Are you ready?

Be in readiness

We need to live each day in readiness for the return of Christ. As we are waiting, we need to be living a life of faithfulness and accountability to Christ.

We have seen that we are not to worry; God knows, God takes care of our needs. For God cares for us (Lk12:1-12)

We then were told not to covet, love the things of this world, for covetousness is a sin of relying, wanting for yourself, and not relying on the Lord (Lk12:13-34)

What do you think it means to be watchful, to be ready for the Lord’s return?

Our verses this morning encourage us, teach us to assess our readiness, and to be in active engagement of God’s stewards, and He addresses God’s managers too. He helps us to know how to overcome complacency and distractions in our lives.

Readiness starts with reading our passage

Luke 12:35–36 NASB95

35 “Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. 36 “Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks.

Luke 12:37–38 NASB95

37 “Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. 38 “Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

Luke 12:39–40 NASB95

39 “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 40 “You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”

Luke 12:41–42 NASB95

41 Peter said, “Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time?

Luke 12:43–44 NASB95

43 “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 44 “Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

Luke 12:45–46 NASB95

45 “But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; 46 the master of that slave 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 assign him a place with the unbelievers.

Luke 12:47–48 NASB95

47 “And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, 48 but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

What stands out to you in this passage?

What instructions do you find in (vv.35-36)?

Be dressed in readiness

Keep your lamps lit

Be like men waiting for masters return

What is the result, the promise to those who are ready, alert (vv.37-38)?

They will be blessed, regardless of the time He comes? Why? Because they are dressed, ready, waiting.

What is the illustration that Jesus uses (vv.39-40)?

The thief, does not come when expected; so we need to be ready for the Son of Man to comes when we do not expect Him?

Peter asks a question (v.41); How does Jesus respond (v.42)?

He wants to identify the sensible steward, master who has been given care over the servants.

Who is blessed (vv.43-44)?

The one the Lord finds giving care to the others when He comes.

What is the warning (v.45-46)?

Do not think in your heart He is a long time coming.

For if you do and He comes you sill suffer the consequences found in (v.46).

A strong truth is found (v.48), what is it?

To whom much entrusted, much expected.

Be in readiness

Can you see that God calls us to be vigilant and ready in these verses?

Courson in his commentary found great encouragement from this text:

“Jesus doesn’t say, ‘blessed are those servants who, when the Lord comes, He shall find working, witnessing, praying, preaching, studying or serving.’ No. Jesus says, ‘blessed is the one who the lord finds watching.”

Are we living with an “expectation” of the Lord’s return? Or just a faith that He will return someday?

How can you have the right attitude as you wait for the Lord’s return?

Another thought, why do you think the Lord will make them (the servants) to sit down (v.37)?

We are people who want to jump up and serve, and this is a time we are to sit and allow the Lord to serve. He is saying this now, and calls for that in practice a day on the beach in the not too distant future to them. Also you can see remnants of Ps23 in this where He makes them lie down.

Our king is going to minister to His faithful servants when He greets us at His return. He will reward us for our faithfulness.

His coming will as one commentator put it “unexpected yet certain.”

I want to return to another quote I found, this one a little longer.

“Why, in Jn13, did Jesus wash feet and serve His disciples? Why, in Jn21, did He cook fish and feed them? Why does Jesus bless those who are simply looking for His coming? Because those whom the Lord serves realize grace has nothing to do with who they are and everything to do with who He is. Those whom the Lord serves undrstand it’s no longer due to thier greatness, but solely to His graciousness that they are blessed; that it’s not based upon anything they have or haven’t done, but completely upon what He did on the Cross when he died for their sins.”

It makes we think of what Paul says 2Tim4:8

2 Timothy 4:8 NKJV

8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

The crown of righteousness is for those who are looking for His appearing. those who know this world cannot satisfy us, that our satisfaction, our hope, our desire is in His return.

There are many who say the Lord will not come back because the Church has not gone through “the tribulation,” but is that not contrary to scripture? Think about this, if there was to be “a” tribulation then we would be able to know His exact return 1260 days. His return is immanent, and we need to live that way daily.

The way we can overcome worry, covetousness is to live in a state of readiness for His return.

Before I do need to address that there is the address to the Apostles (the leaders) about they are entrusted much, and much is expected. It holds true to the leaders today who are entrusted with teaching, preaching God’s word, and then the servants sharing it with others by being prepared to share the hope that is in them.

Faithful stewardship rewarded.

Being faithful does not hold just to Christianity, but to life itself.

Think about a man who is in a marathon. He trains relentlessly, waking up before sunrise to prepare. On race day, he faces hurdles: a sudden rainstorm, a twisted ankle, and fatigue. Yet, he pushes through, determined to finish. At the finish line, he’s met with cheers and a medal. His reward? Not just the medal, but the joy of knowing his effort was not in vain. In the same way, God rewards our faithfulness, often in the unexpected moments of our journey.

Peter was not sure whom the Lord was addressing in the parable, so he did the right thing, he asked (v.41). Then Jesus describes the wise manager and the faithful servant.

The wise manager if he is diligent, faithful to his calling will receive greater responsibilities.

Yes, we have seen what is required, watching, waiting, but as we watch, as we wait we should be working.

each of us has work to do in this world, remembering that we are working unto the Lord, and bringing glory to God in our jobs, in our time in retirement or anyplace in between. We may not think of ourselves as much, but God does, He sent Jesus, and His desire is that people will see Jesus in us.

If we loose focus and start to think He is delayed or not coming soon, then we start to divert back to old things, old ways, and stop looking for Him and loving His people and others.

How does the uncertainty of the time of Christ’s return impact your life today, does it?

What qualities does Jesus show in these verses about a faithful and wise manager? How can you cultivate these things in your life?

How can you know, ensure that you are fulfilling God’s calling, God given responsibilities in your life today? Have you been entrusted by the Lord with something?

Consequences of complacency

Complacency: (N) a feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements.

Do you ever feel like you have arrived? Like you have everything you need in yourself and let the truth of surrender and life in Christ loose it’s place?

Do you think we can neglect our responsibilities? Do we know that there are consequences when we do? In the world we

know there are, but eternally do we think about that?

I do not believe Jesus in this passage is talking about loosing one’s salvation, but the neglecting does impact the rewards when He states everything good and bad that we have done since we accepted Him in obedience to His gospel.

Consider are there things we should be doing, or not be doing as stewards of the manifold wisdom of God?

We need to, are called to live responsibly, to be looking, longing, waiting for His return and be acting as if it were today for it could be.

How about some applications?

Be spiritually alert

Keep your faith vibrant, live, active, continually seeking God’s will knowing Christ is going to return.

Be Faithful

Be a faithful steward of what God has given you, mange those resources given knowing you will be accountable for them.

Be vigilant

Do not allow yourself to get complacent, be aware of the temptations of this world that can draw you away from the Lord and the looking, longing, waiting for His return.

Be accountable

Hold yourself accountable to what has been entrusted to you, God’s word, the talents and gifts He has blessed you with.

Be encouraging

Be encouraging to others, helping them to be in readiness for His return! Help others to live faithfully together along side you doing the same.

(Prayer) (Exit)