Two Examples of Living: The Wise and The Foolish

Matthew 25:1–13 (NLT)

1 “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.

2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.

3 The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps,

4 but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil.

5 When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

6 “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’

7 “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps.

8 Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’

9 “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’

10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.

11 Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’

12 “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’

13 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

Introduction:

The king sent for his jester one day, and presented him with a stick. He said, “Take this stick and keep it until you find a bigger fool than yourself.”

Lying on his death bed, the king again sent for his jester. I am going away, the king said. “Wither?” asked the jester. “To another country,” replied the king. “What provision has Your Majesty made for this journey and for living in the country Whether thou goest?” The jester asked. “None. This quote was the answer. The gesture handed the king the stick. “Take it,” he said. “I have found a bigger fool than myself. For I only trifle with the things of time, while you have trifled with the things of eternity.”

My friend, it is foolish to fail to prepare for the world to come. For in so doing, you trifle with an endanger, your eternal soul. Look closely at your own life and heart. Have you made the necessary preparation for eternity?

Today in our text, let's look at the wise and the unwise.

I. THE WISE. (Matthew 25: 4, 10 ).

Matthew 25:4 (NLT)

4 but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil.

Matthew 25:10 (NLT)

10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.

A. The wise made preparation. (Matthew 25: 4).

Matthew 25:4 (NLT)

4 but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil.

1. They prepared by taking the oil to provide light.

a) What oil is to a lamp, the Holy Spirit is to the heart.

(1) The heart must be in dwelled by the Holy Spirit if we are to be prepared for eternity.

(a) The Holy Spirit indwells and seals believers when they trust in Christ. (Ephesians 1: 13-14 ).

Ephesians 1:13–14 (NLT)

13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.

14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

(i) D. L. Moody. “Only one way” (KMB 595 ).

A woman who was a very busy church worker waited for D. L. Moody after he had told a group of church workers some very plain truths from God’s Word. “Mr. Moody,” said the angry woman, “do you mean to tell me that I, an educated woman, taught from childhood in good ways, and all my life interested in the church and doing good, must enter Heaven the same way as the worst criminals of our day?” “No, madam,” said Mr. Moody. “I don’t tell you at all: God does. He says everyone who would enter Heaven, no matter how good they think they are, or how well educated, or zealous in good works, must be born again.”

B. The wise entered the wedding. (Matthew 25: 10 ).

Matthew 25:10 (NLT)

10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.

1. The call was issued. (Matthew 25: 6 ).

Matthew 25:6 (NLT)

6 “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’

a) The call came at an unexpected time.

(1) The time of God's call, likewise, is going to come at an unexpected time.

(a) The time of death is unknown.

I have preached the funerals of people in all age groups (infants - senior adults)

(b) The time of the Rapture is also unknown.

(Matthew 24:36)

Matthew 24:36 (NLT)

36 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.

2. Only the prepared will enter. (Matthew 25: 10 ).

Matthew 25:10 (NLT)

10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.

a) Only those who are “in Christ” will enter. ( 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-17 ).

1 Thessalonians 4:13–17 (NLT)

13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.

14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.

16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves.

17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.

3. The door will be closed. (Matthew 25: 10 ).

Matthew 25:10 (NLT)

10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.

II. THE FOOLISH. (Matthew 25: 3, 8, 9, 10-13 ).

A. The foolish failed to prepare. (Matthew 25: 3 ).

Matthew 25:3 (NLT)

3 The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps,

1. All of the women had the capacity to get the oil, but some had failed to secure it.

a) All have the capacity for salvation. (Romans 12: 3 ).

Romans 12:3 (NLT)

3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.

b) Salvation is provided for all. (2 Peter 3: 9 ).

2 Peter 3:9 (NLT)

9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

(John 3:16)

John 3:16 (NLT)

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

c) All must make the choice of preparedness or non preparedness.

B. The foolish found themselves unable to see. (Matthew 25: 8).

Matthew 25:8 (NLT)

8 Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’

1. The things of God can only be seen by the aid of the indwelling Holy Spirit, for they are spiritually discerned. ( 1 Corinthians 2: 14 ).

1 Corinthians 2:14 (NLT)

14 But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.

a) It is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to guide us to truth. Without him, the truth cannot be seen.

(1) Once you come to Christ, the Spirit will become your guide.

C. The foolish found out that personal preparation is necessary. (Matthew 25: 9.)

Matthew 25:9 (NLT)

9 “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’

1. Although the wise virgins could point the unwise virgins to the source of oil, they could not give up their own.

a) The unwise had to try to secure oil for themselves.

2. Your Christian family members and friends can point you to the source of the oil of the Holy Spirit. That source is the Lord Jesus Christ. But you can never fuel the lamp of your heart with their oil, You must secure the oil for yourself through the new birth.

a) Just like you can't drive your car off of another car's gas.

b) The oil that fuels another person's lamp does no good for your own dry Wick.

D. The foolish failed to enter into the wedding. (Matthew 25: 10-13).

Matthew 25:10–13 (NLT)

10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.

11 Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’

12 “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’

13 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

1. Only those who were prepared entered; The doors were closed after them.

2. No amount of pleading could open the door.

a) Just as those in Noah's day could not enter once God shut the door to the ark. His spirit will not always strive with a person.

(Hebrews 9:27)

Hebrews 9:27 (NLT)

27 And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,

3. The key to the problem- The bridegroom did not know them.

a) Notice: It never says they secured any oil.

b) In your case, Dash, the only source of the oil of the Spirit is the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. There will be no entrance into the marriage supper of the Lamb without the seal of the Spirit.

c) The key to the entrance into eternal life is a personal relationship with the Bridegroom. (John 17:3)

John 17:3 (NLT)

3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

(1) Do you possess that key?

Conclusion:

Jesus sounds the warning in Matthew 25: 13.

Matthew 25:13 (NLT)

13 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

He tells us that he is returning. The question is, will you be wise or unwise, dash prepared or unprepared?

The songwriter put it this way,

“Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour,

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?”