Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Word of the Lord which engages us this morning comes from our Gospel lesson (Mark 13: 32-37).

The lovable cartoon character Dagwood Bumstead always has problems at work. He seems rather disinterested in his job. Early in the day he finds it difficult to stay awake. How many times have we seen him fall asleep at this desk only to be thrashed awake by his boss Mr. Dithers in a way that by today's standards would surely lead to anyone else but Dagwood filing assault charges. � But later in the day he's not so tired. Dagwood is constantly watching the clock as it comes closer and closer to day's end - 5:00. Dagwood has a hard time, either falling asleep on the job or not working because he is watching too closely for the final bell that he knows is coming.

In a similar way, we who trust our lives with Jesus Christ often have a hard time with watching, staying alert. Now we could all stay alert if we knew exactly when Jesus was coming back, if we knew when that 5:00 bell for the Lord's Day was going to ring. But we don't know. That is the point of what Jesus is saying here. Watch and wait, because you don't know. Don't be ill-prepared like the scouts in the skit who didn't have enough batteries. Live our days now expecting that our living, loving Lord Jesus could return anytime because He could. He will!

What if God let you in on the secret? What if God the Father told you that Christ was returning next month, on Christmas Day? What if God told you, but required you to keep the secret? You could tell anyone anything else, do anything else this week, but you couldn't tell them that Jesus' return was Christmas at noon. If you told them, they'd think you were nuts anyway. But God convinced you. Christmas, noon! How would you spend the rest of today? Tomorrow? Wednesday? Thanksgiving Day? Saturday? Where would you be next Sunday morning? Would it make it pretty easy to be watchful, alert, vigilant for the faith the next month if you knew Christ's 2nd Coming was on Christmas? Now realize that this experience would not be the same as if God told you you were going to die next month. If that were true, we'd probably all want to spend special time with our loved ones telling them how much they mean to us before we went to wait in Paradise. But if we knew Jesus was returning next month, we really wouldn't need to spend any more special time telling our Christian loved ones how much we care, because we wouldn't be leaving them behind. When Jesus returns (1 Thessalonians 4: 16ff) Paul reveals: "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words." If we knew that Christ was coming next month, there would be no need to tell Christian loved ones goodbye because they'd be going with us. We might encourage them with those words from Paul, get them excited about going (even though we couldn't tell them the date), but we wouldn't have to say goodbye. But what would you do? Would your prayer life become invigorated? Would you spend more time reading and learning God's Word, the Word that will never pass away? Would you make some more special efforts to reach out to tell some unbelieving friends about what Jesus has done for you, who He is, the rescue he came to make of all who would trust Him? Would you call up those friends who haven't been in church for a while and make a special effort to invite them to hear the Word of God next Sunday morning? To Wednesday evening services that start this week?

Jesus told his disciples to "Watch, be alert, be on guard" but didn't tell them when this day would happen. Just a few days after hearing these words, Jesus' disciples had a hard time watching and waiting. ��

At the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus' First Coming was about to culminate in his crucifixion and death for us, the disciples couldn't stay awake to encourage him, to keep him from struggling alone, to pray for him. Mark 14: "33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch." 35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." 37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Jesus, the eternal Son of God, was struggling under the mounting pressure of human sin, the burden He was about to carry to the cross. He loved us so much to give up his life for us; He drank the cup of death for us. But what did He want his disciples to do? To defend him when Judas Iscariot came with the soldiers? No. To take part of his burden on themselves? No. He wanted them to watch and pray that they would not fall into temptation, the last part of the Lord's prayer. If you knew Jesus was coming back next month, how would your prayer life change?

If you knew Jesus was coming back next month, would your trust and devotion to him change? Queen Mary of England often spent time in her castle in Scotland. There she loved to walk unrestricted and alone through the countryside. One day a storm came up. She saw a humble cottage and stopped to ask the lady who came to the door if she might borrow her umbrella. She promised to bring it back. The lady, not recognizing this damp figure as the queen, was afraid to trust her with the good umbrella, which was new. So she dug out an old tattered one from the attic and gave it to her. ��

The next day a royal courier knocked on her door, dressed in his gold braid. He handed her a note from the queen and the umbrella. The note thanked the lady for the use of her umbrella and was signed, Queen Mary. The lady in the cottage was taken aback. "If only I had known she was the queen, I would have given her my best?" (from Robert Holst, in Concordia Pulpit Resource, Nov. 1998). Jesus gave his best for us � He gave His life. If we knew He was returning next month, what of our best would we devote to him? If you knew Jesus was returning next month, would you be more excited about what you know and be watching the clock like Dagwood does on the job? Of would you, would I be about sharing the message of his forgiveness as enthusiastically as we could? After Jesus' resurrection, at his Ascension, his disciples were still getting it wrong, just like they did in Gethsemane. They were still asking the wrong questions.

"Acts 1: 6 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." The angels told the disciples not to stand there doing nothing while they wait for Jesus. They are to be his witnesses to a lost and dying world. If you knew Jesus was coming back next month, He wouldn't want you to quit your job and become a prayer recluse. How would he want you to spend your time? ����������������

A pastor phoned the home of a recent visitor to the church and heard a whispered voice answer, "Hello." He asked "Who is this?" "Jimmy." "How old are you Jimmy?" "Four". So the pastor asked, "Can I please speak with your Dad?" "He's busy," came the guarded whisper. "Then can I speak to your mother?" "She's busy too." So the pastor went farther. "Are there any other adults in your home right now?" "Yes, the police are here." "Let me speak with one of the officers," He said. "They're all busy." "Jimmy, who else is there?" "Firemen." "Can I speak with one of the firemen?" "They're busy too." "Jimmy what are all these people doing?" "They're looking for me." (adapted from Scott Went, Preaching, January 2001). Like Jimmy, many people are hiding, hiding from God and His wondrous message of salvation in Jesus Christ. ��

While we are still here, waiting and watching for Jesus' return, He gives us wonderful opportunities to tell others about Him, others who are still hiding from His grace and love. We have the opportunity to be the parents and police and firemen who are looking for those who are lost because we care so deeply for them. We rejoice that we, Immanuel congregation and Early Childhood Center have been called by God to share that message of Christ's saving love with others while we wait for his return. And while we wait, we watch, and look forward to the glory to be revealed at his return. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4: 7)