Be Prepared: Signs of Christ's Return

Summary

In today's gathering, we focused on the importance of being prepared for the return of Jesus Christ, as illustrated through the parable of the fig tree in Matthew 24:32-35. This parable serves as a reminder that just as we can discern the changing seasons by observing nature, we should also be vigilant and aware of the signs of the times that indicate the nearness of Christ's return. The fig tree's budding is a metaphor for recognizing the spiritual season we are in, urging us to be ready for the fulfillment of God's promises.

We explored the concept of eschatology, the study of end times, and how Jesus' teachings provide a framework for understanding the events leading up to His second coming. This includes the fall of Jerusalem, ongoing persecutions, and the proclamation of the Gospel to all nations. Jesus' words assure us that despite the chaos and turmoil in the world, His return is certain, and we must live with an urgency and readiness for that day.

The sermon also addressed the current global challenges, such as the pandemic, racial tensions, and societal unrest, as potential signs of the times. These events should prompt us to examine our spiritual readiness and our relationship with Christ. We are called to live with a sense of immediacy, recognizing that Jesus is near and could return at any moment.

Furthermore, we were reminded of the duality in Jesus' message, speaking to both the immediate generation of His disciples and future generations, including ours. This duality encourages us to have confidence in God's plan and to remain steadfast in our faith, knowing that His words will never pass away.

Finally, the invitation was extended to open our hearts to Jesus, allowing Him to enter and transform our lives. Whether we are new to faith or have been walking with Christ for years, the call is to be prepared, aware, and ready for His return.

Key Takeaways:

1. Spiritual Vigilance: Just as we recognize the changing seasons, we must be spiritually vigilant and aware of the signs of Christ's return. This awareness calls us to live with urgency and readiness, ensuring our hearts are prepared for His coming. [42:26]

2. Understanding Eschatology: Jesus' teachings on the end times provide a framework for understanding the events leading up to His return. This includes recognizing ongoing persecutions and the global proclamation of the Gospel, which are part of God's unfolding plan. [44:45]

3. Current Global Challenges: The pandemic, racial tensions, and societal unrest may be signs of the times, urging us to examine our spiritual readiness. These events remind us of the importance of living with immediacy and being prepared for Christ's return. [51:35]

4. Duality of Jesus' Message: Jesus' teachings address both His immediate generation and future generations, including ours. This duality encourages us to have confidence in God's plan and remain steadfast in our faith, knowing His words will never pass away. [58:35]

5. Invitation to Open Hearts: The call to open our hearts to Jesus is a timeless invitation. Whether new to faith or seasoned believers, we are encouraged to allow Christ to enter and transform our lives, preparing us for His return. [56:04]

Youtube Chapters:

- [0:00] - Welcome
- [02:40] - Opening Prayer
- [05:15] - Announcements
- [07:58] - Digital Worship Plans
- [10:59] - Grills for Glory
- [13:53] - Social Distancing Guidelines
- [19:24] - Generosity and Giving
- [39:18] - Prayer for the World
- [40:27] - Call for Repentance
- [41:31] - Reconciliation and Unity
- [42:26] - Parable of the Fig Tree
- [44:45] - Understanding Eschatology
- [46:49] - Jesus' Return and Preparation
- [51:35] - Current Global Challenges
- [54:03] - Jesus is Near
- [56:04] - Invitation to Open Hearts
- [58:35] - Generational Perspective
- [01:02:49] - Confidence in God's Plan
- [01:04:42] - Conclusion and Call to Readiness
- [01:06:59] - Closing Prayer and Blessing

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Matthew 24:32-35
- Revelation 3:20

---

Observation Questions:

1. What is the significance of the fig tree in the parable shared by Jesus in Matthew 24:32-35? How does it relate to the concept of being prepared for His return? [42:26]

2. According to the sermon, what are some of the signs that indicate the nearness of Christ's return? [44:45]

3. How does the sermon describe the duality of Jesus' message, and what does it mean for both the immediate generation of His disciples and future generations? [58:35]

