Awake and Ready: Hope in Christ’s Unexpected Return

Devotional

Day 1: Fields Flooded, Hearts Awake

Jesus compared His return to Noah’s flood—ordinary lives interrupted by divine surprise. People ate, drank, and married until rain fell. Noah’s obedience became their reckoning. Christ’s coming will split shared labor: two men in a field, two women grinding grain. One taken, one left. [19:25]

This story strips away complacency. Jesus names routines as holy ground for vigilance. The flood didn’t negate daily life but revealed its eternal stakes. God seeks readiness, not panic.

You stack groceries, reply to emails, drive carpool. Christ meets you there. Today, name one routine task as sacred preparation. Where does your “field” hide eternity’s urgency?

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”
(Matthew 24:42, NIV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to show you His presence in three ordinary moments today.
Challenge: Write down one distraction that numbs your spiritual alertness. Pray over it at sunset.

Day 2: Grinding Meal, Unseen Hour

Two women grind grain at the mill. Hands dusty, rhythm steady. One’s hands freeze mid-motion. Jesus says the difference isn’t skill or virtue but readiness. The left-behind woman stares at empty space where her sister stood. [19:53]

Jesus uses women’s work—often overlooked—to show kingdom urgency. Grinding grain feeds families; watching for Christ feeds souls. Both matter, but one anchors eternity.

Your hidden labor—laundry, spreadsheets, night feedings—is where Christ trains your eyes. What mundane task can become your altar of attentiveness today?

“Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.”
(Matthew 24:41, NIV)

Prayer: Thank God for the sacredness of your daily work.
Challenge: Set a phone timer for 3:00 PM. Stop and say, “Come, Lord Jesus” aloud.

Day 3: Thief in the Night’s Gift

Jesus startles us: His return is like a thief breaking into a well-guarded house. Modern security systems fail. The metaphor isn’t about fear but surrender—we can’t control His arrival. [24:02]

A thief takes; Christ gives. His “breaking in” restores what sin stole. Readiness means unlocking doors we’ve barred—shame, control, self-sufficiency.

What fortified room in your heart fears divine intrusion? Could Christ’s “breaking in” heal that space?

“If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch.”
(Matthew 24:43, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one area you’ve tried to “secure” from God’s intervention.
Challenge: Write “WELCOME” on a sticky note. Place it where you’ll see it hourly.

Day 4: Bowed Heads, Open Hands

Maynard bowed so low his forehead nearly touched the table. Polio, war graves, and a daughter’s plane crash didn’t stiffen his neck. His posture said, “I’m yours.” Bending physically trained him to bend spiritually. [27:08]

Bowing isn’t defeat—it’s entry into God’s now. Eyes closed, the world fades. Hands open, control releases. Christ fills the space between our knees and the floor.

When did you last physically bow in prayer? Try it today. What resistance or release do you feel?

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
(Matthew 11:28, NIV)

Prayer: Kneel while praying the Lord’s Prayer today.
Challenge: Text someone older who modeled faith. Say, “Your steadfastness matters.”

Day 5: Advent’s Unlocked Doors

George MacDonald’s poem hangs over Advent: “Doors, windows, I throw wide.” Early Christians faced temple ruins; we face pandemics and strife. Yet every candle lit whispers, “Surprise coming.” [36:55]

Hope isn’t denial. It’s preparing space for Christ’s renewal amid collapse. Like Maynard stocking food pantries after loss, we join God’s repair work.

What locked door—grief, cynicism, exhaustion—needs throwing open? What if hope slipped through it today?

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, as in fact you are doing.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:11, NIV)

Prayer: Thank God for three people who held hope for you.
Challenge: Call a mentor. Ask, “How do you stay ready for Christ’s surprises?”

Sermon Summary

A congregation gathered in gratitude, noting the unnoticed labors that sustain daily life, and then turned attention to the Advent hope that also looks forward to Christ's return. Matthew 24 frames that return as unexpected, comparing it to the days of Noah when ordinary routines masked an approaching flood. Images of two in the field, two women at the mill, and a thief in the night underline the urgency to remain spiritually alert rather than attempting to predict the timetable. The text refuses speculative fixes and instead issues a practical summons: keep awake and embrace an active readiness.

Awakening emerges not as anxious surveillance but as disciplined attentiveness. Poetry and prayer recast readiness as joyful welcome, urging believers to throw open doors and bow the head in reverent expectation. Bowing, folding hands, and closing the eyes function as embodied theology. These gestures express submission, release of self-direction, and entry into the holy present where trust replaces control.

The narrative then models faithful endurance through the life of Maynard Estwick, a man shaped by Depression era scarcity, wartime service that cataloged loss, and a personal catastrophe that claimed a beloved child. Rather than retreating into despair, Maynard deepened his devotion, served his community, and practiced prayer with a profound posture of gratitude and surrender. His example shows how repeated personal and communal apocalypses can yield a life formed by hope and service rather than bitterness.

Advent, reframed in this way, becomes a season for cultivating habits that make welcome possible. Lighting candles, telling sacred stories, and communal rhythms train hearts to meet the unexpected with trust. The promise of Revelation that every tear will be wiped away anchors this hope in a future where grief is transformed. The service moved from proclamation into sacrament, holding the Lord's Supper and the Lord's Prayer as present means by which the gathered people enact readiness, receive blessing, and are sent to love and serve. The closing image invites a posture of openness and homage: throw wide doors and bow the head, confident that Christ comes as life for a weary world.

