Untitled Sermon (71)

Matthew 25:1–13 KJV 1900

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.

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Hurricane Ian was one of Florida’s deadliest storms in recent memory, claiming more than 100 lives in 19 counties.

The primary cause of death in Hurricane Ian, and every hurricane for that matter…at the root of it, was not drowning, entrapment , nor being struck by wind-blown debris. No…the primary cause of death was failing to heed the warning…failing to make proper preparation and move out of the path of the powerful storm.

Each of those more than 100 lives lost in Hurricane Ian, perished in spite of mandatory evacuation orders issued by Emergency Management officials more than 24 hours before the storm.

One of these tragic deaths was Ft. Myers Beach resident Mitch Pacyna

Picture of Mitch Pacyna

He and multiple neighbors decided to ride out the storm.

In a video he posted on Facebook, early in the morning of September 28th, a meteorologist appears on his television, warning of a potential 15-foot storm surge for Ft. Myers Beach.

A few hours later, at 10:56 another video was posted with Pacyna nervously exclaiming “Oh my God! Wrong decision! as water had already covered his front yard.

2 hours later, at 12:24 p.m. Pacyna realized he was in bad trouble.

“This ain’t letting up yet. If it gets a little higher, we may have to go on the roof,” he said in het another video posted on Facebook.

An hour later, he posted “OK,, we’re terrified!”

That would be his final post.

Pacyna, who couldn’t swim, drowned when the storm surge split his house apart.

His body was found days later.

Psychologist Dr. Cara Cuite spoke to the factors that affect people’s decision to evacuate (or to not) during hurricanes.

Some choose to ignore the warning, and stay behind, because they have never experienced a hurricane before and don’t know what to expect.

Many times, residents simply base their decision to evacuate based upon what their neighbors are doing. If their neighbors choose not to evacuate, they reason this must be the right decision and thus they decline the warning.

Others that have experienced storms before, forget how dreadful past storms have been. For a window of time, the memories of devastation and destruction stir them with a sense of urgency and readiness, but over time the memories fade and vigilance is abandoned.

Other factors include wanting to protect their homes from looters that often come in to capitalize on the chaos after the storm has passed.

Whatever the factors that might have motivated their delay, the difficult truth remains that they failed to heed the warning.

Death never makes sense. Wether it be at the hands of old age, or some terminal illness. A tragic accident or an untimely passing. Death never makes sense

We can find no fault with the now over 40,000 that just 2 weeks ago, while asleep in their beds... an earthquake that measured at a 7.8 magnitude, brought down houses and apartment complexes. they had no way of knowing that death would soon knock upon their door. It came without warning. There was no 24 hour evacuation mandate. No voice lifted, urging residents to prepare for coming destruction.

Yet those that are given warning that the storm is coming, and they CHOOSE to stay and abide…warned, even commanded to flee the path of destruction…yet, they choose to stay…

Because that is what their neighbors are doing.

Because they have forgotten the power of destruction that once gripped their lives.

Because they choose to stay and defend a structure and belongings that could so easily be replaced.

For these poor souls,It is difficult to make sense of their demise…If only they would have heeded the warning that had been given.

Cultural study of Matthew 25:1-14

You might wonder what does the parable of the ten virgins have to do with our response to storm warnings?

What does the story of 10 women in a wedding party have to do with tragic death and unheeded warnings?

When you consider that this parable of the 5 wise and the 5 foolish is not an abstract allegory that is shared in isolation. It is not as if Jesus is just strolling along with his disciples and decides now would be a good time to share a story about a wedding invitation that had been afforded to 10 virgins.

This parable of 5 that are wise and 5 that are foolish is not a parable in isolation. It is not a story that is told without purpose nor one whose telling Jesus has not carefully composed.

No…this parable comes Fresh on the heels of the 24th Chapter of Matthew!!

A chapter in which he describes the destruction that will come to this earth at the end of this age.

