S1: Today on Bold steps with Mark job, we're learning how
S1: to ready ourselves for the end of days.
S2: The best way to get ready is to get up
S2: in the morning and say, Lord, my life today belongs
S2: to you. And whether I have a time chart or not,
S2: I want to live every day obeying you, loving you,
S2: and serving you. Because that's how I live. Ready for
S2: the end times.
S1: Welcome to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe, president of Moody
S1: Bible Institute and the senior pastor of New Life Community
S1: Church in Chicago. I'm Wayne Shepherd. Today, as we conclude
S1: our series Beyond Now How we ready ourselves for the
S1: end Times, we're going to be discussing the key attitudes
S1: we need in order to prepare ourselves for the future.
S1: Mark started this message yesterday, so if you missed the
S1: first part, you can find the complete message online at
S1: Bold Steps. But right now, let's jump into today's study
S1: from Mark. It's titled How Ready are You?
S2: Every generation should expect that in their lifetime, Jesus could
S2: return whether it happens or not in their lifetime. We
S2: live with the imminent sense of the return of Christ.
S2: Sensing God today may be the day believers in the
S2: New Testament used to greet each other saying Maranatha, which
S2: means come, Lord Jesus. Why would they say that? Because
S2: they believed in the imminent return of Christ. Let me
S2: tell you why we don't expect and anticipate and look
S2: forward to the coming of Christ. If you live your
S2: life in comfort, if there's relative safety, security, and economic prosperity,
S2: we tend to get enamored with this world, comfortable with
S2: our living. In fact, most people in America, Christians that
S2: I know don't necessarily look forward to the coming of Christ.
S2: If I were to say Jesus was coming Thursday, some
S2: of you would say, whoa, hold on, I had a
S2: quinceanera planned for next month. It's going to really mess up.
S2: I already put the deposit down. Some of you would
S2: say I was about to retire in February. I mean,
S2: come on, after all these years of working, finally I
S2: was going to go and have some free time. And. Jesus,
S2: you're coming now. Some of you say, hey, I already
S2: put the down payment for our vacation in the Bahamas.
S2: It's already bought over orbits. And now, Jesus, you're going
S2: to mess up my vacation plans. But if you go
S2: to a country where people are being persecuted, put in prison, tortured,
S2: suffering their belongings, taken away hiding because they, their wife
S2: has been kidnapped. That they're living without their possessions mere
S2: by for the mere fact that they're followers of Jesus.
S2: They would say, yes, come, Lord Jesus. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus. Secondly,
S2: Jesus tells us not only to live with a expectant
S2: and informed attitude about his imminent return, but to stay
S2: ready by living alert and watchful for his imminent return.
S2: Verse 42 says this therefore. And anytime you see the
S2: word therefore, you need to ask, what is it therefore right?
S2: When you see the word therefore in Scripture, it means
S2: that it's building on the previous thought, because people will
S2: be taken away, because one person will be left behind
S2: and because Jesus will come unexpectedly. Therefore keep watch because
S2: you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
S2: But understand this if the owner of the house had
S2: known at what time of the night the thief was coming,
S2: he would have kept watch and would not have let
S2: his house be broken into. So you also must be ready,
S2: because the Son of Man will come at an hour
S2: when you do not expect him. In essence, what Jesus
S2: is saying is that although you do not know the
S2: day or the time or the hour or the month,
S2: you do need to live with an attitude of readiness,
S2: of watching and alertness. The opposite of ready is unready.
S2: The opposite of alert is sleepy. The opposite of watching
S2: is my eyes are closed. I'm unaware that something is happening.
S2: I'm not seeing the signs of it. I'm not a
S2: watchman on the tower. I've fallen asleep behind the wall.
S2: And what Jesus is saying is that you need to
S2: live your life with a watchfulness, a readiness, an alertness
S2: that knows this is going to happen at any time.
