Ready?

Introduction

Recent events in our world ought to serve as a stark reminder of how quickly things can and do change. Just over a month ago most of us had never heard of coronavirus, now it is all that we hear about from every news outlet. Just over a month ago we could go to church as we always had, children were in school as usual, we could go and dine in at the restaurant of our choosing and business was being conducted as usual.

How quickly things have changed. For many this has awakened fear and anxiety as to what comes next. The simple answer is that we aren’t really sure what comes next.

There is one thing today that we can be sure of and that is that the Lord is one day returning and it could be very soon. The Lord may return in our lifetime or He may continue to tarry His coming, but one question should be on the minds of every man and that is “Am I Ready?”

Today we are going to explore a parable that our Lord shared during his earthly ministry that deals with this very serious subject.

We learn from the Lord’s closing statement that the intention of the parable was to encourage watchfulness so that those listening would be ready upon the Lord’s return.

Equality of Opportunity

Each of these ten virgins were evidently aware that the bridegroom was coming. Each of them had alike the opportunity to prepare for his coming.

The bridegroom in this parable evidently pictures the “Son of man”(Jesus Christ) who is to one day return.

These ten virgins, just like you and I, did not know the hour in which the bridegroom would be coming. The Lord reminds us in Matthew 25:13- that we do no know the day nor the hour of his return.

In this parable the bridegroom comes at midnight, a time when all ten virgins had fallen asleep and were not expecting him to come. (II Peter 3:4- where is the promise of his coming?)

Each of them surely had a desire to enter into the marriage celebration with the bridegroom. Each of them had the same opportunity to prepare themselves for the bridegroom’s coming.

The problem is that five of them were wise while the other five were foolish in regard to their preparation.

The bridegroom tarried in coming and as their lamps burned on through night the oil burned away until there was nothing left to burn and the oil must be replenished. The problem is that only the wise had made preparation for such circumstances.

God provides the opportunity for all men to be ready at his coming. I Timothy 2:3-6 & II Peter 3:9- God not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Disparity in Preparation

The wise virgins had taken the time to make certain they would be prepared for the bridegroom’s coming whenever it may be while the foolish virgins had taken their lamps but had neglected to bring oil to feed the lamps should the bridegroom tarry in coming.

The simple truth that is being declared is that the wise carefully prepared for the bridegroom’s arrival while the foolish failed in their preparation and were found not ready at his coming.

The question again that we must all answer is “Am I Ready?” Are we numbered with the wise who were fully prepared or with the foolish who thought they were prepared but ultimately realized they were not.

Let us ask ourselves today, If Jesus Christ were to return tonight am I confident in the preparations that I have made to meet Him?

Most who are listening today would likely profess themselves to be “Christians” but that will mean nothing in the day of the Lord’s return. The only thing that will matter in that day is whether we have made the necessary preparations.

What then is necessary? Paul gives a very simple testimony as to what is necessary in Acts 20:20-21- it is necessary that we turn to God and that we place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Have you done as the publican in Luke 18:13- and cried out to God for mercy recognizing your sinful state?

Our good deeds will never prepare us for the Lord’s return- Romans 3:20-24- we are made right with God by our faith in Jesus Christ.

These are the preparations that are necessary in order for one to be ready for the coming of Christ. The foolish virgins failed to prepare and their desperation at the last was to receive from those who had prepared, yet their only hope was to go and buy for themselves.

This is not to suggest that salvation may be bought instead this is meant to suggest that salvation cannot be borrowed from another but every man must prepare himself for the coming of the bridegroom.

Notice the statement in Matthew 25:10- “they that were ready went in”

Untimely Desperation

When the five foolish virgins went away to seek what they were lacking the bridegroom arrived.

One of the most sobering statements of scripture is found in the following statement “the door was shut”

We must recognize that there will come a moment in time when the door is shut for each and every one of us and there will be those who have entered in and those who have been shut out.

Not one of us today would want to find ourselves in the desperate condition in which these five foolish virgins found themselves.

They cried out to the bridegroom from outside the door and yet the reply came that they had missed their opportunity to gain entrance and it was now too late.

Illustration: Noah and the ark and those who likely cried from outside the door as the rain began to fall.

Matthew 7:21-23- the unfortunate reality is that no matter how many times the gospel is preached there will be some who profess to be prepared but when the door is shut they will be on the outside crying out to gain entrance.

Your readiness today does not depend on how good a person you have been, on how much you have done for the Lord, on your church membership or your baptism, or on the prayer that you prayed in the midst of great hardship.

Your readiness today is dependent upon one thing and one thing alone. How have you responded to Jesus Christ?

Is there a moment in time etched into your memory when you recognized that you were hopelessly lost in your sins and headed for eternal condemnation and in that moment did you turn to Jesus Christ placing your absolute trust in Him as the only means of your salvation?

If you are not absolutely certain today that you have done what I have just stated then you are unprepared and your fate may be that of the five foolish virgins. Yet today God has once again extended an opportunity to you to get prepared by deciding to trust Jesus Christ as your savior. Only He has the power to save us from sin and make us righteous before God.