Are you Prepared?

Introduction

Good to be back with you Church! We had a great time at Mammoth Cave…a Dinosaur park…and just relaxing at the campground around a campfire...

Although we are just a family of 4 satying in a rented cabin…I swear we brought half the house with us.

Granted…that’s mostly my fault…all my worries around taking the family to the great outdoors…requires a lot of extra stuff.

But that didn’t stop us from running to Walmart for food over the course of three days…Yeah…nothing like be anxious as you relax on a vacation!

It actually was quite restful and rejuvanating for me. I’m grateful to you Church for caring well for your pastor and his family.

Today

A big thanks to brother David Ellis for filling in for me last week. But now…we’re back in the sadle…as we look back at Jesus’ Olivet Discourse…about what to expect in the time before his return.

Matthew 24 and 25 are Jesus’ response to his disciples question found in Matthew 24:3 “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Jesus has warned that wars and rumors of wars…kingdom fighting against kingdom…ethnic group fighting against ethnic group…natural diasters would increase…but that was just the beginning…not the end.

We’ve talked about the destruction of the Jewish temple in AD 70…which Jesus predicted here…and how lawlessness will increase and the church will betray and hate one another…and how many will be tempted to let their love grow cold...

7Two Sunday’s ago…we talked about the “devestating pollution”…or utter corruption of the temple of God that both took place in AD 70 when Rome destroyed the Temple…and seems to also indicate that a similar event will take place just before Jesus’ return…in a third temple…yet to be built. (Just a few days ago...prayers by Cohen, decendants of Aaron, fully robed, were offered on the Temple mount…something not allowed since Israel has become a nation again in May of 1948; is a third temple soon to be built? We’ll wait and see)

Today we are looking at the portion of Jesus’ prophesey of the future that can be broken into three distinct sections...

the Coming of the son of man (Arrival)

and two reactions to Jesus arrival...

the need to be aware of the signs of the time (Awareness)

the need to be ready for Jesus return (not woke but Awake)

Arrival

vv.29-31 speak of the the arrival of the son of man…a title Jesus gave himself from the prophet Daniel (ch.7). This section is Jesus answer to the disciples question…what will be the sign of the end of the age. This age will end when the son of man appears.

OT prophets had long prepared God’s people for events in the heavens as harbingers of the end of the age.

Isaiah 13:10 (ESV)

For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light.

Th eprophet Joel decalres Joel 2:31

Joel 2:31 ESV

The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.

It is this apocalyptic language that Jesus uses to repeat what we talked about before…his return to this earth will be unmistakable. Many will be unprepared and therefore will be decieved that the end is near…or that Jesus has returned or can be found now…but Jesus is very clear…his return…the end of this age comes at his arrival. And that arrival will be unmistakable.

There are two responses that are required of the believer to this event. The first is awareness.

Awareness

Jesus uses the parable of the fig tree to illustrate that as believers…you and I are to be aware of what scripture says…what our Lord said about the times and seasons in which we live. Some over zealous Christians throughout history have claimed the time in which they lived was the end-times they were wrong. But they were being sincere in their being “ready” for the imminant return of Jesus.

Many say we are now in the end times. Certainly we are the only generation of humanity that has witnessed the rebirth of Israel as a nation since the first century. Certainly…today…the middle east is ablaze with wars and rumors of wars…with ethnic groups and nations fighting each other…natural disasters everywhere...

Many say we are living in the end times. Well I can tell you this unequivocally…we are closer to the end times than humanity has ever have been. But Jesus makes it clear…the ushering in of the end of the age will be his unmitakable return.

So we are to be like the fig tree…Jesus said Matthew 24:33-35

Matthew 24:33–35 ESV

So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Like the leaves of a fig tree tell when summer is near…these sign tell us when Jesus return is near, even at the gate. We are to be aware of what jesus teaches…and be looking for the signs of the time. But awareness is not enough. Jesus said awareness is required…but so is preparedness. Not only aware…but awake.

Awakeness

Not woke…but awake. Alert. Ready to go.

Laura knows…with how I percieve the times in which we live…I see global totalitarianism on the rise…in which we are one major world-wide crisis away…from the elemination of cash…and implementation of economic and social control measures (such as censorship; ie abolishing the first amendment) put on the world-wide population. I think we are very close to that.

That being said…Laura also knows I have a fond place in my heart for preppers…those who…like the fig tree see the signs of the times and actively prepare for what’s next.

One thing I like about preppers is…that they are awake. They are ready. They are aware of what’s afoot. Many have what’s called a “bug-out bag” with all the essentials to do what Jesus said…when the devestating poluttion appears…don’t go back to get anythging…get out of dodge…or…bug out!

Closing

What about you? Do you have a spiritual ‘bug-out’ bag ready to go?

Are you prepared for the time of Jesus’ return? It’s closer than its ever been.

Jesus is emphasizing to his disciples…then and now…to know that his appearing will happen at some point and it will be unmistakable...

He is emphasizing readiness for that event. Don’t be caught unawares. Matthew 24:40-41

Matthew 24:40–41 ESV

Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.

This is probably referencing the events of Matthew 24:31

Matthew 24:31 ESV

And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The one taken is the elect…the Christian…the one who is aware and awake…and looking for the Lord’s return.

The one left…is unaware…not looking…going about life…not paying attention to the signs of the time. When Jesus makes his unmistakable return…they will be surprised…and they will face judgement.

All of God’s elect…willl be found aware and awake of Jesus soon return…may we all be found awake, alert, have our spiritual bug-out bags ready. May we be prepared and be found living out Jesus’ commanment to love up until he returns and ushers in the end of the age.

Thanks be to God…AMEN!