Watch, Wait, Work

Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: [Luke 12;37a]

When I was in grade one, the kids in church performed an interpretative skit on the Lord’s prophecy found in Matthew 24:2-12. I was asked to play the role of the Lord, speaking in the mount of olives before his disciples, who were asking for the signs of His coming and the end of the world. As kids, we never understood the play any more than as a special performance for a church service. Our task was quite clear back then: memorize the script, follow the director’s instructions, and deliver in front of the congregation.

20 years have passed since we performed that as a church play. Today, the message of the Scripture passage we interpreted is unfolding right before our very eyes.

The coming of the Lord is sooner now than it ever was. And as each day passes, the closer we get to the day of His coming. No one knows when the coming of the Lord will be (Matthew 24:36), and we have been told never to even try to know when He will come again (Acts 1:7). But the Bible has given us three very important principles about His second coming: we are to watch, wait and work.

The instruction to watch, wait and work fits well the Lord’s description that His coming again is like a thief in the night (I Thessalonians 5:2-6). The thief never announces the day and hour of his striking, and the thief will only take the valuable things in the house he breaks in. This is the principle upon which our responsibility as believers concerning the Lord’s second coming is summarized by three words: WATCH, WAIT, WORK.

While the exact time of the Lord’s return cannot be foretold, the Scriptures have told us that there will be signs for us to watch and be aware of. The first twelve verses of Matthew 24 tells us that we should watch out for the rise of false prophets, or religious teachers whose teachings have lured the hearts and minds of men away from the true message of salvation. We are also warned to watch for the ragings and rumors of wars. The world will witness an escalation of violence and death caused by wars, anarchy and terrorism, unlike any the world has witnessed in its history. We also see that the ravagings of natural disasters and calamities will also figure as a sign of the end times. The ten deadliest natural calamities in the last decade alone has outnumbered the death toll of the ten most violent wars and acts of terrorism in the last decade. In fact, if all natural calamities of the previous century were tallied, the death toll would easily outnumber the deaths of all wars in all of human history combined. But no other sign is more glaring and permeating than the growing coldness in the hearts of man. This does not only refer to those who are lost in sin, but even those who profess they have accepted Christ as their Savior and Lord, and yet their profession of faith is not seen in the practice of it.

As we watch out for the signs that the end is near, we are also told to wait. As God’s children, we are waiting for our redemption: that day when the Lord shall take us to be with Him forever and ever, and to be freed from the curse of sin and this world. I remember the song “What A Day That Will Be” where it says that “there is coming a day, when no heartache shall come.” As stewards of God, we are also waiting for our  rewards, which correspond to the kind of service we have rendered unto the Lord during our lifetime. The rewards that Lord brings with Him will be tried in the Refiner’s fire. Only those rewards which shall endure the fire are the ones worthy to be offered to the Lamb of God on His throne. We are also looking for His righteous reign on this earth, when He restores the kingdom of David, and rule with a righteous rule. Imagine a corruption-free government, whose Sovereign is no other than the Prince of Peace! What a day that will be indeed!

But while we watch and wait, we must also work. The Lord Jesus used a parable in Luke 19, in which the ruler told his servants to “occupy” ’til He comes back. This is the only time in the Scriptures that word “occupy” is found. Our solemn responsibility of working must be done with urgency. The apostle John told us that there will be a time in which no man can work any more, and while “it is day” let us work the works of Him that sent us. We must also work for the Lord with consistency. When the Lord told His servants to occupy, it meant that at no given time should they ever quit in doing their responsibility. It oftentimes simple inspiration to jumpstart something, but it takes consistency to get it done. The Scriptures also tell us that we should work with faithfulness. When the Lord gathered the results of the stewards he entrusted his resources, he commended the faithful servants for bearing the fruits of what He has entrusted to them. And finally, we see in 2 Peter 3:10-14 that, as we look towards His second coming, we should be found diligent, or working with full commitment and dedication.

In closing, let me also share to you the lyrics of a song that we used to sing as Sunday School students in our church. The song is entitled “Will You Be Ready When Jesus Comes?”

WILL YOU BE READY WHEN JESUS COMES?

Will you be ready when Jesus comes?

Are you truly born again, washed in Jesus’ blood?

Are your garments spotless, are they white as snow?

Will you be ready when Jesus comes?

Two shall be together grinding in the mill,

Two shall be together, sleeping calm and still,

The one shall be taken and the other left behind:

Will you be ready when Jesus comes?

Yes, I am ready when Jesus comes!

I am truly born again, washed in Jesus’ blood,

My garments are spotless, they are white as snow,

Will you be ready when Jesus comes?