Matthew 25:1-13 (Teaching)

[0:00] Good evening. Good evening. I'm going to move this out of my way again.! Matthew 25.

[0:31] There's actually three different parables in that chapter. Before we get started, I'd like to say we've got to strongly consider the context that this parable is spoken.

[0:44] This parable is the parable of the ten virgins. This is one of, if not the most debated parable that Jesus spoke. You can actually begin in Matthew 23.

[0:57] Matthew 23, we have Christ addressing a multitude. It begins, He's speaking to the multitude, but He's addressing them about the religious leaders.

[1:09] About the Pharisees, namely. But the religious leaders of the day and how they're hypocrites. This is where we find Jesus speaking of the Pharisees saying that they're nothing more than wilded sepulchers.

[1:22] Full of dead man's bones. We see Him saying all kinds of what we would probably see or what we would probably determine would be ill or mean things.

[1:34] But Christ was just speaking truth about the Pharisees. They're not a mean bone in His body. But He was speaking the truth. Then the entire chapter pretty much is devoted just to that.

[1:47] Chapter 23. Then we go to chapter 24. Which is another highly debated chapter in the scripture. In fact, there's more prophecy in Matthew 24 than there is in about any other place in the Bible.

[2:03] Outside maybe of the book of Revelation. But that's another debatable chapter that we have. But He's speaking to His disciples then. Now which disciples is He speaking to is the question.

[2:15] Because Christ had disciples outside of the twelve. He had other people that were following Him. And all the scripture says is His disciples followed Him out to the Mount of Olives. And this of course is where He gave what's commonly referred to as the Olivet Discourse.

[2:29] Where there's many things that are spoken of as far as future events. Because the disciples asked Him, you know, how should we know when these things will happen?

[2:39] When will we know about your return? And Christ begins telling them some things in Matthew chapter 24. But that chapter is full of judgment.

[2:50] It's full of deception. But there's also hope in that chapter. And that's something that I love about the Bible. Regardless of how much judgment you find somewhere in the scripture.

[3:02] You can always find hope there somewhere as well. Even, you know, and I've used it. I don't know if I've said it here before. A little tiny book in the Old Testament. A little one chapter book.

[3:13] The book of Boba died. That's one of the most scathing books in the entire Bible. And it's God speaking judgment against Edom.

[3:26] But there's hope for the people of God at the end of that book. But the sad part about it is there's no hope for Edom. There is nothing about hope. Nothing about repentance. None of those things are brought up for Edom.

[3:38] But the hope is for the people of God. So, all that being said, we get through Matthew chapter 24. We come to Matthew 25. And the very first parable of the three that are spoken in this chapter.

[3:50] We have the parable of the ten virgins. We have the parable of the talents. We have the parable of the sheep and the goats. That are spoken of in Matthew 25. And the very first one is the parable of the ten virgins.

[4:01] Which we're going to go through tonight with the Lord's help. But all this is spoken in the context of the second coming of Jesus Christ.

[4:11] Of his second advent. And we have to keep that in mind. It begins with the word then. Which gives us a time indicator. When is then?

[4:24] Because Christ says, Then shall the kingdom of heaven be like unto the ten virgins, which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. So it begins with this word then.

[4:35] What's the then? Matthew 24. Namely. Everything he's talked about in Matthew 24 has led up to this. He says, Then shall the kingdom of heaven be like unto the ten virgins.

[4:48] Now, this is where a lot of the messing up takes place, if you like to phrase it like that, with this parable. Because it says the kingdom of heaven. Right. And throughout this parable, it's talking about the virgins.

[5:04] It's talking about the bridegroom. Notice the bride is never once mentioned in this. We're the bride of Christ, correct? I mean, is that not what the Bible refers to? The church has. We are the bride of Christ.

[5:14] The bride is not brought up in this parable. So, we can keep that in mind while we're reading through this. But we're going to read through the first 13 verses here of Matthew 25.

[5:27] It says, And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your roll, for our lamps are gone out.

[6:04] 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. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with them to the marriage, and the door was shut.

[6:21] Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh.

[6:36] So, back to verse 1 here in just a moment. Again, this is a parable that Jesus spoke. Jesus speaking something that his Jewish audience, mainly Jewish audience, could relate to.

[6:49] Speaking about a Jewish wedding procession that would have taken. After the betrothal had happened, between the man and the woman, after the preparations had been made, this is what Jesus is using.

