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00:00:01 If you look at Matthew chapter 24 00:00:03 (you may want to open your Bibles there 00:00:05 because the text of the day comes from there), 00:00:08 we find in chapter 24, 00:00:10 starting in verse 29 through chapter 25, 00:00:13 Jesus is actually talking 00:00:15 about the conditions of the time of the end 00:00:18 that we’re, in fact, in right now 00:00:20 and, also, what we can expect in the great tribulation. 00:00:25 So our scripture is at Matthew 24:42. 00:00:30 Let’s read it. 00:00:32 It says: “Keep on the watch, therefore, 00:00:35 because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” 00:00:40 So, what is referred to as “coming”? 00:00:45 Well, this is speaking about a future time. 00:00:47 Jesus will be coming as Judge. 00:00:50 When is he coming? 00:00:52 Well, what did he say there? 00:00:54 ‘You do not know the day.’ 00:00:57 But if you go to the next verse, 00:00:59 he sort of narrows his comment and gives us a little bit of a clue. 00:01:03 He’s talking about a householder being on watch for a thief. 00:01:08 Let’s read it in verse 43. 00:01:10 It says: “But know one thing: 00:01:12 “If the householder had known in what watch the thief was coming, 00:01:17 he would have kept awake and not allowed his house to be broken into.” 00:01:22 So if you notice the footnote, it says “at what time of night.” 00:01:27 So Jesus said, well, the householder knew either day or night. 00:01:30 We’re going to narrow it down to the night 00:01:33 —that’s when you need to be on the watch. 00:01:35 And so it is that we are in the last days —that’s what he’s speaking about. 00:01:40 Now, the “coming” would be at some point in the last days. 00:01:44 It’s another reason this illustration is good for us, 00:01:48 because he says that the watch will be at night. 00:01:51 Now, what happens at nighttime? 00:01:54 Well, at nighttime is usually when there’s adversity 00:01:57 if there’s going to be adversity. 00:01:59 There is gloom 00:02:01 —obscurity— at nighttime. 00:02:03 That’s when the thieves come in —those who want to do evil. 00:02:06 That’s when sometimes armies will launch surprise attacks. 00:02:11 That’s where beasts will roam —when they’ll roam. 00:02:15 And as a result, notice what Jesus said in verse 44. 00:02:19 He says: “On this account [because of that, he said], 00:02:24 “you too prove yourselves ready, 00:02:26 because the Son of man is coming at an hour that you do not think to be it.” 00:02:32 So, what message was he giving us here? 00:02:34 Well, in verse 42: “Keep on the watch.” 00:02:37 Verse 44, ahh, ‘Prove ourselves ready.’ 00:02:42 Now let’s take the “keep on the watch,” first. 00:02:45 During the times we’re living in right now, 00:02:48 why is it that people are not on the watch? 00:02:51 They don’t understand what’s happening around us. 00:02:54 Well, to understand, 00:02:57 we can go to Isaiah 56:10 00:03:00 because it gives some indication. 00:03:03 Isaiah 56:10 00:03:05 —speaking about the leaders of Judah— 00:03:08 and listen to what it says. 00:03:11 It says: “His watchmen are blind, 00:03:14 “none of them have taken note. 00:03:16 All of them are speechless dogs, unable to bark.” 00:03:21 So the leaders were to be “watchmen” 00:03:24 but, instead, he says they were “speechless.” 00:03:27 Now, dogs have this very keen sense of hearing, 00:03:31 and so they hear before humans. 00:03:33 That’s why they can bark, giving a warning. 00:03:36 But these leaders weren’t doing it. 00:03:38 They weren’t warning the people of the dangers, 00:03:41 and thus the spiritual condition that they found themselves in. 00:03:46 So the leaders of Judah 00:03:49 actually are a fitting symbol 00:03:52 of Christendom’s religious clergy today 00:03:56 because they’re not warning the people. 00:03:59 And that’s why the masses don’t understand 00:04:01 the serious times we’re living in. 00:04:03 In fact, they are spiritually asleep. 00:04:08 Now let’s contrast those speechless dogs, so to speak, 00:04:13 with Jehovah’s watchman, “the faithful and discreet slave.” 00:04:17 Just think of what they’ve done for us: 00:04:20 They keep us alert to the sign of Christ’s presence. 