“A Responsible Forecast For the Future” TEXT: Luke 12: 35-40; 54-56 THESIS: The Christian must be watchful for Christ’s return. I. The Christian must be ready for the Master’s return. A. Jesus is addressing His disciples on the dangers of being too strongly attached to material and temporal things. 1. In verses 22-24 ~ Jesus talks about the cares of this life that consumes most of our day. B. Jesus reveals through illustrations relevant to His listeners how they live in a state of spiritual readiness. 1. “Be dressed and ready for service” (vs. 35a) 2. “Keep your lamps burning” (vs 35b) 3. “Like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet” (vs 36) C. Jesus points out to His disciples that He will return in an hour when you least expect it. 1. “It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night.” (vs 38) D. Jesus will come as a “thief in the night” (vs 39) II. Jesus teaches that these will be horrible times. A. Truth will not provide neutrality but division. 1. The division on the face of the earth will be so great that it will even cause family members to turn against one another. III. Jesus teaches that we will be able to recognize the signs of His Second Coming. (vss. 54-56) A. The Signs of the Times: 1. The days of Noah. (Matthew 24: 36-39) 2. The love of many will grow cold. (Matthew 24: 12) 3. Israel will become a nation. (Matthew 24: 12) 4. False Christs and false prophets will appear. (Matthew 24:5; 24-26) 5. People will go about in search of knowledge. (Daniel 12: 4) 6. There will be given the mark of the beast. (Rev. 13: 16-18; 14: 9-10) B. God’s Word states: “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another ~ and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10: 25 | 