Jesus is coming back; no one knows when; we need to be ready.

Transcript

July 27-28, 2019

Pastor Joe Wittwer

Summer Bible Series

Be Ready!

Opening:

Welcome to Life Center. Today we’re reading a warning from Jesus—He tells us that He is going to return and we need to be ready.

ILL: Barry McGuire was walking down Sunset Strip in LA one day when someone stopped him and asked him if he was ready to meet Jesus. “I’m not even ready to meet you!” he said, and walked on. But he couldn’t shake the question, and it started him on a journey that led him to Jesus and transformed his life.

I’m asking you the same question: Are you ready? Are you ready to meet God? That’s what we’re talking about today. It’s going to be good!

Introduction and offering

ILL: Back in the mid-90’s, I coached my son, Jeff’s 9-10 year old baseball team. During one game, a boy named Drew came to the plate with the bases loaded. He hit a soft fly ball to the second baseman, who dropped it. Drew was lumbering down the line toward first base so the second baseman picked it up and tried to throw him out, but threw it over the first baseman’s head. He retrieved it and threw back to second, who missed it, chased it down and threw to third who missed it, retrieved it and threw wide of home. As Drew crossed the plate, our team erupted in cheers and screams. A grand slam home run! Really it was an infield fly with 4 errors!

The next time Drew came up the bases were loaded again, and one of the boys hollered “Do it again, Drew!” Drew looked back and said, “Oh no! That was a once in a lifetime thing!” It was!

I had boys who had played several years, and some who didn’t have a clue. So I started, like all good coaches, with the basics: how to throw, catch, run, and hit, and the rules. One of the basics is what we call “ready position”. When you are in the field, this is ready position. When you are at bat, this is ready position. Baseball can be a slow game, especially for kids this age, when their pitcher walks 5 batters in a row, and the kids in the field get bored. Pretty soon you see them standing out there with their legs crossed, staring into the sky, back to the batter, even sitting or laying down out in the outfield! I’d have to yell, “Ready position! C’mon guys, let’s be ready.”

Today, we’re going to read a passage in Luke in which Jesus coached His disciples to be in ready position: ready for the Lord’s return, ready to do God’s will. So here’s the question: Are you ready to meet God? If you were to die tonight, or if the Lord were to return, are you ready? Let’s get ready!

Offering here.

Luke 12:35–48 (p. 895)

35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. 39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

41 Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”

42 The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to