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Perhaps, the most commonly shared impression at the end of the year is the awareness that all things end, and that we are hardly ever prepared as we should have been .

Everything we planned for the year has not been done. many of the things that happened were  not planned at all .So the end of everything we do is more important than, the beginning. one of the major reason for this is that the appraisal of what we do will not be based on our starting,  but on our finishing .

Weather you start  a race slowly or fast, late or on time, what determines your prize is how you finish .

“For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ .That each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5 verse 10 ).

One of the causes of anxiety in the Christian race is  the fact that the race – our life will end one day ,and that we do not know when.

Jesus said the kingdom of God comes like a thief in the night .No one will know when it will come .Another part of that complexity is  the fact that our life will not just end, rather we will be required to give account of how we lived, and account for which we will be rewarded, the rewards which determines how and where we will spend eternity.

Water is our bodies most important nutrient; it is important in everybodyly function, and makes up 70- 75% of our total body weight. water helps maintain body temperature, metabolize body fat, aids  in digestion, lubricates and conscious organs, transport nutrients and flourishes toxins from the body .

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Everyone should drink at least 64 ounces per day, and if you exercise or overweight even more. Our blood is approximatetly 90% water and is responsible for tissues. Being 2% dehydrated can seriously degrade physical and mental functions. Being 15% dehydrated is likely to be deadly .

Unlike vitamin deficiencies which can take weeks to make someone I’ll, a water deficiency can kill in days or even ours.

so, as physical life will be terminated without physical water, so also will our spiritual life be terminated without spiritual water. Jesus speaks of this water in the discourse he had with the woman of Samaria at the well.

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again ,but whoever drinks the water I will give him will never thirst, indeed the  water I will give him will become a spring of welling water  up to internal life” (John 4 verse 13 to 14).

it is clear that Jesus is not speaking of him given physical water, rather knowing the importance of physical water to the physical body, he likens it to the need for the spiritual water-  the righteousness of God to the spiritual body.

Because of the importance of water to the physical body, everyone makes sure that there is a sure supply of water available when needed .Infact  people store at least weeks supply at a time because no one want to run the risk of being thirsty and finding no water to drink as this may be fatal.

So everyone “digs a well”, or at least, locate a steady source of water supply weeks,months or even years before they are thirsty.

So as we are being reminded of the need to have a ready supply of water whenever our body needs some ,so Paul, in our text, calls on every Christian to be ready in the life of the righteousness of God so that whenever we appear in the judgement seat of Christ, we will not be found wanting .

Because just as lack of physical water causes physical death, so also does the lack of the righteousness of God causes spiritual death. so our theme is a call to prepare to meet our lord who will come with the reward of how we have lived our life .

Do digging the well is making sure that we have all that it takes to live a life in the righteousness of God without which our spiritual thirst will never be quenched.

The warning of God given through Amos  to Israel seems extremely appropriate in bringing the message home to us. God’s judgement is always tempered with his mercy.He does not plan a judgement day for man with out warning him.

The Bible is replete with prophecy, promise and pronouncements of that coming day. Beside the scriptual warnings. life and nature   warn man to prepare for that ultimate reckoning.

Amos listed some of this natural warnings. 

In veese 6 of chapter 4, he mentions hunger as a natural warning and an attempt by God to secure repentance from his people.

“And I also have given you cleannesst of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread and all your placese:yet have you  not returned unto me, said the Lord God.”

God’s ability to take away our physical necessities should remind us of his power to take away our physical life.

In verse 7 and 8,Amos  list the drought and famine as another opportunity for preparation.

“And also I have withheld the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest, so two or three cities wandered into one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied “yet have you not return unto me said the Lord”.

God control of the universe in spite of our plan and harvest times should tell us of his omnipotent authority over all our lives.

In verse 9,Amose says  that crop destruction afford another chance of repentance.

“I have smitten you with blasting and mildew:when your gardens and your vinyard and your fig tress  increased ,the Palmer-worm devoured them :yet  ye  have not return unto me, said the Lord”.

You must realise that our lives can be cut off as easily as the crop we try to race .

In verse 10,war is called an opportunity for religious renewal .

” You are young men have I slain with the sword and have taken away your houses yet have you not return unto me, said the Lord.”

Rather than turning men from God the tragedy of war and crime should remind us of the final destruction of all flesh.

In verse 11 consummate failure is typified as another call to preparation.

“I have theown some of you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah yet have you not return unto me, said the Lord “.

