KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE
Matthew 25:1-13 (KJV)
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.
Jesus liked to use stories, parables, and similes, to help His hearers better understand the truths that He taught.
Sometimes He would use true stories that His hearers would be able to associate with.
At other times, He would use illustrations from nature to support His messages.
And then, at other times, He would create an illustration. Something that maybe had not really happened but would still serve to illustrate the truth He was anxious to teach.
Such is the case with the passage we have before us.
While it is not a true story, it is one that serves well to teach the messages that Jesus wanted to get across.
One thing about it though. When Jesus created an illustration, He created one that was jammed full of truth.
In this one, He says "The kingdom of heaven is like ...."
And there is enough here that a person could preach many times.
I am just going to take the first 5 verses and give you several things that the people who are planning to go to heaven ought to be like:
Jesus began by saying that the kingdom of heaven is likened unto
I think that is significant simply because it suggests purity and cleanliness.
If there is anything a Christian ought to be, it is
· Pure,
· Holy,
· Clean.
Right with God.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 says
For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication
That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor;
What is God's Word saying here?
First, that it is the will of God that we be pure.
There is no doubt about that! People come up and ask me about how to find the will of God for their lives.
The answer is, Do what you already know God wants you to do. Then He will reveal more to you.
And you already know it is God's will for you to be pure.
Second, .... that every one of you....
This is a message for every Christian, not just a few.
God hasn't made it, so some Christians have an easier time being pure and right with him.
But God has determined that all Christians should be pure and right with Him.
Hey, we do that.
We get to thinking that, since it is such a struggle for us to be clean, God must not desire us to be clean the way he desires another Christian who doesn't have to struggle with it so much.
That is just the Devil trying to help us justify a life style that is not honorable to God.
Satan doesn't want you to be clean and pure.
He knows that if you, as a Christian, decide to get clean and pure, you can, after some struggle be right.
So he wants to trick you into thinking you don't need to be clean like some other Christian does!
We make excuses.
I don't have to be right with God like a preacher has to be, cause all I am ever going to do is attend church.
I have no plans of leadership, of ministry, of service to God, so I do not need to work as hard at purity as a pastor or someone else who serves God would.
Trouble is, it isn’t your plans that count. It is God’s.
And God has already planned a ministry for you
Ephesians 2:10
For we are HIS workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
God wants you pure.
And, God is going to make you pure.
If you are already saved, he has already cleansed your spirit and soul. They are as clean as Christ is.
It is only your flesh that still gives you fits. That is because it is still tied to this world which is under the curse.
Your flesh is an enemy to godliness.
But one day, all that will be changed.
1 Corinthians 15:51
Behold, I shew you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last rump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead in Christ shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
The passage goes on to say
".... then shall be brought to pass that saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory..."
The kingdom of heaven is likened unto virgins.
It only has pure people in it.
People who are washed pure in the blood of Christ
People who are saved, forgiven their sins, and declared righteous by God.
So, how pure are you?
Sometimes we get to thinking that, since we can't completely overcome sin in this life, and since Christ will make us completely pure in heaven, why even worry about being pure today?
But the fact is, you ought to strive for purity, by the grace and help of God, because that is His will for you.
The kingdom of heaven is like unto virgins.
But it says more than that.
it says the kingdom of heaven is likened unto
I don't now what the significance of the number ten is supposed to be, but here are a couple of lessons I learned...
A. There are a number of virgins here
Not just one, but a number of them.
It suggests to me that fact that we Christians are not supposed to isolate ourselves from other believers.
We are supposed to gather ourselves together in a visible, organized assembly, called a church.
Whenever a Christian gets off to themselves, expect troubles to begin.
Satan loves to find a Christian he can devour, and just like a lion, he knows it is easier to devour a prey when it is separated from the rest of the herd.
· Get Eve alone without Adam, and she commits a sin that plagues you and me still today.
· Get David alone at home, and a life lived for Gods is scarred forever because of his sin with Bathsheba.
· Get Peter alone from the other Apostles, and he denied knowing Jesus, not once, not twice, but three times.
And you get a Christian today alone from the church, and you don’t ever know what Kind of sin he is capable of.
God has called us to a life of separation from sin and from influences that could cause us to sin.
But God has also gathered us together into vibrate, active, soul stirring congregations called churches.
And the Christian who tries to go this Christian life alone will soon find the going too much for him!
B. But there is not a huge number of virgins here
That, too, suggests to me a truth:
God's people are seldom the majority
· When Noah climbed in the Ark, more people stayed outside than came inside.
· When The 12 spies came back from the promised land, more of them rebelled and said it could not be done than agreed with God and said, "Let's take it!"
· When the Jews separated into two kingdoms, one following the King God had chosen, and the other following a king of their own rebellious choice, more people followed the king of their own choice than that followed the king of God's choosing.
