The Ten Virgins, Part 2

I don't know if you have realized this or not, but the Bible begins with the promise of the coming of a redeemer. God gave a promise to Adam and Eve in Genesis chapter 3, verse number 15. Said it about the fact that man needs a redeemer because of a sin and because he needs a redeemer to rescue him from sin's bondage, there will come a seed from a woman that will crush and destroy. the enemy Satan himself. The Bible also ends with the promise of the coming of Christ. In Revelation chapter 22, Christ himself says, behold, I come quickly.

The Bible is in parentheses, both brackets dealing with the coming of Jesus Christ, our Lord. That great Southern Baptist expositor W.A. Chriswell said these words about the coming of Jesus. He said, first the Savior is to come that he might be crushed, bruised, crucified, and made an offering for sin.

He is to come to die as the Redeemer for the souls of men. After God made that promise in Eden, hundreds of years passed, millenniums passed, and the Lord did not come. When finally he did arrive, he came into his own, and his own received him not.

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. The thousands of humanity had forgotten the promise, or else, they scoffed at its fulfillment. When finally, announcement came that he had arrived, the learned scribes pointed out the place where he was to be born, but never took the time to journey the five miles from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to welcome this promised savior of the world.

But however long he delayed, and however men forgot and scoffed, and however few of a faithful band waited for the constellation of Israel as old Simeon, yet he came. In keeping with the holy faithful promise of God, the Lord Jesus came. It is thus in the text that God speaks in closing his Bible, surely I come quickly. Here, a second time, however, infidels may scoff and however others may reject, and however the centuries may grow into the millenniums.

This is the immutable word and promise of the Lord God, surely I come. Jesus is going to come again. But there will be scoffers, the Bible says, that will say, well, where is the promise of us coming?

Where is he? If he said he was coming, how come he is not here? And Jesus warned his disciples that when he returns, most people will not be ready. Most will not be alert. Most will not be faithful. And so he begins to explain to his men the importance of being ready for his return, because ready or not, he's going to come because that's exactly what he said. I'm sorry I didn't finish the last time we were together. We'll begin by looking at the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew chapter 25. Let me read it for you.

It says, then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were foolish and five were prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the Prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. Now while the bridecum was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. But at midnight there was a shout. Behold, the bridegroom, come out to meet him. Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.

And the Foolies said to the Prudin, give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the prudent answered saying, no, there will not be enough for us and you too, go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves. And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast and the door was shut. And later the other virgins also came saying, Lord, Lord, open up for us. But he answered and said, truly I say to you, I do not know you.

Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour. Tonight, I want to cover with you the introduction and then the implications of this parable. We'll begin by looking at the introduction and three things I want you to see. One is the subject of the parable. Two is the simplicity of the parable. And three is the significance of the parable. All right? First of all, the subject of the parable.

Notice the first word in verse number one of chapter 25. It says, then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins who took their lambs. That word then is a connective term. It connects chapter 25 with chapter 24 to help you understand what Jesus Christ himself is talking about. He was speaking at the close of chapter 24. about the faithful servant and the unfaithful servant. And that unfaithful servant, according to verse number 51, shall be cut in pieces and shall be assigned a place where the hypocrites go, that is the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth.

So Christ is going to connect the end result of those who are unfaithful to this parable to help you understand how important it is to be prepared for the coming of Jesus Christ. Because once he returns, there are no more chances. It's all over. So you must be ready when he comes, because when he comes, if you're not ready, then you will be rejected. The door will be shut, and you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. That's the subject of the parable. It's important to note that in this parable, We told you many times before that every parable has one major theme that runs through it.

It just so happens that there are four parables in Matthew 24 and 25, all interconnected dealing with the return of Christ and what happens when he returns and make sure that you are ready for his return. Because most people will not be ready. Number two, the simplicity of the parable.

If you were to read different commentaries on Matthew 20, and 25, especially on the parable of the 10 virgins, you would come up with all kinds of erroneous interpretations of the parable that we're going to talk about this evening. A lot of people like to treat it as an allegory where they give mystical meaning with secret spiritual applications to these virgins and these torches that they carry and the bridegroom himself. Others try to make every element of the parable applicable to the Christian life.

You can't do that. Still, others try to analyze the data in the parable and say it's confusing because there's a bridegroom with 10 bridesmaids, but there's no bride. All that really is irrelevant, because what you need to understand are basically four things. Number one, the wedding.

Number two, the warning. Number three, the bridegroom. Number four, the bridesmaids. Not too difficult. Very simple. You will see that in a moment. The number three, the significance of the parable.

The significance of the parable and where it is placed is very important. Remember back in verse number 32. We talked about the parable of the barren fig tree. He spent two weeks on that. He says, now, learn the parable. I want you to learn this. I want you to understand this. Why? Because when its branches, the parable of the fig tree, has already become tender and puts forth its leaves. You know that summer is near. Even so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that he is near right at the door.

He says, listen, I want you to understand something. You can have iron-clad assurance about the return of Christ when you see the sign of all these things happening. In fact, it says up in verse number 25, behold, I have told you in advance. Christ says, I'm telling you everything in advance so that you know that signs of the time.