4. What current global challenges were mentioned in the sermon as potential signs of the times, and how should they prompt us to examine our spiritual readiness? [51:35]

---

Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the parable of the fig tree help believers understand the importance of spiritual vigilance and readiness for Christ's return? [42:26]

2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that current global events might be interpreted as signs of the times? How should this influence a believer's daily life and spiritual practices? [51:35]

3. What does the sermon imply about the role of eschatology in a believer's understanding of the end times and their personal faith journey? [44:45]

4. How does the duality of Jesus' message, as discussed in the sermon, provide confidence in God's plan and encourage steadfastness in faith? [58:35]

---

Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your current spiritual vigilance. Are there specific areas in your life where you feel unprepared for Christ's return? What steps can you take this week to address these areas? [42:26]

2. Considering the global challenges mentioned in the sermon, such as the pandemic and societal unrest, how can you actively examine and strengthen your relationship with Christ? [51:35]

3. How can understanding eschatology and the signs of the times influence your daily decisions and interactions with others? What practical changes can you make to live with a sense of urgency and readiness? [44:45]

4. The sermon calls for an openness to Jesus entering and transforming our lives. What specific actions can you take to open your heart more fully to Christ this week? [56:04]

5. How can you encourage others in your community to remain steadfast in their faith, especially during times of uncertainty and global challenges? What role can you play in fostering a supportive and faith-filled environment? [58:35]

6. Reflect on Revelation 3:20, where Jesus stands at the door and knocks. Is there an area of your life where you feel Jesus is knocking, waiting for you to open the door? How can you respond to this invitation? [54:03]

7. In light of the sermon, how can you cultivate a mindset of immediacy and readiness for Christ's return in your daily life? What specific habits or practices can you implement to stay spiritually alert? [58:35]

Devotional

I'm ready to provide the 5-day devotional based on the steps outlined. Here it is:

---

Day 1: Spiritual Vigilance in Changing Seasons
In the parable of the fig tree, Jesus teaches us to be observant of the signs around us, just as we notice the changing seasons. This spiritual vigilance is crucial as it prepares us for the return of Christ. We are called to live with a sense of urgency and readiness, ensuring that our hearts are aligned with God's will. The current global challenges, such as the pandemic and societal unrest, serve as reminders to examine our spiritual state and relationship with Christ. By staying alert and prepared, we can confidently await the fulfillment of God's promises. [42:26]

"For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, 'There is peace and security,' then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape." (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3, ESV)

Reflection: What are some signs in your life that God might be using to get your attention? How can you respond to these signs with spiritual vigilance today?

---

Day 2: Understanding the Framework of Eschatology
Eschatology, the study of end times, provides a framework for understanding the events leading up to Jesus' return. Jesus' teachings highlight significant occurrences such as the fall of Jerusalem, ongoing persecutions, and the global proclamation of the Gospel. These events are part of God's unfolding plan, assuring us that despite the chaos in the world, His return is certain. By understanding eschatology, we can better comprehend the spiritual season we are in and live with a readiness for Christ's second coming. [44:45]

"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." (Matthew 24:36-37, ESV)

Reflection: How does understanding the events of the end times influence your daily life and decisions? What steps can you take to align your life with God's unfolding plan?

---

Day 3: Recognizing Current Global Challenges as Spiritual Indicators
The pandemic, racial tensions, and societal unrest are not just global challenges but potential signs of the times that urge us to examine our spiritual readiness. These events remind us of the importance of living with immediacy and being prepared for Christ's return. By recognizing these challenges as spiritual indicators, we are prompted to deepen our relationship with Christ and ensure our hearts are ready for His coming. [51:35]

"And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken." (Luke 21:25-26, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways have recent global events affected your spiritual life? How can you use these challenges as opportunities to grow closer to Christ?

