Parable of the Ten Virgins

Transcript

well good evening everyone x uh you know this this parable has for a x while every time i read it it just it x kind of just it troubles me x uh i mean you know one it's a warning uh x from christ for us to be prepared for x his return of course we think you know x hey he could come tomorrow right so it's x it's timely right we got to be prepared x um and then you know the parable can be x a little confusing confusing uh you know x the virgins i think it's pretty easy x that's those that know the truth x and the disturbing part is uh you know x as the parable presents itself half of x them x are rejected x from the kingdom and that's the part x that kind of it's that's very disturbing x uh to me so i want to take a closer look x at it x um you know we can kind of go in and x dissect the parable x a little bit see what represents what x and um x and maybe take a look at some of the x things that might x uh be stumbling blocks that might be x guiding us x towards that group of the foolish that x we don't want to be in x uh you know some of these uh things can x be can be quite subtle x so that's what we're gonna take a look x at uh this evening x so the first thing we'll do is x try to come up with a definition x for a parable you know i think we x probably all have a basic idea i came up x with but when you try to look it up x everyone's almost got like a different x little opinion but so we'll just post a x few of these up here x a comparison of one thing with another a x likeness a short story designed to teach x some truth principle a moral lesson x a narrative x fictitious but agreeable to the laws and x usage of everyday life x a parable is a general term for a x figurative saying x a parable may be spoken or acted so give x us a rough you know little definition x you know something we may have been x familiar with already but this is the x style of teaching x that jesus used to try to bring forth x some of these truths and principles x and it says he began to teach by the x seaside x they that were gathered unto him a great x multitude and he taught them many x by parables and said unto them in his x doctrine so this was going to be the x mode x of his teaching that he was going to use x and the topic you know i don't know how x many parables there are x there's a lot x and i'm not going to say they're all x about the kingdom x but a lot of them are and that was x jesus's favorite topic the kingdom of x god right he says this is why it was x sent he went out there and that's what x he spoke of all the time x you know he's not here telling you know x don't make mistakes don't sin be nice x that's not the message he was trying to x drive across it was all about x the kingdom of god x and the parables of jesus you know x they're yeah most of them are very short x pretty easy to remember x but not always so easy x to decipher x so why did x why did jesus speak x in these parables and it's what the um x it's what his disciples x asked him x and he said x and he said unto and he answered and x said unto them because it is given unto x you x to know the mysteries of the kingdom of x heaven x but to them it's not given x so it's a bit strange right that's x pretty exclusive right we live in a x world today you can't be exclusive x now while the gospel message was x preached to everybody x yet he says you know these are the x mysteries of the kingdom the secrets x that that are hidden x and they're they're only for you guys so x why wasn't it for x everyone x he goes on he says because seeing they x see not x in hearing they hear not neither do they x understand right they lack understanding x for the people's heart has become x gross x or x callous x or hardened right like if we think of x pharaoh who hardened his heart x and then after a while x you know god says well you've chosen x your course i'll harden your heart right x this is this is what these people have x chosen the ears are dull of hearing x they've closed their eyes x they didn't want to hear it x right and jesus isn't saying you've got x to listen to me he's not going to twist x anybody's arm to listen x if they don't listen they don't listen x and these people x just don't want to listen right and x sometimes x you know you can imagine how you know um x i had a conversation with someone just x the other day you asked me what do you x think's going on i know you've been x looking at this stuff and he goes do i x even want to know and i said do you x think he can change x and turn to god maybe he went no no i x can't be bothered i guess i just don't x want to know and it can be frustrating i x can you imagine knowing what jesus knew x and just how frustrating that would be x for him but he says hey that's their x choice they can hear they cannot hear x i'm not going to make them do x anything x so you know these are the words of x solomon right get wisdom x and with all i get to get x understanding right not just hear the x words right i mean how many times i can x say how many times i've read scriptures x they do the daily readings x and walk away and go i don't even know x what i just read right i just read to to x read it i didn't read it to understand x and that's the that's the important part x reading x to understand get that word in you to x understand x so to you know and that's what god's x word um x it reveals and it conceals x to those who have sincerity right so x jesus is telling these parables he wants x the people to think x he wants them to say what's he talking x about x let me let me search it out right