10 Virgins

We've all heard the parable of the ten virgins. Recently, I took a look at these thirteen verses in Matthew 25 and just dug a little bit deeper. It has been very beneficial to me in my life to consider the message that is in this parable. I think it will be beneficial for all of us. We're going to take a deeper look at the parable of the ten virgins. What I'd like for us to do first is turn to Matthew 25 and read the thirteen verses, describing or telling us about the ten virgins.

It is a parable. Jesus gave this parable as a means of teaching, a means of instructing. And, brethren, we're going to find that the message is for Christians. It is for members of the Church of God. That means it is for you and me.

Yes, each and every one of us. This is a personal message that we can take to heart. We can be thankful that it's in the Bible because it can help us to make it into God's Kingdom. This parable, really understanding and, let's say, taking the warning that is here, can be the difference between making it into God's Kingdom or not making it. It really can. Well, in Matthew 25 and verse 1, let's just read right through the parable of the ten virgins.

Matthew 25 and verse 1, Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard, Behold, the bridegroom is coming!

Go out to meet him. And then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. And there must have been some alarm in their voice. But the wise answered, saying, No, lest there should not be enough for us and you. But go rather to those who sell and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came. And those who were ready went in with him to the wedding, and the door was shut.

Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you. And then the last verse and the lesson of one of the major lessons of this parable, Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

First of all, brethren, these are words of Jesus Christ. If you will notice, those who have read a red letter Bible, the words of Christ in red, that all of the words, every single one of them we read, are in red. They're the very words of Jesus Christ.

We then... How are we... what are we to get from this parable that will be so helpful to us in our Christian lives today? Why is this a part of the Bible? You know, this is a message that is given for Christians of all ages. Obviously, God has given this as something that is going to benefit church members all during the ages of the church the last 2,000 years almost. But maybe there's a special application for us today. Why do I say that? It's because of the setting, the setting in which this parable is found.

You know, this parable is found in the context of the Olivet prophecy. What is the Olivet prophecy? Well, turn back one chapter to Matthew 24, and in verse 3, Jesus was there at the temple. And it says in verse 3, As he sat on the Mount of Olives. Well, that's where the Olivet prophecy gets its name. On the Mount of Olives, Jesus was sitting, and the disciples came to him and said, Tell us, when will these things be?

And what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age? And Jesus in this chapter went on to give prophecies about events that would happen before his Second Coming. He said, beware that nobody deceives you.

Verse 4. In verse 6, you'll hear of wars and rumors of wars. In verse 7, there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. And there will be also religious tribulation, persecution, and martyrdom. Verse 9. The Gospel of the Kingdom. Verse 14 will be preached to the world. And finally, verse 21, there will be great tribulation like the world has never had since the very beginning of the world to this time or ever again.

And verse 22, Unless those days were cut short, then no flesh would be saved alive. Man would destroy life from off the earth. And then Jesus talked about his Second Coming. In verse 29, he said there would be tribulation. And then the sun would be darkened and the moon would not give light. The stars falling from heaven. And the sign of the Son of Man. And verse 30. And then verse 31, sending of the angels to gather up the elect from the four winds.

And then Jesus gave the parable of the fig tree in verse 32. That when the branches put out tender leaves that you know summer is near. So you also, when you see these things, know that it is near at the very doors. You know, we believe today we're getting very close to this time. We still have certain things that must happen. You know, the ten nations that will unite in Europe, for example. The coming of a strong military leader, the beast, and the false prophet, a strong and powerful religious leader. There are certain things that must happen. There must be a king of the south that will rise up in the Arab world. And that will push at the king of the north. So certain things must happen. The time of Jacob's trouble, that will also take place at the same time. And events are certainly leading in that direction. But we still cannot know exactly how near we are. And so that's why Jesus said in verse 36, of that day and hour, no one knows. No, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only. He talked about conditions like in the days before the flood in the next few verses. And notice in verse 42, he said, Watch therefore, for you do not know what our Lord is coming. Brethren, that's the first time that the word watch is used in the Olivet prophecy. Did we not read that in the parable? Verse 13 of chapter 25, watch therefore. That's the way the parable of the ten virgins ends. Watch therefore. So the word watch appears in the previous chapter in a way said in the stage for the parable of the ten virgins. Watch therefore, for you do not know what our Lord is coming. In verse 44, therefore you also be ready. Oh, we also read the word ready in the parable, didn't we? In verse 10, that those who were ready to go into the wedding went in. So Jesus said in Matthew 24, 44, you also be ready. Brethren, that means we must maintain a state of readiness at all times. How can we do that? How can we maintain a state of readiness? Well, we need to think about that as we come toward the latter part of the sermon. Be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect him. So we need to think about that, that we must continually be ready.

