MK040 Sermons
Being Ready (Audio)
My wife and I were celebrating an anniversary and our daughter at that time was just about one year old and so she was small enough and she wasn't moving around a whole lot so we kind of take her with us where we were where we're going to go. And she said, Christine said why don't we go to the inn at Reddy and have a real nice lunch buffet at that time and we'd really enjoyed that before so we thought let's go there. So we went and we're enjoying this nice lunch together on our anniversary and we start to smell an odor and it wasn't smelling too good and it wasn't the food. And so you can imagine what happened you know she had had an accident and so it was to be in our anniversary I said I'll take care of it for you you know so I said give me the diaper bag I'll go in the bathroom and I'll take care of things so I picked up the diaper bag and took her in the bathroom and well you can imagine what happened this little accident kind of exploded a little bit beyond the the edges of the thing that's supposed to hold it in there you know the diaper and so now it was kind of leaking out all over the clothes and they were kind of a mess and it was kind of a disaster. And so as I kind of prepared to strip her down and figure out what to do I had kind of taken all the nasty stuff off and I opened the bag to get all the good stuff and I went looking for wipes and I couldn't find any wipes and then I went looking for a diaper and I couldn't find a diaper and then I went looking for some new clothes and there were no clean clothes in there so I don't know why we had the diaper bag I just want you know decoration I guess you know but so you know I did what any father would do I got her up next to the sink and washed her off in the sink and wrapped her all up with some paper towels you know and and said went out and Christine said can't we stay for dessert and I said we're going let's go and that ended that real quickly and and there's many other stories about not being prepared for things when when we need to be prepared that often happen in our lives but that's just one example of we should have been prepared for that and yet we were not in that specific situation and we can look back and laugh on that you know but there's things in our culture there's things that we are aware of that remind us that there's a potential difficult situation and we need to be prepared and I want us to look at a few of these when we see this on this going to come up on the screen we know that there's some kind of and it then the colors go up we know that there's some kind of an elevated alert that we need to pay attention to and and whether it's you know suspicious behavior or bags in the airport when that alert goes up we know that we need to pay attention and there's something that we should be doing when we see this next picture show up when you see a thunderstorm coming what should you do get out of the water how about that for starters you know get out of the water if you're on the golf course and you see a dark cloud you better get off the golf course you know so you know you need to go someplace with shelter someplace that'll keep you covered because the storms are coming when you hear this sound what should you do anybody know I have no idea I've been hearing this sound all my life since I was a little kid they put the thing on TV on the radio I have no idea if somebody knows what you're supposed to do when you hear that sound please come tell me afterwards I'd like to know how about this next picture go the next one what are you supposed to do go find something now you're supposed to pick the baby up you're supposed to hold them you know you're supposed to try to comfort them because you don't want the child to cry how about this next one what are you supposed to do when you see this go buy bread and milk right I don't know why you have to buy bread and milk you got a house full of food plenty of food keep you alive for three weeks but you got a guy bread and milk you know and and so we kind of know that there's these things that happen in our culture in our lives when when there's an alert when there's a warning there should be something we should do and you know this morning as I talked to the group of you we all kind of are on this continuum of how we respond to preparation for emergencies some of you are very very prepared that's kind of the way you live life you know you always have a little extra you always have a little bit more you know you're kind of a walking medical emergency kit if something happens you know and then there's the other side of the continuum where you rarely have anything when there's a problem and your model in life is what's the worst thing that could happen you know and you're always trying to find the people who are always prepared and have things ready for you when you need them in emergencies and so I don't know where you are on that continuum of preparation for emergencies but this morning we're going to talk about being prepared being prepared and we're going to look at a story that Jesus told to a group of his followers about being prepared and if you haven't been with us throughout the summer we've been looking at these stories of Jesus and the stories of Jesus are designed with a purpose and I think what the purpose they are designed to accomplish is when Jesus first began his ministry here on the earth he preached a sermon called the Sermon on the Mount and we spent some time last year looking at that and then all throughout his ministry he tells these stories and he weaves in and out of these stories