Spiritual Readiness: Preparing for the Lord's Return
Summary
### Summary
Today's sermon focused on the importance of being in a state of readiness for the coming of the Lord. We began by reflecting on the recent pandemic, likened to a biblical pestilence, and how it serves as a reminder that no one knows the day or the hour of Jesus' return. This calls for a state of constant readiness, not just in physical preparedness but in spiritual vigilance. We were reminded of Peter's exhortation to be ready to give an answer for the hope within us, even in the face of severe persecution, as the early Christians did.
The sermon emphasized that readiness is not about packing a suitcase with white robes but about preparing our hearts. Proverbs 4:23 tells us to keep our hearts with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. This preparation involves Bible study, prayer, and fellowship, which are essential for drawing closer to God. We were encouraged to participate in life groups and prayer meetings to deepen our understanding and relationship with God.
The concept of "Back to Church Sunday" was introduced as a means to encourage believers to return to the physical gathering of the church. Hebrews 10:19-25 was cited, emphasizing the need to draw near to God with a true heart and to hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering. The importance of not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together was highlighted, especially as we see the day of the Lord approaching.
The sermon also delved into the nature of covenants, explaining that God is a covenant-keeping God. Various covenants from the Old Testament were discussed, including those with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David, culminating in the New Covenant through Jesus Christ. This New Covenant gives us bold access to the presence of God, allowing us to come boldly to the throne of grace.
Finally, the sermon called for a renewed commitment to fellowship and community within the church. We were urged to consider one another, to stir up love and good works, and to be mindful of each other's needs. The church is not just a place to hear a sermon but a community where believers support and encourage one another.
### Key Takeaways
1. State of Readiness: Readiness for the Lord's return is not about physical preparation but spiritual vigilance. We must keep our hearts ready, as Proverbs 4:23 instructs, by engaging in Bible study, prayer, and fellowship. This spiritual readiness ensures that we are always prepared to meet the Lord, regardless of when He comes. [55:43]
2. Importance of Fellowship: Hebrews 10:19-25 emphasizes the need for believers to gather together, especially as we see the day of the Lord approaching. Fellowship is crucial for mutual encouragement and spiritual growth. It is in the community of believers that we find strength and support to hold fast to our confession of hope. [01:00:37]
3. God as a Covenant-Keeper: God has made various covenants throughout history, each demonstrating His faithfulness. The New Covenant through Jesus Christ gives us bold access to God's presence. Understanding these covenants helps us appreciate the depth of God's commitment to us and encourages us to remain faithful to Him. [01:06:48]
4. Confession of Faith: A true confession of faith is both believed in the heart and spoken aloud. Romans 10:9-10 teaches that salvation comes through confessing with our mouths and believing in our hearts. This public declaration of faith is essential for standing firm in our beliefs, especially in challenging times. [01:22:45]
5. Stirring Up Love and Good Works: The church is called to stir up love and good works among its members. This involves actively encouraging and supporting one another in acts of kindness and service. By doing so, we reflect the love of Christ and build a stronger, more united community. [01:38:15]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[53:28] - Introduction
[53:50] - The Pandemic as a Pestilence
[54:13] - Readiness for the Lord's Return
[55:43] - Be Ready: Spiritual Vigilance
[57:04] - Peter's Exhortation in Persecution
[58:07] - Preparing Our Hearts
[58:54] - Importance of Bible Study and Prayer
[59:29] - Back to Church Sunday
[01:00:37] - Hebrews 10:19-25: Drawing Near to God
[01:01:47] - Signs of the Day Approaching
[01:02:18] - The Importance of Fellowship
[01:03:47] - The Church as a Community
[01:04:43] - God as a Covenant-Keeper
[01:06:48] - Old and New Covenants
[01:22:45] - Confession of Faith
[01:38:15] - Stirring Up Love and Good Works
[01:44:36] - Exhorting One Another
[01:50:50] - Closing Prayer and Invitation
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV): "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life."
