Summary:
We think having a deadline is better, but it doesn’t guarantee people will prepare. Some will think they’re capable enough to meet it and rush just before that, but they may not make it. The Lord doesn’t tell us the ‘deadline’ of His second coming because He knows human’s tendency to procrastinate. All He requires of us is to always be prepared. How? By having an inventory checklist (where we need to check the expiry dates of the batches) instead of just a to-do list. It’s not enough to have something; we need to note whether what we have is relevant. Does it need to be refreshed/renewed? For example, we may think we are prepared because we have read the Bible. But is our understanding of it still relevant?

Acts 22:16
And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

This was part of Paul’s recount of his baptism. From this record, it seems like there is a sense of urgency. But let’s take a closer look at the record where he was baptised.

Acts 9:9-12
And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”

Saul was blinded by a light from heaven. In v9, we see he was blinded for 3 days, neither eating nor drinking (likely fasting). Perhaps he was allowed to suffer 3 days so that he could reflect on the sufferings of Christ for him (Matt 12:40) and to reflect on his sins.

Baptism was urgent, but it was delayed 3 days. Since baptism is so important, why wasn’t it done immediately? The Lord wanted him to seriously think about his own actions. Being aware that Jesus is God wasn’t enough. Reflection was necessary too. So Ananias was delayed from baptising him.

When something is urgent, we may want to rush into it. But if we aren’t sufficiently prepared, we may mess it up. It’s important to consider the urgency of matters. But it’s also important to prepare ourselves. Once we are prepared, then we must do it immediately. Do not take your time.

It’s like when our house is on fire. Some of us may just run out because preserving our lives is more important. Some may get valuable documents and then run out. Of course we need to evaluate the situation. If it permits then we can do the latter. But if it doesn’t permit, it would be foolish for us to linger. We must hence act with wisdom. There’s no blanket rule that applies in all cases. See the factors surrounding the case before making a decision.

A matter weighing on us now is the coming of the Lord. Are we prepared for the coming of the Lord? When the early Christians believed, they had an attitude of urgency. Some sold all they had (Acts 4:34-35). But as time passed, as we read Paul’s epistles, we can see how their sense of urgency (and hence preparedness) had diminished.

Eph 5:14-18
Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit

There was no sense of urgency in the believers and they wasted time as if there was a lot of it.

Rom 13:11-14
And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

2 Pet 3:8-9
But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

The urgency found in the early believers was not in the later believers. This is unfortunately human nature. When something is not going to happen so soon, we let our guards down. If we know what the deadline is, that’s better. But if we don’t, we often wind up in trouble. If somebody asks us to do something and tells us the deadline is tonight, we would work hard to finish it by then. But if they tell us the deadline is soon, we would likely delay. The coming of the Lord is like the latter deadline. “Lord when are You coming?” “I am coming quickly.”

One day passed, one month passed, one year passed, 10 years passed, 1000 years passed. He still has not come. Some Christians become weary and put the blame on God. “You said You’re coming but so long has passed and You’re still not here!”

But the Lord also knows if He were to give us a deadline, intelligent human beings would work around the deadline. When students have to do a project due in July, diligent students will work consistently. But problematic students (or students weaker in their will) will take it easy at the first part. Some relax until the start of July, when the deadline is end July. Some worse ones will only begin a few days before the deadline. Knowing the deadline doesn’t guarantee people will prepare. Like the student example, some people will think they’re capable enough to meet the deadline and rush just before that, but they may not make it. Maybe that’s why the Lord doesn’t tell us the deadline of when He’s coming. All He requires of us is to always be prepared and vigilant.

How do we prepare ourselves?

Is our preparation a to-do list or an inventory checklist? A to-do list is like: ‘Have you bought toilet paper? Yes? Tick it off.’ How about an inventory checklist? The speaker was a medical store man. He needed to take note of each medicine batch’s expiry date so the older ones were cleared first and people wouldn’t end up with ineffective medicine. We need to be aware of our inventories. It’s not enough that we have something, we need to note whether what we have is relevant. Does it need to be refreshed? Does it need to be renewed?

We may think we are prepared because we have read the Bible. But is our understanding of it still relevant? Is the way we understand how a Christian ought to live still relevant? Is the word of God still effective in your life? Does it give you strength just as it had at the very beginning?

Let’s be mindful being prepared is not just seeing whether we have it, but also whether it is still relevant to us. Let us use the word of God to help us grow!

2 Pet 3:14-18
Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Peter wrote two letters. In the first, he wrote about the tribulations the members were going through. In the second, one of his main messages was warning them about false teachings and prophets among them (2:15). They were growing weary waiting for the Lord’s coming. Right now, we may not be going through what the believers then were going through. But Jesus has told us that it will happen to us one day.

As we prepare to meet our Lord, there’s always the need to continue to be diligent. We don’t see the end; in fact, God deliberately doesn’t want to tell us when the end is because He doesn’t want us to prepare last minute. He wants us to continue preparing and preparing. This requires us to be diligent, patient and on guard.

v16 “some things hard to understand” There are some things hard to understand. For example, how will our bodies be like in heaven? Be humble to submit to the will of the Lord. Don’t force an understanding if we don’t understand. Like Peter said, it may lead us to our own destruction (v16). It may cause us to fall from our own steadfastness (v17).

Paul was blinded. This was so he could see spiritually. When he couldn’t see outside, he began to look inside. What do we see with our eyes? Many of us see the beauty of this world; we see the cares and worries of our lives; we may see the future we have for ourselves. But we may not see the things of God. May God help to correct our vision.