Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Well, I'm not so sure about the people at Holy Infant Church.
[00:00:05] I really find Sam's prayers to be pretty powerful.
[00:00:09] But if you're still not convinced we can lay hands on after, on the van after, before we leave. And so make sure. Listen, I'll tell you, the way that van looks, you might be scared, but I've been on a long distance trip with Sam and some of the other pastors in that van and it runs like a towel. So, yeah, so before I get into the message this morning, I wanted to give you a little bit of an update on what's going on in my life.
[00:00:36] Excuse me.
[00:00:37] You're excused.
[00:00:40] So most of not all of you know that I've gone part time with the church and, you know, with the need of finding a second job.
[00:00:47] And so, you know, I thought it was going to be kind of a driving job and actually took a job for about three weeks with a medical transport company. And I just didn't feel it was, you know, it was my thing.
[00:00:57] So I kind of resigned to do the Doordash, which there's nothing wrong with DoorDash, but as I was approaching the stock DoorDash, I had downloaded the app and all that stuff. I was praying to the Lord and I said, lord, you know, if there's any way that you can give me something that would have a more impact in people's lives, directly that I would appreciate it. And so the day before I was going to start DoorDash, a longtime friend called me who's on the board of a ministry called First Step back Home.
[00:01:22] And he says, we are in desperate need of help. And I think you bid perfectly for this job to be a client coordinator.
[00:01:29] So I met with the board and got interviewed and they unanimously said, we'll take you on part time. We need your help. And so over the last few weeks, I have had the opportunity. I worked Monday, Wednesday, Friday for them, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for the church.
[00:01:42] And I've had the opportunity to work directly with people who are in crisis, either about to lose their homes or who had lost their homes.
[00:01:51] I get to share the gospel and my testimony with people like two or three times a week, Saturday, late, up in the early evening, because I called them the guys. I just have a personal policy. I can't work with women alone, picking them up, taking them to motel, driving them.
[00:02:07] So I got a call and there was a woman actually who was living in the wood over off Highway 70 and 94 near storage station. And so I got Lisa to travel with Me and we picked her up and we got to hear her story, which is heartbreaking when you hear these people's story. And I got to share my testimony and share the gospel with her and put her into a motel for a couple nights with this one of the ministries that we do. And so I just really appreciate your guys prayers, you know, as you think of me working with these homeless people, they're in desperate straits and just pray that not only their immediate physical needs be met, but there's eternal spiritual needs would be met as well. And the last thing I want to say about this is that, you know, I've shared with you guys before on how when I turned 60, I'm 66 now, and I was also diagnosed with cancer, there was a crossroads for my life. You know, turning 60, I started, I was in my fourth quarter of life. When you're diagnosed with cancer, you think, okay, Lou, well maybe I'm in overtime.
[00:03:01] And so I just got on my knees before the Lord and said, lord, whatever time I have left, I want to make it count for eternity. I want to make it count for kingdom ministry.
[00:03:10] And so that's why I've been on seven mission trips in the last three years. But also the importance of sharing the gospel in our spheres of influence here in our land.
[00:03:20] And so I've got the chance to meet a bunch of people at Fitness and have, while I'm working out in weights, share the gospel with a guy who converted from Methodist church to Muslim religion. I got a chance to share with a guy who was a devoted Catholic.
[00:03:34] There's probably 12 people who come out and visited our church directly related to people.
[00:03:39] I recently got a chance to lead one of Lisa's uncles to saving faith in Christ, another young man in his 50s. And the reason why I'm saying this is because I recently read some research that talked about Tom Rainier, who does research with Christian movements and what's going on in Christians lives and churches in North America. He came with a stat that said 91 to 95% of North American Christians have never shared the gospel with one person, nor are they intending to.
[00:04:09] My heart broke when I heard that. It's like, what, are you kidding me?
[00:04:13] It's like, this is our mission, this is what we're called to, this is what we're the purpose of our lives, why he leaves us here.
[00:04:20] And so I'm gonna share that and say, let's not make our church that.
[00:04:26] Let's not be a church that only 5% of us or less share the gospel. And I want to share with you that if you feel ill equipped to do that, let me know. I would love to work with you and train you in how to share your story, how to share the gospel, how to start God book conversations.
[00:04:44] I'm not a gifted evangelist and I've had to work through my fears and my insecurities and the things of fear and rejection of people, you know, canceling our relationship. And I know those fears are real, but I had to say no to those fears. I get beyond it and so do you.
[00:05:01] So let's pray about that. And like I said, if you need some equipping, let me know.
[00:05:07] Follow this morning's message as we continue on in the series of Matthew. We're close, slowly or quickly coming to the end of Matthew, and philosophy's message is living life, ready for Christ's return. So open your Bibles to Matthew chapter 24, and we're going to read verses 36 to 51.
[00:05:35] And before we do that, let's pray.
[00:05:39] Heavenly Father, we thank you for the sweet time of worship this morning, that it gives us a chance in our hectic lives. And as Kim said, you know the the things that even on Sunday morning can cause us to be distracted and hassled and hurried.
[00:05:51] We got a chance to rest before you and sing songs of praise to you and turn our hearts towards you.
[00:05:57] And now, Lord, I pray that our hearts will continue to turn towards you. And Lord, use me as your vessel to bring forth your word with accuracy and the power of your Holy Spirit. Lord, prepare our hearts and minds to receive your word and apply it to our lives and ask it in Jesus name. Amen.
[00:06:15] Let's read verses 36 2:51.
[00:06:19] Now concerning that day and hour, no one knows neither the angels of heaven nor the Son, except the Father alone.
[00:06:25] As the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be.
[00:06:29] For in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. Until the day Noah boarded the ark, they didn't know until the flood came and swept them all away.
