Parable of the Ten Virgins

And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all,” notice that word, “’all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.

And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so, lest there be not enough for us and you. But go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came. And they that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut.

Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh.” Would you pray with me? Our Lord, as we come and we approach this last chapter of this part of the book of Matthew, we pray first of all we want to thank you for all the things that we’ve studied and read and learned from.

Lord, there’s more to go, there’s more left, but Lord we give you thanks for this book and how rich it is and the treasures that are in it of truth. And I pray that, Lord, as we look at these three parables, especially this of the ten virgins, Lord we acknowledge and know that you spoke this to your disciples and at a certain point in history, Lord, they’ve been recorded for us that we might learn and grow from them as well.

Help us to take these things with gravity and soberness. Help us, Lord, to take this warning as you have intended it. Give us understanding and wisdom as we search the Scriptures and as we see what it says. Be our teacher. I pray that you would teach your people. And Lord, there might be some here that are not prepared at all for Jesus to come. Lord, if that’s the case, Lord, you are the one who searches the hearts and reigns and knows the hearts of all men.

I ask you, Lord, that you would prick the heart of that person, that he or she might see his need to prepare himself. Because we do not know when you’re coming and we look forward to that day. And so Lord, help us and guide me as I try to explain your Word to your people in a way that makes sense and is helpful. We ask these things all in Jesus’ name.

Amen. The parable of the ten virgins. Now some of these, of course, when our Lord is using these parables and he’s talking about a marriage and the way marriage practices are done, the Lord doesn’t stop and tell us about that. He doesn’t give us the background and say, oh, well, the reason they do this is this, the reason they do that is that. And so it raises a lot of questions.

And if you’ve ever traveled to a foreign country and you’ve seen especially these kinds of cultural practices, sometimes it’s quite a learning curve. When we’re missionaries, it took quite a while for us to understand how we were supposed to conduct ourselves among a Cambodian funeral or a Cambodian wedding. There’s just different expectations. There are different practices and traditions and what they mean and how you’re supposed to say and do and all those things are foreign.

And so when we read the Bible, it’s kind of like reading that. It’s tough to understand exactly what’s happening, but the Lord doesn’t pause to tell us. It’s assumed that we’re going to figure that out as we go. And so I’ll give you a little bit of background with that. But I want to start with verse number 13. So we’re going to kind of start at the end and then go back to the beginning.

Verse 13 tells us the message of the parable. That is the theme, the main thrust of what is Jesus saying. Sometimes with this parable and with a lot of parables, we go into the minutiae and we look, well, there’s 10 and then there’s five and then there’s five and why are they virgins and why are they ladies and what does the oil represent and the bridegroom and we look at all those things and maybe there’s significance in all of those things.

Sometimes we do that and miss what is the main purpose of the parable, which is in verse 13. The purpose is this, watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh. That’s what the parable is. It’s one message that the parable is trying to get to us. Watch, for we do not know the day and the hour that the Lord comes.

Now you’ll notice if you’ll flip back just a page to chapter 24, we have seen this statement before, the statement of verse 13. We’ve seen it in verse 36 of chapter 24 which says, but of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. We saw it as well in verse 42, watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

We saw it also in verse 44, therefore be ye also ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh. So these things are a great deal of overlap. Trying to parse these parables with great specificity can be problematic. If you’ve studied the Bible and tried to do that, you would see you run into problems pretty quick. And I think the reason for that is because it does overlap a lot with what the Lord is is we don’t know when Christ is coming.

Nobody knows that. Nobody knows that. And we’ve already covered that when we covered chapter 24. But as a result of our not knowing the Lord says watch, that is to be prepared. And that’s what these virgins were supposed to be doing. Now you might think what is a virgin? Think of it when you see these word ten virgins think in your mind maiden. Because then it will start to make a little more sense to you.

We’re going to have a wedding on Saturday and there’s going to be five maidens. We call them bridesmaids. It’s all the same. We’re talking about the same thing. These ladies who were to participate, probably friends of the bride I imagine, who were to participate in the procession that is part of this wedding ceremony. Now we don’t have a procession. The closest thing we have in our culture is once there’s the announcement of the bride and groom, presentation of the bride and groom, they run out the back.

