Sunday, November 28, 2010

"Be Ready" Sermon: Matthew 24:37-44

“Be Ready”
[Matthew 24:37-44]
November 28, 2010 Second Reformed Church

Jesus has come. Jesus is here. Jesus is coming again.

During the season of Advent, which begins today, we will be looking at select Lectionary readings which look at the first and second Advent of our God and Savior, Jesus. (Remember, the Lectionary is a series of books that divides most of the Scripture into readings over a three year period.)

We begin the season looking at the Promise – the warning – of Jesus’ Second Coming, which He gave to His disciples. As we open this Scripture, let us remember what we saw some months ago in Peter’s letters, as he wrote, “...scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation. ... But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (II Peter 3:3b-4, 8-10, ESV).

Jesus promised that He will return and the disciples and the angels witness to that Promise. He will return when the time is fulfilled. And He will take us home to be with Him in the world without end.

Jesus and the disciples went up on the Mount of Olives, and they asked Him, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and the close of the age?” (Matthew 24:3b, ESV). Jesus had condemned the Pharisees and told of the overthrow of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple, and the disciples wanted to know when this would happen – how much time did they have? When would Jesus’ Kingdom come in all its fullness?

We see part of Jesus’ answer in this morning’s Scripture: after Jesus explained to them that no one but the Father knows that actual date and time that Jesus will return, He told them that they must be ready for whenever He returns. And we – His latter disciples – also must be ready for whenever He returns.

Jesus told them that when He returns, it will be just like the days of Noah: people will be eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage – everything will look normal – good, even. And just as the lost were unaware of the flood until it swept them away – the lost will be unaware of Jesus’ returning until He sweeps them away.

Moses records: “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.’ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:5-8, ESV).

Notice: in the days of Noah, everything seemed normal or good. They were not experiencing disaster and demons wreaking havoc. The authors of the Left Behind series are mistaken. The authors of the TV show Supernatural are mistaken. In the days of Noah, like the days of the return of Jesus, everything will seem normal and good. Though, in reality, we’re told, “every intention of the thoughts of [man’s] heart was only evil continually.” Jesus will not return when it looks like “all hell is breaking loose”; Jesus will return when everything seems all right.

Then Jesus said that one will be taken and one left. Two men will be in the field, and one will be taken and one left. Two women will be working in the mill, and one will be taken and one left. What is Jesus talking about? There are several interpretations of this text, but not all of them make equal sense.

What Jesus was telling the disciples – and us – is two things:

First, our unions will not save us. Just because we are married to so-and-so or work with so-and-so will not save us. There is no salvation by association. We can’t say, “Oh, I go to Second Reformed Church, so Jesus has to receive me into the Kingdom.” No, when Jesus comes again, we must each answer for our own sins – or we must believe in Jesus Alone for our salvation – and then He will have paid our debt and credited us with His Righteousness.

Second, Jesus was warning the disciples – and us – that there may be times when we have to walk away from people. There may be times when there is nothing more that we can do. It may be that we have proclaimed the Gospel in every way and with all sincerity and accuracy, and some still don’t believe. And, in that moment, hard as it may be, we may have to leave them behind to the Wisdom and the Mercy of God, and go on to other work that God has for us.

Jesus continued by explaining that when He returns – it will be unexpected. Jesus will come when He is unexpected. Jesus will come at the very time when it doesn’t seem right that He would be coming – “Everything is fine – we don’t need to be saved.”

Jesus will be unexpected. Jesus uses the image of a thief who breaks in during the night – at an hour that he was not expected – for if the owner of the house knew that the thief was going to break in at such and such an hour, he would have been prepared for him. That makes sense, doesn’t it? If a thief is coming to rob your home and you know when the thief is coming, you would do something to stop or catch the thief, wouldn’t you? Jesus said He is coming like a thief, and He will be unexpected.

Paul wrote, “Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are children of light, children of day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are doing” (I Thessalonians 5:1-11, ESV).

