1 00:00:02,602 --> 00:00:03,737 Amen. 2 00:00:03,737 --> 00:00:04,104 Thank you. 3 00:00:04,104 --> 00:00:07,107 Jacob. 4 00:00:07,941 --> 00:00:09,876 Today we're going to 5 00:00:09,876 --> 00:00:12,879 we're going to conclude Matthew 24. 6 00:00:13,113 --> 00:00:16,116 And just to set this up, 7 00:00:16,282 --> 00:00:19,652 I want to remind us of the section 8 00:00:19,652 --> 00:00:22,655 of Scripture that we're in 9 00:00:23,656 --> 00:00:26,826 from Matthew chapter 21 through 25. 10 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,797 All takes place during Thursday, 11 00:00:31,431 --> 00:00:36,302 sorry, during Tuesday before the crucifixion on Friday. 12 00:00:36,870 --> 00:00:39,572 So all these chapters, 13 00:00:39,572 --> 00:00:43,576 Jesus is setting the stage and he's preparing 14 00:00:43,810 --> 00:00:46,813 the way for his crucifixion. 15 00:00:47,580 --> 00:00:49,549 There's a lot that goes in that. 16 00:00:49,549 --> 00:00:52,552 What happens on Tuesday? 17 00:00:52,786 --> 00:00:55,321 Jesus starts that day. 18 00:00:55,321 --> 00:00:58,391 He is part of the process, cleansing the temple 19 00:00:58,391 --> 00:01:02,629 and casting out those who were who were getting it all wrong, 20 00:01:03,296 --> 00:01:06,599 who had made it about a spectacle and a show, and taking advantage of people 21 00:01:06,599 --> 00:01:09,602 rather than about him. 22 00:01:10,970 --> 00:01:14,574 He confronts the religious leaders and calls them hypocrites, 23 00:01:15,675 --> 00:01:16,342 because they had 24 00:01:16,342 --> 00:01:20,513 made it all about their own spiritual superiority, rather than submission 25 00:01:20,513 --> 00:01:24,551 and repentance to the Christ and the kingdom of God. 26 00:01:26,653 --> 00:01:29,456 He tells the disciples what's coming. 27 00:01:29,456 --> 00:01:32,358 He tries to get them ready. 28 00:01:32,358 --> 00:01:34,094 And through all of this, 29 00:01:34,094 --> 00:01:37,297 he's setting the stage because he knows that 30 00:01:37,330 --> 00:01:42,068 what has been orchestrated by his father, with his agreement in heaven 31 00:01:42,068 --> 00:01:47,574 from generations past, since the beginning of time, would be his crucifixion. 32 00:01:47,574 --> 00:01:50,577 This was all set in, in motion, 33 00:01:50,977 --> 00:01:53,980 at the will of the father, with the agreement of the son. 34 00:01:54,114 --> 00:01:57,250 But he knows that the Jewish 35 00:01:57,250 --> 00:02:02,021 people have no authority over life and death outside the temple grounds. 36 00:02:02,655 --> 00:02:05,792 And he knows that the only ones who can carry out 37 00:02:05,792 --> 00:02:08,795 the act of crucifixion are the Romans. 38 00:02:08,862 --> 00:02:11,865 And so he starts pushing and pushing and pushing 39 00:02:12,132 --> 00:02:17,003 those who claimed to be God's, the God's own kids, 40 00:02:17,504 --> 00:02:21,441 so that they would be on such as set on edge, 41 00:02:21,441 --> 00:02:24,911 and so angry towards him that they would work it out 42 00:02:24,911 --> 00:02:28,014 with their own government, hand him over so that he would be crucified. 43 00:02:28,081 --> 00:02:32,285 He knows what he's doing and it's all done on purpose. 44 00:02:32,318 --> 00:02:37,190 He knows his life on earth has to culminate in the cross, 45 00:02:37,490 --> 00:02:41,361 so that it can go to the grave so that it can be resurrected. 46 00:02:42,295 --> 00:02:44,397 And so he's pushing push and pushing. 47 00:02:44,397 --> 00:02:47,500 Tuesday before crucifixion 48 00:02:47,500 --> 00:02:50,503 on Friday is a huge day. 49 00:02:50,570 --> 00:02:56,276 And all these chapters, chapter 21, 22 to 3 to four, 25 all happens on Tuesday. 50 00:02:56,309 --> 00:02:59,312 And so that's where we are in this, 51 00:02:59,779 --> 00:03:02,582 in this Passion Week 52 00:03:02,582 --> 00:03:07,587 after chapter 25 that we'll look at next week comes Wednesday and Wednesday. 53 00:03:07,587 --> 00:03:09,989 He takes a day off. 54 00:03:09,989 --> 00:03:12,892 And it was on that Wednesday 55 00:03:12,892 --> 00:03:16,095 that the Jewish leaders conspire 56 00:03:16,095 --> 00:03:20,200 with Rome together first crucifixion. 57 00:03:20,833 --> 00:03:23,836 They make their plan. 58 00:03:23,970 --> 00:03:28,141 And so as we look at chapter 24, we're going to see Jesus. 59 00:03:28,141 --> 00:03:28,741 Keep pushing. 60 00:03:28,741 --> 00:03:31,411 Now he's pushed the religious establishment. 61 00:03:31,411 --> 00:03:34,280 He's pushed and confronted the religious leaders. 62 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:36,282 He's tried to prepare his disciples. 63 00:03:36,282 --> 00:03:38,751 He knows what's coming. 64 00:03:38,751 --> 00:03:43,223 He knows Friday is just a few days away. 65 00:03:43,256 --> 00:03:46,226 His disciples don't realize it yet. 66 00:03:46,226 --> 00:03:49,896 His disciples aren't yet aware of what is on the horizon. 67 00:03:50,930 --> 00:03:54,133 And so, over and over and over in Matthew 20, 68 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:58,338 the last part of 24, and then all of 25, he's going to give them one message. 69 00:03:58,371 --> 00:04:00,139 Get be ready. 70 00:04:00,139 --> 00:04:02,909 Wake up and get ready. 71 00:04:02,909 --> 00:04:05,178 Over and over and over. 72 00:04:05,178 --> 00:04:07,413 Wake up and get ready. 73 00:04:07,413 --> 00:04:08,881 You don't know what's coming. 74 00:04:08,881 --> 00:04:12,619 I do, and I'm telling you, don't sleep on this. 75 00:04:14,153 --> 00:04:18,625 And he's going to teach this hard truth in Matthew 24 and then in Matthew 25, 76 00:04:18,658 --> 00:04:20,793 he's going to tell parables 77 00:04:20,793 --> 00:04:23,896 that will explain the truth, because that's what parables do. 78 00:04:24,063 --> 00:04:27,500 A parable is a story in the context of everyday life 79 00:04:27,500 --> 00:04:30,870 that's thrown next to a truth to help you understand the truth. 80 00:04:30,870 --> 00:04:34,507 And that's what it's going to do in chapter 25, going to tell these parables. 81 00:04:34,874 --> 00:04:38,678 But the truth comes today, the last part of Matthew 24. 82 00:04:38,711 --> 00:04:41,581 Wake up and get ready. 83 00:04:44,851 --> 00:04:47,854 Matthew 24 has a lot of prophecy to it, 84 00:04:49,022 --> 00:04:52,091 and that's why I've chosen to teach it in two weeks. 85 00:04:52,325 --> 00:04:54,627 There's so much here. 86 00:04:54,627 --> 00:04:57,096 There is prophecy and future foretelling. 87 00:04:57,096 --> 00:05:01,801 There's also flesh and bones for what it means for us today and today. 88 00:05:01,801 --> 00:05:03,903 It's really the second part of our birthday message. 89 00:05:03,903 --> 00:05:06,773 Last week our church turned 21 90 00:05:06,773 --> 00:05:10,476 and I started Matthew 24 with our kind of birthday message. 