Your Bible, please, in the book of Matthew, chapter 24. Matthew, chapter 24. Kindly open your Bible, please, there. We enjoyed, we were blessed by our visit in Bible Baptist Church. Valencia. They're really doing good there and the Lord has blessed the services and Medyo, we need to pray for the Bible Baptist Church Malay Balay and and Baramag. So they were affected by the the earthquake. Medyo may problema ilang mga building. So in fact Right now, they're doing services. They're doing it ahead of time. Maybe the building will collapse. So there's a lot of damage to this building in Maramag and Malaybalay. But it can be fixed. engineer Berhill was with us so we we have met the board have met and we will do an immediate repair of their building. So be praying much because they are not sleeping, they are sleeping in their beds. So be praying for them and as I've said it can be it can be still fixed. So be praying for them Your Bible please in Matthew 24. Let's begin reading. Kindly rise this time. Let us all rise. Matthew 24, verse number 36 to 41. Kindly share your Bible. We begin reading verse 36 up to verse 21, and we have a responsible reading. I am thankful to the Lord. It's a good crowd this morning. It's a good crowd. And we begin reading verse number 36 of the Bible today. Verse 36, but of the day and hour, No wit, no man. No, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. For us in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark. Then shall two be in the field, one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. We read up to verse 51, Therefore be also ready, for in such an hour as you think not, the Son of Man cometh. Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord, delay his coming, shall I be despised as well as the servants? Indeed, indeed, it will be so. Blessed be the Lord if that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, remain standing, please, for prayer, Heavenly Father. We thank you for the word of God that we are about to hear this morning. Thank you, Lord, for our people who are Here this morning present in our services. I pray their father that your blessing will be upon each one as we allow the Holy Spirit to bless us with the Word of God and Then we pray Lord for those who are not yet saved Lord God I pray and I believe in him. We don't cussing cussing No, no for them to know Christ as their Savior today in Jesus name. We pray Amen, and amen kindly be seated this morning I'm speaking a subject today entitled, Be Ready for the Coming of the Lord. For no man will know the day or the hour of His coming. Be ready. Are you ready? Be ready for the coming of the Lord. For no one or no man will know the day or the hour. We need to be ready. It can happen anytime. And it can happen a few minutes from now. It can happen an hour from now. It can happen tonight. It can happen tomorrow. The second coming of Christ is imminent. It is next in God's program. God is a wonderful program that we can see in the Bible. Next in line is the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we are told to be ready. Jesus told his disciples to be alert. For no man knows neither the day nor the hour of his return. I have encountered an article, and in that article, it's warning people, Jesus Christ is coming in 2021. They set the date, the hour, that Christ will come 2021. And so, as if it is fixed. in their minds that Jesus Christ, the rapture will come 2021. So now I hope this message will help us as God's people, you know, respond to this kind of heresies. this kind of false teaching. It's good that we are able to warn our children this morning. And so, remember this, no man knows neither the day nor the hour of his return. Even though no one knows when Christ is going to return, we are told to be alert and stay awake. Amen? So whenever you study the Bible about prophecy, the immediate question that would come to your mind is this, is Jesus coming back? And you go into the word of God, you study about Bible prophecies. No matter what else people want to know, it always comes back to the question of timing. When? When? How close are we to the second coming of Christ? Do you think these are the last days? Could the rapture happen soon? You see, recent events, calamities like earthquakes cause people to wonder if Jesus is coming. question had been repeatedly asked actually. When is Christ coming? When is Christ, is he coming? And then it boils down to that important question among the minds of the people. When? When is he coming? So it had been repeatedly asked over the passing of years. The disciples in fact had the same question in verse number 3, Matthew 24 and verse number 3. And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives and the disciples came unto him privately. The disciples came to Jesus privately saying, tell us, tell us when shall these things be and