It's important that you understand this. Therefore learn the parable. When you see these signs taking place, behold, he is right at the door. He is soon to return. And so it goes on to say in verse number 34, truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. This generation is the generation alive during these things taking place. And that will be during the seven-year tribulational period before the Lord Jesus returns and sets up his millennial reign upon the earth for a thousand years.

Then it says in verse number 35, heaven and earth will pass away, but my word shall not pass away. You can be guaranteed of one thing that heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will not. My word is true. The scripture speaks the truth. Now, someone will say, well, if that's the case, and we know that there's going to be a rapture of the church, and the Christians are going to be taken home to be of the Lord, and that's going to initiate a seven-year tribulational period on the earth, I can pretty much then figure out when Jesus Christ is going to come back.

And if I can figure out when he's going to come back, I'll just live through the tribulation for six and a half, maybe close to seven years, and then give my life to Jesus Christ right before he comes back, and then I can go and live with him forever. Now, some people are to think that. But let me help you understand three things.

Number one. Hebrews 927 says, it's appointed a man wants to die after that to judgment. Everybody's going to die. One out of one dies. It's an amazing statistic. But the important thing is, it's a divine appointment. You don't know when it's going to happen, right? It could be tonight. It could be tomorrow. It could be next week. Who knows? It's a divine appointment. So you had no guarantee of tomorrow. So you might think, well, I'll just live through the tribulation. and if I can, you know, just, you know, make it through without receiving the mark of the beast, then I can, you know, I can get saved at the end.

But you don't know if you're going to die. You don't even know if you're going to make it to the tribulational period or not, because it's a point of a man wants to die after that to judgment. Number two, let's say the church is raptured tonight, and you're not with them because you're not a believer.

So you go into the tribulational period. You say, well, I'll just give my life to Christ at that time. There is a little bit of a problem with that. And let me explain it to you by reading to you a verse of scripture, in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 when it talks about the revealing of the lawless one that is the Antichrist in his appearance during the tribulational period it says this in verse number eight and then that lawless one will be revealed whom the lord will slay with the breath of his mouth and bringing to an end by the appearance of his coming that is the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan with all power and signs and false wonders and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.

And for this reason, God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth but took pleasure in wickedness. You see, we forget that during the tribulational period, people are going to be deceived and and be deluded into believing that which isn't true, but that which is false. So if you are here today and you have been at Christ's Community Church and you are not a Christian, you've never given your life to Christ, if the church is raptured tonight and you go into the tribulation, be guaranteed of one thing, a deluding influence.

That's going to cause you to believe that which is false so that you don't believe the truth. Why? Because the Bible says you really truly love wickedness more than you.

you love the truth. Number three, back in Matthew 24, it's important to understand that even if you didn't die before the tribulation and you were not at first deluded by the wonders and signs of Antichrist, the power of Satan, you still will not know when Jesus is going to return.

I mean, you can map it out. You can say, wait a minute. Daniel 12, 11 says there is going to be 1,200,000. 160 days from the abomination of desolation. And we know that the abomination of desolation happens right in the middle of the tribulational period, right in the three and a half year mark. When the Antichrist goes into the temple of Jerusalem, desecrates the temple, sets himself up as God, demands the world worships him as God. On that day, count down 12 160 days. And Jesus will come back. That sounds good, doesn't it?

But there's one problem with that. The Bible says this. Verse number 36. But of that day and hour, no one knows. Not even the angels of heaven nor the son, but the father alone. Verse number 42. Therefore, be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. Verse number 44. For this reason, you be ready to, for the son of man is coming at an hour when you do not think he will. Verse number 50, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know.

Verse number 13 of chapter 25, be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour. Let me tell you something.

We know the era in which Jesus Christ is going to return. We have an idea about the time he's going to come back once the tribulation begins. But the Bible is very explicit and Christ repeats it over and over again. You do not know the day, nor do you know the hour. The only thing you know for certain about the return of Christ at the end of the tribulation period is this. You will come at a time you least expect it. The point being is you need to be alert. Why? Because during the tribulational period, it will be just like it was in the days of Noah.

How was it in the days of Noah? Noah said, listen, judgment's coming. It's going to rain. And God's going to destroy the world with the flood. And they said, bah, that's not going to happen. Noah, you're a crazy old man building a boat in the desert. What do you know? It's been 100 years. There's been no judgment. And Noah just kept right on preaching. God's going to judge the world. He's going to judge it with a flood. You've got to give your life to God. You've got to repent of your sins. And they said, no way, Noah, you are a crazy old fool.

And after 120 years, it began to rain. Jip, drip, chip, jip, jit, jill, the floodgates open. But right before it rained, Noah went into the ark. Tex says, Noah into the ark. Genesis tells us God shut the door. You know why God shut the door? Because if Noah shut the door, Noah would open the door. The people began to bang on the door. Noah, let us in. We got to come in. And they never got in. God gave him 120 years. It's a long time. And they didn't repent. God shut the door. And they perished in their sin.

