I want to start this dialog, this interchange and this discourse off by asking a question, my question is, have you ever invited someone out for a day of pleasure and relaxation? You even offer to drive across town to pick them up, in your car, whereas, you put the gas in, you had the car washed and vacuum your car, you offered to treat them, pamper them, and spoil them for the day. You offered to pay the entire bill for the day of their luxury and comfort, but once you call them and told them that you are on your way, drive across town in traffic, get to their house, get out of your car, ring their door- bell only to find out that they are not ready, and nothing worry me more than offering to pick to treat someone, and pick them up, go to get them and they are not ready. Them not being ready tells me that they didn’t value my time, my efforts and my generosity. And many times I drove off because they were not ready for the reservations, and the sacrifices that were set up for them.
I remember some of my favorite childhood games, like tag your it, kick the can and my all-time favorite hide-and-seek. Each of these games involved someone being it. The rules of hide and seek, was that the finder would have to count to give everyone a chance to find a safe place. The time ended with the phrase, “Ready or not, here I come!” The time was up. There was no more opportunity to hide or find a safe place. Such will be the case with the Last Day.
So, now is our time of grace to be found safe and secure in the hand of our master. The invitation has been extended. And know that the time will come when the Lord Jesus returns as the Judge, and if you are ready or not, he’s coming. And understand that this is not a game, but it is the reality and the truth of God’s Word. Because no one knows the day or hour, when the Lord shall return.
When we look at the passages of this text, Matthew gives us the parable of the ten virgins each of which attended a wedding celebration at night with their lanterns.
In our text, we find ten virgins who was invited to the same feast, 10 being the number of testimony. The bible teaches us that 5 were wise and 5 were foolish. Five is the number of grace. In other words, he gave 10 the opportunity to have the benefit of a great testimony, and only 5 of them took his grace for granted. If we look at verse one all of them have been welcomed or invited if you will.
All ten of these women were welcomed to the marriage feast. They were all issued invitations. They were to be the bridesmaids. Each one was looking forward to the party, they had been talking about it, dreaming about it. They were lining up their make-up artist, getting fitted for their dresses, they were forecasting a party until they dropped. This was going to be some celebration.
But not only were they invited; they had all accepted the invitation. They had sent their RSVP’s in. They wanted to be a part of that number. They were looking for the bridegroom. They wanted to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
And can I tell you that all of us here have been invited to join the bridegroom at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
Over and over throughout the Scriptures, we read that God is calling out to us to come to Him. We are all invited to enter into His rest, enter into his peace, and to enter into his love. Jesus has called us, in fact, he says “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Even in his death He died with His arms outstretched in welcome.
Many times, when we are driving our cars, we run our tanks on empty, and we pass up many invitations to stop and fuel up, but we ignored the warning because we wanting a better price, and sometimes the better price is not always the better deal. But this wasn’t the case of these virgins. They had accepted the invitation; they had made themselves ready. They had brought their lamps, worn their best dresses, and were looking for the bridegroom.
Matthew is giving us this parable of the ten virgins each of which attended a wedding celebration at night with their lanterns.
Now At the time of Christ, marriage rituals were a lot more elaborate than we have at the present. Once a groom had paid the wedding price to the father of the bride, the groom would go back to his home and prepare it for the arrival of his bride.
When the right moment had arrived, he would set off to the bride’s house to bring her home. A great procession would be the order of the day, and everyone in the procession would have their own torch or lamp. Now to be in the procession without a lamp meant that you were a gatecrasher, a trespasser, an invader to the wedding celebrations, in fact, if you were out of order, you would be locked out when the groom reached his home.
While these virgins were alike in that they responded to the call to meet the bridal party and to go to the bridal feast; they were all dressed in the same bridesmaid gowns, they all carried a lamp, and while waiting on the bridegroom, they all fell asleep waiting for the bridegroom.
Yessssss, while they were sync in their response, but they were out of sync in their preparation.
Choir member are in sync in the songs that you sing, but you’re out of sync with loving one another.