phrases and concepts and truths that are part of that sermon on the Mount it's as if he wants us to see him high death this is what that meant that I was talking about to you back then and like oh now I get it now I get it and the amazing thing about these stories is as we're listening to these stories they nearly always go a direction that we are not expecting they surprise us and not only do they go a direction we're not expecting sometimes we find ourselves in the middle of that story and we find ourselves blindsided by Jesus this morning if you're here and someone invited you to church or someone conjured to come in or maybe you haven't been to church and you came back for a while and you're exploring things about faith and things about God and what Jesus is all about the message this morning is probably going to be a little unsettling to you but I want you invite you to stay with me all the way through so you see what he's talking about if you have your Bibles with you this morning if you would turn to Matthew 25 Matthew 25 if you don't have a Bible you have a device you can connect to our wireless network here and find it on you version and you can follow along there the guys have some Bibles and they're passing those out as well and as they're passing those out and you're looking for the book of Matthew I'm going to read the first couple verses in the story so Matthew chapter 25 is where we're going to be this morning it says at that time the kingdom of heaven will be like 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom five of them were foolish and five were wise the foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them the wise ones however took oil and jars along with their lamps the bridegroom was a long time in coming and they all became drowsy and fell asleep as we talked about the parable is one of the most important things when you're reading a parable is to think about who is listening to this parable because sometimes in understanding who the parable is for it helps make sense out of it and in this parable you actually have to go back to the previous chapter to chapter 24 verse 3 to find out who the parable who was listening to the parable in Matthew chapter 23 24 verse 3 Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives his disciples came to him privately so this is just likely the 12 disciples maybe a few others and they said tell us when will this happen some of the things Jesus is going to talk about and what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age you see Jesus had been telling them that I'm going to be leaving but I'm coming back again they're like when tell us when we want to know when when you coming and we want to be ready for this and and Jesus goes on in verse 36 of that same chapter he says but about the day or the hour no one knows not even the angels of heaven nor the son I don't even know but only the father he says nobody knows when I'm coming back except the father nobody and then he has these words in verse 42 therefore keep watch because you don't know what day the Lord is going to come and so that's kind of the backdrop for this story that he tells and as he tells the story he begins this parable unlike hardly any other parable because he says this story is like the kingdom of heaven this story is like what happens in heaven where God is in charge and Jesus is ruling his king this is like what happens there and he's using it as a comparison for us to understand what that's like says if he peels back the curtain and gives us a glimpse and says this is what that place is like and then he goes on to tell a story and he doesn't really set the foundation but set it up until a little later but he's talking about a wedding some of you commented to me that you know you've seen some pictures on Facebook of the wedding that Christine and I were involved in yesterday I had the privilege to perform the ceremony for Chauncey and Emily Messner and beautiful ceremony and excited for them as they start this new journey together and just a gorgeous gorgeous day but the way weddings happen back then is slightly different than the way weddings happen now and so to understand the story we have to talk a little bit about that women were usually married between the ages of 12 and 13 that's when they would be married in that culture men would be between the ages of 18 to 30 the wedding the before the wedding was a betrothal period a betrothal period is usually take place at the bridegroom's home where he would announce his desire to be married and often marriages were arranged in those days so fathers and mothers would arrange with another father and mother and so you usually did not have a choice about the person that you were going to marry that's a scary thought for those of you that are getting close to that age you know but this betrothal what would take place is they would be the commitment to marry and then the bride would leave and go back to her parents home the bridegroom would then stay at his parents home and he would often build a home sometimes attached to the home sometimes right on the same property and however long it took for him to build that house it could be a short period of time if he had some resources and made a good living it could be up to two or three years and after that was done he would and he would communicate to his bride somehow that it's time for the wedding celebration he would get a bunch of his cohorts together we would call it a bridal party and they would make their way to the bride's home and they would make their way to the bride's home there would be a great