And that's the way it's going to be doing in tribulation. People are going to be eating. They're going to be drinking. They're going to be preoccupied with self. They're going to be preoccupied with doing what they want to do. Sin is going to run rampant in the world, unlike anything we've ever seen. and can even think or imagine in our minds. And man will carry on as if there is no tomorrow, as if there is no coming, as if there is no judgment, even amidst the tribulation, that's the way it's going to be.

It'll be so normal that two people will be grinding at the mill. One will be taken, and one will be left. The one taken will be taken to judgment. We'll talk about that in a sheep goat judgment. The one left will enter the kingdom of heaven. You see, everybody will carry on their normal activities in a tribunal period with no thought about being alert to the coming of Christ. Then he goes on and says this. Verse of 43, but be sure of this, that at the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

Christ gives a great analogy. He says, listen, when a thief is going to rob your house, he doesn't call you up and say, hey, guess what? I'm coming over 1130 tonight and I'm going to steal all your jewels. I'm going to come in. So turn the alarm off for me. We are so I can get in with no problem? No, the thief doesn't do that. He comes when you least expect him. No warning, but he's coming. And then he says, verse 45, who then is faithful and sensible, slave, whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time.

Blessed is that slave whom his master finds him doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that evil slave says to his heart, my master is not coming for a long time and shall begin to, beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know and shall cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites weeping shall be there and the gnashing of teeth.

Talks about two servants, one good, one evil, one faithful, one unfaithful. And the unfaithful one says, you know what, my master's not coming. He's not coming. I'm just going to do what I want. I'm going to the way I want, I want, I want to hack the way I want, I'm going to say what I want, who cares? And just when he least expects him, bang, the master shows up, bang, he cuts him in pieces, bang, he throws him in a place with his weeping and axe teeth, just like that, no second chance, it's all over.

So Christ says, you've got to be ready. You've got to be ready. You've got to be alert. You've got to be faithful. And you've got to be ready because nobody knows the hour, nor the time of the return of the son of man. So Christ says, then, then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable.

to 10 virgins. That's all introduction. And that leads us to the implications and three things I want to give to you. Number one is the certainty of his return.

The certainty of his return. The last words of Jesus are, behold, I come quickly. They were the last words to his friend John and they were the last words to his enemies. Behold, I come quickly. As the Lord drew near his death, he became more passionate about people being prepared for his coming again because he knew. He knew that most would not be alert. Most would not watch. And so he wanted people to understand. Jesus is coming again. In Luke chapter, chapter one, it said this of our Lord as the angel spoke to Mary in verse number 32, that this son of yours will be great.

It will be called the son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his Father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end. That is yet to happen. It's going to happen. And so in Acts chapter 1, when our Lord Jesus ascended into glory, the angel said to those men who stood looking up into the sky, said men of Galilee, why do you stand looking to the sky? This Jesus, who has been taking up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way.

as you have watched him go into heaven. He's coming back the same way. Are you prepared? The certainty of his return. Number two, the conformity to his requirements.

He says, you've got to be ready. And the only way you can be ready is through the blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord. The only way you can be ready for the return of Christ is to throw yourself upon him and his mercy. And say, Lord, be merciful unto me. a sinner. Change my life. Change my heart. See, we think that becoming a Christian is about an event, about an emotion, about an experience. It's none of that. It's all about an encounter with the living God. And if you haven't had an encounter with the living God through the revelation of the word of God, then you're not born again, no matter what the event, no matter what the emotion, no matter what the experience.

Because if you've encountered the living God, he has trained. transformed your life. And you need to be ready for his return. You need to conform to what he says. You can't go to heaven on your terms. You've got to go to heaven on God's terms. He's the way. He's the truth. He's the life. No matter what anybody else tells you, it's only on God's terms can you get to heaven. The certainty of his return. The conformity to his requirements. And lastly, the calamity of rejection. The calamity of rejection.

Oh, listen, if Christ says to you, I do not know you, can you imagine hearing those words, I do not know you?

You know the words of Matthew chapter 7? Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, those are terms of endearment. Those are terms of closeness. Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out demons and in thy name done many wonderful works let me tell you some i can name you scores of people who claim to cast out demons and they're on tv all the time i can name the scores of people who say they do works in the name of god and one day they're going to stand before christ saying lord lord look what we did for you we did it all for you lord and then i will professing to them I never knew you.

Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. The Bible says these words in 2 Thessalonians chapter 1.

It says verse number number 6. For after all, it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels of flaming fire. Dealing that retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the of our Lord Jesus. And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he comes to be glorified in his saints on that day and to be marveled at among all who have believed.

Wow. They will pay the penalty of their own destruction because they would not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, because they did not God. I ask you, do you know God? Are you prepared? Do you know for certain that if you die tonight, you would spend eternity with Jesus Christ? Can you imagine sitting here week after week after week thinking you're going to go to heaven and then die and wake up in hell? Can you imagine that? Can you imagine the devastation that would be? That is the greatest tragedy I can ever think of.

Let's pray. Thank you.