Key Takeaways

1. Stay awake for Christ's return Keeping awake does not mean frenzied prediction but rather steady spiritual vigilance. Cultivating attention to the divine presence prevents surprise from becoming despair and makes ordinary moments sacramental. This vigilance reshapes daily rhythms so that sudden change meets a prepared heart. [17:13]
2. Welcome the coming with bowed heads Bowing expresses voluntary submission and a refusal to control outcomes. The posture turns agency over to the Lord while opening the self to receive grace. In bowing, anxiety yields to trust and presence replaces planning. [27:08]
3. Practice readiness as active spiritual discipline Readiness requires intentional practices such as prayer, communal worship, and story-telling that orient memory and hope. These disciplines form expectant habits so the unexpected meets a faithful response rather than panic. Spiritual preparation trains hands, feet, and eyes to act in love when change arrives. [24:20]
4. Hope rooted in Christ's steadfast presence True hope grows from ongoing experience of Christ walking with the community through sorrow and service. Witnesses like Maynard reveal how grief and history can deepen commitment rather than erode it. This steady presence promises a future where tears cease and justice and mercy reign. [35:00]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[04:56] - Snowstorm gratitude and announcements
[06:33] - Advent points to Christ's return
[12:32] - Psalm and worship
[14:45] - Children's surprise lesson
[16:14] - Matthew 24 scripture reading
[16:35] - Unknown hour and Noah imagery
[23:24] - Keep awake and vigilance
[24:20] - Awake as a spiritual practice
[29:15] - Story of Maynard's faith
[36:36] - Advent hope and invitation
[46:36] - Communion and Lord's Prayer
[55:51] - Blessing and sending

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Matthew 24:36-44 (ESV)
“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

Revelation 21:4 (ESV)
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Observation Questions

In Matthew 24, Jesus compares His return to the days of Noah. What specific everyday activities does He mention people were doing before the flood? How does this contrast with their awareness of what was coming?
The sermon describes bowing one’s head as an act of submission and trust. What physical postures or gestures are mentioned in the sermon, and what do they symbolize? [27:08]
How did Maynard Estwick’s life—marked by loss, war, and personal tragedy—demonstrate “active readiness” for Christ’s presence? [35:00]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus uses the imagery of a thief in the night (Matthew 24:43-44) to describe His return? How does this metaphor challenge common attitudes about predicting or controlling the future?
The sermon emphasizes that “keeping awake” is not about anxiety but disciplined attentiveness. What habits or practices (mentioned in the sermon) help cultivate this kind of readiness? [24:20]
How does Revelation 21:4 connect to the idea of enduring personal or communal “apocalypses” (like Maynard’s story) with hope? What does it mean for grief to be “transformed” rather than erased?

Application Questions

Reflect on your daily routines. What ordinary moments could become “sacramental” if approached with intentional awareness of Christ’s presence? How might this shift your perspective on mundane tasks?
The sermon describes bowing as releasing control. What is one situation in your life where you struggle to surrender outcomes to God? What tangible step could you take this week to practice submission (e.g., a specific prayer posture, releasing a plan)?
Maynard’s story shows how suffering deepened his faith and service. When have hardships drawn you closer to God or others? How might you lean into community or spiritual disciplines during future trials? [35:00]
Advent traditions like lighting candles or telling sacred stories “train hearts to meet the unexpected with trust.” What simple habit could you adopt during this season to cultivate expectancy for Christ’s work in your life?
The sermon warns against “anxious surveillance” of end-times signs. How do you balance staying spiritually alert with avoiding fixation on fear or speculation? What practices help you focus on Christ’s steadfast presence instead?

Sermon Clips

45s

#BowInReverence

“Do you know what a radical act you take when you fold your hands and you bow your heads in prayer? Physically, what we do when we bow is it's an act of submission. Like, I am not going to try to overpower you, Lord. I am yours. It's also an act where we cannot lead ourselves, when we bow our heads in reverence, if we are going to move, we need someone to take us, that our plans and our routes and our journeys are no longer ours, but they belong to the lord.”

45s

#MaynardPrayer

“But what I remember about Maynard most was the way he prayed. This one who had known great sorrow, but also great meaning and great depth that came through scripture was when we would pray. We normally were sitting at a table, and I'd say, Maynard, can we pray? And ministers have these intimate moments with people sometimes. And I'd take his hands, and he would drop his head and put his hand on both of our sets of hands as we prayed, and man, did he bow.”

35s

#HopeRootedInChrist

“We don't come trying to have wishful thinking about the future, but we come to hear the stories of true hope that ground us and root us and help us to grow that no matter what the past has brought us, we know that the future brings good things because Christ walks along with us and creates this kingdom of God in us, for us, with us, for the sake of the world.”

35s

#AwaitingTheLord

“That is a different way to anticipate this one who's coming in the night. Like, when the lord comes, we throw open the doors, we throw wide the windows, and we bow. And we're given an invitation about how to think about those last things, that if it comes as if there's two men working in a field and the one drops over dead and the other stays alive, the lord is with both, and we bow our heads.”

Ask a question about this sermon

Tea Trinity Lutheran This sermon · AI assistant

What does keeping awake mean spiritually?

How is the flood used as analogy?

Why is bowing heads considered radical submission?

Awake and Ready: Hope in Christ’s Unexpected Return

Devotional

Day 1: Fields Flooded, Hearts Awake

Day 2: Grinding Meal, Unseen Hour

Day 3: Thief in the Night’s Gift

Day 4: Bowed Heads, Open Hands

Day 5: Advent’s Unlocked Doors

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Awake and Ready: Hope in Christ’s Unexpected Return

Share