Sermon Tone Analysis

*Ready or Not*

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*TEXT: Matthew 24:42-51 *

 

*INTRODUCTION*: Most of us played "Hide and Seek" when we were children.

The person who was "it" would close his eyes and count to ten while everyone else ran off to find hiding places.

When the child who was "it" completed his count, he normally shouted out, "Ready or not, here I come!"

Matthew 24 is Jesus' countdown to His coming.

It details many signs that predicate His resplendent return "with power and glory" (v.30).

These last few verses of the chapter are a warning.

In v.42,

He said, "Watch, therefore for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming."

Jesus seems to be saying to the people of the last generation, "Ready or not, here I come."

Mat.24-25 is known as The Olivet Discourse because it was an address give by Jesus to His disciples on "the Mount of Olives" in response to their questions concerning the "sign" of His coming and "the end of the age."

Jesus then told them about the "tribulation" of the last days, a period described by Daniel and Revelation as lasting 7 years.

I believe from much biblical evidence that the church will be taken up at the beginning of this period in the Rapture.

The first 3 and ½ years are "the beginning of sorrows" or "birth pains" (v.8) in which there will be false messiahs, wars, famines and other natural phenomena.

There will be much violence and many martyrs among those saved during this time.

Yet even during this persecution and "lawlessness" Jesus said "the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to the nations."

The second 3 and ½ years are called the "great tribulation."

The antichrist will commit "the abomination of desolations" and set himself up in the temple as a god to be worshipped.

Jesus warns this last generation of believers to "flee" and hide themselves for hell will break loose on earth.

"Immediately after the tribulation," at the end of the 7 years, Jesus will come "on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" and will judge all mankind.

In vv.32-35, we saw the "parable from the fig tree" which basically tells us that all the signs will mean Jesus' coming is "near - at the doors."

No one, not even the angels know the exact "day and hour" of His coming.

For most of the world it will be sudden and unexpected, just as the flood came upon the unbelievers of Noah's day.

Though it seems that Jesus' teaching here is geared toward believers who will be saved during those last days, there is some application here for those of us who will be caught up in the Rapture.

We are to be ready because He is coming and we don't know precisely when.

In fact, let's note three attributes that should be true of believers living in the last days.

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I.    We should Be Watching for the Lord's return

*/Matthew 24:42/*/ Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

/

!! A.       What Should We Be Watching For?

!!! 1.

Some would lead us to believe that we should be watching for the Anti-Christ.

!!!! a)      Why should we give any attention to the Anti-Christ?

!!!! b)      Certainly there will be such a person, and he will be the leader of the world for a three and one-half year period.

!!!! c)      He will be this world's answer to world peace.

!!!! d)      But he will be defeated when Jesus comes again.

!!!! e)      We are not told to be watching for the Anti-Christ.

!!! 2.      Some would try to tell us that we should be looking for a new Bible.

!!!! a)      Why would we need a new Bible?

!!!! b)      My contention is that we don't need a new Bible, we just need to read and obey the one we have.

!!!! c)      The Bible isn't difficult to understand, if a person will just read it!

!!! 3.      Some would say we should look for a new way of salvation.

!!!! a)      The problem with that is there is no new way of salvation!

!!!! b)      Jesus is the only way!

*/Acts 4:12/*/ Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

/

!!!! c)      There is but one plan.

God's plan.

!!!! d)      Trust in His Son, Jesus Christ, and His shed blood on the Cross.

His resurrection from the grave on that third morning is our guarantee that His promise of salvation is true and trustworthy.

!!!! e)      Don't waste your time by looking for an alternate plan, there is none.

!! B.       We are to be watching for the Lord to come back.

!!! 1.

The angel told His disciples on the mount of ascension…

*/Acts 1:11/*/ Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?

this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven./

!!! 2.      Jesus tells us that same thing.

*/Matthew 25:13/*/ Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

/

!!! 3.      Jesus is coming!

!!! 4.      When we are having someone come…

!!!! a)      We make sure the house is clean…

!!!! b)      We do all we can to prepare for their arrival…

!!! 5.      Are we looking for Jesus to come?

!!! 6.

What are we doing to prepare?

!! C.       Note v37-38

!!! 1.      How was it in the days of Noah?

!!! 2.      People ignored the message of warning concerning the coming judgment of God.

!!! 3.      Sounds a lot like what is happening today doesn't it?

!

II.

we are to be PREPARED for the Lord's Coming (vv.43-44).

!! A.       A Parable (v.43).

!!! 1.      Jesus begins this section by saying, "But know this…" In other words, "Think of it in this way, let me make it plain."

!!! 2.      He says, "If the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into."

!!! 3.      Let's pretend that there is a gang of burglars working your neighborhood.

They've hit each house on your street in perfect order.

They've broken into each house at exactly 1:00 a.m.

They got your next-door neighbor just last night.

If all that were true, would you lock up your house and go on an out-of-town vacation today?

No way!

If you believed your house would be burglarized at one in the morning, you would make preparations.

You would check all the doors and windows.

You would tell the police of your suspicions and ask them to watch your house.

You might borrow a friend's Rotweiler and be sure to stock up on some Smith & Wesson insurance!

If you knew there would be an attempted burglary at your home tonight you would be prepared.

!!! 4.      In the same way, even in the 1st century, Jesus said "if the master of the house had known… he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into."

He would have been alert and ready for the "thief."

!! B.       A Principle (v.44).

!!! 1.      "Therefore," based on that understanding, believers are also to be "ready" for the Lord's return.

!!! 2.      Just as you might take any number of precautions in anticipation of a thief you were certain would come at a precise "hour" you are to prepare and be alert because "the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

!!! 3.      The last generation before Jesus comes will not know the precise time of His coming, but because of the signs that will precede it, they will know the general time.

They will know that the "thief" will soon be breaking into the "house" and they are to be prepared.

!!! 4.      When Jesus compares Himself with "the thief" of course this does not refer to His character.

Rather, just as a "thief" comes unexpectedly and stealthily, so will His coming be.

!!! 5.      The image of the "thief in the night" is seen several times throughout the NT.

*/1 Thessalonians.5:2/*/

For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night./

*/2 Peter 3:10/*/ But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night…/

*/Revelation.3:3/*/

Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent.

Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you./

*/Revelation 16:15/*/ Behold, I am coming as a thief.

Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.

/

!!! 6.      "Therefore" Jesus says "be ready."