In 2016 a man named Randy Wagner, in Rosharon Texas knew flood waters were coming. A news article stated: “Wagner was determined to find a way to save his home, after Brazos River Authority warned residents of the approaching floods that hadn’t been seen in decades.” So he went to Louisiana and purchased an aquadam, and surrounded his house with it. Neighbors laughed at him. But then the Brazos river overflowed, and his home was protected. Among the endless flooded home, Randy's home sat safe and protected by the tube-shaped aquadam.
Randy Wagner, could perceive that trouble was coming. He could sense an impending calamity. I think all of us in some form, sense something similar.
We can feel it in our lives, on the cold winter days, on those autumn nights, in the twilight of summer we can sense it, as the news scrolls across the screens, we can feel it, every moment seems to whisper to us, quietly, cautiously, but continuously… all this will end.
This place is temporary. The clock is ticking. Before the clock stops on this planet, we know there will be a time Jesus spoke of, called the end times.
We should not be afraid. We should be sober. Expectant. Hopeful. Joyous even. Jesus will return. The time of the fall will end, and a new time will begin.
Do you long for that day? Or are you hoping you might have a bit more time.. because you know you aren’t ready? Maybe like Randy Wagner, and the flood, we need to make sure we’re ready too.
In our final message in the prayer series, we discuss the prayer of preparation. A type of prayer, that represents sober reflection, and self evaluation.
In Matthew chapter 24, Jesus outlines many of the signs of the end times. But today, we’re not going to look at those signs, we’ll look at how Jesus wants us to think about his second coming.
In these passages we will find seven symbols. One is a clock. The second an ark. Third a flood. Fourth a road. Fifth is a house. Sixth is a servant, and seventh is a prize. Let’s dive in, and we’ll examine their meaning one by one.
In Matthew 24, Jesus has been explaining all the signs of the end times, then he says in verse 36: “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.”
Our first symbol today is a clock, without hands. Meaning, we don’t know when Jesus is returning. Many believe he never will, it’s been so long. It’s been two thousand years. That seems odd to me, because there were two thousand between Adam and Eve and Abraham. And two thousand years from Abraham to the birth of Jesus. So is it so strange to see a long period of time pass?
But we still don't know an exact date, and this is intentional for the Lord, he wants us to live our lives one day at a time. 24 hours at a time. Each day, when we wake up, we make a decision, who am I going to serve today? My challenge to you today is to choose prayer, every single day.
Next, verses 37-38: “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat.”
The second symbol, the ark of safety. Noah’s ark represents to us today, Jesus Christ. When we run to Jesus, we find safety, safety from the judgment of God that is coming on the world because of sin.
The goal then is to abide in Christ, to remain in the ark, while we live on the Earth. Not everyone is in the ark, and not everyone who enters the ark decides to stay in the ark, some stay for a while, but then drift away, and go back to the ways of the world. Abide, is the goal.
Is Jesus first in your heart? Or have you slipped off into other things? Many things wants our heart’s first attention. It can be romance, work, money, politics, family, and it can be many other things. Examine yourself today.
Where is my heart? Does it belong to Christ alone? Or are other things starting to crowd out Jesus?
This is going to be a challenging message, but I hope it will also be a hopeful message, one that gives you a sense of excited expectation, that Jesus is coming soon.
Jesus says as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be near his return. The days of Noah are described like this: "every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil all the time" -Gen 6:5
And to virtually everyone it appeared like everything in the world was going in a certain direction. Very few people noticed Noah, and his ark.
So it is in our day and age. People pay little attention to us Christians. Instead there is a narrative that is generated all around us by television, news, social media, by the elites and those with power and money, and it’s not the agenda of God.
That’s why it’s so important to be led by the Holy Spirit, and in the Bible, otherwise we may be swept up into the beliefs of the world, and miss the agenda of God in the world.
There is an ark in our world, it is the gospel, the good news of Jesus death, and we are kind of like Noah, pointing people toward the gospel, declaring, “enter the ark of safety before time runs out!”
The ark of safety is Jesus Christ, and the good news of His gift to us of salvation. But given the world system all around us, we must pay the most careful attention to the word of God, so we do not drift away from it.
This is explained in verse 39, “People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.”
This brings us to our next symbol, the flood. What was the flood in the time of Noah? God’s judgment against sin. What is coming in the end times? The same thing, God’s judgment against sin. It was a surprise in Noah’s time, and I think it will be again in our time.
When the Son of Man returns, people will be so caught up in their latest technologies, virtual realities, AI generated content, advanced medical tech, whatever the world has come up with by then, that they will be absolutely shocked by Jesus’ return.
The key for us as believers is watchfulness, and preparation. Jesus has given each of us a robe of righteousness to wear as believers. But in Revelation we’re told not to dirty our garments. Are you careful as you walk through this world of multiplied evils, to repent quickly if you slip into a sin?
How? By asking His forgiveness, if we sin. When? Today. This is the prayer of preparation. Or you might call it self-examination.
