November 28/29 sermon on Matthew 24:36-44 by Pastor Paul G. Eckert

November 28/29, 2010 - Advent 1
Sermon text - Matthew 24:36-44
Pastor Paul G. Eckert
How many days to --- ? That question, I am sure, is asked about many things. That was done leading up to November 2. How many days before we finally had the election and could stop hearing all of the claims and counter claims being made? That was done leading up to Thanksgiving. How many days before cousins show up, or grandma and grandpa show up and the turkey shows up?
Now we are starting the Advent and Christmas season. Here too we can ask how many days. How many days to our first Wednesday Advent services? Not many at all. Our first Wednesday Advent services are this coming Wednesday at 3:30 and 7:00. How many days to Christmas? Children may ask that thinking especially of Christmas presents. I hope we all ask it thinking also of our special church services in which we want to thank and glorify God for fulfilling His promises of sending our Savior into this world. As to how many days to Christmas - well, up to December 25 we still have 27/26 days to go.
Our text, however, is not talking about election day or Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day. It’s talking about the final day, judgment day. And so we ask:
HOW MANY DAYS TO --- ?
I THERE ARE ALERTS (36-39)
1. There was an alert for the flood (37,39)
"As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. --- and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man."
a) here God alerted Noah in advance that this universal flood
would not come for another 120 years
b) but even though the people had this alert about when, heard
Noah preach about this, could see a massive vessel a football
field and a half long being built, they disregarded the alert,
mocked, and probably did not stop that until the rains came and
they saw the ark rising and floating away
2. So we have alerts (36-37,39)
No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. --- and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son
of Man."
a) God said the flood would come, and it did
b) in the same way God, without saying how many years or days
or hours, plainly has said that the end will come; He has
promised it won’t be by a flood this time, but it will come
3. There is nothing wrong with daily living (38)
"For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ---."
a) none of these things is forbidden by God; all are good and
should be received as blessings for our earthly life
b) the people before the flood did all of these things; the problem
isn’t with what they did, but with what they did not do
4. Are we heeding the alerts? (37-39)
"As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man."
a) go ahead, eat and drink and live marriage as Christians - the
world needs more examples of living God’s will correctly
b) but what if you eat and drink and marry and forget God’s will?
what if you seek first what you desire and strive first for earthly
goals instead of seeking first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness?
c) the countdown for the final day is taking place; when it comes,
do you want to be found with your food and drink and cars and
homes and luxuries, but without Christ?
II THE TIME WILL COME (36,39-41)
1. It did come and it will come (39,36)
" --- they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man."
a) the flood came at the end of the 120 years, as God said
b) in exactly the same way the final day will come, except that we
don’t know how many hours or days or years that still will be,
as Jesus said, "No one knows about that day or hour, not
even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
2. Many reject the thought of a judgment day coming a) ready to accept thought of terrorist attacks, nuclear disaster;
but not of a day of judgment that includes a hell for all who
have rejected what God in His love did for this world, who may
celebrate Christmas but don’t see Christ at all as the Savior
b) instead many like to think that somehow all will end up in
heaven whatever they believe, or that there will be a second
chance, reincarnations, or just nothingness when death comes
3. But God speaks clearly about judgment (40-41)
"Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left."
a) a difference! not all will be the same; there will be a separation
that takes place on judgment day, a separation which Jesus
summed up by saying: "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."
b) it’s like at the flood: those who were in the ark were saved;
those who were not were lost: a difference, a separation
4. What will happen to us? (39a)
" --- they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away."
a) will we go through life just eating and drinking and being
concerned about daily living, paying no attention to God’s
Word, figuring it will make no difference because we think
we have plenty of time to "get religion" later on, or we think
there won’t be any judgment anyway?
b) there was a difference when the flood came - and I wonder
how many pounded on the door of the ark in vain
c) and there will be a difference when judgment day comes;
there definitely will be a separation that will take place
III WILL WE BE READY? (36,42-44)
1. Jesus has made us ready (36)
"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
a) amazing! Jesus said He did not know when judgment day
would come; just think! to be our Savior, God’s eternal Son,
Jesus, had humbled Himself, took on our flesh and blood,
remained the Son of God but willingly set aside His glory, set
aside His full knowledge while He was here on earth, even set
aside His power and life itself, so that He could die on the cross
as our substitute to pay for our sins and remove our guilt and
open heaven’s door for us forgiven sinners
b) all of that for us! but now, exalted in glory, He knows when
judgment day is coming, and He wants us to be prepared
2. This warning comes to believers (42)
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come."
a) Jesus knows our day of death and the day of final judgment
b) we don’t; and that is why He wants us to keep watch, be alert
3. Would we permit ourselves to be robbed? (43-44)
"But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
a) we are in process of setting up new security system for our
school and church for protection for our children and property
b) God wants us to be protected from eternal loss; He wants us
by faith to be secure in the ark of salvation and not in the flood
waters of sin and unbelief that want to drag us into eternal
doom
4. Live in readiness of faith always (42,44)
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. --- So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
a) know that judgment day is surely coming
b) be on guard against the flooding waters of sin and against
human philosophy that sees no need for a Savior from sin
c) be faithful even to death, stay in the Word, truly celebrate
Christ in Christmas, worship Him in our church services, keep
Him in your hearts and in your homes - live in daily readiness
HOW MANY DAYS TO --- ? I don’t know. But when we have Jesus, it makes no difference. He is our Savior!