Watching For Jesus: The Parable of the Ten Virgins Matthew 25:1-13

I want you to think back to a time in your life when you were eagerly awaiting a special day.

For some of you that might be your wedding day. You were looking forward to finally getting to marry your husband or wife and begin your life and family together.

For some of you kids, you might be thinking about your birthday or Christmas when you would finally get some of the presents you asked for.

2. For some of you kids, or if your a 6’ 4” 12 year old like me you might be thinking about your birthday or Christmas when you would finally get some of the presents you asked for. Still others, especially considering our church, especially the demographic of our church, you might think about the birth of a child. As you think about these special days, I don’t want you to think about the special day itself. Instead I want you to think about all the days and the weeks leading up to the day. For all of us, these special days were characterize by preparation.

Still others, especially considering the demographic of our church, you might think about the birth of a child.

As you think about these special days, I don’t want you to think about the special day itself. Instead I want you to think about all the days and the weeks leading up to the day. For all of us, these special days were characterize by preparation.

You didn’t just wake up and had your wedding. There was months of planning with finding the right venue, the right invitations, the right dress.

For all the kids in here? Did you leave it to chance that your parents would get you what you wanted? Of course not, you made them a list and bugged your parents continually until they were prepared to buy it for you just so they could get some peace and quiet.

You didn’t

Right now Jessica and I are preparing for the birth of our son, Owen. For the last 8 months we’ve been getting his room ready, buying clothes, and procrastinating from reading all the parenting books.

The big idea is that when you are excited for some huge, life altering event, you are actively preparing for it. Today, as we continue in our sermon series called “The Meaning of the Parables,” Jesus is going to tell us that we must be excitedly expecting his return and prepare accordingly.

Last week, we looked at the Parable of the Two Builders and talked about true discipleship. To remind you, a life of discipleship consists of two marks:

Receive Christ as Lord. We are born again through the gospel and adopted as sons and daughters of God who live for the glory of Jesus.

Live with Christ as Lord. This is where we grow in obedience to live for the glory of God in every area of our life. In other words, where we grow to worship God with all that we have.

The Lord in his providence arranged these two sermons together because if last week was a call to true discipleship, to truly follow Jesus, than this week is a call to perseverance as we wait for Jesus to return to establish his kingdom on the earth.

Go ahead and open your Bibles to and we will read the parable and then study what Jesus was saying.

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. X2 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’  And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ X3 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Context

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Allow me to give you a bit of context in order to see what Jesus is saying in this parable.

Olivet Discourse

This parable is included in one of Jesus’ sermons called the Olivet Discourse. Now its called this because it was taught on a mountain called the Mount of Olives. And the point of this sermon was Jesus’ second coming.

As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Jesus was within just a few days before his crucifixion and he sits down with his disciples to tell them about his return when he would establish the kingdom of God on the earth because his disciples were asking when the fulfillment of all of God’s promise would actually happen.

3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

It appears that based on Jesus’ teaching his disciples were concerned with the same question we are. Ok Jesus, I’m saved. When are you going to come back? When are you going to return?

Throughout this sermon Jesus gives the same answer

But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.

Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Jesus is much more concerned about how his disciples will live in the mean time instead of telling them the precise day he will return to make all things new and set up God’s perfect, heavenly kingdom on the earth.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

To do this, Jesus tells several parables. In particular there are three large parables Jesus tells about his second coming. Our passage that we are studying today is in between them so in order to see its message, we must see what the other two say.

Jesus tells the parable of the wise and wicked servant.

There is a master of the house who goes off on a trip and places two servants over the affairs of the house. One servant works diligently and is rewarded for it. The wicked servant thinks to himself, “My master is delayed,” so this servant begins to beat other servants, eats all the food and gets drunk on all the masters wine. When the master returns he rewards the wise servant and punishes the wicked servant.

And the point of this parable is that all of us must be expectantly waiting for Jesus as people who will give an account for our lives.

Then immediately following our passage in Jesus tells the parable of the talents.

Here there is another master who goes away on a long trip (you are probably beginning to see a theme) and gives money to 3 servants to oversee. When he returns he rewards the two servants who invested well and made a return, while the master punishes the one who did nothing but bury the money.

Jesus’ point here is that we must be diligently working for the Lord’s purposes and not our own until he returns.

In between these two we come to our passage where Jesus teaches us that we must be patiently waiting. His main point in our parable is that we must be eagerly expecting the return of Christ with patient endurance.