And he talks about the wise, or faithful and wise servant in verse 45 who is so doing, and the evil servant that says, my master is delaying his coming. And then it is in this context that the Olivet prophecy continues. It's unfortunate in some ways that man has put a chapter here, a new chapter, tends to kind of break up the flow of the context. But it's in this context that we find the parable of the ten versions that we just read, chapter 25 and verse 1. I'd like to go through the parable then a little bit more closely, and then we'll come back and expound certain things more about it after that.

Chapter 25 and verse 1 then, see that word then refers to all that we just read in chapter 24 about the end of this age and the second coming of Christ and watching and being ready. Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. You know, Jesus came up with this parable as a means of teaching. It's a good way of teaching. It can really change our lives. It can help us to watch and be ready, and that's what it's designed to do. And we must allow it to do that. We must allow this parable to do what God intends it to do, and that is to cause us to watch and be on the alert and be ready and not come up short.

Here five came up short. Oh, this is a warning. Now, I don't know if Jesus meant by this that half of those who head toward God's kingdom, half of the church, is just not going to make it. Or if he just gave this as a way of really helping us to be very cautious and very careful with our Christian lives.

You know, if he had said nine were wise and one was foolish, that wouldn't get to us quite as much, would it? But when you think about it, five out of ten were foolish. That really makes you think. And I think Jesus was trying to get us to think more deeply than we normally would. So the kingdom of heaven is like ten virgins who take their lamps and go out to meet the bridegroom.

Now, back in ancient times, it helps us to understand better if we understand some of their marriage customs, some of the customs in the Middle East of that time, and maybe in some parts of the world today. Sometimes a wedding is a big festival for lasting several days, and there's a lot of just—it's a happy time.

And it goes on even for several days. The wedding procession, or the wedding ceremony, in some of the marriage customs, the bridegroom would take his friends, and he would go over to the home of the bride, often maybe in like an afternoon, later in the afternoon, and there'd be certain ceremonies there. But then they would all have a procession, maybe at nightfall they would light up their lamps, their torches, and they would have a procession from the bride's home over to the bridegroom's home.

And there was dancing and music on the way. It was a happy time. And the bridegroom's home, the festivities, really got underway, and formerly got underway, and sometimes would last several days. And everybody in the procession going over to the bridegroom's home was expected to carry a light, a torch, to help delight the way.

And anyone that didn't have a torch might be considered, you know, like even a bandit or one that didn't belong in the wedding party. Everybody was supposed to have a lamp that he would carry on the way. So we have this kingdom of God likened to ten virgins that take their lamps, and they go to meet the bridegroom. And five of them, it says, were wise, and five were foolish.

Now the word wise in the Greek is framimos, p-h-r-o-n-i-m-o-s. It means prudent. Five were prudent. Five were thoughtful. The word means sensible. It means practically wise, practical or wise in practical ways. So these virgins, in other words, were pretty shrewd. They were pretty smart. They were prudent. In the vernacular, we would say they were on the ball. But notice that five of the virgins were foolish. Now the Greek word for foolish is moros, m-o-r-o-s. We get the word moron.

We know someone that is a moron is one that is slow and maybe kind of dumb and maybe kind of stupid. Well, the Greek word moros means about the same thing. It means dull. It means sluggish. So five of these virgins were dull, sluggish, stupid. The Greek word even means that. They were careless. In other words, they were not on the ball. They were not really thinking everything through.

Now the words for wise and foolish can be understood in their application in the message of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said that a wise man, same word in the Greek as here in Matthew 25, a wise man builds his house upon a rock. One that's really on the ball, a wise builder, is going to realize he needs a good foundation for his house. A wise man is going to build his house upon a rock. He's thought it through. He's fruit. He's prudent.

He has wise and practical ways, ways that really work. And he's thought about every angle. So a wise man is just going to have a good foundation for his house. Whereas a foolish man does not. He doesn't worry too much about the foundation. He says, I can just put it anywhere. He doesn't think it through. And as the storm comes along, the foolish man's house is washed away.

