Were You Prepared?

Every day of our lives, we prepare. We prepare something or someone, or we prepare FOR something or someone. Everyone seated here this morning... No one is excluded.

We prepare for work, school, breakfast, the big game, a night out, a fight. We prepare to Survive. To Win. Our defenses. "For The Worst" (which almost never happens)

“Luck Favors the Prepared.”

We want to be prepared for whatever life throws at us. Big and small. We prepare for events and activities. For the birth of a child or the death of a loved one.

For "the big day"....women plan for months or years for their wedding.

We prepare because we know that there are expectations of us when we arrive. We make our plans, we check them twice and then we check them again. We make lists to make sure that we have everything that we need. We Google a map, and make sure our GPS navigation device is working. We make reservations, get cash out of the Teller machine.

And, Heaven forbid we show up unprepared.

As I enter into this morning’s message, ask yourself this simple question: "Am I Prepared?" There are so many implications; so many possible responses. Prepared for What?

What you'll hear today may not be what you're expecting. So…Are You Prepared?

Are you really?

1. Are you prepared for church this morning? How did you “prepare”?

Did you come prepared for church, for worship?

How many brought what the items that I asked you to bring this morning?

"Did you bring your cell phone? Take it out and call someone right not that lives nearby and you know is not in church this morning and tell them that they need to get to The Pointe within the next 10 minutes. 'You need to hear this....' "

Not surprisingly, no one called anyone. Well, my sister called my cell phone, but that doesn't count. (Thanks, Tracy) Trying to get it to ring in the hall. Funny...

"Sorry, Bill. We're just not prepared to do that..." More on that later.

Why are we assembed here this morning? General Concensus - “To worship God.”

Worship is an expression of our hearts that seeks to honor God and celebrate what He has done, is doing, and will do in our lives.

But, with that said, did you REALLY come PREPARED for this morning's service?

We come together to motivate and build each other up. To teach and demonstrate what God has revealed to us, shared with us. Sacrificed for us.

Hebrews 10:24-25:

²⁴ Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. ²⁵ And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.

Did you build a sense of excitement about coming to The Pointe this morning?

Psalm 111:1

I will thank the Lord with all my heart
as I meet with his godly people.

Psalm 122:1

¹ I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

Is your heart and mind clear and at ease?

Matthew 5:23-30

²³ “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, ²⁴ leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

Taking this a step further, if you have something against someone else, leave your "sacrifice at the altar" and go reconcile with that person. Do not let a grudge develop.

Building anticipation about participating in worship, bringing your heart for service and celebration, and clearing your mind of the things outside are critical to our worship, whether collective or individual. If you're thinking about other things, you will not be focused on the importance of the message being presented.

2. Prepared for Tomorrow (Immediate Future)?

Are you prepared for a confrontation? To explain your faith?

1 Peter 3:15-16

¹⁵ Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. ¹⁶ But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.

Are you prepared to worship God in the manner that is acceptable to Him?

Romans 12:1-2

¹ And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

There will be times in the future where you will be in a position to speak to your faith. To your hope. If you are living your life as befitting a follower of Christ, there is no need to defend anything, for there is nothing to defend. The acts of others are not your responsibility. You are responsible for yourself, and if you are living your life in front of others as He guides, you will be able to approach the explanation of your faith with gentleness and respect.

Spend some time thinking about how you would respond to questions. Be prepared.

3. Prepared for What Lies Ahead?

“In the immortal words of the wise and mighty philosopher and revealer of truth - Optimus Prime:
Fate seldom calls upon us at a moment of our choosing."

Are you prepared to make the hard decisions?

Are you prepared to make the right choices?

Are you prepared to lay down your life for one you love? For a friend?

Are you prepared to make a stand for what you believe in?

Are you prepared to become involved instead of standing on the sidelines?

Are you prepared to step up & serve in the way that God is calling you?

Are you prepared to step up and serve where there is a need?

Are you prepared to accept the consequences for knowingly making the wrong choices? For moving against what you know is the right path. For refusing to serve where you had the opportunity to serve?

We all know that at some point in the future, we’re going to pass from this world. No exceptions. But, are we prepared for death? Some of us have had the very real experience of having to prepare as someone we love lay dying. At some point, many will reach the point where they feel that they are prepared.

And the loved one may express their preparation. “I’m ready. It’s OK.”

But, are you every truly prepared for anyone close to you to die? Mother, Father? Wife, husband? Brother, Sister? Son, Daughter? No...

But that said, are you prepared for someone close to you to die...the death of a sinner, not knowing Christ and the love of our Father?

Physical death and “ultimate” death are two separate things.

Hebrews 9:27:
²⁷ And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,

Look, we’re all sinners. We’re all made of the same “stuff” and have the same nature. And the wages of sin is? Anyone? (Romans 6:23)

But God prepared a way for us out of our own mess through His son, Jesus Christ. John 3:16

The process is actually very simple, but the implications are important to understand.

Romans 10:9:
⁹ If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

I return you to Hebrews - with a little extra detail.

Hebrews 9:27-28

²⁷ And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, ²⁸ so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.

Perhaps something said here this day might have influenced someone. A friend. A relative. The people in your contact list in your cell phone are typically people that you care about, for a large part.

Think about that next time someone asks you to call just one person in your list and invite them to come to church and hear a message about preparation... Nuff said.