S2: And we don't know when, when, exactly, but we're going
S2: to live our life ready. A few years back, my
S2: my daughter was in high school and she wanted to
S2: do tutoring in a neighborhood in Chicago that was a
S2: pretty rough neighborhood for a 16 year old girl to
S2: be driving into. And so I sat down with her
S2: and I said, okay. I went with her the first time,
S2: and I said, you're going to go on your own,
S2: but you're going to drive through this neighborhood, and I'm
S2: going to tell you how to drive through that neighborhood.
S2: So first of all, leave two car spaces ahead of you. Why?
S2: Because if you have to make a getaway, you can
S2: never get blocked in. Lock your windows. Be aware of
S2: who's around you. Don't leave your purse on your seat.
S2: Don't leave your cell phone on your seat. Make sure
S2: that if someone approaches you, you know what's happening. My.
S2: My wife didn't want me to let her drive to
S2: that place, but I let her drive. But I warned her.
S2: I want you to be alert. You have to be
S2: careful because you're 16 years old and this is a
S2: tough neighborhood you're driving through. And so I want you
S2: to be alert. It's the same way. So she drove,
S2: and she said, dad, I was watching, looking in the mirror.
S2: Kept some space before I had my foot on the
S2: gas pedal, just in case I had to take off fast. Why?
S2: She was alert, watching, expecting. That's how we are to
S2: live our life in Christ. We are to live our
S2: life with our foot on the gas pedal, waiting and
S2: expecting that the coming of Christ could be at any moment.
S2: we live in light of the imminent return of Christ.
S2: Some people that are real into Bible prophecy think that
S2: they figured it out and they say, well, I'm not
S2: worried yet because this prophecy has to happen or something
S2: has to happen in Israel. So I think we have
S2: some time. I don't think it's for you to tell
S2: us if we have time or not. My Bible says
S2: live ready. And so we live with this expectation that
S2: Jesus could come at any time, any moment, any day.
S2: You keep ready. What does that mean? It means listen.
S2: The greatest way to keep ready. Is not to get
S2: five transformers in your house. Bottles of water and a bunker.
S2: And a time chart of the end days. Predicting. Yeah,
S2: it's about three months away. No, no, no, that's not
S2: how you get ready. The best way to get ready
S2: is to get up in the morning, pull out your
S2: Bible and say, Lord, my life today belongs to you.
S2: I want to live with no unconfessed sin. I want
S2: to live in obedience to you. I want to live
S2: full of the Holy Spirit. And whether I have a
S2: time chart or not, I want to live every day
S2: in line with you, in obedience to you, obeying you,
S2: loving you, and serving you. Because that's how I live.
S2: Ready for the end times. See, I know people that
S2: have charts but aren't living ready. I know people that
S2: have the whole outline of the end times figured out,
S2: but they're not living their personal life ready. You don't
S2: have to be an expert in prophecy to be ready
S2: for the coming of Christ. You don't have to know
S2: what the ten horns of revelation Mean to be ready
S2: for the coming of Christ. You don't have to have
S2: diagrammed and diagnosed the entire book of revelation and know
S2: what the dragon means and know who's coming from the
S2: East and the south, the east or the West. You
S2: don't have to know all that to be ready. You
S2: have to determine, I'm going to live my life surrendered
S2: to the Son of God, full of the Holy Spirit.
S2: And and if he comes today, I'm ready because I'm
S2: living for him every day of my life. That's how
S2: you live. Ready for the coming of Christ.
S1: You're listening to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe, and we'll
S1: return to our message shortly. Mark, do you know what
S1: I've been reflecting on lately? The incredible privilege we have
S1: as believers living in this particular moment in history. I
S1: love to study history, but never before have we had
S1: such powerful tools for sharing the gospel globally, instantly reaching
S1: people in remote villages. That happens through bold steps, doesn't it?
S1: Or in closed countries, in crowded cities alike. But we
S1: have this unprecedented opportunity, and it comes with a tremendous responsibility,
S1: doesn't it?
