Watch and Be Ready: Living Prepared for the Master’s Return

Wednesday Night Bible Study – Session 6

Series: The Warnings of Jesus: A Study of His Hard Teachings

Date: April 16, 2025

Title: Watch and Be Ready: Living Prepared for the Master’s Return

Key Passage: Matthew 24:42–51

Introduction

Welcome

Welcome to Session 6 of our study on The Warnings of Jesus. Tonight, we focus on the serious call to watchfulness and faithfulness in preparation for the unfolding of God’s prophetic plan and the eventual visible return of Christ.

Pray for spiritual alertness, strength to endure, and a love for truth.

2. Why This Study Matters

Jesus warns that many will fall asleep spiritually because His return is not immediate.

Some will grow lazy or complacent, thinking they have plenty of time, only to find themselves unprepared when God’s prophetic events unfold.

This session will explore:

Why Jesus commands constant spiritual watchfulness.

How living ready means preparing for endurance through tribulation.

What it means to be a faithful servant until the appointed time of His return.

Part I: The Call to Watchfulness (Matthew 24:42–44)

Matthew 24:42 KJV 1900

42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

1. What Kind of Watching Is Jesus Calling For?

Jesus is not teaching that His visible return can happen without prophetic signs being fulfilled; He is warning that the timing of the events leading up to His return is unknown to us.

Watching means remaining spiritually alert, maintaining holy living, and standing firm against deception and worldliness.

Parallel Scriptures:

Luke 21:34–36 – Be careful lest your hearts be weighed down with cares and that day come upon you unexpectedly.

1 Thessalonians 5:2-6 – The Day of the Lord will come suddenly, but believers are to stay sober and alert.

Application:

Watching is a daily lifestyle of spiritual sobriety, faithfulness, and holiness, ready to endure whatever may come before Christ’s return.

Part II: The Wise and Faithful Servant (Matthew 24:45–47)

Matthew 24:45 KJV 1900

45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

1. Characteristics of a Faithful Servant

Faithfulness means doing the Master’s will consistently, even when He delays.

Wisdom means discerning the times, not assuming safety, and recognizing the progress of prophetic events.

Parallel Scriptures:

Luke 19:13 – “Occupy till I come.”

2 Timothy 4:2 – Preach the Word, in season and out of season.

2. Reward for Faithfulness

Matthew 24:47 KJV 1900

47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

Faithfulness through hardship, deception, and delay leads to reward at Christ’s return.

Application:

Living ready means serving Christ daily, faithfully handling what He has entrusted to us until the prophetic promises are completed.

Part III: The Evil Servant’s Heart Revealed (Matthew 24:48–51)

Matthew 24:48–49 KJV 1900

48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

1. The Danger of Assuming Delay Means No Urgency

The evil servant assumes that because Christ has not returned quickly, he can live carelessly.

His heart drifts into violence, selfishness, and worldliness.

Parallel Scriptures:

2 Peter 3:3-4 – Scoffers say, “Where is the promise of his coming?”

Hebrews 3:12-13 – Beware of a hardened heart through the deceitfulness of sin.

2. Judgment for Unfaithfulness

Matthew 24:50–51 KJV 1900

50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The servant will be judged severely for his neglect and rebellion.

Hypocrites—those who claimed allegiance but lived otherwise—will suffer the same fate.

Application:

Are we living in such a way that we could endure testing, deception, or tribulation, remaining faithful until the end?

Part IV: How Do We Live Ready?

1. Stay Alert and Awake Spiritually

1 Peter 5:8 – Be sober, be vigilant; your adversary the devil walks about as a roaring lion.

2. Keep Your Lamp Full of Oil

Matthew 25:1-13 – The wise virgins kept their lamps filled with oil, prepared for the delay of the bridegroom.

3. Endure Hardship with Faith

Matthew 24:13 – “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

4. Stay Rooted in the Word and Spirit

Daily study of Scripture and prayer are vital so that we are not deceived or overwhelmed.

Conclusion

Summary of Key Truths

The return of Christ is not imminent until prophecy is fulfilled, but spiritual readiness must be daily.

Watchfulness means alertness to sin, deception, and the prophetic season, not speculation about dates.

Faithful living every day prepares us to endure the time of tribulation that must precede His visible coming.

Final Call to Self-Examination

Am I daily faithful to what Christ has called me to do?

Am I awake and discerning about the times we live in?

Would I remain steadfast if tribulation and testing increased before Christ’s return?

Closing Prayer

Pray for the strength to be a faithful and wise servant.

Pray for discernment in these last days and a heart fixed on endurance and hope.

Pray for the Church to awaken and live as true disciples, prepared to stand through coming trials.

Next Session: Not Everyone Who Starts Will Finish

What does Jesus mean when He says, “No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:57-62)?

How can we live with endurance and singleness of heart until the very end?