MATTHEW LESSON 50

     We will pick up this lesson in Matthew 24:37 "But as the days of
Noe [were], so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matthew
24:38 "For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating
and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe
entered into the ark," Matthew 24:39 "And knew not until the flood
came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of
man be."

     There are several comparisons we should note here. Noah knew the
flood was coming and was preparing as God had told him to do. He did
not know what hour it was coming, but he did know that it was very
soon. He especially knew it was soon, when God sealed him and his
family in the Ark. The world around him did not believe that it would
rain. It had never rained before, why would it rain now? You see, that
is just like worldly people of our day. They do not believe that the
second coming of Christ is near. If you try to tell them, they laugh
at you like the worldly people of Noah's day. They were going on about
every day life, just as people are today. When the trumpet blows, it
will be too late to decide to accept Jesus. It was too late for the
people of Noah's day, after it started raining. We have some friends,
who sing a song about Noah. It goes like this; "It wasn't raining when
Noah built the Ark." You know, if people could look up in the eastern
sky and see Jesus in the clouds, they would believe. Jesus doesn't
want us to believe in our minds in something we can see. Faith is what
He wants from us, faith is believing something we cannot see. When
the trumpet blows, suddenly the Christians will be carried away to
safety.  Noah and his family were in the Ark of safety, and the people
around were left for the punishment that lay ahead for them. In the
case of the people of Noah, they were drowned. In the case of the
people left when Jesus takes the Christians away, the wrath of God
will fall.  Terrible war, and pestilence, and famine await those who are
left. It is certainly not a rosy picture. The thing to do is be
prepared to go with Jesus and escape the horrors that await those
left.

     Matthew 24:40 "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be
taken, and the other left." Matthew 24:41 "Two [women shall be]
grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left."
Matthew 24:42  "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord
doth come."

     This will be an individual calling. You cannot hang on to someone
and take them with you. Each individual will be judged, whether they
will rise to meet Jesus or be left. You see, in these passages, that
someone you work with every day may not make it. We should witness to
everyone we come in contact with; especially to our families and
friends.  Time is running out. We must get them saved now before the
trumpet blows.  We should be anticipating His coming and praying.

     Matthew 24:43 "But know this, that if the goodman of the house
had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched,
and would not have suffered his house to be broken up."

     I am afraid this is talking to the Christians. Christians must
watch for the Lord. We must not decide that He is delaying His coming
and get lax in our worship. Christians today are falling away pretty
rapidly. Some are still sitting on the pews of the church building,
but just in form only. They are looking for entertainment in the
church. Worship should be reverently seeking the will of God in
everything. God wants our love, but He, also, wants us to revere Him, as
well. The church (house) is being broken up by lackadaisical attitude of
the sheep, but most of all by the shepherd. You see, if the shepherd
and the sheep knew exactly when Jesus would come back, they would be
watching and praying that day.

     Matthew 24:44 "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as
ye think not the Son of man cometh."

     Be prayed up and ready when the trumpet blows. Do not let
salvation wait until tomorrow. It might be too late. Just when we
think He is not coming is just the hour He will.

     Matthew 24:45 "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his
lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due
season?" Matthew 24:46 "Blessed [is] that servant, whom his lord when
he cometh shall find so doing."

     Jesus will reward those who are faithful. Ministers are servants
to their people. Jesus said the person who is a servant is the
greater. A wise servant is one who does not weaken in the faith. This
type of faith will stand up in famine or any other catastrophe that
might come. The Lord places whom He will over His flock. It is
interesting, here, that the Lord expects the preacher to get the flock
to the point that they can eat meat and not stay babies in Christ, who
can just handle milk and honey. God will bless the servant who is
doing the work God has called him to do. Work for the night is coming
when man's work is done.

     Matthew 24:47 "Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him
ruler over all his goods."

     There is a promise in Revelation, that the faithful will reign
with Jesus when He sets up His Kingdom on the earth for 1,000 years.
This is what I believe the Scripture above was talking about.

     Matthew 24:48 "But and if that evil servant shall say in his
heart, My lord delayeth his coming;"  Matthew 24:49 "And shall begin
to smite [his] fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;"

     Here is where we see the church people, and especially the
ministers of God, compromising with the world. They actually are
losing the holy reverence and fear that we all should have. The Bible
says the beginning of knowledge is fear of the Lord. The Bible is very
plain, as well, about not fellowshiping with the worldly. We are to
witness to the lost, but we must not get involved in their worldly
way. A Christian should never drink with the lost. It is bad enough to
drink yourself, but if you drink in front of your weaker brother, you
cause him to believe that it is all right. He sins because of your bad
example before him. Do not get involved. Witness and go home.

     Matthew 24:50 "The lord of that servant shall come in a day when
he looketh not for [him], and in an hour that he is not aware of,"
Matthew 24:51 "And shall cut him asunder, and appoint [him] his
portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth."

     In chapter 23, we learned that a hypocrite is someone who
preaches one thing and does something entirely different. The "woes"
in chapter 23, you remember, were written to this kind of person.  As
we learned in that chapter, the worst type of hypocrite is for a
minister of God to be one. God will cut him loose. He will not claim
him. Do you remember what was said in Matthew 7:21 "Not every one that
saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but
he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Matthew 7:22
"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name
done many wonderful works?" Matthew 7:23  "And then will I profess
unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

     You see, we might fool the world, but God knows our hearts. We
cannot fool Him.

     We will begin the next lesson in Matthew chapter 25.




























                    Matthew Questions 50

1.  Whose days will the coming of the Son of man be compared to?
2.  What were the people doing then, as now?
3.  What comparison can be made to Noah and the believer?
4.  When did Noah know for certain the flood was near?
5.  What comparison of the world, then and now, could be made?
6.  Give one line of the song about Noah.
7.  What is our faith?
8.  What can the people, who are not raptured, expect?
9.  How does Jesus make it clear that salvation is individual?
10. Who would have been prepared, had he known the exact time the
    thief would come?
11. What are Luke warm Christians looking for?
12. Besides our love, what does God want from us?
13. Why should we not wait for salvation till tomorrow?
14. Who is the servant in verse 45?
15. What should the preacher do to prepare the people?
16. Who will be made ruler over the people?
17. What does the evil servant say?
18. What specific sin does he get into?
19. How is compromise coming in the church?
20. What is the beginning of knowledge?
21. We may witness to the lost, but what must we do?
22. If you sin in front of your weaker brother, what does it do to
    him?
23. Who can we not fool?