May 17, 2026

“Work Until He Comes”

Message by Rev. Alan Perkins

Good morning! We continue today our celebration of the Easter season, the seven weeks between Resurrection Sunday and Pentecost Sunday. During this time, we focus on our risen Savior, Jesus Christ, and we reflect on what his victory over death means to us as his followers. Today is known as Ascension Sunday, a day on which we remember the bodily ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven. I’ll read to you the account from Acts 1:4-11:

4 On one occasion, while he [Jesus] was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” 

There’s a lot packed into this passage. Let’s start with the disciples’ question in verse 6; “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” Now, you may recall that at the Last Supper, in John chapter 14, Jesus told the disciples that he would be with them only a short while longer. He told them that he was going to leave and prepare a place for them. And he promised that he would return and take them to be with him. In other words, he gave them the sequence of events. So why are the disciples now asking Jesus if he is going to immediately set up his kingdom on the earth? Perhaps they thought that the time since his resurrection, the forty days which had elapsed so far, was the time of Jesus’ absence that he had been referring to. If so, they were wrong; it would be much, much longer. Not forty days, but two thousand years. So far. But Jesus’ answer in verse 7 is that although the “times and dates” of future events had been established by God, he wasn’t going to reveal those dates to them, or to us.

Which hasn’t stopped a lot of people, throughout church history, from trying to figure those dates out anyway. For example, in the late 1980’s, a man named Edgar Whisenant published a book entitled, “88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will be in 1988”. Over 4 million copies of his book were sold. And many people took it very seriously. Some people quit their jobs or sold all of their possessions. Or they loaded up on credit card debt, thinking they wouldn’t have to repay it. But of course, he was wrong. When the date passed with no Rapture, he revised it. And then he revised it again. But as you can imagine, people sort of lost interest after the first prediction failed, and the credit card bills started arriving. 

And so the “times and dates” of future events are not for us to know. Why not? And I think part of the reason is that God wants us to be ready for Christ’s return, every hour of every day. If we knew somehow that Christ wouldn’t return until the year 2525, or 3535, we might decide that we could take it easy. Still plenty of time to reach the world for Christ. No urgent need to labor, or sacrifice, or give. Just relax and let things take their course. They’ll all hear in due time. That’s human nature, isn’t it? 

Or, if the first century Christians had known that it would be at least another two thousand years before Jesus came back, they might have been discouraged in the face of persecution. But God wants us to live, every day, with a sense of expectancy, as if this could be the day that Christ returns. Which is true, it could. Are you ready? 

I remember in the seventies and eighties there was a great deal of interest in Biblical prophecy, and future events, and the return of Christ. The Christian musician Larry Norman wrote a song that was a big hit, entitled, “I Wish We’d All Been Ready”. And you may remember the “Left Behind” books that were made into movies in the early 2000’s. But it seems that more recently that sense of expectancy, that sense of looking for Christ’s return at any moment, has subsided. Which I think is a shame. Because Christians in every era of history need to have that attitude. At the close of the book of Revelation, when Jesus tells John the apostle, “I am coming soon”, John replies, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus”. And we need to pray for that also, and desire that, that Christ would come soon. 

So what does that look like? What does it look like to have an attitude of expectancy concerning the return of Christ? One thing this attitude produces is a commitment to personal holiness. Because every day, even today, could be the day that we will be called to give an account for our life. I heard someone once put this very memorably: When you are about to do something that you know in your heart is not right, stop and ask yourself, “Is this something I would want to be doing if Christ returned right now?” Makes you think, doesn’t it? In 2 Peter 3:10-14, Peter tells us this:

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. . . . 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.

Because Christ will return suddenly and without warning, “like a thief”, we should commit ourselves to being ready for his return every day, and strive for personal holiness, every day, so that when he returns we will be glad to see him, and not be ashamed at what he finds us doing. Amen? Some people do this by starting each morning with an affirmation that “Christ may return today”, as a personal reminder to always be ready. You may want to try that, and see how it influences your thoughts and actions throughout the day. 

So an attitude of expectancy concerning the return of Christ will help motivate us to personal holiness and godliness.  It will also produce a commitment to reaching people for Christ. Why? Because the evangelism of the world is a task which needs to be completed before Christ returns. And so by spreading the gospel, we are bringing the day of Christ’s return closer. Look again at what Peter wrote in verse 12: “as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming”.  Yes. We can actually hasten Christ’s return; we can shorten the time that remains. Isn’t that amazing? One reason we know this is true is that in the book of Revelation we read this:

9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:9)

People from every nation, and from all tribes and peoples and languages, will be in heaven. And the sooner the gospel penetrates into all of those groups, the sooner that scene in heaven can take place. I saw a bumper sticker once that said, “Jesus is coming. Look busy.” But Jesus doesn’t want us just to look busy; he wants us actually to be busy in the work of the kingdom. So an attitude of expectancy concerning the return of Christ will inspire us to do everything we can to further the spread of the gospel. 