[00:06:38] This is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be.
[00:06:41] Then two men will be in the field, one will be taken and one left.
[00:06:45] Two women will be grinding grain with a hand mill, one will be taken and one left.
[00:06:49] Therefore be alert since you don't know what day your Lord is coming.
[00:06:53] But know this, if the homeowner had known what time the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and not let this house be broken into.
[00:07:01] This is why you are also to be ready because the Son of Man is coming in an hour you do not expect.
[00:07:06] Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom his master has put in charge of his household to give them food at the proper time?
[00:07:12] Blessed is that servant whom the master finds doing his job when he comes.
[00:07:16] Truly, I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
[00:07:20] But if that wicked servant says in his heart, my master is delayed and starts to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, that servant's master will come on a day he does not expect him. And at an hour he does not know, you will cut him to pieces and sign him a place with the hypocrites where there will be reaping a gnashing of teeth.
[00:07:41] Let me ask you a question as we start. Have you ever had one of those moments where you were caught completely off guard?
[00:07:48] How many of you would rather eat raw cow tongue and brains rather than have someone surprise you with a party you didn't know about?
[00:07:56] You just hate being surprised, not knowing what's coming. And I remember there was a time when my son Andrew. I don't remember what age, but I. We're having a birthday celebration at Texas Roadhouse.
[00:08:06] And I don't think they do it anymore, but if you remember, Texas Roadhouse used to put this sawhorse with a horse saddle in the middle aisle. And then they'd have the birthday person, you know, sit up there with a cowboy hat. And everybody's eyes are fixed on them and fenching and everybody's singing Happy Birthday. And fortunately for my son Andrew, at the time, he was getting the kick out of it.
[00:08:27] But Lisa turns over to me and says, don't you ever be that demure.
[00:08:33] And I figured out very early that I would have gone from the Roadhouse to the doghouse if I were to ever do something like that with Lisa.
[00:08:42] And I've seen it so many times that a person walks into the entrance to room. There's a huge crowd of people hiding, and all of a sudden everyone yells, surprise.
[00:08:50] And that person looks like a view in headlights.
[00:08:54] Has that ever happened to you?
[00:08:57] Perhaps for you it was a surprise party and you walked in looking a mess, utterly prepared for guests. Or maybe it was a pop quiz in school you hadn't studied for.
[00:09:05] Maybe it was an unexpected performance review at work.
[00:09:08] A feeling of unpreparedness, of being caught unaware. It can be unsettling, sometimes even deeply consequential.
[00:09:16] In our world, we try everything we can to mitigate surprises.
[00:09:21] We have weather forecasts, tornado sirens. We have warning lights on our dashboard, security alerts and calendar reminders for everything.
[00:09:30] We like to know what's coming. We like to be in control, at least, you know, feel that we are.
[00:09:35] And actually, I believe this is why so many people turn to the holt. You know, fortune tellers, Ouija board, carol cards and horoscopes. They desperately want someone to tell them what their future holds.
[00:09:48] Mitigate surprises.
[00:09:51] The passage we just read, Jesus himself tells us about an event of ultimate significance, an event that is absolutely certain to happen, yet its timing has a profound mystery.
[00:10:04] It's deliberately kept from us.
[00:10:07] He speaks of his own return, the culmination of history, and he uses vivid imagery to drive home a crucial point.
[00:10:14] And this is the main point for this morning.
[00:10:16] Be ready.
[00:10:18] It's been the point of our series and it continues to be be ready. Figure out what needs to be done to be ready for his return.
[00:10:25] Don't be caught unprepared.
[00:10:28] This morning I want to give us several practical ideas from the scriptures that if applied to your life will better ensure that you will not be caught off guard that Jesus returns one day in your lifetime, that you will be ready.
[00:10:43] And as Thomas shared with us last Sunday, procrastination or delayed repentance or obedience doesn't cut it.
[00:10:51] Our passage today serves as both a warning and an encouragement. It's a call to a state of constant spiritual alertness. And this isn't done for the Christian out of fear, but out of faithful love and eager anticipation.
[00:11:03] We should be longing for his return. It should be exciting to think that he's coming back for us. It should be exciting for us to think that we're going to have new resurrection bodies and we're going to live in eternity with him forever in a place that there's no more sin or death of the curse.
[00:11:18] I believe the one thing we can be certain of while living in the midst of all this uncertainty in our world and its future is that Jesus will come again.
[00:11:28] And how do we know that?
[00:11:30] Well, we know it by the fulfillment of his first coming.
[00:11:33] There are over 100 Old Testament messianic prophecies by a host of prophets living some 100 to a thousand years before he was ever born that foretold of his first coming.
[00:11:44] And we see the promise being fulfilled. As we read the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, we see now clearly as that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament promise that a Messiah would come for us.
[00:11:58] Jesus purpose in his first coming as a suffering servant Messiah was to bring redemption to us, to win us back to Himself at a huge cost to Himself across the Every person who forsakes reliance on their own goodness and who puts their faith in Christ and his finished work on the cross may receive redemption, the forgiveness of sin and eternal life.
[00:12:20] The gospel writers testify to his life, his ministry, his teachings and his miracles. They testify to the fact that he suffered, died and was buried and he rose again on the third day. And it says over 500 actually saw him risen from the dead and others saw that the tomb was empty.
[00:12:40] Second, we can know he's coming back because of the character and nature of of God.
[00:12:45] A God that we've come to know, the God that we've come to serve, the God that we've come to be relationship with.
[00:12:55] We've come to believe in him and follow him because we know he cannot lie or mislead us.
[00:13:01] If Jesus said he was coming back one day, then we can rest assured in his promise that it will happen.