seek x and you shall find knock and it shall be x opened unto you i mean even the x disciples didn't understand what he was x talking about sometimes x but x they went to jesus and said uh we didn't x get that what were you trying to say x then he'd explain further so the x scriptures are the same way you can read x something i have no idea what that means x and just close the book and walk away or x you search out the matter right and x that's what the word of god does it x reveals x and it conceals x its message x so for the sincere at heart x you look you'll find it x but for the natural man right but the x natural man receiveth not the things of x the spirit of god for they are x foolishness unto him x neither can he know them x because they are spiritually x discerned x so that natural man the arrogant man x thinks they know is it you're never x gonna figure it out x so it's a special message x and so we should feel pretty privileged x brothers and sisters that x this truth has been revealed to us the x gospel of salvation we know what it is x and this should be something we hold x dear to our hearts x so a god taught in parables he taught x israel in psalm 78 he says give earl my x people to my law x incline your ears to the words of my x mouth i will open my mouth in a parable x now the parable he's and then it goes on x the the psalm goes on and it speaks x about the exodus right the marvelous x things he did in the sight of their x fathers and it also speaks about the x wilderness x that stubborn and rebellious generation x right so this was an actual event x that took place that god was going to x use to teach his people how often does x god say remember x i'm the one that brought you up out of x egypt right and rebellion don't be x rebellious like they were in the x wilderness so this was i think they call x this an enacted parable it's a real x event x and it's used to teach a lesson and god x did that as well x so let's dissect the x um x the parable a little bit here obviously x the bridegroom that's that's pretty easy x that's jesus x uh the ten virgins um x that's the ecclesia you know ten is the x number of completeness so it's the x holoclesia both x wise and foolish x uh second corinthians uh paul speaking x of false doctrine he says i've espoused x you to one husband that i may present x you x as a chaste virgin unto christ right so x we've got two women we've got the truth x we've got the virgin the truth and then x we've got the harlot right the apostasy x um and so here we've got the ten virgins x so i don't think x that the x um x you know fifty percent are rejected x uh i don't think that i don't think x that's the case uh you we look at the x parable of the talents x and one-third are rejected so i don't x think that no those numbers really have x anything to do with it i think they're x bringing us to the number five x the number five is uh of course x represents grace in the scriptures right x so all members of the ecclesia x have had received uh the grace of god x shine upon them x by having that understanding x of the gospel message x so the timing so it's kind of presented x in the parable x as though like it's written to those who x are alive x at the return of christ so of course we x again we think christ is going to return x pretty soon x you know possibly this is uh you know x directed towards us x but can certainly be valuable for for x any age x so that there's uh you know these three x type judgment x um parables like right in a row the x faithful and wise at the end of chapter x 24 x at the end of the uh all of that x prophecy x and then you got the the virgins and x then you get the parallel of the talents x right after that so this is how they x kind of read so who then is a faithful x and wise servant whom his lord hath made x ruler over his household to give them x food in due season blessed is that x servant x whom when his lord cometh shall find him x so doing right so of course if he's you x know i know it says in the uh x in the parable that they slept and some x might think that meant you know that's x those who sleep in the ground will be x raised and of course uh x um you know that could be i i don't x think it is in this case x um so here we see you know what's he x going to find them doing well if you did x you just you're just in the ground of x course so he wants you to be busy x serving the ecclesia right in the many x ways x that we can x and the parable of the talents is is x this man x he uh he goes to his servants gives him x the goods and then he takes this long x journey and that but then after a while x he comes back to those servants and he's x going to settle up the accounts with x them x and of course the virgins x uh they took their lamps and they went x out to meet the bridegroom so it kind of x presents itself to uh to those that are x alive i think at his return x so speaking of the slumbered and slipped x i think this is more of a spiritual x sleep x in thessalonians paul says therefore let x us not sleep as others do but let us x watch and be sober for those who sleep x sleep at night and those who get drunk x or drunk at night but let us who of the x day be sober putting on the breastplate x of faith and love and as a helmet uh the x hope of salvation so this is more of a x spiritual sleep one of the other x translation has it added as x sleepwalking through life x right and you know it can be a danger x for us because there's a lot of things x vying for our attention that want to get x into our minds x and so to to be sleepwalking through i x mean x uh