91 00:05:10,476 --> 00:05:11,711 This is the follow up to that. 92 00:05:11,711 --> 00:05:14,614 This is birthday part two, 93 00:05:14,614 --> 00:05:17,450 and the focus shifts from what's coming 94 00:05:17,450 --> 00:05:21,120 and who's coming to how we live until he comes. 95 00:05:21,921 --> 00:05:24,590 So the focus in this part of Matthew 24 96 00:05:24,590 --> 00:05:27,593 is not prediction. 97 00:05:27,694 --> 00:05:30,596 The focus is ready, 98 00:05:30,596 --> 00:05:33,599 faithful and finish well. 99 00:05:34,500 --> 00:05:37,904 And so to help us understand the big idea 100 00:05:37,904 --> 00:05:42,141 for this, the last part of chapter 24, here's 101 00:05:42,141 --> 00:05:46,412 the big idea because we don't know when Jesus will return. 102 00:05:46,479 --> 00:05:49,482 Disciples must live ready. 103 00:05:49,549 --> 00:05:54,187 Stay faithful and be vigilant in doing the work he's given us to do. 104 00:05:55,054 --> 00:05:57,223 We don't know when he's coming back. 105 00:05:57,223 --> 00:06:01,094 He's given us some hints and some things to look for, but nobody really knows. 106 00:06:01,094 --> 00:06:02,829 And because we don't know 107 00:06:04,263 --> 00:06:04,697 if we 108 00:06:04,697 --> 00:06:08,401 call ourselves a disciple, we have to live ready. 109 00:06:09,902 --> 00:06:13,306 And we've got to stay faithful in the moment 110 00:06:13,840 --> 00:06:17,410 and be vigilant in doing what he's asked us to do. 111 00:06:19,212 --> 00:06:22,281 The two words I would use to kind of describe 112 00:06:22,882 --> 00:06:26,619 the theme of this part of the chapters, repentant and expectant, 113 00:06:27,553 --> 00:06:29,789 because we don't know when he's coming back. 114 00:06:29,789 --> 00:06:32,792 Live a repentant life 115 00:06:33,259 --> 00:06:36,462 and an expectant life that it could be now. 116 00:06:38,998 --> 00:06:40,700 Let me let's just unpack this. 117 00:06:40,700 --> 00:06:43,736 Let me let me read verses 39, 36 118 00:06:43,803 --> 00:06:46,773 through 39 of chapter 24. 119 00:06:48,708 --> 00:06:51,711 But concerning the day and hour, no one knows 120 00:06:52,178 --> 00:06:52,945 what day and hour. 121 00:06:52,945 --> 00:06:56,949 Well, if you remember back in verse three, this whole discussion started 122 00:06:56,949 --> 00:07:00,586 because the disciples asked him, when are all these things going to happen? 123 00:07:00,586 --> 00:07:03,256 You just talked about the destruction of the temple. 124 00:07:03,256 --> 00:07:06,259 You know, the end of time, the vision in their minds, the end of time. 125 00:07:06,259 --> 00:07:10,062 And you know, this Messiah, like, when is all this going to happen? 126 00:07:10,229 --> 00:07:13,666 So he he finally answers their question. 127 00:07:13,699 --> 00:07:15,668 You want to know when this is going to happen? 128 00:07:15,668 --> 00:07:17,970 What he says nobody knows. 129 00:07:20,339 --> 00:07:21,841 Concerning that day or hour. 130 00:07:21,841 --> 00:07:22,275 No one knows. 131 00:07:22,275 --> 00:07:24,510 Not even the angels of heaven, nor the son, but the father. 132 00:07:24,510 --> 00:07:29,916 Only for as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 133 00:07:29,949 --> 00:07:33,719 For as in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying 134 00:07:33,719 --> 00:07:37,623 and giving a marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 135 00:07:37,957 --> 00:07:41,828 and they were unaware, until the flood came and swept them all away. 136 00:07:41,861 --> 00:07:44,997 So will be the coming of the Son of Man 137 00:07:46,799 --> 00:07:47,834 says, listen. 138 00:07:47,834 --> 00:07:50,536 Nobody knows. 139 00:07:50,536 --> 00:07:53,539 And so if you're going to be a disciple, 140 00:07:54,774 --> 00:07:57,243 you've got to live ready. 141 00:07:57,243 --> 00:08:01,314 You've got to stay faithful, and you've got to be vigilant because nobody knows. 142 00:08:02,014 --> 00:08:05,017 In essence, here's what he's saying 143 00:08:05,151 --> 00:08:08,955 don't allow normal life to be normalized in your life. 144 00:08:11,958 --> 00:08:13,493 Don't allow normal life. 145 00:08:13,493 --> 00:08:15,962 That's just that's the way life goes. This is what we all we're all part of. 146 00:08:15,962 --> 00:08:17,430 A kind of swept up in the whole thing. 147 00:08:17,430 --> 00:08:20,433 Don't allow that to become normalized. 148 00:08:20,500 --> 00:08:22,635 He's saying that's what the people are like. 149 00:08:22,635 --> 00:08:24,837 In the days of Noah, 150 00:08:24,837 --> 00:08:27,840 swept up in the normality of life 151 00:08:28,875 --> 00:08:32,345 so that the normal life was normalized in their life, 152 00:08:32,578 --> 00:08:35,581 just like everybody else. 153 00:08:39,585 --> 00:08:41,354 In the days of Noah. 154 00:08:41,354 --> 00:08:44,757 Where were the days of Noah like, well, they're full of violence. 155 00:08:45,558 --> 00:08:48,294 They're full of sexual immorality. 156 00:08:48,294 --> 00:08:51,664 I mean, that's that's not too far off from where we are, right? 157 00:08:52,498 --> 00:08:53,699 But it was more than that. 158 00:08:53,699 --> 00:08:54,400 It wasn't just that. 159 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:57,403 It was more than that. 160 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:02,508 They were completely 161 00:09:02,508 --> 00:09:05,511 indifferent spiritually. 162 00:09:05,711 --> 00:09:08,714 Sure, they wanted to be good people who must be a bad person, 163 00:09:09,215 --> 00:09:11,250 but they were just indifferent 164 00:09:12,552 --> 00:09:15,555 to kingdom stuff. 165 00:09:16,756 --> 00:09:19,759 They didn't realize that there was more 166 00:09:21,294 --> 00:09:24,297 than just being a good person. 167 00:09:26,265 --> 00:09:29,835 They were consumed with ordinary life. 168 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:37,243 And they were not at all ready for judgment. 169 00:09:39,078 --> 00:09:40,713 They just keep living life 170 00:09:40,713 --> 00:09:43,716 as if God was never going to show up. 171 00:09:44,917 --> 00:09:47,920 So there was no spiritual urgency. 172 00:09:49,021 --> 00:09:52,792 See, they had allowed normal life to be normalized in their lives. 173 00:09:52,792 --> 00:09:55,795 Anybody? 174 00:10:00,266 --> 00:10:01,033 Go about our day? 175 00:10:01,033 --> 00:10:03,736 We go to work. We live for retirement. 176 00:10:03,736 --> 00:10:06,739 Hopefully it all goes well. 177 00:10:06,973 --> 00:10:07,707 Want to be happy? 178 00:10:07,707 --> 00:10:09,709 We want to be joyful and have a peaceful home. 179 00:10:09,709 --> 00:10:11,410 Want to be successful. 180 00:10:11,410 --> 00:10:14,413 It's normal life and I want to go to heaven. 