He is Coming Soon // Run the Race to the End, Part 5

A Different Perspective Official Podcast

Most of us live life with the expectation that one day – hopefully well of in the future, we’re going to die. We try not to think too much about that, but that’s the idea. So what if there’s an alternative? What if something else could happen – much sooner than we think? Hmm?

There are two absolute certainties in life they tell us. Death and taxes. I guess I don't think anyone would argue with that little maxim. We all have the expectation that one day, one day we will breathe our last breath on this earth. And that will be the end of this race. Now some people don't know what happens after that. Others firmly believe that nothing happens. Others still, like me, well we're crazy enough to take God at His word and with our faith firmly in Jesus, who died for us and rose again. We know with an absolute certainty that we will have life eternal with our God.

I don't mean to sound arrogant or disrespectful if that's not what you happen to believe. But I just know. Whatever faith profile we have though, we all pretty much expect to end our race, here on earth. Dying in our sleep or in our beds or in a car accident. Now we may not like to think too much about that but that's pretty much the template that we all carry around in our heads. One day I'll be dead.

That's fair enough. But today, today I just want to take a look at one other possibility. Because there is another possibility other than that. It's a possibility that if we take God at His word, it could happen at any moment. As much as we might look at the physical realities of the world and think, "No, that could never happen." Actually, it could.

Well here it is. Here's the alternative. However improbable it may seem. Jesus promised that one day He would return and that would be the end of this age. Now most of us are so buried in the day to day realities of life that, no matter what we believe, even if we believe in this Jesus, that it's not likely that we'd consider it. "No, no, it wouldn't happen." We kind of push that into the background. Most people live their lives as though their own death is a long way off and so the end of this age doesn't appear to matter much.

Well today, let’s have a reality check. Let's just listen to what Jesus said about this because what He said matters. It matters right here and now. I'm reading from Matthew chapter 24 and it starts at verse 35. Have a listen 'cause it's right in your face. He said:

Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away. But about the day and the hour, no-one knows. Neither the angels of heaven nor the Son but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were so will be the coming of the Son of man. (That's what Jesus called himself - the Son of man) For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage until the day Noah entered the ark and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away. So too it will be at the coming of the Son of man. Then two will be in a field and one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together, one will be taken and one will be left.

Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming but understand this. If the owner of the house had known what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of man is coming at an unexpected hour.

Who then is the faithful and wise slave whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all of his possessions but if that wicked slave says to himself, 'my master is delayed' and he begins to beat his fellow slaves and eats and drinks with drunkards. The master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect and at an hour he does not know and he will cut him to pieces and put him with the hypocrites where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Boy, that’s pretty direct. No mamby pamby Jesus here. He doesn't mince His words. He says, "I'm coming back. Don't you make any mistake about this." And twice He says, "at an unexpected hour". He has this picture of Noah and the flood and the day before. It was just an ordinary every day. People were getting married. They were having babies. They were eating. They were drinking. And then the flood came and swept them away. They didn't expect it.

That's exactly what it will be like, He says, when I come back. And you'd better be ready.

Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

It's sobering stuff. Let me ask you this. If Jesus returned in about, lets say, the next forty-five minutes. He walks straight up to you and cast His eye over your life, would He find you ready? Would He find you living the life that He's called you to live? Would your life be in order? I'm not talking perfection but how would you feel if He lobbed in, in this next hour or so?

Now you maybe thinking, "Berni, Berni, why are you trying this guilt trip thing on me? Do you think I'm that gullible?" Here's my answer. Think what you like. One day there will be a day of reckoning. There will be a day of judgement. Now you and I could be dead tomorrow or today or Jesus could come back at the most unexpected hour. The very next hour perhaps. And when either of those two things happens, that's it. It's all over red rover. And either He'll find us with our faith in Him, our hearts full of His spirit, our hands busy about the work that He's called us to do or He'll find us asleep at the wheel.

And there will be consequences. Listen to what Psalm 111, verse 10 says:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. All those who practice it have a good understanding.

Proverbs chapter 1, verse 7:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

And that's, I guess, what I want to share with you in no uncertain terms today. We need to have a right fear of God.

I want to go back now, to the beginning of what we started talking about over these last couple of weeks. What Paul says about running the race of life.

Do you not know (he says) that in a race the runners all compete but only one receives the prize. Run in such a way that you may win it.

Live your life in such a way that when you die or when Jesus comes back, you'll be found in Him, living for His glory. The point is this, the race could be over much sooner than we think. And that's the reason to keep going with vigour and energy and joy and focus and perseverance.

Please don't think I'm trying to lump some great mill stone around your neck. No. This is about being set free. See, so often we want to pull over and the things that keep us going, well they're multiple and we need different ones at different times. There is a real joy in running the race that God's set before us. Real satisfaction. And when we get weary, sometimes when you can look up at the prize of eternal life and think, "I'm going to keep going for that." And other times, like today, maybe, maybe we need a kick in pants.

Come on. With the reality that there is a day of reckoning coming and that day may come at the most unexpected hour. See there's a flip side to the prize and it's a hell of an alternative. We need to have both the joy and the fear of the Lord in our hearts. And a sober fear of the alternative. And my job is to share both of those with you.

"Run the race in such a way that you will win the prize."

And as you do that, we grow and we enjoy and we overcome. Yeah, there's suffering along the way and sacrifice but in the middle of it all is the piercing sweetness of the love of Christ. And I have to tell you, it just doesn't get any better than that!