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WEEKLY
Volume 4 Number 31
27 December 2009
A Watchful Heart
(Message delivered by Rev Hien Nguyen at the
Worship Service, 2:00 pm, Dec 27, 09)
Text: Matt 26:41
By God’s grace we have learnt about a
loving heart, a joyful heart, a peaceful heart, a long-suffering heart,
a kind and gentle heart, a meek heart, a humble heart, a faithful heart,
a prayerful heart, a thankful heart, a pure heart, a Spirit-filled
heart, a Christ-like heart, etc. Today let us meditate on a watchful
heart.
I was regretful for my lack of
watchfulness when I was in my country. Motorbikes were expensive in my
days. My brother from Canada gave me US$3,000 to buy a Honda motorbike
before I got married. I needed the bike to travel to work every day, so
I kept it carefully. I had it installed with an extra special switch. If
this switch was turned off, the bike could not be started even with the
key. I remember one rainy night I rode my motorbike carrying my wife to
visit one of our colleagues, who invited us to come to her house. I
parked my motorbike in front of her house, locked it, turned off the
secret switch, and covered it with my raincoat. We asked our friend if
it was safe to park our bike there, and she said it was fine, so we
trusted her and failed to be alert. We were stupid to sit on the sofa
looking inside the house instead of on the one looking out the door.
Then after we said goodbye to our friend to make a move, we were shocked
because our motorbike disappeared! I ran here and there trusting that
the thief could not start the bike, but I could not find the thief nor
the bike. We suspected some neighbours stole it and hid it in their
house. I reported to the police, but they could not find it either. That
is a lesson for me not to trust in men and their words, but it is always
wise to be alert and to be watchful.
Spiritually speaking, it is so vital
for you and me to be alert and watchful so that we may not lose our
souls and our rewards when our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ comes back
again. Our Lord Jesus Christ seriously warns us and commands us to be
watchful, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the
spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt 26:41), and
“Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein
the Son of man cometh” (Matt 25:13), and “Be watchful, and
strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have
not found thy works perfect before God” (Rev 3:2). Then, what does
it mean to have a watchful heart? And why must we be watchful?
Be Watchful: The Meaning
The Greek term for “Watch” and “Be
Watchful” is grégoreuó, which literally means refrain from sleep.
In moral and spiritual sense, “it denotes a
mindfulness of threatening dangers which, with conscious earnestness and
an alert mind, keeps it from all drowsiness and all slackening in the
energy of faith and conduct (Matt 26:41)… It denotes the caution needed
against anxiety resulting from the fear of the loss of one’s salvation…
the worry over the salvation and preservation of others (Rev 3:2;
16:15)… This involves
the duty of vigilance combined with prayer in regard either to a certain
day or hour when the Son of man shall arrive… Watchfulness or watching
indicates that the Christian is alert or vigilant in order to defend
himself against a spiritual foe. He is properly prepared for any
surprise or sudden change in his circumstances, and above all, in order
that his fellowship with God in prayer may be undistracted and
efficacious” (Zodhiates).
Then, you and I are warned and
commanded to be alert, vigilant and watchful so that we may not fall
into the traps and snares of Satan, we may not be drawn away from God
and His Word, we may not lose our rewards, and we may not be ashamed
when our Lord Jesus Christ comes back again.
Be Watchful: the Reasons
The Flesh Is Weak:
Many are so self-confident nowadays, saying, “I only trust in myself.”
No wonder, they easily fall into temptations and fail to live a holy
life. Peter had to learn a bitter lesson when he was so confident about
himself, saying, “Though all men shall be offended because of thee,
yet will I never be offended… Though I should die with thee, yet
will I not deny thee” despite the warning of our Lord Jesus Christ
(Matt 26:33-35), and he denied Jesus thrice due to his lack of
watchfulness and prayers.
It is unwise to trust in the flesh.
Our Lord Jesus Christ warns us to watch and pray because our flesh is
weak “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit
indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt 26:41). The “flesh”
here refers to our natural man, our human strength, knowledge,
understanding, capacity, ability, effort, etc. It is always good and
wise to acknowledge that our flesh is weak and our knowledge and
understanding are limited so that we may not trust in ourselves, in our
understanding, or in our effort but we should always be
alert, vigilant, watchful, and prayerful, trusting in the Lord,
looking unto Him and humbly crying unto Him for help and protection.
Dear friends, do you and I really watch and pray, acknowledging our
weakness and crying unto our Saviour Jesus Christ for help and
protection? “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed
lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:12).
