Ready or Not!! The Return of Jesus - Sunday Sermon Review

June 9, 2013
Sunday Sermon Review ( from my home church I attend regularly )
Matthew Series - Matthew 24:36-51 and Matthew 25:1-13
Speaker - Pastor Ben

We are continuing on in our Matthew series. This Sunday we covered a lot of verses. Pastor Ben started out by reminding us of the child's game of hide and seek. One person will count while the other children hide. Everyone is listening for the person who is counting to shout "Ready or not - here I come. Pastor Ben drew the comparison to our waiting for the return of Jesus Christ. When the time has come, Jesus will come whether you are ready or not.

Here is some more of what Pastor Ben said:

Don't be deceived - there is only one Savior and that is Jesus.
We know that before Jesus does return, things are going to get difficult - Christians will be hated and persecuted. Jesus will return and do away with evil. The question is - When will He return?
The  temple was destroyed in 70 AD. 
We do not know when Jesus will return.
Verse 36 says But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
We need to be ready to meet Him whenever He does return. We know He could return at any moment but we also know it could still be 2000 years from now. We just do not know.
We need to be ready to meet Jesus at any time. We could die at any moment - accidentally or tragically. We know we could be called to stand before God at any moment.

Keep Watch therefore and Be Ready

How do we get ready? We should always be ready.
When our church prepares for Communion, we announce it a week before to allow time for people to prepare. But we should always be ready to participate in Communion and to stand before the Lord.
Be ready in your ordinary normal life.

Repent and Confession
Make your peace with God and with others.
We need to accurately represent God in our world.
 Be ready in a moment of crisis to represent Christ in our world.
We confess we have failed many times.
We confess we have sometimes lived for ourselves and not served others as we should.

Ezekiel 36:20 And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his land.

We will now kneel down in a prayer of confession and repentance.

Now is the time to move forward and to change.
Commit yourself to living the life God wants for you.

Watch - open your eyes to the realty of god.
We can meet with God now.
Jesus is present with us.
Do we have our eyes open to see Jesus in our present world and lives.

Nature is infused with the glory of God. Spend time in nature - see God's creations.
Are we awake to the reality to the reality that God is here ever present with us?

Get Ready
To prepare for something you must practice ( examples are - learning to drive, rehearsals, sports events, playing music ) We have to practice.
So practice showing love to people.
Practice . It's okay if its not 100% right away - keep trying and practicing.
Practice praying. - keep practicing.
Practice reading your Bible. - Work at it. Its okay if you don't understand everything.

God is all around us, inviting us to be involved.

Watch, Wake up to the reality of God, Be Ready!

Matthew 24:36-25:13 (King James Version)

36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

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

43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

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?

46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

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

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;

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.

25 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.