Jesus said straight and narrow is the way that leads to everlasting life and few there be that find it.
Now, God's people ought always stay in numbers.
But God’s people will never be the biggest number.
The very biggest Baptist churches have only a percentage of the population of a city.
And usually only a percentage of the total number of people attending any type of church in that city.
The Bible says to beware when all men speak well of you.
I would get a little nervous if we got to be so big and popular that there were more of us (true followers of Christ) than there are of them (people who have rebelled against Christ's true church and doctrines.)
Because then I would wonder if we weren't really them (the rebels) and not us (the true followers) after all.
The kingdom of heaven is likened unto ten virgins
God's people are to be looking for the return of Christ.
Matt 24:42 says
Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Titus 2:13 says
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of that great God, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ!
Do you know why we sometimes grow sleepy about looking for Christ?
Because we are not going forth to meet Him.
We are relaxing, sitting back, not stretching ourselves, not growing in the Lord.
How many people do you know who fall asleep while they're busy?
You fall asleep when you sit down for a while.
Let's say Anita is gone. I am waiting for her to come home, so I go outside and work on the yard until she gets home. Would I very likely fall asleep?
Now, I come home and have to wait for Anita. So I get a bag of chips, and sit down on the couch.
Could I fall asleep then?
· If you want to stay right with God, keep looking for Him. and
· If you do not want to go to sleep spiritually, get busy for the Lord
· Go to church every chance you get.
· Get a ministry in the church and serve in it faithfully.
· Go out and witness to as many souls as you possibly can.
· Be busy in prayer and Bible study.
You'll grow tired. But you’ll not go to sleep as long as you keep working.
Fourthly, the kingdom of heaven is likened to ten virgins
Matthew 25:2 (KJV)
And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
Did you know that not all Christians are on the same spiritual level?
Just because a person says they are saved doesn't mean you should follow their advice, or imitate their example.
A. Some Christians are wise and others are foolish
They pay more attention to what the world says and does than what the Bible says and does.
Many have not yet grown enough to be wise in the things of Christ.
The Bible says that one of the qualifications for a pastor is that he not be a novice.
It takes time and study, and preparation, both intellectually and spiritually, to be able to pastor the flock of God.
B. Some Christians are obedient to the Lord, but some are not
Nothing in the Bible says that a person has to be an obedient Christian to be a Christian.
A lot of Christians are completely disobedient!
C. Some Christians are baptized and others are not
Some of them have been placed under water and are still not baptized!
Baptism is more than being dipped.
Proper baptism requires
1. A proper candidate... someone who is already saved and knows it.
2. A proper mode ... full immersion under water.
3. A proper motive .... As a picture and profession of salvation already gained, and as a means to enter into the church of Christ.
4. A proper administrator ... which is a local church that traces its roots outside of Catholicism and all the way back to John the Baptist.
I don't even think everybody in heaven will be on the same level.
If a person refuses to be scripturally baptized into a church while on this earth, I believe it is absurd to believe that Christ will accept them into the church that is in heaven.
They will be in heaven if they have asked Christ to save them... I have no doubts there, but they will not be a part of the Bride of Christ.
D. Some Christians go to church, some do not
Faithful church attendance does not guarantee spirituality. But I'll guarantee you that any who do not faithfully attend church are not spiritual.
E. Some Christians win souls, others do not
The Bible says, Proverbs 11:30
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he that winneth souls is wise
There is a kind of wisdom that only a soul winner can have. I would be careful of any counsel given by a person who does not actively seek to win souls to Christ.
So, not everyone in the Kingdom of heaven is on the same level.
Fifthly
The kingdom of heaven is likened to ten virgins
Matthew 25:5 (KJV)
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
The fact that that all the virgins slept kind of reminds me of the fact that no Christian is perfect. We all make mistakes.
But I want to concentrate on the fact that the bridegroom tarried.
A. Christ did not promise a soon return
· WhatHe promised was a sudden return and
· He promised an imminent return
Jesus could return at any time (imminent) and when He does return, He will do it without warning (sudden).
B. Jesus delays His return for good reasons.
He does so because we have need of patience
Hebrews 10:36-37 (KJV)
For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
He does so because he is not willing for any to perish
2 Peter 3:9 (KJV)
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
C. What we have to concern ourselves with is not allowing His tarrying to get us doubting His return at all
2 Peter 3:3-4 (KJV)
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
There are always going to be scoffer and sceptics.
But what Christ said is true.
He is coming again
· He will come in His time.
· He will come in His way (gradual, visible, and bodily)
But He is coming again.
Conclusion
Here is the question, and we'll finish
When Jesus comes again,
· Will you be ready?
· Will you be wise or foolish? And
· Will you be pure and clean?
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