Tell Me a Story
The Ten Virgins
Matthew 25:1-13
Slide
Can you believe the price of gas?
It is becoming more and more costly to go to the gas station.
So much so that I continue to delay buying gas, even when I am running low, and then I sometimes will by only part of a tank because it is just too costly to fill up.
On Tuesday my gas light came on and I waited until Wednesday to buy it because I did not want to spend the money and I thought maybe the price would come down.
Anyway, when I am low on Gas, my car makes a ding and a light with a little gas pump appears and stays lit until you get gas.
In fact, I can go to my little temperature and compass thingamajig that is on my ceiling and hit a button that will tell me how many miles I can go before I run out of gas.
To be honest, I have gone to zero a number of times and still seemed to have a few miles or so of gas. I think I have gotten pretty close, but I have not run out of gas yet.
College Kid
I want you to imagine the story of a college kid coming home from school who was not as fortunate.
He made it as far as Kankakee when his gas light came on. If he made it home, his parents would by the gas and he could use his money to go out this weekend. He figured he could make it.
He had the radio in his car cranked to some awesome tunes and forgot about the gas situation because he had already decided that he had enough to make it home.
However, with about 8 miles to go, he ran out of gas.
It was about 1 in the morning and the road was dark. He figured he would flag down a car and get a ride.
But a car coming by didn’t see him and side swiped him and killed him.
Ultimately all this was because he did not heed the warnings for fuel and thought he would be able to get the gas he needed later.
It is a tragic end to delaying preparations.
Transition
In our story today that Jesus tells, we are going to find a similar problem of delayed preparation that turns tragic.
Turn with me to Matthew 25:1-13.
Slide
We are going to read a story about ten virgins or what we may consider bridesmaids who are waiting for the groom to show up for his bride and to enter in the wedding banquet.
It is my hope that as we read this story and discuss it, it will cause us to make sure we are prepared for when the Lord comes for us and we don’t find ourselves excluded from entering into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Let’s read this story together.
Matthew 25:1-13
25:1 "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, 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. ’Sir! Sir!’ they said. ’Open the door for us!’
12 "But he replied, ’I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’
13 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
(from New International Version)
The Context
Now it is important that we understand the context for Jesus telling this story.
Jesus is in the midst of speaking to the disciples privately on matters concerning the end times in what is commonly known as the Olivet Discourse. It begins back at the beginning of Matthew 24.
Matthew 24:3
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
In this discourse Jesus talks about some of the signs that the end is approaching.
He speaks of wars and rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes which are birth pangs.
And he tells us that while we should be able to recognize the season of His coming, the day and the hour of Christ’s return is unknown. So he goes on to tell several different parables encouraging the disciples and us to watch and be ready.
Common factors of Parables in this section
Now each of these parables have a few things in common.
They all were written to
encourage the listeners to be ready for the kingdom of heaven and
warn them of consequences of not being ready
They all distinguish one group of people from another,
the faithful or wise from
the lazy or foolish.
So Jesus tells several different stories to illustrate different aspects about how the kingdom of heaven will be for those who gain entrance and those who don’t.
The fact that He wants us ready must be something that must be very important for us to understand since He emphasizes this in 3 different stories.
And it is important because of what
being in the kingdom of heaven and
being out of the kingdom of heaven means.
Being in the kingdom of heaven means being with Jesus, with God, forever.
Being excluded from the kingdom of heaven means being apart from Jesus, from God forever in hell where there is continual and eternal torment, weeping and gnashing of teeth.
There are only 2 options, in or out.
We need to be ready so that we can go in and not be left out like the 5 foolish virgins.
So let’s take a look at this story and see what we might learn so that we are found ready and waiting when Jesus comes for us.
In the first verse we are introduced to the main characters of this story.
The ten virgins and the bridegroom.
Now
The Bridegroom represents Jesus
Slide
Matthew 25:1
Throughout Scripture, we see Jesus described as a bridegroom.