So that gives you the practical understanding of wise and foolish. The same words that are used here for wise and foolish in Matthew 25. So five of the virgins were very smart, very prudent. Five of them were certainly careless and sluggish and even stupid. Did not really think it through. Now, we go on to verse 3. And it says that those who were foolish took their lamps, and they took no oil with them. So they had their lamps the same as the wise. But there was one difference here. In verse 4, the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

So both the wise and the foolish took their lamps, and their lamps were burning. And their lamps had a certain amount of oil to sustain them. You know, I remember as a child that my parents did not have electricity until I was about 10 years of age. I remember the old kerosene lamp that my father and mother would light at night.

That's all they would see before bedtime. And this lamp had a wick that could be lit with a match, and it had a shade that would then fit on the top, and it would burn. In the bottom, in a reservoir, this wick went down to a reservoir of kerosene oil that would draw up through the wick and produce the energy for the flame. And so that's how many people lit their homes down through the ages with a lamp of that type.

And so the lamps of the 10 virgins, each one had one, had a wick that was lit with a fire, with a match, and then it had a reservoir of oil that would last for a while.

Now, both the wise and the foolish had that. They had a lamp that was lit, and they had a certain amount of oil in the reservoir that would last for a while. But the wise, the prudent thought, we might need some extra oil. We might run out. There may be some problems.

I don't know if they foresaw that there might be a delay in meeting the bridegroom, but we might need some more than what is in our reservoir. So they took a jar of oil, or a container of oil, on the side. That is smart, isn't it? That's prudent. They looked ahead, and they were ready. Then if something came up where they needed more oil, they would not run out.

So that's the difference. In fact, that's the main difference between the wise and the foolish. The foolish did not look ahead and take care of if they were to need more oil, the wise did. Well, guess what? Verse 5, while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And, you know, there's some meaning there for Christians down through the ages.

Christians down through the ages have thought that Christ might come in their lifetime. Even the early church thought that. And we know that we are getting closer to it today. We still don't know exactly how near we are.

But, you know, there has certainly been opportunity for Christians to let down to think maybe Christ is delaying His coming, like this evil servant did in the previous chapter. So while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight, here they were kind of slumbering, and, you know, they were sleepy. Some of them sleeping.

And at midnight, a cry was heard. Behold, the bridegroom is coming. Go out to meet Him. So all the ten virgins woke up out of their slumber in verse 7. They rose up and trimmed their lamps. What does that mean, to trim your lamp? We'll get to that later. The foolish said to the wise, that's when the foolish realized their mistake. That they had not brought any, an extra vessel of oil. The foolish said to the wise, give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. They saw their lamps flickering. And they said, uh-oh, our lamps are going out. So they knew the wise had brought extra oil, and so they asked them for oil. But the wise answered, no, lest there should not be enough for us and you. But go rather to those who sell and buy for yourselves. So was that selfish of the wise to not share their oil? Well, it's not when you realize that they really, in what this represents, it could not be shared with others anyway. We'll get to that a little bit later as well. So the wise said, go and buy some for yourselves. In verse 10, while they went to buy, then the bridegroom came, and those who were ready. And we can underscore that word ready, because already we've seen it in chapter 24, verse 44, when Jesus said, therefore you also be ready. And here it comes up in the parable as well. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding, and the door was shut. So here they were. Don't you think that, you know, we know this was just a parable, but in the parable, you know, Jesus could have described the happiness and the joy of the wise virgins. How happy they were! They were at the wedding. They had made it. They reached their destination, you might say. Well, they had desired, you know, they had realized, to be a part of this wedding. They went in with him to the wedding. The door was shut. Well, verse 11, afterwards, the other virgins came also, saying, these five foolish virgins, finally they show up. Lord, Lord, open to us! They wanted, they saw that the door was shut. You know how empty they must have felt. Think about it. They had set out to be a part of a wedding, you know. And here, when they finally got there, then the door was shut. And they wanted to get in so badly. But he answered and said, I say to you, I do not know you. I do not know you. We're going to explain more about that just a bit later also. And so Jesus concluded the parable by saying, watch, therefore. Brethren, this goes back to chapter 24, all the events that happened before the Second Coming of Christ. Again, it's a warning for all ages, Christians of all ages, but maybe there's a special warning for us in our time today. Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. We need to be watchful, alert. We need to be ready. Well, let's begin to expound more on this parable. There's much more we can extract from it that can help us as Christians. First of all, let's consider who are these ten virgins? Who are they? Who do they represent? But commentaries point out that in this parable there's no mention of the bride. That's true, isn't it? We have these ten virgins, and they go to meet the bridegroom, but where is the mention of a bride? The bride is simply not mentioned. But we're going to see that the ten virgins play into the bride. Let's read some verses about that. That the church of God, actually, with those that God has called into the church, would be like the ten virgins. The ten virgins would be like the church. And the church is going to meet the bridegroom, Jesus Christ, and to be a part of a wedding.