you know x i've been to meeting and i've been there x and i stayed through the whole meeting x and yet my mind x was a mile away x right that's sleepwalking right x spiritually just sleepwalking x right through it x and paul says you know the hour has come x for you to wake up from your slumber x because our salvation is nearer now x than when we first believe the night is x nearly over the day is almost fear so x let's put aside the deeds of darkness x and put on the armor of light x so same type of thing just wake up from x this you know you're sleepwalking x spiritually just kind of going through x the motions x let's wake up and i think x i think this can be again a um a cause x of trouble for us again a lot of things x vying for our attention x and jesus uh x jesus get you know this is the letter to x the laodicean ecclesia x he wrote seven letters it's the last one x it's the only one that speaks of his x return behold i stand at the door and x knock x you know does this x relate to that ecclesia of the state of x the age x when christ's return x well it certainly could x uh he says i know thy works x that thou art neither cold nor heart x i would though that you were called off x part so then because thou art lukewarm x and neither cold nor hot i spew you out x of my mouth x and i spit you out x right i don't want to have my coffee my x hot coffee in the morning constantly x going to the microwave to reheat it x because i don't want it to be lukewarm x because that's exactly what i do with x lukewarm coffee i spit it out x or a nice hot day you want an iced x coffee x oh and it's so good and it's so x refreshing x yet when the ice melts it's been sitting x there and it's lukewarm well you just x you just throw it away it's no good x and jesus goes on he says because thou x sayest x i am rich and increased with goods and x have need of nothing and know us not x that thou art x wretched and miserable and poor x and blind and naked x right they thought everything was okay x but they were blind to their spiritual x state they thought everything's going x great but he says no you're blind x and as many as i love i rebuke and chase x and he tells them be zealous therefore x and repent x they've lost their enthusiasm apathy had x set in they become indifferent x they were they're not excited about the x truth about the coming of christ x right they've lost it all they're just x caught up in other things and again x these these uh you know what we're x talking about here with these virgins x the foolish ones they're not those that x left the truth they're not unbelievers x they're in the ecclesia x and yet this could be their attitude no x zeal x anymore i definitely x i think a challenge for us again a lot x of things that are trying to occupy x our mind so a few things few x observations of the wise and foolish x again i think i think they're all x baptized christadelphians knowing the x true x true gospel they've made a commitment x they're looking for the return of christ x and yet you know they all slumber it's a x bit surprising even the wise slumber so x that is going to be x a challenge to some extent x that kind of sleepwalking spiritually x can be a challenge to all of us x right they all have oil in the land x however the wise have this extra oil x with them and we'll try to decipher what x that might mean x the wise of course are accepted and the x foolish are rejected x and you know his here's a guy here in x anguish because jesus is coming i've x been looking for it but i'm not ready i x haven't read this you know and i imagine x to some extent we're all going to be x like that to some extent x but you know they're rejected and x they'll be weeping and gnashing of teeth x right there weeping is just x why did i why was i so career focused x why was why did that dominate i had x opportunity again you know we've got x this great blessing x to understand the gospel of salvation x what are we doing with it is it that x important to us right we you've got it x we've got to nurture it x so the oil what might the oil x represent x of course thy word is a lamp unto my x feet x a light unto my path x for the commandment is a lamp and the x law is the light x and reproofs over construction of the x way of life so x the oil x would represent x uh the word of god right keep your lamps x filled keep our minds filled with the x word of god there's all sorts of things x coming in to our minds all the time x you know someone not even aware of x always coming into our minds we've got x to offset that x by bringing in the word of god x and god told moses command the children x of israel that they x bring unto the pure olive oil beaten for x the light x to cause the lamps to burn continually x right israel had to lay but to extract x the oil from the olive x as we must labor and the truth to x maintain that pure light of the gospel x right we're warned you know many times x not to fall for the false gospels that x will come up in the false teaching so x stick a nose in that word it's got to x produce something x and i think i think that's what maybe x that extra oil is x is what is the impact x of the gospel in our lives what type of x an impact does this have on us you know x we can just know that i can know the x promises to abraham x but how does it affect my life am i x developing x a god-like character x and so there are many ways in which we x can struggle with this we can take in x the word but not let it develop us right x be not conformed to this world but be x transformed by the renewing x of our mind right it's the