We see him describe himself that way in
Matthew 9:14-15
14 Then John’s disciples came and asked him, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"
15 Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.
And even John the Baptist uses this imagery
John 3:28-29
28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ’I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.’ 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.
So John also uses this imagery about Jesus.
In our story, the bridegroom is the central focus even though he is not there a lot.
It is him who people are waiting for.
It is Him who was a longtime in coming.
It was him who the virgins were able to enter with.
For us today, Jesus should be our central focus.
We should be waiting for Him.
We should be living our lives for Him.
We should be longing to be found faithful when He arrives.
Jesus should be the central focus of the church and of the people of the church.
In this section, Jesus is not speaking to the crowds or the religious leaders. He is speaking to the disciples, to those through whom He would begin to build His church.
This is an encouragement and warning for those who are in the church and I believe it is a picture of what the church will look like at the rapture, when Christ returns for the church.
Now while I believe this is a picture of what the church will look like then, it is also a picture of what the church looks like at any given time.
You see
The Virgins represent Professing Christians
Slide
Matthew 25:1
Notice that outwardly, all of these virgins look alike. There is nothing in their appearance that you could tell them apart by.
But in the next verse we do find there is a difference.
We find that 5 were wise and 5 were foolish.
By looking at them, we could not necessarily tell which were the wise ones and which were the foolish ones.
All ten of these virgins were waiting for the bridegroom.
All ten of these virgins had lamps
All ten of these virgins looked like they were ready for the bridegroom to appear.
But 5 of them were really not ready. Jesus calls them foolish.
What is it that determined if these virgins were wise or foolish?
It was the possession of oil for their lamps that determined if they were wise or foolish.
What does the oil represent in this story?
The Oil represents the Holy Spirit
Slide
Matthew 25:2-4
The foolish virgins did not have any oil. The wise virgins did.
And it was their lack of having any oil when the bridegroom came that excluded them from entering into the wedding banquet.
There are professing Christians today
who go to church,
who give,
who look just like other Christians,
Yet they are not real Christians because they do not have the Holy Spirit.
And the reason they do not have the Holy Spirit is that they have not truly received Jesus as their Savior.
Truly Receiving Jesus as your Savior also seals you with the Holy Spirit.
(Ephesians 1:13-14)
Ephesians 1:13-14
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession-to the praise of his glory.
When you truly believe in Jesus as your Savior, recognizing your complete need for Him, and you truly receive Him, the Holy Spirit indwells you and you are sealed with Him.
It is only by believing in Jesus that you receive the Holy Spirit.
These last words that the 5 foolish virgins spoke are eerily reminiscent of a story Jesus told in Matthew 7:21-23
In our story the foolish virgins arrive after the bridegroom has already come and say
Matthew 25:11-12
11 "Later the others also came. ’Sir! Sir!’ they said. ’Open the door for us!’
12 "But he replied, ’I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’
Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus says
21 "Not everyone who says to me, ’Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ’Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ’I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Application
There are people today who are thinking, just like then who are thinking,
I have been pretty good, good enough to at least make it to the end.
And even if I don’t, I still have time to really get serious about my relationship with the Lord.
Getting serious about my relationship with Jesus can wait until I live life some more.
Sure, I will
go to church and
give a little something,
be a pretty good person,
sing some songs about Jesus, but I sure don’t want to fill my tank with Jesus because it is too costly.
It might cost me by having to change my lifestyle.
It might cost me my weekends by having to go be with God’s people instead of sleeping in or doing what I want.
It might cost me my place on the throne of my life.
No, I don’t want to fill my tank with Jesus. I’ll just take $10 bucks worth and hope that gets me to the time where I can get serious.
You are thinking, that there must be plenty more time because it has already been a long time since his first coming.
Is that so bad of a gamble?
Because He has been a long time in coming.
We all need to understand that
The time to get ready may be lengthy
Slide
In our story,
Matthew 25:5
5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
“We will have time in the morning to get oil if we really need it.”