00:04:24 They help us to avoid the snares of Satan the Devil. 00:04:28 They help us to understand 00:04:31 and stay focused on the unfulfilled prophecies. 00:04:34 In fact, just think of the amount of spiritual food 00:04:38 that they’re giving us. 00:04:40 Truly, they are in fact on the watch 00:04:45 and, as a result, they’re helping us to stay on the watch. 00:04:49 But remember, Jesus now narrowed it down to an individual. 00:04:53 We have to ‘prove ourselves ready,’ he said. 00:04:56 So to stay ready, we cannot have 00:04:59 this ‘speechless dog’ tendency in ourselves. 00:05:04 Now, what do we mean? 00:05:06 Well, think about this: 00:05:08 If our night watchman is on his shift and he’s going around 00:05:13 and he sees water damage, rather, a water leak 00:05:15 —what is he going to do about it? 00:05:17 Will he simply take note of it? 00:05:20 Well, if he only takes note of it, 00:05:22 the result is going to be major damage. 00:05:25 So inherent within being a watchman 00:05:29 is that you have to do something about it. 00:05:31 You can’t just see it and not act on it. 00:05:35 And so it is with each one of us. 00:05:37 When we look at “the faithful and discreet slave,” 00:05:40 what a beautiful example they’re giving us. 00:05:43 They’re fulfilling their assignment in a superior way. 00:05:47 But we must each ask ourselves, 00:05:51 ‘Is my internal dog barking?’ 00:05:56 Now, the words of Peter here in 2 Peter chapter 3 00:05:59 are going to help us to answer and to reason on that question. 00:06:04 It’s at 2 Peter 3:10. 00:06:10 It says: “Jehovah’s day will come as a thief.” 00:06:14 OK, in verse 11, it says that we need to figure out 00:06:19 ‘what sort of persons’ we are in these areas 00:06:22 —‘in our holy acts of conduct and our deeds of godly devotion.’ 00:06:26 And then in verse 14, we’ll read it: 00:06:29 “Therefore, beloved ones, since you are awaiting these things, 00:06:32 “do your utmost to be found finally by him 00:06:35 spotless and unblemished and in peace.” 00:06:40 So, obviously, spotless means 00:06:43 that when there was a spot, we got rid of it, 00:06:45 or when there was a blemish, we did something about it. 00:06:50 So to manifest these holy acts of conduct 00:06:54 that verse 11 is talking about, 00:06:56 we have to stay morally clean. 00:06:59 Now, we’re living in a world that doesn’t want us to be morally clean. 00:07:03 They’re doing everything to try to get us to think wrong 00:07:07 —to do things that Jehovah objects to. 00:07:11 When we have the first indication 00:07:15 that our thinking is not right, 00:07:18 maybe there’s an unclean thought or idea 00:07:21 that comes into our mind, what do we do? 00:07:24 Well, remember the watchman. 00:07:26 When he sees the leak, he needs to do something about it. 00:07:30 Otherwise, there’ll be damage. 00:07:32 And so it is with us. 00:07:34 Even if we are thinking —if we have a thought— 00:07:37 of deviating from Jehovah’s moral standards, 00:07:40 then the figurative dog better start barking 00:07:45 and we better do something about it. 00:07:48 If we don’t do so, 00:07:50 listen to the comments of the March 2015 Watchtower. 00:07:55 It says: “Are we finding the gap 00:07:58 “between our moral standards and those of the world widening? 00:08:02 “If not, we have cause for concern. 00:08:07 “Could it be that our personal standards, 00:08:11 “though higher than those of the world, are eroding? 00:08:16 “If so, we need to take positive action 00:08:19 to correct matters in order to please God.” 00:08:23 So if we detect a spiritual spot, 00:08:27 or blemish, 00:08:29 let’s go to Jehovah God in prayer 00:08:31 and ask him for help. 00:08:34 Let’s do research in a way that helps us 00:08:37 to identify the weakness 00:08:40 and also how to fix it. 00:08:43 And if needed, let’s reach out for help. 00:08:47 Have you ever lived next to a neighbor 00:08:49 that had a dog that barked all the time? 00:08:53 It barked for days, for weeks, for months, 00:08:57 barking and barking. 00:08:59 Pretty soon you became oblivious to the bark. 00:09:03 Well, may that never happen 00:09:05 when our internal dog is barking. 00:09:09 Yes, may we all be determined to heed Jesus direction: 00:09:13 “Keep on the watch.” 00:09:15 ‘Prove ourselves ready.’