Paul explains that Jesus will return like a thief in the night – unexpectedly. He will appear like a woman’s labor pains that cannot be escaped. But, Paul says that those who believe in Jesus Alone for salvation are not in the dark – we are not drunk – we are not asleep. No, we belong to the day – we are awake, sober, and in the light. Jesus has saved us and given us a life of faith and hope and love, so that when He returns we will not be surprised, but safe. And since we have that assurance in Christ, we ought to encourage each other about Jesus’ Return.

Even so, Jesus warns the disciples – and us – to be ready. We are to be on the alert. We ought to always be expecting Jesus’ return – looking for Him – waiting for Him – hoping to see Him. Because He is coming – at a time we will not expect.

Jesus has come. Jesus is here. Jesus is coming again

From this, let us understand three things about Jesus:

First, Jesus has graciously and patiently given humanity time to repent and believe.

Jesus told His disciples that He would be put to death and rise and ascend back to the Father and after that, He would return to inaugurate the fulness of His Kingdom. And the disciples initially thought that Jesus would return in their lifetime, but they came to understand that God’s timing is not our timing and Jesus would return when the time was right.

But consider: if Jesus had returned right away, thousands and millions of people would never have come to faith and believed savingly in Jesus – all those people who were born in the past two thousand years and confessed faith in Jesus would not now be assured of being received into His Kingdom. If Jesus was not so gracious and patient, you and I would not be assured of being received into His Kingdom.

Second, Jesus graciously warned His disciples – and us – to keep alert – to be ready – for His surprising timing.

The disciples asked Jesus when these things would happen – when He would return – when the Temple would be destroyed – when Israel would be torn apart – and Jesus told them that only the Father knows the day and the hour. And Jesus could have left His answer at that – He was under no obligation to tell them anything. But in His Grace, Jesus put them on the alert – He told them to be ready – always – because Jesus was going to return at the very time when no one would expect it.

We remain in that position of knowing that Jesus is returning, but not knowing when. Yet, we have the same warning to be alert and ready, for Jesus is returning at the very moment when we don’t think He will return.

There are plenty of skeptics in the world. There are plenty of people who will tell us we a re fools to believe that a Man Who lived two thousand years ago would be returning to earth for us. But that is the promise He made. If Christianity has any truth in it, He must return for us, just as He has promised.

We ought to live our lives with the fact of Jesus’ Return before us. Let us not be surprised but be ready for when the sky parts and Jesus descends on the clouds to bring His people home. Let us develope such a mind-set and such a life-style that whenever Jesus returns, we will be ready for Him.

And third, Jesus has graciously given this Message of Hope to all who believe in Him.

Jesus has revealed His Gospel to us – that God the Son came to earth in the form of the human, Jesus, lived, died, rose from the dead, ascended to Heaven and is seated on His Throne, until the day that He returns with the fulness of His Kingdom.

Does it ever seem incredible to you that God has entrusted you and me with that message and told us to take it to the world – to the whole Creation? If God were not Sovereign, He would be taking a great risk. But since He is Sovereign, everything must happen according to His Plan, and we are assured that Jesus is returning, just as He said.

Is that Promise – that Sure Hope – good news to you this morning? Are you encouraged to know that Jesus is coming back for you and everyone who believes in Him Alone for salvation? Does it fill you heart with joy to know that you will never be forsaken, but a home is waiting for you – with Jesus – in His Kingdom?

Let us pray:
Almighty God, we thank You that You have not left us in the dark but have brought us into the Light of Your Son through salvation and given us assurance of Your Plan and His Return in Your Word. We thank You for warning us to be alert – to be ready – for the surprising timing of His Return, and we ask that You would help us to be ready at all times – whenever You are pleased to return. We thank You that You have given us time to repent and believe – time to spread the Gospel to the whole world – and for the Hope in the Message that You have given us. As we remember Your first coming two thousand years ago, may we be ready for Your soon Second Coming. For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

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