2. Hebrews 10:19-25 (NKJV): "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."
3. Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV): "That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
### Observation Questions
1. What does Proverbs 4:23 instruct us to do, and why is it important?
2. According to Hebrews 10:19-25, what are believers encouraged to do as they see the Day approaching? [01:01:47]
3. In Romans 10:9-10, what two actions are necessary for salvation?
4. How did the early Christians demonstrate their readiness to give an answer for their hope, according to the sermon? [55:43]
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is it important to keep our hearts with all diligence, as stated in Proverbs 4:23? How does this relate to being spiritually ready for the Lord's return?
2. What does it mean to "draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith" as mentioned in Hebrews 10:22? How can this be practically applied in our daily lives? [01:00:37]
3. How does the concept of confessing with our mouths and believing in our hearts, as described in Romans 10:9-10, impact our public declaration of faith? [01:22:45]
4. The sermon emphasized the importance of fellowship and community within the church. How does this align with the exhortation in Hebrews 10:24-25 to not forsake assembling together? [01:01:47]
### Application Questions
1. Reflecting on Proverbs 4:23, what specific steps can you take this week to guard your heart and ensure it is spiritually ready for the Lord's return?
2. Hebrews 10:24-25 encourages believers to stir up love and good works. Can you identify a specific act of kindness or service you can perform within your church community this week? [01:38:15]
3. Considering the importance of fellowship mentioned in the sermon, how can you make a more intentional effort to participate in church gatherings and life groups? [01:00:37]
4. Romans 10:9-10 speaks about the importance of confessing our faith. Is there someone in your life with whom you can share your testimony or the hope you have in Christ this week? [01:22:45]
5. The sermon highlighted the need for mutual encouragement within the church. How can you encourage a fellow believer who may be struggling in their faith or facing difficult circumstances? [01:01:47]
6. Reflect on the concept of God as a covenant-keeper. How does understanding God's faithfulness in keeping His covenants encourage you to remain faithful in your walk with Him? [01:06:48]
7. The sermon called for a renewed commitment to fellowship and community. What practical steps can you take to build stronger relationships with your church family and support one another in love and good works? [01:38:15]
Devotional
Day 1: Spiritual Vigilance: Preparing Our Hearts
Readiness for the Lord's return is not about physical preparation but spiritual vigilance. We must keep our hearts ready, as Proverbs 4:23 instructs, by engaging in Bible study, prayer, and fellowship. This spiritual readiness ensures that we are always prepared to meet the Lord, regardless of when He comes. [55:43]
Proverbs 4:23 (ESV): "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."
Reflection: What specific steps can you take today to engage more deeply in Bible study, prayer, or fellowship to prepare your heart for the Lord's return?
Day 2: The Power of Fellowship
Hebrews 10:19-25 emphasizes the need for believers to gather together, especially as we see the day of the Lord approaching. Fellowship is crucial for mutual encouragement and spiritual growth. It is in the community of believers that we find strength and support to hold fast to our confession of hope. [01:00:37]
Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV): "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."
Reflection: How can you make a more intentional effort to participate in your church community this week, whether through attending services, joining a small group, or reaching out to fellow believers?
Day 3: Understanding God's Covenants
God has made various covenants throughout history, each demonstrating His faithfulness. The New Covenant through Jesus Christ gives us bold access to God's presence. Understanding these covenants helps us appreciate the depth of God's commitment to us and encourages us to remain faithful to Him. [01:06:48]
Jeremiah 31:33 (ESV): "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people."
Reflection: Reflect on the New Covenant through Jesus Christ. How does understanding God's faithfulness in His covenants encourage you to remain faithful in your relationship with Him?
Day 4: Confession of Faith
A true confession of faith is both believed in the heart and spoken aloud. Romans 10:9-10 teaches that salvation comes through confessing with our mouths and believing in our hearts. This public declaration of faith is essential for standing firm in our beliefs, especially in challenging times. [01:22:45]
Romans 10:9-10 (ESV): "Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved."
