Matthew chapter 25, entitled
this message, A Parable of Division. A Parable of Division. In this chapter, you are going
to, we will see that there are three parables. Every one of
them is a parable of division. You have first the ten virgins,
the wise and the foolish. Then you have the parable of
the servants. You have the faithful servants
and the unfaithful servants. And then the last parable is
that of the division between the sheep and
the goats, the last division that God will make. in his judgment
seat. Now to preface this I want us
to see again why these parables were given. Our Lord having now
departed the temple and taking with him his glory and the life
from those ordinances and laws of the temple. This was because
he had fulfilled all the law and ordinances that pictured
him. And so Jesus says in Matthew
23 in verse 38 to the Jews, He says, Behold, your house is left
unto you desolate, desolate. Friends, there will be no more
temple worship. There will be no more earthly
temple in Jerusalem, in Palestine ever again. There will be no
more sacrifices offered on that spot. And if they were, God's
not in them. And I say this to warn you. Listen
to me. There are wolves in sheep's clothing
that are going about trying to extract and extortion money based
on feelings for Jerusalem. for that land in Palestine. And many of them believe that
before Christ comes, they will raise another temple on that
mount and offer sacrifices to God. That will not happen. That will not happen. Do not
be deceived by them. Do not be deceived. That dispensation
and that worship is past. All of that pictured the Lord
Jesus Christ and now that He has come and fulfilled those
things, they are no longer necessary. They're done away with. I know
many of you may not see this, but I was speaking a few years
back to a Jewish fellow and He professed faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ. And as we were talking in manner
of conversation, he came and asked me, he said, hey, we're
having Passover, you want to come? He called it a Seder. I guess that's a New Testament
Passover, I don't know. And I go, why in the world would
I want to go to a Passover feast? Christ is the Passover. He has fulfilled that Old Testament
ordinance, that Old Testament feast. Just as He has fulfilled
the picture of all the law, even as He has fulfilled the picture
of the Sabbath day, the feast of tabernacles, the great day
of atonement, the incense that were offered, all of those outward
religious ceremonies were to picture Christ. And now that
the real has come, what do I need the picture for? I keep remembering
this, before my wife and I were married, before Cheryl and I
were married, she went to Tennessee to get ready to come back and
we were to be married. I had a picture of her on my
truck, near my speedometer, put a picture right there. And I
love that picture. That reminded me of her. Every
time I got in, I looked down in my heart, you know, the fluttery
feelings you feel when you're in love and that kind of thing.
I felt all those emotions. And that picture was great. But
when she came, I no longer needed the picture. She was here. Christ
is here. We have no more need of the picture. He's here. He's come. These ordinances are not the
ordinances of the church, are not the ordinances of God upon
His church, but these are observed by men who will not let the law
go. Now listen, I want you to mark
this down and keep this wherever you go. A church that has the most ceremony
and rituals has the least truth. That's just so. That's just so. A church that has the most ceremony
has the least truth. Even consider this, because they
ain't got time for preaching. If they're wrapped up in ceremony
and song and music and pageants, they're not, they don't have
any time for preaching. There's no truth there. No truth. Believer, Jesus Christ has left
that temple desolate, but I'll tell you this, fills
his church. The temple is desolate but his
church is not. His church is not. Go over to
Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2. Look at verse 19. now therefore you are no more
strangers and foreigners see we were Gentiles we at one time
were strangers and foreigners so long as that temple stood
so long as that we were we could go there we only had to be on
the outside But now, we are fellow citizens. Now that that temple
is done away with, now that the veil has been ran into by the
blood of Christ, we all are allowed access who believe on Christ. We are fellow citizens with the
saints and of the household of God. And are built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ, himself being the
chief cornerstone. in whom all the building fitly
framed together groweth." Look at that, a growing building.
A growing building. This house is a living house.
This house is a living building. "...groweth unto a holy temple
in the Lord, in whom you also are builded together for inhabitation
of God." through the spirit. You know that that temple is
where God dwelt. You know where God dwells now?
In his saints, in you. Know you not you are the temple
of the living God. So then what makes up the church?
What makes up the church? You do. You are the church. I was listening to a message
and somebody was telling me, telling about this church, a
Baptist hospital had a church on their property and they couldn't
tear down that building until they desanctified it. As though
the building had some kind of holiness to it. Look at me, this
building has no holiness to it. It's a building. It's a building. You are the church. You are the
church of God. You are the household of God.