181 00:10:16,515 --> 00:10:19,018 And all of a sudden, 182 00:10:19,018 --> 00:10:23,522 people of the kingdom have allowed normal life to be normalized in their life. 183 00:10:25,057 --> 00:10:28,060 Just like the days of Noah. 184 00:10:29,862 --> 00:10:31,797 Jesus says 185 00:10:31,797 --> 00:10:35,835 life will look amazingly ordinary 186 00:10:35,835 --> 00:10:38,838 right up until the moment where he shows up. 187 00:10:42,141 --> 00:10:43,576 See the problem 188 00:10:43,576 --> 00:10:46,579 in the days of Noah and in our day with us, 189 00:10:46,579 --> 00:10:50,516 is not that we were eating and enjoying life and married and marriage. 190 00:10:50,549 --> 00:10:51,817 That wasn't the problem. 191 00:10:51,817 --> 00:10:55,221 The problem is that we live life 192 00:10:55,221 --> 00:10:58,224 as if that's all there was. 193 00:10:58,491 --> 00:11:01,260 We should enjoy all the good things that God has given us. 194 00:11:01,260 --> 00:11:05,097 The Bible even says God provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 195 00:11:05,131 --> 00:11:06,732 You should enjoy it. 196 00:11:06,732 --> 00:11:09,802 Just don't live as if that's all there is. 197 00:11:12,271 --> 00:11:15,274 Normal life can't become normalized. 198 00:11:17,243 --> 00:11:18,177 One of the things 199 00:11:18,177 --> 00:11:21,280 I just so desperately want, desire and pray 200 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:25,751 for my for my son so specially is that they don't 201 00:11:25,751 --> 00:11:29,188 grow up given their lives to a job they can't wait to get out of. 202 00:11:31,991 --> 00:11:34,694 To me, that's just miserable. 203 00:11:34,694 --> 00:11:36,962 I'm going to give my life the best years of my life. 204 00:11:36,962 --> 00:11:39,065 My energy, the best my mind. 205 00:11:39,065 --> 00:11:40,399 I'm going to give all of that to a job. 206 00:11:40,399 --> 00:11:43,402 I just cannot wait to quit so I can retire. 207 00:11:43,536 --> 00:11:46,539 To me, that's hell. 208 00:11:46,939 --> 00:11:48,908 I want them to understand 209 00:11:48,908 --> 00:11:54,080 why God made them in the first place, regardless of their like, 210 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:57,983 why did God put you on this earth and pursue that passionately? 211 00:11:58,017 --> 00:12:00,986 Don't allow a normal life to be normalized. 212 00:12:00,986 --> 00:12:04,623 So all you do is the grind, and you work for success, 213 00:12:04,623 --> 00:12:07,460 and you work for your retirement because you think that once you've done it 214 00:12:07,460 --> 00:12:09,829 well, you can retire and relax and then go to heaven. 215 00:12:09,829 --> 00:12:12,331 What a waste. 216 00:12:12,331 --> 00:12:15,267 My dear friend. 217 00:12:15,267 --> 00:12:19,638 And so churches are full of people who call ourselves 218 00:12:19,638 --> 00:12:23,776 disciples, who have allowed normal life to be normalized in their life. 219 00:12:24,810 --> 00:12:27,813 Just like in the days of Noah. 220 00:12:31,550 --> 00:12:33,018 See, the point is this. 221 00:12:33,018 --> 00:12:37,022 Don't get so comfortable with today that you forget Jesus could come back tonight. 222 00:12:46,532 --> 00:12:48,100 I am very grateful. 223 00:12:48,100 --> 00:12:50,603 I look back at our church over 20 winters. 224 00:12:50,603 --> 00:12:54,673 I look back over my life, my marriage, my kids, all God has done. 225 00:12:54,707 --> 00:12:59,945 I look back and God has been so gracious and so abundantly favorable 226 00:12:59,979 --> 00:13:01,680 towards me and awards us. 227 00:13:01,680 --> 00:13:06,786 It blows me away not deserve it of any of his grace. 228 00:13:06,786 --> 00:13:09,789 But as I look back on all of it, 229 00:13:10,756 --> 00:13:14,093 and while I'm grateful for it, I never want to grow complacent 230 00:13:14,093 --> 00:13:17,096 because of it. 231 00:13:17,663 --> 00:13:19,532 And never want to say, God, 232 00:13:19,532 --> 00:13:22,535 you've been so good, I can relax now. 233 00:13:22,668 --> 00:13:25,171 I think for me, 234 00:13:25,171 --> 00:13:28,240 a lot of processing this stuff, 21 years in this church have been fantastic. 235 00:13:28,274 --> 00:13:30,676 I can't imagine stopping this. 236 00:13:31,944 --> 00:13:33,913 I cannot imagine getting 237 00:13:33,913 --> 00:13:37,683 to the point where I retire and coast until I die. 238 00:13:37,850 --> 00:13:40,853 That just sounds so horrible to me. 239 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:45,991 I just I just want to press in and not grow complacent 240 00:13:45,991 --> 00:13:49,228 and not get and not like, drift and not like, hey, I just want to draw. 241 00:13:49,228 --> 00:13:52,932 Like I want to be doing what I'm doing right now until I see Jesus face to face. 242 00:13:52,932 --> 00:13:57,236 Like I don't want normal life to be normalized 243 00:13:57,670 --> 00:14:00,673 at all. 244 00:14:05,611 --> 00:14:09,748 I praise God for all he's done, but I want to be careful that while we celebrate, 245 00:14:09,782 --> 00:14:13,352 we have done in the past, we never settle for what God has done in the past. 246 00:14:14,153 --> 00:14:17,156 There is so much to be done. 247 00:14:17,223 --> 00:14:19,358 There is so much for this church to do. 248 00:14:19,358 --> 00:14:21,360 There's so much for me to do. 249 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:23,462 There's so much for you to do. 250 00:14:24,496 --> 00:14:26,298 I'm grateful for all God's. I'm. 251 00:14:26,298 --> 00:14:27,499 But dad. Gum. 252 00:14:27,499 --> 00:14:30,502 I don't want to settle for what he's done. 253 00:14:32,438 --> 00:14:35,441 The normal life cannot be normalized. 254 00:14:38,143 --> 00:14:41,146 You tracking with me? 255 00:14:43,916 --> 00:14:46,919 Look at verses 4344. 256 00:14:50,623 --> 00:14:53,225 Then two men will be in the field. 257 00:14:53,225 --> 00:14:54,593 One will be taken on one left. 258 00:14:54,593 --> 00:14:56,028 Two women will be grinding at the mill. 259 00:14:56,028 --> 00:14:58,497 One will be taken on one left. 260 00:14:58,497 --> 00:15:01,066 Therefore stay awake. 261 00:15:01,066 --> 00:15:04,136 For you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 262 00:15:06,105 --> 00:15:08,908 But know this, 263 00:15:08,908 --> 00:15:12,077 that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night 264 00:15:12,111 --> 00:15:14,813 the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake 265 00:15:14,813 --> 00:15:17,116 and would not have let his house be broken into. 266 00:15:17,116 --> 00:15:21,353 Therefore, you must also must be ready, for 267 00:15:21,353 --> 00:15:24,356 the Son of Man has come in an hour you do not expect. 268 00:15:26,425 --> 00:15:28,360 He said, listen, 269 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:34,266 you've you've got to stay awake and live ready. 