Supernatural. At midnight the cry rang out: Here s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him! 7

Transcription

1 1 Mark 10:27 all things are possible with God. Supernatural Matthew 25: At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 At midnight the cry rang out: Here s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him! 7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out. 9 No, they replied, there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves. 10 But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. 11 Later the others also came. Lord, Lord, they said, open the door for us! 12 But he replied, Truly I tell you, I don t know you. 13 Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. I. Be wise not foolish. A. The bride and the bridegroom. 1. The bridegroom in this parable is Jesus. 2. The bride in this parable is the church. a. I want to make a caveat here. 1.) It is possible to be in the church and be a foolish virgin. 2.) It is possible to attend church and be a foolish virgin. 3.) Going to church will not make you wise. 4.) Going to church will not make you one of the 5 wise virgins. 5.) In this parable loving Jesus and submitting to Jesus and following Jesus and worshipping Jesus will make you one of the 5 wise virgins. Vs At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. B. This is a warning to not be a fool.

2 2 1. Jesus gives a great warning here. 2. He says it in such a way that we could teach it today in January of This is an admonition to not be foolish but a command to be wise. 4. I want to be wise!!! I want you to be wise!!! C. When Jesus says At that time the kingdom of heaven means 1. This is how it works to have faith. 2. This is how spirituality works. 3. This is how spiritual life works. 4. This is how it is in the God s Kingdom. 5. Jesus is a King and he has a kingdom. 6. This is how it works in his Kingdom. D. This is a parable about the in between time. 1. The time between when Jesus leaves and when he returns. 2. Jesus is telling the story so he is obviously with them when he tells it. 3. He is telling them so that they can know what to do. 4. He tells them so that we can know what to do. Here is the Picture E. Jesus is a king but not just a king; he is a betrothed King an engaged King. 1. And soon he will be a married King. 2. His betrothed bride are the people of God 3. The people who trust him, from every race and nation and tribe and tongue 4. The church. 5. He came the first time 2,000 years ago to die for his bride - To pay a dowry, with his own blood. 6. And he will come a second time to marry her. 7. And take us his church into his love and joy forever. 8. King Jesus came into the world to take a wife. a. Not a harem. And not for sex. b. But to give her pleasures that makes sex taste like -- eating paper. c. He paid for her with his life. d. And he is now at work by his Spirit and by his word. e. Purifying and beautifying HER for HIMSELF and for HER forever joy.

3 3 1 Timothy 3: But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Application 1. Make us wise unto salvation. 2. Rejoice in your salvation. a. This rejoicing is a weapon against discouragement. b. This rejoicing is a weapon against being lethargic. c. This rejoicing is a weapon against forgetting your first love. I. Be wise not foolish. II. Be alert and ready. Vs The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. A. First of all don t be thrown off by the percentages. 1. I don t think the point of the parable is that ½ of you here today are in one category and ½ of you are in the other category. 2. The point is that some were foolish and some were wise. a. Some were ready and some were not. b. Some did what they were supposed to do and some did not. c. Some followed through with their responsibility and some did not. B. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 1. The lamp was a means to an end. 2. The lamp was there for the purpose of being lit. 3. The lamp could only be lit when there was oil in it. 4. Oil was the fuel that would burn so the lamp could be lit. 5. If you had oil you could light your lamp. 6. If you have oil you can light your lamp. No oil = no fire. C. The lamp without oil is a picture of empty religion. 1. Look at my LAMP. 2. Look how pretty it is.

4 4 Illustration Matthew 6 When you give -- don t announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do. When you pray -- do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. When you fast -- do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. All three were lamps but they were lamps with no oil. LOOK AT MY LAMP! D. All ten virgins had a job appointed for them to do. 1. They were to be ready to welcome the Bridegroom with shining lights when he comes. 2. That was their job, their calling to be ready. 3. The means chosen for that calling were oil and lamps. 4. It was their responsibility to use the means that were necessary for the work they had been given to do. 5. They had been appointed to shine when he comes. 6. Give light when he comes. 7. But five of them did not take seriously their calling to give light 8. They neglected the only means by which they could do what they were called to do. 9. They took no oil. They only had lamps. Vs. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. E. Notice two things. 1. Jesus gave us advance warning that his coming would be delayed. a. Peter deals with this 2 Peter 3:3-4, 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

5 slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2. Then notice secondly that it is not foolish to sleep. a. All ten slept, not just the foolish. b. This is not sleeping on the job of life. Sleeping is part of the job. c. What sleeping signifies in this parable is simply the ordinary activities of life. d. We are not called to go up on a mountain and stare idly into the sky as we wait for Jesus. e. We are called to do our work. Then rest. Then do some more work. f. All ten slept because sleep is part of the normal rhythm of life that we should follow as we work and rest and wait for Jesus. Application 1. Oil represent the HS. 2. They had a shell or form but no anticipation. They were not preparing 1. Fill us with your HS. Make us alert and wise. Vs. 6 At midnight the cry rang out: Here s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him! 1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. III. Love Jesus with your whole heart and anticipate his return. Fill your lamp with oil Pursue Jesus for yourself Vs. 7 7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out. 9 No, they replied, there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves. A. When the shout goes out that the bridegroom is here, they trim their empty lamps. Still no oil. Just outward form. 1. They trim their empty lamps when the cry rings out! 2. This is deep folly. 3. They have neglected the means appointed for doing their duty, and not even the shout wakens them to their empty lamps not at first anyway. 4. They trim their empty their useless lamps. 5. And then they ask the impossible. Give us from your oil. 5

6 6 6. The fact that the five wise virgins won t give them any oil is not meant to teach selfishness. It s meant to teach the impossibility of borrowing faith. 7. It s meant to teach the impossibility of borrowing the power of the Holy Spirit the impossibility borrowing obedience and faithfulness. 8. It s too late. That is what we will see. B. What the wise virgins mean when they say in verse 9, There won t be enough both of us, go buy your own oil, is this: We can t have faith for you and for us. C. We can t have a relationship with God for you and for us. D. We can t give you obedience and the faithfulness. E. If you neglect them, in this life, we can t create them for you. F. Each one bears his own load. G. So in desperation the foolish virgins, who wasted their lives, ran for the impossible. instant end-time obedience. Instant end-time faith. Verses 10-12: And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, lord, open to us. 12 But he answered, Truly, I say to you, I do not know you. Vs. 13 Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. Application Jesus is returning are you ready? Fast and pray for supernatural anticipation. We wait for you.