S3: You know, I heard recently that moody radio programming is, um,
S3: heard in 190 countries is what someone said. And, um,
S3: technology has allowed us to do that. And I'm amazed
S3: when suddenly we get a email from Eastern Europe of
S3: someone saying, hey, I haven't found a church yet, but
S3: I listened to Bold Steps recently. Someone told me that
S3: a doctor in Mexico had joined their church, and they
S3: got saved through bold steps. And I'm like, wow, this
S3: is amazing how seeds are just being shot throughout all
S3: the world. We know specifically that there are people in
S3: closed countries right now that listen in secret, because it's
S3: dangerous for them to be caught listening to Christian radio.
S3: This is an amazing time to get the gospel out there.
S3: There are close to 9 billion people in the world,
S3: and there are millions and millions of people that have
S3: very little gospel presence in their world. They are saturated
S3: with false religion, with heresies, with a lot of different
S3: ideology that does not allow Jesus Christ to come to
S3: the forefront. And so radio, podcasting, our technology as people
S3: can live stream, this is one of the ways that
S3: we get past the guards at the borders and we
S3: through the airwaves. God has given us a beautiful gift
S3: to go past the guards, into the houses, into the homes,
S3: and right to into the bedrooms and kitchens of where
S3: people live, so that they are hearing the good message
S3: of Jesus like never before. And we are passionate about this.
S3: We know that there's a lot of other believers that
S3: are passionate as well, and we're saying, join us, please.
S3: This is a powerful moment for us to proclaim the
S3: gospel of Jesus Christ, especially as the world is being
S3: shaken in so many ways.
S1: I believe there is some listening right now who are
S1: not just hearers of the word, but want to be
S1: active participants in spreading that word. So today could be
S1: your day to step into that calling by giving to
S1: bold steps. Just go to Bold Steps to make a
S1: gift or call 800 D.L. Moody. That's (800) 356-6639. Remember, your
S1: gift of any amount helps share God's Word with those
S1: who need it most. Really, around the world, when you
S1: give any amount, we'll send you a special gift as
S1: our thanks and we'll take time to tell you about
S1: that just a little bit later here in the program today.
S1: But let's get back into the message from the book
S1: of Matthew. Mark will be laying out the final point
S1: in this second half of today's bold steps.
S2: Number three. And lastly, stay ready by living faithful and
S2: Purposefully in light of his imminent return. Verse 45 says,
S2: who then is the faithful and wise servant? So now
S2: Jesus contrasts two people, the ready servant and the unprepared servant.
S2: One he calls faithful and wise, the other he calls wicked.
S2: And he basically says, hey, imagine that there was a
S2: master that owned a a precinct and a household, and
S2: he leaves to go to a foreign country and he
S2: tells the manager in charge, hey, take care of my estate.
S2: I will be back. Take care of it the way
S2: I've trained you to take care of it. And so
S2: that manager, when he leaves, he runs the household on
S2: line with the purposes of his master. He takes care
S2: of the household as if his master was there. The
S2: owner of the household. He runs it, prepares it. The
S2: house is clean. The the property's kept up. The employees
S2: are paid. The €4 swept the grounds are kept up well,
S2: because he knows that that's the way the owner of
S2: the household wants it. And he's been left in charge
S2: to manage the property. And when the owner returns, suddenly
S2: he comes back and he says, wow, well done. You've
S2: managed this property the way I would have had you
S2: manage it if I were present, he said. There's another manager, though.
S2: The owner leaves. He waves goodbye and he turns around
S2: and says, party time. The boss is away. The children
S2: will play like some of you do at work, but
S2: he says, alright, the owner is gone. And so now
S2: he starts acting like, hey, I'm not going to run
S2: this house. So like my owner wants it to be run.
S2: I'm going to start. I'm going to start having people
S2: serve me and I'm going to have a party. And
S2: it gets drunk and he parties in there. He uses people,
S2: abuses people, runs it, acts like he's the guy in charge,
S2: uses everything for himself, gets in the wine cellar, pulls
S2: out the oldest wine that he knows the owner would
S2: only have. He breaks it open, acts like it's his.
