Let your loins be girded – Preaching
Preaching outline on Luke 12:35 – “Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning.”
Introduction to Luke 12:35
The Bible refers to the “last days” or “end times” as a prophetic time preceding the coming of the Lord Jesus, which is called “the night”.
The Lord Jesus, when referring to his coming, exhorts his disciples to be vigilant, since prophetically the time of the end would be a difficult period for believers, due to the great involvement and action of the world on the church of the last days, to mischaracterize it, nullifying its mission and diverting it from its ultimate goal, which is eternal life.
Night time
The darkness that falls over the world at this time, foretold by the Old Testament prophets and foreshadowed by the Lord Jesus, points to the need for the faithful Church to be on “active vigilance”.
Night or darkness, therefore, speaks of a prophetic time that precedes the return of the Lord Jesus to seek out his Church, a time of great events throughout the world, including physical events, with alterations in the universe; social events, with unrest and wars in various places; the increase and dominance of sin, making man hostage to all kinds of sin and moral and physical contamination and destruction.
PREPARATION AND VIGILANCE
The Bible says that “every man is a lie” and we see every day that this evil dominates all peoples without exception, permeating not only society and the common man, but also religion itself. Lying is easy to carry out because it’s light and appeals to human beings, since it’s inherent in them, given their own temporality.
The truth is heavy, repudiated by many, and when it is mentioned, it provokes such deep reactions that it unbalances those who try to handle it.
“LOINS GIRDED WITH TRUTH“
It was common to use bands with certain regions to adjust the muscles and keep them in the right position to withstand certain physical efforts, from lifting weights to wrestlers who were forced to make certain efforts.
The girded loins speak of the adjustment in the servant’s life, based on the Word of God, on the project of salvation in Jesus Christ. The word of God is a light to our paths, the word testifies of the Lord Jesus who is ‘the way, the truth and the life.
In this last hour, we need to be firm in his word and well adjusted to the project of Salvation so that we don’t lose our way.
“BODY PREPARATION”
When Jesus refers to this prophetic moment before his coming, he speaks of the need for the body to be prepared to carry out all the tasks that will fall to it in this last hour, especially leading the word of truth (quote from Paul: “Loins girded with truth”).
What a burden, what difficulty to carry this truth, so necessary for a world of deceit and lies. Only a well-balanced and prepared body can carry this truth, the truth of the gospel, of salvation, in the fight against the world, against lies and against sin. Only the body of Christ is able to bear and carry the weight of the truth. “Loins girded…”
“LIGHT YOUR LAMPS”
An unbalanced body would not be able to carry a lamp full of oil and fire.
The Lord Jesus’ second recommendation for the church of the last days speaks of the need for the church to walk, or rather, for the body to walk without stumbling, because of the moment of darkness that precedes the midnight cry.
Walking in darkness, without light, is an incalculable risk for the moment we are living in. The faithful church, which has already lit its lamps, does not stumble off balance, nor does it go astray, much less does it sleep with oil and fire in its hands, since the midnight call or cry is approaching: “Here comes the bridegroom, go out to meet him”.
The Church’s preparation for this last hour is linked to these two recommendations:
Girded loins – truth of the word
Light your lamps – full of the Holy Spirit.
SURVEILLANCE
Service secrets:
1º Be attentive to the Lord’s voice (so that when he knocks, they can open the door of their heart);
2º Nobody knows the day or the hour (SURPRISE);
3º He will come at a time you can’t imagine;
4th Serving the Lord in faithfulness and prudence (PREPARATION)
Faithful – in service
Prudence – don’t be careless
To watch is to serve faithfully and prudently, with your loins girded and your lamps burning. Taken from the world for God’s great purpose of carrying them into eternity.
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