celebration a great party that would take place and then after the party with the bridegroom leading they would form a Congo line behind them and they would wander through the whole town no they really didn't do a Congo line but you guys were like really believing me I was pretty a little scary but no they would form a processional you know we call it a Congo line but you know they would form a processional and they would make lots of noise because they wanted to announce to the whole town the whole village everybody in the village would know because the village in those days were about the size of our whole church and so everybody would know about this great event that had taken place and so they would make their way back to the bridegroom's house and that's where they would have a wedding feast and so that's the backdrop of everything that's happened as we get to the story what the bridegroom had done is he had selected 10 individuals to be there with lanterns lit ready to welcome them there that's what their role was it's very interesting that Jesus chose to identify the people to welcome them there as being ten virgins now think about this for a minute the bridegroom selected ten young unmarried women to be there guarding the house for him you know usually it was men but one of the things Jesus did consistently throughout his teaching is to elevate the role of women in a culture that suppressed the role of women constantly he did that constantly and so these women as it goes on to describe in the story they're described in verse two as five of them were foolish and five of them were wise and the story goes on to explain how do we know the full it why were they foolish and why were they wise it goes on to say in verse three the foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them you say well why would they take a lamp with no oil well likely the lamps were lit with some oil already in them so how do you know that look at the next verse the wise ones however took oil in jars along with their lamps they didn't know how long they would have to wait and the wise one took their lamps with oil in them and took another jar along it was very common in that day for any woman who traveled at night to have a lamp some reasons are obvious to know where she was going to be able to light her way it was also kind of a source of protection because others could see her but it was also a source of reputation because a woman without a light in the dark at night was probably soliciting other men and so women for reputation sake would always carry a lamp and so these young women not only for the celebration of the event but also their reputation had lamps but the five of the women the five foolish ones did not bring the extra jar of oil so it's been a long day they've been out in the heat all day the sun starts to set they've been on their feet they start to sit down because they've been they're tired they start to sit down there's still nothing happening they kind of set their lamps down and kind of put their heads down and they're asleep and they're asleep and we don't know how long they're asleep but at midnight the cry comes out he's coming he's coming he's coming they're coming they're coming they're coming it's kind of like the announcement about the couple that they're finally here yesterday in the ceremony Chauncey and Emily were so excited about being married they took off down the aisle before I was even able to pronounce them you know pronounce them mr. and mrs. Chauncey mister they just took off oh I guess they're excited about that you know but this is the pronouncement the celebration the announcement that they're coming they're all kind of wake up and it says in the next verse it says all the virgins woke up and they trimmed their lamps and then their lamps likely would have have a wick and that wick would have collected the oil so they could continue to burn and so the wick would have burned down low and and the wick likely had gone out and used up all the oil in the bottom so they would trim off the old the old top part of the wick and then pull it back up and then put some more oil down in the bottom and then relight their lamps and the foolish one said to the wise one give us some oil our lamps are going out and it's at this part in the story where you kind of expect to hear some of the things that Jesus has been saying don't you you know you kind of expect him to hear some things like you know love your neighbor or when someone asked you to go one mile you go two miles or someone asked you to give them the coat off your back you give them your your your shoes and your scarf as well and you kind of expect Jesus to say something like that and then say to the foolish women that you know you should have been prepared and now the next time you'll know to be prepared when this kind of thing happened that would seem consistent with what Jesus would the way Jesus would tell a story but that's not what they said look in verse 9 no they replied there may not be enough for both of us and you instead go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves good luck with that no walmart's open 24/7 in the land of Israel in the first century you know are they supposed to go buy oil it's midnight it's the middle of the night for goodness sake but these individuals that were wise they have enough discernment to not only prepare for that situation but to know if I give it to you and mine goes down I won't have enough to continue with the responsibility that I have and so you're gonna have to go find some yourself and they were sent off to do that verse 10 