An Unexpected Party

Scripture

Luke 12:35–48 (ESV)

“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

INTRO - When Will Jesus Be Back?

Lots of people will tell you!

Dodgy Authors

The conspiracy minded person.

Youtube

Of course, some people are ALWAYS convinced

You Old People should know better.

DIFFERENT MEANINGS FOR THE COMING OF CHRIST

1. There is the Final Return, the Parousia, the End of History.

2. There is his coming for us. Death.

3. There is the moments he comes to give us a new task.

4. There is the great moments in which he comes to change history.

We Don’t Know When He will Come - But we must be ready!

How do we stay ready?

ONE - Stay Dressed for Action

“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes.

A rich master coming home to his house after a party

HOW DO I STAY DRESSED?

FIRST - MAKE SURE YOU ARE CLOTHED WITH SALVATION.

Have you put your faith in Jesus?

If you have never done that, you are not ready for his return!

Matthew 22:11–12 (ESV) The Undressed Guest

“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.

Have you ever beleived in Christ? Have you turned from sin? Have you been baptised?

Perhaps you walked away for a season.

Perhaps you threw off the robes of righteousness.

Revelation 3:18 ESV

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.

SECOND - STAY DRESSED FOR A FIGHT

Some people think - “Jesus is a long way off, so there’s no need to worry.

Other think - “Jesus will be back tonight, so the war is over”.

Cyclists or runners celebrating early.

We must stay dressed for a fight.

Ephesians 6:13–17 ESV

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

The enemy of your souls will not give up until the last breath.

You and I must stay dressed. We are at war! And war requires us to have our armour ready at all times.

THREE - KEEP ON THE GARMENTS OF PRAISE.

ISAIAH 61 says that God wants to give his people, “the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit.”

One of Satan’s tactics is misery & despair.

Older folks often think the world is getting worse and worse.

The news focuses on the evil and trouble and worry.

Imagine those servants waiting for their master. And one of them, a bit of an eyore is saying all sorts of miserable things.

It’s hard to perservere when you are miserable!

Proverbs 15:13 ESV

A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.

While we wait Christ’s return - we are meant to be jouyful!

Get to church, sing glad songs!

Make music and melody, PRAISE GOD!

SO, STAY DRESSED. BE READY FOR JESUS.

TWO - Keep Your Lamps Burning

In those days, lamps required oil. In order to keep them alight, you had to have enough oil!

THE GREAT DECEPTION - “Jesus is coming soon, forget the future”.

Don’t plan for your kids, or retirement, or build or anything.

If anyone tells you this, they are, at best, foolish, and at worst, inspired by the devil.

Ignore them. They are false witnesses.

MATTHEW 25 - TEN VIRGINS

Jesus tells us of 10 Women waiting for the Bridegroom to arrive.

In the ancient Jewish marriage festival, the bridegroom, attended by his friends, went to the house of his bride, and brought her with her friends in joyful procession to his own house.

Five of them prepared for a long night.

But five of them - the “foolish ones” did not.

They ended up having to go and get oil, and while they were gone, the party started without them.

ARE YOU PREPARED FOR A LONG NIGHT?

Nothing is more discouraging then planning for a short time, only to get stuck with a long one.

Called in to labouring “for a couple of hours”

All the foolishness of the last century - “Late great planet earth” “End of history”

Don’t be a fool - Keep your lamps burning.

Make sure you are walking in the light if he comes for you today.

And make sure you have sufficient readiness for if he doesn’t return for a thousand years.

THREE DON’T ACT UP IN HIS ABSENCE

Peter pipes up and says, “Are you saying this to us?”

Luke 12:41–42 (ESV)

And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful.

CURRENT OBSESSION OVER ABUSIVE LEADERS

Sadly, you can never entirely avoid bad leaders.

I read recently a report of some institution that found abuse had increased since they had spent huge amounts of money trying to stop it.

I’ve noticed that the progressive, barely Christian elements are the most focused on this:

Because they’ve forgotten that Christ is returning.

They’ve forgotten the same thing that abusive leaders forget: God will judge all people, especially those he appoints to lead.

the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful.

That’s terrifying!

It’s an element of Christianity we often overlook.

God will come as JUDGE.

And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

It’s not just the leaders he will judge.

Members of the U.S Government who regret complaining about Trump.

Even if you aren’t a leader, you can

But, just as there are warnings, there are promises.

FOUR - LOOK FORWARD TO HIS PROMISES

1. Jesus promises us an honourable rest.

Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!

Have us recline at the table.

Jesus will welcome you into his rest.

Q:what does it mean he will serve them?

It won’t be an eternity of hard labour, but we will join the God of creation is his joy.

2. He promises promotion and reward.

Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.

At this time, we are servants.

But, if we are found faithful, we will be something far greater.

We will have charge over all that God has!

CONCLUSION - ARE YOU READY?

LIFE IS DIVIDED BETWEEN THOSE WHO ARE READY AND THOSE WHO ARE NOT.

Between those who are Dressed and those who are not.

In the righteousness of faith, and a clean conscience.

In the armour of God.

In the Garments of Praise.

Between those who have kept their lamps burning and those who did not.

Between those who have walked in the fear of God, and those who did not.

Why have Christians made a habit of DAILY prayer and bible reading?

Isn’t it too much?

Why do we meet every single week?

Why can’t we just do Easter and Christmas?

You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

The opportunities to serve him arrive suddenly, and go quickly.

The last time you pick up your child

The last time you hug your mother or father

Life is full of these moments in which we have to be ready.

But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.

Anna and Simeon in the Temple - Ready.

Stay Ready. Jesus is coming soon.