Good morning. Happy Easter. Please turn with me to Matthew
25. Matthew chapter 25. Our text is going to be found
in these first 13 verses. Matthew 25. Then shall the kingdom of heaven
be likened to ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth
to meet the bridegroom, and five of them were wise, and five foolish.
They where the foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them,
but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While
the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And
at midnight there was a cry, Behold, the bridegroom cometh,
go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose
and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the
wise, Give us your oil, for our lamps are gone out. Matthew 25,
9. But the wise answered, saying,
Not so, lest there be not enough for us and you. But go you rather
to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went
to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went
in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. Afterward
came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
But he answered and said, Verily, truly, I say unto you, I know
you not. Watch therefore, for you know
neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh."
Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we come
to you in Christ's name, asking that you would teach us how to
be accepted before you, before your throne. We pray that you
would be our teacher, give us your spirit. We need this. We pray that you bless this message
to your glory and our good. In Christ's name we pray, amen. There are several questions that
I want to ask that will be vital for us to know from this text. First, what is the difference
between these ten virgins? Second, what is this soul-saving
oil? How did they get it? What did
this oil do for them? And how were they acceptable
for the Lord when others were not? Matthew 25 verse 1, it begins
with then, meaning that something came before. If we go back into
Matthew 24, just a few verses back in verse 44, therefore be
also ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man
cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord
has made ruler over his household, to give meat in due season? Blessed
is that servant, whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so
doing. Verily I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over
all his goods. But and if that evil servant
shall say in his heart, my Lord delayeth his coming, and he shall
begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and to drink with
the drunken, the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when
he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware
of, and he shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with
the hypocrites. They shall be weeping and gnashing
of teeth. So, Here we read of one wise
servant and one evil and their Lord came back. We were given
a glimpse into the future by the eternal God. Then is when
time ends and eternity begins in an instant. Then is the time
of the Lord's return and judgment when the spirits return unto
God who gave them. Then is when things shall be
seen as they are. Right now things are not seen
as they are but then they will be. The Lord continues in this
parable in Matthew 25. It's a teaching story to cause
us to see beyond this world. how things are and soon will
be in his kingdom upon his return. The picture he gives is of a
traditional wedding procession. In those times when a man and
woman were to be married, the groom would delay to come to
the bride's home for where the wedding was held at. He would
delay until evening. And when evening fell, the bridesmaids,
the virgins in the store, would rush out with lights, meet him,
and there would be a wedding procession up to the bride's
house, and then the marriage and the reception would ensue.
The 10 virgins here represent the visible church, all who profess
to believe in Jesus Christ, those who have an interest in his gospel
and have a hope that they will enter into heaven. By all appearances,
they all looked the same. They all had a lamp, going out
to meet the Lord. They had all heard the gospel
by his free grace, for they had prepared and were going out to
meet him. Back in Matthew 24, this is the beginning of this
teaching to his disciples in verses 13 and 14, but he that
shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved and this
gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for
a witness unto all nations. Then the end shall come. So all
have heard. The purpose of these lamps, the
purpose of a lamp is only for light. You only need it when
you go into the dark. How many of us have a flashlight
on this morning? Probably not many. It's daytime.
And if there is no darkness, there would be no need for light.
Likewise, if we were not dead in trespasses and sins, we would
have no need for grace, redemption, or righteousness. We are all
required to meet God sooner than we think. The Lord commands us
here, watch and be ready. Now is the time because we all
stand before him bringing something in hand, either what we have
produced ourselves or what Christ has given us In verse 2, for
all their similarities, there was something vastly different
between the five of the virgins. Five were wise and five were
foolish. These two groups describe and represent the visible Church
of Christ throughout the world. Everyone in this room is a wise
or foolish virgin. These are the wheat and the tares,
the sheep and the goats, true believers and hypocrites, regenerate
and unregenerate. Which am I? Which are you? Perhaps
now it may be hard to distinguish between the two, but the day
is coming where the difference will be unmistakably clear. So
verses three and four, they all had a preparation outwardly,
but the difference was something that was found on the inside,
this oil. The foolish presumed that they had put in enough work,
trading up their lamps, cleaning them, resting in a profession,
an experience, their goodness or some personal righteousness
in hand. All were as useful as lamps, but no oil. They all went
into hope, but the foolish and the wise hope rested in two very
different things. The wise saw their desperate
need that could only be satisfied with this oil, and they made
sure they did not come without it. And that which was only needful,
the foolish overlooked. They had just as much time to
acquire it as the wise. They just didn't. As we heard,
they heard the same message, that they didn't do what was
needed. They had enough. They were good. I'll be okay.
In verse five, the bridegroom tarried. This was unexpected. He was late, they probably thought
he'll be here any minute, but minutes turned into hours, and
what started out as just evening turned into late, cold night.
And one by one, all ten virgins, wise and foolish, fell asleep.
What must these 10 sleeping people resemble all lying together around
each other, disheveled in the night? They look dead. For whatever
reason, they had lost their watchfulness. A believer can be led astray,
hardened by sin, desensitized, as it were, becoming tangled
with the cares of this world and this life. There are so many
examples of this in scripture, and anyone who knows a plague
of their own heart knows it could happen to any of us. And if the
Lord hides his face and we cannot hear the gospel except with a
critical ear, finding fault with the preacher, what a state. Yes,
he's a fallible man, but he's a man sent from God to preach
God's message. We always need the presence of
our Lord to deliver some temptation, his gracious spirit to keep us,
keep us turning back to Christ and keep us from falling or else
we will be no different than those who have a show of religion.
