THE WISE AND THE FOOLISH
Matt 25:1-13
25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
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.
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.
11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
A. This is a parable that stresses the importance of being ready for the Return of Jesus
1. Jesus IS coming back, and when he returns will he find you awake and alert or sleeping and slumbering?
2. This is the BIG question from this parable. (Will you be ready?)
B. Satan wants us to be unprepared for the Lord’s Coming,
He has created some great distractions, and though seemingly inocent, some of these things have talons which grip and do not let go. Sports, TV, video games, the internet, pleasures galore.
1. Wants us to become so lazy, lukewarm and laid-back that we forget the comming of the Lord.
2. Or we can get so busy and so distracted that we do not put much thought to it.
FOUR PARTS TO THIS WONDERFUL PARABLE:
I. THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE INVOLVEDvv.1-5
A. The wise
1. Those prepared for the Bridegroom’s coming with an abundant supply of oil. They made sure that they were ready.
Can you have too much Jesus? Can you go to church too much? Can you pray, study, give or could there be too much work done for Christ?
2 Cor 5:13
13 If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God.
NIV
2. They believed that he was coming back and took action.
B. The Foolish
1. They were foolish because they didn’t bother with getting enough oil. (Is all that religious stuff necessary? They found out, as you will, when the rapture takes place and when you find the door shut in your face.)
2. They believed they had plenty of time and took no action.
Aunt Louise, maybe in a 100 yrs. He came for her sooner.
If we could turn back the clock, there would be no need for repentance or a place called Hell. Most of us would live like the devil and then turn back the clock to make it right on the day of reckoning.
Friends, we are going to have only one opportunity to make the rapture.
C. Both groups went to sleep.
1. For the wise, this was fine, since they were ready. (No tossing or turning, for you see, there was no guilt, no condemnation, just sweet rest.)
2. For the foolish, going to sleep was fatal, since they weren’t ready, and didn’t know how little or much time they had.
3. Prov.27:1 - Boast not about tomorrow, for we don’t know what it will hold.
For the Lord himself (could) descend from heaven with a shout.
4. Before you go to sleep each night, and when you get up in the morning, and during the day, make sure things are right with God.
II. THE BRIDEGROOM HAD A DISTINCTIVE PLAN vv.6-9
A. The Bridegroom would come at an unexpected hour.
1. This was his prerogative. He could choose when to appear and when the wedding would begin.
2. Opposite of what is seen today, it is the Bride that keeps everyone waiting.
B. We are waiting for Christ, our Bridegroom to return.
1. He has promised he will.
John 14:2-3
2 I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
2. When he comes, it will be as a thief in the night, and every eye will see him.
I Thess.5:2; Rev.1:8
3. This is another reason why every Christian should assemble around the Lords Table – to show forth the Lord’s death until he comes - I Cor.11:26
III. THE BRIDEGROOM CAME AND NOW THERE IS A BIG PROBLEM FOR THE UNWISE vv.10-12
A. The Door was shut
1. Before he came the door was open, and the opportunity to enter in was always there.
John 10:9-11
9 I am the door : by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Isa 22:22
so he shall open , and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open .
Noah
Gen 7:16
16 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.
Isn’t it amazing that God’s door is always open and our door is always shut?
Rev 3:20
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock : if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Why is the door always shut in Jesus’ face? Because Jesus and sin can’t occupy the same space.
2 Cor 6:14-17
14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."
17 "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.
NIV
2. But once the Bridegroom arrived, the door was closed shut, never to open again to any outsiders.
B. Notice three things here:
1. Belated request - LORD, LORD OPEN TO US
2. Bewildering response - I KNOW YOU NOT
3. Bitter remorse - DOOR WAS SHUT
4. No misunderstanding, THEY KNEW BETTER.
C. Who is the Door?
1. Jesus Christ is the Door Jn.10:9 “I am the door”
2. Today He stands at the door and knocks - Rev.3:20; Isa.55:6
3. Do you hear him knocking and will you answer Him today?
Isa 55:6
6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
IV. THE DELIBERATE PREPARATION v.13
The wise came to this place prepared and expecting.
1. They knew He was coming.
2. They didn’t know exactly when.
3. So, they made themselves ready.
How can we prepare and not make the same mistake as the foolish virgins?
A. Watch your character.
2 Cor 7:1
7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
B. Watch your commitment - Rom.12:1-2 (Caleb - Deut.1:36)
Rom 12:1-2
12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
C. Watch your companions.
2 Cor 6:17
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
1. You are known by your associations
2. Don’t be caught in the wrong crowd when Jesus comes.
Take Time for God! Pray, etc.
Eccl 12:1
12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
CONCLUSION:
1. Today, are you awake, and how is your supply of oil?
2. Don’t depend on past experiences or blessings. Whats going on now in your life?
3. Jesus is coming - lets get ready and stay ready
4. When the Bridegroom cometh, will your robes be white?
5. Time to look around... within... up and prepare for the great day that is coming!
1 Thess 4:16-17
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
DEAD OR ALIVE?
In 1989, Adele Gaboury turned up missing. Concerned neighbors in Worcester, Massachusetts, informed the police. A brother told police she had gone into a nursing home. Satisfied with that information, Gaboury’s neighbors began watching her property. Michael Crowley noticed her mail, delivered through a slot in the door, piling high. When he opened the door, hundreds of pieces of mail drifted out. He notified police, and the deliveries were stopped. Gaboury’s next-door neighbor, Eileen Dugan, started paying her grandson $10 twice a month to mow Gaboury’s lawn. Later Dugan’s son noticed Gaboury’s pipes had frozen, spilling water out the door. The utility company was called to shut off the water. What no one guessed was that while they’d been trying to help, Gaboury had been inside her home. When police finally investigated the house as a health hazard, they were shocked to find her body. The Washington Post (10/27/93) reported that police believe Gaboury died of natural causes four years ago. The respectable, external appearance of Gaboury’s house had hidden the reality of what was on the inside. Something similar can happen to people: We may appear outwardly proper while spiritually dead. All sorts of religious activity may be happening outside, while the real problem is missed: spiritual death on the inside.