Brethren we are in sync with reading the Word of God, but we are out of sync with treating one another with kindness. Ushers you in sync when you’re marching down the aisles, but we are out of sync with caring for one another. Missionary we are in sync for being on the mission board, but we are out of sync for doing the mission of the board.
Saints when we don’t line up with what the Lord has commanded us to do, then our synchronization is off from what the Lord has instructed us to do.
Yes they were in sync with coming to the wedding, or the feast, but were very different in their preparation for the feast. Because success is when preparation and opportunity meet.
Look you can have all of the preparation that you want, and have no opportunity you will be unsuccessful, or you can have all of the opportunities available to you, and not be prepared and you will not be successful.
All 10 of these ladies brought lamps, and they all knew that the feast would be at night, if they didn’t know they should’ve known that most weddings don’t start on time. They had the invitation, they knew that it was at night, the 5 wise had brought extra oil, while the foolish virgins’ lamps were flicking out with no oil on hand.
This is symbolic to we know that the Lord is coming. We don’t know when he shall return, we don’t know the day nor the hour. He just might come like a thief in the night, and we need to keep oil in our lamps. What is the oil pastor? The oil is the Word of God, the oil is the love of God, the oil is loving one another, the oil is the peace that surpasses all understanding. Because in your waiting you don’t have time to run back to the store.
This was the issue with the five foolish virgins, they were not prepared for the bridegroom, they were not prepared to wait on the Lord. They were just caught in the moment of fashion, being on the list, and just hanging out with the in crowd.
The record is while they were waiting on the bridegroom, they ran out of oil, and then they begged of the wise for some of their oil, but the wise didn’t want to run out as well.
It is said that they said go to those who sell and buy from them, they replied, but the problem was, it was midnight, and it was too late. The shops were closed, the merchants were home in bed, the bootleggers couldn’t even be found, and the foolish went out in vain hoping that they might somehow get oil for their dying lamps.
And my question is, how could these women be so foolish? Why didn’t they think or prepare to bring some extra oil. They saw that the others had extra oil. Well the bible didn’t tell us why these virgins failed to have enough oil, but the most likely answer is, they didn’t think that it is necessary.
Throughout the Bible, we find that the Holy Spirit is represented by oil. While these virgins were pure and had a measure of oil, they didn’t have enough when the bridegroom tarried.
And that’s the problem with the saints today. There are too many who do not believe that they need to get sanctified and filled with the Holy Spirit in order to make it.
They do not believe they need to be holy. They believe that they are saved and that is good enough, but that isn’t good enough. They need to go on. Because the Hebrew writer wrote, in Hebrews 6:1 let us go on unto perfection. In other words, keep oil in your lamp.
While the foolish virgins were away and the hour was the darkest, the bridegroom came, and the door was shut. Though the foolish virgins came and begged to get in, they were denied. They were left out. They were left out in the dark; they were left out in the cold. There was no hope. It was too late. They could have been ready, but they weren’t because of their own choices.
And this isn’t the first time that people were left standing outside of a shut door begging to get in. Noah had preached faithfully to a wicked and perverse generation. He had warned them of the coming judgment. But they ignored the opportunity, they ignored the warning, and perished outside the door of the ark. Many pastor's and preacher has preached this same message to their congregation and people has turn a def ear.
And my question for us, will we be ready when the bridegroom comes? Do we have enough of God in our services, in our homes, and in our hearts to make it in? The invitation has been sent out, you have already been invited, but are you ready?
Someone may say but pastor I haven’t seen the invitation in my mailbox, but let me remind you of when it came.
Do you remember Rev. 3:20 when he said behold I stand at the door knocking and if any man hear my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and sup with him and him with me. That was an invitation.
Do you remember Matt. 11:28 when he said come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest? That was an invitation.
But don’t stop there go on to verse 29. Verse 29 says Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. That was an invitation.
Please don’t leave verse 30 out which says, For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. That is an invitation, but my question is are you ready?
Can I tell someone this morning that the Lord could show up any day, and we need to make sure to have oil in reserve.