270 00:15:34,833 --> 00:15:39,071 Don't let yourself get lulled into a normalized life 271 00:15:39,838 --> 00:15:42,074 like everybody else. 272 00:15:42,074 --> 00:15:44,143 Stay awake and live. 273 00:15:44,143 --> 00:15:47,379 I told you, he's pushing the disciples because they don't know what's coming. 274 00:15:47,379 --> 00:15:49,915 He dies. 275 00:15:49,915 --> 00:15:50,516 Guess what? 276 00:15:50,516 --> 00:15:52,351 You and I don't know what's coming. 277 00:15:52,351 --> 00:15:55,587 And so Jesus says, listen, don't drift right now. 278 00:15:56,188 --> 00:15:58,791 Stay awake and live. Ready? 279 00:15:58,791 --> 00:16:04,296 This is exactly what Jesus will say in the report card to this church in Sardis, 280 00:16:04,363 --> 00:16:08,100 as recorded for us in revelation chapter three, verses one, two and three. 281 00:16:08,133 --> 00:16:09,068 Look at what he says. 282 00:16:09,068 --> 00:16:10,336 I know your works. 283 00:16:10,336 --> 00:16:14,840 You have the reputation of being alive because you're always at church, 284 00:16:15,441 --> 00:16:17,343 but you're dead. 285 00:16:17,343 --> 00:16:22,214 Wake up and strengthen what remains and is about to die for. 286 00:16:22,214 --> 00:16:24,817 I have not found your worst complete in the sight of my God. 287 00:16:24,817 --> 00:16:27,453 Remember then what you received and heard. 288 00:16:27,453 --> 00:16:29,621 Keep it and repent. 289 00:16:31,790 --> 00:16:34,793 If you will not wake up. 290 00:16:35,194 --> 00:16:39,431 I will come like a thief, and you will not know what our. 291 00:16:39,431 --> 00:16:40,899 I will come against you. 292 00:16:40,899 --> 00:16:43,902 Wake up! 293 00:16:46,872 --> 00:16:50,442 This idea of living a ready life. 294 00:16:52,011 --> 00:16:55,981 It means to live today in such a way that Jesus is 295 00:16:55,981 --> 00:16:59,218 return will not expose the life you wish you never lived. 296 00:17:03,555 --> 00:17:04,990 That's what it means to live. 297 00:17:04,990 --> 00:17:07,426 Ready 298 00:17:07,426 --> 00:17:10,429 to live right now and everyday. 299 00:17:10,429 --> 00:17:12,464 Following 300 00:17:12,464 --> 00:17:15,467 in such a way that when Jesus shows up, you won't. 301 00:17:15,734 --> 00:17:19,071 It won't expose a life that you wish you had never lived. 302 00:17:23,709 --> 00:17:25,978 Wake up. 303 00:17:25,978 --> 00:17:26,512 Live. 304 00:17:26,512 --> 00:17:29,515 Ready? 305 00:17:32,584 --> 00:17:35,154 In this these few verses, 306 00:17:35,154 --> 00:17:40,192 a lot of people get sidetracked with something that I don't think is the point. 307 00:17:40,859 --> 00:17:43,762 They get sidetracked by the words. 308 00:17:43,762 --> 00:17:45,898 Two men will be in the field, one will take, and one left 309 00:17:45,898 --> 00:17:48,200 to one would grind at the mill, one of them taking one left. 310 00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:50,235 I'm like, what's that mean? When is that going to happen? 311 00:17:50,235 --> 00:17:52,438 You're missing the point. 312 00:17:52,438 --> 00:17:56,909 Now, this is often times what was referred to as the rapture. 313 00:17:56,909 --> 00:18:00,813 And I'm going to talk about this next week in the context of one of the parables 314 00:18:00,813 --> 00:18:01,513 Jesus tells. 315 00:18:01,513 --> 00:18:04,516 And it has everything to do with how they did weddings back 316 00:18:04,516 --> 00:18:07,586 in Jesus's day, when the groom comes for his bride. 317 00:18:07,586 --> 00:18:08,821 And so I'm going to talk. 318 00:18:08,821 --> 00:18:11,790 But most people get they miss the main thing here. 319 00:18:12,791 --> 00:18:15,794 The main thing is not the one, and the one 320 00:18:16,628 --> 00:18:17,429 is different. 321 00:18:17,429 --> 00:18:20,432 The main thing. 322 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:24,203 Is that you better wake up. 323 00:18:24,436 --> 00:18:27,439 Now the truth is, we talk a lot about our huddles in this church. 324 00:18:27,473 --> 00:18:29,775 There's 8 to 15 people around our lives 325 00:18:29,775 --> 00:18:32,778 kind of have the the front row of our lives. 326 00:18:33,078 --> 00:18:34,146 Some of them are family. 327 00:18:34,146 --> 00:18:35,881 Some of them are friends, coworkers, like, 328 00:18:35,881 --> 00:18:38,450 they're the ones that we're really connected with. 329 00:18:38,450 --> 00:18:42,154 And the fact is that some people in your huddle, 330 00:18:42,154 --> 00:18:45,691 some people in my huddle, have a very different spiritual reality 331 00:18:45,691 --> 00:18:47,693 and future than what I have, not what you have. 332 00:18:47,693 --> 00:18:50,696 That's the truth. 333 00:18:52,731 --> 00:18:55,934 And if we don't wake up to our role in their lives, 334 00:18:55,934 --> 00:18:58,837 and if they don't wake up to the reality of Christ. Yeah, 335 00:19:00,706 --> 00:19:03,342 Jesus is eternal is going to be very surprising 336 00:19:03,342 --> 00:19:06,345 and very costly. 337 00:19:10,282 --> 00:19:11,783 Listen, 338 00:19:11,783 --> 00:19:15,154 spiritual sleep happens very gradually. 339 00:19:17,256 --> 00:19:20,759 When concerted prayer becomes occasional. 340 00:19:21,493 --> 00:19:25,864 And when the study of Scripture, the deep study of Scripture becomes secondary. 341 00:19:26,431 --> 00:19:31,904 And when obedience becomes delayed and the things of the spirit 342 00:19:31,904 --> 00:19:36,108 and the things of the kingdom, the urgency slowly fades. 343 00:19:37,743 --> 00:19:40,946 There is truth that there are two people in the same office, 344 00:19:40,946 --> 00:19:43,415 two people in the same ball field, two people in the same classroom. 345 00:19:43,415 --> 00:19:45,017 Two people in the same household 346 00:19:45,017 --> 00:19:48,253 have very different spiritual realities, without a doubt. 347 00:19:49,955 --> 00:19:52,858 And the fact that Jesus may return at any moment 348 00:19:52,858 --> 00:19:55,994 ought not ever cause panic, but it ought to create urgency. 349 00:19:58,664 --> 00:19:59,064 Live. 350 00:19:59,064 --> 00:20:02,067 Ready. 351 00:20:02,734 --> 00:20:06,138 My readiness must never become occasional. 352 00:20:06,939 --> 00:20:10,175 Your readiness must never become occasional. 353 00:20:11,677 --> 00:20:14,680 So what Jesus is saying. 354 00:20:15,581 --> 00:20:16,481 Here's the point. 