what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world? When shall these things be? I remember late 1980s, I was preaching in our church in Pulumuloc, Brother Artemio Caray. I was told that a certain group, religious group, some leaders set a date to something like November and then at midnight Jesus Christ will return so they instructed their members to return to their homes even if it's November or something like that Jesus Christ will return so you need to dispose your properties and so to make the story short I was only told Pastor Karay and the others were here at the cemetery Dito nag-gather to ilang crowd kaya dito daw mabalik si Jesus Christ. Alas dusig yun. So they started gathering mga early pa in the evening. And then 8 o'clock, 9 o'clock. And then 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock. One araw na lang. So ngay microphone, mga igala, gunit yun mo kaya hold on. An hour from now we will see in the sky the coming of the Lord. So hallelujah, praise the Lord, hallelujah. And so 11, 1, 11, 2, 11, 5, 11, 50, 10 minutes nalang, hold on, hold on. And 51, 52, 53, and 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 1, 2, 3, count down, 4, 5. Nabot, alas, dosi, walay, niyabalik, ang kristisak. And look at them, they're just like the moderators. Praise the Lord! They even extended their hands. But they were happy. I hope that you will be guided today. We will be properly guided from the Word of God. And so, now, the disciples themselves, You see, Baha'i, the disciples themselves, the apostles, asked the same question. When shall these things be? And 2,000 years ago, the disciples asked Jesus Christ this question, but despite his answer, they never stopped. I mean the disciples. They asked the Lord Jesus Christ, you think they stopped? They never stopped wondering about it. In fact, the last recorded question, listen to this. The last recorded question ever asked, they ever asked Jesus, dealt with the time question. Open your Bible please with me. This is the last question they asked the Lord Jesus Christ before he ascended back. Minutes before he ascended back. And they asked the Lord again. In Acts 1, look at verse number 6. In your Bible please. Acts 1 and verse the same, this is now after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Acts 1 verse number 6. And when they therefore were come together, they asked him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom of Israel? Big question mark. Now when it shall be? Now they said, is it now? The time is now. And just few seconds later, Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and has not been seen on earth since that time. You always find it interesting, you and I will always find it interesting that the disciples never lost their desire to know about the time of His coming. Notice the answer of Jesus in verse 7, Acts 1 verse 7, Acts 1 verse 7, now please listen to this. And He said unto them, it is not, come on now, it is not for you to know thee what, the times and what or the seasons which the father had put in his own power. Is that clear? So do not bother about knowing the exact time. Only God knows about it. Only God knows about it. And so that is no more an issue for us that know the Bible. Praise it is not for you to know reminds us that some things simply are not revealed to us no matter how much we ask. No matter how much we beg or how much we pray about it, God will not allow us those things. So the future, the future is hidden in the heart and in the mind of God. And it is hidden in the heart and the mind of God, and He does not reveal the future unless He chooses to do so. If He allows it, but there are certain things that are completely hidden, do not bother to know it. And there is also in Jesus' words a reassuring note that the future will not happen by chance. That is one thing for sure. Whatever lies in the future, nothing will happen by chance or unexpectedly without being planned. Actually, the plans in the future have been planned carefully by God. Amen? Dili lang magkabanga-abanga ka na niya yung ginawa. Uy, uso naman eh. Uy, yung ginawa. Uso. No, no. God knows the future. All things, times, or seasons are fixed by the divine authority. You can, you can, you can trust on that. The truth looks like this. Number one, God knows the future because He has ordained the future. God knows the future because he has ordained the future. Number two, God reveals the existence of certain future events. There are certain things that God allows us, dunay mga butang sa Bible, that God allows us to know. You know, as revealed in Bible prophecy. Number three, God chooses not to reveal the timing of those future events. When it comes to the right time, no matter how many times we may ask the question, God's answer is always the same. It is not for you to know. Underline that in your Bible. And if somebody comes