ARE YOU READY? | Luke 12:35-40 | SHINE THOMAS | CITY HARVEST AG CHURCH

[Music] praise Lord is such a joy to bring God's Word healed this morning let's open our Bibles to the Gospel according to Luke chapter 12 well we have been studying the Gospel of Luke for some time and chapter 12 is a passage that comes in the travelin passage of Jesus Christ Jesus is traveling from Galilee all the way to Jerusalem to end on the cross of Calvary and in the process Luke has arranged the teachings of Jesus and Luke wants us to know in this passage the teachings of discipleship Jesus is actually teaching his disciples on discipleship and what does Jesus still over here in Chapter 12 in the beginning Jesus talked about beware of the east of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy he's telling if you want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ we need to beware of a hypocritical lifestyle God wants us to be true Christians in every realm of our life so put out hypocrisy and the next thing Jesus is addressing his disciples is the issue of greed God against greed all kinds of greed if you are a kingdom minded person your focus should be on the Eternity rather than accumulating things in this world and Jesus is giving an example of a rich fool who collected a lot of things and Jesus is telling him who knows you fool if tonight your life is taken from you and God against greed and God wants us to understand that when we are the children of God we need to be generous through this teaching Jesus is teaching us and then Jesus is talking about a very profound teaching that to the people of the world to God against worry do not worry about anything don't worry about what you will eat and what you will drink because my god cares for you and even is this morning if you are going through any worry Jesus is asking us not to worry so three aspects Jesus has taught his disciples one is God against hypocrisy secondly God against every kind of greed and thirdly Jesus addressed his disciples do not worry do not be afraid I will take care of you you don't have to be anxious you don't have to worry you don't have to be afraid of anything we have a God who will take care of us and now Jesus is going to another teaching he's talking about watchfulness in light of his return into this world be watchful come on open your Bibles with me to Luke chapter 12 verse 35 to 40 Luke chapter 12 verse 35 to 40 watchfulness is the title over there be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning like servants waiting for the master to return from a wedding banquet so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him it will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes truly I tell you he will be dressed himself to serve you will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them it will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready even if he comes in the middle of the night or towards daybreak but understand this if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming he would not have let his house be broken into you also must be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him may God add is blessing to the reading of his holy scripture Jesus in this passage talks about his return back into this world and our requirements what are we to do in light of the return of Jesus Christ I've seen many people ask me a question in light of the ongoing coronavirus posture it doesn't mean that Jesus is going to come now is it the end times that we are living in is Jesus coming back again at all I want to tell you Jesus is coming back again into this world for sure remember when Jesus was taken into heaven in Acts chapter 1 do you remember the two men came and stood beside Jesus as the disciples were looking up into the sky as Jesus was taken up and what did the two men say in Acts chapter one and this was eleven men of Galilee they said why do you stand here looking into the sky this same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will come back the same way you have seen him go into heaven so in other words the Bible says it very clearly again and again Jesus who has selected from the grave ascended to God the Father will come back again at the appointed time into this world so when you ask me whether Jesus will come I want to tell you that Jesus will surely come when is Jesus coming I don't have an answer for that because that has been the expectation of the Saints from the very beginning of time from the time Jesus ascended to God the Father the sayings of God has been expecting the return of Jesus Christ and nobody knows the time we are not to speculate any times but we need to be ready for the coming of Jesus Jesus is coming for sure but we do not know when exactly he is coming so some people ask what are the signs of the coming of Jesus Christ and I've seen a lot of people go out of the way and get into the history of what is happening the plagues and the world war and the different political powers and they say this is connecting to this part of the scripture that means the signs of the coming of Jesus is fulfilled but if you really read the Bible in its context the coming of Jesus is a sign 'less even there are no signs that as mentioned for clear that this is a sign that Jesus is coming we need to be prepared at all times for the coming of Jesus Christ Jesus is coming for sure so we are not to look around for signs we have to look into our own lives and make sure that we are ready we are prepared we are watchful and we doing our work for anytime for Jesus to return and take us to be with Jesus Christ so what is your part what is my part since Jesus is coming the one part that you and I can do is to be ready since Jesus is coming back again in this passage Luke is giving us some analogies from the teachings of Jesus to tell us what should be our preparedness some metaphors for us to understand