Fallen Condition Focus
Our nature is to procrastinate and not prepare.
Introduction
Do you know those people who always seem to be prepared for anything? I am not
one of those people. I am more of a, “will figure it out later” kind of person. It’s
funny because as I was preparing to preach this morning I was thinking about
preparation. Some things I have to force myself to prepare for.
Our family loves to go camping, and we really do 2 different kinds of camping.
First there is the main activity we do which is better called “glamping”. In fact,
Lucy, Joe, and I are doing this right now. My preparation for this kind of camping
is very casual. I know I will be by my truck. I know that I’m just a few minutes
drive to the nearest store. So when I go to pack for the things we need, I don’t
really sweat it too much. The worst thing that can happen is that I will need to
drive down the road a few miles and pick up whatever it is that we may have
forgotten.
On the flip side of this is, sometimes I will take a couple of my kids backpacking.
Now this is an entirely different thing. We have to pack everything we are going
to need for the trip on our back. Typically, we will find a trail and hike several
miles into the woods. We don’t have access to a car, or a store, electricity, or any
of the modern luxuries of life.
Now, even though I am not by nature a preparer, when I go backpacking, I
suddenly intentionally become a very prepared person. Spreadsheets are involved,
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I have lists. I sit down an methodically load all the items into my packs and the
kids packs so that we have everything we might need. Why do I do this for a
backpacking trip, but not for a trip in the glamper?
The answer is, the stakes are so much higher. If we get out into the woods and
realize we don’t have anything to start a fire with, we are going to be miserable. I
can’t just jump in the truck and go get what we need.
Jesus has been teaching us this lesson on a spiritual level. And he has been
teaching it over and over again. He, gives us so many warnings on this topic,
because he knows our nature. He knows we tend to think, I will worry about it
later. I’ve got time to deal with spiritual things some other time. He knows that
some of will one day realize we never prepared ourselves to meet him.
Remember back to how Jesus closed his Sermon on the Mount. It is one of the
most troubling passages in all of Scripture. Jesus leaves his hearers in that passage
with some really troubling words about a “narrow gate” “few find it”. He really
depicts this mass of people who all think they are moving toward the kingdom of
heaven but they are deceived.
[Mat 7:22-23 ESV] 22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not
prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty
works in your name?' 23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you;
depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'
This is the exact same warning that we get as we look at this parable teaching
today.
25:1 Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took
their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.
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Right of the bat Jesus informs us exactly what the parable is intended to illustrate.
We are talking about the kingdom of heaven. And we continue the same flow of
end times teaching that Jesus had been talking about in chapter 24.
[Mat 24:44 ESV] 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is
coming at an hour you do not expect.
The point of this teaching is to emphasize what we read in Matthew 24:44. You
must be ready. Jesus effectively gives us warning after warning after warning
about this topic.
To understand the parable we need to understand a little about ancient Jewish
wedding practices because that is the setting of this parable. It was customary in
those days for the bridesmaids and the bride to wait at the family home of the
bride. Unlike modern times there really was not a set schedule for when the events
of the wedding would take place.
What we have pictured in the parable is basically a wedding party. Those who will
actually be in the wedding ceremony.
At some point the groom would arrive at the family home of the bride. And when
he would arrive something kind of like a parade would take place as the wedding
party would move from the bride’s family home to the groom’s family home.
This parade if you will would be a great honor and a significant part of the overall
wedding celebration.
We see that the 10 bridesmaids are equipped with lamps. The same word can be
translated either lamp or even torches. It could be either, but the point is the same.
Seemingly when the bridegroom arrives they will be expected to light the torches
and proceed as a wedding party with the groom.
25:2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
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While the 10 bridesmaids seem to be one unit, Jesus draws our attention to
something right in the beginning. These 10 people are not the same. Even though
they all appear to be ready for the wedding procession, they all are equipped with
lamps, but there is something very different under the surface. In fact they could
not be more different. 5 of them are wise, and 5 of them are foolish.
I don’t know if it’s because I’m an engineer, but sometimes I am tempted to
probably read too much into the mathematics of the situation. Jesus is making this
story up. He could have used any number he wanted here. He could have had 8
wise and 2 fools, or 2 fools and 8 wise, but he does a 50/50 split. I don’t know if
that is significant, but perhaps it is. Is Jesus trying to tell us that about 50% of the
people who profess to be a Christian are inwardly fooling themselves? I don’t
know, but I think it bears some consideration.
25:3 & 4 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with
them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.
We find in verse 3 what separates the foolish from the wise. If it is a torch or
lamp it does not matter, because they work the same way. If it is a lamp then the
wick will pull up the oil from a well and the oil will fuel the flame. If it is a torch
then the same principle holds.
If one were to light a wick or a torch without any oil the flame would consume
the fabric in mere moments. The flame would not last.
This is common knowledge and the entire wedding party is seemingly aware of
the laws of combustion. However 5 of them have made the proper preparations.
But 5 of them have not prepared because they have brought no oil.
