Sermon notes from Friday 27 September 2019
Matthew 25 verses 1 - 13
The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins
This is an interesting parable. I look sometimes for portions of scripture that are appropriate for certain times and services. At a Watchnight Service this portion could be used in relation to the cry that went up at midnight. At harvest I could speak on the oil in the lamps, what a wonderufl treasure we have in oil. This parable could certainly be looked at during a Gospel Mission. Let`s put the parable in first century village life context. 10 young ladies are invited to be bridesmaids for a special occasion. The instructions were to bring their lamps with them and to have oil in their flasks. The heart of the story is that the groom was late - why was that? This wedding was different than ours. The groom left home in the morning to go to the bride`s house to bring her to his home. That is where the wedding ceremony would take place. Most weddings were held in the summer and would last for a week with feasting and celebrating. The day has come when the groom goes to fetch his bride. He would have been on an animal, when he left home he would take the shortest route but when he collected the bride he took the longest route because he wants to show off his bride to his friends and family. He was delayed on his wedding day. These bridesmaids and the lamps. They had lamps which were very important in this country. They would illuminate the wedding procession as it went to the groom`s house. The word in the original was lampas. It is used 5 times in this passage. In John 18 verse 3 it is the word meaning torch. In Acts 20 verse 8 it was the word meaning lamp, in Revelation 4 verse 5 again it is the word lamp and in Revelation 8 verse 10 it is the word for torch. This was an outdoor lamp and gives the idea why this lamp was not filled with oil. The lamp would be hoisted onto a pole and carried in the air. The lamp would illuminate the whole procession. The lamp was always transported without oil. Trimming their lamps meant taking a drop of oil out of the flask and putting it into their lamps and light the lamp. What was the different in these 10 individuals - 5 were wise and 5 were foolish. The 5 wise had oil with them while the 5 foolish had no oil. This was particularly insulting to the bride and groom. Imagine being invited to be a bridesmaid and turn up without oil. These bridesmaids were having a trial run for their own wedding day in the future. To turn up without oil would be an insult the bride and groom. Suddenly the cry goes out "the bridegroom cometh." It was late in the day and everyone was startled, they attempted to trim their lamps. The foolish asked the wise to give them some oil for their lamps becuase they have gone out. If you had no oil with you why would you have said their lamps have gone out? For the simple reason the lamps were never lit. There was a residue of oil in the lamp that would give a bit of bluff and smoke. No life and no light was seen. That is the parable Jesus tells. Jesus is telling us this story in the context of his teaching on the second coming. In every mission why do we preach about the cross and the coming of Christ? 2 messages - the devil hates the preaching of the cross because it shows Christ defeated. He also hates the second coming being preached because it shows the devil will be totally defeated, he will be bound and cast into hell for ever. There are 4 things from this parable:
a window for the future
a picture of a fool
a mirror to reveal a truth
a door that will close
A window to the future. All about the return of Jesus Christ. Chapter 24 verse 30 and 42. I hope we believe that Jesus Christ is coming back to this world. There is a global warning. All sorts of things going to happen. We don`t hear it mentioned enough that Jesus is in absolute control and is coming back to receive his own unto himself. That is the message of the gospel. Jesus said in John 14 "I will come again." That is the clearest promise in scripture in relation to Christ`s coming again. That can either be set aside or explained away. The signs that Jesus spoke of in these 2 chapters are being fulfilled before our eyes. "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark. And knew not until the flood came and took them all away." (verses 37 and 38) Today we have it in our society - gross immorality, sexual perversion, words that used to be kept quiet are now actively promoted. We are seeing the onslaught of this today, we are moving fast to the returning of Jesus Christ. We are living in the last of the last days. A window to the future - Jesus is coming again
A picture of a fool. The Psalmist said "the fool has said in his heart there is no God." Translated that should say "the fool has said in his heart no God for me." It is actually very difficult to find a genuine atheist. The scriptures are clear that the picture of a fool is someone who shuts God out of their lives. An example of a fool in the bible is the rich farmer. He pulled down his barns to build greater. That was not his real problem. His problem was that in the midst of prosperity he forgot his own soul. God said to him "thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee." Keeping God out of our lives. There are 3 things to notice about these girls identified foolishness. First there was their quiet confidence. These girls were confident to step out and look their best on that occasion. They thought they had all they needed. After all the instructions were clear - bring your lamps. They turned up all right with their lamps knowing they were polished well for the occasion. There are thousands of people tonight absolutely confident they have all they need in terms of religious obedience, are a regular church goer, good giver to charity, good member of the community, proud of the fact that they don`t do anyone any harm, confident they have all they need. Some put their trust in baptism and the sacraments. No man can see you fully tonight - only one who can and that is Jesus. Through his death on Calvary and resurrection. "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name; Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man but of God." (John 1 verse 12) They were secondly content. A sign of contentment was in the fact that they slept. The tragedy was however they had no oil. Brownlow North was a agreat evangelist from Scotland used mightily in 1859 revival. He wrote a book on Luke 16 and said "if you are without God (not saved) and you are content no demonic act in the days of our Lord is completed in the hands of God." These girls misinterpreted the delay. It is an indication of his forebearance, longsuffering and patience. Thirdly they were counterfeits. They were fakes. When the bridegroom comes there were those who were ready go into the wedding procession and the feasting begins. The other 5 try to find oil for their lamps and when they come back and bang on the door to gain entrance, the bridegroom says to them "I don`t know you." These were the ones invited to be part of the procession. They had no oil. It is possible in evangelical Northern Ireland to have a profession of faith but to be without oil. This is a clear picture of it. It is not what we say about our relationship to the Lord, it is what he says about it. Have you been converted? Born again of the Spirit of God?
There is a mirror to reveal. These girls were obviously depending on last minute preparations. They thought it would work, they would borrow from the other 5. The bible makes it clear - "now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation." The scripture only records one deathbed conversion. J C Ryle said "there is one deathbed conversion in scripture, one that should despair but none that anyone should assume." There is always hope that someone will call on the Lord at the last moment. Not many get that opportunity to call on the Lord in their dying moments. Do not rely on the last minute preparation. They were relying only on the preparation of others.
The door that was closed. This door points to the door of heaven that will close just as God closed the door of Noah`s ark. It was forever closed. Are you among the 5 who have oil in their lamps? How do I get oil? In scripture oil is one of the emblems of the Holy Spirit and you can have the oil of the Spirit by just asking God to fill you with his spirit. You can never bypass Calvary. Many people talk about the experience of the spirit but have never come to the cross. If you bypass Calvary you will never have the experience of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given when you receive Christ in repentance and faith. You are born from above and born of the Spirit. The new birth of the Spirit. Those that had the oil went down to the feast. Those who did not get in had no oil. If you have no oil you will not find an open door, you will find a door that is fast closed, shut and then you will hear him say "I never knew you." Be careful of empty profession. Do you know him? Does he know you? Is your name in the Lamb`s Book of Life? Is he really yours?
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