Let's notice some verses that point this out. 2 Corinthians 11, verses 1 and 2. So there's a bride to be, a bride in the making, in the parable. And it's the church of God, actually. Let's notice some verses that point this out. 2 Corinthians 11, verses 1 and 2. 2 Corinthians 11, verses 1 and 2. You do bear with me in a little folly, and indeed you do bear with me. For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy.

God's ministry is jealous for God's people. We don't want people to go astray. We don't want people to fall short. We don't want anyone to be a foolish virgin. We want everybody to be a wise member of God's church. Paul says, I'm jealous these Corinthians were falling short.

I'm jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you. Now, look at this language here. It's the language of the ten virgins showing that the church of God is what Jesus had in mind. Those who are preparing to be a part of the bride of Christ. I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. And there's not a bride in the parable of the ten virgins, but there is a bride to be. And the church of God is the bride to be.

That is, if we are one of the wise virgins, we will be part of the bride. And to be part of the bride, to be a wise virgin, we must be a chaste virgin. Let's go to Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 22. Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 22, Well, the wives have those things they must work on. Then the husbands have the things they are instructed to do. Verse 25, Just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word.

That he might present it to himself a glorious church. Oh, that chaste virgin we read about. A glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. So God is preparing, and Christ is working as head of the church, to prepare his bride to be without spot and wrinkle, and holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. No one ever yet hated his own flesh, verse 29, but nourishes and cherishes it just as the Lord does the church. We are members of his body and his flesh and his bones.

A man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two become one flesh. But notice verse 32, this marriage relationship is a type of Christ in the church. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ in the church. Now, those ten virgins represent the members of the church of God who are called to become a chaste virgin, who are called to be without spot and blemish, who go forth to meet the bridegroom. Brethren, did you know that right now?

We should picture ourselves as going forward to meet the bridegroom. Are we going as a wise virgin or a foolish virgin? Are we going to be able to reach our destination? Or will we find ourselves coming up short and the door being closed?

Jesus gave this warning in Matthew. It's good for me. It's good for you. That we take a closer look at this morning, this afternoon. It's a warning that we not come up short, that we not be one of the foolish virgins. Let's read some more about how these virgins represent the church. Go to Revelation 7. There's no doubt the ten virgins represent the people of God that God's called out of the world, who are to go forth to meet the bridegroom, Jesus Christ, and become the wife of Jesus Christ at His return.

We're the bride of Christ in the making. That's what the church is. Revelation 7, verse 3, Do not harm the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000 of all the tribes of Israel were sealed. Now let's turn to Revelation 14, and we'll read more about these 144,000.

Revelation 14, verse 1, I looked and behold a lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with them 144,000 having his Father's name written on their foreheads. I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and the voice of loud thunder. I heard the sound of harpists playing upon their harps. They sang as if it were a new song before the throne, the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn that song except 144,000 who were redeemed from the earth.

What kind of people were these? 144,000, verses 4 and 5. These are the ones who were not defiled with women. This is talking primarily about false religion and false churches not defiled with the falsehoods of this world, but certainly not defiled with, literally with women in adulteress and Rome sinful practices either. Not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being first fruits to God and to the Lamb. We know they were spiritual virgins. It doesn't mean they were not married.

The Bible says marriage is honorable. But it's talking here about spiritually they are virgins. They've come out of this world. They are without spot in blemish. They are that chaste virgin preparing to be the bride of Christ. They're preserving themselves for Christ and not a part of this world and its religion. First fruits redeemed from among men. Verse 5, "'In their mouth was found no guile, for they are without fault before the throne of God.'" These are wise virgins here. They are ones who had plenty of oil and completed their journey to meet the bridegroom.

