From His Heart

Speaker 1

Remember this: being religious is not the same thing as knowing Christ in a real and personal way.

These five foolish virgins were religious, but they were lost. They weren't blowing off the bridegroom; they just weren't prepared for the bridegroom. They didn't realize the seriousness of the situation.

Speaker 2

When Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to Jesus on the Mount of Olives, they asked him point blank about the end times. And Matthew chapter 25 records that he gave them three parables, the first of which emphasizes the fact that we don't know when Jesus is coming. So it's very important that we act wisely and not foolishly.

This is From His Heart with Pastor Jeff Shreve. Thank you for joining us today for part two of the Wise and the Fool. It's from the new nine-message series, When the Son of Man Comes, a study of Matthew 24 and 25.

Now today we're airing part two, but you can listen to part one online anytime at fromhisheart.org and even download a free MP3 of that broadcast or any broadcast along with the sermon notes and outlines from Pastor Jeff. Click the Listen link and look for the message the Wise and the Foolish.

But right now, open your Bible to Matthew chapter 25 for a short refresher on part one and the conclusion to this oh-so-needed message. Here again is Pastor Jeff.

Speaker 1

Now I want us to think about this question. What made the foolish virgins foolish? Five of them are wise and five of them are foolish. Why are the foolish ones foolish? What is the reason for that?

Reason number one, they were foolish because they did not make the necessary preparations. It says in verse three, "For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them. But the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps." Now to understand this parable in full, you have to understand the context of a first-century Jewish wedding. How did that work? There would be an engagement, which was an official ceremony of engagement. There was no consummating of the marriage, but they were engaged. They were betrothed to one another. Then you had the preparation period. The preparation period could last up to a year. Typically, that was the groom-to-be preparing a room in his father's house for him to live with his bride. He was working on this room.

Now, when the room was ready, it was the father who would say, "Son, everything is ready now go get your bride." He would leave and come with his attendants to get his bride and take her back to the father's house to consummate the marriage and have a big wedding feast. Bridesmaids were very important. They had a job. They were there to attend to the bride and to light their lamps because he often came at night. They would light their lamps to illuminate the way and be part of the joy and festivities of the occasion. That's their job. You're my bridesmaid; you need to be ready.

Well, their job was to be ready for the bridegroom's coming. The bridegroom's coming was certain, but it was unpredictable. Those bridesmaids, those ten virgins, had to be ready. Now, the prudent thing to do was to prepare for a delay because you don't know when he's coming. And so you need to be prepared. It says in verse five, "Now, while the bridegroom was delaying," what did they do? They went to sleep. If you ran out of oil, then it would cease to burn; it would start to flicker and go out. So it was wise to bring extra oil just in case the bridegroom delayed his coming. They didn't make the necessary preparations. They weren't ready. They thought, "Well, he's going to come in the early evening hours. Surely he'll come by 10. I have enough oil for that." But he didn't. He delayed his coming, and they weren't prepared.

The second reason why the foolish virgins were foolish is that they thought they could piggyback off the wise. But at midnight, there came a shout: "Behold!" That means, "Hey, hold on to your hat. Here it is. Big announcement. Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!" Then all the virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the prudent, "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out." But the prudent answered, "No, there will not be enough for us and you too. Go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves." They thought they could borrow from a friend.

Well, listen, this is a parable about being ready. This is a parable about true salvation. Salvation is not something you can borrow from another person. You can't piggyback on somebody else's faith. Sin is personal, and so is salvation. You have to personally be saved. Just because your dad is a Christian, just because your mom is a Christian, just because your grandfather is a Christian, that doesn't mean anything for you.

Now we know also, as we think about this parable, that olive oil in the Bible is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Why can't you borrow somebody else's relationship with God? Because the Holy Spirit of God lives in their hearts. They made a personal decision, and you have to make a personal decision too. And what does it mean to be saved? Sometimes we get the idea that we kind of lump a lot of things with salvation. We say, "Well, to be saved, salvation means you get your sins forgiven." Kind of. That really just prepares you for salvation; that's the prerequisite for salvation. You get all your sins forgiven.

Some say, "Well, salvation, that's going to heaven when you die." Kind of. That's kind of the byproduct of salvation. That's what you get as a result of salvation. You get your ticket punched to heaven; your name is written in the Lamb's book of life. So you say, "Well, if you get real, real technical, what is salvation?" New Testament salvation is getting God to live inside of you.

See, when Adam sinned, the Lord moved out because God said, "On the day you eat of the fruit, you will surely die." Adam did die, but he didn't die in his body; he didn't die in his soul. He died in his spirit, in that innermost part of him, that connection with God. That's what was broken. In the New Testament, Jesus dies on the cross for our sins and rises again from the dead. He offers salvation to all who will repent and believe. What happens? The moment you repent and believe, the Holy Spirit of God comes to live inside your life.

In the Old Testament, God had a temple for his people. In the New Testament, God has a people for his temple. First Corinthians, chapter 6, verse 19 says, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit whom you have from God, and that you are not your own, for you've been bought with a price? Therefore, glorify God in your bodies." Ephesians, chapter 1 says, "In him, in Jesus, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, having also believed, you were sealed in him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of his glory."