Jesus Will Return

Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’

But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

This parable is about the coming of the Bridegroom who is the Lord Jesus Christ who is coming to celebrate his wedding with his church who is the bride of Christ.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Jesus sets the stage by talking about these ten virgins. Their virginity is not necessarily representative of their purity. Instead, the word used for virgins is the same word to describe girls who were of marrying age but had not yet been married.

So who Jesus is describing here are 10 bridesmaids in a wedding. These women, as in our day, would have helped the bride prepare her self for the wonderful marriage to the bridegroom.

However, this is where many of the similarities between Jesus’ culture an our culture stop. What is the deal with the lamps, and why in the world is the bridegroom late to his own wedding?

This may sound like a wedding disaster to us, but to Jesus and his disciples this would not have been terribly odd at all. Marriages in Jesus’ day happened in three phases.

Promise of Marriage

Usually there was a promise of marriage between two sets of parents that was formalized by a contract which was sealed with a payment from the bridegroom’s father to the family of the bride.

Betrothal

Here there was a public exchange of vows and gifts between the couple and from this point the couple was legally married. However, their marriage was not consummated till after phase three.

Wedding feast

This could come as long as a year after the betrothal and would often last a week or more.

The parable is describing day one of the wedding feast. What would happen is that the bridegroom would be at his home preparing for the festivities and once the wedding feast was ready, he would come to retrieve his bride. The bridesmaids would meet him upon his arrival and escort the couple to the actual wedding.

This is why the bridesmaids would need lamps, or torches, in order to light the way to the wedding because most weddings would not start until night in order to allow all the guests to travel to get there by day

In our parable the bridegroom is very late. In fact the Jesus says that he does not come until the middle of the night. Jesus doesn’t give a reason for this, but perhaps it is because the wedding feast is more grand, more extravagant then anticipated by the bridesmaids. But he surely comes and at midnight there is a cry, a call to come out to meet him. The wedding feast had finally come.

What Jesus is telling his disciples is that it might feel like I am delayed as you wait for me to return, but I promise you, I’m coming back for you to bring you into the wedding feast of the Lamb. describes this occasion

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!

“Hallelujah!

For the Lord our God

the Almighty reigns.

Let us rejoice and exult

and give him the glory,

X2 for the marriage of the Lamb has come,

and his Bride has made herself ready;

it was granted her to clothe herself

English Standard Version Chapter 19

6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!

For the Lord our God

the Almighty reigns.

7  Let us rejoice and exult

and give him the glory,

for the marriage of the Lamb has come,

and his Bride has made herself ready;

8  it was granted her to clothe herself

with fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

with fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .describes this occasion

Jesus is the bridegroom and we, the church are his bride. He has gone away to prepare a place for us in heaven with him, and to prepare the feast we are going to enjoy with him when he comes to redeem us.

When Jesus returns he will do so to fully establish the Kingdom of God. Sin, Satan, and Death will be destroyed and have to place in his kingdom.

All the pain and brokenness we experience in this life will be no more and we will be given resurrection bodies that are like Christ’s resurrection body.

Think about this glorious promise. All the strife with the flesh, the old nature that hates God will be over and we will be able to love God fully without the weight and temptation of sin for all eternity!

And many of us will say like the disciples, “That sounds great. Jesus, when is that going to happen, when are you going to return?” But Jesus doesn’t give that answer. Instead he continually says that his return is imminent. In other words it could happen at any time.

I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.

While we don’t know the day or the hour, Jesus promises that his return will be glorious.

12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

Because Jesus promises to return and bring the fulfillment of his salvation to us, we must be watchful and prepare for his return.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Disciples Will Be Prepared for His Return

Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.

7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.

The moment had come. The Bridegroom in Jesus’ parable had arrived and all the bridesmaids rose up to go out to meet him. However, there was a problem because Jesus had said that 5 were wise and 5 were foolish. The foolish bridesmaids had neglected to bring oil so they would be unable to light the path to the wedding feast!

Seeing the problem the foolish bridesmaids ask the wise if they can borrow their oil but the wise reply saying that there is not enough for everyone. Everyone must have their own oil in order to celebrate the wedding feast.

So the foolish bridesmaids, being unprepared, go to try and buy more oil in the middle of the night when it is already too late, and as they are gone, the wise go with the bridegroom to celebrate the feast and Jesus says the door was shut.

This is where the parable begins to get a little confusing so what spiritual message is Jesus trying to teach?

If you remember, we said one mistake people often make in studying parables is they try to make every detail in the story match something else.

They will ask questions like, “What does it mean that they trimmed their lamps? What is the oil? What does it mean to go and buy more?”