---

Day 4: Embracing the Duality of Jesus' Message
Jesus' teachings address both His immediate generation and future generations, including ours. This duality encourages us to have confidence in God's plan and remain steadfast in our faith, knowing His words will never pass away. By embracing this duality, we can find assurance in the timeless nature of Jesus' message and live with a steadfast hope in His promises. [58:35]

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." (Matthew 24:35-36, ESV)

Reflection: How does the duality of Jesus' message provide you with confidence and hope? In what ways can you remain steadfast in your faith amidst uncertainty?

---

Day 5: Opening Our Hearts to Jesus
The invitation to open our hearts to Jesus is a timeless call that transcends generations. Whether we are new to faith or seasoned believers, we are encouraged to allow Christ to enter and transform our lives. This openness prepares us for His return and enables us to live in alignment with His will. By welcoming Jesus into our hearts, we can experience the transformative power of His love and grace. [56:04]

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20, ESV)

Reflection: What areas of your life have you yet to fully open to Jesus? How can you invite Him to transform these areas today?

Quotes

1. "We want you to come out. We want to be a witness to our community, and we also want to gather the people of God, the family of God, back together again. So it's kind of a two-fold thing. We're still connecting with our community, and we're still loving our God and worshiping Him. We're proclaiming the gospel, and we're building up one another. We're fulfilling all of our values in this one service. So we're looking forward to you coming out and joining us Sunday nights at 7 p.m. for Summer Worship Series Outside. God bless you." [19:24] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "So Jesus here has taken us through this doctrinal dissertation, if you will, almost, like this doctrinal teaching of eschatology. He's taken us from the Temple Mount. He's told us the temple's going to fall, a prediction of 70 A.D. He's now taken us through all the signs that will continue to lead up repetitively over history. He's taken us through the persecutions that Christians will face. And he's led us up to the fact that we have to have proclamation, that part of our obligation is to take the gospel to the ends of the world." [44:45] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "So what we have here is a snapshot. Again, I'm teaching this from a bird's eye view. Jesus is teaching us, not necessarily chronologically, but he's teaching us historically. And he's given us all the nuts and bolts, if you will. Of his second return. So when we look at it, he may jump around and he may say one thing and then jump back and be pointing and directing us back to see something he said earlier. And he's painting a picture. He's showing us eschatology, a study or a view of the end times. And he's playing it out. It will be repetitive. There will be cycles in which this will go through." [46:49] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "So Jesus is saying, when you see this, when it's in the final season, when the fig tree is ready, it's like I'm standing at the door. He is near. He's about to step over that threshold. Just like in Revelation, and John writes to us in chapter three, it's saying that Jesus is at the door, and if we open that door, he will come into us. Jesus is near. So I want to talk in a duality here. One, we need to be prepared. When Jesus comes and these things happen, if we are the generation that sees his return, we will know, and it will be like Jesus is right on that threshold, ready to enter that door, ready to enter that gate." [56:04] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "Generations. Jesus speaks of generations in this text. And Jesus is speaking of the disciples' generation or what's he's speaking of the final generation and here's where you get into the again you can pick out commentaries just like i can you can go online and you can look up things people are all over the place some people go like duh it's just the first century he's talking about 70 a .d some people say not even talking about that it's all the way about the end and the temple he's talking about it's not that temple but another temple later on and and people are all just all over the place with ideas on this and then some have a duality and again i've told you i fall into that pre -tribulational pre -millennial so i'm looking at this as jesus is talking about the physical temple and he's talking about the fall of jerusalem in 70 a .d and i believe that's kind of where things start to begin all these persecutions and signs and and all the things that jesus is speaking of i think we can trace back to like 70 a .d and go forward now as we're waiting for the end times to come and so i think we can see the building we can see the building block so i think we can see the building block and i think we can see the building block and i think there is a duality there is some talk that's definitely specific to 70 a .d but then there's stuff that's specific to in times alone so the generation he speaks to could it be both i think it's both i think jesus is telling the disciples there's going to be some of the stuff that i've talked to you about you're going to see with your eyes your generation will not pass and then