With bold and descriptive language Jesus speaks of the signs that will signal the time of the end and usher in his return. With much greater urgency than a weather man forecasting the projected path of a storm, Jesus signals the path of judgment upon the earth and the forecast of his second coming.

Listen to the conditions that will herald the hour of the coming end of days:

Matthew 24 vs. 7 For nation (ethnos…race) shall rise up race (racial tension), kingdom (nation or government) against nation: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

Matthew 24 vs. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. (There will be an abundance of sin)

Verse 14 concludes the evidence that the end is near when Jesus proclaims...

"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

The remaining verses of the Matthew 24 speak of the suddenness and the surprise that will mark his second coming.

Matthew 24 vs. 27 Describes the quickness of his coming like a bolt of lighting that shoots across the sky .

His coming will be unexpected by man. It will come without warning and without hesitation!

Unless you are looking for it…You won’t anticipate it coming

Unless you are watching for it…the moment will come and it will pass before you can even think to respond.

In an instant the very foundations of the universe will be shaken, as Matthew 24 vs. 29 He says “IMMEDIATELY after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, the moon will not give her light, stars will fall from the heavens, the very powers of the heavens shall be shaken.

Vs. 31 He will send his angels, with a great sound of a trumpet and the elect shall be gathered unto him from the corners of the earth.

The verse that stirs my spirit this morning, and should stir the hear of every listener who has an ear for what the spirit is speaking.

44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

And it is from this summons to make ready…this plea to prepare that Jesus shares the parable of the ten virgins…five who were wise and five who were foolish.

Trying to make sense of lamps, shouts and sleeping virgins in the context of a modern wedding ceremony makes little to no sense.

However, in the context of the culture to which this parable was shared, the points of the parable were apparent.

After a husband was betrothed, or engaged to his wife…which was accomplished by the marriage covenent being established, a price for the bride is negotiated and paid by the groom to the bride's family.

Then the husband returned home after becoming betrothed/engaged to prepare a home for his soon soon to be bride, as she made her preparations for married life as well. Often this would be about a year of preparation.

Once the groom finished his preparations he would come to collect his bride. This was usually done at night, and the groom would be accompanied by a wedding party, a convoy of his friends that would serve to escort him to his waiting bride, and a best man, and they would carry torches to light their procession. The bride knew he would be coming but would not know when exactly , so the groom would arrive with a shout to get the attention that they had arrived.

At the sound of the shout, the bride and her wedding party would join the wedding party, their torches serving to illuminate the path of the procession as well as to identify them as part of the great wedding party. Once the wedding had been completed and the bride and the groom had been united, the wedding party would remain for a week of celebration and festivities.

And while this parable is rich with truths that could be declared today…I preach with the urgency of a weather man today that stands looking at the map…realizing the path that of the storm that is coming.

Realizing that there are many that come to church, but they have no oil in their lamps.

many that will forego the call to evacuate…choosing rather to accumulate and gather the feeble things of this world....opting, rather than seeking to fill their vessels with oil…they will preserve and protect possessions that will not last 5 minutes of the wrath of God that will be poured out upon this earth.

This parable of the 10 virgins serves to warn and awaken!!!

1. It warns us that there are certain things which cannot be obtained at the last minute.

the bible tells us that the 5 foolish virgins awakened by the shout that the bridegroom was coming, suddenly realized that their lamps had no oil.

Matthew 25:7–10 KJV 1900

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.

And while they went to buy....what they should have brought!

While the went to seek for…what they had in surplus!!

The bride groom came.

In the moment that the shout went out…they are frantic…they are still playing the game…going through the motions…acting like its all good.

They are trimming their lamps.

It’s like when your teacher said turn in your homework…and you start digging in your backpack…even though you know there isn’t any homework in there...

They are trimming their lamps…but they have no oil...

My God…what are you doing trimming your lamps…trying to look like you are ready…why don’t you stop with the pretense and go find you some oil!

In this moment, they want nothing more than a vial of oil…a cruise of oil...

