ARE YOU READY?
December 3, 2006 - ADVENT 1
Matthew 24:37-44
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Dear Fellow-Redeemed and Saints in the Lord:
If you had a chance to look in the bulletin, our question, our theme for today is "Are you ready?" In our life we just know that very often we aren’t ready or aren’t prepared as much as we would want. Many of us started yesterday getting things ready for the potluck. This morning there were probably little details to take care of. Finally, we just had to come to get here on time even though we weren’t as prepared or as ready as we would want. It is an age-old problem that we struggle to have everything prepared and just the way we want it. So often it happens then we very often aren’t always ready or prepared. Writing a sermon is just like that. It is never ready because there is always some word you can change to make it better. An artist is never ready to display his painting, because he could always change some color, some scene.
These four weeks give us very little time to get ready for the birth of our Savior. Yet, we realize as believers, because God has put faith in our hearts, we are ready for the most important things. We are ready to welcome Christ into the world as the redeeming infant. We are also to be ready to welcome Christ when he returns as the Savior. This takes work and effort, because we can become easily distracted in this life. Our first quotation is from Peter: "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed" (1 Peter 1:13). This is why we are here today. We want to get ready and to prepare our minds for action, to look to the hope of the grace revealed in Christ. Today we ask:
ARE YOU READY?
I. Judgment Day is approaching, and
II. All are always to be watching.
I. JUDGMENT DAY IS APPROACHING
We have another very interesting section of Scripture. Chapter 24:3 the disciples ask Jesus about the signs of the end of the age. Tell us about the return of the Savior. In verse 37 Jesus is still giving his answer and still answers that question in chapter 25. Almost all of chapter 24 and all of 25 is the answer of Jesus to that simple question. We have a small portion of that today. Read chapters 24 and 25 to see the context for our verses. Jesus wanted to remind the disciples that the coming Day of the Lord would be unexpected. The example he uses is the example of Noah: "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." They knew about Noah. They had learned it from their parents and grandparents and in synagogue school. During the time of Noah, the world was so wicked that only eight people survived in the Ark. Hundreds of thousands or millions were killed because of great wickedness.
What was it like in the days of Noah? "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." Jesus said, "Everything was going on just like it always had. People sat down for meals, drank, had weddings, celebrations, etc." Then the flood came. The translation here is not as strong as it could be. Verse 39: "And they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. They knew nothing. The flood came and took them all away. It wasn’t that they didn’t know anything. The people did not pay attention to anything. They did not listen. Noah did not just build the ark. Noah was known as a preacher of righteousness who proclaimed that God’s judgment was coming. The wicked world did not pay attention. They acted as if they knew nothing about God, and the flood came and took them all away.
As his conclusion he says: "That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." People will be doing whatever they are doing in this world, for this world, for themselves; and the end will come. They would act as if they knew nothing. The reality is they did not pay attention. Judgment Day will come unexpectedly, suddenly. Jesus gives this example: "Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left." The original is more like poetry, "forsaken." One would be taken, the other forsaken. God’s judgment comes. The sheep and goats are separated. This is the end. The goats, those left or forsaken, do not have time to repent. Judgment Day has come and gone. Some are taken, and others forsaken.
Jesus spoke these words a little bit after the turn of the century to his disciples. Now, you and I are after the turn of another century. Another millennium has passed. What do you think? Is Jesus closer now than ever before? Of course, he is. Almost two thousand years have gone by when he says he is going to come back. So we are about two thousand years closer to the time of his return. So the Lord would ask us today, "Are you ready?" Are we ready for his return? Is the world ready for his return? Or is the world much like the time of Noah? We would tend to say the world hasn’t gotten better. God says that too. People will be lovers of themselves. People would look out only for their own interests. That certainly describes our society today, doesn’t it? People do not have time for other people. We don’t have time to take care of other people. Towns build assisted-living places and nursing homes, so that other people can take care of their loved ones. Lovers of themselves do not have time to take care of those who love them.
From time to time we are so caught up in the things in this world that we, too, might be a little bit unprepared. We know how it is in this blessed Christmas Season. It seems that last year we heard all about the attack on Christmas and Christ. This year we probably will hear the same thing. The world tries to take out of Christmas the manger scene, the reference to the cross, the birth of the Christ Child. All this seems to the world to be too offensive, that they might step on someone else’s religious toes. Paul writes in Philippians: "Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things" (Philippians 3:18b, 19). We see in the world all around us, their mind is on earthly things. Black Friday and how many shopping days are left is what we will hear about over and over again. The mind of the world is on earthly things. We live in this world, and sometimes our mind is on earthly things.
We need to remind ourselves are we prepared? Are we looking to the spiritual things or not? Why is the world so wicked and evil? It is because Satan is alive and well and all too many people have turned away from God. People are living much like in the days of Noah. People are going to take care of themselves. They are going to do what feels good. They are going to make their heaven here on earth. Then they care very little about what is yet to come. In the end, we can sum it up in one word. It’s about money (greed), isn’t it? The day after Thanksgiving many try to predict if it is going to be a good Christmas season or not. The only thing they base that on is money and sales. What is going to be good for the merchants? Whom among us have done things for money? We look at our small town, and what do we see? We see young people leaving to go to the big cities to make money. Isn’t this basically the problem? Our families leave to make money and be better off in life. Yet, as we visit the big cities, do we find that life more appealing to us? In our small communities people care for others and the morals are still somewhat moral. Here Christ is not taken out of Christmas. Money (greed) is a driving force because of the wicked world in which we live. Paul writes in Timothy: "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction" (1 Timothy 6:9). We can almost picture the flood again where men are plunged into the floodwaters ending in their ruin and destruction.