[7:05] It's something that most of his audience, if not all of his audience, would have been very familiar with, was what happened. What would happen was, most times at night, the bridegroom would come to fetch his bride.

[7:16] There was an announcement made. There was a forerunner that was sent to make the announcement. The bridegroom is coming. Get yourselves ready. Get yourselves, you know, light your lamps. And each of these, each of the people in the procession would have their own lamp.

[7:31] And they would go, and they would light the way for the bridegroom and his bride. So that's the picture, that's the picture that Christ is painting here for these people.

[7:41] But it says, Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened to the ten virgins, which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. I want you to notice first, all ten of these are virgin. The wise are virgin, and the foolish are virgin.

[7:56] Each one of them also had a lamp. The foolish didn't forget their lamps. They had their lamps with them. So we need to keep all these things in mind. What exactly are we speaking of here?

[8:06] And this is what some people would commonly refer to as the visible church. What people consider to be the church. And folks, this is not a foreign notion to Jesus. It's not a foreign notion to the Bible to be talking about the kingdom of God and foolish people.

[8:22] If you read in Matthew chapter 13, you read all kinds of different parables. You got the parable of the souls. You got the parable of the mustard seed. You got the parable of the dragnet. You got the parable of all these things.

[8:33] And every one of them referred to the kingdom of heaven. And every one of them is talking about getting the good and separating the good from the bad within the kingdom of heaven. So we're not talking about heaven here.

[8:44] We're talking about what the world perceives as the church. We're talking about people that are inside the church, that are clean, they're sanctified, that they're washed in the blood of Christ. And we're talking about people within the church that have the image that they are clean, that they are sanctified.

[9:01] People that have fooled themselves and those around them. People that have deceived themselves. That's exactly what we're talking about here. These five foolish virgins here, they thought that they had it together.

[9:13] They thought that they had everything that they needed. They thought that they were going to be part of the procession. But what we read here in these 13 verses, indeed they were not. So we need to keep all these things in mind.

[9:25] So when we read the kingdom of heaven is likened unto, Christ does not say here, the kingdom of heaven contains the wise and the foolish. He says it is likened unto.

[9:36] And again, if you flip to Matthew 13, you read through all those parables, almost every one of them are likened unto the kingdom of heaven. And every one of them refer to good and bad, but all within the kingdom of heaven.

[9:50] Verse two, and five of them were wise and five were foolish. Folks, this is a terrifying thought. I don't think that when it comes down to the line, I don't think at the end of the age when God has stopped this thing, when time is no more, I don't think that 50% of the people are going to be saved and 50% of the people are going to be lost.

[10:11] I don't think it's going to be an exact number like that. But this is a terrifying thought here to me that half of these virgins were wise and half of them were foolish.

[10:21] Half were prepared and half were not. And I have a feeling, and I'm not pointing a finger at any of you by any means, but I have a feeling that within the churches in America, within the churches in this region, within the churches in the world, there are many people within those churches that are members of those churches, that have been baptized, that have been prayed over.

[10:44] There's many people in offices in those churches. There are Sunday school teachers. There are song leaders. There are preachers. There are all kinds of things that aren't even saved, right? But they are self-deceived in the thinking that they are.

[10:56] They think that they have gotten it all together, and they don't. I shouldn't say what's the trick, but what is the trick? What is the key in all this? It's the oil that we're reading, that we'll read about here in just a few more verses, in a few more moments.

[11:12] The oil. The oil is symbolic, many times in Scripture, of the Spirit. So, you can read about that in Zechariah chapter 4. You can read about all kinds of different places in the Scripture where oil and spirit are talked about together.

[11:29] You read, actually, in 1 Samuel chapter 16, you can read about Saul and how the spirit departed from Saul. But how was Saul anointed king?

[11:40] He was anointed with oil. So, so, oil is forever linked with the Spirit. So, so when we read about this oil here, that's the key to this whole thing.

[11:50] We've got to have the Spirit. We've got to have the oil in our lives. It's not good enough to have something that is able to shine. Something that is able to put forth light if we have not the fuel to make it do so.

[12:03] I mean, it's just like an engine. I've picked cars for years. So, I relate a lot of things to cars. If you ain't got air, you ain't got fuel, you ain't got fire, you ain't going to have a running engine. Right.

