Be Ready

 

Scripture Text

Luke 12:35-40

Intro: Jesus warns those who are only concerned about material things and have no time for the Lord. In these scriptures before us today Jesus has a strong warning for all Christians today. Jesus says to be ready for His return. We are to be found faithfully living and serving Jesus and looking for His return.

The reasons we should Be watching and ready. (v.35-40)

I. Because the Lord is returning. Luke 12:35-36 (NKJV) ³⁵  "Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; ³⁶  and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. The believer is to be in a state of readiness. We are to always to be prepared, always watching and waiting for our Lord's return. The attitude of the believer to the return of Christ is to be one of the readiness, having "the loins... girded" -- doing all we can for Him, and living in expectation of His return. In biblical days, men servants would wear robes. When they needed to serve in work they would tuck their robes in the belt. Faithful servants would stay awake with the lamps burning while waiting for their master’s return from the wedding feast. They were dressed so that they can do service for him at all times. No matter how late the master may come, the servants are prepared to open the door immediately upon his arrival. In the same way, God’s people must be awaiting his arrival so they too can welcome Him the moment he arrives. Servants who are faithfully serving, ready and waiting for the master’s arrival will be eternally rewarded by Him.

II. Because you shall be served by Christ Himself. Luke 12:37 (NKJV) Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. We are to stay ready because we will be served by Christ Himself at the marriage supper of the Lamb. This is a most precious and wonderful promise. It's a most unusual promise. Imagine the Lord of the universe serving us at a banquet, yet it is the promise made by Jesus! Why would such a promise be made to the believer? Jesus promises to take any person who honors and serves Him and elevate that person to the highest of positions. Any person who honors Jesus will be highly honored by God. He will put upon a person a very high honor and dignity, and satisfy them with a fullness of happiness and glory, and they shall rest for ever. The person who honors Jesus is adopted as a child of God's, and that person becomes a brother and joint heir with Christ and an heir of God.

III. Because you shall be blessed. Luke 12:38 (NKJV) And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
We believers are to stay ready because we will be blessed if we are living for the Lord, serving Him and awaiting His arrival. The word "blessed" means to pronounce a person happy, fortunate or to be envied. The idea is that Christ is going to make the believer happy and blessed. The night was divided into three watches by the Jews. First, second, and third. (Sunset -10:00 p:m), (10:00 p:m-2:00 a:m), (2:00 a:m-sunrise). The point is the importance of being ready: the hour of His return is unknown, but He is returning. It may be very soon; it may be later. The idea is that no one knows the time, but be ready—be prepared—if you wish to be blessed.
Happiness and blessedness will become an eternal state of being, it will be the constant experience of the believer who is waiting and prepared for the Master's return.

IV. Because Christ shall come suddenly, unexpectedly. Luke 12:39 (NKJV) But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Jesus' return is going to be unexpected. The burglar always comes in an unexpected hour, so we must watch and be prepared as much as a homeowner would watch and prepare if he knew a burglar was coming. The believer must not be careless: get tired of serving and waiting, be caught off guard, slip into sin, and begin to disbelieve. We must watch, be spiritually awake, listen, look, and take notice of all distractions.

V. Because Christ shall come when least expected. Luke 12:40 (NKJV) Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." The believer is to stay ready since Christ will come when least expected. Jesus could not have stated it any clearer; He could not have spoken any plainer. " He is Coming at an hour you do not expect.” Jesus warns us “Therefore you also be ready!" The bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:2 (NKJV) For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.

Conclusion: Christ’s return at an unexpected time is not a trick by which God hopes to catch his people off guard. In fact, Jesus is delaying his return so that more people will have the opportunity to know him and serve Him. Before Christ’s return, we believers must be busy living out our beliefs and reflecting Jesus’ love to others. We have time to bring more people with us into the Kingdom. We are to keep on for Christ as long as we have the health and strength to do it. Luke 12:43-44 ⁴³  Blessed (happy, fortunate and to be envied) is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. ⁴⁴  Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.

Invitation: Are you ready for His return? Have you confessed your sins to Jesus and asked Him to forgive you? If not, right now is the time. If you have been saved, are you living for Christ and are you serving Him in some way? Are you telling others about Jesus and His desire to save them?