up and say, well, kabalo ka bang ino karung 2021, alas dusi sa gabi. Now, read Acts 1 verse 7. It is not for you to know. Is there an amen to that? What is left for us to know, as much as we can know, kuno sa may certain things God allows us to know, thank God you can know it, but the rest, Trust God about it. The rest, trust God. Whatever it is, trust the Lord. See, the perspective, I mean, comes through clearly in Matthew 24, verses number 32, 33, please. Go back to our text. Matthew 24, verses number 32, 33. In your Bible please. Now learn the parable of the fig tree. When its branch is yet tender and put forth its leaves, you know that summer is nigh. This represents the restoration of the nation of Israel. So verse 33, so likewise ye, when ye shall see these things, know it is near, even at the door. God gives us some signs so we can know about his coming. Certain God knows and God allows us to know. And so the rest leave it to God. Now notice here in verse 32, verse 33. Jesus said twice. He said twice. You know. You know. There are certain things we can know. Referring to the signs of the times. When we see the things Jesus prophesied, we can know. Now we can know that what? We can know that the time is near. So, ang ginaw naghatag siyag mga buta nga masabtan na ito, may baluan na ito, mga signs, timayilhan, and those signs will tell us that the coming is near. But still he did not tell us the exact time. Is there an amen to that? He's coming. But in verse 37, let us look at verses, compare this in verse 37, But of that day and hour, knoweth no man. But of the day and hour, knoweth no man, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. And he says, he says it very clearly. Very clearly. Verse 42, he says there, Watch therefore, watch therefore verse number 42 and for you know not what the hour why are we to watch? for ye know not what hour the time is not given to us and so well some may ask is there contradiction? no one knows And he said, Jesus says, you know? And he says twice, you know, you know. There are things you can know. Once he also says, no one knows. Once he says, you do not know. The question is, so which is it? Or you shall not know? There are things you can know, but you shall know. Actually, we know. Do we know or do we not know? The answer is, of course, we know some things and we don't know other things. That's a simple question. Di ba may contradiction in the Bible? No. There is no contradiction. Just straight. Dunay mga butang that God allows us to know. But there are also things God doesn't allow us to know. He doesn't want us to know the time. Amen? Jabalutas sa sains. Bagna ilinog. Kusum niyo bubalik ng ginog. Please do not extend it. Ugma! Alas gis. No kay naglinog na, no? So naglinog na lang siya just to remind you that anytime Jesus could come. Is that clear? Did you get it clear? There are three major thoughts that we want to emphasize here. Number one, Jesus is coming again. Jesus is coming again. The truth remains, Jesus is coming again. We say amen to that. He is coming again. Jesus says in John 14, I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again. Thank God. Number two, we can't be certain when he will return. Yes, he is coming again, but nobody can be certain. And number three, we should always be ready because he may come at any moment. When we think about the second coming of Christ, and one thing we must always keep in mind, be ready. Be ready, amen? Be ready, Amos says, prepare to meet thy God. Jesus is coming. No one knows the day of the hour, or nor the hour, or the time, or the hour. So be ready, be prepared. Meaning leave as if it might be today and you'll be glad to see him when he arrives. 1 John 2 verse 28, and now little children abide in him that when he shall appear we may have what? Confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming. We face two dangers whenever we talk about the second coming of Christ. Two dangers. Number one, we become more concerned about the date and the signs about His return. You know, people spend time... I'm not interested in the 666. Really, I study a little bit about prophecy, but I'm not interested about 666 because for one thing, I will not be seeing the Antichrist. Before the Antichrist comes into the scene, the church will be ruptured. Amen? I am interested in seeing the Lord. Amen? I am excited to see the Lord. So we may become more concerned about the date and the signs. Number two, ignoring the truth of the second coming of Christ and living as though he will never return. That's the danger there. In our text, Jesus gives us four truths about the timing of his return. This is just my introduction. And it teaches us something, those four things important about how we are to live and wait for the return of Christ. I promise you we'll be out on time. Number one, first one, no one of us can know the exact