[00:13:06] But you see, this time it's not for the reconciliation of mankind. It's going to be for the judgment of his enemies, the eradication of all evil, sin and death, and the restoration of all things to his original glorious sinless perfection.
[00:13:22] We must remember that it is the just and righteous wrath of God that was exhibited on the cross that will be exhibited upon his return. And it's going to be exhibited for some, for all eternity.
[00:13:33] When Christ first coming, he took the wrath of God, the punishment we deserve for our sin on the cross, he paid the penalty in full. And that's why he declared from the cross it is finished which he's telling us. There's nothing that we can add to that or do or earn except our faith.
[00:13:49] If you believe that Jesus is God, the one true Savior, and you placed your faith in him, the wrath of God upon you has been forever completely satisfied.
[00:13:59] This is true for every believer in Christ.
[00:14:03] Shortly after John writes probably the most well known verse in scripture, John 3:16 for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. But whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. He writes this in verse 36 whoever believes in the Son have eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.
[00:14:29] You and I are secure as Christians in God's love, never to experience God's wrath, because Jesus took the Father's wrath in our place.
[00:14:38] And the knowledge of this should move our hearts each day to lay our lives down each day in service and witness of his great love for us in Jesus Second Coming. He comes as the conquering King Messiah, who comes to exact God's wrath and judgment on all unbelievers who reject him, all who do evil and promote wickedness upon all his enemy, upon Satan and all the demonic forever eradicate all evil, to abolish all sin and wickedness and death and the curse over our world. And oh I can, I cannot wait until sin and wickedness and evil and death has been abolished by Christ.
[00:15:21] He comes to restore all things, the entire universe, to his original purpose and intention toward creation, to bring God's heavenly kingdom down to a perfectly restored earth, creating a place for his people to live with him forever. And that's why I've said before that the first two chapters of Genesis 1 and 2 and the last two chapters of Revelation 21 and 22 are like mirror images of one another.
[00:15:44] You see, because what God's original intentions were before the fall that we see in Genesis 1 and 2 is what he's going to do in Revelation 21 and 22 to restore everything back to his original sinless perfection and in a place that we get to live with him forever.
[00:16:01] I want you to read those four chapters this week so you can see what I'm talking about. Read Genesis 1 and 2 and then turn in your Bibles to Revelation 21:22. You'll see exactly what I'm talking about.
[00:16:13] And all this talk about our glorious future with Christ, there's something vital that we must not forget. That as you get excited about what God has planned for you, never forget that those who reject Christ will suffer the wrath of God for all eternity.
[00:16:27] The knowledge of God's wrath should compel us to act on their behalf.
[00:16:33] The knowledge of extended family members, of family members, of co workers, of neighbors, of longtime friends that you know have not trusted Christ as their Savior, should compel us on their behalf to bring the gospel to them.
[00:16:51] Let's delve more deeply into these words of Jesus found in Matthew 24 to see if we can grasp their meaning for our lives today.
[00:16:57] And first of all, in verse 36 we see the certainty and the mystery of his coming. Let's read verse 36 again now concerning that day and hour. No one knows neither the angels of heaven nor the Son, except the Father alone. And I want you to notice the definitive that day or hour Jesus isn't speaking hypothetically.
[00:17:20] His return is a fixed point in God's divine calendar. He's saying it will happen.
[00:17:26] The prophecies leading up to this chapter, the signs he has described all point towards the climactic event.
[00:17:32] He's telling us there's an absolute certainty to it.
[00:17:36] Yet blended together with this certainty is a profound mystery. No one knows, but only the Father.
[00:17:43] Jesus explicitly states that this knowledge is reserved by the Father alone. He says not even the angels in heaven who have the closest proximity to him in heaven, they don't know.
[00:17:54] But he says not even the Son knows. He's saying, I myself don't know. And this is a remarkable statement of Jesus voluntary condescension and his self emptying during his earthly ministry.
[00:18:05] You know, in his humanity. We need to always remember he did not forsake his deity.
[00:18:10] He was fully God, but he willingly submitted to the limitations the Father ordained, including not knowing the specific timing when he would come again.
[00:18:21] It underscores the Father's ultimate sovereignty over the divine timetable of Jesus return.
[00:18:27] We need to understand that the purpose of this divine secrecy isn't to frustrate us.
[00:18:32] It's to cultivate in us a particular kind of faith. One that trusts God's wisdom and timing in everything.
[00:18:40] This kind of faith actually prevents date setting, which has historically led to disillusionment and ridicule to the Church.
[00:18:51] It calls us humility, acknowledging that some things are beyond our need to know and there are safely in God's hands and we can trust him him with it.
[00:19:00] But you know, the landscape of church history is limited with the zebra of failed prophetic prediction.
[00:19:07] And each time there's a failed prediction that people who are following Christ or are wanting to know God's plan for them, it discredits the word of God both in the eyes of the world and it disillusions the people.
[00:19:22] I found some names of people that you might recognize who had a list of failed end time prophecies.
[00:19:30] There's a man named Herbert Armstrong, founder of the Worldwide Church of God and he predicted that Jesus was going to come back in 1936, 1943, 1972 and 1995.
[00:19:45] Jehovah's Witness, their very so called prophets have predicted that Jesus was going to return in 1874-1914-1918-1925 and 1975.
[00:20:00] While their belief system and witness is still centered around end times prophecy, I think they stopped predicting dates because they were getting a whole lot of bad press about it.
[00:20:11] And there's a more recent man named Harold Camping, a Christian radio broadcaster, he was much more specific in his predictions.
[00:20:19] He gave May 21, 1994 that didn't work. So he said, well, September 6, 1994.
[00:20:27] Then he gave up on predicting for a while. And more recently May 21, 2011 and October 21, 2021.
