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?