Many of you I’m sure already do this. At the end of your day, you’ll be in a time of prayer, and you begin to ask the Lord, "Father, is there anything displeasing in me, that you want to deal with tonight? Any sin that I’ve committed recently?" And we may sense a conviction from the Holy Spirit, saying, you need to repent of pride, or of gossip, or of lust, or cussing, or whatever it might be.
And as the Lord brings up the issue, we again pray, and say "Lord, please forgive me for this sin. I repent before you now, I forsake this sin, I turn away from this sin, and I turn toward you Lord, Please Lord wash me afresh in the blood of your Son."
That is the prayer of preparation, of examination. God is faithful and just, if we confess our sins, to forgive us, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
Next, verses 40-41: 40 “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.”
We see such suddenness at the return of Jesus. Two men are working, one man is taken up, another is left behind. One woman is taken, another is left behind.
This is where we get the concept of a rapture, the idea of being taken up to heaven by Jesus. There are many perspectives on this, some believe that just before the end times, the church will be raptured off the Earth, and the unsaved will be left behind to go through a time called the great tribulation. Others believe that the church will be raptured halfway through the tribulation, still others believe the church won’t be raptured until after the tribulation. Whichever view you hold, one thing is clear, we need to be ready.
As Jesus says in verse 42 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.”
This is the symbol of the road. We each walk a road through life, not knowing when our last day will come. It doesn’t have to be the return of Jesus, it could be a car accident, or an illness, or any number of things. The road we walk is a road of watchfulness, not fear or panic, but watchfulness.
It is a road of prayer. One thing I’ve learned in the Christian life, is that if I have a vibrant prayer life, and I’m deeply connected with my Father, I’m abiding. And those that abide, will stand the test of the road.
The prayer life, which we’ve discussed across this series, has so many facets, so many different ways we can pray, but, it really does come down to one simple fact: It’s love.
We pray because we love our Father, we love to be with Him in prayer. And as we pray, and spend time with our Father, it causes us to love Him more and more. And it’s like a snowball rolling down a hill, it keeps growing bigger and bigger.
Every time we pray, we fall more in love with Him, and every time we pray, he gives more of His love to us, like a waterfall of Love coming down from Him to us.
It’s praying in the morning, praying the armor of God, it’s little prayers in our heads to God throughout the day, prayers over our meals, prayers for our loved ones and the lost, prayers with our spouse and family members and friends and church members, and those precious prayer times where we get alone with God for long periods, basking in His presence, seeking His face, hearing His voice, and feeling His love for us.
It is a prayer road. To cultivate that, keep pushing forward, don’t get stuck on the prayer road at a certain limited space, keep pushing past your comfort zone to deeper forms of prayer, and you will abide on this road we travel together.
Next verses 43, gives us a new picture to consider: "Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into."
We come to the symbol of the house. If someone knew ahead of time, someone is coming to break into their house at 7:15 tonight, they would call the police, and be ready to prevent it. But we don’t know when the end will come for us.
So as it says in verse 44:"You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected."
How can we guard our house? Our house is our soul. It’s you. And you can guard your house, your soul, with the prayer of self examination.
But do you know where this prayer is really found? It’s in the Our Father. “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us, lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil.” Those are four requests, all centered around self examination. Make it your daily prayer.
But I think over time we learn to repent immediately. Within an hour, even a few minutes, we feel convicted, we pray, and make amends to anyone we’ve wronged. But, sometimes we may miss something, so the prayer of preparation is still important.
The word of God tells us to judge ourselves, so that we won’t face judgment (1 Corinthians 11:31).
But brothers and sisters, fear not. Jesus has paid the price for our sins. His blood covers us. His Spirit fills us. We have only one job and it's simple: Live by the leading of the Holy Spirit. And if the Holy Spirit tells us to repent of a sin in our lives, we do so. Self examination is led by the Holy Spirit. Don’t try to do it alone.
Guard your house in the Spirit. Don’t allow your house, your soul, which the word calls a temple of the living God, to be polluted with active sins in your life. Repent quickly. We as Wesleyans believe in holiness before the Lord. We believe we can live pure lives. That is the essence of holiness theology. But, we don’t believe we can do this ourselves, we believe by the Holy Spirit, and the love of God, we are able to overcome any sin, not necessarily by fighting it, but by surrendering and repenting in God’s power. Praise the Lord!
Last two verses, 45-46: “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward.”
Here we find our last two symbols. First, the servant.
Jesus is the master, and we are the servants. Do you see yourself that way? A servant of God. That’s what we are.
Next verses 43, gives us a new picture to consider: "Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into."
We come to the symbol of the house. If someone knew ahead of time, someone is coming to break into their house at 7:15 tonight, they would call the police, and be ready to prevent it. But we don’t know when the end will come for us.
So as it says in verse 44:"You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected."
How can we guard our house? Our house is our soul. It’s you. And you can guard your house, your soul, with the prayer of self examination.