If they do it right anyway, they run out the back. And then there’s a procession, sort of like a procession when they leave the grounds and they go off on their honeymoon and that kind of thing. But in this world and also in Asia, and it’s so much fun, a procession is a lot of fun. Because all these people gathered that you haven’t seen for a while or you don’t even know and everybody’s so happy and they line up in a big long line and they all have little gifts and things to give to the bride and groom and they walk in public down the street, down to where the wedding ceremony is happening.

It’s just a great time. It’s just fun. Especially when you’re talking about a Christian context, it’s super fun. A Christian wedding is a really beautiful thing. It should be highly treasured and highly valued. And that’s what’s happening here. So these ladies, they’re meeting at night. Now that might seem odd to us. These bridesmaids or these ten virgins are waiting at night for the bridegroom to come, but that was the way they did it.

So the bridegroom and those involved in the wedding, that is the groom, they would be preparing things and settling different matters because with a wedding, it’s not just the wedding. There’s all these other things that you’ve got to deal with like car insurance and transferring titles and all this other stuff that we’ve been doing here recently. There’s all kinds of things that have to be taken care of and that’s what the groom would be doing.

And once he was finished and nobody knew exactly when that was, he would leave from his home and he would come to get the bride. And when he got close, there would be an entourage waiting for him. This would be at night. There would be an entourage waiting for him. Now I’m getting kind of sidetracked a little bit, but the night feature is something we’ve seen on this subject before, have we not?

On the second coming of Christ. That’s something we’ve seen over and over again. And that’s significant to this parable as well. So it’s at night and the groom is coming with his group and as they approach, nobody knows when he’s coming, but they know it’s going to be tonight. And so as he approaches, the cry is made, the groom is here. And so they all go out and they take their lamps.

Obviously they need light. There’s no electricity. And so they take their lamps and they light their lamps and they have a procession that’s well lit in public from there to where the bride is and where the ceremony, the marriage supper is going to be, the actual ceremony or feast where everything’s going to happen before, you know, when they’re officially married. And so that’s kind of the view.

It’s a little odd to us, different than the way we do things, but that’s what’s happening here. And so the Lord uses this cultural thing to teach a lesson about the unknown timing of his coming and about our preparation for his coming. Now notice we already saw the message is in verse 13. But the first thing, remember I said we’re going to go to the end and then start back in the beginning.

The thing I want you to see first of all is actually in verse 12, which is this, that this, the message of this parable is a message to the world about the coming of Christ. It’s not just a message to the disciples and I’ll show you why, but it’s a message that the Lord wants us, wants the world to know and consider as well. How do you know that?

When you look at verse 11, which is getting toward the end when the, of course I’ve already read it, so there’s five foolish virgins and they don’t take oil and so they, you know, while they’re going to get oil, the bridegroom comes and they’re not there when the procession takes place and so when they get to the wedding feast the doors are shut and they can’t go in.

And so they knock on the door, Lord open unto us. Verse 11, afterward came also the other virgins saying, Lord, Lord open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Now that’s familiar language, is it not? I know you not. Look back if you would at two places and don’t lose your place here because we’re coming back but look at Matthew chapter 7 and Luke chapter 13.

And if you want to hold your place in Luke for later it might save you just a minute because we’re going to come back here in just a second. But look at Matthew chapter 7, Matthew chapter 7 verse 22. This is of course the last day when men are brought before the Lord Jesus for judgment. Verse 22, many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils and in thy name done many wonderful works.

Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity. So in this, this is not a parable. This is direct teaching where the Lord is saying this is what is going to happen. Now notice when these people stand before Christ I just want to point out one thing. He says, then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Are they going to heaven or are they going to hell? They’re going to hell. They’re condemned. When the Lord says I do not know you, it’s not like you’re a mystery to him or anything. He’s omniscient. But there is, he is going to forget you. You’re lost forever. This is terrible. This is a terrible truth. But what I want you to see is this is dealing with matters of salvation, matters of heaven and hell, whether you’re in or you’re out.

You have eternal life or eternal death where he says I never knew you. Look at Luke chapter 12. Luke 12. I say 12. Look at Luke 13. I’m sorry. Luke 13. In this verse, the Lord says this, verse 27, but he shall say, I tell you, I know not whence ye are. Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There it is again. Now this is a different context, but it’s talking about the same event, if you would, when men stand before Christ to be judged.