The Holy Spirit is the down payment that God gives to every believer. God says, "I'm giving you my spirit, and that is my earnest money contract, so to speak, that I'm not breaking up with you because you have my spirit living inside, and I will one day come to marry you," keeping it in the terminology of the parable; he's coming to marry his bride. So salvation is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, and you can't give that away. You can't give that to somebody else. My relationship with Jesus is unique to me, and you have to have your relationship with Jesus.

The five wise virgins were genuine; Jesus really lived in their hearts through the person of the Holy Spirit. The five foolish virgins picture those who are not genuine. The Bible says in Romans chapter 8, verse 9, "If any man does not have the spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him." You are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man does not have the spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. Those who belong to Christ have the Spirit living inside. You have to make your own decision for Christ.

These five foolish virgins didn't make the necessary preparations, and they thought they could piggyback off the wise and borrow from the wise. It can't be done. Thirdly, they did not realize the seriousness of the situation. Oh, this hits so many people in church because these ten virgins represent Israel. This is a Jewish parable, and this has to do with the kingdom because he says, "Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins."

John Walvoord, the great theologian, who is now deceased, wrote extensively about prophetic things and end times. He said when you read in the Bible about the kingdom of heaven versus the kingdom of God, sometimes they're used interchangeably, but the kingdom of heaven really focuses on the millennial kingdom, the thousand-year reign of Christ. Listen, the virgins are Israel, and Israel wants to come into the marriage supper and to be involved in that and experience the glories of the millennial kingdom.

These ten virgins are not people that reject the notion of Jesus. They are there; they are waiting. But five are ready, and five aren't. The five that aren't ready, the foolish virgins, the foolish bridesmaids, have no concept of the fact that this is such a serious situation, such a serious moment. They thought they could borrow; they thought they could come in late, and everything would be fine, but that's not the case.

So the prudent say to them, "No, there's not enough for us and for you too. Go instead to the dealers and buy some oil for yourselves." Well, it's midnight; there's not a 24-hour store, so nobody's open at midnight. It takes them a while, and it says in verse 10, "And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut." That's it. They weren't ready when the bridegroom came.

Speaker 2

Obviously, the big question each of us needs to ask ourselves and honestly answer is: Are we ready for the second coming of Christ? The truth is, one day that door will be closed. What a profound truth to know that God's grace has a time when it will not be offered.

Pastor Jeff will return in just a moment to close out the message, "The Wise and the Foolish." Here's the truth: From deception and division to disasters and persecution, Jesus described future events as the beginning of birth pangs signaling the end of the age. For believers, it is so important to recognize the times, to stay grounded in truth, and to remain faithful in the face of growing darkness.

In this eye-opening new nine-message series from Pastor Jeff called "When the Son of Man: A Study of Matthew 24-25," Jesus speaks the truth, revealing the clear warnings and indicators of his soon return. This exciting new teaching is also our gift of thanks to you for your support this month of any amount. Wouldn't you like to know that you know that you're ready for his return and not stick your head and heart into the sand as if no one would see? No, you and I don't want to do that.

That's why we hope you'll request the series in the format of your choice on a USB flash drive, CDs, DVDs, or MP3 download when you call 866-40-BIBLE or go online to fromhisheart.org. Fill your heart with peace and purpose to faithfully follow Christ now until he comes again.

To get your copy of "When the Son Comes Again," call 866-40-BIBLE or go to promiseheart.org. God bless you for supporting From His Heart to help us share God's truth with a hurting world before he returns. Now, let's absorb the closing truths from Pastor Jeff and the message, "The Wise and the Foolish."

Speaker 1

Now once the Lord comes, here's the emphasis. There's not time to get ready. There's not time to say, "Oh, he's here now. Let me go to the dealers; I need to get my oil because I wasn't ready." But give me some time, Lord, time out. Just, just give me a little bit of time because I know you're gracious and you're merciful and you're long-suffering. And so I'm just going to do this for a little while, and then I'll be ready. There's not time to get ready. You have to be ready. That's the emphasis. So be on the alert, be watching, be vigilant. You don't know the day nor the hour.

Now, once the door is shut, the invitation is over. And so they want to come in, but they can't come in because the door has been shut. As I told you, when Noah was building the ark and had the ark there, the door was open. The ark is a picture of Jesus, and he's ready, and the door is wide open for you. But when Noah went into the ark, along with the animals and his family, that was it; the Lord closed the door behind him, and the day of grace was over. Here's another picture of that: the door was shut, and the day of grace was over, and the invitation was done.

Revelation 22, verse 7, the last chapter of the Bible, is an invitation. Toward the end, almost the last verse of the Bible, is an invitation. "And the Spirit and the bride say, 'Come.' And let the one who hears say, 'Come.' And let the one who is thirsty come. And let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost." Come, come, come. The door is open. But when the bridegroom comes and you're not ready, the door is closed. And then the invitation is over, and the day of grace is over.

