Jesus Needs To Be On My Mind Series

Introduction

Jesus is coming again. And the Apostle Peter declares in 2 Peter 3:12 look for that day. You and I as Christians ought to be looking for Christ’s return. It is a reality; Jesus is coming again. Don’t live your life thinking that all things will continue like they have all your life. When Jesus breaks back into history again, things are going to change.

So, in light of this sure and certain event, Peter asked the question in same chapter, verse 11, “what manner of persons ought you to be?”

And he spends that entire chapter describing for us four things each Christian should possess if we are truly living like Christ is coming back.

Unfortunately, you and I probably can count on our fingers all the Christians that we know that are not living holy lives; they are living like the world. They are giving no thought that today might be the day. They are not prepared to meet their Maker.

And so, my hope, in this series, is that God will push us to examine ourselves to see if you ready if indeed Christ did come today.

Let’s begin with our first characteristics that prepared Christian have that are ready. They have a mindfulness toward spiritual things as they go about their life. Mindfulness means that as you go about your life, as you go about your day, that you are aware of something. For the Christian that thing that you are aware of is that Christ is coming again. So, let us see how that should shape our life, how it should shape our day. Let’s begin with our Scripture.

Scripture

2 Peter 3:1–7 NKJV

1 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Point #1

The key to keeping your mind pure is to remember that today may be the day that Jesus returns.

2 Peter 3:1 NKJV

1 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder),

Guys, you know as well as I do if you all are expecting company to come for the day or a couple of days, your wife has gone through the house cleaning it top to bottom before they arrive. And then she will give you this order- DON’T MESS IT UP.

Well, if we can train our minds to think every day that today maybe the day that Christ returns then we could keep our minds pure. We would keep our minds clean.

It is when we are not thinking that Christ might come today that Satan has his best shot at polluting our mind. It is when we are not thinking that Christ might come today that our mind can trick us into thinking it is OK although the Scripture prohibits it. It is when we are not thinking that Christ might come today that this world can seep into our minds things that are not pleasing to God.

If we did indeed know that Christ is coming today, there would be a whole lot of Christians cleaning up their lives. Let me give you some examples:

According to an article for Mission Frontier November -December 2020 edition, Barna Research, the Christian Research firm, found that 68% of church-going men and over 50% of pastors view porn on a regular basis. Of young Christian adults 18-24 years old, 76% actively search for porn.

If those people knew that Christ is coming today, I would imagine that there would be a whole lot of cleaning up in their lives going on.

Pastoral Care Inc. published a report in 2022 that indicated that 45 % of all Christian are addicted to gambling of some sort.

If those people knew that Christ is coming today, I would imagine that there would be a whole lot of cleaning of going on in their lives.