[12:14] You've got to have those three things. And folks, we, without the Spirit, are not saved. We cannot be saved. Romans chapter 8 says, if any be without the Spirit of Christ, you are none of His.

[12:27] We must have the Spirit. It is not good enough to live a clean life. It is not good enough to quit cussing, to quit lying, to quit committing. Adultery.

[12:37] It's not good enough to quit those things. I mean, that's something that the Pelagians, that's something that they preach over and over. Sinner quit sinning. They're telling people to quit doing something that they're incapable of doing.

[12:49] Right. That's an impossibility. The Pelagians also think that you can live a certain portion of your life completely sinless. That's contrary to what the Word of God teaches. We're all born into sin.

[13:00] We're shaped in iniquity. That's why we need a Redeemer. That's why we need Christ. Amen. And Christ is that Redeemer. He's the only Redeemer. We need the Spirit within us to help us live a godly life.

[13:13] So five of them were wise and five of them were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

[13:23] Now, in these two verses, they that were foolish took their lamps. Again, they took what was capable of shining light. They took that with them.

[13:34] But they took no oil. And so they took no oil. But verse 4, but the wise took oil in their vessels and their lamps. Or with their lamps. Yeah, the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

[13:46] In other words, they took their lamps but they had a separate vessel with the oil in it because they anticipated something. They anticipated their need for that oil.

[13:56] We're not talking about just the oil in the lamp. In fact, we read just a few minutes ago that the foolish versions, they said, our lamps have gone out. So in other words, at one point, there was a flicker of light coming out of their lamps.

[14:10] There was something going on there but it was never fully lit and it wouldn't stay lit without that fuel, without oil. And folks, the life of someone that is in church, the life of someone that sings the songs of Zion, someone that can quote Scripture from cover to cover, if it is without the Spirit of God, it is all for naught.

[14:31] It is for naught. It will do them no eternal good. It will do them no spiritual good. There's too many people in the world today that think when it comes down to the end of the line, when they stand before God in judgment, they are going to be able to plead their case.

[14:45] You will not be able to plead your case. I will not be able to plead my case. The lost won't be able to do it. The saved won't be able to do it. Our case has already been pled. The case has already been made against us according to the Scripture.

[14:57] Every one of us are condemned as far as what this Bible tells us. But there is a way out from underneath that condemnation. And His name is Jesus Christ. And He is the only way out from underneath that condemnation.

[15:10] The wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. So the wise came prepared. And folks, that is the key to this whole thing. There's too many people that are trying to find some kind of spiritual significance in the lamps and the oil and the sleep.

[15:25] And when it says that they slept while the bridegroom carried and all these other things. Folks, the key is preparedness. It is preparedness. That's the whole gist of these 13 verses that we're reading here.

[15:38] It's who is prepared and who is not. Who is prepared for that time when Jesus will come? Who is prepared for that time when the archangel of God shall shout? When the dead of Christ shall rise?

[15:49] When the trump of God shall sound? When the dead of Christ shall rise up? We will meet Him together in the air and forever we will be with Him. Who is prepared for that time and who is not? Those that are prepared have repented of their ways.

[16:01] They have believed the gospel of Jesus Christ and they have the spirit living within them. Those that are not prepared will spend all of eternity paying for their own sins when Christ paid for those sins on a cross of Calvary.

[16:13] Amen. Amen. Yeah. There's a lot of people with that thought in their head that they think I'm good enough. They think I've done enough good. They think I've gone to church enough.

[16:25] I know enough Bible. I carry a Bible under my arm. I go to church. I put money in the coffer. I do all these things. Those things will not get us in the air. They will not. Christ is good enough.

[16:36] God is well pleased with the work of Jesus Christ. He's well pleased with that. That's what we must depend on. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. So here we see the period that you and I are in right now.

[16:51] While the bridegroom tarried, they slumbered, they slept, they rested. Folks, even a child of God, myself, yourselves, we grow weary in the wake, do we not?

[17:04] We might quote with John all day long, even some come, Lord Jesus. We might quote with him all day long, but the waiting can be tiresome, even to a child of God.

[17:15] But we have something to anticipate. We know what we're waiting on. And we know that we've made the preparations. We know that God has saved our soul. And we know that we are living the holiest life that we can possibly live.

[17:28] And we are doing everything that we can to please God not for salvation, but because of salvation. We know all of these things. But even for us, we grow weary.