S2: He splurges, he uses, and then suddenly, when he's in
S2: the middle of his big party, the outside is unkept.
S2: People are in disarray. The other staff members feel abused
S2: and trampled down. Uh, the the the inside is like
S2: one big party. And suddenly the owner of the household
S2: returns and says, hey, what's going on? Oh, I didn't
S2: think you were returning this quickly. That's how it will
S2: be with the coming of the Son of God. There
S2: are some people that understand about Christ that have heard
S2: the gospel, that have said, I'm going to live my
S2: life as though my life belongs to God. I'm purpose
S2: with God. He's entrusted me with a mission and gifts
S2: and a vision, and I'm going to live my life
S2: using my gifts and my talents and my time and
S2: my treasure in line with the purposes of God. Because
S2: I know that my life belongs to God and everything
S2: that I am belongs to God. So I'm going to
S2: live my life as though God is my the Lord
S2: of my life. Others have heard about God and the gospel,
S2: but they determined to say, well, he's not coming soon.
S2: I'm going to live my life for me, and I'm
S2: going to act as though I'm the owner of my life.
S2: Though every the talents that I have belong to me,
S2: the resources that I have belong to me. I'm going
S2: to have fun and party and do what I want.
S2: I'm going to act like I want treat people like
S2: I want because this is all about me, and then
S2: God shows up. The image that I have is a
S2: teacher that tells junior high students, here's your assignment. I'll
S2: be back in five minutes. Behave. And she walks out
S2: of the classroom. The door closes. You know, there's always
S2: the one kid, right? He's the first to get up
S2: and look out the window. She's gone. He's the guy
S2: that gets everybody riled up. Pretty soon he gets up front,
S2: acts like the teacher jumps on her chair. He's on
S2: the desk doing a little dance. Gets everybody riled up
S2: because they think, aha, she's not coming back. There's a
S2: couple of them that are doing their assignment, a couple
S2: of them that are still working on it, and the
S2: class goes wild because they think, oh, she's going to
S2: come back in about ten minutes, but she comes back
S2: in about four minutes and catches the dancer up on
S2: her desk. The Bible says basically, that's the way it's
S2: going to be with the coming of the Son of Man.
S2: So the question that Jesus stirs us with is, are
S2: we ready? In fact, look at what he says at
S2: the end. It's pretty harsh what he says. It says
S2: the master of that servant comes in the day when
S2: he does not expect him, and at an hour that
S2: he is not aware, and he he will cut him
S2: to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites,
S2: where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Wow, that's
S2: pretty severe. Weeping and gnashing of teeth, by the way,
S2: is always associated with a place of. Of judgment often
S2: associated with hell itself. In other words, that that servant
S2: that's not living for God, that servant that's not following God,
S2: that servant that knows the message but hasn't embraced it.
S2: When the Son of Man appears and he's living for himself,
S2: then judgment comes upon that person. I want to close
S2: with this. I believe that God has called you and
S2: I in our generation to live, prepared and ready for
S2: the coming of our Christ. I just wonder. What would
S2: be your reaction? If you found out that that day
S2: was two days from now. Some of you would say, come,
S2: Lord Jesus, I've been waiting for this day with such
S2: great anticipation and joy. I've told everybody I can about you.
S2: I'm living for you. I've walked in obedience. Oh, Lord,
S2: I'm not perfect. But I'm forgiven and living for you. God,
S2: I wait for that day with such glorious anticipation. Come,
S2: Lord Jesus. Others would be scrambling. Oh, Lord, not in
S2: two days. I haven't told my friends, my relatives. I
S2: haven't shared the gospel. I'm not living the way I
S2: should be living. I'm afraid of that day coming. I'm afraid.
S2: What to expect and find when I meet you. Because
S2: I've been living my life kind of doing my own thing. Father. And. Whoa! No,
S2: don't come yet. Could you wait a month or two months?
