8 - Matthew 24 -Staying Awake

After all of the information we have received from Jesus concerning the times and the season, He warns us that the information alone will not save us…we must stay awake and endure.   This call for sobriety and alertness is the final call for the end of the age.  Keep watch!  This is our call, but also a clue to the final atmosphere on the earth before Jesus comes:  Drowsiness.

I.  THE FATHER ONLY

Matthew 24

36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 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, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 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. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

A.   The plan of the Father is unfolding.  This is the mystery hidden for the ages and yet prophesied.  Jesus’ first and second coming was foretold, and yet many couldn’t perceive it.  How profound.  He is the mystery of the ages.  He is the fulfillment of the plan of God. 

Acts 1

7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

B.    Jesus is not calling us to be faithful in a different way than He is faithful.  He knows the themes, and He knows the events…but even He is submitted to the Father in the details.  He calls us into the life He himself leads.

Philippians 2

2:1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

C.    He is a man.  He did not throw off His humanity to obey, rather He became a man to obey.  It is the glory of God to reveal that His will is perfect.  It honors God that a man fulfilled His ultimate purpose. 

II.  DAYS OF NOAH

Matthew 24

37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 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, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

A.   Jesus describes the atmosphere of the earth as being like the days of Noah.  Destruction will seem sudden to those not taking heed of the signs.  Earlier, Jesus described the tribulation as the greatest distress the world has ever seen, and yet, there is still not an awareness or sobriety in the earth.

Genesis 5

9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God…

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark…  22 Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

B.    Noah was 1) righteous, 2) blameless in his generation, and 3) walked with God.  All three of these are characteristics we must possess to walk out the days ahead.

C.    The primary issue is whether we are obeying the command of God.  What has God commanded you?  Hearing God is not optional.  Hearing God is not for the spiritually elite.  Hearing God is the only way we can be righteous.  Hearing God is the only way we can be blameless in our generation.  Hearing God is the only way we can walk with God. 

Genesis 6

15 They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. 16 And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the Lord shut him in.

D.   The building of the ark was commanded as well as the timing of when to enter the ark.  We can build all of the right stuff, but if we aren’t obeying in the area of timing, we will be off.  We enter into the things of God in response to the command of God. 

E.    AND THE LORD SHUT HIM IN.  I love this line.  The Lord did what Noah couldn’t do.  This is divine partnership.  We can error on the side of wanting to do everything for God, or on the side of wanting God to do everything for us….but the blessing of partnership lies somewhere in the middle of that.  Noah had to build the ark, but God had to shut Him in!

Genesis 6

17 The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. 19 And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered… 22 Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. 23 He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark. 24 And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.

F.    If there was ever a line that disturbed it is this one.  One family remained!  Jesus promises us that the Day of the Lord will be like the days of Noah.  This should give us all reason for pause.  We need to take seriously the warnings of Jesus.  We need to take seriously the command of the Lord. 

G.   The command of the Lord doesn’t change because the conditions got difficult.  The command of the Lord doesn’t change when it’s unpopular to obey.  The command of the Lord doesn’t change in the shaking.  The command of the Lord is unchanging.  And when He calls us into anything…it will be to work this steadiness within us. 

III. THEN THE KINGDOM WILL BE LIKE…

Matthew 24

42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 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. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

A.   As Jesus describes the conditions in the earth…He calls us into His final council:  STAY AWAKE.  This so troubles my spirit.  The dullness that plagues our churches, even our own lives is of such a force and so deceiving in its nature…we need a great sensitizing over the church. 

B.    When divorce and abortion and adultery, addiction to pornography are happening in the same measure within the church as without…we are in a great dullness, and are, in fact, asleep.  We are slumbering even while we preach on being awake.  God awaken us!

Matthew 25

25:1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

C.    What is the oil?  It is the very name of God.  It is who He is.  This alone will keep us awake in the hours ahead.  What are we buying now?  We all have a currency that we use to buy…it’s our very breath, our labor and our time.  What are we buying?  What are we exchanging?  We are all buying something.  We are always exchanging currency.

Song of Solomon 1

2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is better than wine;
3 your anointing oils are fragrant;
your name is oil poured out;
therefore virgins love you.

D.   Your name is oil poured out.  The oil that we are counseled to buy is the oil of knowing Jesus.  This is the oil that lights the lamp of our calling, and there is no other.  A lamp with no oil is useless.  A calling, a ministry without intimacy with Jesus is worthless.

IV. THE CALL TO WATCH IN THE UNKNOWN

A.   Jesus is waiting and watching in this hour.  He asks us to keep watch, but we must understand that He also is in that place.  He waits for the Father to release the timing of His heart.

Hebrews 7

24 but he (Jesus) holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

B.    Who is He saving?  Those who draw near to Him.  Jesus is the great intercessor.  He is the One praying for you without ceasing.  When you are weary, He is tireless.  When you are faithless, He is faithful.

1 Peter 1

14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.

C.    He calls us into Himself.  He is not calling us to demonstrate another righteousness, a righteousness of our own. The call of righteousness is really the call to intimacy.  It is the call to buy oil.  Though you don’t see the end, though you don’t know the timing…You obey the command of the Lord.

D.   The most important question of our lives is this:  What is the command of the Lord?  And the second is like it:  What is the timing of that command?

1 Thessalonians 5

14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, [3] encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit.

E.    He never calls us into anything less than Himself, and He never calls us into anything more.  This is the call.