Matthew 25:1-13

Good morning. I want to assure you this is as excruciating for you as it is for me.

! We're going to look at Matthew 25, but before we do that let's bow our heads in prayer. Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you that you are there and you are not silent.

And we praise you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that you are the God who has created us,

you are the God who has sustained us and the God who has blessed us in so many ways.

And we thank you that you've given us your word this morning, that it's living and active,

that it's sharper than a two-edged sword. And we pray that the words of my mouth and the

meditations of all our heart will be pleasing in your sight. Forgive our many sins, we pray.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

So I want us to look at Matthew 25. I heard a story recently of a couple that moved into a new home

and a bunch of flowers was delivered to them. And on the wreath of flowers was a card saying,

RIP. The couple obviously rang the florist to complain and the florist said,

we're very sorry for what has happened. There must have been some sort of mix-up, but look on the bright side.

Somewhere there's a funeral going on with a large, bright bunch of flowers saying,

with a card saying, welcome to your new location.

And my aim this morning in this passage is that we get our location right.

And that at times like this, we understand where we're going and how secure the future is.

In these chapters, and we've seen them all the way through Matthew,

Jesus is preparing himself to die and to rise.

And he's preparing his followers for when he is gone and how they need to be patient and faithful and focused.

And that one day they will see him.

There's absolute certain reality that everyone is going to meet Jesus.

Either he'll come to us quickly or we will go to him eventually.

And if you know Jesus at all from the New Testament,

we will know that Jesus will do everything possible to make that meeting with him safe and wonderful.

And that's why he does the most vital thing of all,

to die on the cross,

to deal with what would disqualify us,

which is our sins.

And that's why he says the absolutely vital things that we need to know so that we will be ready.

And the story we read from Matthew 25 is basically about telling bridesmaids.

The stories of Jesus are very powerful.

They're stories that Jesus told not just to make things simple.

He's not treating his listeners as little children.

Jesus told stories with a purpose,

with a purpose of separating.

So some people listen eagerly to Jesus' story.

They latch on.

And some people are eager to get away from Jesus.

They are confused by Jesus' stories.

And that's the way these stories work.

Jesus is walking to Jerusalem.

And he begins to say a lot about what his return will be like.

And the first thing he tells us,

we've seen it already,

is it will be global.

Jesus' return is not going to be local.

He's not going to just appear in Pitts Angle Park or Drayton Green.

Everyone will see him at the same time.

It will be universal.

And then he tells us his return will be sudden.

Thousands and millions of people are just going to be living normal lives,

filling up with petrol,

going to work,

or at the moment staying in,

looking at their screen,

wishing they were outside.

And suddenly everything changes.

And he also tells us that his day will be a day of reward

and a day of recompense.

For those who've responded to him,

have we received him?

Have we done what he's asked of us?

Have we done what he's told us to do?

So it will be a day of reward.

And he tells us in Matthew 24,

the faithful will be richly rewarded

and those who are unfaithful will be dealt with severely.

So we come to chapter 25.

And the parables are not saying all the same thing.

There are nuances.

It's like a diamond looking at it from different facets.

And so this morning,

this first part from verses 1 to 11,

are asking,

are we ready?

And will we be steady?

Are we okay with a long delay?

Or will we lose interest?

Are you losing interest?

Will we lose interest and drift away?

And we know, don't we,

that thousands and thousands of people began

to live as Christians and then have given up.

And the question that this parable is asking

is can you believe and can you stay believing?

So three headings.

First of all,

the gift of being ready to meet with Jesus.

That's a wonderful gift.

The second is the gift of being steady

to the end.

And then the third is the gift of being able

to go into God's presence.

So first, in verses 1 to 4,

the gift of being ready to meet with Jesus.

That's the main point of the whole story.

Ten bridesmaids,

they're meant to go and escort the bridegroom

into the wedding feast.

And they want to do that.

The bridegroom in the story itself is Jesus.

And that's very interesting

that Jesus calls himself the bridegroom

because in the Old Testament,

the bridegroom was always God.

God, the bridegroom.

His people, the bride.

But now Jesus steps up

and Jesus is saying,

no, I am the bridegroom.

It's a very clear claim to deity.

And the bridesmaids are basically people like us.

Are we going to be ready with joy

or not ready?

Five of them in the story

are able to meet the bridegroom

and enter the feast.

Five of them miss out completely.

And the difference between the five

and the five

is not that five are rich

and five are poor.

It's not that five are good

and five are bad.

It's not that five have been baptized

and five are not.

Five are religious

or five are non-religious.

It's none of that at all.

The difference is in verse 3 and 4.

Can you see it?

It's did they take something.

And the something in the story is oil.

So what is the oil?

And the long and the short of it is this.

The oil is to take Christ,

to receive Christ.

Or maybe the grace of Christ.