the generation that faces the end of it that generation when this happens when this when this tree starts to bud that generation will not pass until all these things are fulfilled could we be that generation we could be we could be i don't know we should live like we're that generation we should live with that immediacy we should live with that urgency we should know just like the disciples saw the temple fall we should know that jesus would tell us that the other things that would happen just like 70 a .d happen these things will happen over time we should live with that urgency over time that and we will see the end of the age come the end of the age so it's not big somebody in the church age some church is going to experience that one generation one other generation come would come rickley i'd pray some thought that again this was about just the beginning of the seventy a .d but i see when you read it clearly jesus is not just talking about then at the disciples of that generation but also a future generation promo primeira my otheruden that when you look at this, this must have given the disciples then and the disciples of all generation great confidence. We know that God's got a plan. We know that he's moving through all of history, unfolding his eschatological plan, repeating these things. He's told us about the signs. He's told us about the persecution. He's told us about everything that's going to happen. He's told us about the proclamation. He's told us about, guess what? He's going to crack the sky. We're going to be raptured. We know about the great distress. We know about then eventually the glorious appearing. Jesus is making it clear that he's got a plan, and we should have confidence in that. Listen, the first century Christian, the disciples, they faced great turmoil. They faced great tribulation. They had great pain. It must have been encouraging them in the face of great suffering that they knew that there was an end game, that they knew that Jesus had a plan, and that Jesus was coming back. And now every generation since then, we've been able to look and know we're waiting for the return of our Lord. We're waiting for him to come back. And so what it does is it helps us when we face the persecution. We know Jesus told us. When we see the signs, we know Jesus told us about that. When we proclaim the gospel, We can have a sense of knowing we're taking the gospel to the ends of the world. That's the obligation our Lord has given us." [01:02:49] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "So Jesus is saying, when you see this, when it's in the final season, when the fig tree is ready, it's like I'm standing at the door. He is near. He's about to step over that threshold. Just like in Revelation, and John writes to us in chapter three, it's saying that Jesus is at the door, and if we open that door, he will come into us. Jesus is near. So I want to talk in a duality here. One, we need to be prepared. When Jesus comes and these things happen, if we are the generation that sees his return, we will know, and it will be like Jesus is right on that threshold, ready to enter that door, ready to enter that gate. But here's what Jesus does in every generation, Revelation 3 .20. He is standing at the door of every human heart that's watching right now. Whether you're watching it live, right here in June, or whether you're going to watch it years later, or whether you're going to watch it hours later, Jesus will always stand at the door of your heart and knock. So here's a question you have to ask. Write what it says. Will you open the door? He's there. It's not he's coming. He wants to come into every single person's heart. Will you open the door so he can step across the threshold? Will you open the door so he can come into your heart? Will you open the door so he can be your savior and he can be your Lord? Because if you open it up, it says right here in this text, I will come in to that person. I will eat with that person, and he will eat with me. In other words, Jesus will sit down at a table with you, and he'll have a meal with you. You will be his brother. You will be his friend. He will be your Lord forevermore. He will be your savior and save you from your sins. So right now, whether Jesus is at the door coming back, and glory to God, if he has Maranatha, come Lord, come, quickly, come back, Lord. That's a great thing to have happen. But will you let him into your heart? If you have not already done, I want to encourage you right now. Say, Jesus, just come into my heart. Jesus, forgive me my sins. I open the door of my heart. I hear you knocking right now. I want you to come into my life, Jesus. Be my savior. Be my Lord. Be my friend. Be my brother. Can you do that? And if you've done that right now, write a comment down there. Say, I just gave my heart to Jesus. Say, I just opened the door of my heart. Can you write that down? I opened the door of my heart. So if you're out there and you watch us, write that in the comment section. Let us know so we can celebrate with you that you have just become a Christian and you've let Christ come into your life. So everyone, this door is about the Messiah's coming. We should live our lives, not only opening our hearts to Jesus, but as we see these signs and these persecutions and the proclamation and we see all these things moving forward, there's an immediacy. We should be ready." [58:35] (169 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?