TRAP # 5 I'll Get Things Right With Jesus Later
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Good morning, my hope and prayer tis that everyone is doing well this morning. Turn with me in your Bibles to . We are still in our series of sermons of traps and hindrances that everyone faces as Satan tries to prevent you and I from becoming everything the Lord created us to be in Christ.
1. the trap of traditon (robs me of a living walk with Jesus today)
2. The trap of unforgiveness (places me within a prison of my own making)
3. The trap of Fear (freezes me at a stand still no forward progress with the Lord)
4. The trap of feeling unloved (robs me of the peace and fufillment of knowing just how much God loves a cherishes me.
All of these things are traps within the mindset of people. They develop in the mind and become strongholds which can destroy a persons walk with God. We need to understand this, that our greatest battlefield is the battlefield of the mind, how you think determines who you are.
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
“Eat and drink!” he says to you,
But his heart is not with you.
declares as a man thinks so is he.
So our enemy Satan knows if he can affect how you think, then he can affect your development as a Christian, he can create a stronghold within your mind that will cause slower progress of growth, and cause discouragement and discontentment in your heart and really do significant damage to your relationship with the Lord.
So we have to fight these mindsets which is why
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
We are called the be transformed and this is done by the renewing of our mind.
So if we are going to battle these traps, and overcome these obstacles Satan tries to throw in our way we must understand that our mind has to be renewed daily in order to win the fight.
When I was a younger boy we lived in a small town in Monticello Florida, my mom and dad were still married and I was young about 8-9 years old. We lived right next door to some very close family friends and also some aunts and uncles. One day my mom had to run right up the road about a ten minute drive and she had to pick up a few things.
She fed me lunch and told me where she was going and told me that my aunt would be checking in on me until she got back. This was the first time I had ever been left at home alone. My dad was at work and I thought I was the king of the castle boy. Man I played video games I went outside and threw the baseball up and hit it with my bat man I did whatever I wanted to do.
I ate hot pockets and every so often I would get a call from my aunt: “Kyle you doing ok over there?”
I would reply yes just not really listening excited I got to be at the house by myself, but she would always end things this way “dont forget to clean up your room before your mom and Dad get home.
I would say yes mam and get off the phone see, before mom left she had asked me to clean my room, but now I was looking up and there was chip bags laying on the floor hotpocket dirty dishes and toys from here to kingdom come, it didn’t take me long to make a mess. As I sat there trying to lay the smack down in mortal combat video game I remember thinking I have enough time to clean this up it aint that much.
I even remember looking at the clock thinking ok 5 minutes
but then something incredible happened I learned this move in this fighting game and I was locked in my eyes watering I had played so long, when all of a sudden the inevitable happened I heard the keys hit the door lock on the front door!
I panicked and somehow thought I was going to be able to fix the mess it took me a couple hours to destroy.
I recieved something from my daddy that day he applied the hand of discipline to my seat of knowledge I could sit down for awhile now before you think that was harsh just know this I even acknowledge that the house was demolished it was a pig sty and it wasn’t that way when mamma left.
I learned that day something very important:
YOU NEVER HAVE AS MUCH TIME AS YOU THINK YOU DO
YOU NEVER HAVE AS MUCH TIME AS YOU THINK YOU DO
We have a bad tendency to procrastinate as human beings, we take on too much and we put it off until there is no way we can accomplish it. Some of you might say not me I gotta plan jack, I am organized but how are you doing when it comes faithfully obeying the Lord?
Matthew 24:
Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Now we know this, we have heard it one million times, but I wonder if this reality, that Jesus is coming at an hour we do not expect, I wonder if that actually changes our lives, does this reality change what we value? It should, but far too often it is out of sight out of mind for most Christians.
We’re happy to have heaven and everything that goes with it, but is it wise to use our life as I used that living room that day?
To get as much pleasure for myself as I can before my father returns?
Matthew 24:
“Who then is a faithful and sensible slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give them food at the proper time? That slave whose master finds him working when he comes will be rewarded.
I want to talk with about the the trap of thinking “I’ll GET EVERYTHING RIGHT WITH JESUS LATER”
This mindset comes into play alot today not just with nonbelievers but with Christians as well. While we would never say it our lives prove that we are lacking urgency when it comes to being obedient to Jesus Christ.
WILL THE LORD FIND YOU FAITHFUL WHEN HE COMES?