only way that x happens is by the word of god by x changing it changes our thinking from x that carnal thinker x to the spiritually minded if we're not x taking in the word of god x you know then we're going to revert x right back to that cardinal x minded man x and you can't be hearers only right x james that would be doers of the word x not here is only deceiving our own x selves right we uh we're really good at x that you know we don't need a satan the x devil or whatever to tempt us to deceive x us the flesh is good at it right and you x know it's not okay x just to be hearers of the word just to x know x it's gonna be our faith has to come x has to come in action x and peter tells us to give diligence x make it the utmost importance to make x your calling x and election sure x and then he encourages us to grow in our x faith x by adding virtue knowledge self-control x patience godliness x brotherly kindness and love x now these things you know self-control x and patience these aren't things of the x flesh right so we have to you have to x work at them x uh you know knowledge of god and of x jesus well that's foolishness to mankind x uh so these things are things that we x have to um x have to really work on and what i'm what x i'm talking about is how you know the x gospel having an impact i'm not talking x about x boy i tell you i hope christ does not x come this week because i have had a x terrible week i have been so consumed at x work i i'm not even praying and i've x cast aside the word of god and i've just x been it's been crazy i'm not talking x about a bad couple of weeks x uh it says that um in verse 8 of matthew x there it says that the oil had gone on x then there's a little footnote x that says or going out right like it's a x process right this isn't just a bad x couple of weeks x but it's it's a lifetime it's just been x you know you're up here at your baptism x and it's slowly x been kind of creeping a little downhill x right yeah you know maybe you develop x some bad habits right or maybe not even x bad habits but just not good x spiritual habits x um you know all this stuff can be a x little you know just kind of slowly x creeps in x and i think you know this next one can x be x it can definitely be a struggle for us x right let you shine let your light shine x before men x uh are we comfortable doing that right x that we feel like yeah you know a little x uncomfortable x i don't want you know let your light x shine and doctrine indeed you know do we x try to hide it x and that can be something that makes us x a little uncomfortable x you know the disciples were told go into x all the world preach the gospel to every x creature you know does this x command apply to us x we know what's going to take place on x this earth god's judgments are coming x and then there's going to be a great day x i think we're supposed to be watchmen x we're supposed to be telling people x what's going to come but of course we we x can fall into i don't want to be x offensive x i don't want to put anybody off and you x got to be politically correct and these x are some excuses that perhaps or ah they x won't listen x some of those things are pretty x pretty easy x now make known his deeds x among the people x be ready always to give an answer to x every man that asks you a reason of your x hope that's in you x i i remember i think i was shortly x baptized and i was staying over a friend x of mine's house and i got up x early the next day and i said all right x i gotta go and he's like well what are x you gonna go i'm going to church x and he says i thought we'd hang out and x uh you know the wife was gonna make x breakfast and stuff i said nah i gotta x go to church and he and he asked me a x really tough question he said why x and i don't even remember what i said x but it was it was lame right and i x remember driving i'm gone that was that x was not x a good response i was not ready x to give an answer x so uh you know and from then on anytime x i would go out for dinner with a friend x or x have breakfast with a friend just meet x up with a friend somewhere i was always x ready i always had a game plan to oh x this is how i'm gonna bring it up i know x what he's interested in this is how i'm x gonna bring up the topic i'm not gonna x be caught off guard again right so so x these are things that you know we got to x practice x you know do we feel like jeremiah i x remember jeremiah says you know i am not x going to mention him anymore nor speak x any more in his name right he was mocked x people didn't want to listen to him they x hated him x and then he says i'm not going to do it x anymore but but x his word was in my heart like a burning x fire shut up in my bones x i was weary with forbearing and i could x not refrain x you know do we do we feel like that has x that gospel message had that much of an x impact on our lives that i have to talk x about it x were we comfortable maybe not talking x about it x because the answer x is not silence x jesus said whoever whoever so therefore x shall confess or acknowledge me before x men him i will confess also before my x father who's in heaven x but whosoever shall deny or disown me we x think our silence is just not i just x won't say anything that'll be okay x it's like disowning him before man x him will i also deny before my father x and paul says if we deny him he also x will x deny us x and then you've got legion over here and x god of course heals and he says go and x tell what great things the lord has done x for you x um you know when was the last time we x did that when