Satan Is Subtle and Cunning:
The Bible tells us that
Satan is real and still working hard to draw away as many as he can from
the Lord and His Truth. He is the great dragon, the old serpent, the
Devil, Satan (Rev 12:9), the wicked one (1 John 2:13-14), a liar and the
father of lies (John 8:44), the adversary of believers (1 Peter 5:8),
the tempter (1 Thess 3:5), etc. He is very subtle and cunning (Gen 3:1;
2 Cor 11:3), he “deceiveth the whole world” (Rev 12:9). He casts
down on God’s love and twists God’s Word (Gen 3:1-5), and misuses God’s
Word (Matt 4:6). We must be cautious and discerning or else we may be
deceived by unbiblical articles, journals, books, websites, even modern
versions of the Bible. Satan may disguise himself as an angel of light,
so nice, so brilliant and so attractive, alluringly drawing many people
away from the Lord and His truth and His Word through his deceiving
signs and lying wonders (2 Cor 11:14; 2 Thess 2:9-10). He makes use of
human sinful nature to tempt men and women, young and old with the lust
of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (Gen 3:6; Matt
4:3-11; 1 John 2:16). He may trouble believers with his accusation
before God (Job 1:9-11; 2:4-5; Zec 3:1-3; Rev 12:10). And he may be
fierce and cruel like a roaring lion, threatening, discouraging, and
scaring believers so that they may give up their faith due to shame,
persecutions, tribulations, afflictions and so forth (Matt 13:21). My
dear friends, Satan is real, sin is real and the battle is real whether
we believe or not. Then how can we overcome Satan? Eve and Adam failed
due to their lack of watchfulness and prayers. They failed to be
watchful to keep God’s Word, to be discerning before the subtle lies of
Satan, and to cry unto God for help. The Scriptures did not record any
of their prayers when they were tempted. No wonder they failed and were
defeated. Our Lord Jesus Christ overcame Satan because He was watchful,
prayerful and skilful in using God’s Word, the Sword of the Holy Spirit,
to resist and defeat Satan. You and I have to do the same. There is no
other way. Learning by experience, Peter reminded us, “Be sober, be
vigilant (grégoreuó, watchful); because your adversary the
devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”
(1 Peter 5:8). Dear friends, realizing that we are in our spiritual
battle or warfare against Satan and that we are like defenceless sheep
before a fierce lion, we shall watch and pray and hide ourselves in the
Lord Jesus Christ, our good and mighty Shepherd.
A Watchful Heart
Acknowledging our weakness and the
subtleness and wickedness of Satan, we shall be alert, vigilant,
watchful and prayerful.
Be Watchful to Hear and Keep God’s
Word: “I will
stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see
what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am
reproved” (Habakkuk 2:1) and “Blessed is the man that heareth me,
watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors” (Prov
8:34). Dear friends, only God’s Word is truth (John 17:17), and we are
living in this world full of lies and deception, so we must be watchful
and discerning to hear His Word alone and follow God’s Word alone no
matter what others may say, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them,
and they follow me” (John 10:27).
Be Watchful to Keep Our Souls and Our
Brethren’s: Once
we are saved by God’s grace, we shall be saved for ever also by God’s
grace (John 10:28-29) Moreover, it is also by God’s grace that we may be
watchful for our souls and our brethren’s, “We know that whosoever is
born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself,
and that wicked one toucheth him not” (1 John 5:18), and “Obey
them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they
watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may
do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you”
(Heb 13:17). Then you and I should be wise to watch for our souls, our
tongues and lives so that we may be blameless and undefiled in this
sinful world, “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of
my lips” (Ps 141:3) and “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit
you like men, be strong” (1 Cor 16:13), and “Behold, I come as a
thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments,
lest he walk naked, and they see his shame” (Rev 16:15).
Be Watchful to Serve the Lord:
“Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready
to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God” (Rev
3:2), and “But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the
work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry” (2 Tim
2:4-5). Dear friends, our Lord Jesus will come back soon and we shall
give an account of what He has given to us as His stewards. May the Lord
find us faithful in His service when He comes.
Be Watchful to Wait for Our Lord’s
Coming: We are
living in the end time of the world and the signs of the second coming
of Christ are fulfilled and will be fulfilled (Matt 24). Then what
should we do? “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the
hour wherein the Son of man cometh” (Matt 25:13), “And take heed
to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with
surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day
come upon you unawares… Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may
be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass,
and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:34-36). May the Lord
find us watching when He comes.
Conclusion
Dear friends, our Lord Jesus Christ
encourages us, “Let your loins be girded about, and your lights
burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when
he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they
may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the
lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that
he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come
forth and serve them” (Luke 12:35-37). As our flesh is weak and
Satan is subtle, it is always wise for you and me to be alert, vigilant,
discerning, watchful, and prayerful to keep God’s Word and our souls, to
serve Him and to wait for His return. May the Lord find us faithful and
watching when He comes. Amen.
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