our preparedness so analogies of readiness that's the heading analogies of readiness Luke chapter 12 verse 35 be dressed ready for service if you clearly will see this passage Luke is presenting us four metaphors to show our preparedness for the coming of Jesus Christ and the first metaphor is dressed ready for service be dressed ready for service in other words readiness on our part we need to be ready for the coming of Jesus Christ if you have to go somewhere you cannot go in your house dresses we need to put on a dress that is according to the occasion likewise since Jesus is coming back again we need to be ready blessed with readiness for the coming of Jesus Christ in the olden days they then never had designer clothes like you and I have people wore long ropes it had an opening in the neck and an opening in the hands and they just got into those ropes if they had to do some tasks which was tough or if they had to run with that dress it was very difficult so what would they do they would take a belt or a sash and tie up the dress they will take the loose ends from the bottom and tie it up with the sash so that they are ready for action they are ready to travel when the time is needed and Luke through Jesus words is giving us this metaphor that you and I need to be ready at all times for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and it also shows to an Old Testament picture of readiness there are many places in the Old Testament this phrase is used in taking the loose ends of your clothes and running and being ready in first Kings chapter 18 verse 46 the power of the Lord came on an Elijah and tucking his cloak into his belt he ran ahead of a hob all the way to Jezreel so in other words in olden days when they are ready for action they will tuck their cloak in their belt and they would run again Elijah in 2nd Kings chapter 4 verse 29 Elijah said to Jesse tuck your cloak into your belt take my stuff in your hand and run in other words when you are ready for a task you clothe yourself accordingly you get ready accordingly and when you are ready for the coming of the Lord be ready in your clothing be dressed for the occasion of the coming of Jesus Christ amen and what a picture do you find in the Old Testament when we talk about tucking your clothes in and getting ready it reminds me of Exodus for 400 years the children of Israel had been in bondage they had been in slavery in the land of Egypt and God said today a night is going to be the night that you are going to be delivered so you need to be ready for the travel into the Promised Land Exodus chapter 12 verse 11 this is how you are to eat it with your cloak tucked into your belt your sandals on your feet and your stuff in your hand eat in haste it is the Lord's Passover what is a lot saying here to the children of Israel God is telling that you are going to your promised land so tonight you do not know the time but I know the time what you need to do you need to be prepared for the promise prepared for the time where you can learn the land of bondage and walk into the Promised Land hallelujah and that's the analogy that's the metaphor that Jesus is using over here if you are a child of God you need to be ready anytime for the coming of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the Roman thinking no they also when they were ready for action they had the usage of this belt that's why when Paul is writing about Christian uh warfare or an armor of a Christian he is talking about the belt of truth he is looking at a Roman soldier and he's seeing just like a Roman soldier is ready for action with his belt a Christian has to be ready for the coming of Jesus Christ with a belt of truth and then Peter talks about readiness in 1st Peter chapter 1 and is verse 13 therefore with your minds that are alert and fully sober in other words in the original meaning it is talking about gridding your minds in other words take control over your mind take control over your actions so that you and I are ready for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ first Peter chapter 1 verse 13 therefore with the minds that are alert and fully sober set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming so there is a preparation that is needed and Jesus is telling you know be dressed and ready for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ it is a metaphor for spiritual readiness are you ready spiritually friends we are looking at the news and people are getting panicked and people are getting afraid but are you losing sight of the coming of Jesus be ready be spiritually ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour that we are unaware of so we need to be ready for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ moving forward look at the second metaphor keep your lamps burning first is be cloaked and be ready secondly keep your lamps burning in other words be watchful Luke chapter 12 verse 35 be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning it is not the time to move in darkness any longer it is the time to move in the light of God it is a time to be prepared and to be watchful for the coming of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ amen be alert be aware be watchful have everything ready for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ keep your lamps burning do you remember in Matthew chapter 25 Jesus told the parable of the ten virgins there were the bridesmaids and waiting for the bridegroom to come and they waited and they waited and they waited but five of the Virgin's oil was over they were not ready finally when the bridegroom came only five was taken and five was left out why because the lamps were not burning in other words we need to be watchful we need to have our lamps burning our lives burning with passion and anticipation for the coming of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ this is a