Or maybe the forgiveness of Christ.

Or the salvation of Christ.

Or the eternal life.

But it is responding to Jesus.

That is what the oil is.

Taking Christ

is the key to the future.

If you want to be ready

to meet with Jesus,

don't try and do something impressive.

It's not about what you do

or what you don't do.

It's about whether you've received

Jesus himself.

Christianity 101.

Step one

is to take Christ.

The one who has died

and the one who has risen.

And those wise bridesmaids,

they took oil.

They all had lamps.

They all looked pretty much the same.

But some had taken oil.

And some were ready

to meet Christ.

And so the truth is,

anyone who receives Christ here

is ready to meet Christ there.

Or to put it in one sentence

from another part of the New Testament,

Christ in you,

the hope of glory.

That's the first thing

of being ready

to meet with Christ.

The second thing

is in verses 5 to 7,

and it's the gift

of being steady

to the end.

And I suspect

you're sitting there thinking

how much longer

is this going to go on.

But it's pretty simple stuff

this morning, isn't it?

Jesus is coming.

Get salvation.

I receive Christ.

You may be thinking,

tell me something I don't know.

And so what is verse 5 all about?

What does it say there?

It says, isn't it,

there is a long delay

in the bridegroom coming.

And the bridesmaids,

all of them,

the wise and the foolish,

they get drowsy

and they all fall asleep.

And what is all that about?

Is it okay for them

to fall asleep?

Is it irresponsible

that they fell asleep?

Is there criticism

in this story

of them

for falling asleep?

And I don't think there is.

Does it endanger anybody

that they fall asleep?

So why does Jesus

include this idea

in the story

that they fell asleep?

And I wonder

whether the parable

is actually saying

something more to us

than just be ready

for the second coming.

Because all of the parables,

I've got extra little bits,

remember that diamond?

And I wonder whether

in this passage

what we're seeing

is loaded words.

Stay with me

as I try to explain that.

And what I'm talking about

in verses 5 and 6,

I wonder whether

the word sleep

is loaded.

I wonder whether

the word sleep

is a loaded word

for death.

All of them died.

And we know that Jesus

used the word sleep

for death

again and again

in his teaching.

As he talks about

a little girl,

do you remember?

And Jesus says,

she has fallen asleep.

And they laugh at him

and they say,

no,

she's died.

But Jesus says,

no, she's asleep.

And he tells her,

tell her,

the coom little girl,

get up.

And she gets up.

In the New Testament,

Paul uses the word

sleep for death.

And I wonder actually

whether the word midnight

is a loaded word.

Jesus speaks of the owner

returning at midnight,

a critical moment,

the moment of return,

the moment of the end.

And I wonder if the word

in verse 6,

that word of cry

or shout aloud,

that is a loaded word.

Because Paul says,

doesn't he,

in one of his letters,

that when Jesus returns,

he will give a loud cry

or shout.

And it may be that

this parable is not just

asking you and I

the question,

are you ready

to meet Jesus?

Because so many of you

lot who are listening

will say to me,

yes.

But I wonder whether

the parable is asking,

will you go to the end?

Are you ready

to meet Jesus

and will you be steady

to meet Jesus?

Because that's a very

different question,

isn't it?

Can you stay

right to the end,

right up until

you fall asleep?

Right up until

you breathe your last?

Can you stay

a follower

so that when

midnight comes,

when history is over

and the great shout

goes out

and he returns,

you've kept the faith,

you've run the race.

And you're ready

and you're steady.

And I think that's

a great question.

It's a really

wonderful thing,

isn't it,

that Jesus can make

a person ready

to meet him.

Just think of this,

you and I

will meet the person

who governs

the universe.

Whatever your projects,

whatever your successes,

whatever your failures,

whatever your buildings,

whatever your grades,

whatever your medals,

they're going to look

very small,

aren't they?

When you come face

to face with the

God-man who made

the universe.

And he is holy

and in his presence

sin cannot stand.

And you will be

in front of him.

And yet he has

made it possible

for you and I

to stand before him

forgiven,

spotless,

joyful,

loved,

accepted.

And that is amazing

that he has

made it possible

for you and I

to stand before him.

And he is able

to make us steady

right at the end.

Even though

we are very weak

and we're very worldly.

But the life

that he gives

to people

is life eternal.

and the world

that he begins

in us,

the work that he

begins in us,

he is going to finish.

And the rough

material that he

is going to work

with ends up

perfect and sinless.

Now I know you

reasonably well.

And some of you

are very rough

material indeed.

And the fact that

Christ is going

to turn you

into his character

is unbelievable.

But the fact that

he's going to turn me

into his character

is even more

unbelievable.

But that is what

he promises.

So do you remember

Philippians chapter 3?

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

We eagerly await

a saviour,

the Lord Jesus Christ,

who will transform

our lowly bodies

and so that they

will be like his

glorious body.

