Has Your Lamp Gone Out?

Has Your Lamp Gone Out? Matthew 25:1-13 NIV

“At That Time”

What time?

Matthew 24 the disciples ask, “what will be the signs of your coming and the end of the age?”

These are 2 separate events, His coming and the end.

Here are some major biblical events.

We are focusing on one end time event, His coming.

What are the signs? Listen to the words of Jesus.

Matthew 24:4-14

4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

What are the signs? Listen to the words of Jesus.

Matthew 24:37-39

37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

These are signs of HIS coming.

They all pertain to world and weather.

Matthew 25 shows us what the church will look like when Christ returns.

“The Kingdom of Heaven will be like”

This is a picture of the church.

The ten virgins are two categories of Christians.

Let’s look at their similarities.

1. All ten looked the same.

all appeared to be alike. Looked the part on the outside.

5 were real and 5 were hypocrites.

Matthew 23 ultimately leads up to this conversation and in Matthew 23 Jesus talks to the religious people and 6 times call them hypocrites, blind guides, blind fools snakes and a brood of vipers.

These are the same people HE said were white washed tombs, looking good on the outside but empty on the inside.

Hypocrite – actor, to put on a mask. An actor under an assumed character.

2. All ten had lamps.

all had the same opportunity.

Lamp – light, torch, give light, to shine, radiant brilliance.

We all have opportunity NOW to shine and burn for JESUS!

3. All ten became drowsy and fell asleep.

Are you spiritually drowsy or have you already fallen asleep?

1 Thessalonians 5:6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.

Matthew 24:43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.

Revelation 3:3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

Revelation 16:15 Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”

4. All ten woke up and trimmed their lamps.

Roused themselves enough spiritually to convince themselves that they were ready.

They did a little bit of ministry. A little bit of work.

Let me work on my lamp, work on my appearance, container look like its ready but MY LAMP IS EMPTY.

What was the ONE significant difference?

Five were wise. Five were foolish.

WHY?

Five had oil. Five had NO OIL.

Five went in. Five didn’t make it.

Oil is Holy Spirit

Five were full of Holy Spirit and Five were empty.

Holy Spirit makes you burn bright.

Has your lamp gone out?

Have you lost the fuel for your lamp?

Appears that they were unaware or spiritually lazy?

The Bridegroom did come.

Then it was too late.