[00:20:35] And I guess the old philosophy is, you know, if you don't first succeed, try and try again.
[00:20:42] But we can know what a true prophet of God is, right? Because if God's speaking the Word, the one who knows all things, the one who can never lie or mislead, is speaking to the person, then they're not going to get it wrong, are they? But all these people are trying to predict is very clearly in the Scriptures that Jesus says the day and hour is not going to be known.
[00:21:02] So obviously they're doing things apart from the truth of God's word and the Holy Scriptures.
[00:21:10] I was personally challenged as a young Christian. I was maybe 2 year olds in the Lord. And I read Hal Lindsay's book, A Late Great Planet Earth. Does anybody remember that book?
[00:21:21] Hal Lindsay's immensely popular book sold over a million copies and it was written in the 1970s. I think I picked it up. I was saved in 82 and I maybe read it in 83 or 84.
[00:21:32] Which set of implied timeline for Christ return in 1988?
[00:21:39] And Lindsay's central argument was based on the idea of the biblical generation, which is roughly 40 years and starting from the rebirth of Israel in 1948.
[00:21:48] This calculation led many to believe that major poetic events, including the Rapture and potentially a second Coming, were imminent somewhere to occur by the 1980s or the end.
[00:21:59] While Lindsay often used cautious phrasing, the strong suggestion of this time frame was clear to his millions of readers.
[00:22:04] He wrote in the Late Great Planet of the Earth. He says if this is a correct deduction, then within 40 years or so of 1948, all these prophesied events could take place.
[00:22:14] This pointed many to 1988 or 1948 plus 40 years.
[00:22:20] One follower of Lindsey predicted prediction stated, we really thought the Lord was coming back in the 80s.
[00:22:26] We made decisions based on it.
[00:22:29] Some people didn't go to college or didn't plan for retirement.
[00:22:32] Some people quit their jobs, sold their homes, gave everything away because we truly believed, Hal Lindsay and others, that it was all going to wrap up in 1988.
[00:22:41] And when it didn't happen, it was confusing and for some, a real crisis of faith. We had to rethink everything.
[00:22:49] Al Lindsay himself, when asked by Christianity Today about the risk of failed prediction, he says, there's just a split second difference between a hero and a bum.
[00:22:58] I didn't ask to be a hero. But I guess I had become one in the Christian community.
[00:23:02] So I accepted. But if I'm wrong about this, I guess I'll become a bum.
[00:23:07] And he took a lot of backlash for his failed prophecy.
[00:23:12] Many who are disappointed when prophecies fail simply give up the original faith.
[00:23:16] Individuals who place strong belief in a specific day can experience a profound spiritual crisis when that prophecy fails.
[00:23:23] This can lead to disillusionment with their faith, with church, with leadership, and even with God.
[00:23:29] Fortunately for me, I had been discipled by two young men named Chris and Mike, part of the Navigators ministry. And I was more well grounded when I read Al Lindsay book.
[00:23:43] The idea of his coming being unknown to us isn't an isolated idea in Scripture.
[00:23:49] Just before his ascension, Jesus tells his disciples in response for their question on when he would store the kingdom. He says in Acts 1:7, it's not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his authority.
[00:24:01] You see, the focus here is not on the when, but on the what. Because what he says in the very next verse in Acts 1:8, he says, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria to the end of the earth. And that is bringing us back again to the gospel mission, isn't it?
[00:24:18] He says the time is not going to be known. The what's not going to be known, but the when's not going to be known. But the what is here before you. This is what you are to be about until I return, about bringing the gospel and my love to people who are lost in the world.
[00:24:39] Augustine says that God has promised forgiveness to repentance, but he has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination.
[00:24:47] And while speaking of repentance, the sentiment applies here. We know Christ is coming, but we're not promised that we can delay our repentance, nor can we delay our obedience until we think the time is near. And I see people think this all the time. I'll start getting serious about my Christianity, about studying the Bible, about going to church, about serving the Lord, about getting my life together later. You know, right now I just have things to accomplish. I have things I want to do.
[00:25:09] I have other by ordance.
[00:25:15] Those who live this way will experience regret on the day of the Lord's return.
[00:25:21] You see, the time Jesus is saying the time to get ready is now.
[00:25:29] Part two of the message this morning, let's take a look at lessons that we can learn from the days of Noah Jesus draws a powerful historical parallel to illustrate the spiritual condition in the world that will receive his return. And let's read verses 37 and 39 again.
[00:25:45] As the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. For in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. Until the day Noah boarded the ark, they didn't know until the flood came and swept them all away.
[00:25:58] This is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be.
[00:26:01] So according to Jesus, words here what characterizes the days of Noah, he highlights the normalcy of life. He says people were being engaged in their natural everyday rhythm. They were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying and they were giving in marriage.
[00:26:16] They were completely absorbed in everyday life that they ignored the signs of God's impending judgment.
[00:26:23] None of those things mentioned are in themselves bad things. Are they eating, drinking, marrying, giving in marriage.
[00:26:31] But they become bad things when they become all consuming things.
[00:26:35] When our life pursuits become driven by these things, then they crowd God out.
[00:26:41] In a book I just finished named the Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God, the following quote was given from a man who claimed to be an agnostic. But he says, you know, I'm exploring the things of Christianity and I'm open.
[00:26:55] He says this, if someone has a faith worth following, I feel their belief should make you feel uncomfortable for not doing so.
[00:27:03] If they share 90% of my lifestyle and values, then there's nothing especially inspiring to me about them.
[00:27:09] Instead of making me want to become more like them, it looks very much as if they want to become more like me.
[00:27:16] This is an agnostic who's exploring the claims of Christ, but in a way, looking out at the substance of American Christianity and saying, you know, sometimes I feel like they want to be more like me than they want me to be like them.