S2: Not ready for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
S2: I believe God is raising a generation of men and
S2: women that are ready and willing to live with an
S2: end times mentality, a generation of men and women that
S2: are bold for the gospel of Jesus Christ and not
S2: ashamed to be a light in a world that's getting darker.
S2: I believe that God is raising a generation of men
S2: and women that are living with readiness in their soul,
S2: expecting the imminent return of Jesus Christ, living in obedience
S2: to him, walking in a way that honors him, so
S2: that if Christ were to come back tomorrow, they would say,
S2: I live ready every day. So come, Lord Jesus. And
S2: I wonder which one of those you are if you're ready.
S2: If you anticipate it. If you say, pastor, there's so
S2: many things I need to get right before that happens.
S2: So much I have to work on. People I have
S2: to forgive. Steps I need to take. Things in my
S2: life that I know God is displeased with. There's habits
S2: I need to release and people I need to forgive,
S2: and steps that I need to take and people I
S2: need to tell. I'm not ready. Now's the time. To
S2: get ready.
S1: You're listening to our Bible teacher, Mark Jobe, and this
S1: is the daily radio program known as Bold Steps. You
S1: can revisit these messages online at Bold Steps. Org or
S1: by listening through the Bold Steps app or even the
S1: Bold Steps podcast. Encouraging and equipping you for the journey
S1: is what we're all about here, and we'd love for
S1: you to go to our website and explore the resources
S1: and tools that are available to you right now, like
S1: our latest bold step gift. The tween years are formative
S1: for developing a girl's understanding of who God is and
S1: who she is in him. Lies Girls Believe by Dana
S1: Gresh is a book that addresses 20 dangerous lies that
S1: can take root during these crucial years. I'm a Christian
S1: because I go to church. God only loves me when
S1: I'm good. I don't need to tell anyone about my sin.
S1: These are just a few of the harmful lies that
S1: young girls believe. Dana's book tackles these misconceptions head on,
S1: replacing them with biblical truth in a format that speaks
S1: directly to girls ages 7 to 12. This would make
S1: the perfect gift for any mom in your life this
S1: Mother's Day, who's dedicated to raising a daughter whose identity
S1: is rooted in Jesus and not defined by the culture.
S1: Request this transformative, bold step gift today and invest in
S1: the spiritual future of the young girls you love. We'll
S1: send you a copy when you give any amount to
S1: bold steps. Just go online to Bold Steps. Org Give
S1: or call us at 800. D.L. Moody. That's (800) 356-6639. You
S1: can also send your gift and request the book in
S1: the mail by writing to us at bold steps 820
S1: North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 606 ten. And when you
S1: give a financial gift to support the work of this ministry,
S1: you become part of our Bold partners family who receive
S1: exclusive content from the desk of pastor Mark in a
S1: bi weekly basis. And if you give $30 or more
S1: each month, we'll also send you a link for 50%
S1: off any book, DVD, or Bible study in the entire
S1: Moody Publishers online store. You can sign up today at bird-stamps.org. Well, Mark,
S1: it's that time again. Time for a new series. You've
S1: called it The Daughter Factor. What's coming up?
S3: You know, with Mother's Day coming up, we're launching a
S3: brand new message called The Daughter Factor. I want you
S3: parents to know That the girls that you are raising,
S3: your daughters are strongly influenced by the words, the relationship,
S3: how you view them, what you say you are shaping
S3: the destiny of how they see themselves, their walk with
S3: God and their future. That is both a powerful responsibility,
S3: but also it can be daunting. And so I want
S3: you to just understand, through the lens of Scripture, what
S3: it means to help your daughter understand who she is
S3: in God.
S1: It's an important study coming up and we're looking forward
S1: to it. But for now, I'm Wayne Shepherd signing off,
S1: thanking Mark Jobe for that. And we'll see you again
S1: Thursday for another exciting episode of Bold Steps with Mark Joe.
S1: Bold steps is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry
S1: of Moody Bible Institute.