was the last time we told x someone x what the lord has done for us what he x means to us x the seed falling among the thorns refers x to x someone who hears the word but the x worries of life ah the worries of life x come in who doesn't have those x right you can be in the faith and then x all of a sudden have one of those trials x come into your life x and if young if you don't get a good x foundation if you don't have good x spiritual habits they can knock you x right down knock you right off x the the their narrow path x and then there's the deceitfulness of x wealth x chokes the word and making it unfruitful x that you know that wealth is um x you know there's a security to the x wealth i mean it's nice to have x you know money in your checking account x when the bills come in you're not x sweating it and you can pay them that's x that's a nice feeling x but when it replaces the security and x trust we get from god x it's a problem x it makes you unfruitful x right and what what happens to the x unfruitful branch well he god cuts off x every branch in me prices you know it's x again it's in christ in me you bear no x fruit x you get cut off x so those are certainly some things in x our time that can that we can struggle x with x and um x by the way if anyone's got any comments x or something just just shout them out i x think i think there'll be plenty of time x at the end for discussion too but just x feel free to shout it out x and he says and take heed to yourselves x less than any times your hearts be x overcharged with surfacing right that's x uh over indulgence gluttony x and drunkenness and the cares of this x life x so that day comes upon you unaware so x that's that's his message to us and then x he says x for as a snare it shall come on all them x that dwell on the whole face of the x earth so he's saying get yourself out of x the world that's what the world's doing x and it's going to be a big problem you x shouldn't be there right with the x drunkenness taking in the life x that we have right we look forward to x the to the second life that we're gonna x have x and then he says x watch ye therefore x and pray always so we're watching x um x it's it it can mean to uh awake out of x inactivity x uh to keep awake right so that's what x he's telling us hey watch your behavior x right wake up you've been sleepwalking x right and then the key pray x always that you can escape x these things x so just how important prayer is and when x you're slumping when you're caught up in x the cares of this life what prayer is x tough x so he's telling you pray always so you x can escape this thing because this is x going to be a challenge for you x when i come because the world is going x to be doing all those things and we know x we're drawn to it x so pray always you can escape it x so then we come to the x the parable of the talents x right so we x one servant gets uh you know the five he x produces five more x the second servant gets two talents and x he produces two more x and then he get the servant he's got one x talent but he doesn't produce anything x he produces nothing x um and that's just not going to be x acceptable x um x we're supposed to be servants all right x i beseech you therefore brother and by x the mercies of god that you present your x body is a living sacrifice x right x you're wholly acceptable unto god it's x your reasonable service x and it's reasonable for you to be x servants x uh to be a living sacrifice right way to x serve one another x uh and there's plenty of um x there's plenty of ways to serve in the x ecclesia you know x uh we've got some very uh fine teachers x you know brother rich deneen's got a x talent he is a teacher by profession x he's a trained teacher and he's willing x to offer up those services for the x ecclesia he's got to do it right brother x phil's got great great with the av stuff x great with the technology and so he x offers up that service that talent that x he's been given to serve right and you x know and i don't have that talent for x the av stuff and so phil tells me don't x touch that get over there and get out of x the way right so but we can all find a x way x uh within the ecclesia in a way to serve x but you can't produce nothing and what x was he remember he he says i was fearful x can't be afraid x gonna step up and you're just gonna x produce whatever your ability is x uh and god will know x because this is what happens to the x slothful right he's called wicked and x slothful the unprofitable servant x he gets cast into outer darkness x again there's weeping and gnashing of x teeth jesus mentions that weeping ash x five times x he says that x so we've got to be able to produce x to produce something x and you know the the the servant who's x got the five talents whale produces the x one with two but doesn't matter they x both get the same x commendation from christ well done good x and faithful servant x you have been faithful with a few things x i will put you in charge of many things x come x and share my happiness x right you know the the one who produced x nothing was just um x he was idle right he hid it x and he was fearful that's not going to x be acceptable x to christ at the at the judgment seat x so then you kind of get this strange um x request from the from the foolish onto x the hey give us give us your oil x and you know it's like hey you can't x really x we can't share this right they say no x wait we can't we can't do that because x you know no no man can redeem his x brother we all go before that judgment x seat x uh by ourselves x