[17:38] And I said that to say this, all ten of these versions, the wise and the foolish, slept. It doesn't say the foolish slept. All of them slept. All of them grew weary in the waiting.

[17:50] All of them grew weary in the waiting period. It says that the bridegroom tarried. Now, does that mean that there could be a time come in the future that Jesus was supposed to come that He's not going to?

[18:04] Absolutely not. The writer to the Hebrews said, He that shall come will come and will not tarry. There is an appointed day sometime in the future when Christ will come back and He will come back to claim His bride and to take His bride back to be with Him forever and forever.

[18:22] No man knows the day. No man knows the hour. We read that in the last verse of this passage here this evening. We don't know when that's going to happen. But praise God, I know that it will happen.

[18:33] It's not about setting dates. It's not about setting times. It's about preparedness. I saw a video just the other night of a man setting a date for sometime in 2030.

[18:43] I forget what date he is. He said, this is when Jesus is coming back. It's like April 30th or something like that in 2030. and I was like, you just need to calm down.

[18:54] First you need to repent and believe the gospel because obviously you don't believe the Bible because more than once in here, Jesus speaks and no man knows. but I saw that video just a couple of nights ago of a man saying that.

[19:10] There's been people over the years saying that. He is one of them. He's made several predictions of Christ's return. Many other people have done that. Folks, no man knows. No man knows the day or the hour.

[19:23] But while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. They all slumbered and slept. And there's nothing wrong with that, folks. We get tired. I mean, we can read in the gospel accounts when Jesus and his disciples were out on the sea, they were out on the lake and the big storm rose up.

[19:42] Where was Jesus? He was asleep at the back of the ship. Even Jesus, when he was here in the flesh, he grew tired. And I praise God that in my Bible I find that the God that watches over Israel never sleeps.

[19:55] He never sleeps and he never slumbers. That means God doesn't take a break from watching over me, watching over the nation Israel, watching over you as one of his children. God does not take a break from that.

[20:05] But while he was here in the flesh, Christ grew weary. Christ grew weary and grew tired and he had to sleep. Verse 6, And at midnight there was a cry made.

[20:18] Behold, the bridegroom cometh. Go ye out to meet him. At midnight. What's significant about this? The darkest time of the night? At midnight there was a cry made.

[20:28] At the darkest time is when the cry was made and this is the time that the lights were supposed to come on. This is the time that these lamps that these virgins would have likely had on posts with little hooks on the end of them and this is the time that they would have went out into the street to follow this procession to light the way for the bride and the bridegroom.

[20:50] It's at midnight the cry was made. Folks, it is a very dark time that we live in right now. If you look out the window right now you can say well I see all kinds of daylight out there. It's not what we're talking about. We're talking about spiritual dark night.

[21:01] It was a very dark time. It was a dark time when Christ came but Paul wrote about that and talked about how it was the perfect time. He said in the fullness of time Christ came.

[21:12] And so it was at the perfect time that God sent His only begotten Son into the world. If it would have been a second sooner or a second later it wouldn't have been the perfect time but God is perfect in everything that He does.

[21:24] He has a perfect plan and He will perform it perfectly. And I can rest easy in knowing that. In knowing that whatever comes my way whether it be in the dark whether it be in the light whether any number of different things that's going on in my life God is in complete control.

[21:42] Too many people and I have this attitude before I was saved I have the attitude of where is God? Where is this God that you're speaking of? Where is this God for all these starving children over across the ocean?

[21:53] Where is this God for all these battered wives and these raped women and these murdered people? Where is this God for all these druggies that are laying all over the sidewalks? Where is this God that you're talking to?

[22:04] God was on the throne there and God is on the throne now. Amen. Amen. And those people are not in the shape that they are in. On any account of God they are in the shape that they are in because we live in a sin sick and cursed world.

[22:19] Amen. And all it is we live in a fallen world that is why people are in the shape that they are in. Too many people say well could God not prevent this? Could God not do this? Could God not do that?

[22:29] Yeah God can do anything He wants to. He's God. But we have a scripture folks. Anytime you're reading scripture anytime you read anything in this book anything at all you read it in light of Genesis chapter 1 through Genesis chapter 11.

[22:44] Yeah. You read those chapters over and over. You memorize those chapters as well as you can and anything you read this book you read it in light of those 11 chapters because that is the foundation of the entire Bible.