355 00:20:16,481 --> 00:20:17,950 The point is this. 356 00:20:17,950 --> 00:20:20,552 Because you and I don't know how much time we have. 357 00:20:20,552 --> 00:20:23,555 We better not waste the time we have. 358 00:20:24,656 --> 00:20:27,259 And I just wonder how much of the time that we begin 359 00:20:27,259 --> 00:20:30,262 has just been wasted on normal life, 360 00:20:31,263 --> 00:20:34,266 when we've allowed it to be normalized in us? 361 00:20:36,001 --> 00:20:38,971 And Jesus says, wake up. 362 00:20:44,309 --> 00:20:47,312 Quit sleeping on this 363 00:20:47,913 --> 00:20:50,916 repentant and expectant is what he says. 364 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:57,589 Verse 45, 365 00:20:57,589 --> 00:21:01,593 who then is the faithful servant whom his master has said 366 00:21:01,593 --> 00:21:04,863 over his household to give them their food at the proper time? 367 00:21:04,896 --> 00:21:06,331 Blessed is the servant 368 00:21:06,331 --> 00:21:10,736 whom his master will find him doing fine, so doing when he comes. 369 00:21:10,836 --> 00:21:14,573 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 370 00:21:14,573 --> 00:21:15,841 He says, listen. 371 00:21:15,841 --> 00:21:19,511 The point of this is to wake up and be faithful. 372 00:21:21,747 --> 00:21:23,982 Faithfulness can be described in real. 373 00:21:23,982 --> 00:21:26,251 Simply do your job. 374 00:21:26,251 --> 00:21:28,053 Just do your job. 375 00:21:28,053 --> 00:21:29,121 That's what Jesus is saying. 376 00:21:29,121 --> 00:21:30,856 How many of you have ever like 377 00:21:30,856 --> 00:21:33,225 you've been a boss, or you've been in charge of a group, 378 00:21:33,225 --> 00:21:35,394 or a group of people, or a team or something? 379 00:21:35,394 --> 00:21:38,597 And how many times have you just wanted to scream, just do your job. 380 00:21:39,731 --> 00:21:42,734 Anybody do your job? 381 00:21:43,869 --> 00:21:45,237 What? 382 00:21:45,237 --> 00:21:48,240 What don't you understand? 383 00:21:48,907 --> 00:21:50,175 Do your job, quick. 384 00:21:50,175 --> 00:21:51,410 Inside track. 385 00:21:51,410 --> 00:21:52,878 Weren't about anybody else. 386 00:21:52,878 --> 00:21:54,146 Quit trying to do someone else. 387 00:21:54,146 --> 00:21:56,548 Just do your job. 388 00:21:56,548 --> 00:21:57,983 Am I right? 389 00:21:57,983 --> 00:21:59,951 So what Jesus is saying now? 390 00:21:59,951 --> 00:22:01,820 I've been coaching football for over two decades. 391 00:22:01,820 --> 00:22:04,823 You know how many times. 392 00:22:06,258 --> 00:22:08,960 Do your job 393 00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:11,930 you got one job? 394 00:22:12,597 --> 00:22:15,667 Do you know how good a football team is when you just do your job? 395 00:22:19,905 --> 00:22:21,239 And Jesus is saying, 396 00:22:21,239 --> 00:22:24,242 listen, wake up and do your job. 397 00:22:24,943 --> 00:22:25,711 You know what? 398 00:22:25,711 --> 00:22:26,745 I love the fact. 399 00:22:26,745 --> 00:22:28,980 Honestly, God knows us really, really, really well. 400 00:22:28,980 --> 00:22:32,217 He knows he can't give many of us many jobs just to keep it simple. 401 00:22:32,250 --> 00:22:35,220 Got one job. 402 00:22:35,220 --> 00:22:37,389 And I just wonder how many times do you say, 403 00:22:37,389 --> 00:22:41,193 listen, you've allowed normal life to become so normalized in your life. 404 00:22:41,226 --> 00:22:43,662 You're no longer doing your job. 405 00:22:43,662 --> 00:22:47,299 You're just kind of coasting like everybody else in this world. 406 00:22:48,033 --> 00:22:50,802 You've lost your expectancy that I may show up. 407 00:22:50,802 --> 00:22:52,371 Right now. 408 00:22:52,371 --> 00:22:54,439 You're just trying to make it through this world. 409 00:22:54,439 --> 00:22:55,540 So you get to heaven. 410 00:22:55,540 --> 00:22:58,910 One day, you're falling asleep and you've slumbered. 411 00:22:58,944 --> 00:23:01,947 Do your job. 412 00:23:08,086 --> 00:23:10,155 And he says, for those who do their job, 413 00:23:11,857 --> 00:23:14,860 be greatly rewarded. 414 00:23:15,894 --> 00:23:17,028 Those who are faithful, 415 00:23:17,028 --> 00:23:20,098 greatly rewarded, come rule over all my possessions, he says. 416 00:23:20,132 --> 00:23:23,135 In eternity. It's amazing to me. 417 00:23:23,668 --> 00:23:26,938 And his definition of faithfulness 418 00:23:26,972 --> 00:23:29,975 is remarkably simple. 419 00:23:30,909 --> 00:23:32,077 Remarkably simple. 420 00:23:32,077 --> 00:23:35,614 Faithful servant is one who does the job, the master game to do. 421 00:23:35,614 --> 00:23:38,617 That's it. 422 00:23:39,017 --> 00:23:41,586 Faithfulness is not famous. 423 00:23:41,586 --> 00:23:43,955 Faithfulness is not impressive. 424 00:23:43,955 --> 00:23:46,958 Faithfulness is not big. 425 00:23:46,958 --> 00:23:50,195 Faithfulness is just doing what the master has asked. 426 00:23:50,228 --> 00:23:53,231 That's all. 427 00:23:54,466 --> 00:23:55,233 What earns 428 00:23:55,233 --> 00:23:58,503 the master's happiness is not great accomplishment. 429 00:23:58,703 --> 00:24:01,706 It's just consistent faithfulness. 430 00:24:02,674 --> 00:24:05,677 And so the question that you and I have to ask ourselves, 431 00:24:05,710 --> 00:24:09,014 as am I being faithful right now 432 00:24:09,548 --> 00:24:13,151 to the opportunities God has given me with the resources 433 00:24:13,151 --> 00:24:16,655 he has placed in my hands, with the gifts he's given me, with the influence 434 00:24:16,655 --> 00:24:18,023 that he's given me with other people. 435 00:24:18,023 --> 00:24:20,158 Am I being faithful? 436 00:24:24,196 --> 00:24:27,065 These rewards for the faithful. 437 00:24:27,065 --> 00:24:29,267 I'm going to set you over all my possessions. 438 00:24:29,267 --> 00:24:32,904 We have to understand this that there are rewards 439 00:24:32,904 --> 00:24:36,374 in eternity for how we live on earth, not salvation. 440 00:24:36,374 --> 00:24:37,909 Don't misunderstand me. 441 00:24:37,909 --> 00:24:41,313 Salvation is not earned by anything we do. 442 00:24:41,613 --> 00:24:47,419 Salvation is the gift of God because of God's grace that we freely receive, 443 00:24:47,419 --> 00:24:52,190 because it has been costly given and we don't earn it. 444 00:24:52,357 --> 00:24:54,292 It's not a reward, it's a gift. 445 00:24:54,292 --> 00:24:57,562 But once I've received the gift of salvation by faith, 446 00:24:57,562 --> 00:25:01,533 then I live my life in the pursuit 447 00:25:01,533 --> 00:25:04,536 of eternal rewards. 448 00:25:04,669 --> 00:25:06,571 And I want to be in heaven 449 00:25:06,571 --> 00:25:10,976 one day, having lived my entire life until my heart stops on earth 450 00:25:11,343 --> 00:25:17,115 in such a way that my father in heaven tells me, Carl, well done. 451 00:25:18,583 --> 00:25:21,586 I want you to be in charge 452 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:24,756 throughout eternity of certain things. 453 00:25:24,756 --> 00:25:27,759 Can you imagine? 454 00:25:28,693 --> 00:25:31,696 And he says, those who are faithful will be. 455 00:25:32,464 --> 00:25:34,900 Here's the point. 456 00:25:34,900 --> 00:25:37,903 Discover what Jesus asks if you and do it 457 00:25:38,970 --> 00:25:39,437 the same. 458 00:25:39,437 --> 00:25:42,374 Rocket science. 