Who's Responsible?

Introduction

Scouts

Used to do cub scouts when I was a kid.

I don’t remember much, it was a 2-3 year thing for me during elementary.

I do remember the scout motto, or at least one of them. And I know that the girl scout motto is the same.

“Be prepared.” How many of you remember that?

Many of us do, because it’s been around for so long. And its a good motto. I’ve never said “Man I wish I wasn’t prepared” for something, have you?

Of course not!

Preparedness is a Christian quality through and through. The Bible speaks often of the need to be prepared. It was a part of Jesus’ teaching on the regular. And was not Jesus, even in perfect example, prepared to go to the cross for us?

For that I am very grateful!

But what happens when we aren’t prepared? If you aren’t prepared, whether its to make a decision or to make a presentation. When the deadline hits, things will not go well.

Sometimes people who are unprepared lash out. We see quite a bit of that today. People who refuse to deal with the consequences of their actions. They were ill-prepared for something and the blame needs to be cast elsewhere. They then try to become the victim, or to demand assistance in something they were completely capable of handling if they were properly ready for it.

Blame: often it can be placed for many reasons.

There is an author who tells a good story about blame.

It starts with a manager of a minor league baseball team who was so disgusted with his center fielder’s performance that he ordered him to the dugout and assumed the position himself.

A few plays later, the first ball came his way. A quick grounder that took a bad hop and hit the manager in the mouth.

The next play was a high fly ball, which he lost in the glare of the sun—at least until it bounced off of his forehead.

The third was a hard line drive that he charged with outstretched arms unfortunately, it flew right between his hands and smacked him in the eye.

Frustrated and angry, the manager goes back to the dugout and grabs the center-fielder by his uniform and shouted “I can’t believe you! You’ve got center field so messed up that even I can’t do a thing with it!”

Often, when we aren’t prepared to do a job even, we can blame others.

Blame, victim-hood, ill-preparedness, none of these are proper in the kingdom of God.

Today, we are going to read a parable that Jesus tells us about being prepared.

And as Christians, we must do this very thing. There is no one else to blame if we are not.

Matthew 25:1-13

Kingdom parable

What are those?

This one has to do with marriage customs of the age.

“On the day of the marriage, the bride was taken to the groom’s house (he was not there) to await his arrival later in the day. When a messenger announced the groom’s nearness, the friends of the bride (the virgins) would go out to meet him, escorting him back to the house.” (Jackson, p. 59)

Are You Ready for the Groom?

These were entrusted with the blessing of being at the wedding feast. It required fulfilling the customs as the “virgins” or “Bridesmaids” if you will. Would you be prepared or end up like them?

These were invited to the feast, they had to stay trimmed and ready for the bridegroom. To be ready to meet him as he came.

Today, with travel and customs the way they are, this may seem strange to us. But no then. With no cell phones for communication, travel not always reliable. Neither was setting a time for people traveling from places especially if it is a far distance.

So this was not necessarily a difficult job, but it was one that took some simple preparation.

One might say, “I only need a little oil, for he surely won’t be that long.” or perhaps, “I can grab some later if I need more...”

Oil is what these foolish virgins were lacking. It was the thing that they missed. The one thing that they needed in the their preparedness.

But what is the oil? It isn’t the lamp. They would have to have a lamp as well. So what is the oil?

I don’t think the oil represents one thing in particular. But it could be anything that stands between you and “being prepared.”

Perhaps it’s something rather important like baptism. Maybe it’s something more like giving up a particular sin that is corrupting your relationship with God. Maybe it is a lack good works in your life because your fervor and love for God isn’t where it should be.

It just runs out. It isn’t enough. Whatever it is, it can’t make it through the period.

Note this: It’s not something that you couldn’t fix. It’s not something that you weren’t warned about. It’s something that you should have known better with. It’s procrastination!

Thus, the Christian must be ready, and remain ready.

Many people start ready in their life, they give it over to God — but they do not remain ready. They rebel once again, and return to their former life.

Maybe they have a little oil in their lamps, and it runs dry quickly.

Perhaps this is like the seed in the story of the sower, that falls and takes root, but is choked out by weeds, or is just too shallow to do anything with.

The danger and foolishness of this is not to be understated. Imagine also being lost, and realizing you had it within your reach but let it go. How much more terrible that must be!

The 5 foolish virgins thought they were prepared, but were not prepared adequately.

“Fools” is the word used to describe those who are ill-prepared.