Let’s go back to the question which the angels asked: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky?” We don’t know how long the disciples had been standing there after Jesus’ ascension, but it was probably quite a while.  They were awestruck at what had just happened. They were straining their eyes to catch a glimpse of Jesus, unsure of what to do next. And so the angels weren’t seeking information. They were making a statement. They were saying to the disciples, in the nicest way possible, “Why are you still here? Don’t just stand around, wasting time. Jesus told you what to do. Get started.” And what was it that they were supposed to get started doing? To be Christ’s witnesses, to the ends of the earth, as he said in Acts 1:8.

Ask yourself this question. Why did Jesus leave at all? Why, after the resurrection, didn’t he just set up his kingdom on the earth? That’s what the disciples were evidently hoping for when they asked him the question, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” But Jesus’ answer to that question was no. Instead, he left them and ascended into heaven, promising that he would send the Holy Spirit in his place. But why? Why delay? And why such a long delay until his return, now over two thousand years? Second Peter gives us the answer:

3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” . . . 8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:3-4, 8-9)

There’s our answer. And so Jesus has delayed his return, and God has delayed his judgment on mankind, in order to allow time for as many people as possible to hear the gospel and turn to God. He is being patient, allowing them time to repent. God wants heaven to be full. Jesus is delaying his return so that we can tell people about him and lead them to faith. We may think that we’re waiting on him, but in reality, he’s waiting on us—to complete the task that he gave the disciples. And that task—our task—is to be his witnesses: first to our neighbors, and then to the whole world. 

Jesus wants us to be working to hasten his return, rather than just waiting for his return. So what does that look like? Let’s dive a little deeper. In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus tells a parable about a man who was about to go on a journey. Before doing so, he entrusted his wealth to three different servants. The first two invested the funds wisely, but the third one just dug a hole and buried it. When the master returned, the first two were rewarded, while the third was harshly punished. I’ll read it:

14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ 21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ 23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

There are several lessons we can draw from this parable: I’ll give you five. First, and most obviously, God expects us to do something with the bags of gold he has given us; the abilities, and resources, and opportunities he has entrusted to us, whatever they may be. And so, whether you are highly gifted, and have ample resources, or whether your gifts and your resources are more limited, God expects you to make the most of them. Just sitting and waiting for Christ to come back, and in the meantime doing nothing for his kingdom, is not acceptable. God expects you to do everything you can with what you have. And so to bury your abilities 

in a hole in the ground—metaphorically—by not doing everything you can to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ in the world, is not only a waste of God’s gifts, but it is something that will be harshly punished. Because that would be evidence of a lack of true faith. On the other hand, if we do what we can with what we have, whatever it may be, we will be richly rewarded. What is God’s response in that case? “‘Well done, good and faithful servant!”, he will say. “Come and share your master’s happiness!” I don’t know about you, but I am investing my time, and abilities, and resources, with the goal of hearing those words. That’s what I want to hear, more than anything else. Well, after I hear, “there’s an all-you-can-eat pie buffet on the left, and none of the pies have any calories, because this is heaven!” Yes, it’s nice when people compliment you or thank you for your work. We all appreciate that. But what really matters is what Christ will say to us when he returns. 

Note also that the servant who received and invested five bags of gold, and the servant who received and invested two, received the very same praise from God. And so it’s not what, or how much, God has given you that matters; it’s your faithfulness that matters. 

Let me give you a little exercise to help kick-start your thinking in this area. Start by taking an inventory of your assets. Write them down. This can include money or physical things, like a house or a car. It can include skills and abilities, like music or cooking. And it can also include opportunities: relationships or circumstances in which God placed you that could provide an opening for some kind of ministry or outreach. Once you’ve taken an inventory, look through it and prayerfully consider whether there are any underutilized assets; any items in your list that you currently aren’t using for God. And then pick just one or two to begin doing that. Very simple. But potentially very powerful. And if you find yourself struggling to come up with a list, invite a friend to do it with you, because they may see assets in your life—abilities or opportunities—that you don’t see yourself. Why not do that this week, as an application from the sermon?

All right. Second lesson. In verse 16, we see that the man who received five bags of gold went, quote, “at once” and put his money to work. “At once”. In other words, start now. Don’t wait. Start today putting to work for God’s kingdom the resources and abilities he has entrusted to you, so that you can maximize the return on those assets. Don’t say, “when I retire I’ll do more,” or “when I finish paying off the mortgage I’ll do something”, or “when things quiet down at work and I have more time, I’ll do something”, or “when the kids are older and my life isn’t quite so zooey, I’ll do something for God.” Because life is always busy and money is always tight. At least for most people, most of the time. The good news is that God doesn’t expect more from you than you can do. But he does expect you to do what you can do. So don’t use your limitations as an excuse to do nothing. Do something now, instead of putting it off to later when you think it will be easier. Do it “at once”. Because there will be an accounting when we get to heaven. And you want to be one of the people who invested what they were given and doubled it. So get going. 