I think we have to be careful not to allegorize the entire parable, but it seems safe
to me to say that the oil represents a reborn heart or even the Holy Spirit living
within a reborn heart. No person will see the kingdom of God without being born
again.
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We (overall church not necessarily GCF) have made church pretty comfortable
for worldly folks. We have dismissed books of the Bible as outdated, we have
adjusted our theology, skipped over the difficult passages, and reinterpreted the
others so that they are no longer hard to hear.
Many times the church does this with the best of intentions. We want our
congregation to grow. We want people to understand the gospel, and if we can
skip the hard stuff, then maybe they will get connected and be ready for that later.
But later never seems to come. Or even worse we start ourselves down a slippery
slope of symbolic interpretation of scripture that allows the entire bible to be bent
into whatever shape the reader wants.
What we end up with is churches full of people who are not true Christians.
Hearts that have never been reborn. These people come to church each and every
week, and they are carrying a lamp that has no oil. Can you image 5 out of 10 of
them have no oil!
25:5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and
slept.
The bridegroom is delayed. In fact we still are in a period of waiting for the
bridegroom to return. You’ll notice that the wedding party becomes tired and
sleepy. So they sleep.
This is not a negative thing. Jesus is not suggesting that they should not have
gone to sleep. Is just illustrating the point that it takes a will. So true believer or
not we all are going to sleep. Remember the verse that Jesus is really expounding
on is
[Mat 24:44 ESV] 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is
coming at an hour you do not expect.
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Jesus is highlighting the “hour you do not expect” part of this principle. The lost
don’t know when he is coming, the saved don’t know when he is coming.
Whenever he comes again, it will be when he is not expected. And what are we to
do to with that information? We are to be ready.
25:6 But at midnight there was a cry, 'Here is the bridegroom! Come
out to meet him.'
It is at midnight when he arrives. In the darkest part of the night. When he is least
expected to arrive he shows up. (Think Matthew 24:44)
There is an interesting shift at this point in the parable. The time for preparation
has come to an end. Now is time for the wedding procession. There is no time to
get right, to gather supplies, to get oil that time has passed. It’s at this point where
we start to see some panic set in.
25:7&8 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the
foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps
are going out.'
Because these 5 foolish bridesmaids did not prepare they now realize that they
have a problem. Panic begins to set in.
I think the panic that is depicted here in verse 6 is troubling. It’s that comfort I
described, when I talked about going camping. In our minds we sort of always
think we have the chance to get what we need. But the reality is, there is coming a
day when the store won’t be open any more. The time for preparation will have
passed, and the only thing left for us will be judgement.
This is why Jesus continually reminds us to prepare.
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25:9 But the wise answered, saying, 'Since there will not be enough for us
and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves..
There is another lesson here. You cannot get your preparation from someone else.
You cannot get your righteousness from your parents, from your pastor, from
your family, you are responsible for yourself.
It’s like when you go to a theme park and the massive crowds of people are all
funneling down to the entrance. And when you get to the entrance they have that
little turnstile that only 1 person can fit in. They look at your ticket, and if it
checks out you enter all by yourself. Jesus says you can’t look to those in your
group to get you into the kingdom.
There is a problem here. The shop is closed. There is no hope at this point. And in
desperation they fill the streets to try to find oil, but they will find none. Such will
be the day for all of us.
25:10 10 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.
Notice the wedding party is not effected. It continues as scheduled. For those who
were prepared a feast is set and the celebration begins. The door is sealed and no
more will be allowed in.
Indeed they return in verse 11, but are not permitted to enter.
25:11 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.' 13
Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
We here again here echos back to the sermon on the mount. Jesus says, I do not
know you.
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Jesus underscores the entire point yet another time at the end of the parable in
verse 13, “Watch”. We are to be watching. We are to be prepared. The day is
coming when we will be expected to go.
How then can we prepare?
1) Step 1 - You must be born again. John 3
[Jhn 3:5-6 ESV] 5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is
born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which
is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
There is something supernatural that must occur in our lives. We must be born
spiritually in the same way we were born physically. In this Spiritual birth the
Holy Spirit will convict you of sin, and you must confess the sin, and repent. In
faith trusting that you are saved.
2) Step 2 – Develop Spiritual Discipline
[1Ti 4:7-8 ESV] 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train
yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is
of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the
life to come.
3) Persevere In Trials to the End
[1Pe 1:6-7 ESV] 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if
necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested
genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is
tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the
revelation of Jesus Christ.
4) Live the Great Commission
Lord’s Supper:
Invite musicians and server’s to go ahead and come.
Explain, this is the response part of the service. The covering or wedding garment
that Jesus provided, was not free. His blood was spilled, his body was broken. So
today as we partake in the Lord’s supper we remember that.
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You don’t have to be a member here to participate, but you do have to be a
believer in good standing with the Lord. Meaning you have no unconfessed sin or
broken fellowship with others in the congregation.
Perhaps you want to come up here and pray, or pray where you are, that’s all
okay. I’ll be standing right over here if you want to come pray with me.
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