right the foolish were dull sluggish x they didn't make the necessary personal x preparations x for the important position which they x had been called to it is a very x important position x which we've been called to and it x deserves x uh that we pay attention to it deserves x our attention x now so possibly that's what that could x mean but i i think it might this might x fit a little bit better x this passage from revelation jesus x saying he who is unjust let him be x unjust still x he who is filthy let him be filthy still x he is who righteous x let him be righteous still x he who is holy let him be holy still x and behold i am coming quickly my reward x is with me to give everyone according x to his work i think what he's saying x there is hey listen when i come it's too x late x the probation period's over you have x today right we've got today to change we x don't know when he's coming x but when he comes x yeah it's too late to change x so x so i've got this slide here x and then after this i've got a little um x self-assessment x right little things that we need to be x aware of x and you know we're very deceptive right x we can deceive ourselves so it's x something we don't want to do x i didn't really feel all that x comfortable giving praise to phil and x rich so i'm going to make up for that x now x i happen to be very good at taking the x splinters out of my brother's eyes i do x it to phil and rich all the time x and i know you're thinking well that's x easy with those two yes it is x but um if you want i can do it with you x but we'll take that you know and really x just give a good look at it look at x stuff in the mirror and see where we x need to work on x but this is uh obviously a quote you've x probably seen it especially recently x from uh x brother thomas's book on elvis israel x and it certainly does apply to the times x we're living in and applies to uh topic x tonight x so it says the future movements of x russia are notable signs of the times x because they are predicted in the x scriptures of truth x when russia makes its great move for the x building up of its image empire then let x the reader know that the end of all x things as that present constitute is at x hand the long expected but stealthy x advent of the king of israel will be on x the eve x of becoming a fact x and salvation will be to those who not x only look for it x but have trimmed their lamps by x believing the gospel of the kingdom x unto the obedience of faith x and the perfection thereof and fruits x meet for repentance x and so quite timely x brother thomas was x quite a bible student so here is a x little x self-assessment x uh beware when you notice these things x in your walk when prayer becomes x difficult x beware when you no longer enjoy reading x the word of god boy if you if you're x hitting on these top two x you're in trouble right you got to make x some changes x uh because these two will affect um will x affect your prayer life and your reading x and it affects everything else that x comes with it x um when attending an ecclesial function x is x it's a burden x don't want to go x when sinful living becomes a lifestyle x in the name of grace x uh you know x shall we continues in sin that grace may x abound or have you heard the um the x phrase um x it's better to x ask for forgiveness than permission it's x not a way to live x when you eat more than you pray x for you guys that know brother jim boyco x he must pray seven eight times a day i'd x say at least x when your heart no longer desires to see x the lord there's no excitement there x i've been waiting for 50 years x i don't have any excitement anymore i x love you butch x when you no longer share the word with x others that's not what you want to talk x about you know when you're when you're x when you're steeped yeah like we like to x talk to one another right talk about our x hope talking about talk about the signs x of the times x talk about a collegial things and then x you go out into the world you talk to x your world friends and whatnot it's like x ah really this is what we're talking x about it's boring it's meaningless x however when you're spiritually weak x that's what you want to be x talking about those worldly things x that's how you know you'll be in a x little trouble x when your faith becomes a burden i don't x want to go to meeting x right when idols take the place of god x again you know get all these things x vying for our attention who's our god x right facebook tv internet i fall into x all of those things x very easy right it's so subtle x it just creeps in next thing you know x you spent all weekend binge watching x something on netflix right x and beware when you seek x the earthly things rather than x the spiritual things right those x temporary things x become way more important than the x internal things x and they dominate uh thinking x so these are just a few i'm sure you x could add to them x uh this is something that i saw x on a christadelphian social media thing x i don't know four years ago maybe i x don't know who did it x but um i jotted it down and said i'll x use that in the class someday x today is the day now x the foolish and the wise i know what x we're all doing we're all going yeah i x could work on number four number eight x number ten those could be some right the x y's x will see where they are x and make adjustments x the foolish will see where they are and x not do anything x so brothers and sisters our time x is running out we're gonna stay awake x the days are quickly flying x when our lord shall come again