00:00:01 If you look at Matthew chapter 24 00:00:03 (you may want to open your Bibles there 00:00:05 because the text of the day comes from there), 00:00:08 we find in chapter 24, 00:00:10 starting in verse 29 through chapter 25, 00:00:13 Jesus is actually talking 00:00:15 about the conditions of the time of the end 00:00:18 that we’re, in fact, in right now 00:00:20 and, also, what we can expect in the great tribulation. 00:00:25 So our scripture is at Matthew 24:42. 00:00:30 Let’s read it. 00:00:32 It says: “Keep on the watch, therefore, 00:00:35 because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” 00:00:40 So, what is referred to as “coming”? 00:00:45 Well, this is speaking about a future time. 00:00:47 Jesus will be coming as Judge. 00:00:50 When is he coming? 00:00:52 Well, what did he say there? 00:00:54 ‘You do not know the day.’ 00:00:57 But if you go to the next verse, 00:00:59 he sort of narrows his comment and gives us a little bit of a clue. 00:01:03 He’s talking about a householder being on watch for a thief. 00:01:08 Let’s read it in verse 43. 00:01:10 It says: “But know one thing: 00:01:12 “If the householder had known in what watch the thief was coming, 00:01:17 he would have kept awake and not allowed his house to be broken into.” 00:01:22 So if you notice the footnote, it says “at what time of night.” 00:01:27 So Jesus said, well, the householder knew either day or night. 00:01:30 We’re going to narrow it down to the night 00:01:33 —that’s when you need to be on the watch. 00:01:35 And so it is that we are in the last days —that’s what he’s speaking about. 00:01:40 Now, the “coming” would be at some point in the last days. 00:01:44 It’s another reason this illustration is good for us, 00:01:48 because he says that the watch will be at night. 00:01:51 Now, what happens at nighttime? 00:01:54 Well, at nighttime is usually when there’s adversity 00:01:57 if there’s going to be adversity. 00:01:59 There is gloom 00:02:01 —obscurity— at nighttime. 00:02:03 That’s when the thieves come in —those who want to do evil. 00:02:06 That’s when sometimes armies will launch surprise attacks. 00:02:11 That’s where beasts will roam —when they’ll roam. 00:02:15 And as a result, notice what Jesus said in verse 44. 00:02:19 He says: “On this account [because of that, he said], 00:02:24 “you too prove yourselves ready, 00:02:26 because the Son of man is coming at an hour that you do not think to be it.” 00:02:32 So, what message was he giving us here? 00:02:34 Well, in verse 42: “Keep on the watch.” 00:02:37 Verse 44, ahh, ‘Prove ourselves ready.’ 00:02:42 Now let’s take the “keep on the watch,” first. 00:02:45 During the times we’re living in right now, 00:02:48 why is it that people are not on the watch? 00:02:51 They don’t understand what’s happening around us. 00:02:54 Well, to understand, 00:02:57 we can go to Isaiah 56:10 00:03:00 because it gives some indication. 00:03:03 Isaiah 56:10 00:03:05 —speaking about the leaders of Judah— 00:03:08 and listen to what it says. 00:03:11 It says: “His watchmen are blind, 00:03:14 “none of them have taken note. 00:03:16 All of them are speechless dogs, unable to bark.” 00:03:21 So the leaders were to be “watchmen” 00:03:24 but, instead, he says they were “speechless.” 00:03:27 Now, dogs have this very keen sense of hearing, 00:03:31 and so they hear before humans. 00:03:33 That’s why they can bark, giving a warning. 00:03:36 But these leaders weren’t doing it. 00:03:38 They weren’t warning the people of the dangers, 00:03:41 and thus the spiritual condition that they found themselves in. 00:03:46 So the leaders of Judah 00:03:49 actually are a fitting symbol 00:03:52 of Christendom’s religious clergy today 00:03:56 because they’re not warning the people. 00:03:59 And that’s why the masses don’t understand 00:04:01 the serious times we’re living in. 00:04:03 In fact, they are spiritually asleep. 00:04:08 Now let’s contrast those speechless dogs, so to speak, 00:04:13 with Jehovah’s watchman, “the faithful and discreet slave.” 00:04:17 Just think of what they’ve done for us: 00:04:20 They keep us alert to the sign of Christ’s presence. 00:04:24 They help us to avoid the snares of Satan the Devil. 