WATCH AND BE READY
Pastor Tim P. Blaisure – 04/16/23 – Morning Message
Intro:
Last week we celebrated Christ Jesus resurrection, which means we serve a living Savior, and you may ask how we know He lives because He lives within us. Greater is He who lives inside us than the god of this world.
We live in times that are very scary and troubling. So, what should we be doing?
Watch and be ready for the coming of our Lord Jesus!
Foundation Scriptures:
Romans 8:11-17 MEV
“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit that lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers, we are debtors not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if through the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.
15 For you have not received the spirit of slavery again to fear. But you have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba, Father.”
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirits that we are the children of God,
17 and if children, then heirs: heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified with Him.”
Matthew 24:3-51 MEV
I. TROUBLES AND PERSECUTIONS
3 As He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”
4 Jesus answered them, “Take heed that no one deceives you.
5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.
6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled. For all these things must happen, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines, epidemics, and earthquakes in various places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. And you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.
10 Then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another.
11 And many false prophets will rise and will deceive many.
12 Because iniquity will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
II. THE GREAT TRIBULATION
15 “So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),
16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.
18 Let him who is in the field not return to take his clothes.
19 Woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse in those days!
20 Pray that your escape will not be in the winter or on the Sabbath.
21 For then will be great tribulation, such as has not happened since the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be.
22 “Unless those days were shortened, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe it.
24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
25 Listen, I have told you beforehand.
26 “So, if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert,’ do not go there; or, ‘Look, He is in the private chambers,’ do not believe it.
27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
(Lightning moves at the speed of going around the earth 7 ½ times in one second – no time to repent at this time)
28 Wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
III. THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’
30 “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (This will be after the great tribulation and those who went in the catching away or rapture will return with Jesus at this time)
31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
(Those who were saved and died in the great tribulation and those who are serving Him still)
IV. THE LESSON OF THE FIG TREE (ISRAEL)
32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: When its branch becomes tender and grows leaves, you know that summer is near.
33 So also, when you shall see all these things, you know that it is near, even at the doors.
34 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
V. THE UNKNOWN DAY AND HOUR
36 “Concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
37 As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark,
39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
40 Two will be in the field; one will be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and the other left.
42 “WATCH therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord will come.
43 But know this, that if the owner of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not have let his house be broken into.
44 Therefore you also must be ready, for in an hour when you least expect, the Son of Man is coming.
VI. THE FAITHFUL OR THE UNFAITHFUL SERVANT
45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master has made ruler over his household to give them food at the appointed time?
46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
47 Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master delays his coming,’
49 and begins to strike his fellow servants and eat and drink with the drunkards,
50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not look for him and in an hour, he is not aware of
51 and will cut him in pieces and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Conclusion:
If you are a Believer in the Lord Jesus and you are watching for His soon return, then stay ready and don’t get caught up with the things of this life that it takes you away from staying ready for your life eternally with Christ Jesus.
If you are not a Believer then this is the day to: “believe on the Lord Jesus and confess with your mouth that he is your Savior and allow Him to forgive you of all you sins and start a new and fresh walk with Him today, at this moment it is not to late!
Revelation 16:15
“Look (WATCH), I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments on (READY), lest he walk naked, and his shame be exposed.”