Readiness - The Watchword For The Faithful

SERMON OUTLINE:


• Be alert (Vs 35)
• Be Waiting and watching (vs 36-40)
• Be specific (vs 41)
• Be Working (vs 42-53)


SERMON BODY:

Ill:
• When Winston Churchill was in his early thirties;
• He tried with all his powers to awaken the English speaking world;
• To the impending dangers of a resurgent Germany;


• At the time Germany was being influenced by one ‘Corporal Hitler’;
• But Churchill’s warnings were all to no avail.


• So it was therefore ironic
• That after he had done so much to try and avert the conflict.

• That when war broke out:
• Britain turned to Churchill in her fight against Nazism;

• This sense of irony never left him;
• Years later American President Roosevelt asked him the question:

• “What did he feel the war should be called?”
• Churchill answered without hesitation ‘The Unnecessary War’.


• Churchill knew the difficulty of getting people to listen;
• Especially listening to things they did not want to hear;
• And to be confronted with tough choices that will affect a person’s life-style.


• Sadly for many people - only calamity;
• Will make them take notice of things that they should be noticing all of the time.



In Luke chapter 12 Jesus wants his hearers to make some tough choices:


• He has been teaching some important truths:
• And like Churchill he knew his hearers did not want to embrace them;
• For they made huge demands upon a person’s life.
Question: What was this tough teaching?

Answer: Just scan chapter 12 of Luke and you will find out:


• Verses 1-12: Beware of hypocrisy - double standards – be genuine!
• Verses 13-21: Beware of covetousness (longing for money & possessions) – be content!
• Verses 22-34: Beware of worrying – trust in God - be focussed!


• And now in these two parables Jesus again gives us another warning:
• Verses 35-48 Beware of carelessness (beware of negligence).

• In these verses Jesus will shift the emphasis:
• He has been talking about being worried in the present;
• Now he switches the teaching to talk about being concerned about the future.



Note:


• This highlighting of ‘being ready’ in these two parables:
• Really complements and completes this previous teaching;


• The best way to overcome and conquer hypocrisy, covetousness and worry;
• Is to look forward to the return of the Lord!


• When you are living in the ‘future’ tense;
• It is much harder for the things of the world to ensnare you.


• Quote: C. S. Lewis:
• “Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.”


(1). Be alert (Vs 35): “Be dressed ready for service keep your lamps burning”


• As the old joke goes:
• “Be alert because Britain needs lerts”

Ill:
• There was a king of England called Ethelred,
• (King of England 978–1013 and 1014–1016).
• He earned the nickname ’Ethelred the Unready’.


• I think that nickname was a little unfair because he was only about 10 years old;
• When he came to the throne and was made king.

• Most of his problems were caused by his advisors, his councillors;
• Their poor advice meant that Ethelred was never really prepared to meet his enemies,

• Unable to effectively rouse and army and fight them;
• Ethelred was forced to buy off his enemies.

• This earned him the nick-name ‘Ethelred the unready’.
• Although to be fair