metaphor for lack of preparation the five urgence were prepared five urgence were not prepared and the lamps were not burning and this is a metaphor God wants us to be prepared for the coming of Jesus be watchful be prepared for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ this is also a metaphor for the lack of prayer lack of prayer how do we build our watchfulness by praying in the presence of God how is our prayer life friends are you more concerned about the news or are you more spending time on your knees crying out to God these days for a hand of healing upon this world God is telling be watchful in prayer in the Gospel of Luke the disciples occasionally slept when they were supposed to be watchful and praying and watchfulness is also mocked by prayer and this is a time for the church to be watchful and pray in the presence of God amen Paul said in Romans chapter 13 was 11 to 14 and do this understanding the present time the hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed the night is nearly over the day is almost here the day of the coming of the Lord is almost here so let us put the side beats of darkness and put on the armor of light it's the time to be watchful about our life three ways of watchfulness be watchful and be prepared be watchful in prayer and thirdly be watchful and be prepared by putting on the deeds of darkness and putting on the deeds of the light of God in the light of the coming of Jesus Christ Romans chapter 13 verse 13 onwards let us behave decently as in the daytime not in carousing and drunkenness not in sexual immorality and debauchery not in dissension and jealousy verse 14 rather flerp yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh amen be prepared in your personal life take off the deeds of darkness and put on the deeds of God by the grace of God Paul said to Timothy in first Timothy chapter 4 verse 16 watch your life and doctrine carefully in other words since Jesus is coming back again you and I need to be watchful what is it be preparing ourselves watch in our watch in our life and what's also our prayer life and doctrine very closely remember fossile Paul said this almost 2000 years ago and the church has been living in the anticipation of Jesus return right from the ascension of Jesus Christ and from then the saints of God is ready and you and I in this generation are called to be ready for the imminent return of Jesus Christ hallelujah moving forward to the third metaphor weight or work like a servant weight like a servant or work like a servant Luke chapter 12 verse 36 like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him this is a very familiar picture for Jesus audience you know when olden days when people used to go for a marriage marriages in Jesus time used to be for all at least seven days it used to be somewhere up to seven days depending on the wealth of the host family so if somebody is getting an invitation for a wedding he or she does not know how long he or she is going to be in the house of the wedding how are weddings now we get the invitation and we go maybe that evening for the reception half an hour that night for sure we will come back again but how was the weddings in Jesus time the guest goes and the guest does not know when he is going to return back because the weddings used to last up to seven days so when somebody leaves his house and girls what does he tell he commits his house under the care of his servants and he's telling I'm going to the wedding and I do not know when I am going to come back but when I come back I want you to be keeping the house ready do your work faithfully and when I knock at the door be there be at the door to open the door and receive me and this is a metaphor Jesus is using for his return coming he's telling work like a servant like servants waiting in the absence of his master you need to be faithful servant taking care of what God has given under your care taking care of the talents taking care of your family taking care of the responsibility be faithful and also be watching that the servant expect the return of the master at any moment so you need to be faithful and watching for the return of the master and what does Jesus say in Luke chapter 12 verse 37 it will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes in other words Jesus will honor the believers who are working faithfully at the same time watching for the return of the master again Luke chapter 12 verse 37 it will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes truly I tell you he will bless himself to serve will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on him in other words when you are and I are watching and doing our work that God has given to us faithfully my Jesus will come and he will make you and I recline at the table and he will watch over us he will wait over us he will feed us and what a joyful analogy is that amen friends we need to be like servants working faithfully until the return of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Luke chapter 12 verse 38 it will be good for the servants whose master finds them ready even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward the daybreak look at that usage Jesus can come either in the middle of the right all towards daybreak the Romans divided the night into four watches the Greeks and the Jews divided night into three watches now the middle of the night and day break is almost pointing to the last watch of the night or in other words it is the most difficult time to be awake and to be alert what is that midnight and daybreak usage tell us it is telling us that if you and I are watchful in the most difficult times of our life we can easily be watching in the good times of our life friends this is a most difficult time maybe most of you listening to me are going through in your entire lifetime and this is not a time to waste up and they see movies