Based on the sermon:

Ready, Faithful, and Wise: How to Live Until Christ Returns

In a world filled with uncertainty and rapid change, one truth remains constant: Jesus Christ is coming back. The question isn’t whether He’ll return, but how we should live while we wait. According to Matthew 24, there are three essential ways we must conduct ourselves until the Son of Man comes.

We Must Be Ready

“Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42). Jesus uses the analogy of a thief in the night—no one expects when a burglar will strike, just as no one knows the exact moment of Christ’s return. The keyword here is “ready,” which means to be prepared.

But what does it mean to be spiritually prepared? It’s more than just head knowledge about Jesus. Many people can recite theological facts—they believe in the Trinity, acknowledge Jesus died for sins, and accept His resurrection. Yet their hearts remain unchanged. As James reminds us, even demons believe these truths and tremble (James 2:19). The difference lies not in intellectual acceptance but in heart transformation.

Romans 10:9-10 makes this clear: “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Notice the emphasis on the heart. True readiness comes when our hearts are genuinely surrendered to Christ, when faith moves from our heads to our hearts and transforms how we live.

Being ready also means living with our spiritual seatbelts fastened, prepared for impact. Just as Captain Sullenberger told passengers to “brace for impact” before landing on the Hudson River, we must live with the constant awareness that Christ could return at any moment. This isn’t about fear—it’s about faithful expectancy.

We Must Stay Alert

Being ready leads naturally to staying alert. Jesus commands us to “be on the alert” (Matthew 24:42), using language that describes a watchman on duty. In ancient times, city guards would maintain watches throughout the night, protecting inhabitants from enemy attacks. The worst thing a watchman could do was fall asleep on duty.

Living on “red alert” means maintaining spiritual vigilance. It affects how we witness to others—when we truly believe Jesus could return today, we’re more likely to share the gospel with that person in the checkout line. It impacts our generosity—we hold our possessions more loosely when we remember they’re temporary. It influences our relationships—we’re quicker to forgive and slower to harbor grudges when we live with eternal perspective.

The church in Sardis received a wake-up call: “Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die” (Revelation 3:2). They had fallen asleep spiritually, going through religious motions without spiritual vitality. Like them, we need to wake up and live with the urgency that comes from knowing Christ’s return is imminent.

We Must Be Faithful

Jesus asks, “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household?” (Matthew 24:45). The word “faithful” carries two important meanings: trustworthy and full of faith.

First, faithfulness means being dependable. God gives us assignments—roles at work, responsibilities at church, relationships to nurture—and faithful people complete these tasks regardless of whether anyone is watching. They can be counted on because their word means something. As one teacher put it, be so dependable that if you don’t show up, people send flowers because they assume you must have died.

Second, faithfulness means walking by faith rather than sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). When circumstances contradict God’s promises, faithful people choose to believe God’s Word over their feelings or circumstances. This becomes especially crucial when the enemy whispers lies that align with our emotions. After we fall into sin, we might feel unforgivable, but faith declares what God says: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9).

We Must Be Wise

The faithful servant is also described as “sensible” or wise. Wisdom means making decisions based on eternal rather than temporal values. It’s the difference between building your house on rock versus sand—both may look similar during construction, but only one survives the storm.

Wise living recognizes that everything in life is a test. Like Job, who maintained his faith despite losing everything, we’re tested to see if we love God for who He is rather than just for His blessings. The Master delays his return partly to test our faithfulness during His absence.

The wise servant continues faithfully serving, knowing the master will return to reward diligence. But the foolish servant says, “My master is not coming for a long time,” and begins living selfishly. When the master returns unexpectedly, judgment follows.

The Early Edition

Imagine receiving tomorrow’s newspaper today, knowing in advance about accidents and tragedies you could prevent. In a sense, God has given us this “early edition” through His Word. We know Christ is returning, we know judgment is coming, and we know how to prepare. The question is: what will we do with this advance knowledge?

Three times in Revelation 22, Jesus declares, “Behold, I am coming quickly.” This repetition isn’t accidental—it’s urgent emphasis. When He comes, He will reward the faithful and judge the faithless. The time to prepare is now.

Are you ready? Are you faithful? Are you living wisely? These aren’t just nice religious concepts—they’re essential preparations for the most important appointment in human history.