Jesus tells us that He is coming back.  If you are new to the Bible, Jesus has already come once.  He did this so that we can find forgiveness of the things we’ve done wrong, which gives us a way to God and heaven.  Believing that Jesus did this is the most important decision of your life.  During Jesus’ first coming, He let all of us know that He will be coming back a second time.  When He comes back a second time, He’s coming to finish what He started.  

Over the years, I’ve had mixed emotions about Jesus’ second coming.  There are days when I want Jesus back right now.  There also days when I’m okay to wait.  I want to see my kids grow up and accomplish what God has called them to do.  I want to grow old with my wife.  And those I’m okay to wait, I’ve struggled with that feeling because I know that what God has in store next is going to be amazing.  I’ve learned that it’s okay to feel both of those because it all goes back to the reason I feel those both of those feelings.  God wants us to live in the tension of enjoying the daily gifts.  He has given us and longing for our eternity with Him.  It’s all about our perspective and what we do with our perspective.  Invest your life until Jesus comes back.

We are almost through the entire book of Matthew!  We are covering chapter 25 today and next Sunday.  We already covered chapters 26, 27, and half of chapter 28 earlier this year.  We’ll end our journey with the Great Commission in Matthew 28 in a few weeks.  We reach the final teachings of Jesus before the events of His crucifixion begin to unfold.  Jesus knows this timing, so these words probably had a lot of weight to the disciples.  And they should for us too. Last week, Jeffrey kicked off Jesus’ final sermon called the Olivet Discourse.  Jesus’ sermon is focused on eternity and Jesus’ return.  Last week was about the certainty of eternity.  This week is about reality of Jesus’ second coming.  We are going to look at 3 parables that let us know about Jesus’ second coming and what we are supposed to do about it.  We learn something from the first parable that you probably don’t hear pastors say very often:  Jesus may not be coming back any time soon.

1) Jesus may not be coming back any time soon. (vs. 25:1-13)  Some of you all might be like, “All I ever from a pastor is that Jesus might be coming back tomorrow, so I better get ready!”  “Now you are telling me that Jesus might not come back tomorrow?!”  Yep. I am. Because that’s what Jesus said.  Let’s look at this parable Jesus tell us:  1 “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Let’s get a little context here:  This is a wedding scene.  As part of the custom, the bridesmaids in the wedding would wait for the arrival of the groom.  Your translation might say “virgins” here because in a wedding, only young, unmarried women could be bridesmaids.  Upon the groom’s arrival, the wedding celebration would start. The bridesmaids would escort the groom to the wedding feast.  Since the celebration would take place at night, the bridesmaids would have lamps or torches to help light the way of the groom’s arrival.  We learn something about the bridesmaids.  2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.   3 The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, 4 but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil.  So, that group planned ahead, knowing that they couldn’t predict the time the groom would arrive.  Look at what happened in verse 5.  5 When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.  So, all the 10 young ladies are asleep, then all of the sudden someone yells out in verse 6.  6 “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’  7 “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps.   You can imagine the scene:  Getting up, dusting yourself off, fixing your hair, maybe splashing a little water in your face, getting pumped up.  Listen, I don’t know what bridesmaids do at weddings…!  Then there was a moment for 5 of the bridesmaids where their hearts sunk.  8 Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’  They realized that they didn’t have enough oil to finish the celebration.  They realized their lamps would die out before they reached the party.  They tried to take the oil from the others bridesmaids.  9 “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’  

I want to pause here for a moment:  If you haven’t already figured out the parable, this is a story about Jesus’ return.  He’s the groom and we are the bridesmaids.  When Jesus returns, there is a truth we must be aware of:  You can’t borrow someone else’s faith.  When Christ comes back, it’s all about your faith and your faith alone.  It doesn’t matter if your spouse believed.  It doesn’t matter if your grandma was the biggest prayer warrior.  It’s all about you and Jesus.  Don’t make the mistake thinking you can enter heaven on someone else’s faith.  How did the rest of the parable play out?  10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. 11 Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’  12 “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’  13 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.  Here’s the point of this parable:  We don’t know when Jesus is coming back.  We must be prepared that is Jesus isn’t coming back tomorrow.  We aren’t called to a quick faith, a fleeting faith, or a passing faith.  Our faith must be a staying faith.

Let me ask you a question that might frame what it means to have a staying faith.  What if you knew Jesus was coming back in 10 years?  Think about that for a moment.  It’s not so close that you can quit your job and start RVing around the country.  And it’s not too far off that it seems like you don’t have to worry about it.  What would you change in your life?  How would you start interacting with your husband, with your wife?  How would you start looking at your job?  How would you start parenting your kids?   How would you start interacting with your neighbors  What would become a priority in your life?  What would no longer be a priority in your life?  However you answer those questions, that kind of thinking is like that of a staying faith – a persistent faith.  You begin to live your life asking the question: “Does this have eternal value?”  That’s what should change in our lives when we realize that Jesus may not be coming back soon.  Before you get too comfortable with that idea, let me ask you another question…What if Jesus comes back tomorrow?  Some of you are thinking, “Ah, there is it! I knew he would ask that pastor question!”  You’re right, I am asking that question, but Jesus asked it.  Here’s another truth we see about Jesus’ return: Jesus is coming back suddenly.

