Are You Ready?

INTRODUCTION

• Today I want to time a moment to recognize our veterans and to also have a moment of silence in honor of those who have sacrificed their lives for our country.

• A teacher asked the children in her Sunday school class, "If I sold my house

and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the church, would I get into Heaven?" "NO!" The children all answered. "If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would I get into Heaven?" Again, the answer was "NO!" "Well," the teacher continued, "then how can I get to Heaven?" In the back of the room, a 5 yr. old boy shouted out, "You gotta be dead!!!"

• Last week we looked at the difference between having a symbolic faith and a real one. Today we are going to take a look at the future. The future is something we all have to face. The question I have for you today is, “Are you ready?”

• We all have an appointment at sometime in our life (unless Jesus returns first) with death. After death we all will have a second appointment. That appointment is with God. My question for you today is, “Are you ready?”

• I am not the type who plays the grim reaper all the time to remind you of what WILL come in your future pertaining to the end of life, but sometimes we need to give it some thought.

• Most of us who are a bit older have or have given thought to investing for the future. We do not want to get to a point where we cannot take care of ourselves financially.

• What are we doing to prepare for our eternal future? In the first 34 verses of Luke 12, Jesus is speaking on the subject of the folly of fearing man instead of trusting God. Now in verses 35-48 He is going to share three short parables to illustrate the importance of being ready for the day of His return! This morning, I want to know if Jesus came this very morning, would you be ready.

• This morning let us look at why we need to always be ready.

SERMON

I. THE TIME OF JESUS RETURN IS UNKNOWN (35-38)

• Let us look at verses 35-38. READ

• How many of us know when Jesus is going to return? The bible tells us that we do not know when the Lord will return.

• MARK 13:32-33 "But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. "Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.

• If you do not know when the Lord is going to return, then are we preparing for His return? The other factor in this though is the fact that the time of our own death is unknown. When you put those two things together, it would be wise for us to be in a state of readiness.

• In this first parable, Jesus wants us to understand we are to be watchful and ready at all times.

• In verse 35 Jesus tells us to be dressed in readiness. The Message version say, “Keep your shirts on and keep the lights on.” Other versions speak of being ready for action.

• In Jesus day people wore a long outer garment that looked like a robe. When they were going to do some hard work or run somewhere, they would pull the bottom of the robe up and tuck in it in their belt so it would not get in the way while they worked.

• Being dressed ready for service with lamps burning describes the servant in the first century who is awaiting the master’s return from a wedding banquet.

• In the parable Jesus says the servants were to be ready for the masters’ return no matter when it happened.

• Jesus says in this first parable that the servants who are alert and ready for the masters’ return will be blessed!

• It says the master will serve them!

• One of the worst things that could happen to the servant would be for them not to be ready for the master to come home.

• William Barclay in an article, “You Can Say That Again”. Christianity Today, Vol. 39, no. 8. The best way to prepare for the coming of Christ is never to forget the presence of Christ.

• How many of us really think the master will return during our lifetime? I think if we were honest about it, many of us would say no.

• How many of us really think we could die today? Once again many of us if we were honest about it would say no.