Don't Be An April Fool

(25:1) "The kingdom of heaven is likened unto ten virgins, which took there lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom".

(25:2) "And five of them were wise, and five were foolish."

(25:3) "They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them.

(25:4) "But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps."

(25:5) "While the bridegroom tarried they all slumbered and slept."

(25:6) "And at midnight there was a cry made, behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him."

(25:7) "Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps."

(25:8) "And the foolish said unto the wise, give us your oil; for our lamps are gone out."

(25:9) "But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you; but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy

for yourselves.

(25:10) "And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut."

You may be seated…

As a subject today, this sermon is titled: "Don’t Be No April Fool"

Tell your neighbor, "I ain’t no April Fool"

Let’s go quickly to the first couple of verses…

Jesus said (25:1): That the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom."

He said that five were wise…

And five were foolish…

Five were wise and five were foolish.

Now I know at first glance, this may look like this teaching is speaking toward some level of intellectual capacity these saints had…

Or some educational level they may have had…

Or even some sort of common sense or wisdom they possessed…

It may seem that way…

It may look that way…

But Jesus is speaking toward something entirely different….

Jesus is trying to deal with our rebellious spirits…

Jesus is trying to speak to that spirit of DEFIANCE…

HE’s trying to reach that spirit of procrastination.

He’s trying to touch that spirit of delay

He is trying to deal with some issues with you that you keep putting off…

You know what I’m talking about. You keep saying…

I’ll get to it later….

Maybe tomorrow…

I’ll talk to you about it when I get things right…

Let me tell you something…

Jesus is trying to confront that spirit of yours today…

Deal with it head on…

And deal with those issues that attack your obedience to God…

Because it is your obedience to God that makes you wise or foolish…

It is your obedience that makes you smart or ignorant…

It is your obedience that makes you a professor of religion…

Or what some might call a hypocrite of the church…

Are you listening to me this morning?

God knows that you have been HIDING some things from HIM,

That you have not given Him what you told him you would.

That your REALITY is different then your THOUGHTS…

Let me try to break this down differently…

You see, in biblical times it was a common custom among Jews that, on occasion, the bridegroom would come (usually with some of his close friends) late in the evening, to the house of the bride…

And according to the text, when the bridegroom would come to the house of the bride…

It would be the duty of the bride’s bridesmaids to give notice of his arrival with lamps in their hands, to give light for him into the house as part of this ceremony.

Why does Jesus share this parable with us?

Jesus shares this parable with us to remind us that He is the bridegroom….

And the church is His bride…

And that the bridegroom is coming back for the BRIDE…

He’s coming back for His PEOPLE…

He’s coming back for His CHILDREN…

He’s coming back for His CHURCH…

He’s coming back in that great day…

And on that day…

He is going to tell his children:

You are going to be assured of my presence…

And the five with oil will glorify me and:

They will PRAISE me…

They will HONER me…

They will TRUST me…

And they will show obedience to me…

And will LIFT me up…

And when they LIFT ME UP!

And all POWER is given unto Me in heaven and in earth…

And on that day…

YOU will know…

That I AM in the Father…

And HE IS in me…

And I AM in you…

And if you just HUMBLE yourself…

If you just EXAMINE yourself…

If you just SEARCH yourself…

You will know that I AM… the way…

I AM… the truth…

And I AM the life…

And that NO MAN cometh unto the Father, but by me….

Shout mighty praise to the Lamb of God…

Give him praise…