I dont know about you but I wanna be found faithful when my Lord returns, I am not perfect and I never will be until He comes but what He has revealed in His word I am going to strive after with everything I have in order to be found a faithful servant of Christ.
I hope that’s true of you.
In Jesus is right in the middle of teaching in what has become known as the Olivet discourse, in this discourse He is teaching and He uses a parable, of 10 virgins, or 10 bridesmaids and the entire point of this parable is given to underscore the importance of being ready for Christs return in any event for when He does return, there will be no second chances for those unprepared.
The Setting of the Parable
The Setting of the Parable
The setting of this parable takes place at a wedding, in those days the wedding would start at the brides house and then there would be a procession of the entire wedding party marching to the bridegrooms house for the completion of the festivities, now if this couple were being married at night there would be lamps which would serve as torches for the processional, and it would be nearly impossible to see without the lamps.
Now we need to understand some things right here, first of all if you are a child of God you are part of the church universal, that is everyone who believes and follows Jesus Christ as Lord. You are a member of the body of Christ since you have been redeemed. As a member of the church, you are called the bride of Christ.
did you know that that the church is called the bride and Jesus is called the bridegroom?
In Paul goes on this long list of ways husbands shoud treat thier wives and how wives should treat their husbands and after telling them all of these things god expects in marriage. He says
Ephesians 5:31-32
For this reason a man will leave
his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two will become one flesh.
This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church.
Jesus is our bridegroom, and on the day of his return the body of Christ (anyone who is saved) the church which is His bride will become one with the Groom (Christ) we will be joined together with the Lord in the air and we will always be with the Lord.
And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”
Revelation 19:6-9
So there is coming a day when Jesus is going to return for His church and we will be like him bc we will see him as He is!
We will be seated with Christ at the right hand of God the Father, and there will be a great feast at the marriage supper of the Lamb, a celebration much like the one described here in Matthew.
There will be a processional, where lamps are lit and we will walk with Jesus to the great festivities of that marriage supper.
It will be a time of celebration, a time of unceasing joy for some, but for others it will be a difficult reality to swallow
Jesus has been talking in about the end of the age which is when the Lord will return for His church, and now He continues in by talking about the culmination of all of those events listed in and He says there is a wedding celebration and there were 10 maidservants or virgins.
They have been called to meet the Bridegroom for the celebration
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Apparently they are going to meet the bridegroom at night, because they are taking lamps with them
For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.
You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.
So even here the Bible says there will be some who will say peace and saftey, EVERYTHING IS FINE DONT WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING EVERYTHING IS FINE But sudden destruction comes upon them but not to others, it seems some have light while others do not.
Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
why were they foolish because 5 had made themselves ready and 5 had not
THEY WERE NOT PREPARED FOR THE COMING OF THE GROOM
THEY WERE NOT PREPARED FOR THE COMING OF THE GROOM
Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,
but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
So lets get this straight some of these unwise servants were caught thinking everything was all good, they knew the wedding was coming, they knew the bridegroom would come calling but they did not prepare at all.
Matthew
They knew his coming would be at night, because they all as soon as they went out to meet him grabbed their lamps. But some had oil and some did not.
Some were in the light and some were in darkness.
Some were ready and some were not
Now I want to take a minute to mention this is not only about those who are lost and need the light of the Holy Spirit within them, I want you to know that this statement is made also for those of us who know the Lord. I say this because we should be found ready to meet the Lord we should be living everyday setting on go ready for that shout and the trumpet.
But far too often we slip into complacency we slip into laziness.
They were lulled to sleep while waiting.
JUST BECAUSE WE WAIT FOR HIS RETURN DOES NOT MEAN IT IS NOT COMING!
JUST BECAUSE WE WAIT FOR HIS RETURN DOES NOT MEAN IT IS NOT COMING!
But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
Right now we are in the time between times, between the time of His first coming and HIs second. when Jesus came the first time there were people who totally missed it and there were people who realized who He was the son of God.
There is coming a day which will take many in the world by surprise
For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
People were asleep and mocked Noah because He devoted his time and effort and energy toward living for Jesus and people mock Christians today when we sacrifice our time and energy on serving Jesus but just as in the days of Noah that great and terrible day of the Lords wrath upon sin and this sinful world is coming, we cannot be found sleeping.
Nevertheless these virgins or maidservants were slumbering while they waited but then something happened
“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’
Then all those virgins arose 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, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’
Here is the problem there was some preparation that needed to be made, these servants knew they were going to need the light in order to see on the wedding day.
