INTRODUCTION:
Thanksgiving has come and gone. In case you haven’t noticed “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.” Of course I think it’s been that way for a long time at the mall; retailers give a whole new meaning to “Christmas in July.” The stores have been ready for Christmas for months, and now our countdown beings—only 27 shopping days left until Christmas!
Another song of the season says, “You better watch out, you better not pout; you better watch out I’m telling you why. Santa Clause is coming to town.” I don’t know what you and your family thinks about Santa, but I want you to remember something even more important this Christmas season. You better watch out, you better not pout; you better watch out I’m telling you why. Jesus Christ is coming again.
This morning we lit the Prophecy Candle on our advent wreath. It reminds us of the words spoken through the prophets foretelling the birth of our Savior Jesus. “The virgin will be with child . . . a shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse . . . out of you [Bethlehem] will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (see: Isaiah 7:14; 11:1; Micah 5:2).
Jesus fulfilled the prophecies spoken about Him. While critics may question the divinity of Jesus no one questions the historical reality of Jesus Christ. Born to the Virgin Mary in the City of David—the little town of Bethlehem—Jesus was laid in a manger. He grew up in Nazareth, preached about the Kingdom of God, and was crucified under the Roman Governor Pontius Pilot.
As certainly as Jesus came the first time let there be no doubt HE WILL COME AGAIN! The same scriptures which told of His birth also boldly proclaim His Second Coming. Jesus’ first coming some 2,000 years ago is convincing evidence He will come again! Just as the prophetic word spoken about Him was fulfilled upon His first coming, prophecy will again be fulfilled when He returns the second time.
We are all making preparations for Christmas—December 25th will be upon us before we know it. This morning we are going to “Get Ready For That Day.” No we’re not preparing for Christmas; we’re getting ready for the day of Christ’s return.
• Matthew 24:36-44 (NIV)
[36] No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. [37] As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. [38] For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; [39] and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. [40] Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. [41] Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. [42] Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. [43] But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. [44] So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
In these verses Jesus makes some things known about “that day”—that day being the Day of His return. What can we learn to help us get ready for that day?
(Advance) 1. The Day of Christ’s return is SECRET.
The day of Jesus return is unknown—it’s a mystery. Jesus said, “No on know about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (verse 36). Even though Jesus said that day is a secret people throughout the ages have tried to say when that day would come.
o In the year 375 AD an early Christian writer proclaimed: "There is no doubt that the Antichrist has already been born. Firmly established in his early years and in a few years will achieve supreme power."
o As the end of the first millennium approached predictions were made of the coming of Christ in the year 1000. It was recorded that people were so sure of the Lord’s coming that they didn’t even plant their crops.
o In the 1500’s Martin Luther wrote, "We have reached the time of the white horse of the Apocalypse. This world won’t last any longer.”
o The year 1666 saw an explosion in end times speculation. One pastor wrote in his journal, "every time a storm has hit this year the church was full of people waiting for Jesus."
o In 1800 William Miller predicted the return of Christ in 1844 All over the Northeast, half a million Adventists awaited the end of the world on April 3, 1843. Journalists had a field day. Reportedly some disciples were on mountaintops, hoping for a head start to heaven. Others were in graveyards, planning to ascend in union with their departed loved ones. Some high society ladies clustered together outside Philadelphia to avoid entering God’s holy kingdom amid the common herd.
o More recently Edgar Whisenant a NASA engineer used his mathematical skills to set a date for the return of Jesus. In his book, "88 Reasons Why the Rapture Could Be in 1988" he set the day Jesus would return on September 10, 1988. He said, Only if the Bible is in error am I wrong . . . if there were a king in this country and I could gamble with my life, I would stake my life on Rosh Hashanah 88.” He was absolutely certain Jesus would return on that day. But September 10th came and went and Edgar didn’t know half as much as he thought he did. Edgar wrote a second book the next year claiming that he forgot that the calendar didn’t start with 1 but year 0, so he said he was a year off—wrong again!
The day of Christ’ return has been and always will be a secret. “No man knows the day or the hour.” Although the day is a secret, THAT DAY WILL COME! BE READY!
o During WWII, Protestant theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer was imprisoned for taking a stand against Hitler. Yet he continued to urge fellow believers to resist Nazi tyranny. A group of Christians, believing that Hitler was the Antichrist, asked Bonhoeffer, "Why do you expose yourself to all this danger? Jesus will return any day, and all your work and suffering will be for nothing." Bonhoeffer replied, "If Jesus returns tomorrow, then tomorrow I’ll rest from my labor. But today I have work to do. I must continue the struggle until it’s finished." (Daily Bread, November 10, 1991.)
Bonhoeffer was set an example for each of us to follow. None of us should try to figure out the "when" of the Lord’s coming; our responsibility is to be ready for His coming. Being ready does not mean we escape from our problems and go sit on a mountain top waiting for the sky to split open and Jesus return to take us to heaven.
Being ready for Christ’s return means we will be found doing what the Master has called us to do. Christians are not to have “an escape mentality.” We are to remain faithful servants as we look forward to that great day of Christ’s return. Jesus makes this clear in what He asks, “Who then is the faithful and wise servant?”(NIV).
• Matthew 24:45-46 (MsgB)
[45] Who here qualifies for the job of overseeing the kitchen? A person the Master can depend on to feed the workers on time each day. [46] Someone the Master can drop in on unannounced and always find him doing his job. A God-blessed man or woman, I tell you.
Stay faithful to the Lord’s calling in your life. Live in surrendered obedience to God’s Word and allow the Holy Spirit to guide your steps each day. Only then will you be ready for that secret day—the day of Christ’s return.