Those who do complete that journey and who do then meet the bridegroom, let's read about what happens to them in Revelation 19. They're going to become the bride of Christ. Right now, the church during this age is being prepared. This is the time when we are being prepared. Let's read beginning in Revelation 19 and the latter part of verse 6. "'Alleluia for the Lord God omnipotent reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory. The refuge of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.'" Notice we saw already the word ready in Matthew 24 and Matthew 25 in the parable itself.

Here it is again. "'His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. He said to me, Right, blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" So these who are arrayed in fine linen, that shows that they are the wise virgins. They are the chaste virgin that has been betrothed to Christ. They are learning to get rid of those spots and blemishes and to be holy and without blemish. So note the word bride does not appear in the parable, but the bride to be is there.

The ten virgins represent the bride to be. And Jesus gave this parable so that we will learn from it that we must be careful to watch and to be ready and be one of the wise virgins, not one of the foolish ones. And the word virgin in the Greek is parthanos, P-A-R-T-H-E-N-O-S. Parthanos, it means a maiden, an unmarried woman, one who has never had sexual intercourse. Let's read about a virgin in Luke 1. Luke 1. And that is the mother, the one that would be the mother of the Son of God.

She was a virgin in Luke 1.26. In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth. To a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph. Now she was like engaged to be married to Joseph. The virgin's name was Mary. Well, Gabriel came to her and he told her, verse 31, You will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son and call his name Jesus. How would you feel if you were a lady and you were a virgin and you were instructed that you're going to conceive in your womb and bring forth a son?

He will be great. Call the Son of the highest. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever of his kingdom. There will be no end. Well, Mary naturally had a question about this in verse 34. She said to the angel, How can this be since I do not know a man? I'm a virgin. I've never had a sexual intercourse with a man. How can I have a son? And the angel explained, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, verse 35. So this certainly illustrates then, you know, on the physical level what a virgin is. And on the spiritual level, it means one that is not defiled with false religion and the false ideas and the false ways of this world, the false churches of this world.

A spiritual virgin then would be one that is chased without spot and blemish, unspotted by the world. I think we had a sermon here about being unspotted from the world recently.

And that's what a spiritual virgin is. A spiritual virgin then is one that is pure in Biblical, Christian doctrine and character, chased and pure and clean, and not defiled or spotted by the ways of this world. Brethren, the ten virgins then represent the church as the church prepares to become the bride of Christ and the medium that is returned. And that Jesus gave this parable serves as a warning. Hey, everyone is called to become a part of that chased bride of Jesus Christ. But if you're not careful, if you're not watchful and do not maintain a state of readiness, you can fall short.

And in the end, run out of, let's say, power and not make it to what you set out to do. And that is to make it to God's kingdom and become a part of the bride of Christ. It's a warning. What about the lamps? Let's consider two or three other things. We've thought a lot about who the virgins are, but what about the lamps that they carry? Again, they were lit. They had a certain amount of oil that would last a while just from their own reservoir.

Ultimately, it would use up that oil in the reservoir and it would flicker and go out. Well, what about the lamps? The wives had plenty of oil to keep their lamps burning. Well, the lamps represented, actually, the way of life that we are to live. What kind of life are we to live? It's one that illuminates out. We're to be a light.

A Christian is walking in a dark world just like those virgins. They went out into darkness. So we go out in a dark world and we are the lamp. Through God's Holy Spirit, we are to be a light to the world. Jesus said, let your light shine. Let your example, the kind of person that you are, the kind of life that you live, let it shine. Would it be a light?

Would it be a lamp to the world walking around in a dark world? And so, a Christian life is a lamp. We keep God's laws and God's laws are called a lamp. And as we keep those laws, we illuminate, a light goes out. The world doesn't comprehend it. One day they will. When your neighbors and family members hear that you keep the Sabbath, do you think that is a light to them? It is. They may not comprehend it right now. One day they will. And they'll glorify God when they do understand it.

We keep the Holy Days. I'm thinking about friends and family members of my own. And an example is being said, a light is being shown to family members, friends, fellow workers, neighbors. We're going around as a light as we keep God's laws. God's laws are like a lamp that lights up our path. And God's Spirit in us at work and Christ in us lights us up. We're a light. We're a lamp. And we're to keep that lamp burning. Let that lamp burn brightly as we display God's way of life. Let's turn to John 1, rather, in verse 6. John 1.

We are that lamp. The life that we live is a lamp, a light in the world. In John 1, verse 6, there was a man sent from God whose name was John. John the Baptist. This man came for a witness to bear witness to the light that all through him might believe. He was not that light. John the Baptist was not that light. But he was sent to bear witness of that light.