[00:27:34] Think about our modern world, how easy it is to become completely engrossed in our careers. Our social media feeds, our entertainment, our vacation, our hobbies, our financial pursuits, our investments, our health care, our care for and building of our homes and our families. The noise of modern life can be deafening.
[00:27:53] And we'd be so busy making a living that we forget to make a life and eternal life.
[00:27:59] We can be so connected digitally that we become disconnected spiritually.
[00:28:05] And that's the claims over and over of the research that's done. You know, the effect that all the social media stuff has on people's lives.
[00:28:12] They're lonely, they're empty, they're disconnected relationally.
[00:28:21] If our aim is solely focused on eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, the temporal pursuits of this world. We might achieve them only to find ourselves utterly unprepared for the eternal, for the life that's to come.
[00:28:34] The lesson from Noah's day is a sobering one. Don't let the ordinary teens of life lull you into a spiritual slumber.
[00:28:43] If what Jesus listed aren't necessarily the grievous, scandalous types of sin, then why was there a worldwide flood? Why did there need to be such a judgment?
[00:28:54] Well, Genesis 6, 5, 8 tells us that the Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord, while Matthew's words focus on how the normalcy of everyday life was the distraction obscuring the warning. Genesis speaks of how the entire world had degenerated into wickedness, widespread evil, and the rejection of Yah.
[00:29:25] Peter speaks of scoffers, a similar wickedness and rejection in the last days who will deny the promise of his coming, saying in 2 Peter 3:3, 4 above all be aware of this. Scoffers will come in the last day, scoffing and following their own evil desires, saying where is his coming that he promised? Everything just continues on as it had since the beginning.
[00:29:48] Peter is saying that people in our day are going to mock the coming of Jesus. You Christians have been saying that Jesus is going to return for hundreds if not thousands of years.
[00:29:58] I don't see Him. Where is He?
[00:30:02] Peter reveals something about the awesome character of God by revealing the reason God delays his coming just later in that very same book.
[00:30:10] And he says the reason why he delays is because his love and his grace and his Mercy. And 2 Peter 3:9 he says the Lord does not delay his promise as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance. There is a beauty in Christ's delay in coming and he's revealing his heart for the lost and his love for the lost. And he's saying, I haven't come back yet, Father, haven't revealed to me the time to come back yet because I want more people to come to a saving knowledge of me.
[00:30:47] You know, some believe it took Noah of a hundred years to build the ark in obedience to God and for the salvation of him and his family from God's impending judgment.
[00:30:56] St. Peter describes Noah as a preacher of righteousness and is the reason God saved him and his family.
[00:31:03] You know, the thing is, up to this point though, it had never rained.
[00:31:08] The Bible says that it was the waters of the earth, the rivers of the earth, that kept the land wet.
[00:31:18] When the people would inquire as to what Moses was doing, pulling a boat, and they were told because of God's judgments, It would involve 40 days and nights of rain that would flood the earth. Of what their response would be.
[00:31:34] There had never been a boat probably in the history of the world, and this eccentric kind of guy is building this huge ark. It had never rained before, and all the people are wicked and rejecters of God. How much mocking and ridicule, day after day, night after night, week after week. You think there must have been this old silly man who was building this boat. He says there's some kind of rain coming for 40 days and 40 nights. How ridiculous.
[00:32:02] The judgment, when it came, was sudden and catastrophic.
[00:32:06] Life was just going on as usual until it didn't.
[00:32:10] The transition from normalcy to judgment was swift and it was irreversible for them. And that's how it's going to be in the coming of the Son of Man.
[00:32:20] The implication is that the world will largely be going about its business unconcerned with spiritual reality, right up to the moment that Christ returns.
[00:32:31] I need to try to understand God's judgment from his perspective of what is right here and just and not our perspective.
[00:32:40] First, we need to know that humankind is not the center of which God's sovereign hand works.
[00:32:46] We think that everything that goes on in the world, that his first priority in acting and working is us.
[00:32:53] And we know that he loves us deeply. But let me tell you, we're not the center of the universe. In God's perspective.
[00:32:59] What first moves God to act, whether it is kindness and grace or in judgment, is his glory.
[00:33:07] God created man and woman in his image and likeness, that they might be the vehicle through which he displays his glory to all rulers and powers, to all the peoples and nations of the world that he created.
[00:33:17] But because of the Fall, people have become stained with original sin and they were bent towards evil.
[00:33:24] And it's why he dispersed the people of the Tower of Babel.
[00:33:28] That's why he preserved the remnant of righteousness left on the earth and Noah and his family.
[00:33:35] That's why he chose the nation of Israel through the land of Abraham, not because they were extra special, but because he chose a nation that through which he would be a reflection of a glory to all the wickedness and all the pagan nations and all the adulterers that there'd be this people that would reveal my glory and perfectly and hopefully be drawn to God through it.
[00:33:58] He wanted a people who would represent him to a fallen, evil world, and it's why he's established the church.
[00:34:06] We are to be that reflection of his glory to a sinwracked world. We are to be his people bringing the light of his glory to a dark world. Without God's calling out and preserving of a people for his glory, the world would be completely overrun with wickedness and there would be no remnant of righteousness left on the earth.
[00:34:26] This is why you and I being God's apple of light shining in a dark world is so vitally important.
[00:34:35] Let's move on. In our text, I'm going to focus on the unexpected separation.
[00:34:44] Let's read verses 40 and 40. One says then two men will be in the field. One will be taken and the other left.
[00:34:52] Two women will be grinding grain with a hand mill. One will be taken and the other left.
[00:34:57] And so the imagery here is of people engaged in common everyday labor.
[00:35:03] You know, working in the field and grinding grain were common casts and common jobs in that day.
