Jesus said, Be on guard! Be Alert! You do not know when that time will come. It is like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

When we are driving what are the things that distract, that keep us or the driver ahead of us from being watchful and on guard?….. Eating is one, and if not eating there is spilling - coffee on our shirts or in our laps, or picking up bits of French fries from our burger meals or lettuce from tacos.

What would another distraction be?…One of those insurance institutes for highway safety says adjusting the radio or climate controls leads us to take our eyes off the road. Add to that reaching for something that fell off the seat, getting the kids to settle down in the backseat, or one of my favorites reading a map or set of directions while driving. Of course, there is talking on the cell phone or now text messaging. To their list I would add complacency. Being we get lulled into a false sense of security: “I’ve driven this route a thousand times I could do it with my eyes closed.” We often drive without giving it our full attention and a moment’s distraction can lead to having or causing an accident.

Our text today is about giving our full attention not to driving but to something even more important. Jesus tells us to give our undivided attention to our salvation. He has come once and He is coming again very soon. Keep watch! Stay awake and stay alert! Keep your eyes on the most important thing. We are very good at it for a while; unless, we grow tired or until something distracts us.

What might cause us to take our eyes off Jesus? How about the demands of our jobs, school, or the busyness of our retirements? For others it is raising kids- shuttling them from here to there; for others it is caring for grandkids or other family members. Our hobbies and other interests distract some of us. For others, it is the video games, the Internet, or TV. For some of us it isn’t any one thing, it is just the busyness of life: “It isn’t that I didn’t want to keep watch for Jesus or tend to those things that He has shown me most important, but I find myself busy with all the little things that clamor for or demand my attention each day. The day seems to squeeze every minute out of me and before I know it the only thing I got left for Jesus is the promise that “I’ll get with Him tomorrow…or the day after… or definitely by this weekend.”

From time to time we must all admit that we all get distracted; we get tired; we get overwhelmed and before we know it we’ve stopped doing that to which we’ve all been assigned: Jesus says, What I say to you, I say to everyone, Watch! …because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back- whether evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If He comes do not let Him find you sleeping. Do not let Him find you distracted or not at home.

How often do we believe that Jesus will come back, but we live as though it will not be today? I believe we all too often let ourselves become distracted from what should be the most important thing in our life – watching for the return of the author of salvation, Jesus. It is good that we have One who kept watch for us. That one is Jesus. He kept watch even after forty exhausting, harsh, and demanding days in the desert, known to us as the temptation of Christ. Satan slid in along side Jesus. (Ever notice how Satan slithers in when we are tired or discouraged.) Satan tried to get Jesus to take His eyes off the things of God. Turn these stones into bread, slyly suggested Satan. “Come on, Jesus you’ve got material needs and it looks like the Father has overlooked You; it is all up to You; what good is starved a to death Son of God, if that’s really who you are?” Keeping His focus, Jesus replied, Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Then Satan took Jesus to the highest point of the temple. “Come on, Jesus, show them who You are. Go for glory and the fame”. Throw Yourself off the roof if God’s promises are real, He will have His angels catch you. Staying alert and keeping His focus, Jesus replied, Do not put the Lord your God to the test.

Then as now, Satan did not give up easily. He saved the best for last. He came at Jesus with the distraction, with the temptation of worldly gain - with the promise of a guaranteed income, an incredible 401K, and health insurance. “Come on, Jesus I will give all the kingdoms of the world if You will for just a moment take the eyes of your heart off God,” and bow down to me for just a moment…and Jesus who was doing for us what we could never do for ourselves, (in our sinfulness we’d have said stones become bread, look at me look at me, what could a little worship of false gods hurt)… and Jesus who was doing for us what we could never do for ourselves said, Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only (Matt 4.1-10) All of this (the world) will pass away but an eternity in heaven or hell will not. Keep your eyes on the prize. Be on guard! Be alert for your enemy will seek to snatch the prize of heaven from you.

Jesus’ ministry was one of keeping watch. With every miracle, every teaching, every encounter with the teachers of the Law He watched the cross come closer and closer. He went to the cross to earn for us the forgiveness of our sins, for with it comes the prize of life and salvation. He earned that forgiveness and the prize of salvation for us by His death and resurrection. All of which He freely and abundantly gives to us.

Each believer, each of us, has been given the precious prize of salvation. With prize in hand Jesus says to each of us, Now Be on guard! Be Alert! You do not know when that time will come. When I will come return for you. It is like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. But alas, in our sinfulness we struggle to remain ready. Distractions, discouragements, and sleepiness abound. What are we to do?… Look again to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, for He has provided the means by which we can be found ever ready: We have been equipped with God’s Holy Word, All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness so that man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3.16-17) Let us study the scriptures that we may be found ready. He has given us the promise of baptism. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. (Mark 16.16) He has given us fellowship and communion that we might encourage one another and keep each other alert. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of The Bread, and to prayer. (acts 2.42) We have been given worship to remind us of all He has done for us. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as You teach and admonish another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. (Col 3.16) We have been given His words of forgiveness for those times when our readiness is a bit lacking. Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him. (Ps 32.1,2) All this we have been given that might be found ready.

I began this sermon by talking about all the things we do that distract others and us, things we do which bring us to take our eyes off of our Savior and the salvation He gives to us. We are told to keep focused and be ever ready because we don’t know on what day or hour Jesus will return. The following story may illustrate that He may come when least expect Him.

Back when I was a principal I stressed to my teachers that they were not to leave their classes unattended. To leave elementary students unattended was to invite a problem: kids with scissors, pencils in the eye, leaning back in a chair someone could tip over and hit their head. You could say I was full of all kinds of good advice and dire warnings just like we heard at the beginning of the sermon.

Well, one day I was walking up the hall wandering in and out of classes. I came to one class; there was a video playing; I step in to see what the lesson was about; the kids were there but the teacher was nowhere to be found. So I sat down.

The teacher had left the room to go get some things. She was sure that nothing would happen. She was sure that she could step out and nothing would happen? Well, what happened was me. I came at a moment when she wasn’t expecting me. She kept good watch but this time she got herself caught doing what she’d been told not to do.

Friends, with the help of God the Holy Spirit let us not put ourselves in such a position- not doing what Jesus has told us to do. Let us keep watch for we don’t know the day when he will return for us.

Amen