But do you know where this prayer is really found? It’s in the Our Father. “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us, lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil.” Those are four requests, all centered around self examination. Make it your daily prayer.
But I think over time we learn to repent immediately. Within an hour, even a few minutes, we feel convicted, we pray, and make amends to anyone we’ve wronged. But, sometimes we may miss something, so the prayer of preparation is still important.
The word of God tells us to judge ourselves, so that we won’t face judgment (1 Corinthians 11:31).
But brothers and sisters, fear not. Jesus has paid the price for our sins. His blood covers us. His Spirit fills us. We have only one job and it's simple: Live by the leading of the Holy Spirit. And if the Holy Spirit tells us to repent of a sin in our lives, we do so. Self examination is led by the Holy Spirit. Don’t try to do it alone.
Guard your house in the Spirit. Don’t allow your house, your soul, which the word calls a temple of the living God, to be polluted with active sins in your life. Repent quickly. We as Wesleyans believe in holiness before the Lord. We believe we can live pure lives. That is the essence of holiness theology. But, we don’t believe we can do this ourselves, we believe by the Holy Spirit, and the love of God, we are able to overcome any sin, not necessarily by fighting it, but by surrendering and repenting in God’s power. Praise the Lord!
Last two verses, 45-46: “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward.”
Here we find our last two symbols. First, the servant.
Jesus is the master, and we are the servants. Do you see yourself that way? A servant of God. That’s what we are.
We are workers in His field. And he is the landowner, returning to examine the work we’ve done. This is the idea discussed in John 15, of bearing fruit. If we abide in the vine, as a branch, we will bear fruit, if we don’t, we will shrivel up, and be cut off. How do we abide? Prayer and obedience.
And final symbol, the shining reward.
If we are cautious to be prayerful, to be obedient, awaiting His return, and on that day, Jesus finds us at work in his vineyard fields, we will receive a generous reward. A reward that is explained as an inheritance. It's explained as receiving God’s kingdom… a plot of land, a home, belonging to us, in His eternal kingdom. Now that is an inheritance that can never fade away or disappear. It is worth every effort we make toward that goal.
So let’s review today, the 7 symbols we discussed briefly and their meanings.
There was the clock without hands. We don’t know when our last day will be, so we live one day at a time.
There was the Ark of safety, which is Jesus, whom we abide in through obedient and prayerful self examination.
There is the flood. We know God’s judgment will come upon the world during the end times, a time when God’s wrath will be poured out on the Earth.
Fourthly, there is the road. Each day we walk with Jesus through a sinful world, and we find prayer in it’s various forms helps us keep on the path, avoid sin, and repent quickly when we stumble.
Fifthly, the house, is like our body, we guard it carefully to avoiding polluting the temple God has given us.
Six, the servant. We are the servants, Jesus is the master, and our job is to produce fruit for him and tend His vineyard fields, until he returns.
Seventh, the reward. For the faithful servants, Jesus will reward us with authority, an inheritance in the kingdom of God.
So as we close, let us prepare ourselves in this prayer of self examination.
Prayer: Father, fill us with your Holy Spirit, we judge ourselves, and we ask, that if there is anything in us that displeases you, please God reveal it, and grant us the grace to repent of it. We repent Lord Jesus, wash us in your blood, forgive our sins, and help us to overcome them by the Holy Spirit within us, in Jesus name, amen.
And final symbol, the shining reward.
If we are cautious to be prayerful, to be obedient, awaiting His return, and on that day, Jesus finds us at work in his vineyard fields, we will receive a generous reward. A reward that is explained as an inheritance. It's explained as receiving God’s kingdom… a plot of land, a home, belonging to us, in His eternal kingdom. Now that is an inheritance that can never fade away or disappear. It is worth every effort we make toward that goal.
So let’s review today, the 7 symbols we discussed briefly and their meanings.
There was the clock without hands. We don’t know when our last day will be, so we live one day at a time.
There was the Ark of safety, which is Jesus, whom we abide in through obedient and prayerful self examination.
There is the flood. We know God’s judgment will come upon the world during the end times, a time when God’s wrath will be poured out on the Earth.
Fourthly, there is the road. Each day we walk with Jesus through a sinful world, and we find prayer in it’s various forms helps us keep on the path, avoid sin, and repent quickly when we stumble.
Fifthly, the house, is like our body, we guard it carefully to avoiding polluting the temple God has given us.
Six, the servant. We are the servants, Jesus is the master, and our job is to produce fruit for him and tend His vineyard fields, until he returns.
Seventh, the reward. For the faithful servants, Jesus will reward us with authority, an inheritance in the kingdom of God.
So as we close, let us prepare ourselves in this prayer of self examination.
Prayer: Father, fill us with your Holy Spirit, we judge ourselves, and we ask, that if there is anything in us that displeases you, please God reveal it, and grant us the grace to repent of it. We repent Lord Jesus, wash us in your blood, forgive our sins, and help us to overcome them by the Holy Spirit within us, in Jesus name, amen.