Third lesson. The resources we have—our possessions, and our skills, and our abilities—none of those belong to us. They belong to God. Verse 14 tells us that the man who went on the journey “entrusted his wealth to them”. His wealth. They aren’t just gifts, to do with whatever we would like. They have been entrusted to us temporarily for the purpose of serving God. One well-known radio commentator used to say that he had “talent on loan from God”. And although it sounds like a boast, he was right—in that at least. Any talent that any of us may possess, whether it is great or small, is only on loan from God. And on judgment day, God is going to require that we give an accounting of what we have done with the talents he loaned to us. What we have done with our health, and our wealth, and our wisdom, and our knowledge, and our abilities, and our possessions. All of it. 

Fourth lesson. What was in the bags that the man gave to his servants? Gold. Not trash or worthless garbage. Gold. And in the same way, he has entrusted to each one of us things of great value that we can use to serve and glorify Him. Some have received more than others. But everyone in the parable got something of great value to invest. Now, you may not see it that way. You may be thinking; what could I possibly do for God? What do I have to offer? And the reason it isn’t obvious to you may be that the things which God treasures and values are not the things of this world. You may not have what this world seeks after and treasures. But God has given you something that he values and treasures. Something that can be of great value to his kingdom. And you need to ask him to help you see the value of what you have, so that you can invest it for eternity. 

And if you’re not sure, just start doing something, anything. Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote a book called “Seven Tools for Life”, in which he shares what he’s learned about success over his lifetime. I enjoyed the book; obviously Arnold and I have a lot in common. Or maybe not. But Arnold writes in the book that his guiding principle throughout life has been something his father told him, “Just be useful”. Which is good. So do that. Be useful in some way. Find a way to make a contribution. If you’re unsure what is in the bag of gold that God has given you to serve him with, just find a way to be useful until you figure it out. 

And of course, I recognize that many of you, most of you, are doing just that. In the midst of your busy lives, and all the demands on your time and resources, you are devoting yourselves to the work of the gospel. This church does an amazing amount of ministry relative to our size, and I rejoice in that and give thanks for all that you do. To take just a few examples, in the foyer there are cans and boxes of food that will bless people in need through the Richwood Food Bank. In a few weeks, we will be serving our community’s children by offering a Vacation Bible School. On Thursday, we hosted a bluegrass Jam in the fellowship hall. This coming week, we’ll be hosting a community meal here. And on and on. So I don’t mean, at all, to imply that we aren’t working. Far from it. But it’s still a good thing for each one of us individually to reflect on what God has given us, and on what we are doing, and could do, with that, to advance the gospel. And so that’s what I’m recommending. 

Fifth and final lesson. God is a God of abundance. No matter what we give to him, we will receive much, much, more in return. You cannot outgive God. Verse 29 says, “For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance.” Here is one of my favorite verses on giving—and it applies not only to financial giving, but to anything we offer to God, including our time and our talents. Our Lord says this in Luke’s gospel, chapter 6, verse 38:

38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

I love that. The rewards we receive from God will be so abundant that they will be “pressed down, shaken together, and running over” and poured into our laps. It will be like
Scrooge McDuck, swan diving into his huge piles of gold coins, or Ali Baba saying, “Open Sesame” and seeing the cave opening to reveal a great hoard of treasure and precious gems. 

That image is a metaphor, of course. I don’t think we’ll use actual gold coins for currency in heaven. Maybe Bitcoin. But the imagery is telling us something real, which is that when Christ returns, the rewards which he bestows on us for our giving, and for our labors and our sacrifices, will far exceed what we gave to him. No matter what we offer to him, we will never think that our reward is too little. Because our God is a God of abundance, and he delights in blessing us abundantly. And he will do so, when Christ returns. 

So in closing, let’s summarize. Christ didn’t set up his kingdom on earth immediately when he rose from the dead, because he wanted to allow time for people to come to faith, from every nation, and tribe, and people, and language. And he gave us, as his disciples, the task and privilege of filling up heaven with people. He gave us all the resources we need for that work, bags full of golden skills, and abilities, and resources, and opportunities. And he expects a return. Christ is coming back, but we can’t just to sit and wait for him; our assignment is to work for the kingdom until he returns. And when that happens, we will rejoice with him, and we will receive rewards in abundance, rewards beyond our imagination. And we will be so glad that we obeyed his call to action. So. Let’s get to work. 

The First Baptist Church of Richwood - May 17, 2026