And where His people gather, that's where Christ is. That's where He is. And the ordinances which He left
us are not those Old Testament ordinances, but these are the
ordinance of the church. You are the church of God. Listen
to the ordinances of God. They are baptism, the Lord's
Supper, and church membership. These are the ordinances of God
to you and me. I'll show it to you. Go over
to Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2. And verse 41, after Peter preached
the gospel to them, listen what happened. Then they gladly received
his word. What does that mean? They were
believers. The church is made up of who?
Believers, those who gladly received the message of the gospel of
Jesus Christ. And listen, those who gladly
received, what happened? They received His Word, were
baptized. Believers in Jesus Christ, we
who believe, have been baptized. Now baptism is not salvation. It is a profession of faith. If you've been baptized, realize
that that water did nothing for you. All it did was you was making
a profession of faith. You were confessing that Jesus
Christ is your Savior. You identify with Him in His
death, in His burial, and His resurrection. You place all of
your soul on Him, and now you want to confess it to everyone.
How do you do that? Well, you don't come down here.
You don't come to just tell me. Go be baptized. Come and be baptized. That's what he said. That's an
ordinance of this church. And we gladly baptize those who
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And then what happened? Look.
And the same day were added unto them about 3,000 souls. Man,
that would be a good, oh I'd love to see something like that,
but oh. And listen, they continued steadfastly
in the apostles doctrine and fellowship. What is that? Public
worship. They met together and heard the
apostles doctrine. You know, you hear that every
time you come here. I don't want to give you anything
else but what the apostles and the prophets have told before.
Have I given you anything new since I've been here? Have I
ever preached anything new? No. I don't preach anything new. I preach the apostles' doctrine.
And you and I fellowship. We come together and worship.
And in the breaking of bread, what's that? That's the Lord's
table. So they met together, they heard the preaching of the
gospel, they were baptized, they believed, and they fellowshiped
around this gospel. They joined themselves together. That's church membership. Church
membership is not just putting your name on a list. Church membership
is actually being committed to the local assembly of believers. Look at me. I'm committed to
you. Have I not proven that? Have I not proven that I'm committed
to this work? You see, I'm a member of this
church. And you who are believers and
joined to this church, you should be as committed as I am. You who are members, you should
be as committed as I am. Paul said, follow me as I follow
Christ. You should be committed to this
work as I am. They continue, notice this, daily. How often did they meet? How
often was their services? Daily, daily. Now our services are not daily,
are they? We meet three times a week. I preach the gospel three times
a week here in this place. I'm committed to that. And you who are members of this
church should be committed to that. Committed to hear it. Not to puff me up. Not to puff
yourselves up. You should do it because Christ
is here. You should do it because you
are the church of God. You are the temple of the living
God. The psalmist writes, behold how
good And how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in
unity. Isn't that? I'll tell you what
I am. I am very thankful that God has kept the world out of
this church for the most part. I am. I'm very thankful because
we who are believers are sinners ourselves. Therefore, we should,
as Paul said, endeavor, strive to keep the unity of the brethren,
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Even because we who believe on
Jesus Christ are the body of Christ and He is our head. Listen, I'm your pastor. I'm
your pastor and I'm giving authority over you, not to Lord over you, but authority to be your servant. You not understand that this
is what I'm doing. I'm serving you. When I prepare
the messages, I get fed. But when I'm preaching, that's
for you. That's for you. I'm your servant to feed you
the gospel. I'm your servant to love and
care for your body and your soul. I am sent of God not to give
you my opinion, but to declare the Word of God as plainly as
I possibly can. I desire nothing more than to
make a distinct sound in your ear and preach Jesus Christ to
you." The Apostle said, preach the gospel, Timothy, in season
and out of season. In other words, when it's popular
and when it's not popular. When it's in vogue and when it's
out of vogue, that doesn't matter. Preach the gospel. That's my
job. That's my calling. preach the gospel, reprove, rebuke,
and exhort now you should be thankful that
God has added something behind that with all long suffering and pray for me You believers
should pray for me. You should pray that God would
give me grace and long-suffering with you because I am a sinner
just like you and I have short temper. I go off and I get upset
very easily. Pray for me that I should be
long-suffering to tell you these things. Pray for me that I should be
faithful, a faithful steward of the manifold grace of God,
faithful to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified,
faithful to reprove you, rebuke you, and exhort you to be faithful
to the Lord Jesus Christ whom you profess to believe. Is that
not what I'm here to do? I'm here to reprove, rebuke,
and exhort you in the gospel. And I tell you, I must preach
even as I'm commanded, and you, believer, should be faithful
to hear it as you're commanded. Yet, listen, whether you hear
it or not, whether you believe it or not, or whether you're
faithful or not, I must preach it. I must. I must preach the gospel. As Ezekiel was commanded, even
so are gospel preachers sent of Christ and given the command. He says in Ezekiel 2, 5, he said,
and whether they will hear or whether they will forbear, yet they shall know that there
hath been a prophet among them. And so then I'm back to this.
