Introduction
Have you ever been so tired you could sleep standing up?
“Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming”. (Matt 24:42) Staying awake is about being vigilant — ready for the return of our King.
Matthew 24-25 contains the Eschatological Discourse – the final teaching segment in Matthew’s gospel. Matthew 24 is challenging to interpret.
Setting the scene for the discourse: Jesus’ sharp reply in Matthew 24:2, and the disciples’ question in Matthew 24:3. It’s actually two questions, concerning events on two separate time horizons: when the destruction of the temple will occur (near future), and what will happen when Jesus returns (distant future).
Jesus doesn’t answer “when”. Matthew 24:36 tells us — nobody knows. We should therefore expend our energies preparing for the return of King Jesus, rather than predicting it. But how? Matthew 24:4-14 gives us clues. There are two steps you can take to stay awake and be ready for Christ’s return.
A. PERSEVERE THROUGH PAIN (vv. 15-28)
1. Pain is part of our fallen condition — it may be a result of our own actions, or a consequence of living in a world that rejects God. In Matthew 24, Jesus was warning His disciples that excruciating times lay ahead
2. Immense suffering during the Jewish War, AD 66-70, when Jerusalem fell…again.
3. The details in Matthew 24:15-28 correspond quite well to the Jewish War (AD 66-70).
4. We hope we never have to endure suffering on the level of the Jewish War, but in this world, we will face tribulation (Jn 16:33).
5. In the midst of our pain and suffering, we can fall asleep spiritually; our love for God can grow stone cold.
5. But we can also choose to cling to the One who stays with us in our pain and shapes us through our pain.
B. PURSUE GOD’S CALLING FOR YOUR LIFE! (vv. 44-46, 14)
1. Staying awake spiritually is an active, not passive posture. Are we faithfully carrying out our God-given assignment?
2. The servant was entrusted with a critical task (vv. 44-45). What is your Kingdom calling? What area of service has He entrusted you with?
3. Pursuing God’s calling for our lives is the blessing — makarios! (v. 46). But it’s easy to live apart from God’s calling and merely coast in life.
4. Our Kingdom calling is a calling to join God’s mission. We cannot think about the end-times without thinking “mission”!
Conclusion
Staying awake is no easy thing. But “perseverance is not the result of our determination, it is the result of God’s faithfulness” (Eugene Peterson)!
Sunday Worship Songs at cefc.ch/sws
Next Week’s Topic: Matthew 25:1-46
Next Week’s Speaker(s): Ps Timothy Yeo (BPJ), Rev Ivan Ho (WDL) & Ps Lim Keng Yeow (East)