“He has been away a long time already. What are the chances he will come back during the night?”
I am sure that every one of us have felt like it is taking Jesus a long time to return.
Why is it taking so long?
There were those even in the days of the Apostles who wondered that.
2 Peter 3:3-10
3 First of 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 fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
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 slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.
We need to realize that the day of the Lord is going to come unexpectedly and we must be ready.
And while the time to get ready may be lengthy, and already has been lengthy,
The time to get ready is limited
Slide
Matthew 25:6-12
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. ’Sir! Sir!’ they said. ’Open the door for us!’
12 "But he replied, ’I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’
All of these virgins had plenty of time to prepare for the coming of the bridegroom.
He was a long time in coming.
Five of them were prepared.
The other 5 perhaps thought that they had more time.
Their time ran out though.
None of them knew for sure when the bridegroom would come.
None of us knows for sure when Jesus will return.
Jesus tells us
Matthew 24:36
36 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
It is not about knowing the day or the hour that he comes.
It is about being ready when He does come.
The time we have is limited.
Each one of us have a limited amount of time to prepare for when we will meet Christ.
It is limited by either His return or our death.
Actually none of us here no when either of those 2 things will occur.
Questions
If Jesus came for you right now, would you be ready?
Would you be able to enter with Him into the wedding banquet?
Or would you be trying to scramble to receive the Holy Spirit?
There may be some of you here who think they have time and want to delay.
What you are really saying is that you think following Christ won’t be as good as the life you live now.
If that is what you are thinking, do you believe you have really trusted Jesus for your salvation?
Have you really received Him as your Savior?
Are you just playing a Christian in church, but in real life, you are not?
Jesus is coming back, and this we can know for sure.
We are closer to his arrival today than we were yesterday.
The time to get ready is limited.
If you have not done so already,
The time to get ready is Now
Slide
There is going to come a point where it is too late.
There is going to come a time that you run out of gas.
Don’t delay.
Prepare today for the return of the bridegroom.
Make sure you are invited to the wedding banquet of the Lamb of God.
Listen to what it says in
Revelation 19:5-9
5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying:
"Praise our God, all you his servants,
you who fear him, both small and great!"
6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
"Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear."
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)
9 Then the angel said to me, "Write: ’Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’" And he added, "These are the true words of God."
Are you on the guest list?
You have only this lifetime before Jesus returns to make arrangements for this eternal celebration.
As I look around, I see birth pangs.
I see wars and rumors of wars, I see famines across the world and earthquakes and natural disasters.
I do not know the day or the hour, but it seems the season is upon us.
The gas light is on.
Will you heed the warnings?
Outside the wedding banquet of the Lamb is darkness and weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Outside of the banquet of the Lamb is hell.
This is what awaits those whose names are not on the guest list, whose names are not written in the Lambs book of life.
We can make sure we are on that list though.
Nobody can do this for you, though.
Your parents can’t believe for you
Your friends can’t believe for you
Your pastor can’t believe for you
Throughout the Bible we are told to believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins.
John 1:12
12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-
Believing is more than just assenting to facts.
Real belief is done with our minds, our emotions and our will.
We believe and we act on that belief
Belief that doesn’t produce action is not real
If you have not received Christ as your Savior, or if you have been thinking I just need a little Jesus, understand there is no a little Jesus.
There is a little bit of religion, but religion never saved anyone.
Jesus is an all or none proposition.
You are in relationship with Him or you are not.
If you want to begin that relationship today, then I want you to believe and take an action.
Everyone close your eyes and bow your head.
If you want to begin that relationship with Christ today and truly believe in Him, then I want you to make eye contact with me. Don’t look away until I acknowledge you.
This is not what is going to save you, but is just an action that should be an indicator of your heart, showing true belief.
Romans 10:9-10
9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
(Acknowledge those who made eye contact)
Pray
