ARE YOU READY
THE WARNING!...JESUS IS COMING BACK!
THE QUESTION:…ARE YOU READY?
TEXT: Matthew 24: 1, 2, 3, 36-44
V1. Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings, to Him.
V2. And he said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”
Now the temple spoken of here is Herod’s Temple, a huge complex of inner courts and outer courts which King Herod began to have built in 20 BC. Josephus, the great Jewish historian of that time, wrote that some of the temple stones were 94 feet long (28.6m), 12 feet high(3.6m) and 13 feet (3.9m) wide. There were 162 marble columns which held up the long porches, which were 52 feet (15.8m) high.
The entire temple area was not completed until 64 AD, so at the time Jesus and his disciples were standing talking about it, it was still under construction.
This temple was destroyed in 70 AD when the Romans burned Jerusalem, fulfilling what Jesus told the disciples in V2, and then the area was plowed under, fulfilling Micah 3:12.
Jesus and His disciples continued walking out of the city, East across the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives. A place that commanded a great view of the temple.
V3. As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
Three questions burned in the hearts of Peter, James, John and Andrew that day. A question which burns in the hearts of believers even to this day. “WHEN ARE YOU COMING BACK and WHAT WILL THE SIGN OF YOUR COMING BE?”
In His discourse, Jesus answered only two of those three questions that day.
He did NOT answer “when will these things happen? But He did answer “what will the signs of Your coming be?”
Now during His long discourse in answering the disciple’s questions, he states 24 signs of His second coming.
I will not name or discuss those, but I do want to touch on a few where you will understand the urgency in my question. To do so let’s look at verses 36 through 44.
V36. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
V37. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.
V38. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark.
V39. and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
V40. then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.
V41. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.
V42. Therefore be on the alert for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.
V43. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
V44. For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.
Move forward to Acts 1:6 where the disciples are questioning Jesus before he ascends to heaven.
V6. So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”
V7. He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;
V8. but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
V9. And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
V10. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.
V11. the also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into Heaven.”
How much more clearer can it be? What more can be said?
How can it be told in a different manner?
Scripture WARNS us over and over again. Jesus is coming back and we do not know the hour or the day. It pays us in eternal rewards to heed what scripture records; what Jesus, Himself stated and warned the disciples. What He said to them is no more or less important than what He wants us to know today.
ARE YOU READY?
Let’s take a quick look at Revelation 3:14-22.
The seven churches mentioned in chapters 2 and 3 were actual churches in John’s day. But they also represent types and conditions of churches in all generations. This idea is supported by the fact that only seven were selected out of the many that existed and flourished in John’s time and by the statement at the close of each letter that the Spirit was speaking to the churches.
Laodicea is a city about 90 miles (145 km) due E of Ephesus and 45 miles (72 km) SE of Philadelphia. Under Roman rule it was a wealthy city.
V14. “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:
V15. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.
V16. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.
V17. Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,
V18. I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
V19. Those who I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.
V20. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.
V21. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
V22. He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches.”
The Laodicean church is representative of our present church age.
It is so wrapped up in material things and ways of the world, that it does not recognize its true condition.
Jesus says, “I stand at the door and knock.”
How incredible that Christ should be kept outside of His own church!
How gracious that He should still seek entrance!
Christ is appealing to the worldly, compromising believers in the church to return and enjoy full fellowship with him
ARE YOU READY?
If the Rapture were to happen right now, would you be ready? Would you go or be left behind?
If you stood before Jesus this instance, would you stand on the right with the sheep or on the left with the goats?
If you came face to face with Jesus right now, would you hear the words, “Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
Or would you stand in shame before Him, with your head bowed low, unable to look Him in His glorious face unable to answer His questions because you know NOTHING you say will change ANYTHING and to have to hear the words of death that shakes you to your very soul,
“Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.”
V7. And behold I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.”
V12. Behold I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.
V20. Yes, I am coming quickly.
ARE YOU READY!
In closing, with every head bowed and every eye closed, and as the worship team comes back up, I want you to take a few minutes to search your hearts to see where you stand with the Lord. This is far too important to just let it slide by. If you are here today and do not know Jesus as Lord, I urge you in the strongest way, to let Him into your heart and your life. You may not have another opportunity to do so.
Jesus, as recorded in Revelation 22: 7, 12 and 20 says this: v: 7, And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.”…v: 12, Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.”…v: 20, Yes, I am coming quickly.
ARE YOU READY?
