“Are You Ready”
Matthew 24:29-51
Sermon Series: “How To Survive The End Of The World”
Introduction: There always seems to be a lot of interest, curiosity, and talk about the end times so we are going to address it in this series. We certainly will not be able to get into all the details so this will be more of an overview. Today‟s message is really laying a foundation for the entire series. This morning we are going to address the question, “Are you ready?” We are starting at this point because we need to see that the ultimate purpose of prophecy in the Bible is not head knowledge but life change. Warren Wiersbe put it this way, “The purpose of prophetic truth is not speculation but motivation…It is unfortunate when people run from one prophetic conference to another, filling their notebooks, marking their Bibles, drawing their charts, and yet not living their lives to the glory of God. In fact, some of the saints battle each other more over prophetic interpretation than perhaps any other subject. All true Christians believe that Jesus Christ is coming again. They may differ in their views of when certain promised events will occur, but they all agree that He is returning as He promised. Furthermore, all Christians agree that this faith in future glory ought to motivate the church. As one pastor said to me, „I have moved off the Planning Committee and joined the Welcoming Committee.‟ This does not mea that we should stop studying prophecy, or that every opposing viewpoint is correct, which is an impossibility. But it does mean that, whatever views we hold, they ought to make a difference in our lives.”
1. Jesus is definitely coming back (v. 29-31). Many, many Scriptures make this promise to us, including Zechariah 12:10, John 14:1-3, Acts 1:11, Revelation 1:7, and Revelation 19:11-16. This is “the blessed hope” (Titus 2:13) of the believer because it is the assurance of complete, ultimate, and permanent victory. Of course, many people deny it, but I am going to believe Jesus instead of them (everybody has to decide who they are going to trust). All of
the fulfilled prophecies related to the 1st coming of Christ, the bodily resurrection, and prophecies that have already been fulfilled regarding the end times give me confidence in believing this.
2. But, no one knows when He is coming back (v. 36). Once again, we have to decide whom we are going to believe, and once again, I am going with Jesus. Many people have foolishly and falsely predicted the return of Christ, but Jesus warned us against being deceived (v. 4). We are to trust His Word that never fails (v. 35). However, we must also avoid the error of the opposite extreme and falling asleep because we do not know when He will return (1 Thessalonians 5:1-6).
3. Therefore, we must always be ready for His return (v. 37- 51). How can we prepare and be ready for His return?
A. Listen to, believe, and act on the Word of God (v. 37- 39).
B. Live with a watchful expectation (v. 40-42). Are we listening to Jesus, seeking Him, getting to know Him, and excited about meeting Him face-to-face?
C. Be ready by living with holiness (v. 44, 1 Thessalonians 3:13, 1 Peter 1:13-21, 1 John 3:1-3).
D. Stewardship (v. 45-51). This refers to fulfilling the responsibilities God has entrusted us with in our lives by faithfully and obediently following the calling He has given us. The Lord wants us to live with a sense of urgency.
E. Salvation (v. 37-51). The ultimate key to being ready is having a relationship with Jesus!
Conclusion: Are you ready? If not, you can get ready right now through repentance and faith. God wants you to get ready without delay so act now!
