Sermon Central
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The Faith Of A Dog
Contributed by Bruce Ball on Apr 9, 2011 (message contributor)
Summary: A message that shows how people of all times are just like us today. We are all driven by our pasts to make decisions today that will affect our futures tomorrow.
But He also says that the Good News is that the Gospel will be preached everywhere on earth right before He comes back.
And Jesus did promise us that He would return for those who believe in Him.
“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there soon to prepare a place for you there also? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
So, when will Jesus come back to get us? Again, let us see what He says about when that will be.
In MATTHEW 24:36 and in MARK 13:32, Jesus told His disciples, nobody knew the day or the hour of His return except for God the Father. He said that He did not know and neither did the angels.
There was a team of scientists who went by ship to the Antarctic. The plan was to be dropped off and then the ship would go back to South America to get refueled and restock the supplies before coming back two months later to pick the scientists up.
Everything went according to the plan until the ship came back to pick them up. During that two months, winter had set in early, and huge icebergs had formed. When the ship came to the inlet where it would pick up the scientists, it could not get in because the inlet was blocked by these icebergs.
The ship’s radio was out and it could not even establish contact with the scientists. So, the ship sat there. It stayed there for nearly a month before some icebergs flowed out of the way and created an opening for the ship.
When the ship got within eyesight of where they dropped the scientists off, they saw them all standing there, packed and ready to leave. See, the scientists did not know when the ship would come, but they had full faith that it would eventually be there. So, they made sure they were ready to go, no matter when the ship came.
Christians do not know when Jesus will be back, but in our faith, we are to be ready – no matter whenever that day comes.
In 1 THESSALONIANS 5:4, Paul tells says we have been told so we are not in the dark on this subject. We are to be ready for Jesus’ return whenever it happens. He says that being prepared, that time would not overtake us as a thief in the night would.
He encourages us to always be on the alert, staying in faith, living in His love, and keeping our hope of salvation intact, all so that we do not miss being taken back with Him.
Even though Christ’s return will be sudden, and in an instant, it will not be unexpected. God has talked about it for thousands of years. Churches have preached about it for over 2,000 years. Christians have prayed about it and looked forward to it since Christ first left. But even so, most people will be left because they were not properly prepared spiritually.
There is the story of a man who was traveling across country with his faithful dog. He happened to stop for gas at a small country gas station, and while he was there, he went into the store to buy some snacks. He went back to his car, got in, and drove off. The problem was his dog had gotten out of the car and was left behind.
