A Bride Ready

Text: Matthew 25:1-46

Give me oil in my lamp

Keep it burning

Oh, Lord don’t let the fire go out

Give me oil in my lamp

Keep me praising

You are what I am about

Keep me praising Hosanna

Keep me singing

Help me praise in a way that You love

Keep me praising Hosanna:

“O Lord save me,”

And find me faithful when You come

-NR 6-30-13

Read our text Matthew 25, especially taking a look at verses 1-13; then we will take a look at a little background for this story. It is likely familiar to most of you and I’d like you to dig a little deeper with me.

There were 3 stages to a Jewish wedding in that day: engagement, betrothal, and marriage. The engagement stage was a formal agreement between the fathers of the guy and the girl. Betrothal was a ceremony where mutual promises were made.

Source

These two stages have already passed in our parable in this passage from Matthew. We are ready for the third called marriage. This took place approximately a year later, (source) when the bridegroom came at an unexpected time for his bride.

She would wait with her bridal party until they received the signal to go – that the bridegroom is coming.

The procession would then begin – with 10 lamps, each carried by one of the bridesmaids.

In our parable, although all appeared ready, only half were truly ready. The girls who were not ready had no oil when it was time to go, and their lamps could not be lit, which would keep them from joining the procession and the wedding party. They wanted to borrow from the ones who were prepared.

But sisters, it doesn’t work that way, does it? Not here.

David Guzlik draws out the parallel to depict the oil in the lamps as a representation of the Holy Spirit (received at the moment of salvation: Ephesians 1:13-14, Romans 8:9).

We can’t depend on someone else’s preparedness for our own salvation.

The girls who did not have oil in their lamps were caught unprepared – and while they slept, their lamps went out, because they did not bring enough oil with them. These same girls thought they could go get some oil just before the wedding, once they heard the signal to go, but by the time they returned, it was too late and they were not admitted into the wedding celebration.

Ladies, we don’t know when our Groom is coming. Let’s be ready.

The groom said to them “I don’t know you.” (See also Matthew 7:21-23)

I like the way Spurgeon put it:

"The foolish virgins had professed to be the bridegroom's friends, yet they were proved to be not even his acquaintances." (Spurgeon)"When that door is once shut, it will never be opened. There are some who dote and dream about an opening of that door, after death, for those who have died impenitent; but there is nothing in the Scriptures to warrant such an expectation. Any 'larger hope' than that revealed in the Word of God is a delusion and a snare." (Spurgeon)

You get one chance at your second chance. Brides, understand this. Any chance at all is a second chance. We were born sinners. Every last one of us.

Psalm 51:5 “For I was born a sinner--yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.” NLT

Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” ESV

Romans 3:23 “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.” NLT

He forgives and offers a second chance, but now is the time!

2 Corinthians 6:2b “…Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.” NLT

Don’t be one of the foolish bridesmaids who waited until it was too late.

What are you waiting for anyway? A life with our Groom may not always be easy, but you will always be accepted, you will always be loved, and sister, you will always be forgiven. What better life is there?

Please take the time to look at these verses.

Romans 10:9 “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” NLT

Acts 16:31a “…Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved…” NLT

John 11:26 “And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” ESV

John 6:47 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.” NLT

Are you already a child of God? Are you reading this, already a saved soul, holding the glorious promise of new life in Heaven? I’m so glad! Me too – and I can’t wait to meet you there. Glory! Won’t that be glory to meet all the sisters from across the world in faith on that wondrous day? I can’t express to you how that gives me excited chills. I love you so much.

So for a bride already prepared, what is the call to action here?

I see one- more clearly laid out in the rest of Matthew 25, especially verses 14-30.

You get one life, what are you going to do with it? How do you want your Groom to find you upon His arrival?

Good. Faithful. Responsible. (Mt 25:14-30)

Active. Compassionate. Hospitable. Attentive. (Mt 25:31-46)

Christlike.

Isn’t this the point? Living it out? What would be the benefit of saving people who never changed? Since our purpose on earth is to bring God glory, then why would He want to save and preserve those who do not?

In Matthew 25:41-43 all I see is self-centeredness. And isn’t that what we are saved from?

I want to close with these verses from 2 Peter.

2 Peter 3:9-11 “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live…” NLT

You ought to live holy and godly {Christlike.} lives.

You do not know when your Groom returns (2 Peter 3:10).

Give me oil in my lamp and let me always be ready, burning, warming, lighting my world.

Let me be ready for my Groom’s return.