Ready or Not
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, November 8, 2026.
Sermon text: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Mark 13:32-33
[32] “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. [33] Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.
The return of Christ will be sudden, unexpected, and unavoidable
Wake up
“There are two reasons why people are taken by surprise when a burglar breaks in. The first is that he comes unexpectedly during the night, and the second is that the householder is asleep. We can do nothing about the first reason, but we can about the second. Similarly, Christ’s coming is definitely going to be unexpected. The solution to our problem lies not in knowing when he will come, but in staying awake and alert.”
—John R. W. Stott, The Message of Thessalonians
—watch and pray
—walk in the light
John 8:12
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Sober up
—be clear-minded
—exercise self-control
Suit up
—guard your heart and your mind
—cultivate faith, love, and hope
The gospel gives us confidence as we wait and watch
Everything that Paul has said about the unbelieving world is reversed when it comes to Christ’s believing people. Jesus’ coming is unforeseen by the world. But far from being surprised, the believer lives every day in joyful expectation of the Lord’s day. Christ will come to the unbeliever like a thief in the night, breaking into a life that the person had deemed secure and stripping away all that he or she had trusted and loved. To the believer, who has primarily sought for treasures not in this world but in heaven, the coming of the Lord unlocks our inheritance.
—Richard D. Phillips, 1 & 2 Thessalonians
Discipleship Questions:
Sermon text: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Mark 13:32-33
[32] “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. [33] Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.
The return of Christ will be sudden, unexpected, and unavoidable
Wake up
“There are two reasons why people are taken by surprise when a burglar breaks in. The first is that he comes unexpectedly during the night, and the second is that the householder is asleep. We can do nothing about the first reason, but we can about the second. Similarly, Christ’s coming is definitely going to be unexpected. The solution to our problem lies not in knowing when he will come, but in staying awake and alert.”
—John R. W. Stott, The Message of Thessalonians
—watch and pray
—walk in the light
John 8:12
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Sober up
—be clear-minded
—exercise self-control
Suit up
—guard your heart and your mind
—cultivate faith, love, and hope
The gospel gives us confidence as we wait and watch
Everything that Paul has said about the unbelieving world is reversed when it comes to Christ’s believing people. Jesus’ coming is unforeseen by the world. But far from being surprised, the believer lives every day in joyful expectation of the Lord’s day. Christ will come to the unbeliever like a thief in the night, breaking into a life that the person had deemed secure and stripping away all that he or she had trusted and loved. To the believer, who has primarily sought for treasures not in this world but in heaven, the coming of the Lord unlocks our inheritance.
—Richard D. Phillips, 1 & 2 Thessalonians
Discipleship Questions:
- How can the imminent return of Christ lead us to embrace God’s mission?
- What does it look like to watch and pray in light of Christ’s return?
- How can we consistently walk in the light and what does that look like in daily life?
- What does it look like to stay spiritually sober-minded in our current culture?
- What keeps us from recognizing the reality that we are in a spiritual battle?
- How can we ensure we have the breastplate of faith and love along with the helmet of hope of salvation?
- How does knowing the promised outcome help us to wait and watch with joyful expectation?
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