and waste your life but this is a time to watch and pray do the work that God has appointed us to do and also wait and watch for the coming of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ he may come any time we need to be prepared for the coming of Jesus Christ and the fourth metaphor I want to go to the fourth metaphor watch like watching for a thief we are to watch for Jesus like watching for a thief coming ok Luke chapter 12 verse 39 to 40 but understand this if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming he would not have let his house be broken into you must also be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him when the thief strikes it comes as a surprise if a thief comes when people are expecting him he is not a good thief okay so thief usually comes with an element of surprise I'm not telling that Jesus is going to come and steal away something from me over here Jesus is not going to come and take anybody's items you know it is just a metaphor for us to understand the surprise of the coming like the thief strikes when the owner of the house is never aware of and is taken by surprise the coming of Jesus will take the world by surprise so there is an element of surprise so we need to be watching and waiting in different passages of scripture about the return of Christ this aspect of thief is mentioned why there's an element of surprise that's why we do not know the time because God has kept it as a surprise in 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night there is an element of surprise 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 4 but you brothers and sisters are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief if you are living in the light you should not be surprised because we are always ready always serving always watching and waiting and ready for the coming of Jesus Christ so if we live in the light it should not surprise us but for those of the world who are living in ignorance of the savior of the world who are living in ignorance of the true God Jesus Christ if the coming of Jesus will be a surprise to the world but for us who believe in Jesus we should not be taken by surprise 1st Peter chapter 3 verse 10 but the day of the Lord will come like a thief Revelation chapter 16 verse 15 look Jesus said I come like a thief I'm telling it again it is just a usage Jesus is not going to come and take anybody's anything but the element of surprise is there the world will be surprised when Jesus comes but those who walk in the kingdom of God those who walk in the light of God we will never be surprised because we are ready to receive Jesus when he comes are you ready friends hallelujah are you ready this morning as you're watching me through this online service are you ready for the coming of Jesus how is your life see what Matthew says in Matthew chapter 24 verse 44 251 this is the words of Jesus written by Matthew so you must also be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him an element of surprise over there was 45 who then is the faithful and wise servant whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time verse 46 it will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing when he returns in other words it will be good for us who's whom his master finds being faithful doing the work of God in the return of Christ Matthew chapter 24 verse 47 truly I tell you he will put him in charge of all his position 48 but suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself my master is staying away a long time and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and an hour he is not aware of he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in other words if Jesus finds is faithful we are going to be rewarded we are going to rule with Jesus he's going to give us a possessions that's what the usage says he's going to reward us and wait upon us but if we are unprepared there is going to be regret there is going to be tears that's what we hear from the very words of Jesus Christ so friends Jesus is coming back again for sure my question is are you ready clothing means be prepared to move into the kingdom of God when it will be established in its fullness lammed means be fully in the light be prepared in your life be ready in your prayer life are you watchful for the coming of Jesus Christ servants means having done your work faithfully at the same time watching for the return of the master and thief means there is an element of surprise for the world but a believer should not be surprised at the coming of Jesus Christ well friends are your lamps burning are you ready for the coming of Jesus Christ how can you get ready some of you listening to me and maybe asking pastor I know this message has spoken to me but how do I get ready I will give you two ways and in this message this morning two ways to get ready for the coming of Jesus 2s remember this don't forget it first is salvation second s is sanctification I'm going to tell that in a brief and I will close this morning salvation come to Christ Jesus is calling you come to me this morning I will give you rest all those who are burdened and heavy laden come to me I will give you rest do not let your hearts be troubled are you finding a lot of trouble are you holed up in some place because of the fear that is happening in this world Jesus is telling come to me and I will give you rest be saved in other words receive Jesus Christ as a lord of your life believe that he came as God into this world fully God fully human he lived he died he rose again and he is coming back again and when you receive this Jesus into your life and tell God Jesus you are the Saviour of the womankind and I also believe that you died for my sins and even you believe with your heart and confess with your mouth the Bible says you will come to Jesus you are saved you become a part of the kingdom of God Luke chapter 9 