That’s the thing, being properly prepared means fully understanding the situation you are getting into. If you set out to go camping. And you pack all your stuff, and think: “I’m ready.” But you didn’t consider the appropriate situation: It’s going to rain, or its going to be very cold. You packed, but you weren’t prepared for the weather. Then just because you got your tent ready and average supplies, doesn’t mean you are “prepared”.

It would be foolish to pack like you’re going on a summer-camping trip when you know there will be snow.

Similarly, this word “Fools” is what is used to describe the virgins who were ill-prepared.

Folly, this dangerous though gives way to being “shut out” — this is similar linguistically to that of they being shut out of eternal rest. Hell is described as a place of “Outer Darkness” — these virgins, they are shut out in the dark of the midnight.

The foolishness of not being prepared, left them outside, in the dark, and the door was shut…permanently.

One Day It Will Be Too Late...

There will come a time when nothing more can be done...

Once the door is shut, it’s shut.

There is no more opportunity to come back, the time of the invitation is passed.

They cried out “Let us in!” and were denied entrance.

They were forced outside, instead of being inside in the feast!

It is the same way with salvation.

If you put off salvation, saying “there will be time” or “I have enough” and you aren’t prepared, then there will be a time when you find the doors of heaven closed as you die in your sins. Permanently. Your eternal destiny will be sealed, and there will be no more opportunity to enter.

No hope. Nothing but outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Such is the despair or a closed door.

We know the day is coming, but we don’t know when… So you must be prepared always!

You Can’t Blame or Rely on Others

They tried to borrow oil. And if that oil represents something like: Good deeds, righteousness, or a relationship with God — what does that mean? Obviously, we can’t rely on the righteousness of others. It’s impossible to borrow those things.

But how would they have reacted you think after realizing the doors wouldn’t open to them anymore?

They could have been angry and blamed the ones who wouldn’t share for missing it, but it was only their own fault.

Many may have the temptation for blaming the wise virgins for the foolish one’s demise. “They should have helped!” You might say.

But we must realize a powerful lesson is at work here even in helping:

It is good to help. It is charitable and kind. But you can ruin yourself helping another individual.

Ever seen someone who was so generous they could ruin themselves? It can happen. They can give themselves right into poverty — then THEY are the ones who need help!

God want’s us to be generous and loving Christians, but not at the detriment to ourselves.

I’ve heard of people who go to terrible places to reach the lost. And I am happy for them to try to reach people. Christ sat with sinners and tax collectors after all. But you also can go too far and put yourself at risk. A preacher doesn’t have to go into the gentlemen’s club to reach the people inside with the Gospel. He can avoid the temptation of the place by meeting with the people on the outside.

A person can give large sums of money to those in desperate need, but can get to a point where he has given so much he puts his livelihood at risk. Then when he has no home for his family, his work suffers, and then he is the one in need and can help no one.

But even so, in this story it isn’t really a story about being generous in your giving. It’s about responsibility. And I cannot be responsible FOR you.

I cannot give you some of my righteousness so that you have some. It doesn’t work that way.

I cannot lend you some of my good works.

I cannot have you borrow my relationship with God.

Jesus expects each person to handle themselves!

As it is written in Romans 14:12

Romans 14:12 NKJV

So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

Each gives account of himself. Not of what others have done.

In other words: you can’t rely on the faith of Grandma and Grandpa. You can’t rely on the faith of your mom and dad. You can’t rely on the faith of your spouse. You will answer for yourself.

Faithfulness cannot be transferred as we see in this story.

So...

This story is an even higher standard set forth by the old proverb that says “Give a man a ____ , feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and feed him for a ______(Lifetime)”

You can’t give it away here. But you could teach them. You can encourage them to learn. To be prepared. To be able to take care of themselves.

Christ Gives You The Opportunity NOW

Today is the day, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart in rebellion. Psalm 95

Psalm 95 NKJV

1 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. 3 For the Lord is the great God, And the great King above all gods. 4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth; The heights of the hills are His also. 5 The sea is His, for He made it; And His hands formed the dry land. 6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. 7 For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: 8 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness, 9 When your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though they saw My work. 10 For forty years I was grieved with that generation, And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, And they do not know My ways.’ 11 So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”

Do not procrastinate. Do not tarry. Do not wait. Do not rebel against it while you still have time!

There will come a time when the door is closed, and if you stand on the outside you will have no one to blame but yourself.

But for today — Hope in the blood of Christ exists for you! The door is wide open, and the father says “COME!” He awaits you with open arms, excited to see his children obey!

Outside the door is weeping, but in the feast there is joy and celebration! I hope you hear the invitation and say “I want to be a part of that! I must be prepared!”

It’s time to take responsibility for the call to the feast you have been entrusted with? What will you do?

[ INVITATION ]