And that is amazing.

And right now

there are serious

pressures, aren't there,

to give up Christianity.

And the air

that we breathe

is full of unbelief.

you've seen

and I've seen

people chuck

their faith away.

And people live

successfully without

Christ.

But you know

what they do

when they do that?

They live successfully

without Christ

and then they just

rewrite the end.

So in our culture

they say

Jesus is irrelevant

but I'm on my way

to heaven.

They're in a better

place, aren't they,

Vicar?

And it's a big mistake

to think that you

don't need him.

And we who are

holding on to the

Bible and the

Bible's teaching

we look so stupid,

we look so backward

because it all

looks like,

doesn't it,

for them it's

working perfectly.

The number of

details that we

have to deal with,

the number of

difficulties that

come to us every

day,

there's a swamp

of them at the

moment, aren't there?

And we wonder

whether joyful

and peaceful

Christianity is

possible.

many of you

dealing with so

many details,

so many

difficulties that

you actually

wonder whether

the Christianity

you've signed up

for is the

right Christianity.

Is it the

Christianity that

people sing about

so triumphantly

on those YouTube

videos?

Is it the

Christianity that

people sometimes

testify of?

And you say to

yourself, like I

say to myself,

my life is such

a mess.

And the global

information that

comes to us,

which we're

expected somehow

to absorb and

explain what is

happening in the

world.

So why are

people suffering

like they are?

I don't know.

What is God

doing in this

coronavirus?

Why is

Christianity so

non-existent in

that part of the

world?

Why are so many

people far from

Christ?

It's a swamping,

global,

overwhelming

information.

And Jesus

said there will

be lots of

dangers for

those that

follow.

He said some

people, they're

going to build

on sand.

And the

foundations will

be removed.

Some people's

faith, they'll

be eaten up by

thorns, worldly

warriors, treasures,

idols, false

gods, and they'll

quickly give up.

Jesus says there

be lots of

false prophets,

false Christ,

who will deceive

many people in

this battle for

souls.

And yet the

truth is this,

that when a

man or a

woman or a

boy or a

girl takes

Christ and

receives him

as saviour and

lord and king

and shepherd

who is forever,

the new life

that Christ

gives you is

forever.

forever.

The grip that

he has on you

this morning is

forever.

The promises

which he gives

to you are

forever.

The man or

woman or boy

or girl who

takes Christ

is going to be

sustained to the

end.

And he is able

to make his

people steady.

Right up to the

time where they

sleep and

midnight comes

and the cry

goes out.

And in 25

verse 6,

either they

come or go

to meet him.

You've got lots

of time on your

hands and so

read good books.

Maybe read

Pilgrim's Progress.

If you go to

Ligonier,

here's a little

advert.

Ligonier,

I've got a

course by

Derek Thomas

on Pilgrim's

Progress,

little 20

minute videos.

They're okay,

the book is

far better,

but why not

read it?

There's a great

picture in

Pilgrim's Progress.

A pilgrim is

taken into a

room,

into the house

of interpreter.

An interpreter

shows him a

big massive

fire in the

middle of the

room,

in a fireplace.

And he marvels

at this fire,

but there's a

man in front of

the fire with

buckets of

water,

pouring buckets

of water onto

the fire,

trying to put it

out.

And Pilgrim

asks the question

to interpreter,

why is the fire

not going out

with this guy

throwing water

on it?

And the

interpreter takes

him around the

back.

And interestingly,

in Pilgrim's

Progress,

there's a man

who is piping

oil into the

back of the

fire.

And that is

what sustains

the fire.

There's a guy

in the front

pouring water

over it,

but there's a

guy in the

back putting

oil into the

fire.

And that is

what sustains

us.

And God is

able to sustain

us so that

we're steady

to the end.

The gift of

being ready to

meet with

Christ.

The gift of

being steady.

And of

course,

God calls

on us at

this time to

be steady,

but he gives

us the gift

of being

steady.

Third thing,

still with me?

The last thing

is the gift of

being able to

go into God's

presence.

In verses

18 to

13.

And we see

there,

don't we,

that there's a

serious separation

that takes

place.

We see that

the foolish

bridesmaid

have said,

no,

I don't need

this.

And suddenly

they find that

they cannot

enter the

wedding feast.

And they

discover that

the oil

that the

wise bridesmaids

have is

non-transferable.

And that

makes sense,

doesn't it?

I can't

give salvation

to you.

I can't

give it to

another person.

I can't

give my

eternal life

to another

person.

I can't

save another

person.

The saviour

is Christ.

And the

desperate

suggestion is

made in

verse 9.

Can you

see it?

it says,

since there

will not be

enough for

us and

for you,

go rather

to the

dealers and

buy for

yourselves.

Of course,

that will

never work.

