TOTALLY COMMITTED
Matthew 25:1-13
I Thessalonians 4:13-18
Whenever people get together, there's going to be stories. Stories are important. They define who we are as human beings, they bring family history alive and they pass along important life lessons. It is no different with the parables, the teaching stories of Jesus. For the next three weeks, we're going to be looking at the parables in of Matthew 25 which define the Kingdom of Heaven and teach us the important lessons of what is expected of us as citizens of the Kingdom. They are not easy stories to listen to or to think about, but remember that even hard words from God are gifts of His love to us.
Listen, and I will tell you the story of ten bridesmaids. They were chosen for the honor of welcoming the bridegroom and attending the wedding feast. They were to wait outside the house and greet the bridegroom with lighted lamps upon his arrival. Five were wise. They came prepared with both lamps and oil. The other five were considered foolish, because they brought only their lamps. They were not ready to perform their duty.
Maybe they simply forgot the oil or became distracted by the things going on around them and had only time to grab their lamps and rush to the wedding site. Perhaps they decided that other things were more important, and they had not made it a priority to be properly prepared, and assumed that some of the other bridesmaids would bring extra just in case someone else forgot theirs.
There are people who believe that if they just show up on Sundays or even just just Easter or Christmas will prepare them to greet Jesus when He comes again. And there are others who believe that because their parents were faithful followers of Christ or their families founding members of their churches they have a free pass. There are even people who believe the pastor is responsible for their relationship with God.
The story does not end happily for the the five foolish virgins -- they find themselves left out in the dark and the cold. The moral: Be alert, be watchful, and like a good Scout, be prepared.
There's a joke: In an eggs and bacon breakfast, what's the difference between a chicken and a pig. The chicken is involved, but the pig is totally committed.
The point of this parable is that in the Kingdom of Heaven, being prepared means being totally committed to being a follower of Christ, 24/7. Totally committed to:
I Thessalonians 4:13-18
Whenever people get together, there's going to be stories. Stories are important. They define who we are as human beings, they bring family history alive and they pass along important life lessons. It is no different with the parables, the teaching stories of Jesus. For the next three weeks, we're going to be looking at the parables in of Matthew 25 which define the Kingdom of Heaven and teach us the important lessons of what is expected of us as citizens of the Kingdom. They are not easy stories to listen to or to think about, but remember that even hard words from God are gifts of His love to us.
Listen, and I will tell you the story of ten bridesmaids. They were chosen for the honor of welcoming the bridegroom and attending the wedding feast. They were to wait outside the house and greet the bridegroom with lighted lamps upon his arrival. Five were wise. They came prepared with both lamps and oil. The other five were considered foolish, because they brought only their lamps. They were not ready to perform their duty.
Maybe they simply forgot the oil or became distracted by the things going on around them and had only time to grab their lamps and rush to the wedding site. Perhaps they decided that other things were more important, and they had not made it a priority to be properly prepared, and assumed that some of the other bridesmaids would bring extra just in case someone else forgot theirs.
There are people who believe that if they just show up on Sundays or even just just Easter or Christmas will prepare them to greet Jesus when He comes again. And there are others who believe that because their parents were faithful followers of Christ or their families founding members of their churches they have a free pass. There are even people who believe the pastor is responsible for their relationship with God.
The story does not end happily for the the five foolish virgins -- they find themselves left out in the dark and the cold. The moral: Be alert, be watchful, and like a good Scout, be prepared.
There's a joke: In an eggs and bacon breakfast, what's the difference between a chicken and a pig. The chicken is involved, but the pig is totally committed.
The point of this parable is that in the Kingdom of Heaven, being prepared means being totally committed to being a follower of Christ, 24/7. Totally committed to:
- Holiness: Accepting the call to follow Christ and turning away from sin to become set aside for the purposes of God.
- Faithfulness: Living out the gospel in every aspect of our lives, every day and in every way.
- Righteousness: Being obedient to God's law of love even when it's not easy or convenient for us.
In I Thessalonians 4:13-18, Paul wanted those early Christians to understand that even if they died before Jesus returned again, because they were prepared, totally committed to living for Christ, the promise of eternal life and the the sure hope of the resurrection was theirs. Those who died will rise from the dead and will join Christ in the resurrection, and those who are still alive will be caught up with Jesus.
So, even in this parable, though it was not a happy ending for the foolish bridesmaids, it is a message of hope, comfort and assurance, that if we are like the wise bridesmaids and prepare ourselves through living out holiness, faithfulness and righteousness in our lives, we will be welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven.
It is clear and has the authority of Christ behind it -- Jesus will return. It could be tomorrow or it could be a thousand years from now. The question to us today is, are we prepared?
Comments
Post a Comment