Here, Matthew, I don’t know who you are. I know you’re not. Here in Luke chapter 13, I know not whence ye are. And then in Matthew 25, he says to these five virgins in the parable, he says, I know you not. And they’re shut out. They’re not allowed in. This is serious business. And the reason I say it’s a message to the world is because you can see the world here.

These people are not believers. Whatever they might appear to be, in the end, they’re not believers. They’re not saved. And so that’s why I say that this message, this parable of the ten virgins, is a message not only to the saved and those who are saints, those who are believers, but it’s also a message and a warning to those who are not because he mentions them and their fate at the end.

I know when we look at, like tonight, Lord willing, we’re going to look at the parable of the talents. The parable of the talents does mention people like this, people who are excluded. But the parable of the talents is primarily not about whether you’re in or whether you’re out, like we see here. It’s mostly about rewards. That’s mainly faithfulness and rewards. So it’s a little bit different.

But this, there’s no rewards mentioned. There’s nothing like that in this parable at all. Did you see anything like that? No. The only difference between the two was that one was excluded and one was included. One group was allowed in and one was not. And to be excluded was to be condemned, which is what we see here. I know you not. Here’s the thing, the Lord has a message about his coming to the world.

And he wants the world to know that he’s coming. In fact, that is the extension of the idea of the resurrection, which is a direct part of the gospel, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that the third day he rose again, he rose again the third day according to the scriptures, and that he was seen of the various witnesses.

But the logical outcome of that is he’s returning. So that is a message that is not to be hidden from the world. It’s not just for the believer. It’s actually for everyone. Christ is coming and he’s coming to judge, and he’s coming to set up his kingdom. And that is an event that’s on the horizon and it’s in the minds of people as well, even if they don’t believe it.

You know, this whole concept of Armageddon and the end of the world and all that. That comes from the Bible. The Lord has a message for the world concerning his coming. You’re either in or you’re out. There’s a warning to them to prepare themselves lest they be shut out at his coming. So this is a sober warning. Now if you look at the, if you look back at verse number two, starting back at the beginning, notice in rather verse one, there were ten virgins which took their lamps.

How many virgins are there? How many bridesmaids? Ten. How many lamps? Ten. As far as I know, everyone had a lamp. And went forth to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were wise and five were foolish. Now let me ask you a question. If you had the bridesmaids like they do in a wedding, if you had the bridesmaids, actually would be over here, right? If by tradition.

If you had the bridesmaids standing all in a line, there were ten of them, and you looked at them and they’re all dressed nice, ready for the wedding, right? They got their bridesmaid outfit, you know, dress on, and they got their hair fixed and their nails done. You know, this is all obviously very fresh in my mind, right? You know, they got their makeup and all of those things and they’re lined up like that.

If you looked at them, all of them are holding their lamps. You have ten bridesmaids, ten lamps, and each one of them is holding a lamp. If you looked at them, could you tell which were wise and which were foolish? There’s no way to tell. They all have their lamps. They’re all decked out. They’re all well dressed. They’re all ready to go to the wedding. So visually, by appearance, they all look prepared, right?

They’re prepared for the bridegroom to show up spontaneously to make the procession to go to the wedding feast. Okay? Let me ask you this follow-up question then. Although they all appear to be prepared, are they all actually prepared? No. We know by the end of the story. You see, all ten virgins, all ten bridesmaids had lamps. And so all ten of them had the appearance of being prepared, but when the time came, only five were actually prepared with oil.

Notice what it says, verse 3, they that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. And I thought about this. Think with me now. Brother Devin, would you, you know, we don’t use lamps anymore, right? Thankfully, we have flashlights and batteries. Lamps are kind of cool though for something like this, right? Kind of traditional.

But if you were going to, if you’re going to go crawl up under a house to look at air because he hates doing that obviously with his job or an attic. How about that attic in the end August? An August attic. He’s an HVAC guy for those that don’t know. If you were to do that, it’s probably might be dark. So you’re going to take a flashlight.