verse 23 to 26 then he said them to all whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me once you become a believer you need to deny yourself take up the cross and follow Jesus my fellow brothers and sisters fellow believers who are listening to me this morning is their self-denial are you taking up your cross and following Jesus or are you looking for a very rosy lifestyle in this world God will take care of our needs go back and read the verses before this Hedra saying don't worry he will take care of your needs but in this world we'll have trouble and take up those trouble take up the cross and follow Jesus daily Luke chapter 9 verse 23 to 26 I read and you listen then he said to them all whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me self-denial taking up your burdens and following Jesus every day of your life this is how you become ready for the coming of Jesus Christ it was 24 for whoever wants to save their life will lose it but whoever loses their life for me will save it in other words when you surrender your life into the hands of God and tell God my life is lost in you your will is my will whatever happens to me I will take up the cross and follow you Jesus says you will gain your life Luke chapter 9 verse 25 what good it is for someone to gain the whole world and yet lose or forfeit the very yourself whoever is ashamed of me and my words the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the father and of the holy angels in other words if you receive Jesus now the son of man will be proud of you and you will be found in the kingdom of God in the return of Jesus Christ Luke chapter 21 verse 34 to 36 be careful or you your hearts will be weighed down with carousing listen to the warning again Jesus is telling be careful or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing drunkenness and the anxieties of life or your hearts drowned with drunkenness carousing or anxieties of life this moment Jesus is telling be careful let nothing trouble you I read that verse again be careful or your hearts will be weighed down by carousing drunkenness and the anxieties of life and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap if you are anxious of the world if you are living the light of Darkness the day of the Lord will come on you like a trap because you do not know the hour of the time it is like a thief jesus is coming and it will be a trap for the ones who do not believe in Jesus verse 35 for it will come talking about Jesus coming for it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth it is going to be a universal event now Korona is there everywhere everybody knows about the coronavirus do you know that when Jesus returns the whole world will realize that there is a god and that is the lord of lords and the king of kings Jesus who died for the sins of mankind for it will come and all those who live on the face of the whole earth verse 36 of Luke chapter 21 be always on the watch that's what Jesus said be always on the watch and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man how can one stand before the Son of Man how can one stand before God vu and I cannot stand before God unless we put on Christ through Christ we can approach God through his sacrifice on the cross of Calvary we can approach God so be careful friends that we are able to stand before the Son of man in the coming of Jesus Christ's salvation come to Jesus secondly sanctification called for holy living it goes hand in hand you are a child of God you need to live a holy life you cannot be a child of God and do all kind of things and say that you will be sanctified no you are a child of God it goes with a strive for holy living 2nd Peter chapter 3 verse 14 so then dear friends since you're looking forward to this talking about the day of the Lord the coming of Jesus Christ since you are looking forward to this make every effort to be found spotless blameless and at peace with him three things peter is telling be spotless in your life if there is a hint of sin and a slavery if you are slave to sin repent of that sin be spotless be blameless and be at peace with him how can man be at peace with God confess your sins and he's faithful and just to forgive you for all sins and unrighteousness so be spotless blameless and be at peace with him 2nd Peter chapter 3 verse 11 to 12 since everything will be destroyed in this way what kind of people you ought to be you ought to live holy and godly lives friends this Korona is a test on the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ church is not a building we are the church wherever we are we are the church and what do we do we ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward for the day of God and speed it's coming speed the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ by prayer holy lives and watchfulness friends Jesus is coming for sure we do not know the day or the hour but the Bible says we ought to be ready ready with our clothes for the coming ready like servant waiting ready with our lamps burning and watching like a thief coming in the night Jesus can come and surprise the world you and I need to be ready by salvation and sanctification I pray that this message is a blessing to you and if there is anything to be rectified in your life I would like you to surrender it before God and tell God cleanse me I want to be ready forgive me for my sins for the coming of Jesus Christ [Music]

Channel: City Harvest AG Church Bangalore

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Keywords: ARE YOU READY? | Luke 12:35 40 | SHINE THOMAS | CITY HARVEST AG CHURCH, city harvest ag church, city harvest ag church bangalore, are you ready sermon, second coming sermon, jesus is coming soon sermon, luke 12 sermon, luke 12:35-40 sermon, luke sermon series

Id: 41L8ulMXZk0

Length: 39min 5sec (2345 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 01 2020