time when the Lord Jesus Christ will return. Verse number 36, Walay mas kiusa nga nahibalo o makahibalo sa isakto nga oras kung kanosa si Kristo mahibalik. Verse number 36, But that of that day and hour, no wet, no man. Pag naitaw nga mo basintara na, delikado na. Mas wise pa siya sa ginoo, amen? In the Bible, no man will know. And so, this verse plainly says, no man will know the exact moment of the return of Christ. No one can know the day or the hour. The best we can do is to read the signs of the time and conclude that we are nearing the end of the age. There are signs that God gives us in the Bible. But even then, we can't be certain. Well, if anyone tells you that they have pinpointed or they have figured out the year, the month, the day, the hour of Jesus' return, you know what? I'm warning you, do not believe him. do not believe him. William Miller, October said that the Lord was going to come on October 22, 1844. 1844. Hollins say, I have some of his books. Figured it out and 1988, bubalik ang ginaw. Edgar Weissnant, the same said 1988, bubalik ang ginaw. Ang modern karoon, ang bago karoon is that December 21, bubalik na pod ang ginaw. No, no one knows. Is an amen to that? As much as we might like to know when Christ will return, it is better that we don't know. Just two things. Just think of it. Halimbawa ni baluan mo. Nga mo wala ang date. And I can instruct Ma'am Mercy. Ma'am Mercy, Ibutanga, December 21, the Lord's return. The Lord's return. It is better that we do not know. What if we know? Two things will likely happen to us. Number one, just two things. I limit myself to two things. Pag nahibaluan na ito, ang pagbalik sa ino, two things will surely happen. Number one, it will tend to make us proud. It can make us arrogant because we would possess knowledge others do not have. Tsaka, kibalun na mi. Kibalun ako eh. December 21, kibalun ako. You know what Paul says? Knowledge pop it up. It can create wings and you will fly. Knowledge. Now, thank the Lord for giving us the knowledge to understand the word of God, but there are limitations. Number two, it might make us spiritually lazy. Why? Most of us 10 to put things in the last minute, sir. Currently, it's 21 pounds. Where are you going to store it? Ah, 2,000, maybe 2,025. Ah, it's possible. That's it, uncle. What did you get? Did you get the last days? Did you get it? No. Hide it in your pocket so that you will serve Him moment by moment. Amen? Moment by moment, you just be ready because anytime the Lord could come. Number two, the unsaved world will be caught completely unprepared for His coming. Verses number 37 to 41. Look at 37 please. But as the days of Noah were, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. Because in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, talking about the days of Noah. The Bible says Noah was saved by the grace of God. The Bible says that Noah obeyed God. The Bible says he was commissioned by God to preach righteousness for 1,120 years. He faithfully, at the same time, prepared the ark. He was a preacher of righteousness, 2 Peter 2, verse number 5. Here, Jesus makes a very simple comparison. But as of the days of Noah, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. What was it like in Noah's day? It was business as usual, we say. While Noah patiently built the ark and warned men of the coming judgment, they laughed at him and said, oh, it will not happen. It will never happen, Noah. Noah's days was like our days, an age of skeptical unbelief and casual unconcern. They refused to believe that a worldwide flood would happen. They were scopers during the time of Noah. They made fun of Noah. Noah believed the word of God. And because he believed the word of God, it caused him to move with fear. Step by step, Noah obeyed God and obeyed the Lord. Never got discouraged. He preached, he preached, he preached, warning those people. So for years and years, life continued without a change, eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. What's wrong with marrying? What's wrong with eating? There's nothing wrong with that, so long as you remember that you need to serve God and that you need to prepare for the day of the return of Christ. I was asking somebody, Samadayon magpakasal karong December? Sa dili pa pa story. There's nothing wrong with that. Magmangasawa ka. Magkaon ka. The problem is when you disregard God in your life. When you disregard God, out ang ginawasin mo mga decisions sa life, yung activities sa life. Years and years went by and everything went as usual. Finally the heavens opened and the rain came down and Noah entered into the ark. And I'm sure his friends pounded on the door and said, Noah, we were wrong. Noah, you were right. Please give us another chance. Noah and his family entered the ark and the Lord closed the door. That ark, no matter how big it was, has only one