STAY BUSY AND STAY READY
AGENDA
- Ask someone to pray in.
- Ask for highlights from the week.
- SUBMIT ATTENDANCE TODAY (search “DG” in your email) & confirm the DG leaders in your group have also submitted attendance for their meetings.
- Go over lesson (below).
- Encourage all to give on the app.
- Ask for prayer requests and pray.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- THE WAY YOUTH CAMP!!! July 16th-19th , You don’t want to miss this !!! Click here for more info!
- IT’S OUTREACH TIME!!! This Saturday May 4th at 9:30am, we will be teaming up with our Adopt a Block team at the Arrowhead Campus. Then, on May 25th we will be meeting at Inland Center Mall at 11:30am.
- IDOL CRUSHING/ UNITY NIGHT happening May 29th!!!
- WOMEN’S CONFERENCE is open to all teen girls happening on May 17 & 18. Purchase your ticket here!
GROWTH QUESTIONS
Who would like to share a highlight, praise report, or testimony from this week?
What did you learn from this week’s sermon?
What is something you accomplished or want to accomplish this week?
STAY BUSY AND STAY READY
TODAY’S PASSAGE:
Matthew 24:42-51 (NLT)
42 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. 43 Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. 44 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. 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.
INTERACTIVE QUESTIONS:
WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM WHAT WE JUST READ?
GROWTH PRINCIPLE #1
It is better to stay ready than it is to get ready.
Matthew 24:46
”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.”
- In this parable, one of the servants chose to “stay ready,” living as if the master would return at any moment and taking care of his responsibilities.
- The other servant chose to “get ready” at some other time. He relaxed and quickly turned to sinful behavior.
- Jesus through this parable is trying to emphasize that we should keep watch and stay alert for his return .
Watch: to stay active, keep awake, be cautious, pay attention. Jesus is warning us not to be complacent, but to stay ready and active as we wait upon His return.
- Choosing to stay ready, expecting the Lord to return at any moment, will keep you from falling into the lazy and sinful behavior of those who think they can get ready later.
- If we are like the lazy servant we will never be ready for the return of Jesus and before we know it, it will be too late to be ready .
- If we are like the servants who were responsible and alert, we will be ready for when Jesus returns.
- Staying actively alert will keep you from being passively defeated.
INTERACTIVE QUESTIONS:
WHAT ARE SOME WAYS WE CAN STAY READY BEFORE JESUS RETURNS?
GROWTH PRINCIPLE #2
There is a reward for all who obey God.
Matthew 24:45-47 NLT
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.
- We are called to be good and faithful servants who steward what God has given us.
- God gave us the responsibility to take care of His people.
- There will be a prize for those servants who obeyed the Lord and cared for His people.
Matthew 28:19-20 NLT
19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you…
- Jesus doesn’t want us to sit here on Earth just waiting for Him to come back.
- God wants us to have the urgency to tell people that Jesus Christ is coming.
- When Jesus comes back and sees that we have been good stewards He will reward us!
Colossians 3:24 NIRV
Work because you know that you will finally receive as a reward what the Lord wants you to have. You are slaves of the Lord Christ.
INTERACTIVE QUESTIONS:
WHAT ARE WAYS WE CAN BE GOOD STEWARDS OF WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN US? HOW CAN WE SERVE GOD’S PEOPLE?
GROWTH PRINCIPLE #3
The wrong perspective leads to the wrong behavior.
Matthew 24:48-51 NLT
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.
- The evil servant began with a faulty perspective. He thought, “My master won’t be back for a while.” (v. 48)
- If this wicked servant knew that his master would be returning soon and had any wisdom, he likely would have behaved differently.
- The servant’s sinful mindset allowed him to believe he had TIME, to change and take care of his responsibility before his master came .
- We cannot have the mindset of thinking we still have time, but have the mindset that the time is now and we have to be ready
- Now because the servant had that perspective he suffered the consequences of his master returning soon
- The consequences of his wicked perspective and behavior were decisive and disastrous.
- God has entrusted all of us with people to care for. We will all have to give an account one day for how we behaved and treated them. If we live with that future day of accounting in mind, it will help us to do what is right today and throughout our lives.
Note: Jesus is coming soon and we cannot be like the wicked servant and take that lightly thinking we have time till he comes . But instead we must have an urgency and hunger for him . Be ready to share his message and always say alert for his return. We need to STAY READY not getting ready.
INTERACTIVE QUESTIONS:
WHAT ARE SOME WAYS WE CAN MAKE SURE WE HAVE A GODLY PERSPECTIVE?
CLOSING QUESTIONS:
WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU LEARNED TODAY? HOW WILL YOU APPLY IT DAILY?
Giving
2 Corinthians 9:6-7
“Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”
What we decide to plant is what we get. If we plant something small we are going to get something small in return. If we plant something big we will get something big in return. When we give generously to God, He gives back to us abundantly more than we could ask for! Don’t give because you feel like you have to, but give because God gave to you first.