[00:35:09] There's no outward indication distinguishing these individuals before the moment of separation. They're side by side, they're sharing a common activity, they're sharing common space.
[00:35:19] And suddenly a division occurs.
[00:35:22] One will be taken, the other will be left.
[00:35:26] The crucial point here is the unexpected and decisive nature of the separation. It highlights that the return of Christ will cut right through the fabric of normal life, and an ultimate distinction will be made between people.
[00:35:41] The interpretation of who is taken and who is left, and whether being taken is a positive or negative event, varies significantly among Christian denomination. In theological perspectives, there seems to be two primary interpretations, and I would fashion the guess that there are people here that hold each.
[00:36:04] The first one is that the people are taken for salvation, but they're left. The others are left for judgment.
[00:36:11] And that's what we know as the Rapture interpretation.
[00:36:15] This interpretation has flourished more in recent times through the series of left behind books and movies.
[00:36:22] And in this view, those taken are believers who are caught up, are raptured to meet the Lord in the air, either before a period of great Tribulation, the pre tribulation Rapture, or the time of Christ's visible second coming.
[00:36:36] Consequently, those left behind are believers who will face the judgment or go through the period of tribulation, or the unbelievers who will face judgment or go through the period of tribulation on earth.
[00:36:47] This view often links the taking to passages like First Thessalonians 4, 17, which speaks of believers being caught up in the air to meet the Lord.
[00:36:57] Suddenness and unexpectedness described in Matthew 24 are seen as aligning with the nature of the rapture.
[00:37:04] The second view is that the people who are taken are the ones that are taken for judgment, and the ones who are less are those for restoration.
[00:37:14] And this is actually the most widely held view throughout the centuries.
[00:37:17] For the rapture view is less than 200 years old, and it was first popularized by a man named John Nelson Darby in 1827.
[00:37:26] Many scholars, across various eschatological frameworks, including amillennialism, post millennialism, and some forms of premillennialism, and say that three times this message again interpret being taken as a negative event, not a rapture, but being taken away for judgment.
[00:37:44] In this view, those left are the righteous who remain to inherit God's kingdom, are to be preserved through the judgment. And that's like Noah and his family who were left or spared during the flood.
[00:37:55] His interpretation strongly emphasizes the immediate context of Matthew 24.
[00:38:00] Jesus has just compared his coming to the days of Noah, where the flood came and took them all away, referring to the wicked who perished.
[00:38:10] Thus, being taken is seen as parallel to being swept away by judgment, like those outside Noah's ark.
[00:38:16] Those who are left behind are like Noah and his family who are saved. The Greek word is parallel, Mabel, and can have various meanings, and in context of judgment or disaster, it can imply being carried off our seas.
[00:38:29] So I bring you the two points of view, and you may firmly be sitting on one point of view or the other, but the reality of it, I believe, is that we shouldn't get so caught up in that, because regardless of which it is, we need to be ready for Christ's return. And that's the point. It's not the point on how God's going to do it. We need to trust him with that. The point is that we need to realize that he's coming and that we need to be ready.
[00:39:00] So you and I have no say over it. We have no control over how God operates in the end, whether at the Rapture or not. The point for us is to live by faith and trust in him, to trust in his goodness and be ready for his return. And the way that he decides to do it, they're going to be best according to him and his eternal purpose and plan.
[00:39:23] Regardless of the precise mechanics, the undeniable impact of these verses is the reality of a final separation based on one's relationship with Christ.
[00:39:33] And there's a passage that I like to use quite often when I'm witnessing, whether it's here or whether it's in Columbia, as 1 John 5, 11, 13 and this tells us of the separation very simply.
[00:39:46] John writes that God has given us a testimony. And this testimony is this.
[00:39:51] He who believes in the Son of God has light. He who does not believe in the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
[00:40:06] And that's the separation.
[00:40:09] Similar with the parable of the wheat and the tares.
[00:40:12] There's a division, the weed representing those who had placed faith in Christ. The tares are the weed of those who haven't. And there's a separation.
[00:40:20] And this is going to occur when you come.
[00:40:27] The key is not to who is taken or who is left in terms of definition, but that a separation will occur. And it's going to happen while people are engrossed in latched normal activity.
[00:40:39] Two people can be in the same place.
[00:40:42] They could be friends, they could be family members or co workers doing the same thing, but having entirely different eternal destinies.
[00:40:51] And we're surrounded by those people every single day of our lives.
[00:40:55] In your workplace, there's going to be a separation with people you know in your extended family. There's going to be separation from people you know in your neighborhood. There's going to be separation with people you know, whether it's in your classroom or wherever it is, whatever environment we walk in, whether it's in Club Fitness or whether it's in the grocery store. The reality of it is, is that you're walking through a land where people are going to be separated and you're going to be on one side and they're going to be on the other.
[00:41:28] And that's sobering to think about.
[00:41:34] Let's move on. In verses 42, 44, Jesus says, Therefore be alert, since you don't know what day your Lord is coming. But know this, if the homeowner had known what time would be for coming, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into.
[00:41:50] This is why you are also to be ready. Because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
[00:41:57] The word therefore begins this.
[00:42:00] This is the logical conclusion of what he has just said, what I've just said. Therefore this is true because the timing is unknown, because life will seem normal, because separation will be sudden. Therefore I want you to keep watch.
[00:42:14] It means to be vigilant, to stay awake, to be alert. It's not a passive waiting, but it's active. It's a tentative state of readiness. It's the opposite of spiritual drowsiness, our complacency.
[00:42:27] And then Jesus employs this analogy of a homeowner and a thief in verses 43 and 44. And we know no thief or burglar announces his arrival.