2) Jesus is coming back suddenly. (vs. 24:45-51)2)  Let’s skip back to chapter 24 where Jesus gives us another parable.  This parable is about two types of servants.  Take a look starting in verse 45:  45 “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. 46 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 47 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 48 But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ 49 and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? 50 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, 51 and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  This is a straight-forward parable.  There are two servants – two contrasting servants.  Each servant is given control of their master’s household when the master must leave for a season.  The faithful servant takes care of the household – and fulfills his duties.  But the wicked servant does the complete opposite.  He balks at his responsibilities.  He beats his fellow servants.  And begins to party.  The wicked servant had no regard to his master’s household.  The key to his parable is verse 48.  The servant believed his master would not return soon – or at all!  And because his heart was not concerned with the master, he chose to live for himself.  The wicked servant failed to recognize the imminent return of his master.  

The contrast of the two servants when their masters returns is stark.  The faithful servant is rewarded greatly.  Our reward will be great in heaven.  The wicked servant was not so fortunate.  Here’s what Jesus wants us to know with these first two parables:  Jesus’s delay may be long, but His return will be sudden.  When Jesus comes back, it will be fast.   Scripture tells us this in 1 Thessalonians 5:2 -- 2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.”  Revelation 3:11 -- 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown.  Our years should focus on Christ’s delayed return, but our days should focus on Christ’s sudden return.  Our yearly planning should focus on the delay of Christ’s return, but our daily planning should focus on Christ’s sudden return.  Make your long-term plans, but live out each day with urgency.  Plan out your budget with Christ’s future return in mind.  Schedule your calendar with Christ’s future return in mind.  But when you wake up each morning, cling to God’s Word as if He’s coming back tomorrow.  Don’t neglect that conversation God is calling you to have because you don’t know if He returns tomorrow.  Live with gratitude today while planning for the future.   The dance is difficult.  It’s easy to get focused on one side of the equation.  Jesus gives us one more parable that puts all the pieces together.  Here’s what we see last: No matter the timing of Jesus’ return, we must invest our lives.

3) No matter the timing of Jesus’ return, we must invest our lives. (vs. 25:14-30)  It’s a little long, but let’s read this last parable:  14 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. 15 He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. 16 “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more.  17 The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more.  18 But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money. 19 “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money.  20 The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’  21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ 22 “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’ 23 “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’  24 “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate.  25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’ 26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, 27 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’ 28 “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. 29 To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 30 Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

I’ll cut to the chase with this parable:  God doesn’t want you to sit on your hands waiting for His return.  God wants you do something for Kingdom.  God wants you to invest your life.  What do I mean by that?  God wants you to do things in this life that make an eternal impact.  Jesus wants you to invest your life.  Wife/Husband - Kids - Grandkids -Family - Work - Community - Church.  So, why don’t we do this more?  It’s risky!  Investments fail.  Investments don’t always give us the return we are expecting.  You might invest in a friend and never see “your return”  That’s why the 3rd servant said he was afraid.  He was afraid of what might happen.  Here’s what Jesus is telling us:  Investing your life is risky, but it’s required.  We aren’t called to manufacture results.  We are called to obediently invest.  I recently read some words John Piper said about the Apostle Paul’s life.  Quote: “Paul never knew where the next blow would come from. Every day he risked his life for the cause of God. The roads weren’t safe. The rivers weren’t safe. His own people, the Jews, weren’t safe. The Gentiles weren’t safe. The cities weren’t safe. The wilderness wasn’t safe. The sea wasn’t safe. Even the so-called Christian brothers weren’t safe. Safety was a mirage. It simply didn’t exist for the apostle Paul.” – John Piper.  

Piper would go on to say…“The Christian life is a call to risk. You either live with risk or waste your life.” – John Piper.  Investing your life is risky.  Of all the moments in history, God put you here.  You are not in Egypt under Pharoah’s rule.  You are not on Pompeii.  You don’t live in Alexander the Great’s empire.  You are not trying to defeat Genghis Khan.  You are not enlisting in the American Civil War.  God put you here, in this moment in history, for a reason.  He knows that this place and this time is the best place for you to invest your life for His kingdom.  It looked different for people in the Bible and it will look different for each of today.  Rahab: Hide spies - David: Fight a giant - Disciples: Feed 5000.  We can risk our investment because we can trust God’s goodness.  Invest your life today knowing that Jesus has the future.  He’s coming back.  No idea when, but let’s plan like he’s coming back.  Invest your life in what eternally matters.


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