That, and talking about Jesus Christ, that was the true light that gives light to every man who comes into the world. And so when we are converted, and when we repent and are baptized and receive God's Spirit, and Christ begins to live in us, then guess what? We are given light. Our life is lit up, and we begin to shine a powerful light in the darkened world all around us.

What about the oil? We know the oil provided the power or the energy for the lamp. And without the oil, there would be no light. So the oil represents the power of God's Holy Spirit. It represents the Spirit of Christ working in us. And as we are attached to the vine, and the vine is Christ, then the power of God's Spirit comes into us and lights up our lives.

And so it is the oil represents the power of God's Holy Spirit at work in our lives. And we have to let that light shine brightly. What about the vessels? The wise took an extra jar of oil. What does that represent? It means that they had plenty of the Holy Spirit, so they would not run out of power and energy. You know, we also need a plentiful supply of God's Spirit, don't we?

And God is very willing to give us His Spirit. We just have to ask Him for it every day. You know, there's no excuse for running low on power. God wants to give us the power of His Holy Spirit, but we do have to ask Him for it. So if you're running, if you're kind of flickering in your life, if you have discouragement, or you feel not as close to God as you should be, ask God for more of His Spirit.

And God's so willing to give us more of His Spirit. He'll turn up the flow. You know, it's just like turning the phosodon. If God's Spirit is just kind of dribbling into our lives and our lights are flickering, let's ask God to turn the volume up and give us more of His Spirit. He's very willing to do that.

Brethren, you know, the wise then are wise because they were filled with God's Spirit. That's what it represents. They had a plentiful supply of God's Holy Spirit. They were making sure that they were ready. They were making sure they were not going to run out of that power and that energy. In other words, they were walking with God, and they were filled with the Spirit of God. Now, what about this question? The wise would not share their oil with the foolish. Was that selfish? No. In the parable, Jesus is showing that a person, a Christian, being prepared and ready does not transfer to someone else. You cannot prepare and watch and be ready for somebody else. You can't do it for your wife. You can't do it for another church member. You can only do it for yourself, right? You can't prepare for somebody else. And so Jesus is showing that preparedness is an individual matter. It cannot be transferred from one Christian to another. And that we must each watch and be prepared individually for ourselves. That's the bottom line. The foolish, then, simply were weak, they were half-hearted, and they were lacking in the Spirit of God. In other words, they were careless about their salvation. They were dull. They were not really prepared to see it through to the end. Whereas the wise were prepared to see it through all the way to when they met the bridegroom. The wise were determined, I'm going to finish and reach my destination. I'm going to go all the way to meet the bridegroom. So two or three things to remember. This parable says, be watchful and be constantly ready. This parable tells us to be filled with God's Holy Spirit. Have an extra vessel, you might say, have an extra amount of God's Holy Spirit flowing into our lives. Turn to Philippians 1, verse 19. That'd be a good verse to keep in mind as far as having a plentiful supply of God's Spirit. I tell you what, I think all of us could use more of God's Spirit, don't you? I could use more of it. What about you? I think we all need more of the Spirit of God, and God is so willing to give it to us. Philippians 1, verse 19, I know that this will turn out from my salvation through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. I like that, don't you? The word supply. And what about an abundant supply of God's Holy Spirit, where God's Spirit is flowing into us? I tell you what, I like to have it flowing into me more and more all the time, and I know you would too. So let's be filled with God's Spirit, have that supply, a plentiful supply of God's Holy Spirit. And then another thing is to stay busy doing the work of God, because that is really what keeps us focused in the right direction. Have our hearts fully involved in doing the work of God. Our own personal growing and overcoming, also preaching the gospel to the world.

Let's begin to wrap things up, then. Brethren, the parable, when you think about it, is sobering, isn't it? Five...the ten virgins represent people that God's called out of the world to go and meet the bridegroom.

That is, go and become a part of the bride of Christ. But it ends up that five were wise and five were foolish.

And so it is sobering.

Notice that...we notice that all ten virgins, though, set out with the same goal in mind. All ten of them wanted to become a part of the bridegroom.

The wise and the foolish went to meet the bridegroom. The foolish expected to meet the bridegroom just as much as the wise when they set out.

The foolish did not expect the door to be closed on them.