door. Why? Because the door pictures the Lord Jesus Christ. I am the door, Jesus Christ says. Your time to be saved is now, amen? You see, what is happening today? And you, you and I will go to SM today, or asangamala malls, Separic, and you ask people, do you believe God? Almost 100% yes. Do you believe the Bible? Yes. Do you believe that he's coming? Probably the answer is yes. But you know the way they live their life. Walay pakialam kung si Christo bubalik ba completely. Their focus is out on seeing the Lord Jesus Christ. God closed the door. and knew not until the flood came and took them all away. So shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. That is the attitude of people today. Think of it, an entire generation wiped out by the hand of God. And out of the whole world, eight persons, only eight were saved. Everyone else perished. As the blood waters rolled across the surface of the earth, they all perished, they all died. Thank God we have the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the ark. He represents the ark. There's only one place of safety today. There's only one place of salvation. Come to the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 24, verses 42, 45, 44. You must be ready, number three, because The Lord may return at any moment. Any moment. Watch therefore for you know not what hour. The word watch means be alert. Be on the alert. It indicates a call of continual constancy. Therefore, be also ready for in such an hour as you think that the Son of Man cometh. Watch. Watch. Lastly, verse 45 to 51. While we wait, we are to be faithful in our assigned task, our individual ministry, teaching, singing, you're a volunteer worker, maybe your gift is exercise at giving, soul winning missions, whatever the Lord is, do it. Jesus uses the word faithful in verse number 45, Says there, who then is a faithful and wise? Be faithful. Until pagbalik sakino, you see the Lord. You see the Lord. How can we be ready? How can we be ready for the Lord's return? I suggest four things as we close. We must be faithful. Amen? There are trials that would get us discouraged. We must be faithful in the service of the Lord. Ma'am Ellen asked me a while ago, Pastor, do you have high blood? I asked her, Ma'am, can you be a pastor in a church where you don't have high blood? Pastor, does it hurt? Does it itch? Does it hurt? What else? Sugar? Salt? What else? But no matter what, be faithful. Be faithful until the Lord returns. Amen? Number two, we must always set our focus on the coming of Christ. Lift up your eyes. Lift up your head for redemption draweth nigh. I told the church last Wednesday night, my heart was so moved when I gave the invitation to the Bible Baptist Church in Valencia. Not one of their visitors stayed. They all came to be saved. 45 souls got saved. If we get discouraged, how about the souls are going to hell? How about those souls are going to hell? We need to be faithful. We need to focus our eyes on the coming of Jesus. Number two, always love His appearing. Let it be your inspiration. He is coming back. He is coming back. And lastly, you need to be patient. I have to pronounce it right. You need to be patient. You need to be patient. Be patient therefore unto the coming of the Lord. Keep on serving the Lord. Are you ready? If you're not yet saved, the most important thing is, Jesus says, come, Noah, come inside the ark, come. He didn't say go inside, Noah, no, come. It signifies the Lord was in the ark, for the Lord himself represented the ark. To be saved, you have to come to Jesus Christ. You come to Him realizing that He is the Savior of your soul, that your religion is not enough, your good works are not enough. You need to come to Jesus Christ to be saved while there is still time. Do ulkaron and be saved. Let us all stand up please this morning. Let us pray. Heavenly Father God, thank you so much for the word of God today. Thank you for reminding us about the signs of the coming of Christ. Thank you for a certain, to a certain extent, you have allowed us, Lord, to know certain things, but in as far as the time of your coming, we leave it into your hand. Your care, the future lies in your hand for us. But one thing we know, the future is as bright as the promises of God. We know Jesus Christ is coming. We know He is bringing with Him His reward. We need just to be faithful. We need to love the appearing of Christ. We need to keep on loving souls. We need to keep on being faithful in exercising the gift you have bestowed, you have allowed us to have. Some of us have the gift of soul winning, the gift of teaching, the gift of giving, the gift of ministering, the gift of whatever it is, Lord, help us to be faithful today. Thank you, Lord, for allowing us to share the gospel with you individuals. I pray their father, they would come and be saved. In Jesus' name I pray, amen and amen.