These people didn't understand the seriousness of the situation. And remember this: being religious is not the same thing as knowing Christ in a real and personal way. These five foolish virgins were religious, but they were lost. They weren't blowing off the bridegroom; they just weren't prepared for the bridegroom. Later, in verse 11, the other virgins also came, saying, "Lord, Lord, open up for us." But he answered, "Truly, I say to you, I do not know you."

"Oh, now we have oil! We went to the dealers. How long did that take? It's midnight. How long did it take to go to the dealers? We waited for hours till somebody opened up. Six o'clock in the morning, and then we get the oil. Now we're ready." But they missed their opportunity. The Lord came, and he got his bride and went to the Father's house. Those five wise virgins were there, and they could light the lamp and be a part of that. But once he shut the door, then it was done. And they come and knock on the door, "Lord, Lord, open up."

Speaker 2

For us.

Speaker 1

And he says, I don't know you. It reminds us of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus says, "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction. And many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life. And few are those who find it." For many will say to me on that day, "What day? Judgment day. Lord, Lord, did we not preach in your name? And in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?" Religious folks. Then I will declare to them, "I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness." He doesn't say, "I knew you and forgot you." He said, "I never at any time knew you. You were not mine." If any man does not have the spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him.

Now, you can't see and I can't see into the heart of a man, a woman, a boy, or girl. God knows that. And God sees if the Holy Spirit is there; he knows those who are his. Second Timothy, chapter two. And if you've never put your faith and trust in Christ, you're not ready. Being religious, being baptized, teaching Sunday school, or being a deacon—any of those things, including being a pastor—doesn't matter. None of that makes you right with God. What makes you right with God is recognizing you're a sinner, that you need the Savior, and that you turn from sin and put your faith and trust in Jesus and Jesus alone.

They didn't realize the seriousness of the situation. Years ago, I heard an illustration that I've never forgotten, told by Adrian Rogers. He was talking about a man who was coming from the old country and getting on a ship to go to the new country, America, to find life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Instead of hauling all the stuff he had from his life in the old country to the new country, he sold everything he had and bought a precious gem, a diamond that consolidated all of his wealth. That's what he took with him to the new country to start his life.

So he's on this ship with this gem, this diamond that is so valuable, so precious. He would pull it out on the ship deck and look at it, loving the way it glistened in the sunlight, and he enjoyed how people looked at it and oohed in awe over this beautiful diamond that represented all his wealth. People would say to him, "Now, you need to be careful with that; you're on a ship. Be careful so you don't lose it." He would respond, "Oh, I know what I'm doing." Then he took his arm and put it over the rail with his diamond, with his wealth there, just kind of daring fate. People would say, "Oh, you need to be careful with that, because what happens if it falls?" He would insist, "Oh, I know what I'm doing."

One day, he went over the rail and threw it up in the air and caught it. The people gasped, warning him that he was being reckless, playing fast and loose with his wealth. He said, "I know what I'm doing." He did it again, and they gasped once more. Then he did it a third time, and he dropped it. His wealth went down to the bottom of the blue Atlantic, and he lost everything.

You might ask, "Jeff, is that a true story?" I can't imagine where someone would be that foolish. I don't know if it's a true story or not, but I know that there are people under the sound of my voice today who are more foolish than that guy going from the old country to the new country. What he lost was financial wealth, but you're playing fast and loose with your soul. Jesus said, "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" You're playing around with eternity. You don't understand the seriousness of the situation because when the door is shut, you're done. That's it. There's no more grace. You've squandered away the day of grace.

You can sit in a church like this and hear the gospel over and over again. You might say, "Well, I'm okay because mom and dad are Christians and I got baptized." But when you search your heart, examine yourself to see whether you are in the faith, and you find nothing there, what does your life have? It just has the deeds of the flesh: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, disputes, ascensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarned you, Paul said, just as I have also forewarned you, that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Well, if that is in your life, just all these deeds of the flesh, what does that tell you? It tells you that there's no Holy Spirit. It tells you that there's no oil. It tells you that you've never been born again. Jesus said, "Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour." Do you know for certain that you know this?

Speaker 2

That sentence is Jesus' closing exhortation to the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25, which tells us to be on the alert, for you do not know the day nor the hour. This means disciples must live in continual readiness for the bridegroom's coming because the exact timing of his return and the final consummation is unknown and cannot be calculated. That means having a persevering faith, filled with obedience and holy living in active service. So whenever Christ comes or one's life ends, you'll be found faithful rather than surprised and unprepared.

If you don't know Jesus in a personal way, we want to invite you to go to our section, "Why Jesus" at fromisheart.org, and discover how you can surrender your heart to the Lord and discover the peace and purpose that He has for you. He wants you to fall in love with Him because He's in love with you, and know that for certain in your heart. Go to the "Why Jesus" link at promisheart.org and abandon your own efforts to achieve salvation any other way.

Thank you for joining us today on From His Heart with Pastor Jeff Shreve. I'm Larry Nobles, inviting you to join us again next time for the next important lesson from the "When the Son of Man Comes" series. As we'll learn, life is made up of opportunities and chances to step up to make a difference, and God can open doors for you and me to step through. So we want to take every opportunity when it comes. That's next time when Pastor Jeff Shreve will bring real truth, real love, and real hope from God's heart here on From His Heart.