459 00:25:42,374 --> 00:25:44,509 What has Jesus asked of you now? 460 00:25:44,509 --> 00:25:45,210 Do it! 461 00:25:45,210 --> 00:25:46,077 He's giving you 462 00:25:46,077 --> 00:25:49,381 certain gifts and talents and abilities and resources and influence. 463 00:25:49,381 --> 00:25:52,717 Use those things for the expansion of the Kingdom of God. 464 00:25:52,751 --> 00:25:56,621 Do your job now. 465 00:25:56,655 --> 00:25:58,823 We want to help you do your job. 466 00:25:58,823 --> 00:26:01,826 And so we've created this flip side flow. 467 00:26:01,826 --> 00:26:06,031 And the first step of that flow is just belonging to the family of God. 468 00:26:06,031 --> 00:26:09,301 Not because you've earned it, because he's good and merciful 469 00:26:09,301 --> 00:26:12,938 and has paid the price for you to be a part of the family of God. 470 00:26:12,971 --> 00:26:15,540 So be adopted into his family. 471 00:26:15,540 --> 00:26:19,210 And once you're adopted in, then you begin to become 472 00:26:21,112 --> 00:26:22,480 more like Christ. 473 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:25,450 It's the work of sanctification, 474 00:26:25,550 --> 00:26:29,721 and there are things that we do that help us become more like Christ. 475 00:26:29,721 --> 00:26:32,624 This is the 201 class that we just talked last week. 476 00:26:32,624 --> 00:26:36,194 And as you learn how to become more like Christ than you 477 00:26:36,194 --> 00:26:39,731 learn how to keep doing your one job, and you learn how to give 478 00:26:39,798 --> 00:26:43,935 not just of your finances, but of your life, your energy, the skills 479 00:26:43,935 --> 00:26:46,905 and abilities, the spiritual gifts that he's gifted you with. 480 00:26:46,905 --> 00:26:48,440 That's it's our 301 class. 481 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:52,477 We want to help you understand how you have been been 482 00:26:52,477 --> 00:26:55,480 lavished upon, so you can give back to the Kingdom of God. 483 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:58,483 And then we want to help you go. 484 00:26:58,516 --> 00:26:59,718 Not not. 485 00:26:59,718 --> 00:27:01,920 I mean, you're welcome to go with me to all these other countries. 486 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:03,822 I'd love to have your company with me, 487 00:27:03,822 --> 00:27:06,825 but at least go across the street and across the hallway 488 00:27:07,459 --> 00:27:10,428 and help people understand who this God is that loves them. 489 00:27:10,428 --> 00:27:13,531 And I'm going to teach a 401 class to teach you very easily 490 00:27:13,531 --> 00:27:14,866 how to share your faith. 491 00:27:17,335 --> 00:27:18,570 To discover what 492 00:27:18,570 --> 00:27:21,573 Jesus asks you to do, and then do it. 493 00:27:24,909 --> 00:27:27,912 That's what Jesus said. 494 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:31,483 Look at verse 48. 495 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:37,389 But if that wicked 496 00:27:37,389 --> 00:27:41,092 servant says to himself, my master's delaying coming back. 497 00:27:41,393 --> 00:27:42,827 Anytime soon. 498 00:27:42,827 --> 00:27:45,430 Now, how long he's been gone? 499 00:27:45,430 --> 00:27:48,433 Why would I expect him to come back today? 500 00:27:52,937 --> 00:27:55,907 The wicked servant says he's not coming back right now. 501 00:27:55,907 --> 00:27:58,343 Don't worry about it. 502 00:27:58,343 --> 00:28:01,346 Live your life. 503 00:28:01,379 --> 00:28:04,382 Do what you do. 504 00:28:05,984 --> 00:28:07,452 As long as you get there in the end. 505 00:28:07,452 --> 00:28:09,754 That's really what this is about. 506 00:28:09,754 --> 00:28:12,757 The wicked servant. 507 00:28:13,291 --> 00:28:16,294 There's no urgency. 508 00:28:22,701 --> 00:28:25,970 And because of that attitude, he begins to beat his fellow servants. 509 00:28:25,970 --> 00:28:27,372 He eats and drinks with the drunkards. 510 00:28:27,372 --> 00:28:29,240 The master of that servant will come on a day 511 00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:30,875 when he does not expect him in an hour. 512 00:28:30,875 --> 00:28:32,110 He does not know, 513 00:28:32,110 --> 00:28:35,413 and will cut him in pieces, and put him with the hypocrites in that place, 514 00:28:35,413 --> 00:28:36,981 so they'll be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 515 00:28:36,981 --> 00:28:39,751 Oh my goodness! 516 00:28:42,420 --> 00:28:45,423 Jesus ain't playing. 517 00:28:45,824 --> 00:28:47,826 And some of us have lived our lives 518 00:28:47,826 --> 00:28:50,829 as if he is. 519 00:28:56,735 --> 00:28:58,636 Never let God's delay 520 00:28:58,636 --> 00:29:01,639 become an excuse for your complacency. 521 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:11,282 Both of these servants are rewarded 522 00:29:11,282 --> 00:29:14,252 the faithful. 523 00:29:14,586 --> 00:29:17,222 With authority and blessing 524 00:29:17,222 --> 00:29:20,225 the unfaithful. 525 00:29:22,594 --> 00:29:23,661 With beating and 526 00:29:23,661 --> 00:29:26,664 being thrown out where they'll be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 527 00:29:26,998 --> 00:29:31,836 We've talked about this before and that final day weeping and gnashing of teeth. 528 00:29:31,836 --> 00:29:35,306 There will be some who will realize 529 00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:38,443 the folly of their life. 530 00:29:38,743 --> 00:29:42,313 When a normal life was normalized, they cared nothing of the kingdom of God. 531 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:44,682 They rejected his rule over their life. 532 00:29:44,682 --> 00:29:49,921 And they'll realize the folly of that, and they will weep with great tears. 533 00:29:49,921 --> 00:29:51,556 Oh, God, please. 534 00:29:51,556 --> 00:29:54,092 And it'll be too late. 535 00:29:54,092 --> 00:29:57,662 And there's others whose hearts are so hard that even on that day, 536 00:29:57,662 --> 00:30:02,300 when forced to realize the reality of who Christ is and the rejection of him 537 00:30:02,333 --> 00:30:06,104 will still, in demonic anger, say, how dare you think you can. 538 00:30:06,104 --> 00:30:07,172 Condemn me? 539 00:30:08,273 --> 00:30:11,276 Can you imagine? 540 00:30:13,478 --> 00:30:14,913 Jesus uses a pretty strong word. 541 00:30:14,913 --> 00:30:16,681 You're cut to pieces. Are you kidding me? 542 00:30:16,681 --> 00:30:22,153 What we best can understand from that cut to pieces by being whipped incessantly 543 00:30:22,153 --> 00:30:25,156 and thrown out with the hypocrites who are the hypocrites? 