Are You Prepared?
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Introduction
This morning, I told you about an article regarding “Why Waiting Is Torture.” You may have remembered that:
The experience of waiting, whether for luggage and lining up for the next movie or Richmond Nightmarket, is defined only partly by the objective length of the wait. The expert on lines say that occupied time (walking to baggage claim) feels shorter than unoccupied time (standing at the carousel).
To further add to this illustration, Alex Jones also talked about other experiences of people waiting, such as going on an elevator.
Have you ever rode on an elevator with a lot of mirros in it? Have you ever wondered why there are mirrors?
This is also why one finds mirrors next to elevators. The idea was born during the post-World War II boom, when the spread of high-rises led to complaints about elevator delays. The rationale behind the mirrors was similar to the one used at the Houston airport: give people something to occupy their time, and the wait will feel shorter. With the mirrors, people could check their hair or slyly ogle other passengers. And it worked: almost overnight, the complaints ceased.
The idea was born during the post-World War II boom, when the spread of high-rises led to complaints about elevator delays. The reason behind the mirrors was similar to the one used at the Houston airport: give people something to occupy their time, and the wait will feel shorter. With the mirrors, people could check their hair or slyly stare at other passengers. And it worked: almost overnight, the complaints ceased.
As we are waiting for the second coming of Jesus, God did not just leave us here on earth with nothing to do as we wait. That would be boring.
The Bible can be described as a mirror.
James 1:22-
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
As you are looking intently at this book, the Bible tells you what are you to do about your life and it gives you ways to “kill time” as you wait for Jesus’ second coming OR you wait for the time when the Lord takes you home. Looking at this book means that you are obeying the word of God and equipping yourself to be prepared to meet Jesus face to face. Failing to do what this book tells us is like someone who forgets what he was like.
As you are looking intently at this book, the Bible tells you what are you to do about your life and it gives you ways to “kill time” as you wait for Jesus’ second coming OR you wait for the time when the Lord takes you home. Looking at this book means that you are obeying the word of God and equipping yourself to be prepared to meet Jesus face to face.
Knowing that Jesus is coming back, how should that truth and reality affect our lives? What are the implications? We looked at this morning so I invite you to turn there one more time.
We looked at verses 1-10 where Peter gives an explanation on why Jesus is taking so long to come back. We will see in verses 11-14 how Christians are to live out their faith as they wait. READ.
Exposition
Peter begins in verse 11 that since Jesus Christ is coming back to end human history, what kind of people ought we to be as Christians?
It is not simply knowing in our heads that Christ will come back.
If you truly believe that Jesus is coming back and know the outcome of this world, then those truths ought to motivate you to respond appropriate and to live a new quality of life.
I see four principles from his passage alone that provide helpful instructions for us.
1. Christians Are To Live A Holy Conduct
Perhaps the word holy or holiness may not be too familiar to some of you, and it may sound too archaic and religious, especially in our society.
Perhaps the word holy or holiness sounds too archaic and religious.
Holy means set apart from the world and set apart toward God. God Himself is Holy. He is utterly pure and unique. He does not have moral corruption. There is not a hint of sin in God.
Christians who have been saved and forgiven by God through Jesus Christ should know that holiness is not an optional lifestyle.
15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
Peter is telling us to live holy lives. Holiness ought to be our conduct; our way of life; our way of living as we wait for the coming of the Lord.
Practically, it means distancing ourselves from the ways, values and behaviours of this sinful world. It does not mean totally escaping from the city and society (and be on youth retreat for your whole life). God placed you in the world, but not of the world.
Holiness also practically means to identify the ways and values of God. You are to grow in holiness because none of us are completely perfect and holy. You are to be different and unique from the world to the point that your friends and teachers can tell that you are radically different from them because you are a follower of Jesus.
It means
If you truly believe that Jesus is coming back and know the outcome of this world, then you are to live a holy conduct.
2. Christians Are To Live A Godly Conduct
“Patience is a virtue” as some have wisely said. However, “godliness is a virtue.” Godliness is a fearful and pious attitude towards God.
What is your behaviour like towards God? Do you fear Him? Do you devote you whole life worshipping Him? Do you love Him?
Do you actually fear Him?
Scoffers who questioned the 2nd coming of Jesus led them to live ungodly lives. You can read all about it in . They indulged in sin and following their sinful desires. They have no fear of God. They do not tremble before Him. They curse and blaspheme God. They are greedy for lustful gains. They do not love and obey Him. They are enslaved by their own selfishenss and corruption.
That is not who Christians are to be. Now, maybe you are thinking that holiness and godliness are too high of a goal to pursue. Maybe you feel that you can’t live up to that standard. If you are having those thoughts and feelings, then great! Because you can’t do it by yourself. God did not leave you alone, but He has given You Himself to empower you.
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
This does not mean that you’ll be perfect, but it does mean that there is maturing, growing up and perhaps adulting to do. None of us were born as an adult, right? We were born as babies.
It’s similar to the Christian life. When you became a born-again Christian, you became a spiritual infant. But, as time goes on, you will grow to become spiritually mature. You should become more and more holy and godly as God is.