One of the supreme lessons of this parable is that, will some that God has called to the church not realize their desire, their lifelong desire even, to enter the kingdom of God? Will they be rejected because they really were not walking closely with God? They were not really preparing. They were not really making themselves ready to be a part of the bride of Christ.

I tell you, to be made ready, that means a lot. It means our attitude, our way of life. Everything about us has to be made ready to be a part of that chaste bride of Jesus Christ. Those who were ready, those who do go through that process of being made ready, will go in, and those who are not made ready will fall short. It's a frightening thing also that at the end of the parable, it brings out that the foolish there, Jesus in the parable, said that the foolish will come and knock on the door and want to get in, and they will be told that I never knew you. That ties in with Matthew 7. What does it mean that Christ said, I never knew you, or I do not know you? Matthew 7 helps us a little bit on that. What does it mean for God to know us? I think we need to ask God in our prayers, God, please get to know me. Know that my heart is right in your sight. Know that I want to do your will. Know that I don't want anything in my life that is not right. I think we need to ask God, please get to know me. I don't want to have you say to me someday, I do not know you. That's what happens in verse 12 of the parable, Matthew 25. I do not know you. We don't want that to happen to us. How could that happen? Well, one that doesn't really live his life in a proper way, close to God and seeking God's will and walking with God. Matthew 7, verse 21, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but who will it be? He that does the will of my Father in heaven, that's what it takes to get ready, doing the will of God, and understanding God's will, not our own. Strive in to obey him with all of our hearts and minds, and loving the Lord our God with all of our hearts and minds. He who does the will of my Father in heaven. Well, many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and done many wonders in your name? This would even seem to indicate like ministers, right? You have served in teaching and ministering. That's kind of a frightening thing to think about. So, you know, even... And could some of us, you know, could we say, well, you know, I went to church every week, I went to Holy... But what if we still aren't really walking with God? You know, we could still come up short. We need to ask God to help that not to happen to us. Verse 23, it goes on to say, Then I will declare to them, I never knew you. I never really got to know you. And God gets to know us as we obey Him and as we keep His laws and worship Him with all of our hearts and minds. And it goes on to say, Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. And so we do have to get rid of those spots and blemishes and anything that is disobedient to God's laws will certainly be lawlessness.

So at the end of the parable where it says, No, you can't come in. The door is shut. I never knew you. Or I do not know you. That certainly makes us take note. And it makes us realize that those who are left out never really developed a relationship with God. They never really developed a relationship with God. So how are we doing in that relationship that is the most important one of all? We don't want to ever have God to say to us, I do not know you. We should even pray, God do get to know me. Know that my thoughts and my attitude and my heart are right. If there's something wrong, then please help me to overcome it. Because I don't want to come up short in my relationship with you. We want God to really know us through and through. You know, this parable then is sobering, isn't it? And it's good for us that we have studied it this afternoon. I think it helps us. It's not there to hurt us. It's not there to discourage us. It's there to help us to be a wise virgin, not a foolish one. One final thought is that remember the virgins when they woke up, the midnight cry was made, and that the bridegroom was coming, and they all woke up out of their slumber, and what did they do? They trimmed their lamps. That's what it says. They trimmed their lamps. Now, the word trim, what does that mean, to trim your lamp? The word trim in the Greek is kosmao, K-O-S-M-E-O. It comes from the same Greek word as cosmos, and cosmos is often translated world. Now, there's a wrong application of world when you think of evil society, and this evil world or society all around us. But there's a good side or meaning of cosmos. God made the world. He made the physical creation, the universe. It's beautiful. And there's nothing wrong with that. The word kosmao simply means to put in proper order. The virgins then arose out of their slumber, and they trimmed their lamps. They put their lamps in proper order. They grabbed hold of it. They maybe turned up the light a little bit. That's when the foolish discovered that they were running out of oil. They discovered their mistake. But the word trim means to put in proper order. And today, you know, time is short, and every day is important. And should we not be trimming our lamps? Our lamps is our life, the life that we live. Should we not be trimming our lamps all the time? That is, should we not be setting our lives in order before God all the time? I think we should. We should be letting Christ adorn our lives. The word kosmao means also adorn, or decorate, or garnish. We should let Jesus Christ, through God's Spirit, live in us, and decorate, and garnish, and adorn our lives. So, brethren, let's learn from the parable of the ten virgins. Let's trim our lamps. Let's keep our lives in proper order before God.

Let's keep our lives in proper order before God.