Are You Awake? | Matthew 24:45-51

Scripture

• Matthew 24:45–51

About this sermon

Introduction: Our Lord called for His people to stay awake (vs.42), to be ready for His return (vs.44). He makes plain, in the verses we looked at last week, that we — HIS PEOPLE — have a duty to remain watchful. Now, in the verses before us today, WE MEET WITH A TEST OF THAT WATCHFULNESS, and a DESCRIPTION OF THE CONSEQUENCES. One of the things that we must recognize at the outset is that the consequences described in our verses CONTRASTS BELIEVERS WITH UNBELIEVERS. The consequences described make something clear about the product of regeneration. REGENERATE PEOPLE ARE WATCHFUL PEOPLE. Regenerate people have the hope of Christ’s return, the hope of Christ Himself, and are characterized by setting their hearts on that reality. This is true of us characteristically. That is not to say that we are all as alert as we should be. That is not to say that we are always as alert at some times in our lives as we are at others. But what the consequences described in our verses make plain is that it is UNREGNERATE people who DON’T REALLY BELIEVE that Jesus is coming. NOT IN THEIR HEARTS. They might know it in their heads and pay formal/verbal tribute to the idea. But WATCH THEIR LIVES and it becomes clear that their faith in His return is superficial. TO SAY IT ANOTHER WAY, they don’t really believe in THE DESTINY OF ALL THINGS as the Word of God has revealed it. And so, last week’s verses imparted a RESPONSIBILITY to us — STAY AWAKE! This week’s verses impart an EXAMINATION to us — ARE WE AWAKE? And as we examine ourselves, we must recognize what being awake looks like, what it consists of. That, then, becomes our aim. Whatever it means to remain watchful is what we want our lives to be characterized by. We examine our verses today under two main headings. (1) Watchfulness expressed in a question (2) Watchfulness expressed by a contrast. • WATCHFULNESS EXPRESSED IN A QUESTION (vs.45) Jesus teaches a lesson by means of an illustration. What kind of servant does the master of a household put in charge of his household? What kind of a slave does a master entrust with the care of all his affairs? The one who not only takes care of practical, and material matters but takes care OF PEOPLE. He oversees meeting the need of FEEDING the household. This would include the master’s family, and the other servants. The QUESTION SUPPLIES THE ANSWER. Such a responsibility would only be given to a servant who was deemed FAITHFUL and PRUDENT. If we ask what it means to live lives of alertness — what it means to be awake and ready — there is our answer. This is what characterizes the people of God, the people who are watching for Jesus. THEY ARE AWAKE IN AT LEAST TWO WAYS. • AWAKE TO OUR IDENTITY The very illustration is instructive. • A SLAVE OF THE MASTER We are slaves of the most perfect Master. We are servants of the most high God. We have been purchased off the slave market of sin and brought under the yoke of the King of Kings. It is true that in unimaginable grace we have also been made members of His family. We rejoice in that we are INDEED the children of God by new birth and by adoption. ESV 1 John 3:1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. But we are also HIS SERVANTS.