While We Wait

A theme in my life recently has been anticipation.  This might sound silly, but I got really excited and eagerly anticipated the football season and all my fantasy football drafts.  I would mock (practice) draft daily and prepare by reading scouting reports and listening to podcasts.  I would talk to my friends and often tell my wife meaningless stats about why I thought one player was better than another.  Even after years of free agency fandom since the Chargers left, my son and I even found a team to root for in 2021!  Go Big Black Cats (Panthers)! 

Another area of anticipation is that my wife and I are expecting our third child any day now (spoiler alert, I wrote 80% of this post a week ago, Amelia Joy is here now!).  During this planned time of reduced church body responsibilities I’ve gotten to focus on preparing the house for her.  I’ve built dressers, cleaned the house, rearranged car seats in the cars, bought a new stroller, and even launched this website (oh wait…).  All of this preparation is in eager anticipation for the arrival of our daughter. 

Amelia Joy Anderson

Born September 29th weighing in 7lbs 11oz, 19in

As I reflected on, studied, and meditated on the truths of anticipation found in Scripture, I was reminded of the context of hope found in the pastoral epistles; specifically in Paul’s letters to the churches at Colossae and Philippi.  We just preached through these books at our church recently and I was blessed to go back through them and look at the eager anticipation of Christ’s return that was so fundamental to Paul’s encouragement.

Put simply, our heart's gaze must be fixed on the Lord.  Over and over throughout scripture, God calls believers to fix their gaze on Him.  I am reminded of David, who repeatedly wrote of fixing his eyes on the Lord in texts like Psalm 16 and 141.  The author of Hebrews echoes Psalm 141 in Hebrews 12:1-3.  Colossians 3 says that the heart of the Christian is to set their minds on things above and not on earthly things.  In all of this, the reason for it is because of what Christ did on the Cross (Phil 3:17-21). 

Fixing our eyes on heaven should be our heart’s posture in every area of life.  God’s sovereignty tells us that we are not in control.  The call to humility reminds us that we can’t save ourselves and fixes our eyes on the Cross.  We are called to serve God in every area of life.  In fact, our stead here on earth is temporary as we are sojourning citizens of heaven; ambassadors of Christ through this life on to the next.  

“The call to humility reminds us that we can’t save ourselves and fixes our eyes on the Cross.”

This brings me to anticipation.  We know that Christ is returning (1 Thess 5:23; James 5:7).  We should be excited and eagerly awaiting until we are reunited with God.  Paul describes this as our hope in Colossians.  Like how I eagerly anticipate the arrival of my daughter or the NFL season (I promise I don’t see these things the same as Christ’s return), we have something to look forward to, something to anticipate.  

So, our gaze is on heaven, we see ourselves as ambassadors and citizens of heaven, and we eagerly anticipate reunion with God.  Our post-death life is secured to worship the God of the universe forever, but what about our pre-death lives?

Jesus makes it clear when addressing Phillip in John 14:12, 15.  

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do;...If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

This is easy to read but humbling to understand.  It’s also easy to regurgitate these words and use them to affirm our early culture's way of life; usually focused on maintaining comfort and accruing wealth.  Put plainly, it’s incredibly easy to carry on with our lives’ gaze focused squarely on us.  

Jesus said John 13:34–35.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

And he interprets the law as

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 22; Luke 10)

By now you’re probably wondering, “Mike, what does this have to do with what we do while we anticipate Jesus’ return?” Well, I’m glad you asked so stick with me.  I think Matthew 25 makes it very clear what we are supposed to do while we await the master’s return.  

“Put plainly, it’s incredibly easy to carry on with our lives’ gaze focused squarely on us.”

Veteran Christians will quickly note that this is the parable of the talents.  Without doing a full exposition of the text, it is very clear that the Master (Jesus) gives various degrees of resources to his servants and then goes away for an unexpected arrival date (this should sound familiar).  The first two servants use the resources for good and they are blessed with more.  The third servant fears the master and basically takes what he has been given and hides it, not even depositing it in the bank to make interest.  He is described as a wicked and slothful servant and cast into hell.  

Pretty crazy huh?  Is this parable of the talents just purely about money?  I don’t think so.  I think that it’s better to understand it in terms of resources.  Why?  Good question.  It’s what we find later in Matthew 25 that makes it clear.  

Immediately following the parable of the talents, Jesus tells of the Final Judgement.  This is the moment that Christians are supposed to anticipate.  Jesus is back as conquering king and establishing his throne.  He gathers all the people of all the nations and separates the sheep from the goats.  The sheep, the followers of Jesus here on earth inherit eternal life, and the goats, the selfish, independent goats, are sent to hell.  

So then, how do you know if you’re a sheep?  Jesus tells us that the sheep are the ones that gave food to the hungry and a drink to the thirsty, welcomed the stranger, clothed the naked, and visited prisoners.  Sheep serve the Lord while on earth by serving the “least of these” - the marginalized by society - the ones hurting and often outcast.  The sheep that concern themselves with the business of serving the “least of these” here on earth are marked by eternal life and a kingdom inheritance.  The goats on the other hand did the opposite and inherited hell.  

“Sheep serve the Lord while on earth by serving the “least of these” - the marginalized by society - the ones hurting and often outcast.”

I fear that today too many Christians are getting caught up in the trivial affairs of their sports (insert obsessive hobby here), their 401k, their local church tradition that doesn’t include “the least” in society, their social tradition, their politics, their opinions, and their way of life.  I can continue a list but that is not the point.  The point is that while we live on this side of heaven, we need to be about heaven’s work.  

So be challenged, reader.  Fix your eyes and your heart on Christ.  Eagerly anticipate his return and while you’re waiting, get about kingdom work.  Pray that you will not only have eyes for the marginalized, but hands and hearts to actually serve them in their specific needs.  Let us be about the work of the kingdom while we are here on earth.  

“Let us be about the work of the kingdom while we are here on earth.”