But Jesus most often is communicating one big spiritual idea and is using the story as a whole to do it, and his point here is that Jesus expects his disciples to be prepared for his return.

In other words, those that will celebrate with Jesus at the marriage feast of the lamb will be those that remain faithful to him until he returns regardless how long he delays.

The parable of the two servants immediately before this passage teaches us that we should not assume Christ will delay his return but be ready for him to return any time.

Our parable reverses the point, that even if Christ does delay we must not be caught off guard. This is why Jesus closes this parable by saying, Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

So if Christ is urging us to be on watch, to stay alert in such a way that we are prepared for his return, how do we prepare?

The answer lies in the oil from the parable. It is the oil in the parable that allows some of the bridesmaids to be prepared while the others are deemed foolish and miss out on the wedding feast.

This raises the question, what is the oil. Many people have tried to interpret the oil far too specifically. Some say that the oil represents the Holy Spirit. When a believer comes to faith, they are indwelled with the Spirit and this is their new birth.

Others say no, its about good works. Jesus is talking about being prepared for his return, and our good works, or godly living, are the evidence of our saving faith.

So which is it?

I think the most helpful answer is to say that the oil is indicative of salvation which includes both being born again by the Spirit, and good works of a righteous life.

If you remember last week, we talked about salvation having three parts that are all accomplished through faith and dependence on God.

Jesus’ return, like he is talking about in our parable, is a part of God’s powerful work of salvation for us. His return will usher in what is called glorification. Glorification is the third fulfillment of our salvation where Jesus returns to establish his kingdom on the earth and those that believe in him are raised again, given new resurrection bodies to live eternally in heaven to the praise and glory of God where sin and death and evil are no more.

So in order to enjoy this aspect of our salvation, to be prepared for Christ’s return, we must enjoy the first two parts of salvation.

We Must Be Born Again

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Being born again, justifies us. Justification is the beginning of our salvation.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Here is what justification means:

You and I were God’s enemies in our sin.

Our sins are ways we disobey God and reject him as the God of all creation. We use sins to try to find satisfaction and fulfillment in life instead of looking to God who is our creator and the very source of life.

Our sins are ways we disobey God and reject him as the God of all creation. They are ways we say to God, we don’t want to follow you, we don’t want to worship you, we want nothing to do with you.

Because God is holy, our sin, our evil, is offensive to him and he has wrath against us. But, God is also love and he sent his Son, Jesus Christ to suffer and die in our place so that through faith in his death and resurrection we are born again.

We are moved from spiritual death to spiritual life. Made from God’s enemies to God’s children to worship him once again with our whole life.

And if you are here today, and have not put your faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, then today is the day to prepare for his return.

Paul teaches us that to be saved all one must to is if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

And when we are truly saved, we will have our lives changed by the gospel.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

We Must Live By Faith

How are you using your Time, Talent, and Treasure to Love God and Love Others?

-39 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For,

36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For,

Loving God

“Yet a little while,

and the coming one will come and will not delay;

“Yet a little while,

Is Your life Characterized by a Life of Worship?

38 but my righteous one shall live by faith,

and if he shrinks back,

Loving Others

my soul has no pleasure in him.”

and the coming one will come and will not delay;

39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

but my righteous one shall live by faith,

and if he shrinks back,

my soul has no pleasure in him.”

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

because you are saved by Christ and forgiven of your sins, you will live a life characterized by obedience.

Living by faith is nothing more than living a life that fully trusts the promises of God. In truth that is what obedience is.

Some people seem to have this picture of God as some controlling figure in the sky who just wants our obedience for obedience sake as if he is an impatient father dealing with petulant children.

However, God’s commands are life. Jesus came saying I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

God’s commands are so that we can have the life he always wanted for us. One of blessed joy and worship of him. We are most satisfied when we live for the One we were created for. Living for ourselves results in sin and brokenness and pain whereas living for God enjoys the blessed life God’s salvation promised.

Jeremiah talk about living for our sin instead of for God is like going to broken cisterns for a drink only to find them dry when we are dying of thirst whereas living for God, who is the fountain of living waters satisfies our desires because he made us to find our satisfaction, to find our life in him.

God saved you from death. Why do we as Christians remain so comfortable to live in it through participating in sin? I think its because we have not seen just how good God actually is and how much he desires to bless us when we live for him.

Hear the warning and the promise from For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For,

“Yet a little while,

and the coming one will come and will not delay;

but my righteous one shall live by faith,

“Yet a little while,

and if he shrinks back,

my soul has no pleasure in him.”

and the coming one will come and will not delay;

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

The warning is that God wants us to be prepared for his return by living faithfully.

but my righteous one shall live by faith,

The promise is that those who have truly been saved will endure by faith.

and if he shrinks back,

To be prepared for Jesus’ return is to be relentless in living a godly life. To do whatever it takes to worship God with all that we have.

my soul has no pleasure in him.”