[00:42:37] I mean, can you imagine a thief or a burglar calling you at like, midnight and say, hey, at 3:00 in the morning, I'm going to come and take everything from your house?
[00:42:46] That's illogical.
[00:42:49] A burglar or thief is going to come when you least expect it.
[00:42:58] He comes under the COVID of darkness when the household is asleep. And if the homeowner knew the time, he'd be prepared.
[00:43:06] If he doesn't announce the day or hour was coming, our only defense is constant vigilance.
[00:43:12] So how might a homeowner be ready for an unexpected intruder?
[00:43:17] Though it's things that we probably normally and naturally do. We lock our windows, we lock our doors.
[00:43:24] We have security systems or maybe doorbell cameras.
[00:43:27] We put out extra exterior lighting.
[00:43:31] Some have a gun. And if you don't believe in guns, maybe you have a baseball bat or a golf club next to your bed.
[00:43:38] Not knowing if or when this might happen.
[00:43:40] You do all that you can do to be ready for such an event.
[00:43:46] We understand the principle of protecting what is valuable from unexpected intrusion. We might even have be part of a neighborhood watch.
[00:43:54] We take precautions for our loved ones, our earthly possessions and safety. How much more should we be vigilant concerning our eternal souls and our readiness for the Lord's return?
[00:44:06] Charles Spurgeon says watchfulness and prayer as a sign of a soul that is alive.
[00:44:13] And we could extend that watchfulness in all aspects of our Christian walk as a sign of a soul that is alive to the reality of Christ's return and that we are eagerly awaiting him.
[00:44:26] Let's finish up this text and let's read the final verses. Verse 45, 51.
[00:44:36] Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom his master has put in charge of his household to give them food at the proper time?
[00:44:42] Blessed is that servant whom the master finds doing his job when he comes.
[00:44:46] Truly, I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says in his heart, my master is delayed and starts to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks for drunkards, that servant's master will come on A day he does not expect him, and on an hour he does not know, he will cut him into pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
[00:45:11] Jesus concludes this section with a parable that vividly contrasts the two types of responses to the Master's eventual return.
[00:45:19] This parable illustrates what watching and being ready looks like in practical terms.
[00:45:25] So let's take a look at the words of Jesus, what he uses to describe the faithful servant, the one who is wise. And then we're going to look at the wicked servant. So first, how does he describe the faithful and wise servant?
[00:45:37] Well, first in his character, he says that he is faithful and wise.
[00:45:42] And faithfulness speaks of reliability and trustworthiness and steadfastness.
[00:45:48] There is a consistency and steadfastness in spiritual life. And Perseus and Wisdom speaks of having good judgment and practical application of biblical knowledge to one's life. We're not just reading our Scriptures each morning. We're asking God to speak to us and reveal to us and show us his will so that we can apply it to our lives.
[00:46:09] He says, the faithful and wise servant concerning his responsibility.
[00:46:13] He's put in charge of the servants to give them their food at the proper time. And this is a picture of stewardship.
[00:46:20] He's been entrusted with a task or caring for the master's household, providing for their meals. And for us, this can mean using our spiritual gifts and our resources and our opportunities to serve others in the body of Christ and to be witnesses in our world.
[00:46:36] He talks about the action of the good and wise servant.
[00:46:40] The Master finds him doing what he's supposed to do in service of the Master. He's found actively engaged in his assigned duties. He doesn't slack off because the Master is away.
[00:46:52] And then he speaks of his reward.
[00:46:54] He'll be good for that servant. He will put him in charge of all his possessions.
[00:46:59] And faithfulness and present responsibilities leads to greater honor and responsibility, both now and in the Master's future heavenly kingdom. He says, those who are faithful while little, I'll give much to be faithful.
[00:47:11] And this also can point to eternal rewards and joy in the presence of the Lord through a life that's well lived.
[00:47:19] Then he talks about the wicked servant.
[00:47:23] And what's the wicked servant's rationale?
[00:47:27] My Master is staying away a long time, and it's a dangerous assumption.
[00:47:33] He presumes upon the Master's delay. This leads to a lowing of his guard and a change of his behavior. You know the old saying, while the cat's away, the mice will clay.
[00:47:44] That's his perspective about the Master.
[00:47:48] He begins to live. Is that the Master never returns, or that the return is so distant it doesn't matter. So he procrastinates or he blows off what he knows his master wants him to be doing.
[00:48:01] What about his actions?
[00:48:03] It says he begins to beat his fellow servants.
[00:48:07] He abuses his position and those under his care.
[00:48:12] It speaks of exploitation and cruelty and a disregard for the well being of others. He's living for the pleasures and achievements of the world, not for the poor or the needy or the lost.
[00:48:22] Says he eats and drinks with drunkards.
[00:48:25] Speaks of a person who's just indulging in worldly pleasures, aligning himself with those who live for the moment for self gratification rather than for the Master.
[00:48:33] And it signifies a descent into worldliness and fleshly indulgence. He is a man who lives for comfort and pleasure.
[00:48:44] There's a stark contrast, isn't there?
[00:48:46] At least this is supposed to be a stark contrast between those who are followers and believers in Christ and those who aren't.
[00:48:56] It speaks of the Master's unexpected return. The Master will come on a day when he does not expect them and in an hour he's not aware of the very unexpectedness of the Master's return catches this wicked servant completely off guard. He's lived a life with little regard for the Master. And now guess what? He's here. He's returned and it's too late for him to change his ways.
[00:49:18] And he experienced severe punishment. He. He's cut into pieces. And that's a very strong term. It's indicating a severe and decisive judgment, a complete separation from the Master and his good graces.
[00:49:31] Says he's assigned a place with the hypocrites. He's. He's grouped with those who professed one thing but lived another way.