Are you prepared? Thankfully and mercifully, God has prepared us. By grace he has worked faith in our hearts. God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," and made his light shine in our hearts so that we have the light and the knowledge of salvation. Very simply we are prepared, as Paul writes in Romans: "That if you confess with your mouth, ’Jesus is Lord.’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved" (Romans 10:9,10). Are you prepared by God’s grace? We are.
Judgment Day is approaching and we look forward to that time when we will see the Savior face to face. But in order to be ready, Jesus continues by saying all are to always be watching.
II. ALL ARE ALWAYS TO BE WATCHING
The suddenness of the Lord’s return and the unexpectedness of the Lord’s return is the theme that we hear in our readings and in Scripture today. To be prepared for something that comes suddenly and unexpectedly is a challenge, isn’t it? Even here one is taken that works in the field, one forsaken. There will be a sudden separation from those who have things in common, those who work together in this world, whether in the field or in a business. Jesus says not all are saved. That is unexpected because almost everyone expects to be saved. The Lord very clearly states that is not the case.
In verses 42, 43, and 44, the Lord uses imperatives or commands for his disciples. He uses present commands. Jesus strongly emphasize that his disciples are to keep on doing these things. "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." This is the first command. Jesus tells his disciples to keep watch, keep on watching for the return. He says, "You can see the signs and you know it will be closer, because everyday that passes means the Day is closer. Keep watch." This is the first command of Lord to his disciples and to us.
"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." Now Jesus says to know this. The people did not have locks on their doors or security systems or alarms. So to protect their house, they had to keep watch. If they knew the thief was coming at midnight, they would be there at 11:30 p.m. If the thief were coming at 2 a.m., they would be there at 1:30 a.m. Then the house is not broken into. Jesus emphasizes to his disciples, "Know this; believe this; keep on knowing and believing!"
The last imperative is to always be prepared. Be ready. He says: "So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." Jesus says to watch, believe and be ready. Why? The disciples do not know when the Lord will return. On Judgment Day the Lord Jesus’ return will arrive unexpectedly and suddenly. Keep on being prepared.
There is the difference today. For you and me as believers we gather together this morning that we might be ready. We prepare our minds for the Lord’s coming that we can set our hope on the grace that God has given us. Why? Simply, we no longer walk or live in the darkness of unbelief anymore. We will not want to plunge ourselves into ruin and destruction by our greedy, selfish motives. God has changed us dramatically, drastically. At times it is hard for us to see this dramatic change in our lives. Most of us have been believers for most or even all of our lives. From infancy on we have grown up in the grace and knowledge of God and his love for us. There are many in this world that have not always had Christ in their lives. When they finally see the light these new believer also see how their lives are changed. We know that from Paul: the persecutor of the followers of the Way changed to proclaiming Christ and Christianity. In Thessalonians: "You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled" (1 Thessalonians 5:5,6). What a verse Paul gives us! How often do we say to ourselves, "How I wish I was like Bill Gates (or any person of wealth and influence)? Bill Gates has everything going for him. He has lots of money. He is famous, powerful and has no cares or worries in this world." God says we are not to be like them. We aren’t people of this world. We are sons of the light. We are children of God. Our inheritance is not here. It is in heaven that is yet to come.
Instead, Jesus says we are to be watching. We are to stand firm in our faith. We are to be ready for Jesus’ return. Each one of us can be the best prepared and ready by reading and studying God’s Word. Jesus says, as we heard in the last verse of our Gospel: "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36). We have the ability to read God’s Word, to hear it and study it. Then we have the blessed privilege to pray to God. We pray to God that our eyes would be open, our ears would be listening, to pay attention that the Lord is coming, closer and closer and closer. The reminder that this coming of the Lord is ever nearer does not frighten us. It is the fulfillment of God’s promise to his believers.
We aren’t scared of Christmas Day, are we? We celebrate and rejoice the coming of the Christ Child, the humble infant in the manger in the stable. This is the same Christ who will return on the Last Day as righteous Judge. Scripture reminds us he came first to save us as that infant. Then Jesus comes again and we are able look forward to that day with that same Christmas joy and rejoicing. Our life on earth is a journey for us as pilgrims. The Lord says like the days of Noah so it will be in our generation. Not a good thing when you have only eight people in the world who were still believers. So what are we to do in a world even more wicked than the time of Noah? Paul says in Corinthians: "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love" (1 Corinthians 16:13,14). There are lots of things listed here. Stand firm in the faith and be courageous and bold and strong in the Lord!
God has loved you so that you might love others. Are you ready? You are ready. The love of God is in your hearts. You are ready because the love of God has provided us with the forgiveness of sins. As Luther says, "Where there is forgiveness of sins, there is life eternal." That is what makes us ready as we look forward to our eternal life. Judgment Day is coming. The world is going to grow more and more and more wicked and evil: probably more than we can imagine. If we think it is bad now, before the end comes it will be a lot, lot worse. This gives us all the more reason to be always watching for the Lord. We are to be watchful and standing firm in the faith. Then we are ready. Following chapter 1 in Revelation are the letters to the seven churches. Some churches were lukewarm. Some were faithful, and some weren’t. All were reminded to hold on what they have because Jesus is coming soon: "I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown" (Revelation 3:11). You and I have already been given that crown of life. Now Jesus tells us to hold on to it. Jesus is going to come back. When Jesus returns we will be watching and ready and prepared for that Day of Judgment. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
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ADVENT 1 readings: JEREMIAH 33:14-16; 1 THESSALONIANS 3:9-13; LUKE 21:25-36