3. Waiting With Eagerness For The Lord’s Return
The motivation for living a holy and godly lives is waiting with eagerness for the Lord’s Return. That is what “waiting for” means.
It is waiting, but with an attitude. You are looking forward to something. I’m sure you experience this in your life.
Think about it this way: During school year, you may be looking forward to the next break, but you have to wait as you are studying at school. Some of you always look forward to the annual youth retreat, but we’re leaving tomorrow, so you would have to wait for next year’s retreat.
The New Testament continuously reminds and tells us to wait and always look forward to Christ’s return, and let me give you one example.
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
As Christians, we should be waiting and looking forward to Christ’s return with enthusiasm, who is our hope.
Some Christians in the world unfortunately write signs on a board and declaring judgment upon the world. They’re the doomsdayer who continuously predict disasters.
4. Speed Up The Lord’s Return
This might be a weird statement given by Peter. It makes it sound like Christians like us have the power to advance the 2nd coming of Jesus. It may seem to suggest that God Himself does not know when the end will come unless His people do something.
I won’t dive too deep into this. This is one of those verses where you would need to know how it fits with the entire Bible without contradicting other truths. We teach that God is sovereign and that He is in complete control over us and He knows absolutely every detail of the future. God knows exactly when it is the right time for Christianas to be raptured and how history would end.
At the same time, we teach that humans have responsibilities (or aka “free will”). God has already prepared works for His peopel to do. God knows exactly what we will do to hasten the Lord’s return. We can speed up the process.
We must be careful not to cancel out God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. Both truths are in the Scripture. So, in this verse, the focus here is on the responsibility of the Christians.
we can speed up the process. God knows exactly what we will do to hasten the Lord’s return. He has already prepared the works for us to do.
How can Christians speed up the coming of the day of God?
It means to speed up the process, but how can Christians hasten the coming of the day of God?
Peter does not give us explicitly what we should do to speed things up, but here are some thoughts. Christians speed up the Lord’s return:
a. We speed up the Lord’s return by
a. By living a godly and holy lives.
Peter already mentioned to us.
b. By praying.
In the Lord’s prayer, we pray, “Let your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
c. By evangelizing
Evangelism means proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is focused on the good news found in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through Jesus Christ, there is forgiveness of sins, there is reconciliation to a relationship with God, and there is hope of eternal life.
Remember, God does not desire that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Christians, you have the responsibility to tell others about message of Jesus Christ. If Jesus is coming back soon, then it should give us a sense of urgency to tell them the message.
Telling others about Jesus and being a witness for Him is difficult. I can probably see three difficulties, but I’ll respond with three solutions.
First, it is usually due to fear. Fear of rejection. Fear of losing your reputation. Fear of losing your friends. Fear of not getting invited to a party or a social gathering. Perhaps fear of getting lumped together with Christians holding signs and boards telling the world that they’re going to hell and disaster would come upon them…or perhaps getting lumped together with cults like the Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons. Some of us may be more self-conscious than others in that rejection hurts our self-worth.
Second, it is difficult because we lack knowledge. It could be lacking in the knowledge of the gospel message and how to share it in a simple and understanding way. It may be the ill-equipped to answer your friends deep questions, which may overlap with fear of saying the wrong information.
Third, we probably just “don’t care.” This is called apathy. We would never say that, but our lives may show it. Do you pray for your non-Christian friends, family members and acquaintances? Do you pray that you would be an effective witness for Christ? Do you at least make it your intention to tell your friends about Jesus when you have gatherings?
This apathy could also lead to lack of compassion. Again, maybe we do not say this, but our actions may show it. Do you care if they are lost without hope apart from Jesus? Do you care that they will one day suffer eternal punishment?
None of us ultimately knows the outcome of the future. Aside from the impending return of Jesus, human lives can end any time. I think most people in North American think they can live longer as they have planned, but we never know what tomorrow will bring. I hope this is a sobering truth and that it creates a sense of urgency.
14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
Aside from the impending return of Jesus, our lives can end any time. I think most people in North American think they can live longer as they have planned, but we never know what tomorrow will bring.
I hope this is a sobering truth.
When you get home after tomorrow, who would be your first point of contact?
Conclusion
A mother once went to the youth pastor of her church and said, “I can’t get my daughter to clean up her room. Is there anything you can do to help?” He said, “I think so.” He announced to the youth group that he was going to come over unannounced and take a picture of each teenager’s room and put it on the bulletin board. (This was a few years ago; today he’d put it on Facebook or “You Tube”!) Suddenly, every kid’s room became much cleaner!
Peter is saying, “Christ is coming back suddenly and unexpectedly. Make sure that your life is clean and ready for His coming! Live in holiness and godliness in light of that day!”
Are you prepared for the Lord’s Return?
Just letting you know that I need to repent of this as well.
You have been given the gospel message found in your booklet.
If you go to a Christian school, don’t assume that everyone is a Christian. Try asking your friends what the gospel is and you might be surprised to hear the answer.