but while they were on their way to buy the oil the bridegroom arrived arrived it's like missing that moment when the bride walks down the aisle because you were late or you got stuck behind a stupid buggy you know on a hill and a curve you know doesn't never happen to me but it says the virgins who were then ready went in with him to the wedding banquet and look at this next phrase the door was shut that has the sense of I just kind of envision in my mind kind of this just massive door that you kind of to get open you know anybody ever been to union barrel works over in Reemstown they got that big door in the back you pull that big door open and that is a massive door then comes flying back behind you and boom it shuts there's another place in the Bible where a door got shut where warning went out that was the story of Noah Noah warned people said you're running out of time you're running out of time you better get on the boat they're like oh I got plenty of time Noah you know no you need to come now and then God shut that door and when God shut that door there was no second chance well they must have found somebody open all night maybe it was a maybe it was a turkey hill I don't know but they came and found their oil and they came to the door and they said Lord Lord they said open the door for us open the door for us and again you kind of expect Jesus to say all right well did you learn your lesson that time do you understand that you need to be prepared when things like this happen and that was foolish actions on your part this will cost you greatly in the future if you don't learn from this and change your ways and do things differently come on in not what he says it's not what he says first twelve he replied truly I tell you I don't know you I don't know you kind of stunning words you say but I don't understand and the story obviously the bridegroom would have known them because he invited them to come and have this important role and I don't get it I don't get it sometimes that phrase I don't know you were words that were spoken when a a disciple was following a certain person and that relationship ended and they were cut off reminds me of some verses in the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus said that were very similar Matthew chapter seven Jesus said these words he said many will say to me on that day Lord Lord did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles then I will tell them plainly I never knew you I never knew you but they did all these good things and they do it in the name of Jesus and I don't know who you are you know the wedding I was at yesterday an individual came up to me and they said do you know who I am I was like I really don't you're gonna have to help me with this and they said well you know we're friends of Dave and Alex and we came to your church a few times about four or five years ago and as they started talking I was kind of the faces were kind of coming in for oh yeah yeah I remember who you were and started to reconnect and I had known them a little bit and just reconnected and other people came up to me and said I know you don't know who I am and they would tell me how they knew Chauncey and Emily and introduce themselves we talk about something but Jesus says to these individuals I don't know who you are I don't know who you are and that word no is a word that's used all throughout the Bible to speak of relationship of relationship and Jesus literally says I don't have any relationship with you closes the sweet of these words he says keep watch because you don't know the day or the hour you don't know the day or the hour you know most of you know we have a little dog she's a beagle and and when we leave our house and we're going somewhere this is what we usually see at the back door when we leave our house you know she's there waiting for us you know till we return you know hopeful that she could come with us unfortunately your hopes are often crushed you know but if you had a hidden camera inside our house as soon as our car gets down the driveway and around the corner this is where you find her snoozing on the blanket she's not ready she's not waiting it's not waiting so maybe you're asking yourself the question how do I get ready because this message from Jesus it says some really some things that kind of shake us one of the things it says is that there might be an opportunity when I don't get another chance we all know that about life and death that when death comes there's no second chance but I don't know how often we think about that with Jesus when death comes there's no second chance another message from this story is that not everyone is going to get in that door some people believe that God is a loving God and a benevolent God and and anyone as long as they're a good person can come in that door and that's Jesus says no that door is going to be shot and some are going to be on the outside trying to get in and say I have no relationship with you this message is also clear that some people will not be ready when Jesus comes back some will not be ready and he said there's no way for you to know when this is going to happen Jesus says I don't even know because the father is going to say now and he's going to be here so the question to ask yourself is how do I get ready how do I get ready well as much as I'm glad you're here this morning and I hope you come back next week coming here every week it's not going to get you ready it's a good thing the in baptized isn't going to get you ready Karen for the poor isn't going to get you ready so all good things and important things and