Would you ever in a million years take a flashlight that did not have batteries? Why? Well because the whole purpose of the flashlight is to shine. And without batteries, a flashlight is not a flashlight. You know what it is? It’s a paperweight. It’s useless. In fact, it’s less you, it has less use than pretty much anything else because its primary function is not even being used. So you can’t use it.

I mean, maybe you could whack somebody across the head with it or something. But I mean, there’s no use for a flashlight without batteries. Its purpose is to shine. All right. Now, does that make a little bit of sense? Why would you ever do this? These ladies are standing across or at this at the home or whatever waiting for the bridegroom to come and they’re holding lamps but five of them have lamps with no oil.

Why would you carry lamps without oil? What’d you say, brother? All right. That’s one thing. You’re getting ahead of me, brother. You better stop trying to preach my message for me. They were carrying the lamps like everyone else so they fit in. They looked like they were prepared. But they weren’t. In truth, they weren’t. But the question is, if you have the lamp, why not just take the oil?

Right? I mean, you know the reason? Because they didn’t believe he would come. They didn’t believe he would come. You see, if they were convinced he was coming, the groom was coming, they would have had the oil. If they didn’t believe that they would need it, they wouldn’t take it. That’s why they have the lamps but no oil. You see, so there’s a matter of faith here.

Just like, why would you take a flashlight somewhere where you know you’re going to be outside and it’s not going to be needed? You don’t. You leave it in the truck. You leave it in the garage where you’re not going to need it. So you don’t even bring it. Well, they brought it but without the very thing to use it, which shows that they didn’t believe he would come.

That’s what I’m trying to show you. Now, but here’s the key I want you to see is that although they did not believe that the groom would actually come and they would need the oil in the lamp, they did still want to appear as if they believed he would come. I’ll give you what is 2 Timothy chapter 3, 2 Timothy chapter 3, verse 1. We’ve covered this before but I’m trying to show you these themes and truths are repeated as we go through this part of scripture.

2 Timothy chapter 3, verse 1. This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. So what days are we talking about here? This is the last days. These are the final days approaching the coming of Christ. Notice what it says in verse number 5 describing people in the last days. It says they have a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. You might say power.

Power is what powers the lamp, right? The oil is what powers the lamp. I know I’m just trying to say that there’s a connection there from such turn away. So in the last days there would be people who have the form, they look, they appear to be believers but there’s nothing there. There’s no oil in the lamp. There’s no power at all. There’s no Holy Spirit. There’s no reality to their faith.

There is no new life, new creature, new man. They just look the part but there’s no substance. Listen, this describes, this is a feature of the last days as we approach the coming of Christ. This will increase. Christianity without power, the form but no substance. No reality to it. The words but no real faith. This is a real thing. We can observe it everywhere. And see these virgins are, these bridesmaids are picturing this.

They’re representing this because they look the part but there’s nothing there. And so what I’m trying to show you is that’s why they’re not prepared. Because the bridegroom is coming but there’s no substance to what they’re supposed to be watching and expecting him and there’s no substance there. But they have the appearance of preparedness. Listen, the Bible tells us that we should examine ourselves whether we’re in the faith.

And I hope that every single person that’s hearing my voice today that you don’t just look like a saint. You don’t just look like a believer. You don’t just dress and act and have the Christian name tag but that you really do have God in you. That you really do have the Spirit of God in you. That there is reality to what you say you believe. Not just you believe it but God knows you and you have a relationship with him.

There’s substance there and not just form. I sure hope that’s the case. But for a lot of people that’s not. And here’s the problem. People in that case often look at others. I know because I was one, okay? People in that case who have no substance to their faith look at others and they think that the thing that other people have is the same as what they have.

But it’s not. Because those of us who have God in us and who have the Spirit of God and there is an actual, going back to Sunday School, there’s an actual power that works in us. Like that’s what the scripture says, right brother Burgess? The power that worketh in you. Those of us that have that know the influence and power and effect that has on our lives.

It is real. It’s not just somebody, you know, the preacher’s telling us what to do. It’s God is in us. It’s not just words and form. It’s substance. You see, that’s where we all need to be. Not just have the form and look like the bride’s made with the lamp. But to have the real thing. Do you have the real thing or do you just have the form?

