Sunday: While We Wait for Jesus
The disciples had just been admiring the glorious scene as the sun’s rays glinted off the temple. Jesus, wanting to focus their attention on the realities facing the Christian church in the near future and the end of time, cryptically gave them a dose of reality by saying: “ ‘Do you see all these things? . . . Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down’ ”(Matt. 24:2, NIV). Surprised by His comment, the disciples asked, “ ‘when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’ ” (Matt. 24:3, NIV). In Matthew 24:4-31, Jesus then tells them the things to expect to see unfold in the world before He returns.
mage © Bjorn Thorkelson from GoodSalt.com
In revealing the signs, Jesus warns, “ ‘but the end is still to come’ ” (Matt. 24:6, NIV), and that “ ‘All these are the beginning of birth pains’ ” (Matt. 24:8, NIV). The direct answer to the disciples’ question comes in verse 14. “ ‘And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come’ ” (Matt. 24:14, NIV).
In this discourse, the first 35 verses in Matthew 24 motivate us to take the signs seriously, but Jesus also tells us how we are to waitfor “the end of the age” (Matt. 24:3, NIV). In other words, we just don’t sit there and wait for Him to come as we would sit at a bus stop and wait for the bus. No, we are given plenty to do as we wait for the Lord’s second advent.
Read Matthew 24:36-25:46. Each one of these parables talks about what God’s people should be doing as they await the second coming of Jesus. Summarize the essence of what the Lord is telling us here. Then we need to ask ourselves, both individually and as a church: How well are we following the Lord’s instructions for us in each of these parables?
Jesus here begins to exhort His disciples about the way His true followers will wait for Him to come again. During this period Jesus’ disciples will always be ready. They will show love, care, and respect to each other while waiting; they will stay alert, prepare ahead, and be responsible for their own spiritual condition. They will multiply the resources that God has placed in their hands, invest talents and money in God’s cause, respect the true character of their loving God, and care for “the least of these.”
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How am I waiting?
Is my lamp trimmed?
Do I have enough faith to keep my lamp burning?
Have I even been able to add just one more to my talent, talkless of doubling it?
Am I being too bossy, proud, arrogant and wasteful and unweary of my Master's return?
I'm scared of my sincere answers to these (twenty-one) questions...
Jesus has left us with clear instructions about what we need to be doing while we wait for His return.
Luke 12: 37 says, "Blessed are those servants whom the Master, when He comes, will find watching." Therefore we are to be seized by the expectation of His imminent return and getting others ready as well. Jesus should be supreme in all what we do and reign in our lives.
Second, in 2 Peter 3:11 - 14 we read that we "ought to live holy and godly lives...." In other words, the way we live our lives should be influenced by Christ's life of purity. (1 John 3:3) We should purify ourselves, even as He is pure (1 John 3:3).
Thirdly,we should be working (Luke 12:43) and watching. Our lives of waiting should be fizzing with activity, warning others of the coming of the Lord. In Matthew 24:45-51 the Master linked belief with behaviour. If we believe He is coming then we will act accordingly. Everything we do must dispkay a sense of urgency,
Further, we are to feed the flock with the Word, teaching them to love the Lord by keeping His commandments.
Love the Lord by learning and putting into practice all the principles involved in "The Divine Science of the Prayer of Faith," thereby appropriating moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day, all of God's Precious Promises in His Word starting with the Promise of His Holy Spirit. Then the keeping of His Commandments will fall into their appropriate place in our lives in their own time and in God's own way.
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God is asking us to watch for the signs of his return. However while we are waiting, he expects to work (spread the gospel) we are to keep our lamps burning, use our talents wisely. We are to be kind, develop love for one another.that's what we ought to be doing.
I would like to know why r we so mean spirited sa the time for Jesus soon return gets closer.
Jesus illustrates his love for us by telling us how things will be like before his return,but He also leaves us with a responsibility and when He returns He will ask us if we have fulfilled this task he left with us.What will our response be? Oh lord my prayer is that I will not be found wanting in that great day. let us pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon His church so that we may work for the night is short and time is no more.
All these parable are good, and states plainly what we should be doing until Jesus comes. However, some Christian brothers and sisters may not have sufficient funds to invest in God\'s work, as in the first parable, but all of us can do one thing that is in the last parable, Matthew 25:31-46; we all can LOVE one another.
Also, the apostle John stated it best in 1 John 4: 17-19, NIV, "17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us." Do not fear the judgment, but serve God and your fellow man. If we are busy serving our fellow men, we will not even think about the judgment; instead, we will look forward to Jesus' return.
We need to feed the hungry, give our clothes to a good homeless shelter or church clothes drive (not to Goodwill or Salvation Army that sells them, not oppose intended), and visit our fellow man that is in prison or sick. Waiting is all about service! We are God's servant in this world, and that is what it means to "occupy until I come": do service toward your fellow man. Love your fellow man, because God loved you first.
Waiting for Jesus?
1. Eating
2. Breathing
3. exercising
1. Eating - daily, the Bread of life. Time with Jesus and His Word
2. Breathing - constantly, talking and listening to Jesus guidance
3. Exercising - letting Jesus shine through us to all