ALWAYS BE READY

Sunday (12/1), gather with your church family as we continue studying Matthew’s Gospel (24:32-44).

After warning His disciples about the seven-year tribulation, when the city of Jerusalem would be on the verge of collapse, the Jewish people would be persecuted, pursued, and executed; the Anti-Christ would desecrate the Temple, declaring himself to be God.

The world reeling from God’s judgment upon the world would be cast into darkness before a sudden burst of the brilliant light of Jesus returning to the earth, followed by a billion or more of the angelic host and the church.

Before explaining His millennial reign, Jesus gave four parables that challenged them always to be ready, for His return would occur at a time known only to His Heavenly Father.

Why would Jesus need to warn His people to be prepared for His Second Coming? First, each sign He mentioned had to do with His return to the earth; if His people had prepared their hearts by coming to Him by faith, they would escape the tribulation because He would have come for them in the rapture of the church.

Second, Jesus knows the hearts of all men. Believers and unbelievers have this in common: an inclination to focus on the temporal rather than the eternal.

Therefore, it is easy to be weighed down by the unimportant things of the present while ignoring the urgent, such as Jesus’ return. The Apostle Paul understood this, writing, “We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Co 4:18).

Third, when, as a follower of Christ, you believe He can return at any moment, it profoundly affects your priorities regarding your time, talents, and treasures. You desire to use all He has given you to impact your world with the gospel and to come alongside fellow believers in your local church and missionaries around the globe so that all can hear what God has done for them by sending His One and Only Son.

Fourth, when believers are equipped with the truth of God’s prophetic Word, they are prepared to warn those family and friends who have not yet trusted Christ for the forgiveness of sins. If their warnings go unheeded, the hope is that after the rapture, they will remember what was said and turn to Christ in faith to escape the judgment of the condemned.

The prophet Isaiah wrote, “My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Is 55:10-11).

May Jesus’ teaching fill our hearts with the knowledge of His word, hearts prepared to receive Him, hearts to share the gospel with anyone who will listen, and hearts to keep our eyes and affections open to His imminent return.

There are several worship opportunities: on-campus (10:00 a.m.), drive-in church (92.1fm), and online (Facebook and YouTube: Calvary Inverness).

Maranatha,

Pastor