Every one of us should examine ourselves on that front. Even, listen, even if you know for certain that you are born again and that God is in you, you should not be afraid to examine yourself, right? I used to be afraid to examine myself, honestly. Now go back to Matthew 25. Notice this, verse number 6, or verse number 5 rather. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

Who slumbered and slept? How many of them? Ten. Ten of them. All were slumbering and sleeping. Now that tells me, that tells me that not only were the foolish, because we might expect them, they don’t think he’s coming. That’s why there’s no oil in their lamps. But they don’t expect him to come. But why are the wise also sleeping? You see this? They’re all sleeping. Both the wise and the foolish.

Now the wise are sleeping, but at least the wise are prepared. Now I mean, we might fault them for such a monumental occasion in their friend’s life, and yet they’re sleeping. You know, you might fault them. What lady’s going to do her hair and everything and then like conk out and drool coming out of the side of her mouth and all that? Most ladies are not there going to go to sleep when they’re dolled up like that for a wedding.

But they’re sleeping. But at least the wise are actually prepared. Like they’re getting in. Now look if you would at 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. Verse 4. Now remember, the wise are sleeping and the foolish are sleeping, but at least the wise are prepared. But the wise are prepared, but the foolish are not, but they’re both sleeping. I want you to see this sleep motif because you’re going to see it in just a minute.

1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 4. We’ve covered this passage again before, but look at verse number 4. But ye brethren are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief. What do you do in the dark? You do two things. You know, you do two things in the dark. When it’s night, you sleep and you sin. That’s it. That’s what these verses say. Verse number 4.

Ye are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light and the children of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Notice this. Now, he’s talking to believers now. He says, therefore let us not sleep. Now these believers are in. They’re part of the ones that have the oil in their lamps. They’re going into the marriage supper.

You understand? But here the exhortation even to a believer is don’t sleep. Don’t go to sleep. Stay awake. Watch. Be sober. Look at what it says. For they that sleep, sleep in the night. That’s like the foolish. And they that be drunken are drunken in the night. That’s why I said, what do you do at night? You sleep and you sin. There it is. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and for and helmet the hope of salvation.

You have faith, hope, and charity. These three. But the greatest of these is charity. They’re all three mentioned here. So here even though the wise are going into the marriage supper and they are prepared, yet here they’re sleeping. Now we know the condition of this world. This world is in verse number seven. It says, for they that sleep, sleep in the night. And they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

So we know the condition of this world is this world is asleep. This world loves darkness because they sleep. They’re not paying attention to the coming of Christ or the events that are about to come upon them like a thief in the night. They’re not paying attention. They’re giving themselves over to sin like in the dark. That’s what we see here. But sometimes that sleepy way of thinking, that apathetic kind of lackadaisical sort of way of thinking not only affects the foolish but also the wise who are prepared.

And so the Lord tells us, wake up, watch, be sober to those who are prepared. You know John Bunyan wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress. I hope you’ve read it. If you’ve never read it, I would challenge you to read it. Put it on your bucket list and read it before you die. Classic. He wrote it in prison using charcoal, literally, in England in the 1600s.

In his book The Pilgrim’s Progress there was a specific place called the Enchanted Ground in which the pilgrim whose name was Christian, he fell asleep. And the Enchanted Ground is a picture of complacency and of apathy and ease and lethargy and lukewarmness. In other words, it’s the same thing we read in the church of Laodicea in Revelation chapter 3 where they say, I am rich and increase with goods and have need of nothing.

You see the spirit of that age in Christianity and in this world at large not only affects the foolish but also affects the wise. It affects those who are prepared to meet Christ at His coming. Yet we are also falling asleep and giving our lives to sin and are not sober and are not prepared and are not armed and are not serving and are not living for God.

We are not ready to meet Him. In fact, when the cry is made, all ten are asleep. Listen, are you asleep on the Lord Jesus Christ? He is coming and you don’t know when. Wake up! Live for Jesus! Be sober! Have the breastplate of faith and love and put on the helmet the hope of salvation. He is coming! But to the lost, go back to Matthew 25, we are almost finished, go back to Matthew 25, but to the foolish who are also sleeping in this same enchanted ground, they have been lulled to sleep thinking it doesn’t matter, nothing is going to happen, Jesus, whatever, He ain’t coming, whatever.

