We’ve just read a portion of Jesus’ last sermon to His disciples before He was betrayed.
• It stretches from Chapter 23 to 25, with a large part of it about His second coming.
• This is the main theme of His long message. It is understandable, since He is about to leave them.
• Jesus needs to tell them about His return, and what they are supposed to do.
He describes this day with certainty. He leaves no room for doubt.
• He did not say He may return but that He WILL return.
• He did not tell us when the day will be (nobody knows, except God the Father)
• But He did describe to us what the day would be like.
This is important – not when will He return, but circumstances prior to His return.
• We need to listen to what He has to say, because we are in that situation now.
(1) It will be like the days of Noah, Jesus said.
• What was it like in Noah’s days? It was “business as usual.”
• People go through their daily routines, sceptical of what is to come.
• Few believe God’s Word, and many are unprepared for Christ’s return.
(2) It will be like a thief in the night, Jesus said.
• How does a thief come to your house? Sudden and unannounced.
• A thief will not call and make appointment in advance.
• He comes when we do not expect him.
If this is the condition of our time prior to His return, then we need to take note.
• We do not want to be caught unprepared and not ready.
• Note the 2 main commands here: “Keep watch” (v.42) and “be ready” (v.44)
• Jesus wants us to remain focused on this fact – He is returning soon.
• What we need to take note is not about the time of His return - but the condition of our heart.
• Are we ready? Are we doing what He expects from us?
Noticed Jesus used 3 parables in a row to emphasize this need.
• 24:44-51 – talks about the faithful and wise servants waiting for the return of their master.
• 25:1-13 – the ten virgins with the lamps waiting for the bridegroom.
• 25:14-18 – the servants entrusted with different number of talents and waiting for their master’s return.
All three has the same thrust. It’s not about the time of the master’s return.
• It is about what the people are doing while waiting for his return.
• 24:46 “It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.” He should be doing what the master has entrusted him.
• The virgins waiting for the bridegroom ought to have prepared enough oil for the lamps. That’s their job. That is what is expected from them.
• The servants with the talents are expected to do something with them before the master returns.
These parables tell us to look at our PRESENT state – what are we doing NOW to prepare for His return.
In order words, we need to live in the light of seeing Him again.
• We need to be keenly aware of our responsibility before Him, as His stewards.
• We need to remind ourselves that we are accountable to Him in all that we do, here and now.
This may sound simple but it is not easy.
• We are near-sighted people; we focus only on today, because that’s all we see.
• We live for today because today is here.
• We forget about eternity because it is vague and we cannot see it.
• We don’t look far enough. The Govt has to get us to plan for our retirement and save up for old age.
• And as Christians, we are to look even further. This world is not our home.
Learn from Noah. God said a flood will come and he believed God.
• Even though it did not look like it’s going to rain for a long time, Noah trusted God.
• For many years, he faithfully built the ark according to God’s instruction.
• Gen 6:22 “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.”
• And the rain did come. He was prepared and he was saved.
We are called to be faithful in doing what God has called us to do.
The superintendent of a large school was concerned about the mess he found in so many of the classrooms he visited. Papers were often scattered on the floor, and the students’ desks were very messy. Feeling strongly that learning could not take place in such an untidy environment, he decided to take action.
He chose one classroom for an experiment, and said to the students one morning: "Your teacher, principal and I provide a well-equipped classroom for you to enjoy but we need your help in keeping your desks and the classroom orderly. Many of you have crumpled papers inside your desks with books left open and the pages bent. Often there are pencils on the floor under your desks along with other rubbish.
"I would like each of you to clean out your desk today and begin this school year resolving to keep it clean. One day I will return and inspect your desks and the person with the neatest desk will be given this new $100 bill. I won’t tell you which day it will be. It will be a surprise. Not even your teacher or the principal will know the day."
The children yelled with excitement and began immediately pulling things from their desks, filling the trash baskets with crumpled papers, stacking their books neatly inside their desks, and neatly lining up their pencils and pens.
Every morning for the first week, every student checked his or her desk to make sure it was in perfect condition, confident that today would be the day the superintendent returned.
The next week, a few boys grew weary of the exercise and returned to their former habits.
By the third week, several students remarked, "I doubt if he’ll come back at all. He just said that to make us keep our desks clean."
After two months, no one in the classrooms bothered to inspect their desks and in fact, forgot the superintendent’s promise, except for one girl. Dutifully, she inspected her desk every morning and several times a day, making sure things were in proper order.
For months, she was teased by the other students. "He’s not coming back! Why do you keep looking for him? You look stupid believing that promise, anyway."
Still, she remained quiet, kept her desk in perfect condition and waited.
Near the end of the school year, there was a knock on the door and the superintendent entered.
Quickly, the students flung open their desks and began frantically to clean them. But the superintendent held up his hand for them to stop. All the students were asked to stand beside their desk at attention while the superintendent inspected each desk.
One after another, he rejected them for being unkempt. One boy tried giving excuses but to no avail. Another blamed the teacher for not reminding them. Still another blamed the superintendent for making them wait so long.
Finally, the superintendent arrived at the desk of the little girl who confidently displayed her well-kept desk while beaming at the superintendent.
After inspecting her desk, he took her by the hand to the front of the classroom and awarded her the $100 bill.
“Boys and girls,” he said kindly, “this girl never stopped believing I would return so she kept her desk in perfect order. She didn’t need to worry about what day or even what time of day I would arrive because she was always ready. Always.”
Have faith in God. Put your life in order. Do what He says.
• Live in the light of seeing Him again.
In closing, I like to share with you a passage from Eph 5:15-17.
• Let this be a guiding principle for us this New Year.
• “Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
BE WISE – The Bible says, be wise, don’t be foolish.
BE FOCUSED – Make the most of every opportunity.
Understand what the Lord’s will is.
We are not told to drop everything, go up to the mountain and wait for His return, which some people did. That is foolishness! That isn’t God’s will.
• We are told to be busy doing what He has called us to do, and to do it well.
• Be wise. Don’t waste time. Don’t waste your life away.
• Make the most of every chance we have in doing His will.
One good way to start is to ask ourselves this question:
“If you know that He is returning next Sunday, how would you live differently?”
• If your time is short, would you still be living as you are? “Business as usual”, just like the people in Noah’s days?
Are there some things you would like to do?
• Would you spend a little more time talking to your children about Jesus?
• Would you pray more earnestly for your loved ones?
• Would you still hold a grudge against your brother or sister?
• Would you love those who are in need?
Live with the destination in mind.
• If you have driven with kids in your car, you would understand.
• Every few minutes you’ll hear, “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”
• It doesn’t help telling them, “It will take an hour, or 30 minutes.”
• They will come back to you with the same question, after a few seconds.
Children are focused on a trip – their focus is fully on the destination.
• If you tell them a few days early that you’re bringing them to the zoo, or Hi-5 concert, or the High-School Musical, they will be talking about it every day.
• Their thought is fixed onto it.
This is not a bad principle to keep in our lives.
• Without a focus, we don’t really have a destination.
• Without a destination, we will have no way of measuring where we are in life. You can just waste your life away and it doesn’t matter.
As Christians, the Lord wants us to keep our priorities and focus right.
• We are going to see Him one day, and tell Him what we have done with the things He has given us.
• To stay focused is not easy but we have to train ourselves to think that way.
• We live in the light of eternity, in the light of His return.
• This world is not our home, we are just passing through.
Dear friends, are you ready to face God? Is your life in order?
• If you have not placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Saviour, then this is what you need to do.
• Here is your chance. Pray and receive Christ into your heart and be reconciled with God.
• God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we are forgiven.