Then in

verse 10,

Christ comes

and the

day of

opportunity

is over.

The door

shuts and

the tragic

cry goes

out.

now we

realise our

mistake.

Please open

the door,

but it's

all over.

And I

hope that as

you listen

to this

parable,

you don't

think that

God is

terribly

unjust.

Because this

is a word

remembered to

people who

have had a

lifetime of

opportunity.

Think of the

millions of

people in

this city

who are

going to

get to

the end

of their

life and

wish that

they just

lifted the

Bible off

the shelf.

Or read

what was

given to

them.

Or listened

to what was

said to

them.

I hope

you won't

think that

this is a

problem or

some far

off person

somewhere and

how the

whole plan is

corrupt.

Because we

know that on

the last day

when Christ

comes again,

everyone will

say to God,

you've done

everything right.

There will be

on that day

no complaints

and no

objections.

There will

be lots of

regrets and

lots of

joys, but

no objections.

Bishop J.C.

Ryle, who

again is a

great man to

be reading at

this time,

said this is a

humbling picture,

especially for

preachers and

pastors.

Because after

all our

preaching and

after all our

praying and

after all our

missionary

exertions are

broadened at

home, many

will be found

at last to be

lifeless.

So many who

seem to be

wise will be

shown to be

fools.

And so many

who seemed as

believers to be

fools will be

seen to be

wise.

when that

door is

shut.

And I

don't think

that I can

put into

words the

absolute

delight of

that day

being found

inside by

the goodness

of God and

the kindness

of Christ.

To be

inside that

wedding feast.

I don't think

that we can

put into

those words

what it is

going to be

to be found

inside Christ.

to be

open to

the door

has been

shut on

sadness and

on evil and

on sin.

And that on

that day there

will be no

more burdens

to carry,

no more

heartaches to

experience,

no more

scars,

no more

worry,

no more

anxiety,

no more

tension,

no more

sinfulness,

sadness,

no more

driving each

other mad

cooped up

in the

house,

no more

waiting rooms

to sit in,

no people

to avoid,

no more

funerals,

the door is

going to be

shut and

all that.

And that

door is

going to

make the

people of

Jesus Christ

secure and

thankful,

being part

of a wedding

feast.

that Jesus

who is the

genius behind

the universe

has planned

for unworthy

people like

us,

but he's

made it

possible through

his death on

the cross and

his resurrection.

And he's

planned a

perfect feast.

And this

Jesus is

able to make

you who are

listening and

watching to me

today ready,

wonderfully

ready.

to make you

steady right

to the end.

And he is

able to make

you go in.

Let's bow

our heads in

prayer.

Let's pray

again.

Our loving

Holy Father,

we praise you

for your

word.

We praise

you that it

speaks to us

of reality.

it reminds

us of what

is true.

You are a

loving

Father.

We thank you

for what you've

taught us this

morning.

We pray that you

would help us

to live in the

light of that

day,

to rejoice in

our Saviour,

the Lord Jesus

Christ,

who is able

to make us

ready to meet

with him and

who will keep

us to the

end and who

will bring us

into his

presence.

God,

we pray that

you would help

us to reflect

much on this

today,

to use the

time that

you've given

to us wisely.

We thank you

Father that you

will keep us.

Lord, we want

to pray for

our community.

Your providence

is often a

mystery to us

and you

ordain things

that are hard

to bear.

And there is

sickness and

there is sorrow.

There is great

anxiety in our

world.

And we pray

that,

Heavenly Father,

you will help

us to remain

steady.

We pray that

you would be

with those in

our community

that are anxious

and fearful,

for those

particularly who

are unwell.

Thank you for

health services,

for doctors,

for nurses,

for the hospital.

We thank you

for our government

and those in

authority.

We pray,

Heavenly Father,

that this virus

would not be

as bad as it

potentially could

be.

We pray that

you might use

this time to

turn our nation

back to you.

And,

Heavenly Father,

we thank you

that we look

for a day

and we long

for a day

when there will

be no more

sin and there

will be no more

suffering.

and Christ

will come

again.

And we pray

that there

would be many

that are brought

to be ready

for that day

through this.

Help us,

Heavenly Father,

to love our

neighbours well,

to show the

love of Christ.

Meet with us

at this time.

Bless us on

this through your

day.

Bless all your

people,

wherever they

meet.

We pray,

Heavenly Father,

not only for

our own

community

and our

country.

We pray for

those other

parts of the

world,

particularly for

Italy and

Spain and

other areas

which have

been so hugely

affected.

And we think

of parts of

the world

struggling with

other issues

for this

terrible swarm

of locusts

in East Africa.

and we pray,

Heavenly Father,

that you would

draw near to

your people

and comfort

those who

mourn.

Bless us

and our

families,

we ask.

We pray all

these things

in Jesus'

name.

Amen.