(Advance) 2. The Day of Christ’s return is SCHEDLULED.
God has set a day for Christ’s return. “That Day” is in His heavenly planner. While “That Day” is scheduled in God’s divine timetable, it can be missed all together in our calendars.
Think for a moment about our schedules. We are held prisoner by our calendar and plans. We’ve set our routine and do our best to live by the clock. We have our day planners and palm pilots ready to fill each day. We organize our days and plan for the future. Even now some of you could be thinking about your schedule for today; you’re hoping I won’t be long winded so you can make it home for the kick off or whatever else you may have planned. Let’s face it we’re busy—too busy!
Look again at what Jesus said about that day.
• Matthew 24:37-39 (MsgB)
[37] The Arrival of the Son of Man will take place in times like Noah’s. [38] Before the great flood everyone was carrying on as usual, having a good time right up to the day Noah boarded the ark. [39] They knew nothing—until the flood hit and swept everything away. The Son of Man’s Arrival will be like that.
Jesus will return on an ordinary day—maybe it will be a Monday? We will all be going through our normal routine. Living our lives just like we do every other day, we won’t have Christ’s return marked down on our calendar. He will come and interrupt our routine. Will we make room in the midst of our busy schedule to anticipate Christ’s return?
• Acts 17:31 (NIV)
For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.
Let me underscore what I said at the beginning. The fact of Jesus’ first coming is convincing evidence He will come again! We believe not only that Jesus came and lived, but we also believe:
• 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (NIV)
[3] . . . Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, [4] that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.
God gave all the proof needed. Jesus will return again to judge all humanity because God raised Jesus from the dead. That Day is scheduled by God—the day is set. Let’s purpose to make room in the midst of our busy schedules for Jesus. When He returns let’s be like Noah—let’s be in the ark anticipating His return.
That Day is a Secret Day, and it is scheduled day.
(Advance) 3. The Day of Christ’s return brings SEPARATION.
• Matthew 24:40-41 (NIV)
[40] Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. [41] Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
Here again we see how that day will be an ordinary day. A day of separation will occur at a time we are going about our daily routine.
o Two will be together on coffee break; one will be taken the other left.
o Two will be together at the grocery store; one will be taken the other left.
o Two will be together at school; one will be taken the other left.
o Two will be together at home; one will be taken the other left.
When I said we should make room for Jesus in our daily schedule and be like Noah found safely in the ark, I was not saying we should isolate ourselves from the world. We shouldn’t make the church a monastery.
The separation made at His return is not His choice made at that time; the separation made that day is a result of our personal choice made ahead of time. We are safely within the ark through our personal decision to let God rescue us from our sins through His Son Jesus.
• Romans 10:13 (NLT)
Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
• John 3:16-17 (NIV)
[16] For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
• 2 Peter 3:9 (MsgB)
God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change.
Max Lucado has said, “If there are a thousand steps between us and God, He will take all but one. He will leave the final one for us. The choice is ours.” God does not force us to be saved; we can choose to live our lives the way we want.
o A Far Side cartoon gives us real insight into our choices. The devil (complete with cape horns and pitchfork) stands at two doors offering a man the choice of which door to enter. Can you imagine the devil explaining the virtues of each choice—the good things you will find through the door of your choice? The entrance of each door reads respectively, “Damned if you do,” and “Damned if you don’t.” So much for having a choice!
• Deuteronomy 30:19 (NIV)
This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.
God offers us a real choice. God does not let us choose between “the lesser of two evils;” God presents us with the choice of life and death.
What choice have you made to choose life or death—to choose to follow Jesus or to make our own path? When Christ returns the opportunity to make a choice will be over. That Day will Christ will make a separation based upon the choices we have made.
(Advance) 4. The Day of Christ’s return is a SURPRISE.
• Matthew 24:42-44 (MsgB)
[42] So stay awake, alert. You have no idea what day your Master will show up. [43] But you do know this: You know that if the homeowner had known what time of night the burglar would arrive, he would have been there with his dogs to prevent the break-in. [44] Be vigilant just like that. You have no idea when the Son of Man is going to show up.
Jesus will not place an ad in the classifieds; you won’t hear a public service announcement on the TV or radio announcing the time of His return. Without notice or any advance warning He will return—ready or not!
o On September 15, 2001 President George W. Bush Speaking to the Nation from Camp David encouraged the American people to prepare themselves for a prolonged conflict we now know as the war on terror. To the US armed forces he delivered a blunt, clear message: "Everybody who wears the uniform: Get ready."
That’s what Jesus is telling us: “Everyone who belongs to my kingdom—GET READY!” In the same way our military is prepared to make an immediate response should our nation be attacked, we are to be ready for that day—the day of Christ’s return.
• 2 Peter 3:10-11 (NIV)
[10] But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. [11] Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives.
If we are to be ready when He returns, we are to live holy and godly lives. What does it mean to live a holy and godly life? We should be set apart to God for righteousness. In other words, we don’t live for our own pleasure; we live to please God.
We live a holy and godly life through our daily choices. Making the choice to live for God’s pleasure and not our own happens moment by moment through the things we say and do.
You make yourself ready for that day, not by making a one time choice to live for Jesus—you get prepared for that day by living for Jesus each and every day.
As certainly as Jesus came the first time let there be no doubt HE WILL COME AGAIN! Jesus’ first coming is convincing evidence He will one day come again!
o That day is a secret.
o That day is scheduled.
o That day will bring separation.
o That day will be a surprise.
Ready or not Jesus is coming again!
