“Be Prepared” -a sermon for Boy Scout Sunday. Matthew 25:1-12 Pastor Bob Leroe, Cliftondale Congregational Church, Saugus, Massachusetts
One thing that all Scouts, young and old, never forget is the Boy Scout Motto: "Be prepared." If you’ve ever set up a tent and didn’t tie your lines securely, you know what happens when the wind and rain hits! A tent collapse in the middle of the night is a rude awakening! Or, if you get a brand-new pair of hiking boots and don’t properly break them in, then go on a ten-mile hike, it’s pretty painful! You might forget bug-spray during mosquito season. Or if you bring a flashlight on a campout, but not extra batteries; that can make it somewhat challenging finding the latrine in the middle of the night! We sometimes learn the hard way to anticipate our needs. We need to plan ahead, before it’s too late. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark!
The bridesmaids in the story we read were there to keep the bride company until the bridegroom arrived. It was the custom to hold weddings after nightfall. Having lamps was important because you couldn’t go out after dark without one; it wasn’t safe, and wasn’t allowed. These lamps were made from clay and carried on a wooden pole. Five of the bridesmaids, we’re told, were wise and five were foolish. The wise ones were prepared. They had their lamps ready, and they made sure that they had brought extra oil. The foolish ones didn’t check their oil; in fact, they took a nap! After a while, the bridegroom arrived. The wise ones lit their lamps, and followed him to the wedding banquet. The unprepared bridesmaids ran out of oil and stumbled along after the procession in the dark. But they arrived too late and were unable to participate in the wedding feast. Without lamps, they appeared as strangers trying to crash the party, not guests. The lesson is: Be prepared!
Jesus told this story to illustrate why it is important for people to prepare for His return. He is sometimes called a Bridegroom in the New Testament, and one day He will come and celebrate a wedding unlike any other. All who believe in Him are His bride. Bible prophecy talks about the coming marriage feast of Jesus. But no one knows the day or the hour, so we’d all better be prepared. I help couples plan weddings, and there’s a lot to do to get ready for the “big day”…but I remind them that it’s even more challenging to prepare for life. Spiritual preparation involves doing good things, loving enemies, forgiveness, resisting evil and helping the poor. This story tells us that preparation is an individual thing. I may have a trusted Scoutmaster who gives good guidance, but I’m the only one who can prepare for my future. Jesus’ story suggests that preparation takes time and thoughtful consideration. You can’t just run out and buy more oil whenever you finally think of it. You have to plan ahead, set goals, devise a checklist, and pray. How well do we prepare for the future today?
Several years ago, a Fortune 500 company advertised in the New York Times to fill a vacancy in its sales force. They received an application unlike any other. This particular job-seeker wrote: "I am at present selling furniture at the address listed below. You may judge my ability as a salesman if you will stop in to see me at anytime, pretending that you are interested in buying furniture. When you come in, you can identify me by my red hair. I will have no way of identifying you. Such salesmanship as I exhibit during your visit, therefore, will be no more than my usual workday efforts and not a special attempt to impress a prospective employer." From among more than 1500 applicants, this guy got the job!
So how do you keep plenty of oil in your lamp?
If you have never placed your faith in Jesus, that’s where you need to start. When you become a Christian, your sins are forgiven and you receive the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit. By the way, in the story oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, because oil is a source of energy, the fuel that ignites our ability to live as Christ’s disciples. God the Holy Spirit gives us power and a new nature. He helps us to grow and mature spiritually. We begin to draw from a never-ending Source to change our lives from the inside-out.
If you have already trusted in Jesus, receiving Him as your Savior and Lord, then your task is to deepen that relationship through prayer, by studying God’s Word, through worship, fellowship with other Christians, and by cooperating with the Holy Spirit as He guides you.
When I was a Scout (Troop 60, Oakhurst NJ), I often consulted my Boy Scout Handbook. It seemed to have everything I needed: first aid, field-craft, orienteering, plant identification; a valuable resource. There’s another indispensable handbook—the Bible. A member of our church told me recently, “The Bible was just an ornament in my house; now it has become a tool.” It isn’t much help if we don’t use it.
The Apostle Paul tells his apprentice Timothy to be “prepared to do any good work” (II Tim 2:21). We need to be busy, active, involved. Someone said, “What on earth are you doing for Heaven’s sake?” If you’re sitting on the sidelines as a Christian, you need to “get in the game.” You can do this by actively participating in church activities, and by seeking opportunities to serve God with your unique, God-given talents. Are we prepared to work for the Lord?
There’s another story, in the Old Testament, about a young man with the unusual name of Mephibosheth, who was not prepared for the return of David, the King of Israel. This young man lived as a guest in the King’s palace. He offended the King and embarrassed himself by hurriedly rushing into the King’s presence without having shaved or put on proper attire; he was caught unprepared, he wasn’t ready, and the King was not pleased. Mephibosheth reminds me of the times I had “pop quizzes” in high school. When I hadn’t studied, they were painful!
I spent 25 years in the Army; do you know the difference between the Army and the Boy Scouts? The Scouts have adult leadership! When I was stationed at Fort Meade, Maryland, I was assigned to a battalion that had 24 hours to be alerted and arrive at any location ready to fight. We were called a Rapid Deployment Force. We would conduct random EDREs—Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercises. We’d get a call, usually in the middle of the night (at 0-dark-thirty), and we’d have to scramble to get on our uniforms and equipment, our weapons, dispatch our vehicles, and be ready to roll! We were in a constant state of readiness. I kept my duffle bag and chaplain kit ready to grab-and-go at all times. When I was called on to deploy to Desert Storm, I had 5 days to get from Fort Sam Houston, Texas, to Fort Knox, Kentucky (where I was issued desert gear) to Saudi Arabia. And I did it! The US Army Rangers also have a motto, like the Scouts. Theirs is simply: “Don’t forget nothing!”
It’s easy to know who is a Scout here today; no one is incognito! Last week in church it was also easy to know the Patriots fans were--people wore Pats shirts, and everyone was talking about the Super Bowl. You’d think you were at a pep rally! We find it easy to talk about sports, and we like to show that we’re fans. Are we “fans” of Jesus? We’re often afraid people will call us “fanatics” if we show off our faith. We may yell and scream when Tom Brady throws a touchdown pass, or when Adam Vinitieri kicks a field goal, but are we excited to tell others about Jesus? He’s the Captain of our team--but do people know that? Are we acting like team players?
If you are a Christian, it’s because somebody cared. Now it’s your turn. The Apostle Peter tells us to “always be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have” (I Pet 3:15). This means we have to know what we believe, and why. We need to have some substance to our faith. We should be able to present a clear explanation of our Christian convictions. But in order to communicate our faith, we need to understand it. There’s no excuse for Bible ignorance. Can you imagine a Scout going for a Merit Badge without knowing a single thing about the topic? What you are is God’s gift to you; what you make of your life is your gift to God. Are you prepared to talk about and defend your beliefs?
If Jesus were to return tomorrow, would you be ready? Are you prepared?
