The Case For Preparing For Christ’s Return
Pastor Leslie Chua
“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 in what part 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.”
This short passage is an excerpt from the Olivet Discourse. It follows immediately after Jesus taught on the rapture. We do not know exactly when Jesus will be coming back to resurrect the dead in Christ and rapture those believers who are still alive.
Given that, we must be prepared for Christ’s return. We have to be alert and vigilant. These are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though spoken to His disciples some two thousand years ago, it is meant for our generation living at the time of the end.
Despite Jesus’ warning, most believers do not take these words seriously. Many Christian pastors and leaders believe that Jesus is coming back soon, but they do not prepare their flocks for it.
The least that could be done is to teach on the subject of eschatology and point to the biblical signs of Christ’s soon return. Then, the sheep will get a sense of the urgency of the hour. Curiously, when asked, the excuse is that eschatology is a difficult and controversial subject, and so, it is best not to touch it.
Even for those who are discerning that Jesus is coming back soon, they are nonchalant concerning the issue of preparation.
The argument is that we will be raptured regardless of our understanding of the End Times. After all, we are Christians and we believe in Jesus Christ. That is good enough.
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In this pastoral reflection, I will argue for the case of preparing for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not only necessary but crucial for believers to be prepared. Jesus cannot be wrong
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Many in the pre-Tribulation rapture camp contend that there is no concern because we are not going to experience any trouble. Troubles will begin only when the Tribulation starts. So, why do we need to prepare for Christ’s return? This is the general attitude of both Christian leaders and Christians in general.
It begs the question: If that is the case, why did Jesus warn His disciples to stay awake and be alert for His return?
In this pastoral reflection, I will argue for the case of preparing for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not only necessary but crucial for believers to be prepared. Jesus cannot be wrong.
Here are 3 reasons why believers must prepare for Christ’s return.
Only True Believers will be Raptured
The first reason: Only true believers will be raptured.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Many believers find these words of Jesus troubling. It does not fit into their theology of salvation by grace.
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The first reason: Only true believers will be raptured.
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Of course, salvation is by the grace of God. However, there is a difference between genuine believers and those who merely profess to believe in Jesus.
Throughout the 4 Gospels, you observe that Jesus is only interested in faithful and committed followers. He often asked would-be followers to count the costs of following Him and consider their decision carefully before deciding to follow Him.
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In the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), Jesus warns believers to live and walk faithfully with God. Then, they will be ready to meet the Lord when He returns.
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In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus began by telling His disciples of the events of the 7-year Tribulation, and afterwards taught on the rapture. For the remaining half of the discourse, Jesus told several parables warning His disciples to be prepared for His return.
In the parable, there are 10 virgins. 5 are wise while the other 5 are foolish. The bridegroom was delayed in coming. When He arrived, the foolish virgins realised that they did not have sufficient oil in their lamps. So, they went out to buy more oil. While they were gone, the bridegroom arrived. They returned to find the door to the marriage feast shut, and they could not go in. Only the 5 wise virgins who were prepared with sufficient oil could join the banquet.
The lesson is that we have to be prepared in how we live our lives. Oil in the parable represents readiness. Be ready to meet the Lord at any time. How? By being faithful in our lives and in our walk with God. Then, we will not miss the rapture when Jesus returns for His church.
Only Those Who Serve Faithfully Will be Raptured
The second reason: Only those who serve faithfully will be raptured.
While living faithfully is important, giving our best to serve God faithfully is also of paramount importance.
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The second reason: Only those who serve faithfully will be raptured.
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Immediately after teaching about the rapture in the Olivet Discourse, Jesus warns His disciples about serving God faithfully.
Jesus told a story of a master who went on a long journey (Matthew 24:45-51). He set one of his servants over his household. But this servant was unfaithful in discharging his responsibilities. He neglected his duties and beat up his fellow servants.
When the master returned, he threw the unfaithful servant into a place where ‘there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Jesus reiterated the importance of rendering faithful service to God by telling another parable – the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30).
We are familiar with this parable. The servants who were faithful in putting their talents to work were rewarded generously. They were labelled as good and faithful servants, whereas the servant who refused to put his talent to good use was labelled as wicked and lazy. Worse, he was cast into ‘the outer darkness’ where ‘there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
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To be clear, Jesus is not teaching salvation by works. The point is that true believers will serve God, and they will serve Him faithfully. Faithful service and good works done in Christ’s name are evidence of our salvation. The grace of God and the Spirit of God in us must surely produce some visible fruit.
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The lesson for both parables is clear. Believers who do not serve faithfully will not enter the kingdom of God.
To be clear, Jesus is not teaching salvation by works. The point is that true believers will serve God, and they will serve Him faithfully. Faithful service and good works done in Christ’s name are evidence of our salvation. The grace of God and the Spirit of God in us must surely produce some visible fruit.
Many Believers Will Fall Away from Faith
The third reason: Many believers will fall away from faith in Christ in the days leading up to the rapture of the church.
“As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him… Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction” (2 Thessalonians 2:1).
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The third reason: Many believers will fall away from faith in Christ in the days leading up to the rapture of the church.
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The apostle Paul states it very clearly. There will be ‘the rebellion’ before the rapture and the Tribulation. The word ‘rebellion’ in the original Greek is ‘apostasia.’ It means apostasy. In other words, there will be a massive falling away of believers before the rapture.
What is that one event that will cause so many believers to defect from their Christian faith?
Deception? Persecution? Can it be related to the Antichrist who will be revealed just before the rapture and Tribulation take place, as Paul mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:3?
We cannot be certain. However, we can be sure that the spirit of lawlessness will be working overtime and unprecedented levels of deception and persecution will be unleashed during this time. Many Christians will be misled, and they will turn their backs on Jesus. Many others will succumb to the pressure of increasing persecution. The dystopian and totalitarian policies of the global government that will emerge at that time will add to the pressure.
Most believers living in the free and affluent world will be hard-pressed to adjust to the dark and dystopian times ahead.
Presently, we are already witnessing a worrying trend of Christians becoming lukewarm and even turning cold in their faith. Many profess to believe in Jesus, but their lives show little, if any, evidence of Christ’s indwelling presence.
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Given the serious challenges in the days ahead, leading up to the rapture, which I believe will be unprecedented in both intensity and scale, Christians must be spiritually and mentally prepared.
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Many believers are already falling away without even knowing it. They embrace the hyper-grace gospel. They are sympathetic to the LGBT lifestyle and same-sex marriage. They are progressive and woke in their thinking. They obey the Word of God selectively according to their personal preferences and convenience. They are the antithesis of basic biblical beliefs and values.
In a sense, the apostasy has already begun. But it will get worse, culminating in the event of a massive falling away mentioned by Paul.
Given the serious challenges in the days ahead, leading up to the rapture, which I believe will be unprecedented in both intensity and scale, Christians must be spiritually and mentally prepared.
We must be prepared for the worst. We must be ready to endure the adversities and persevere to the end. We must be prepared to live for God and serve Him faithfully amid the coming fiery trials. Let us be ready!
I am confident that God will grant His faithful saints the grace and power needed to face the challenges in the coming days until we see Him face to face.
Let us be ready at all times because we do not know exactly when Jesus is coming back. Don’t be caught by surprise and unprepared.