[22:58] And anything that you want to know can be found in those any answer that you want I should say can be found. Why are we in a sin cursed world? You read about that in Genesis chapter 3.

[23:11] Why are we continuing in that world? Because that's that's the way that man is. You read in Genesis chapter 6 that the thought of man was evil continually. and it repented God that he even made man.

[23:24] You read about the flood people say all the time can't God just destroy all the evil in the world? He done that one time with a flood. But here we are. Right. In an evil world.

[23:35] Why? Because the thought of man is evil continually. Continually. That he's a gracious God. And he is a long suffering God. And he is a patient God. Which again here it says while the bridegroom carried I praise God for the tarrying of the bridegroom.

[23:52] Yeah. Because that gives space for repentance. Right. It gives space for people to repent and believe because he is tarrying. If he had to come back sometime in 2008 I wouldn't be standing here saying that now because I didn't get saved until 2009.

[24:08] February 10th 2009 is the day that I got saved. So if he would come February 9th 2009 I would be hell bound right now if not in hell right now.

[24:19] Either way I wouldn't have been saved. I praise God for the tarrying of the bridegroom. And while we can grow weary in that tarrying time while we can grow tired of that tarrying time praise God for it.

[24:33] Because it's got it's giving people that you've been praying for time to repent. It's giving family time to repent. It's giving loved ones time to repent. It's giving all kinds of people time to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and to consider their ways as Haggai said.

[24:50] Yeah. And to consider their ways and to consider the way of God and his ways through Jesus Christ. While the bridegroom tarried they all slumbered and slept and at midnight there was a cry made behold the bridegroom comes go ye out to meet him in the darkest time this cry was made.

[25:06] So folks it tells me it's at the threshold. And people will say and I understand I get it I remember when I was a kid when we'd go to Hills up there on the parkway there was a billboard over there and I saw it for at least a couple of years every time we'd go there it said Jesus is coming soon and even as a child I thought I've been told that my whole life and he's still not here.

[25:30] But folks in the scripture where Jesus says behold I come quickly behold I come quickly and our reward is with me to give unto everyone according to his works.

[25:41] When he says behold I come quickly he's not talking about I'm soon coming as in a time span he's saying I'm coming suddenly. Right. I'm coming suddenly without warning God has given warning he's given warning he's got enough gospel he's got enough Bibles out there to where the entire world has access to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[26:03] We have YouTube we have radio we have podcasts we have all kinds of things where people have access to the gospel. There is no excuse for anyone to not hear the gospel the good news that although they be a sinner that God can and is able and willing to save their souls.

[26:22] So when that cry comes at midnight no one again no one will be able to flee their case and those that are prepared are the ones that are going to go out to meet the bridegroom.

[26:33] Verse 7 Then all those virgins arose and trim their lamps all those virgins arose again we're not differentiating between the wise and the foolish here all of them arose and all of them trimmed their lamps the foolish virgins knew what they needed to do.

[26:51] There's going to be a lot of people a lot of people when that time comes when the rapture of the church happens there's going to be a lot of people saying I've heard about this I've heard about this and many of them are going to say why am I still here?

[27:08] Because they are so self deceived I think I've told you all before I know I've told a lot of people that deception is a horrible thing because enemies can deceive you but normally it's someone who knows you that deceives you and deception is a horrible thing but self deception is the worst when you've convinced yourself of something that is nice amen that's a horrible thing and there are many people out there that are self deceived all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps all ten of them arose and done what needed to be done they trimmed their lamps they this would also not only be trimming the wig but it would also be you know shining the glass making sure that all the light can go forth that can this idea here encompasses all of that and it says and the foolish said unto the wise give us of your oil for our lamps are gone out it doesn't say for we didn't bring any with us it doesn't say for our lamps have never been somewhat lit like I said obviously there was a flicker of some kind or another there at some point there was hope there there was a little bit of light shining forth but it wasn't enough to do anything this is this is how