In the Bible oil is often used to refer to the Holy Spirit and anointing.
The Holy Spirit illuminates or lights up Gods truth for us enabling us to both see and grow and these 5 wise took the time to prepare they sought to have their vessels filled.
In the same way we as believers should seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to both know and do the will of God, then when that day comes since we will be of the light that great and terrible day wont overtake us but rather we will be ready for the celebration. But for those who are not filled with the Holy Spirit for those who did not prepare for the Lords coming they will not know what to do and they will seek to get things ready in a hurry.
Just like me in the house doing whatever I please there are people all over the world doing whatever they want and when they think about their relationship with the Lord they think, I will have time for that as I get older. I am going to do better tomorrow....
THERE IS NO TOMORROW, THERE IS NO TOMORROW!
WHY THE URGENCY PASTOR, WE SHOULD NOT BE LIKE THOSE WHO SLEEP NOR SLUMBER BUT WE SHOULD BE REAYD FOR HIS APPEARING.
TODAY IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE I WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT
TODAY IS THE DAY FOR OBEDIENCE TODAY IS THE DAY FOR FAITH TODAY IS THE DAY TO BE ABOUT THE LORDS BUSINESS
THE TIME FOR BEING DISCIPLES WHO MAKE DISCIPLES IS NOW TODAY
THE ITME FOR STUDYING THE WORD AND SEEKING THE FACE OF THE LORD IS NOW TODAY
THERE IS NO TOMORROW, YOU NEVER HAVE AS MUCH TIME AS YOU THINK YOU DO!
This is not osme holier than thou mentality this is something a mindset we must all have THERE IS NO TOMORROW ALL THAT MATTERS IS HOW I PREPARE FOR ETERNITY TODAY.
IS MY LIFE EMPTY OF THE WORKS OF THE LORD?
IS MY HEART DULL AND GORWN LAZY?
THEN WE MUST REKINDLE WITHIN ONE ANOTHER THE FIRE TO GLOTRIFY THE LORD TO SEEK THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
WE CANNOT AFFORD TO WAIT CHURCH!
IF YOUR LOST YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO WAIT
THE JUDGMENT DAY IS COMING TODAY YOU CAN BE FORGIVEN AND LOVED BUT ON THAT DAY TIME WILL HAVE RUN OUT!
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
Matthew 25:
Can you imagine the horror as they frantically rushed back finally having what they needed only to find the door closed?
Can you imagine them standing in the countryside knowing there is the celebration to end all celebrations happening inside but they have missed their chance?
Maybe we can knock and it will be opened....
“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’
But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
What?
But we had lamps too we just need to fill our lamps, the time for being ready is over its time to party, and there these poor unwise servants stand in outer darkness.
They have missed the opportunity of a lifetime.
Church I don’t want anyone in this room missing the the opportunity of a lifetime to know God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
I dont want any one of you standing pleading on that day to be allowed in when you had 70+ years to get prepared.
Some of you are just like these servants you have all the equipment neccesarry to see, you were raised in church, you have the Bible and you have read it. but just because you have a lamp does not mean its lit with the fire of the Holy Spirit.
Just because you have been invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb does not mean you will party with the Lord on that day.
Jesus ends with this warning:
Matthew 25:
“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
Stand ready, be alert, be prepared....
The Lord JEsus Christ is coming
Will you be ready?
Or will you be found alseep?
Therefore He says:
“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”
Are you in here this morning, drifting down the lazy spiritual river?
Always gonna get to spending time in Gods word but never actually doing it consitenty?
Always saying I’ll do better tomorrow?
LETS MAKE TODAY A DAY OF COMMITMENT TO SEEK THE HOLY SPIRIT, TO SEEK THE FACE OF GOD WHATEVER IT COSTS US THAT WE MAY HAVE LIGHT IN THESE DAYS AS THEY GROW DARKER.
Or maybe you’re in here and you
ARE IN SPIIRTUAL SLEEP, THE BIBLE SAYS APART FROM CHRIST YOU ARE DEAD IN YOUR SINS AND TRESPASSES AND GOD DOES NOT DESIRE FOR YOU TO STAY THERE.
WILL YOU COME THIS MORNING AND RECIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT?
BY ASKING JESUS TO SAVE YOU FROM YOUR SINS?
WILL YOU BE READY FOR ETERNITY?