Jesus talks about all of those things you know serving others and being a small group and loving others like we talk about here at CCC all important things but they're not going to be the things that get you ready you say John how do I get ready as a couple parts of that getting ready that are easy in one part that's not one of the things that's I think an easy part of this process is just to admit that I make mistakes that I sin I don't think that's too hard I think with we took a poll and said how many of you in the last 24 hours did said thought something you know you shouldn't have probably all put our hands in here and the next part of that is to say is to believe that that sin is something that separates me from God and God loves us so much that he sent Jesus to this earth and when he died on the cross it wasn't just something we celebrate Easter he died on that cross to take my sin so there's nothing between me and God so believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins not a hard step to take I think I can believe that one but how about the third one the third step is to invite Jesus into my life to begin a relationship with him invite Jesus into my life Revelation 320 Jesus is speaking about to a church he's talking about this church that had left him and wandered away for him and he said behold I stand at the door and knock of our hearts and our lives he said if anyone will open the door I will come in and I will sit down and have a meal with him and he with me I don't know about you but I don't invite strangers to my dinner table and invite people that I want to have a relationship with I have a relationship with and that's what Jesus is offering you today he's offering you to invite him in and he says if you do in John 112 he says as many as received him to them he gave the right or privilege or authority to become sons and daughters of God he said you become part of my family you become one of my kids you become my own they say well John I think I've already done that what should I be doing come back next week and we're gonna talk about that but the question I want every person in this room to ask yourself is are you ready as I was preparing for this I was kind of wrestling with it thinking God why why is this a message for these are these are people coming into church these are church going people but remember who the parable was to Jesus the disciples the people that have given up everything they were following him he said I don't know where each of you are maybe he did know because he was God I'm not sure but he said you every single one of you have to determine are you ready are you ready not what have you done but are you ready and have you invited Jesus into your life to begin a relationship not have you prayed a prayer some time but have you invited Jesus in to begin a relationship with you so that's the first question to ask are you ready for Jesus return if you're not sure you're ready I want to invite you to begin that relationship with him today John how do I do that in a moment I'm gonna pray and that's an opportunity for you not just to go through a ritual but to express your heart to God about your desire to have a relationship with Jesus I say John I'm not really sure I've got some questions about this well I'd love to talk to you or or Tim was up here or Johnny or maybe someone who came with you and if you do decide that is a decision you want to make today we would love to celebrate that with you because the Bible says if you make that when you make that decision that the angels in heaven are throwing a party in your name so would you bow your heads and pray with me as we go to prayer if you just have this sense that I'm not really ready I've I'm just not ready maybe church and spiritual things is something you did a long time ago and you're like boy if I had to stand before Jesus today I know I'm not ready I just want to invite you to acknowledge that you know that you're a sinner and just in your thoughts tell God that you believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and then invite him into your life to be your savior and to be your Lord God and sometimes it's hard for us to read a story like this that was told nearly two thousand years ago and still believe that this is going to happen God believe will we believe that you are not only our creator and the sustainer of life but you have a plan for all of time and part of that plan is that one day Jesus is coming back and when I just pray that you would help each person here to examine their hearts and where they're at in their journey and or if they're not ready in today's a day for them to say God I want to be ready I don't want to be outside that door I don't want to be left outside I don't want to be unprepared and I want to begin a relationship with Jesus I get what he's done for me and I know I don't deserve it and I know he's this is all about grace that we sang about earlier giving me what I do not deserve and I can't ever earn it God as they pray and invite you into their lives may their hearts be filled with a sense of peace and subtleness that only you can bring or for others with questions that are still searching and and wondering about this Lord I pray that they would continue their search continue their journey continue to wrestle with who is this God and what is he offering to me and to walk away with that question ringing in their hearts and minds am I ready for Jesus to come God I thank you for this this truth from your word that invites us to be prepared one day meet you in your name we pray amen thank you John [BLANK_AUDIO]