[00:49:39] And he says for him there'll be weeping and gnashing and teeth and. And over, I think, four or five places in Matthew alone. It's a recurring phrase that Jesus uses for the experience of those who will be separated from him in hell.
[00:49:58] So what's a present day illustration?
[00:50:02] I thought of a few things for the faithful servant. I thought of the dedicated Sunday school teacher who prepares diligently week after week, year after year, shaping young people's lives in Christ.
[00:50:12] I think of the believer in the workplace who consistently demonstrates integrity, kindness, and shares their faith winsomely when opportunities arise, even when it's not popular.
[00:50:22] I think of a parent who patiently and prayerfully raises their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord of the One who faithfully cares for the poor, the widow or the orphan. They are giving food at the proper time.
[00:50:37] You see Jesus here for us. He's not talking about just the big thing.
[00:50:42] He's trying to let us know that faithfulness comes through the little things, through the little things that we do in our homes, through the little things that we do with our kids, with the little things that we do in the workplace, and then leads us to greater opportunities as we're living those out faithfully. He provides divine appointments and things where we can actually minister and be lights in a world of people who need him desperately.
[00:51:06] It's faithfulness in the little things that then results in faithfulness in the big things.
[00:51:14] But the wicked servant? Sadly, we're going to see examples of this today too.
[00:51:19] It could be in a spiritual leader who abuses their power for personal gain or becomes complacent and neglectful of their flock.
[00:51:26] It can be any professing Christian who says lord, Lord, but whose heart is far from him, who rather lives a life of self indulgence or hypocrisy and disregard to the things of God, assuming there's always going to be more time to get things together later.
[00:51:45] John Chris says faithfulness in little things is a big thing.
[00:51:52] A faithful servant isn't necessarily doing spectacular things, but consistently faithful and doing he assigned things.
[00:52:01] And then another Past scholar and Pastor C.P. stud says only one life will soon be passed, only what done for Christ, alas.
[00:52:12] And this captures the motivation of the faithful servant who lives with an eternal perspective.
[00:52:17] We have all been entrusted our time, our talents, our resources, and the message of the Gospel. And we need to be asking ourselves, how am I managing that trust if you're here today and you've never truly surrendered your life to Christ as Savior and Lord?
[00:52:36] The warnings of this passage are stark.
[00:52:39] The weeping and gnashing of teeth is a real consequence to those who are not found in him.
[00:52:45] But the good news is that the Master is patient, not wanting any to perish. Today is the day of salvation. If you have never placed your faith and trust in Christ, turn from your sins. Believe that he is who he says he is. Lord and Savior. Instruct your life to Him. Help him to forgive you of your sins and come into your life as Savior.
[00:53:04] And people do that.
[00:53:08] For those of us who are believers, let this passage be a loving exhortation from our Savior to shake off any spiritual drowsiness that we may have till we commit ourselves to view, watchful living and faithfully serving him and witnessing for him.
[00:53:25] Let the blessed hope of his appearance purify us and motivate us. Let us not be found sleeping, but awake, alert and busy with our Master's wisdom.
[00:53:35] The Lord is coming.
[00:53:37] He's coming for those who are His.
[00:53:40] Let us live each day as if it might be today, so that when he does return, or when he calls us home, when we hear those blessed words. Matthew it found in Matthew 25:21. Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your master.
[00:53:57] You know, for most of my life, and I think most of us love to hear these words, but for most of my life, I waited to hear these words from my Father, that I love you or I'm proud of you.
[00:54:11] And finally, towards the end of his life, I got to hear both of them.
[00:54:16] But can you imagine, as you stand before Jesus, your Savior and Lord, how much more special those words are going to be when you're standing in front of him and he says, well done, well done.
[00:54:32] That is what we are living for. That's what we are longing for. That's the purpose of why we exist. And that's what we should be pursuing, not the applause of men, but to hear those words from our saying, well done, my good and faithful servant.
[00:54:47] Come and share in your Master's happiness.
[00:54:54] Banj, you can come back up.
[00:55:01] We're going to have a little ministry time here before we go to communion.
[00:55:06] And you might have noticed when you sat down that I put some stacks of papers on the end of one chair.
[00:55:11] Just go and pass those through because this is going to be our. Of our common reflection and something that I want you to take home. And, and if there's a couple and there's a. Not just let one per couple, but I want to walk through that real quick here and then spend a time in prayer and reflection over these questions.
[00:55:29] And then I want you to take them home.
[00:55:33] Question number one. Am I truly living with an awareness of eternity?
[00:55:37] Or am I, like those in Moses Day, so consumed by the temporary my job, my hobbies, my worries, my comforts that I've lost sight of what truly lasts?
[00:55:46] Number two, how does the truth of Christ's unexpected return impact my daily choices?
[00:55:50] Does it affect my priorities, how I spend my time, my money, my energy?
[00:55:54] Does it make me more urgent in sharing my faith, more diligent in my service?
[00:55:59] Number three, am I striving to be a faithful and wise servant?
[00:56:02] What food has God entrusted me to give to his household or to a hungry world?
[00:56:07] Has my life focused at all on the poor, the needy, the widow or the orphan? Am I actively doing that or have I become distracted, lazy or self serving?
[00:56:17] Number four, what specific area of my life needs more watchfulness or readiness right now? Is it my prayer life?
[00:56:23] Is it my reading and study of God's word?
[00:56:27] Is it my relationships? Am I right with God and others?
[00:56:30] My purity, my service to the church and community? Am I sharing the gospel with those in my sphere of influence? And so just want you through the message today and some of those questions to spend a little time of reflection and prayer and then I really want to ask you to take those home and ask God, God, what is it that you want to say to me about my life or what actions might you want me to take? Let's go ahead and spend that time of reflection now.