00:04:28 They help us to understand 00:04:31 and stay focused on the unfulfilled prophecies. 00:04:34 In fact, just think of the amount of spiritual food 00:04:38 that they’re giving us. 00:04:40 Truly, they are in fact on the watch 00:04:45 and, as a result, they’re helping us to stay on the watch. 00:04:49 But remember, Jesus now narrowed it down to an individual. 00:04:53 We have to ‘prove ourselves ready,’ he said. 00:04:56 So to stay ready, we cannot have 00:04:59 this ‘speechless dog’ tendency in ourselves. 00:05:04 Now, what do we mean? 00:05:06 Well, think about this: 00:05:08 If our night watchman is on his shift and he’s going around 00:05:13 and he sees water damage, rather, a water leak 00:05:15 —what is he going to do about it? 00:05:17 Will he simply take note of it? 00:05:20 Well, if he only takes note of it, 00:05:22 the result is going to be major damage. 00:05:25 So inherent within being a watchman 00:05:29 is that you have to do something about it. 00:05:31 You can’t just see it and not act on it. 00:05:35 And so it is with each one of us. 00:05:37 When we look at “the faithful and discreet slave,” 00:05:40 what a beautiful example they’re giving us. 00:05:43 They’re fulfilling their assignment in a superior way. 00:05:47 But we must each ask ourselves, 00:05:51 ‘Is my internal dog barking?’ 00:05:56 Now, the words of Peter here in 2 Peter chapter 3 00:05:59 are going to help us to answer and to reason on that question. 00:06:04 It’s at 2 Peter 3:10. 00:06:10 It says: “Jehovah’s day will come as a thief.” 00:06:14 OK, in verse 11, it says that we need to figure out 00:06:19 ‘what sort of persons’ we are in these areas 00:06:22 —‘in our holy acts of conduct and our deeds of godly devotion.’ 00:06:26 And then in verse 14, we’ll read it: 00:06:29 “Therefore, beloved ones, since you are awaiting these things, 00:06:32 “do your utmost to be found finally by him 00:06:35 spotless and unblemished and in peace.” 00:06:40 So, obviously, spotless means 00:06:43 that when there was a spot, we got rid of it, 00:06:45 or when there was a blemish, we did something about it. 00:06:50 So to manifest these holy acts of conduct 00:06:54 that verse 11 is talking about, 00:06:56 we have to stay morally clean. 00:06:59 Now, we’re living in a world that doesn’t want us to be morally clean. 00:07:03 They’re doing everything to try to get us to think wrong 00:07:07 —to do things that Jehovah objects to. 00:07:11 When we have the first indication 00:07:15 that our thinking is not right, 00:07:18 maybe there’s an unclean thought or idea 00:07:21 that comes into our mind, what do we do? 00:07:24 Well, remember the watchman. 00:07:26 When he sees the leak, he needs to do something about it. 00:07:30 Otherwise, there’ll be damage. 00:07:32 And so it is with us. 00:07:34 Even if we are thinking —if we have a thought— 00:07:37 of deviating from Jehovah’s moral standards, 00:07:40 then the figurative dog better start barking 00:07:45 and we better do something about it. 00:07:48 If we don’t do so, 00:07:50 listen to the comments of the March 2015 Watchtower. 00:07:55 It says: “Are we finding the gap 00:07:58 “between our moral standards and those of the world widening? 00:08:02 “If not, we have cause for concern. 00:08:07 “Could it be that our personal standards, 00:08:11 “though higher than those of the world, are eroding? 00:08:16 “If so, we need to take positive action 00:08:19 to correct matters in order to please God.” 00:08:23 So if we detect a spiritual spot, 00:08:27 or blemish, 00:08:29 let’s go to Jehovah God in prayer 00:08:31 and ask him for help. 00:08:34 Let’s do research in a way that helps us 00:08:37 to identify the weakness 00:08:40 and also how to fix it. 00:08:43 And if needed, let’s reach out for help. 00:08:47 Have you ever lived next to a neighbor 00:08:49 that had a dog that barked all the time? 00:08:53 It barked for days, for weeks, for months, 00:08:57 barking and barking. 00:08:59 Pretty soon you became oblivious to the bark. 00:09:03 Well, may that never happen 00:09:05 when our internal dog is barking. 00:09:09 Yes, may we all be determined to heed Jesus direction: 00:09:13 “Keep on the watch.” 00:09:15 ‘Prove ourselves ready.’