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

To be prepared for Jesus’ return is to be relentless in living a godly life. To do whatever it takes to worship God with all that we have.

To Cut out whatever sin holds us back.

To joyfully give of our Time, Talents, and Treasure for God’s purposes in our lives instead of our own.

To see the suffering that he allows us to go through not as a pointless burden we have to bear, but a tool that God is using to grow us to be more like Jesus Christ.

The righteous shall live by faith, and those that endure will be rewarded in Jesus’ kingdom.

Those Who Persevere Will Be Rewarded

But what of those who are ill prepared. Who do not have salvation in Christ? What of the foolish bridesmaids who had to go to buy oil when it was too late?

False Disciples Will Be Shut Out Upon His Return

Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

This passage echoes Jesus’ message from that we discussed last week.

Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

The foolish bridesmaids finally return to the wedding but its too late. The door is shut, and the Bridegroom says I do not know you. They are locked out from the festivities and will not be able to enjoy them.

This is exactly what Jesus will say to false disciples though they appeal to him saying Lord Lord.

People that claim to love Jesus but have not had their lives changed by the gospel give a false profession of faith. They are not prepared for his return.

Jesus is describing those that had been in church, associated with the faith and even made a profession of faith but never embraced the salvation given in Jesus.

Jesus is using the word Know in a personal sense. In a redemptive sense.

To celebrate in the wedding feast of the lamb, you must have a personal relationship with Christ.

Remember how the foolish bridesmaids asked to borrow oil which we said is salvation. What this means is that you cannot borrow the salvation of others, you must possess it yourself. Just being a part of a “Christian” family cannot save you. Your parents faith cannot save you. Even being a member of a biblical church cannot save you. The only thing that can save you is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Given this implication of the parable, I must plead with those of you who have not put your faith in Jesus...

Do Not Be Shut Out. Accept Christ’s Invitation

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .Do Not Be Shut Out. Accept Christ’s Invitation

There are no second chances. When Jesus returns the time of repentance will be over and that day will according to the Bible, as a thief in the night. You will not be expecting it.

The reason Jesus is waiting right now, that he is delayed is because Peter tells us  But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Repent and believe the gospel so that when Christ returns you will not be shut out but ushered in to celebrate and enjoy God’s salvation in his kingdom!

How Do We Watch for Jesus’ Return

Godly Life

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

This is what we talked about earlier when we begin to see how our entire life is to be shaped by the gospel to live for the glory of God in every area.

12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

We want to have a God-honoring marriage. Parent our children in a God-honoring way. Be a God-honoring employee and friend. And on and on as we bring all of our life into submission to Jesus and his kingdom.

This is why Paul said Romans 12...

Evangelize

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

We live in a culture of foolish bridesmaids.

We are surrounded by people who believe their profession of faith has prepared them to meet Jesus when he returns when Jesus clearly teaches only those that have truly been saved will be welcomed in.

This parable should show us our great need to share the gospel, the radical life changing message of Jesus with those around us so that they too may be prepared to meet Jesus because of the justification and sanctification that is found in his salvation alone.

Hear me. Your mission field is your life. Living your life on mission does not mean you have to go to China or the Middle East to share the gospel.

teaches us that God determines the times and the places in which men live.

That means living your life on mission means seeing that God has placed you in this city, at your job, in your hobbies, at this time so that you could be a witness to his salvation.

Jesus told us to make disciples until he returns. Our heart in this church is to equip and release you to do that very work. To be a part of Jesus’ mission.

The big idea is that Worship drives evangelism and evangelism drives worship. What I mean by that is as we grow, as a people to worship God for who he is and what he has done for us in Christ, we are compelled to share his gospel with others so that they also can worship.

We want others to experience it so that they too can have their lives changed by worshiping Jesus Christ

Being prepared and watching for Jesus’ return means not only growing in your discipleship as you follow the Lord, but also that you would make more disciples so that more people might worship Jesus.

It is imperative that we start seeing our lives as a mission field because because Jesus Christ is going to return and when he does the opportunity for repentance will be over. The time of Judgement will be at hand and those that are saved by Christ will be ushered in to the wedding feast while those who have refused to put their faith in the gospel will be shut out to suffer in hell for eternity which we will talk about next week. May we believe the promise of says He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

Let’s pray

21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.