Whether you hear or whether you don't, that's not for me. I'm to be faithful to preach. And whether anybody else comes
or they don't come, you are to be faithful to hear it. This is how simple it is. I'm
glad that God didn't leave us a complicated system. The Lord Jesus has left the house
of the temple of the law, but he has not left desolate his
church. Listen, wherever his church is, that's where he is. That's where Christ is. The Lord Jesus is the rock and
foundation of His church and has obtained for us righteousness
by His obedience and redemption by His one offering for sin. He has purged us who are the
church of God. You are the church of God. He
has purged you, washed you with His blood and is risen now and
seated at the right hand of God ever living to make intercession
for you. Jesus Christ has sent His Holy
Spirit to call out His people, to call them to life and faith,
and not one of them shall be missed. Not one of them shall
fail to come. How then will He call them? By
what means will Jesus save His people? Listen,
by the foolishness of preaching. Now you can have all the pageants
you want, and all the plays you want, all the music you want.
But I'm telling you this, that God has ordained that by the
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Faith cometh
by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. So then faith does
not come any other way. This is why we are faithful to
support the ministry of the gospel, so that the Word of God goes
forth and Christ calls His people. Isn't this what you desire to
be used of God? Do you not desire to be used
of Him? I do. I'm a servant of God and I desire
to be used of God. Therefore, I preach a gospel
not with any self-confidence, not with any hope of saving anyone
by my wisdom. I preach the gospel of God's
grace expecting God to save his people. Now I expect God to save
his people. Do I get disappointed when it's
not when or who I want? Yeah. But I know this, God will
save his people. And praise God, neither will
I have any, will I hinder any of the elect by my lack of skill
or earthly wisdom. My confidence is in Jesus Christ
to save His people by my gospel. Now then, go back to your text.
Now I want to see. Now Jesus has left the temple. He has left it desolate. And
now then I want you to see this. Look at the text and see that
he speaks of the church. That's what I want you to see.
You. This is who he's speaking to. Verse 1, Then shall the kingdom
of heaven be likened unto ten virgins. Ten virgins. which took lamps and went forth
to meet the bridegroom." Now, we know this parable is not talking
about the church in heaven or the end of the world. How do
I know that? Because there are foolish virgins in it. When Jesus
Christ comes and separates, there will be no more sin in heaven.
There will be no more foolish people in heaven, only the saints. So what is this kingdom of heaven
He's talking about? It is His church visible. It is his visible church, his
local assembly of the saints. There have always been and there
will always be in the church, in the visible local church,
true believers and false believers. This is what our Lord is telling
us. In the kingdom of heaven, in His local church, there is
always going to be a mixture of wise and foolish. There is always going to be a
mixture of weak and tares, goats among the sheep. Always, always,
always. There will be true believers
and false professors. even among this group. Look around
and how small this group is. Surely there are wheat, tares
among the wheat even among this group. There will always be those like
Simon the sorcerer who professed to believe and was baptized and
took the Lord's Supper with all the true believers. And yet he
was looking only for those powers of the Holy Ghost and not looking
for Jesus Christ. You see, people attend church for many reasons. Some for wealth, prosperity. Some attend church because of
their poverty, because of their depression, because of their
divorce, because of their sorrow, because of their sickness. You
have many reasons why you're here. And plenty of reasons why
you would come to church. But believers, although we have
troubles, we only come for one reason, to hear the voice of
the Son of God. We come believing Jesus Christ. There's a difference. Now notice,
I want you to see these virgins. Listen. I want you to first of
all notice that all of them were virgins. All ten. All ten were virgins. This shows
that there was no outward difference in these virgins. Both true believers
and pretend believers may have a blameless morality. They may
be faithful to attend the church and the ordinances of Christ.
