Expectant Church - Are You Ready?

CHURCH LIFE EXPECTANT CHURCH ARE YOU READY? LUKE 12 Watch out! “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” LUKE 12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. ARE YOU READY? LUKE 12:35-48 LUKE 12:35-38 “ “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps 36 burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can 37 immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have 38 them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. 35 LUKE 12:39-43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house 40 be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son Man will come at an hour when you do not expect of him.” 41 Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?” 42 The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their 43 food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 39 LUKE 12:44-46 “ Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his 45 possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat 46 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 is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. 44 LUKE 12:47-48 “ “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be 48 beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. 47 ARE YOU READY? WAITING WATCHING WORKING ARE YOU READY? WAITING WATCHING WORKING LUKE 12:35-36 Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps 36 burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. EXODUS 12:11 “your cloak tucked into your belt (KJV-your loins girded)” LUKE 12:35-36 Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps 36 burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. PHIL 3:20 “ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” 20 BREEZY ARE YOU READY? WAITING WATCHING WORKING LUKE 12:37-40 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and 38 wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or 39 toward daybreak. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have 40 let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” 37 ESTHER 1:2-5 At that time King Xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel 3 of Susa, and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media, the princes, and the nobles of the provinces were present. 4 For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom 5 and the splendor and glory of his majesty. When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king’s palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest who were in the citadel of Susa. 2 MAT 25:1-8 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who 2 took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them 3 were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps 4 but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil 5 in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7 8 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ MAT 25:9-13 “ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. 11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ 12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ 13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. 9 LUKE 12:38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. 38 1 THESSALONIANS 5:2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 2 2 PE 3:8-10 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like 9 a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 8 2 PE 3:8-11-13 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly 12 lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the 13 heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. RO 13:11,12 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 11 REVELATION 3:3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. 3 REVELATION 16:15 “Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.” 15 2 PE 3:17-18 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the 18 error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. 17 LUKE 12:37-38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will 38 come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. 37 JOHN 13:1-20 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already 3 prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he 4 had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around 5 his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. ARE YOU READY? WAITING WATCHING WORKING LUKE 12:41-45 Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?” 42 The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their 43 food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant 44 whom the master finds doing so when he returns. Truly I tell 45 you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. 41 HEBREWS 12:1-2 “12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with 2 perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ” LUKE 12:46-48 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. 46 MATTHEW 24:51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. LUKE 12:46-48 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. 47 “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with 48 many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. 46 1 THESSALONIANS 4:16-18 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call 17 of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the 18 Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. 16 1 THESSALONIANS 5:1-5 5 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need 2 to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will 3 come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day 5 should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 1 THESSALONIANS 5:6-9 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be 7 awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those 8 who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the 9 hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 6 1 CO 15:51-53 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be 52 changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised 53 imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 51 JOHN 14:1-3 14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe 2 also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for 3 you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. SEEKING ALLAH, FINDING JESUS A DEVOUT MUSLIM’S JOURNEY TO CHRIST NABEEL QURESH 1983-2017 LUKE 13:22-26 22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, 24 “Make every efort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ LUKE 13:27-30 27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ 28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be frst, and frst who will be last.” HOW CAN YOU BE READY? BELIEVING IN JESUS & LIVING A GODLY LIFE WAITING WATCHING WORKING HACHIKO 1923-35 REVELATION 19:6–9 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’ ” √ QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. Have you accepted the invitation of Jesus? 2. Are you ready to meet God? 3. Are you entangled with the things of this world or √√ waiting for the Lord’s return? 4. Is there anything God is telling you to do through His WORD?