[28:26] I can say with certainty that someone needs a good taste of God right because there are many people that have little taste people have had little nibbles or whatever you'd like to call it but even the psalmist that taste and see that the Lord is good that is not an invitation to try God I don't say that to anybody you don't try God you're either with God or you're against God you don't say try Christianity try the gospel see if that solves your problems if not go back to what you were doing no that's a horrible bit of advice to give to anybody but you say taste and see that the Lord is good and you witness you witness about the goodness of God I know you all have heard me say it doesn't matter what happens in our lives it doesn't matter how sick we get it doesn't matter how much death comes it doesn't matter where our financial state is it doesn't matter what our relationship status is None of these things matter it does not He is good regardless and He will be glorified regardless all glory belongs unto God whether we're in heaven singing praises unto God one day or whether the people in hell are burning for all of eternity

[29:41] God is glorified in every bit of that because His word has done exactly what He said it would do Amen God is glorified in that and many people don't want to hear that they don't want to hear that God is glorified by people burning in hell now just as Brother Mike said this morning the scripture says that God gets no pleasure in the death of the wicked He gets no pleasure in that but He is glorified in it and Brother Paul backs that up in some of his writings as well I'm getting way off track because that's okay praise the Lord the foolish said unto the wise give us of your old for our lambs are gone out but the wise answered saying not so lest there be not enough for us and you but go you rather to them to sell and buy for yourself so the foolish go to the wise and say give us unto your old folks salvation cannot be borrowed we've all heard the phrase I know I've heard it and I'm sure you all have too you'll never get into heaven riding on somebody else's coat and that's exactly what is being said here in these wise and foolish virgins it cannot be borrowed there is no such thing as second hand salvation there is no such thing as any of those things it can't be borrowed but these foolish go to the wise give us of your oil for our lamps are gone out they had the lamps they were ready in their own mind and in their own eyes to be part of this procession but they had no oil they didn't have the fuel for the fire to light the lamp but the wise answered saying not so my goodness that sounds like something selfish but folks they're not being selfish in what they say here when they say not so lest there be not enough for us and you when they say this it is not in selfishness folks this is spiritual reality that's being spoken here not so

[31:34] I don't have enough for me and you both I only have enough for me folks there is enough enough salvation and one drop of Christ's blood to save the entire world there is enough for that but it has to be received individually and we have to be prepared in order to be part of the procession that we're talking about here in order to go into the chamber with the bridegroom in order to go into the festival hall if you would like to phrase it like that with the bridegroom but it is on an individual basis we cannot go to somebody else and depend upon them for salvation we can't go to someone else and depend on them for our walk with Christ we must walk with Christ if we live in the spirit let us also walk in the spirit is the way brother Paul put it in the scriptures we must walk in the spirit we must be in the spirit we must have the spirit to do any of these things but the wise answer saying not so lest there be not enough for us and you but go rather to them that sell and buy for yourselves now is it saying salvation to be bought

[32:40] I've heard it phrased like that absolutely not praise God amen he says come there's an invitation there come and buy milk buy money without money and without price and that is exactly what salvation is it is without money it is without price it is without our own works it is only by the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary that we can have salvation it is not by ourselves but it says go unto them that sell and buy for yourselves in other words you're going to have to do this on your own individually I can't do it for you is what these wise virgins are saying we cannot do this thing for you you're going to have to get this all by yourself now that being said that sounds like you're going to have to work for this all you're going to have to work for the spirit you're going to have to buy it on your own you're going to buy the spirit no folks no I mean even in the book of Acts there was a there was a man trying to buy the gift of the holy spirit off of the disciples and they said no not salvation you can't do this no this isn't something that's for sale and Christ's blood is not for sale and salvation is not for sale it is freely given too many people say and I've heard people say this

[33:58] I'd like to be saved I'd like to be a Christian but I hate the thought of giving up this or giving up that folks I gave up nothing I gave up nothing to be a Christian if I had to give something in order to be saved it would no longer be of grace I gave nothing for salvation and for more on that read again read Matthew 13 we won't get into that right now but a lot of those parables in there are misinterpreted as something the parable of the treasure in the field the parable of the pearl of great price folks I didn't give up anything but Christ gave it all that I could forever be made amen verse 10 and while they went to buy the bridegroom came and they that were ready that's the key they that were ready when the foolish virgins went to buy when they went to find out on their own when they went to get the oil in this case but when they went to find it on their own it says 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 this is one of the most solemn things that you will find in all the new testament the door was shut and there's another solemn statement here in just another verse or two but here it says the bridegroom came why did these virgins not make it in it's not because they didn't have lamps it's not because they didn't trim it's not because they weren't in the same vicinity as the wise virgins none of those things mattered it's because they were not ready it's what the scripture is teaching here and folks at the end of this whole thing those that don't make it in it won't be because they didn't have opportunity it won't be because

