ARE YOU READY?
By David J. Riggs
Intro.
A. Luke 12:40 says, "Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of
man cometh at an hour when ye think not."
B. The Bible has a great deal to say about readiness, getting
ready, being ready, staying ready.
1. It will be profitable for us to consider some of the things
the Bible says about readiness.
I. FIRST OF ALL, WE SERVE A READY GOD.
A. "Ready to pardon" - Neh. 9:17; "Ready to forgive" - Psalm 86:5;
"Ready to save" - Isa. 38:20.
1. Think of how good it is that we don't need to wait for God
to get ready to save us.
2. God is willing, able, and ready to save us.
a. Regarding Jesus - Heb. 7:25.
b. There needs to be persuasion, but it is men who need to
be persuaded, not God.
3. We need to be thankful that He is a God who's always ready.
B. When we desire the forgiveness of sins, we don't need to wait
for God to be ready. 1 John 1:9
1. God is ready to pardon, forgive, and save. What needs to be
done is to persuade men to be ready to be pardoned,
forgiven, and saved. 2 Cor. 5:11
a. We need to be reconciled to God and not Him to us. 2
Cor. 5:20
2. We ought to be thankful to God that He is always ready. He
is a ready God.
II. WE NEED TO BE READY TO HEAR.
A. Eccl. 5:1 (KJV)
1. We ought to be more ready to hear than to offer the
sacrifice of fools.
2. What is the sacrifice of fools?
a. When we offer as our own worship. Matt. 15:9; Prov.
16:25; Jer. 10:23
b. When we presume that something is acceptable. Psalm
19:13
c. When we do not hear and do what God has said, we
become fools before God.
3. We need to be ready to hear and do God's word. Some very
simple but important questions: "What has God
commanded?" "What does the will of God teach?"
a. The Word itself becomes the standard by which we are
saved, worship, and will be judged in the last day.
4. We need to receive God's Word with all readiness of mind
and humility. Acts 17:11; James 1:21
III. WE NEED TO BE READY TO TEACH GOD'S WORD.
A. Peter said - 1 Pet. 3:15.
1. We must study the Word of God to be able to do this.
2. Consider the essential attitude in the first part of the
verse.
a. First and foremost, God needs to be set apart in our
hearts.
b. When He has been set apart in our hearts, we will gladly
give a defense (literally, "apology") of our hope.
(1) The word "apology" meant, at first, simply to give
an answer or defense for one's belief, attitude, or
action, but later it came to mean to give an answer
or reason for one's fault or failure.
c. Our "hope" is the very foundation and motivator of our
religion. 1 Pet. 1:13
d. We give an answer or defense with humbleness and
gentleness, and at the same time with awesome respect
toward God. 2 Tim. 2:24-26
IV. WE NEED TO PERSUADE PEOPLE TO BE READY FOR THE LORD.
A. John the Baptist - Luke 1:16-17.
1. We, too, are to make ready a people prepared for the Lord -
for His Second Coming.
a. Let us, too, do it in the spirit and power of Elijah.
b. John worked no miracles. He was successful because he
was a powerful and persuasive teacher.
B. First, let us be ready for the Lord's coming ourselves, and
then help others to get ready. Mark 13:32-37
1. When Jesus comes again, it will not be as a lamb to be
sacrificed, but as a lion. He's coming back to take
vengeance.
a. There is a great day of wrath coming. 2 Pet. 3:7
b. Thus, it is our responsibility to remind everyone to be
ready. Rom. 2:5
V. WE ARE TO BE READY TO EVERY GOOD WORK. Titus 3:1
A. This is not teaching that if someone begs, pleads, beseeches,
and finally persuades and coaxes us, we consent to do a good
work.
1. It says, "ready." Preparation has been made in advance.
B. What are some of those good works? Consider those in context.
1. Titus 2:1 - Speak the things which benefit the sound
doctrine.
2. Titus 2:2 - Older men are to set a good example.
3. Titus 2:3-5 - Older women are to teach the younger women.
4. Titus 2:6 - Younger men are to be sober-minded (of sound
mind).
5. Titus 2:7-8 - In all things we show ourselves to be a
pattern of good works.
6. Titus 2:8 - We let no corrupt speech proceed from our
mouths.
7. Titus 2:9-10 - We are diligent and faithful workers.
8. Titus 2:11-12 - We live soberly, righteously and godly in
this present world.
9. Titus 2:13-14 - All of these things are part of being ready
for the Lord's coming.
C. The "readiness of mind" for good works is important. 2 Cor.
8:11-12
1. God never commands us to do something we cannot do.
2. If the readiness and willingness is there, it is accepted by
God.
VI. HERE'S A NEGATIVE EXAMPLE OF READINESS.
A. Peter thought he was ready. Luke 22:33
1. The Lord knew better. He knew Peter better than Peter
knew himself. Luke 22:34, 55-62
B. What was wrong with Peter? It is the same problem with many of
us.
1. He was bib on TALK, but little on DO.
2. The other way around is better: big on DO and little on
TALK.
3. Peter was not ready at that time, but later he was. 2 Pet.
1:13-14
VII. HERE'S POSITIVE EXAMPLES OF READINESS.
A. Rom. 1:14-15 - This was not just talk.
1. Later, through the aid and providence of God, he preached in
Rome. Acts 28:30-31
B. Here's another example of readiness. Ezra 7:6,10
1. Ezra was a ready (skilled) scribe in the Law of Moses.
2. Since the scribes daily copied the law, they were expected
to know it. Thus, they became teachers of the law.
3. Ezra not only knew the law, but taught and lived it.
a. To have ready scribes (teachers) of the N.T. of Christ is
a great blessing. Matt. 13:52
Concl.
A. The question each of us need to ask ourselves is, "Am I ready?"
1. Matt. 22:4 - "All things are ready..."
2. God has a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time"
(1 Pet. 1:5), and all those who are ready will go in. Matt.
25:10-13
3. The Lord is ready to forgive and save, and at the same time
He is ready to judge and condemn. Heb. 7:25; James 5:9
B. Again, the question that each one of us needs to ask himself,
"Am I ready?"
1. If you are not ready, why not get ready? Why not obey the
gospel now?