Are you watchful or living a complacent life?
1) Are you as a non-Christian having a good time with friends?
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven,
but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the
coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they
were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the
day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came
and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other
left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the
other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is
coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what
hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his
house to be broken into. Therefore, you also be ready, for the Son of
Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Matthew 24:36-44
2) As a Christian, do you have a testimony of Jesus Christ?
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took
their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were
wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps
and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with
their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered
and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is
coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed
their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your
oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No,
lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those
who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the
bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the
wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also,
saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly,
I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither
the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” Matthew 25:1-13
3) How are you using your God-given talents as a Christian?
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country,
who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one
he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each
according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them,
and made another five talents. And likewise, he who had received two
gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the
ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time, the lord of those
servants came and settled accounts with them. So, he who had received
five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you
delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents
besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful
servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler
over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who had
received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two
talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord
said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been
faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.
Enter into the joy of your lord.’ Then he who had received the one
talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where
you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And
I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there
you have what is yours.’ But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You
wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown,
and gather where I have not scattered seed. So, you ought to have
deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have
received back my own with interest. So, take the talent from him, and
give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will
be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have,
even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant
into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
Matthew 25:14-30
4) Are you ready for the return of Jesus Christ?
“Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be
like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the
wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him
immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes,
will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself
and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. And if he
should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find
them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master
of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have
watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore, you
also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not
expect.” Luke 12:35-40
5) Christians will be aware of the times living in love, faith, and hope.
But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need
that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the
day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say,
“Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor
pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you,
brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as
a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of
the night nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep, as others do,
but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and
those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day
be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet
the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to
obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that
whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore
comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. 1
Thessalonians 5:1-11
6) Christians will be aware of the times serving in love glorifying God.
But the end of all things is at hand; therefore, be serious and
watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for
one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” Be hospitable
to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift,
minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of
God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone
ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that
in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong
the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:7-11
7) Will Christians today remember the Gospel and repent?
“These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven
stars: I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but
you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that
are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.
Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and
repent. Therefore, if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a
thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. You have a
few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they
shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes
shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name
from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and
before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says
to the churches.” Revelation 3:1-6