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Matthew
25:1-13 -- Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which
took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 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 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.
This morning I want to speak on the importance of "Being
Ready." We want to be ready for many things. We have alarm clocks to
wake us in the morning in order to be on time for work and other means to keep
us on schedule. I never wanted to be late for anything. I always try
to be early to keep me from being one minute late.
As a young boy growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, there was
a program on television named "The Dating Game". I am sure most of you
remember that program. A silly person would sit behind a screen and
another silly person would ask silly questions about silly things and get silly
answers. It was a stupid program and I am glad they don't have that
program on today. There is no telling what ungodly things they would do on
that show in this day and time. But I am reminded of another game people
play. It is a very serious game. It is called "The Waiting Game."
People are putting off getting saved, and the truth is that they have no time to
waste. The bridegroom may come at any time.
In the parable of the ten virgins, five were considered
wise and five were foolish. Now there wasn't much difference in them in
other ways. They were all virgins; they all had lamps, and they all were
waiting for the bridegroom to come. The only difference in each group is
that one group prepared themselves by buying plenty of oil and the other group
delayed getting their oil. They put off doing what they were supposed to
be doing. The group without the oil thought they didn't have anything to
worry about because the bridegroom would surely not come in the middle of the
night. They were wrong. The midnight cry came -- the bridegroom had
arrived. The five foolish virgins tried to talk the five wise ones out of
their oil, but the wise virgins were not wise for nothing. They were not
about to share their oil with the others and get caught in the wrong.
While the foolish ones were out trying to get oil, the door shut. They
were not allowed to attend the bridegroom's supper. The five foolish
virgins played a foolish game and they missed the bridal party.
People tend to postpone things. We don't go to the
doctor like we should. We don't want to go to the dentist. I know
what I'm talking about there. Our car starts to make that clucking sound,
but we wait until something tears up and then we have to be towed in to a
station. We know when something needs to be done. Yet, we delay
doing it. Why do we wait?
There are three reasons why we wait:
Sadly, tomorrow may not come. We have no promise of
tomorrow. The single most important decision you will make is where you
will spend eternity. But you will never be in a place to trust Christ if
you continue to put off seeking salvation. The best time to get saved is
now. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never come. So many are
going through life without holding God's hand. I say this with a humble
heart, "It is deadly to delay." A person who says they will wait until
they are ready to become a Christian is like a man standing on the banks of the
Mississippi River waiting for it to run dry so he can walk to the other side.
IT AIN'T GOING TO HAPPEN!!
We find it convenient to wait. But the fact is that it is
crucial for you not to put off making the decision to become saved.
Hebrews 3:7-8 -- Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost saith, today if ye will hear His
voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation
in the wilderness."
The longer you wait, the harder your heart becomes.
The time will come when your heart will be so hardened that you will not hear
the Holy Spirit speak. God will not save anyone who doesn't want to be
saved. The most important thing you will ever do is answer the call when
you hear the Holy Spirit knock on your heart's door. Don't be like the
five foolish virgins and let the door to Heaven shut on you. If you are
seeking peace today, let me introduce you to the Peacemaker. If you miss
Heaven, you have missed everything.
Pastor Earnest Fields, Jr.
July 6, 2008
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