of the world. This results in spiritual dullness and disconnectedness. We are lulled into a false sense of spiritual security. The urgency of the today’s moments is lost.

When we lose the sharp edge of expecting and preparing for the return of Jesus Christ, we not only endanger our spiritual future, we also become less effective in leading others to life-changing faith and growth in Christ. Dull axes don’t work very well. Dull, apathetic believers don’t either!

How do we stay sharp in our personal walk with Jesus Christ? How do we maintain an effective edge in reaching people with the love and message of Jesus? We must keep the Second Coming of Jesus in the forefront of our thoughts consistently. It needs to be something that motivates us to live purely and wholeheartedly for our Savior. Our eager expectation of Jesus’ return should inspire us to give our all in getting the message of the Gospel to as many people as we can in as many ways as we can?

When was the last time you really thought about the Second Coming of Jesus? What impact would an awareness of the imminent return of Jesus have on your life? What practical steps can you take to sharpen your expectation of Jesus coming again?