Sunda Slow Loris (Nycticebus coucang), Gunung Leuser National Park, Northern Sumatra, Indonesia

Two Sundays ago, I preached on Hebrews 9:22-28. Verse 28 reads, “so Christ…will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” Before that, I preached through the book of Daniel and encountered phrases like, “it would be for a time, times, and half a time” (12:7) or, “Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days” (12:12).

No, I’m not a sucker for punishment. I just happened to be in a series that forces me to explain and apply some very difficult Scripture.

But that makes me susceptible to saying things like: “Some scholars believe that before Jesus appears the second time on earth, He will…” Or, “Many believe that what the angel was saying is…” Or, “Others believe that the 1,335 days mean…”

At first these kinds of phrases might appear harmless. I means, let’s face it, what harm can it do to give congregants exegetical or interpretive options? The more I’ve thought about this habit of mine, the more I’ve come to think that those minutes are not as harmless as they look. Those minutes…

• take me away from my primary task of announcing truth and urging faith and a worshipful response.
• eat up precious time that I usually wish I had as the sermon comes to a close.
• muddy the waters and distract listeners from their worship-response.

Before Sunday, examine your notes and see if such harmless-looking minutes exist. Decide whether those minutes help you complete your responsibilities to watch over souls.

And, for the sake of God’s glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21), preach a good sermon, will ya.

Randal