Don't Get Catch Sleeping
Matt 25:1-9
25:1 "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.
4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.
5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 "At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
7 "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.
8 The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'
9 "'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselve NIV
10 "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
11 "Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' NIV
Don’t Get Catch Sleeping
WISE:
1 a : characterized by wisdom : marked by deep understanding, keen discernment, and a capacity for sound judgment
b : exercising or showing sound judgment : prudent
fool•ish \ˈfü-lish\ adj
1 : lacking in sense, judgment, or discretion
2 a : absurd, ridiculous
b : marked by a loss of composure
3 : insignificant, trifling syn see simple — fool•ish•ly adv
foolish implies the character of being or seeming unable to use judgment, discretion, or good sense
Only Matthew the teacher records this particular parable. It gives us insight of judgment in the future. And it tells us about the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Within it you can see how valid it is to be ready when He return.
In order for one to do those things that are necessary for the SPIRITUAL SURVIVAL of life he or she must not over SLEEP SPIRITUAL. In the real world for those of us who have regular jobs, we must arise at an appointed time, that we maybe able to report to work on time. There are in many cases consequences for not reporting to work on time. Pay or salaries can be debit as a result of not reporting on time. Doctor appointments are sometimes cancelled or a fee is laved when you do not report or check in pry to the prescribed time (usally it's fifteen minutes before the appointment time).
Throughout the bible one can find many accounts or reference to sleep or sleeping. There you will find the consequences for such.
Look if you will at some of them;
We find in the gospel according to St. Mt. Chapter thirteen verse twenty-five where Jesus tells the parable of the sower of wheat. While all were sleeping the enemy came and sowed weeds.
Again we find this account. Jesus and His disciples in the Garden called Gethsemane. Jesus took Peter and the two son of Zebedee a bit further than where the other disciples were in the Garden. He ask them if they would watch and pray, because He began to sorrow and trouble.
Matthew 26:38-45
38 Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."
40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter.
41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
42 He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."
43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.
44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. NIV
Don’t Get Catch Sleeping
Sleeping or sleep can cause great tragedies in ones life. Solomon the author of Proverbs gives us a lesson in wisdom and discipline. Look at what he said here in the 6th chapter beginning at verse four.
Proverbs 6:4-11
4 Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids.
5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest--
11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.
NIV
My brothers and my sister we need to awake out of our spiritual sleep. Awake so that we;
Don’t Get Catch Sleeping
AWAKENING
(1) is used with regard to individuals, and designates the first work of the Spirit in conversion, i. e. conviction;
(2) it is also applied to revivals of religion, in which multitudes of sinners are awakened.
The state of sin is in the New Testament represented as a sort of sleep or death;
Ephesians 5:14
14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:
"Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you."
NIV
"Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." When man, then, is brought to a consciousness of his sins, and to feel sorrow and contrition on account of them, and these are followed by a desire for the forgiving and renewing grace of God, and partly for improvement, the process is called awakening. The expression is not found in the New Testament, although the thing itself is largely explained therein. /
The prodigal son was awakened by his self-inflicted poverty.
Peter by the correcting look of the Lord/,
Paul by the miraculous apparition of Christ/,
Judas by the consequences of his betrayal,
and many by the preaching of Jesus or by his miracles. Awakening takes place when the sinner, who before did either not know the truth, or else treated it lightly, becomes strongly impressed with it, and gives up his heart and mind to it. Comp.
Acts 2:36,37:
"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified -both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Comp. also Acts 2:43; 4:4; 5:11; 11:23,24.) One of the principal aims of the preacher in presenting the word of God and of the church in the exercises of divine worship is to produce the awakening of sinners.
As, according to the doctrine of the New Testament, all possible agencies of deliverance and of moral improvement in humanity are to be ascribed to the Holy Spirit, the church holds, and rightly, that the operation of the Holy Spirit is united with the word of Christian truth, and also with visible religious exercises, in the awakening of sinners. It is also right in considering the word as the messenger or the medium of the Holy Spirit. Awakening may also result from external changes and events in life, by which truth, previously received into the heart and mind of the sinner, after lying apparently dead, is rendered active, as if awakened from slumber, so that the sinner himself awakes from the sleep or death of sin. Among the outward causes often producing awakening are sickness, either our own or others, particularly such as is the result of sin; the death of those we love, or sometimes of those who have fallen victims to their sins or to those of others, or perhaps have ended their life by suicide; or the death of such as were associated with us in our sinful career; also shame and contumely, or a fall into gross sin, either by ourselves or others, which discloses to us the bottomless nature of sin; deliverance out of danger, or, on the other hand, undeserved blessings. Intercourse with pious and good persons, or sometimes of the bad, may lead to awakening. Sometimes the Spirit uses the memories of youth and of its inexplicable feelings and of confused impulses; sometimes solitary meditation; sometimes the contemplation of nature; the reading of biographies; the study of works of art, as means of awakening. Both good and evil can be made awakening in the life of man; thus
Romans 2:4
4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
NIV
"Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?"
Romans 11:22
22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. NIV
"Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness; otherwise thou also shalt be cut off;"
1 Corinthians 10:6-11
6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.
11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. NIV
"Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."
One of the biggest military disasters in all of war history was the bombing of military bases at Pearl Harbor. Scores of men and women lost their lives along with millions of dollars in weapons and ships were lost, only because the soldiers were sleeping or asleep when the attack came.
The same thing will happen with us in this Christian race.
Don’t Get Catch Sleeping
Explain the text of Mt 25:1-13
We must understand that Jesus did not say the the kingdom of Heaven is like the virgins, because if that was the case part of heaven would WISE and part of it would be FOOLISH.
The parable here is dealing with the wedding banquet. Just as with a wedding banquet in those days when the bridgegroom appeared everyone must be ready.
What is this saying to us in this time that we now present live. We know not when the BRIDGEGROOM will come, so we must be ready.
Jesus said in His word;
Mark 13:32-36 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.
34 It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35 "Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back — whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.
36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you SLEEPING.
37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'"