544 00:30:26,424 --> 00:30:29,194 Do you remember 545 00:30:29,194 --> 00:30:33,398 the scribes and Pharisees, those who thought they were right 546 00:30:33,398 --> 00:30:36,601 with God because of their religion had no relationship with him? 547 00:30:37,302 --> 00:30:38,870 The scribes and the Pharisee in the wicked. 548 00:30:38,870 --> 00:30:41,139 The lazy. 549 00:30:41,139 --> 00:30:44,142 Same result. 550 00:30:46,477 --> 00:30:47,879 You know, it's so interesting, 551 00:30:47,879 --> 00:30:51,783 I think, back over this church in the early days, so dependent 552 00:30:51,816 --> 00:30:56,221 upon God's hand and protection and favor and blessing, so dependent. 553 00:30:56,254 --> 00:30:57,622 I felt the same when I got married. 554 00:30:57,622 --> 00:30:58,823 I'm like, God, I was this 555 00:30:58,823 --> 00:31:00,825 if this thing is going to work, you've got to intervene here. 556 00:31:00,825 --> 00:31:03,995 You know, it's just like, same thing with raising kids, like, I can't do this. 557 00:31:03,995 --> 00:31:06,898 These kids are just like, you start a business. 558 00:31:06,898 --> 00:31:09,667 It's the same way. Like in every you start adultery. 559 00:31:09,667 --> 00:31:10,435 It's the same way. 560 00:31:10,435 --> 00:31:12,070 Like there's so much dependance. God, please. 561 00:31:12,070 --> 00:31:14,439 And then what happens is God responds. 562 00:31:15,673 --> 00:31:17,475 And because God responds and 563 00:31:17,475 --> 00:31:20,478 things have become normalized. 564 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:25,283 We drift 565 00:31:25,283 --> 00:31:27,518 and we stop living with incredibly dependance 566 00:31:27,518 --> 00:31:30,521 upon God. 567 00:31:32,056 --> 00:31:33,625 See, there are two primary lies. 568 00:31:33,625 --> 00:31:36,427 The devil is going to tell every one of us. 569 00:31:36,427 --> 00:31:39,330 He's going to tell this lie to those who haven't accepted Jesus as their Savior. 570 00:31:39,330 --> 00:31:42,467 And what is the lie he's going to tell them is this there is no God. 571 00:31:44,035 --> 00:31:45,236 You're the ruler of your own life. 572 00:31:45,236 --> 00:31:47,705 Do what you want. It's your life. 573 00:31:47,705 --> 00:31:50,708 The only way I tell you any different. 574 00:31:52,076 --> 00:31:53,344 Once you come to faith, 575 00:31:53,344 --> 00:31:56,581 the light changes because you know there is a God. 576 00:31:56,581 --> 00:31:57,348 So the lie isn't. 577 00:31:57,348 --> 00:31:58,716 There is no god. Now the lie is. 578 00:31:58,716 --> 00:32:01,452 There is no hurry. 579 00:32:01,452 --> 00:32:04,455 There's no urgency. 580 00:32:07,158 --> 00:32:10,295 God wants to bless you and be comfortable and enjoy life and go to heaven. 581 00:32:10,295 --> 00:32:12,196 There's no hurry with this other stuff. 582 00:32:12,196 --> 00:32:13,831 That's a lie from the devil. 583 00:32:15,333 --> 00:32:16,467 And so many of us 584 00:32:16,467 --> 00:32:19,470 disciples have believed it. 585 00:32:22,173 --> 00:32:25,176 Live ready. 586 00:32:26,277 --> 00:32:27,412 And readiness 587 00:32:27,412 --> 00:32:30,782 will always be seen in how we live in this world. 588 00:32:30,782 --> 00:32:33,785 If we live ready or not. 589 00:32:37,422 --> 00:32:39,424 The doctrine of the return of Christ 590 00:32:39,424 --> 00:32:43,661 is the foundational doctrine that undergirds all of Scripture, 591 00:32:45,430 --> 00:32:46,698 and the doctrine 592 00:32:46,698 --> 00:32:51,002 of the return of Christ changes everything about how we live right now. 593 00:32:52,337 --> 00:32:55,340 If we understand it, it changes everything. 594 00:32:56,307 --> 00:32:58,576 If you knew 595 00:32:58,576 --> 00:33:01,579 that Jesus was coming back tomorrow, 596 00:33:03,381 --> 00:33:06,384 would you speak differently today? 597 00:33:06,751 --> 00:33:10,855 If you knew that Jesus was coming back tomorrow, 598 00:33:11,389 --> 00:33:15,093 would you treat people differently today 599 00:33:15,827 --> 00:33:20,098 if you knew that Jesus was coming back tomorrow? 600 00:33:20,131 --> 00:33:24,302 What would you stop doing right now if you knew 601 00:33:24,335 --> 00:33:25,770 Jesus was coming back tomorrow? 602 00:33:25,770 --> 00:33:29,540 What would you start doing right now if you knew that 603 00:33:29,540 --> 00:33:31,042 Jesus was coming back tomorrow? 604 00:33:31,042 --> 00:33:34,612 How would you start giving right now if you knew 605 00:33:34,612 --> 00:33:35,980 Jesus was coming back tomorrow? 606 00:33:35,980 --> 00:33:38,549 How would you start serving right now 607 00:33:39,517 --> 00:33:42,520 if you knew he's coming back tomorrow? 608 00:33:43,821 --> 00:33:46,824 And so many of us. 609 00:33:49,227 --> 00:33:52,997 Have lulled ourselves into sleep and slumber 610 00:33:53,031 --> 00:33:56,401 because we don't live with the expectancy of his return. 611 00:33:56,401 --> 00:33:59,370 So we live in normalized life. 612 00:34:09,580 --> 00:34:12,116 Never allow God's blessing or his delay 613 00:34:12,116 --> 00:34:15,119 to make you comfortable or apathetic. 614 00:34:18,389 --> 00:34:21,392 Get ready. 615 00:34:21,759 --> 00:34:24,095 What does the way you and I live 616 00:34:24,095 --> 00:34:27,098 say about our readiness for his return? 617 00:34:30,101 --> 00:34:32,437 If you knew he was coming back tomorrow, what would change right now? 618 00:34:32,437 --> 00:34:35,440 What does that say about our readiness? 619 00:34:44,982 --> 00:34:46,417 If you know what 620 00:34:46,417 --> 00:34:49,987 Jesus has asked you to do and you're doing it, rejoice. 621 00:34:51,589 --> 00:34:54,225 Celebrate that. 622 00:34:54,225 --> 00:34:57,628 Take great joy and pleasure in that because you know 623 00:34:58,229 --> 00:35:01,399 that you will enjoy his pleasure over you. 624 00:35:01,399 --> 00:35:03,668 If you know what he's asked you to do and you're doing it, 625 00:35:03,668 --> 00:35:05,670 man, put a smile on your face. 626 00:35:05,670 --> 00:35:08,306 That's good. Good for you. 627 00:35:08,306 --> 00:35:09,574 Keep doing it. 628 00:35:13,678 --> 00:35:14,412 Okay, well, maybe 629 00:35:14,412 --> 00:35:17,415 we're part of the other group, then. 630 00:35:21,819 --> 00:35:24,822 If you're not doing what God has asked you to do, 631 00:35:25,356 --> 00:35:28,359 you're not ready to repent. 632 00:35:29,160 --> 00:35:32,163 Repent. 633 00:35:34,332 --> 00:35:35,500 And live. 634 00:35:35,500 --> 00:35:36,000 Ready. 635 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:39,003 From this day forward. 636 00:35:41,038 --> 00:35:45,443 No more excuses and no more delay. 