1st Thessalonians 4:16-18
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we, who are alive and remain, shall be caught up together in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
What we have just read talking about us. That’s all of us. You could say we are going on an adventure. Gods got something very special planned for us. Jesus is coming back to take his bride. That’s you and me.
Do you believe you are going to be with Jesus? Yes! Put your hand up. That’s good you believe Jesus is coming, and because of that you have this wonderful event we have just read about to look forward to.
Which of you then who knows that a wonderful event is going to occur in your life, would not make preparations? None I bet!
So you would also plans how to be ready for Gods event. The wonderful event God has for you to attend, would you not?
If you believe God is coming for you, it seems reasonable that you would be planning for it. If you don’t then it would seem reasonable you would not be planning for it.
Believing is the 1st step, and if you believe you should see clearly the need to be planning, making preparations to be ready, just like you would for any event you wanted to be at.
How can you then be ready for God? What planning do you need to do? Well of coarse your planning will be of a spiritual nature, rather than physical. That means God will be in control, and that you need to allow Him to prepare you for this event, where as with other things like holidays etc you basically do all the planning to be ready, here you need to let God get you ready for the return of Christ. Lets go to a scripture
Matt 19:25 last part who then can be saved? Jesus looked at them and said with man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.
Unless the Lord shall build the house the weary builders toil in vain
Why do you need God to get you ready can I hear you asking? Well doesn’t God love me just the way I am?
God loves you just the way that you are there is no truer statement, but it’s also just as true He doesn’t want you to stay that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus! There fore you need to let Him change you.
Not only must you be washed in the blood of the lamb, have your sins forgiven. But, you must let Jesus be Lord of your life. Be willing to, desire to surrender every part of your life to Jesus, this is absolutely essential.
Lets look at the 10 virgins Matt 25: 1-13
"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom? And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, not so; lest there is not enough for you and us: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh."
We can accept Jesus as Savior but yet not give Him Lordship over our lives. Even though we believe He is coming again. We must desire to surrender every part of our live to Jesus. With the 5 foolish virgins there was a measure of the Spirit of God within them but they hadn’t allowed the Holy Spirit to completely full them, they had put something in the way. In other words they wouldn’t and were not prepared to surrender every thing to Him. We to can keep back a part of our old life that’s wrong; because it is fun and something we enjoy doing, its may be drinking to much watching porn shows materialism, you fill in the blank. Five of the 10 virgins had not given all their faults sins to God to take care of. This message is a warning against doing that, and one to heed.
When you desire to surrender all and give God your faults sins you live in a state of grace. Now that’s Good news! All you have to do is desire to give them to God. It easier said than done though because of the way we are, that’s why we have the 10 virgins story.
As we surrender all to God he will begin transforming us into the image of Jesus, and it should be fun. Let me explain.
Planning for an event can be almost as exciting as the event itself. and I believe God wants us to be excited about what He is doing in our life, the change He is taking us through. Isn’t this what the scripture says?
James 1:2
Consider it pure joy, my brothers whenever you face trails of many kinds. Is not facing our sins some of those trails the writer may be talking about? Rather than be disheartened in our weakness, which I am guilty of. Could God be telling me us to get excited, God can and will resolve them if you let Him. All you need to do is hand them over to Him.
Just recently I failed once again in an area of my life that’s been a problem for some time. Afterwards I reflected had I asked Jesus to take care of the problem and given it to Him at the time. He would have, He would had forgiven me, covered me with his grace and maybe even given me the strength to stop the sin, and He will also do so in the future too.
He will do all this if I just have the desire to surrender; and as I pondered this real joy filled my life, the joy I believe the scriptures talk about.
If we don’t take the attitude of what a joy it is for God to transform us could we not get bitter and then resist the process. Without this positive attitude to the changes God want for our life would we not fall into the trap of these Christians we read of in Matt 20?
“For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the owner of an estate who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work.
3“At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. 4So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. 5At noon and again around three o’clock he did the same thing. 6At five o’clock that evening he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’
7“They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’”
The owner of the estate told them, ‘then go on out and join the others in my vineyard.’
8“That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. 9When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage. 10When those hired earlier came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage. 11When they received their pay, they protested, 12‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’
13“He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? 14Take it and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. 15_ Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be angry because I am kind?
16“And so it is, that many who are first now will be last then; and those who are last now will be first then.”
I wouldn’t like to put my life on the 1st workers being part of God Kingdom. They had a very negative attitude to what God was putting them through, the work. Was not the work the changes in their life God was making? If the work was changes in their lives to which they keep grumbling about no wonder God was displeased with them. Something to think about!
We needn’t lie in bed not able to sleep because were not sure of our salvation. We could be in no better hands. We have just got to be willing to fully put ourselves into those hands
Phil 1:6
Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
God in charge! Jesus knew that, and that’s why He was able to sleep during the storm
Luke 8: 22
Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. 2 Suddenly, a terrible storm came up, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went to him and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
26_ And Jesus answered. “Why are you so afraid? You have so little faith”. Then he stood up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly all was calm. 27The disciples just sat there in awe. “Who is this?” they asked themselves. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”
Gods in charge, that’s why you should not be over concerned about the storms of life, whether they may be trails in work, sins or relationships. Your in Gods hand there is none better. Have faith!
It wasn’t wrong for the disciples to wake Jesus, involve Him; we should always involve Jesus. What was wrong is even though they shouted at him to save them they didn’t really believe He could handle it. What did they say? Who is this man that even the wind and sea obey. Do we shout out God save us then not really believe he can. What happen when they gave the problem to Jesus? He took care of it. He took care of it.
Let God get you ready, its God work, give Him your life and let Him plan to get you there. More than anything He wants you to be there to meet Christ; you are very very special to God. Let me tell you a story about the way God deals with us.
Once a small boy and his class got ready to see the King. They line the street flag in hand. As the King passed the small boy waved furiously, the King was smiling and waving. After the King had passed, the teacher began organizing the class to go back to school, she then notice the small boy was crying. Perplexed she asked, didn’t you see the King? The small boy replied I saw the King but he didn’t see me. I saw the King but he didn’t see me.
God will never not see you if you’re seeking Him. Remember the scripture seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. He wants to help you, change you into the likeness of His Son. Will you let Him?
Can I hear anyone asking but I don’t know what I need to surrender. Well then ask God, I can tell you from experience He will show you though your conscience, and when he does give the problem or sin or both back to God in prayer to take care of, He will in every way. So keep giving all your problems to God and really mean it.
Also comparing your life to what He says you should be like in his word the bible also helps you see where surrender is needed. And always remember its God who is to do the changing in you. He will deal with it, His way and then have the faith that He will.
You live in a state of Grace when you desire to surrender all and give your problems to God.
God prepares you fully for the coming trip to meet Jesus in the clouds; God takes care of everything nothing is left undone.
Some folk spend a great deal of time and energy seeking to puzzle out the mysteries of the second coming, while ignoring God instruction to surrender every thing to Him, and let him clean up their lives. Don’t fall into that trap.
Don’t delay, let God get you ready for Jesus return, confess your sins. Trust in Jesus for your salvation; commit yourself to living in obedient thankful union with him. Surrender all.
Lets pray.