Reverses and adversities should surely cause to see the folly of trusting in our achievement..

There is no question that all this woman experiences are related to the judgement.

In the very next verse…verse 12, God says “therefore (because of this proceeding facts) thous will I do unto thee, oh Israel; and because I will do this onto thee, prepare to meet thy God,oh iseral?”

Everyone of us can recall the instance of one or more of these experiences over the years. They should serve as clear warning of the coming meering with God.Hence  the call to  be prepared.

why did the well? Why is digging the well urgent  and necessary? why can’t we wait until when it is convenient?

1. First, the meeting is inevitable

There is absolutely no escaping it or evading  it.

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement”.( Hebrews 9:27)

As long as one is alive, the need for water must arise we have a choice as to how we meet God but we have no choice as to whether we will meet him.

2.The time of the meeting is unknown to us.

“But of that day and hour knows ,no man no, not the Angels of heaven, but my father only.” M(atthew 24 verse 36).

we know we will get thirsty but not exactly when. The very uncertainity of the time, coupled with the certainty of the fact makes it imperative that we prepare.

3. The meeting will come suddenly without advance warning other than what is already given .

“For men also knows not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net and as the beds that are caught in the sne;ar so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it fall suddenly upon them .”(ecclesiastes 9 verse 12).

Jesus said that society would be proceeding normally without any concern for the judgement as it was before the flood in Noah’s day. (Matthew 24 verse 38)

4. There will be no time for preparation after this life is over.

You cannot start and finish digging the well for water when you are already thirty. This life that will now live is the only time we have for obidence   and preparation.

“For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he had done, whether it be good or bad.”( 2 Corinthians 5 verse 10)

How do we dig?

one cannot adequately prepare unless he knows the methods, systems, and requirements for the particular preparation at hand. if we are to prepare to meet God, doesn’t it seemed logical that we had better prepare according to His standards and requirements, not ours?

Gods standards of judgement is none other than Jesus Christ.

“Because he had appointed a day, in which he will just the word  in righteousness by that man whom he had ordained; we’re of  he had given assurance unto all men .in that he had raised him from the dead.”( Acts 17 verse 31) .

We will not be judge according to our ideas and ideals or according to the morals and modes of society.we will be judge only by the standard of Chris,t and our preparation had better be within the framework of his life, death and Resurrection.

The only hope for the siner as he facess God’s judgement day is to have Christ as his lord and savior .

we should live as children of the day (5-11)  A.Watcfulland sobber

 we are “children of lights” and “children of the day”1Thess 5:5

 we follow Jesus, the “light of the world” John 8 verse 12 ;12:35-36

Because we are now in Jesus, and work in the lights Ephesians 5:8; 1 John1: 5-7

Because we cast of works of darkness, and sick to work properly. Romans 13 verse 11 to 14

We are to be watchful for his coming.1Thess.5:6  for no one knows the day nor hour.1Thess 5:2;  Matthew 24 verse 36 and 42.

Watchfullness include prayer 1 Peter 47 repentance and strengthen what we have.

we have to be sober 1 thessalonians 5 verse 16 to 18a. this means to be temperate or  abstinents, it is usually used a more general sense to be sober-minded, watchful, circumspect.

Note how Jesus relates these ro watching for his coming in Luke 21 verses 34 to 36.

we should certainly take the promises of Jesus coming seriously, not frivolously.

B. Armed and waiting

In all sobberness(seriousness),put on  the armour of God such as bracelet of faith and love. faith and love protect our hearts from much evil.

Faith comes from the word of God, and love come from him  who is the world- Romans 10:17 ;1 John 3 verse 16, such as the hope of salvation as a helmets. Our hope of salvation Romans 15:4.

Comforted and edified

We are comfort one another 1 thessalonian 5:11

with the comfort we each receive from God 2nd Corinthians 1 verse 3 and 4 

with the comfort of our hope we have in Christ -1thess.4:18

we are to edify ( build up) one another-1 these.5:11 this is a goal we are to pursue Romans 14 verse ;15:2.

the primary work of the church is edification Ephesians 4 verse 11 to 12 ,15-16.

wecannot successfully dig our well without diligent application of God’s word and active participation in the lords church.

Conclusion

In preparation for the inevitable  appearance at the judgement seat of Christ, we must be prepared for good works. we must be prepared to make a defence for the gospel and we must be prepared for Christ’s return.

We must dig our well  before we are thirsty for any delay  will be deadly.

Shalom..