But the fact is their mistake wasn’t in this moment…it was in a decision that they had made long before when they decided to overlook the value of the oil.

When they had decided that their were other things that were more important than filling their vessels full of oil!

And there will be those that when the cry goes out the bridegroom cometh…instantly, they will shuffle their priorities.

In a moment, the presence of God will become the most important thing in their lives.

In an instant, the Spirit of God filling their lives will be the number one priority…but while they went out to search for what they could have brought with them....the bridegroom came.

I’ve come today to urge someone…stop trimming your lamp, when you know there is no oil!

Stop consuming yourself with looking like you’re good with God when you know your empty.

Lets get beyond the pretense and lets get real with God today!

2. It warns us that there are certain things which cannot be borrowed

As those 5 foolish virgins wiped the sleep away from their eyes, and lifted their heads from their pillows, that sinking feeling in the pit of their stomach.

And the five foolish turned the five wise…seeing that they had oil and they asked if they could borrow some of their oil.

and the five wise…Made yet another wise decision. NOT SO!! Lest there be not enough for us and you!

Can I emphasize today that there is nothing your brother or sister is struggling with that is worth you losing out on eternity over.

I see folks do it all the time…someone comes that has no oil…they’ve got no oil of joy…they’ve got no anointing oil on their life…they’ve run dry on the Holy Ghost…they’re filled with bitterness....and they come and like a leach, they attach themselves to you and start emptying your oil!

NOT SO!

I’ll pray for you…But you can’t have my oil!

I’ll love you…But you can’t have my oil!

I’ll take you to the seller of oil…and you can buy some oil…but you can’t have my oil!

I’ll love you…but I won’t take up your offence…because your offence drains my oil!

Listen…you aren’t going to be ready to go out and meet the bridegroom on borrowed oil!

You’ve got to get your own oil in your lamp!

You’ve got to get your own walk with God!

You’ve got to get your own breakthrough!

today is the day that we stop borrowing oil!

Today is the day that we run and find the seller of oil…and make sure that we’ve got oil in our lamps.

3. It awakens us to the understanding that God is concerned with wise and not good

In our humanity, we are consumed with good or bad.

Good is measure of success…while bad is the measure of failure.

and the way that it works in the system of this world is that if you do more good than bad…you win!

But Jesus didn’t tell a parable of 5 good virgins and 5 bad virgins...

Here is the bad news about salvation…you could never do enough GOOD to earn salvation.

I dont care if from this day forward you never did another bad deed and you never missed an opportunity to do a good deed…It woudn’t be enough to save you

Now…let me tell you the good news about salvation…All of the BAD you’ve done, cant keep you from salvation.

This isn’t GOOD vs. BAD...

its about wise vs. foolish.

Its not about what you have done…its about the choices you make!

Two parables that closely parallel one another…the two men that built houses…one was wise and he built upon rock…the other was foolish and built upon sand.

five virgins who were wise…they filled their vessels with oil....the five who were foolish…they took no oil with them.

Good and bad are all about the actions…your merit…your successes and failures...

But wise and foolish…those are about choices that you make with eternity in mind.

I’m going to build upon the rock because storms will come

I’m going to fill my lamp with oil…because the bridegroom is coming!

IF it was just on being good…all 10 would have been ready!

-All 10 had been close enough to the bride to be invited into the wedding party

-All 10 went forth to meet the bridegroom

-All 10 had lamps

-All 10 trimmed their lamps

But this isn’t about being good today…its about being wise…and the most wise decision you could make today is to take heed the warning of this preacher today…and make sure you’ve got oil in your lamp!

Make sure that you are ready to leave this world…that you have prepared to evacuate the coming destruction of this world!

(maybe....maybe not) I went to Mitch Pacyna’s Facebook page…comment after comment declaring what a good person Mitch was. From all accounts he was kind. He was described as always smiling and enjoying life. Countless acquaintances said the he was a wonderful person.