[35:56] God never done this or never done that it's because they were not ready to go in that is and that's the only reason why too many people want to stand underneath the nose of God and point their finger at it and accuse God when God offered up the crown jewel of heaven that these people could repent of their ways and believe the good news of Jesus Christ and be saved but they won't say but God this but God that and so many people they think they're going to stand before God one day and say you don't understand my upbringing God you don't understand how my wife was you don't understand how my husband was children are going to say you don't understand how my parents were that will not hold water with God that will not hold water with God we are all responsible for our own individual sins and our own individual response to the gospel for that matter the door was shut afterward came also the other words and say

[36:59] Lord Lord open to us I hope that sounds familiar if you flip over to Matthew chapter 7 you read much to do with this Jesus says not everyone that say it unto me Lord Lord shall enter in he says there's going to be many people coming to me that day saying Lord Lord did we not prophesy in your name did we not do this did we not do this and we're talking about church folks there Christ is talking about church folks in that he's talking about people prophesying the name of Jesus Christ people performing miracles people doing this and doing that and what does Christ say in Matthew chapter 7 depart from me you that work in the for I never knew you not I knew you once upon a time but I don't now I never knew you afterward came also the other virgin saying Lord Lord open to us Lord Lord they recognized him for who he was they knew who he was they knew he was the bridegroom in this parable but he answered and said verily I say unto you

[38:03] I know you not we got two solemn expressions in this parable here these thirteen verses four words apiece the door was shut and I know you not solemn expressions and folks that's a that's a terrifying thought it's terrifying for Christ to tell anybody it's terrifying for me to think about and I'm saved I know that I'm saved it's terrifying for me to think about that people are going to hear that one day right they're going to hear you think about these virgins they went to the these foolish virgins they went to the wise virgins they said give us of your own the wise virgins we can't do that there's not enough for me!

[38:46] and for you you need to go you need to work this out on your own you need to do this and do that and they left to go do just that thing and they came back and the bridegroom had come and he had disappeared behind the doors of this hall or this house or whatever the case was and the door was shut and they came knocking they came knocking and said Lord Lord open us and Christ doesn't even crack the door the bridegroom doesn't even crack the door to see who it is he already knows I know you're not it's not because again and I keep on reverting back to this and I will continue to do so it's not because of the lamps it's not because of the trimming of the things it's not because they weren't in the same vicinity as everybody else was in preparation for this it's because they were not ready and the door was not opened unto them not because of any of those things but because there was no relationship with the bridegroom

[39:49] I know you not there was no relationship there to be had so in other words they had no business behind those doors solemn solemn solemn words that we're reading here verse 13 watch therefore for you know neither the day nor the hour wherein the son of man come watch therefore and folks that is a commandment not only given to those that were hearing this 2000 years ago it's a commandment for us 2000 years later watch therefore that goes out to us the same that goes out to the lost watch watch yeah what are you watching for watching for the coming of the son of man folks it has been promised in the scripture and if someone is truly watching for the bride room they're going to that's going to compel them to be ready someone who is nonchalantly watching some of these folks like we've talked about here tonight some of those that may be in the church some of those that have been in church for years may even have offices in the church whatever the case is but they're very very nonchalant about about

[41:03] Christ and about the Bible about what they should be doing those are the ones that are going to find themselves outside the door outside the door and folks it was the same way back in Noah's time God gave Noah a commandment to build the ark Noah built the ark the invitation was given come into the ark Noah and seven other people Noah and his family entered into that ark and God shut the door and God sealed the door then the rain came but the warning came 120 years according to the scripture Noah preached Noah preached for 120 years there's a flood coming destruction is coming judgment is coming 120 years the man preached that eight people got on that ark and when the door was shut it was shut folks religious pleading emotional repentance these things will not be enough to open the door when it is shut it will not be enough if we are not on the other side of that door with the bridegroom our chances are finished they're over there are no more but I know where I'm going to be

[42:19] I'm going to be over there with the bridegroom I'm going to be part of that procession and I'm going to be part of the wedding feast I'm going to be part of all these things I read about in the scripture it's not because of me it's all I got for y'all this evening God bless y'all I appreciate your attention amen amen amen amen