Reflection: Is there an area in your life where you need to make a public declaration of your faith? How can you boldly confess your faith in Jesus today?
Day 5: Stirring Up Love and Good Works
The church is called to stir up love and good works among its members. This involves actively encouraging and supporting one another in acts of kindness and service. By doing so, we reflect the love of Christ and build a stronger, more united community. [01:38:15]
Galatians 6:9-10 (ESV): "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."
Reflection: Think of one specific act of kindness or service you can do for a fellow believer this week. How can you encourage and support someone in your church community today?
Quotes
1. "In other words, he's giving us this idea of being in a state of readiness for the coming of the Lord. Now, last week, Pastor Barney spoke from 1 Peter chapter 3, and Peter said, be ready to give an answer for the hope that is in you. Now, when he spoke those words, he spoke it within the context of persecution. The church was going through intense persecution. I'm not talking about a little thing here and there, somebody insults you, somebody badmouths you, somebody speaks evil. I'm talking about being thrown before the lions." [55:43] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "So how do we draw closer to God? How do we develop a heart for God? It's through Bible study, through reading the Word of God, and through prayer. And through fellowship as well. These are ways in which we are drawn closer to God, and we develop a heart for God." [58:54] (15 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "The truth is, the reason why we need to have a back to church Sunday is because church is not as important as it used to be. It is not important. It's one of the things that is kind of low down on some of our priorities. For some of us, it is a high priority. For many people, it's a low priority." [01:00:03] (18 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "So the idea of back to church Sunday is to encourage believers, to coax believers back into the pews, to come back into the facility because this is where we gather, and this is how we come back to the Lord." [01:00:37] (12 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "So the writer of Hebrews is telling us, since we see the day coming, and how do we see the day coming? How do we know the day is coming? Well, we talked about it a little while ago when we said there are signs, wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, all these things, things happening, nations rising against nations. These are some signs that tell us we're getting closer." [01:02:18] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "You know, the apostle John and his writings, he invited people to come into a power of us into a fellowship he says that which we have seen and heard that which we have handled of the word of life he says we declare it unto you and it says when you come together he says he said through your fellowship is it God the Father and with his son Jesus Christ so as you develop a heart for God you want to be in fellowship you want to be in a part of a relationship with the people of faith people of like precious faith as it will not all Christians and the Christians in the times of Nero one of the reason why they had this hope is because there were they were a community of believers they understood we could depend upon one another sometimes we lack that within the modern church" [01:03:47] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "You know, the thing about it for Christian believers, a Sunday morning should be the most exciting time. I can't wait to get up in the morning and put my clothes on and come and greet the believers. Amen. Come early too. Don't come just as student service is starting. Come and meet people. Get to know them. Find out who they are because that's what fellowship is all about." [01:27:50] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "You know, the thing is, if you're not seeing what you should see in the church, don't complain about it. You be the person that you think the church should be. Does that make sense to you? You know, there's one, somebody once said, you be the goodness that you want to see in the world. So when in other words, when you look around, you see nothing is going well, well, you make things go well. You make things go well. You make things go well. You make things go well in your sphere. Don't worry about anybody else. Don't worry about anybody else. You start making it." [01:36:57] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "You know, good works will not get you to heaven, but you can't get to heaven without good works. You see, Jesus did everything that you need for salvation. But because of the salvation that we have through Jesus Christ, we are expected to do good works. You're expected to be a part of what's happening in the community for the goodness of God and to glorify God's name." [01:39:22] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "So the writer of Hebrews says, don't be like those people. Don't be like those. And he says, exhort one another so much the more as you see the day approaching. Which brings us back to where we started. As the day approaches, as we get closer and closer to that time, we ought to strongly encourage one another. You know, the word exhort in this context means to strongly encourage someone, to urge them to do something. So we strongly urge and encourage people to stay in fellowship, to stay in fellowship with one another, get to know one another." [01:44:36] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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