Problem is they are not even prepared. They don’t have oil at all. And as a result of that, they are going to be shut out. What struck me as I read this is this, then all it says, verse 5, while the bridegroom tarried they all slumbered and slept. So you know what that tells me? While they were snoozing, the five foolish virgins had opportunity to go do what they waited later to do.

Because after the cry is made, they ask for oil, they are not given it, so they say go to the market and get some oil, so they leave. They could have been doing that the whole time they were sleeping, but they weren’t. In other words, they chose the pleasures of sin now and put off the preparation that should have been done earlier like the five wise, they put that off and thought after the cry is made then I can go deal with that problem.

But the problem is after the cry is made and the bridegroom is coming, you don’t have that opportunity. They thought they would have opportunity and He’s not waiting on them. The opportunity is provided by the Lord, He doesn’t wait on them. And see that’s exactly what the scriptures say. The scriptures say that God, when Christ returns, just prior to Christ returning, people think well hey I’m good to go, I can just wait until I start seeing the signs and all these things and the Lord says He will send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who had pleasure in unrighteousness.

That’s their snoozing when they could have been preparing, they could have been making sure they were right with God, they could have been making sure that they had eternal life and they had the real thing and it wasn’t just a form, but they didn’t. They were snoozing and they had opportunity to prepare. And so in Matthew 25 here it says, they arose and trimmed their lamps and the foolish said unto the wise, give us of your oil for our lamps are gone out.

But the wise answered saying, not so, lest there be not enough for us in you, but go you rather to them that sell and buy for yourselves. They wanted to take the oil of the ones who had prepared and they didn’t get it. You know what that tells me? That the preparation is an individual responsibility. We’re not riding on the coattails of anybody else who’s a child of God who’s a believer and a saint.

My children are not getting into the marriage feast because I am. Your children aren’t either. And wife, you’re not getting in because your husband is. And husband, you’re not getting in because your wife is. Each one of us must prepare ourselves individually. Now let me show you something. Revelation chapter 20, that’s the letter to the church at Laodicea. He says, and you’re familiar with it, that’s the one that says I am rich and increase with goods and have need of nothing and all these things.

And at the tail end of that letter, you know what the Lord says to him? He says this, behold, I stand at the door and knock. And if any man, you know what that is? That’s an individual invitation. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him and sup with him and he with me. It is an individual responsibility like we see here.

You know, this world around us is in the dark and they’re sleeping and they’re sinning. They’re not sober, they’re not thinking about the sudden destruction that awaits them when Christ returns, which we don’t know when that will be. They’re not thinking about that. But if there’s any one soul, even one individual who says, hey, maybe I need to prepare, maybe I need to make sure I’m right with God and I have Christ, that God is in me, that I am actually a child of God.

If anyone will recognize that, they can prepare before him. If any man will open the door. But you see in Matthew 25 verse 10, and while they went to buy, the bridegroom came and ready went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut. Remember the ark? When Noah and his family, eight souls got on the ark, the Bible says the Lord shut them in.

And you know what that meant? That not only protected them, but that also condemned everyone outside. It was the end of opportunity. And this actually, these same words, and the door was shut is quoted exactly in Luke 13.25. You see the foolish virgins thought that they would have time to prepare and they presumed upon that, just like many people do now, not knowing that the Lord himself will ensure that once that opportunity comes, they will not have a chance.

Because now they have a chance, which they’re not taking. You know what that’s called? That’s presumption. And God will not be mocked by those who presume in this way. They reject him now and ignore him now and they wager and that they bet that at the last minute when they know the Lord is coming and it’s about time, they’ll get right. But that is not how it works and that is never how it’s worked.

So here’s the exhortation. Watch therefore. For ye know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man cometh. Make sure you have oil in your lamp. Make sure that God is in you and that you are the real deal. That you have the true substance. That you’re one of these five wise virgins. Let me just ask you this and this is the invitation. Do you know for certain that you’re among the five?

I don’t mean you know Jesus is coming. That’s not what I’m talking about. They all knew Jesus was coming. But are you prepared for Jesus to come? Your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. You have eternal life. You have God in you and it is obvious that you are a saint of God. If there’s any doubt in that, listen, if this parable teaches anything is you do not need to risk that by putting it off.

But you need to deal with that now and get that question answered. Would you pray with me?