They both may be baptized and take the Lord's Supper, join
the church. Therefore, see that outward morality
is no evidence of true faith. If you're looking at your outward
deeds as evidence of your faith, most likely you are a false believer. If that's what you're trusting
in, you are a false believer. Second of all, notice that both
of these wise and foolish virgins, both of them went out to meet
the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at that. It says, Then shall
the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took
their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. See, all
of these virgins knew that Jesus was the bridegroom. They all
knew that God had betrothed Him a bride. And so they all made professions
of faith, and that's what this is, a profession. How easy is
it for you to say, I believe? Can't everyone say that? Now just because you say it,
does that mean it's so? And notice that all of these
virgins, while they were looking for Christ, slept. Look at that
in verse 5. And while the bridegroom tarried,
they all slumbered and slept. In other words, they were all
sinners too. They had an outward morality. Every one of them had
an outward morality. Every one of them were chaste,
faithful, but yet at times they were sinners. They were unfaithful. They were all sinners, and there
were none of them as faithful and diligent as they should have
been. What does all these things tell
us? It reveals to us that we cannot tell the difference between
pretenders and real believers. Look at me. I know you, but I
truly cannot tell what you are. I can't. I can't tell what's in your heart.
I can't, I do make judgments and so do you. And we should,
we should make judgments. You see someone that's not faithful
and way off and doesn't have any interest in the things of
God, I make a judgment. I say, man, that person doesn't,
something's wrong with that. I mean, man doesn't love the
gospel and he doesn't attend to the brethren and there's something
definitely wrong with that kind of salvation. But can I tell
truly? Nope. You know what? I would have thought of Lot.
What do you think of Lot? Who left? And even when he left
Sodom and delivered out of Sodom, notice that he went into incest
with his own children. And I'll tell you this, I would
believe Lot to be lost had Peter not said that he was saved. I
would have never known. I would have never known. This is telling us that we can't
see who is true and who is not. And if we do judge and we make
determinations, Paul said, you shall know them by their fruits.
Know what he said? You shall know them by their
fruits. And truly, that's how we judge one another. But at best, I tell you, I'm
just guessing. And so are you. Just guessing. Even as I look out among you,
I have made judgments as to your salvation. But what do our judgment
mean? What does it mean? Nothing. Nothing. Therefore, we must not try to
separate the tares from among the wheat here. Do you get that? I'm not here to separate you.
I don't do that. I'm not God, and neither are
you. So we don't try to pull out the
tares. You'll only drag up the wheat, you'll only fend the gods
elect. But rather, the scripture says, let them grow up together
and God will make the determination. God will separate them. Sinners,
you who profess to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, listen
to this warning. Listen, make your calling and
election sure. You get that? Make your calling.
Not make J.D.' 's calling an election sure. Not make Scott's
calling an election. Make your calling an election
sure, because you alone will stand before God. I won't be able to stand there
with you. And you won't stand with me. Jesus Christ, my friends, is
coming again. And though you may not see His
second advent, I'll tell you this, if we don't see His second
coming, we surely will see Him in death. He's coming. He's coming. And seeing then
that He's coming, and that the wise virgins shall be gathered
into the bridegroom, and the foolish virgins cut out, cast
out, let me ask you, which are you? Since He's coming, Are you a wise virgin? Are you a foolish virgin? Are you interested to know the
difference between these two? What makes a difference? Look
at your text in verse 3. They that were foolish took their
lamps and took no oil with them. But the wise took oil in their
vessels and in their lamps. The foolish took lamps but no
oil. The wise took oil into their
vessels and lamps. You who are foolish, deceived,
false professors, you have lamps of profession. You've made a
profession of faith, you've been baptized, and you are hanging
on to that lamp. You got that lamp and you just
like every other true believer are walking along and they say,
I'm a believer, look at my lamp. Well, I'm a believer too, look
at my lamp. You walk along with that profession
and you hang on to it like the Pharisees. You desire to appear religious. I remember when I was growing
up in church, I would always try to appear religious. Why? I wanted to please my parents
and other people. I wanted to please other people.
I was nothing more than a self-righteous Pharisee. You may love had to have The
feelings of religion, the ceremonies of religion. You love to have
the superior knowledge of the scriptures. You may love even
being a Calvinist. But if that's all you have, you
are a foolish person. You're a fool. You're like that unfaithful servant
in the next few verses, in verse 18, when he had received his
one talent, he went and digged in the earth and hid his Lord's
money. You who are foolish are like
the unfaithful servant with his one talent digged in the earth
and hid your acceptance in physical religious exercise. These foolish pretenders seemed
beautiful on the outside, but inside, listen, there was no
oil. There was no life. You may be a foolish virgin who
boasts of having light of the doctrines of grace, but I'll
tell you, if you have no love for Christ, you know what comes
with light? Heat. If you boast of your light, but
have no heat, something's wrong. And if you have all heat with
no light, something's wrong. You see, the wise virgins, when
they had the oil, they had both heat and light. They had affection
to Christ and faith in Christ. That's what it is, the oil of
grace. Are there any of you content
to meet Christ solely based on your profession? You know, I've
really met people like that. They've said, well, when I was
10, I made a profession of faith.