637 00:35:49,614 --> 00:35:52,183 One day your career is going to end. 638 00:35:52,183 --> 00:35:55,186 And nobody's going to remember a thing you did. 639 00:35:58,589 --> 00:36:01,259 One day, all your possessions that you've accumulated 640 00:36:01,259 --> 00:36:04,262 are going to pass on to somebody else. 641 00:36:06,464 --> 00:36:08,866 One day, everything that you've worked for in 642 00:36:08,866 --> 00:36:11,869 life is going to be gone. 643 00:36:13,337 --> 00:36:14,305 One day. 644 00:36:14,305 --> 00:36:17,308 Nobody else will ever remember you or talk about you. 645 00:36:20,578 --> 00:36:24,348 But your faithfulness will matter forever. 646 00:36:28,219 --> 00:36:31,222 Get ready. 647 00:36:32,256 --> 00:36:33,891 Be vigilant 648 00:36:33,891 --> 00:36:36,894 about doing what God put you on this earth to do. 649 00:36:42,433 --> 00:36:44,335 Live to hear these words one day. 650 00:36:44,335 --> 00:36:48,739 Well done, my good and ready servant. 651 00:36:50,041 --> 00:36:53,010 Come and share your master's happiness. 652 00:36:56,214 --> 00:36:59,217 Right? 653 00:36:59,550 --> 00:37:02,553 Wake up and get ready. 654 00:37:05,122 --> 00:37:08,092 I want you to pray with me. 655 00:37:09,560 --> 00:37:12,363 Father, thank you that you love us 656 00:37:12,363 --> 00:37:14,665 and that your love for us doesn't change 657 00:37:14,665 --> 00:37:17,668 based on how ready or not we are. 658 00:37:18,269 --> 00:37:21,272 But I thank you that you love us enough 659 00:37:21,372 --> 00:37:24,375 to caution us to get ready. 660 00:37:25,276 --> 00:37:28,279 None of us want to be surprised. 661 00:37:28,546 --> 00:37:31,549 None of us want to live a life 662 00:37:31,882 --> 00:37:33,384 that we wish we would have never lived. 663 00:37:33,384 --> 00:37:36,387 If you showed up right now, we don't want that. 664 00:37:38,723 --> 00:37:39,257 So, father, 665 00:37:39,257 --> 00:37:42,260 by the power of your spirit, I pray your conviction would fall. 666 00:37:43,394 --> 00:37:47,064 Convict us where conviction is needed. 667 00:37:47,265 --> 00:37:49,867 Some of us, man. 668 00:37:49,867 --> 00:37:52,870 Our lives are so normal. 669 00:37:53,671 --> 00:37:55,873 We've allowed a normal life to become normalized in us. 670 00:37:55,873 --> 00:37:57,141 Forgive us. Father. 671 00:38:00,778 --> 00:38:03,681 I pray your conviction will fall by the power of your Holy Spirit. 672 00:38:03,681 --> 00:38:06,984 Not for our shame, but for our repentance. 673 00:38:08,452 --> 00:38:11,455 And then as we repent 674 00:38:11,589 --> 00:38:15,059 and wake up and ready ourselves, 675 00:38:15,059 --> 00:38:18,896 that you would allow us all that your grace is capable of. 676 00:38:20,731 --> 00:38:22,033 And so, my dear friends, 677 00:38:22,033 --> 00:38:25,236 please, in this moment, would you just agree? 678 00:38:25,469 --> 00:38:27,238 If this is you, would you disagree with God? 679 00:38:27,238 --> 00:38:29,740 God, I'm sorry 680 00:38:29,740 --> 00:38:32,243 because I've allowed myself to slumber 681 00:38:32,243 --> 00:38:35,212 and sleep in my own sin. 682 00:38:38,015 --> 00:38:41,018 Wake me up. 683 00:38:41,819 --> 00:38:44,021 I confess that I'm far from 684 00:38:44,021 --> 00:38:47,024 you and I repent of my sin. 685 00:38:47,091 --> 00:38:52,563 Jesus, I accept what you've done on the cross so that I can be forgiven. 686 00:38:52,596 --> 00:38:55,599 Thank you for that. 687 00:38:57,001 --> 00:39:01,472 Today I reject my sin and I turn from it 688 00:39:03,441 --> 00:39:06,177 and I pledge my allegiance 689 00:39:06,177 --> 00:39:11,182 to you, Christ and your kingdom, without delay, 690 00:39:11,549 --> 00:39:15,152 without excuse and without hesitation. 691 00:39:15,152 --> 00:39:20,391 And then ask him, say, God, I cannot do this in my own power. 692 00:39:20,691 --> 00:39:23,828 So clothe me with the power of your spirit 693 00:39:24,595 --> 00:39:29,667 that will enable me to live a holy life and an obedient life 694 00:39:30,634 --> 00:39:33,637 and a life of righteousness. 695 00:39:35,439 --> 00:39:37,308 God, you you know our weaknesses. 696 00:39:37,308 --> 00:39:39,276 You know our failings. 697 00:39:39,276 --> 00:39:41,746 Thank you that your mercy is new for us every morning, 698 00:39:41,746 --> 00:39:45,950 and that the power of your spirit is available to us to allow, to enable us 699 00:39:45,950 --> 00:39:48,953 to live a holy, ready life. 700 00:39:50,054 --> 00:39:53,057 So we repent 701 00:39:53,057 --> 00:39:55,159 and we give ourselves to you. 702 00:39:55,159 --> 00:39:57,228 Make us new people. 703 00:39:57,228 --> 00:39:59,397 In your name I pray. Amen. 704 00:39:59,397 --> 00:40:01,799 Friends, listen, I love you. 705 00:40:01,799 --> 00:40:03,634 I'm proud of you. 706 00:40:03,634 --> 00:40:05,302 Some of you need to repent. 707 00:40:05,302 --> 00:40:08,272 Some of you have done that internally. Good. 708 00:40:08,272 --> 00:40:11,275 Live in that place of repentance. 709 00:40:11,542 --> 00:40:14,211 But some of you need to solidify that 710 00:40:14,211 --> 00:40:17,782 with praying with somebody just to confess it. 711 00:40:17,782 --> 00:40:21,318 Because right now it's personal, but it's not powerful yet. 712 00:40:21,352 --> 00:40:24,321 And sometimes the confession with somebody 713 00:40:24,355 --> 00:40:27,358 praying with somebody makes what is personal powerful. 714 00:40:27,691 --> 00:40:32,263 And so some of you, whether we're up here or back there during this song 715 00:40:32,263 --> 00:40:37,668 or after the service, would you just stay and let's approach God together and agree 716 00:40:37,668 --> 00:40:39,703 together with this internal transformation 717 00:40:39,703 --> 00:40:42,072 that God will do and Washington is doing in your life? 718 00:40:42,072 --> 00:40:44,542 Don't walk out without doing that. 719 00:40:44,542 --> 00:40:45,876 Don't walk out without doing that. 720 00:40:47,278 --> 00:40:49,513 Some of you need to jump into this flip side flow. 721 00:40:49,513 --> 00:40:50,581 You need to go through 301 722 00:40:50,581 --> 00:40:54,752 to 401 to become the person God made you to be, so that you're on task 723 00:40:54,752 --> 00:40:58,122 and on mission with him in this world and you quit sleeping on your job. 724 00:40:59,824 --> 00:41:03,394 If we can help in any way, get you into that flow, stop by the Welcome Center. 725 00:41:03,394 --> 00:41:05,830 Let us know I love you, I'm proud of you. 726 00:41:05,830 --> 00:41:09,433 We're going to press into this next week, and it's going to be if this. 727 00:41:09,867 --> 00:41:11,702 I want you to be encouraged. 728 00:41:11,702 --> 00:41:14,271 It's a tough message. I want you to be encouraged. 729 00:41:14,271 --> 00:41:15,306 So put a smile on your face. 730 00:41:15,306 --> 00:41:17,842 At least act. Encourage right now. 731 00:41:17,842 --> 00:41:19,176 We're going to stand up and sing. 732 00:41:19,176 --> 00:41:23,113 And we're going to wrap up this whole Tuesday next week in Matthew 25. 733 00:41:23,113 --> 00:41:24,348 Stand up listening together.