Signs of the Times:Are You Ready?•
A Sermon by Dr. Bob Griffin, Teaching Elder at Sovereign Grace Church
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I. PRINCIPLE
A. BE KNOWLEDGEABLE
Mt 24:36a But concerning that day and hour it is unknowable
1. WHAT’S AHEAD
2. ANTICIPATION
B. BE ALERT
Mt 24:36b not even by the angels of heaven nor the Son, but the Father only.
1. PESSIMISM
2. WITHOUT WARNING
“The hour remains unknown until it arrives and then it is sudden, absolute, and irreversible” – DH Carson
II. BE READY: ILLUSTRATION #1
A. BE OBSERVANT
Mt 24:37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
1. ILLUSTRATION
Isaiah 54:9; Ezekiel 14:14; Heb 11:7; I Peter 3:20; II Peter 2:5
2. DESCRIPTIONS
II Peter 2:1; II Peter 3:3-4; Jude 17-19; I Timothy 4:1; II Timothy 3:1-5
B. BE AWARE
Mt 24:38-39 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, and they were unaware until the flood came and took all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
1. EXPLANATION
2. JUDGMENT
III. BE READY: ILLUSTRATION #2
A. BE WORKING
Mt 24:40-41Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two will be grinding with a hand-mill; one will be taken and one left.
1. NO UNIVERSALISM
2. TAKEN
1 Thes 4:16-17
B. BE PREPARED
Mt 24:42 Therefore, be vigilant, for you don’t know the hour your Lord is coming.
1. VIGILANT
2. SEPARATION
Luke 21:34-36
IV. BE READY: ILLUSTRATION #3
A. BE AWAKE
Mt 24:43 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 allowed his house to be broken into.
1. IMAGERY
I Thes 5:1-6; II Peter 3:10; Rev 3:3; Rev 16:15
2. SIMILE
B. BE SET
Mt 24:44 Likewise you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you don’t expect.
1. IMPORTANCE
Matthew 16:26
2. EMPHASIS
V. BE READY: ILLUSTRATION #4
A. BE FAITHFUL
Mt 24:45-47 “Who then is the faithful, prudent servant, whom his master placed over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will place him over all his possessions.”
1. DILIGENT
2. REWARDED
B. BE EXPECTANT
Mt 24:48-51 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master delays coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is unexpected and at an hour he doesn’t know and will cut him in two and place him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
1. ATTITUDE
2. ETERNITY