I was baptized. If that's what you're standing
on, you are a fool. There's no light there. There's
no hope there. Are you content to have no need
of a new heart, of new life? Are you content with just making
a profession? I believe, I believe, but yet
you have no heart for it. You have no love for it. Friend for spiritual life, the
oil of grace wrought in the heart, which is true faith, there can
be no mixture of works and grace. This oil is only given by the
Holy Spirit, and listen, it's only given freely. If you're content without Christ
or content to mix your religion with Christ, then you are a fool.
You're a foolish virgin. But notice the difference between
them and the wise. The wise took oil in their vessels
and their lamps. The vessel is the heart. The
vessel is the heart. Imagine that lamp and it's empty. How easily does the oil pour
into an empty vessel? Is there any resistance? If it's
empty, it freely pours in. And this is how God fills His
people with His grace, is they are empty of righteousness. They're
empty of hope. They're empty of salvation or
merit. And they receive Jesus Christ
freely. Freely. No resistance. Isn't that what
we read in Acts? They gladly receive. They gladly received. This is
what it is to be wise. It is to receive in the heart
and soul the Lord Jesus Christ. These wise were made wise not
by themselves, for in their flesh dwelleth no good thing, but they
were made wise by the Spirit of God. Yes, believers, we do have an
outward profession, but the source of all of our hope when the bridegroom
comes is found in Jesus Christ alone. That's what it is to receive
the oil. Those wise virgins, they received
the oil of grace. They received it freely. Are
you so foolish to trust in your profession Or have you trusted
to be accepted without a new heart? Then I beg you right now
to listen before he comes. Listen, he's coming. And before
he comes, listen to what those... This is the cry that went out
in verse 6. Behold, the bridegroom cometh. Go out to meet him. And all those virgins rose up
and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the
wise, Give us of your oil. For our lamps are gone out. You
know what I can't do? Is I can't give you salvation. I love my children, but there
is no way I can give them salvation. Can't give it to them. I can't
give them of the oil of grace that I've received. And so what
is it? They said, the wise answer said,
Not so, lest we have not enough for us and you. But go you rather
to them that sell and buy for yourselves. Listen, Christ is
coming. Christ is coming. And you should
be ready. And I tell you, go out to them
that buy and sell. What is that? Oh, everyone that
thirsteth, come to the waters. Come and buy wine and milk without
money. and without price. Why do you
labor for that which doesn't satisfy? Come now and drink of
Christ and be filled, filled with righteousness, filled with
forgiveness and mercy and pardon and grace and love of God. The
love of God be filled. Go and buy now. Don't wait because
you know not when the Lord comes. How many foolish have said Later. How many? How many have said later? And then it's too late. I tell you. Buy of me, Christ said. Gold tried by fire. The spirit and the bride say
come. Come now and be filled with all
salvation and be received into the hands of the Savior. I'll tell you, there are some
who will believe. There are some who will be filled
with the grace and the oil of the Spirit. But I tell you, when
the doors shut, there's no hope. He that is righteous, let him
be righteous still. And he that is filthy, let him
be filthy still. However you leave this world
is how you'll spend eternity. And he'll say to those who are
foolish, I know you not. Watch therefore, for you neither
know the day or hour wherein the Son of Man cometh. Friends,
I am just a watchman. I stand on the wall of God's
Word and I shout and I warn you. And yet many of you have no,
take no heed. You're fooled. Christ is coming. Make your calling and election
sure. Yes, be faithful to all the ordinances
of God, but that's not the determination of our salvation, is it? It's Christ in you, the hope
of glory. Do you have Christ in you? Do you believe on the Son of
God? Because faith is not some frivolous
thing. It's a grace. It's a grace only
those who are filled with the oil of grace can produce. Faith, faith, continual faith
in Jesus Christ. And I'll tell you, you who believe,
you're wise. And when He comes, He will come
with open arms for you, ready to receive you, because He has
died for you. May God add this blessing, His
blessing, to the reading of His word of study this morning. Let's
stand. We'll be dismissed in prayer.