GET READY FOR CHRIST’S RETURN

TEXT: LUKE 12:32-48.
🔑KEY VERSE “And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocks, they may open unto him immediately” (LUKE 12:36).

Each time a conversation gets to the direction of the return of Jesus Christ, many people are either dismissive, amused or unconcerned. This is because they think it is unlikely or if it will happen at all, that it would be in the distant future. In the process, they miss the essential lesson of ensuring that the Lord’s coming does not meet them unprepared.

Jesus Christ assures His disciples that the Almighty God has reserved a place in heaven for them. Believers should therefore, not misplace their priorities but jettison anything, including the love of money, that could hinder their love, obedience and service to the Lord. They must allow their lives to shine brightly, while living in constant expectation of the imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ so that when He comes, they will be ready. In fact, He would come when most people are not expecting Him.

Great blessings await those He will meet ready at His return.

But those who fail to prepare for His coming and are consumed by the rat race, revelry and oppressive activities of the world would suffer eternal separation from Him. Those that are ignorant of His advent will also face punishment; while those that knew but refused to get themselves ready, will get a more severe punishment.

This is a timely warning, especially in our present age when all talk about the return of Jesus Christ seem like fable to many. To be ready, you must not condone even the slightest sin in your life but shun all evil distractions of the world. You must diligently follow the Lord faithfully, engage in the service of winning and preparing souls for heaven and growing daily into the nature and stature of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: How ready are you to meet the Lord?

BIBLE IN A YEAR:JUDGES 18-21.

MEDITATION

How ready are you for the coming of the Lord?

1. The Qualified
   a. Must have a sonship relationship with God or new birth experience v32.
   b. Must be heavenly minded putting priority to heavenly investment and reward vv33,34. Not earthly minded.
   c. Must be burning and shining for the Lord v35.
   d. Must be in constant expectation and waiting for the Lord’s coming v36.
   Pray on each of the points above so that you will be truly ready
2. The imminence
   a. Believers waiting for the Lord and neither for the Great Tribulation nor the Antichrist vv36,37,43,46.
   b. Nobody knows the time vv36,39,40,46.
   c. It will happen when people least expect v40. If the Great Tribulation and the coming of Antichrist will precede the Rapture, then, believers will only need to relax and watch for the Antichrist. This is a devilish doctrine.
   Pray that you will not be deceived into carelessness through false doctrine
   Ask for grace to be in constant watchfulness and readiness
3. The surprises
   a. Some of God’s children and servants will descend into carelessness and worldliness at His coming v45.
   b. These careless children of God will be sentenced to hell where unbelievers and sinners will be v46. No eternal security.
   c. Careless or backslidden Christians at the coming of Christ will be condemned to a hotter part of hell compared to those who never repented vv47,48.
   Lord, help me and don’t permit me to backslide at any time in your mercy
   Pray that God will awaken the Church members to the imminence of His coming and ever readiness for His coming

HYMN: It may be at morn

1 It may be at morn, when the day is awaking,
When sunlight through darkness and shadow is breaking,
That Jesus will come in the fullness of glory,
To receive from the world His own.
Refrain:
O Lord Jesus, how long, how long
Ere we shout the glad song,
Christ returneth!
Hallelujah! hallelujah!
Amen, Hallelujah! Amen.
2 It may be at midday, it may be at twilight,
It may be, perchance, that the blackness of midnight
Will burst into light in the blaze of His glory,
When Jesus receives His own. [Refrain]
3 While hosts cry Hosanna, from heaven descending,
With glorified saints and the angels attending,
With grace on His brow, like a halo of glory,
Will Jesus receive His own. [Refrain]
4 O joy! O delight! should we go without dying,
No sickness, no sadness, no dread and no crying,
Caught up through the clouds with our Lord into glory,
When Jesus receives His own. [Refrain]