So the wise and the foolish both slept and you couldn't tell them
apart. But fortunately, verse six, behold the bridegroom cometh.
This cry goes out to all, but for the wise virgins, it's a
cry of sweet refreshing, a renewing of their spirit, calling them
to wake from spiritual slumber. This is the gospel message. Behold,
thy salvation cometh. Behold, his reward is with him,
his work before him. And in this particular parable,
this is the final cry on the last day announcing the Lord's
approach. Surely I come quickly. A day
to the Lord is a thousand years and a thousand years is a day
and the Lord has been returning, he's been coming since he ascended,
he's been gone for a couple days and he's coming quickly. So they heard the cry, in verse
seven, they arose, they poured oil into the lamps, and they
lit them. But while five stood with shining
lamps, the other five only now realized they had a need for
something they didn't have. Before the cry, the foolish felt
confident, and now in the moment of crisis, they demand to the
wise what is not theirs to ask. Give us your oil. This is no
cry for mercy, this is not a confession or repentance. They also claimed
that their lamps were going out but it's clear that they didn't
take oil. In verse nine, the wise respond, not so, I'm sorry,
not so, in verse nine, lest there be not enough for us and you.
The wise could not give away what they themselves had received.
They were not the source, they could not conjure it up or manufacture
it. By this point, though, this is
when the Lord is coming. It's too late now. The final
trumpet sounded. Christ was nearly here. So the
foolish go off to buy salvation from them that sell, not seeking
mercy from the Savior in their hour of darkness. It's important
to point out, too, that the wise recommend them to go buy. They
couldn't have recommended them to go buy from those that sell
if the foolish didn't have something with them, didn't have money.
They were not sold out to Christ. They did not believe that Christ
was their all in salvation. They held something back. The
wise have not a penny to their name spiritually. All they have
was Christ and him alone. Verse 10, the Lord arrives. The timing of the Lord is very
important and as in all he does it's perfect. He wasn't late,
he wasn't early, he arrived on purpose and on time and that's
true for your life and mine. He came at the exact moment when
the foolish were not there and only the wise were ready and
waiting. The acceptable time, the time of love. and the wives
were united with their beloved Lord and they go into the marriage
with him. And how deafening was the thud
of that door shutting, never to be opened again. In verse
11, the other virgins return afterwards as an afterthought
with no reception, no consideration. So they find the door shut and
they knock, assuming he just doesn't realize we're here, there
must be some mistake. But the Lord doesn't even open
the door, he speaks to them through the door. And it's a sad message,
I know you not. Unfortunately, this is the same
message that Cain heard. If thou do us well, shall not
thou be accepted? But if thou don't do well, sin
lieth at the door. If our sin is not put away in
Christ, it's on us. The only way to come to God is
through Jesus Christ alone and him crucified. He said, I am
the door. By me, if any man enter in, he
shall be saved. To come any other way is a denial
that he completely saved his people from their sins, that
salvation is all of the Lord and it steals his glory. If you deny him in this way,
he will deny you. And in verse 13, the Lord tells
us, watch therefore, for you know not neither the day nor
the hour when he cometh. This word watch is stay awake.
If you go ahead and turn to 1 Corinthians 4 for me. I'm gonna read from
Luke 13. His disciples, the disciples
ask the Lord, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said
unto them, strive to enter into the gate, Sorry, strive to enter
in at the straight gate, for many I say unto you will seek
to enter in and shall not be able. So we read that there's
an immediate distinction, but what is the difference between
these two virgins? What made the wise able to enter in? We read that, and what we really
need to know is who made the difference? Ten virgins came,
four to the Lord, Not all were found guilty, not all were unready,
not all were unwise, some found mercy. So in 1 Corinthians 4
verse 7, for who maketh thee to differ from another? And what
hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive
it, why didst thou glory as thou hadst not received it? It's the Father, God the Father
that makes a difference in electing love when he chose himself a
certain people to be set apart, five virgins to him before time
began. Exodus 11, seven, but against
any of the children of Israel, so not a dog move his tongue
against man or beast, that you may know how the Lord doth put
a difference between the Egyptians and Israel. At midnight, the
Lord was passing through Egypt in judgment and was to kill all
the firstborn in the land. You know the story very well,
except for Israel, whom he passed over. And he passed over when
he saw the blood. The Lord Jesus Christ made the
difference when he shed his own blood to put away spiritual Israel's
sins. Only those whom the father gave
him and he declared, I have lost none. He was successful in what
he did. God the Holy Spirit makes a difference
when he draws out his sheep individually and irresistibly, calling them
to salvation and faith in Christ, calling on his name, resting
in him for all their soul's needs and works before God. So what
is this soul-saving oil? It's obvious the Lord made a
difference and this difference is represented by oil. And we
see that in verses three and four, the foolish didn't take
it, the wise took it. in verse 4. We read, but the
wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. They had a
lamp, they had a confession, but it was very different than
the outward profession of the others because they had another
vessel of oil with them. They took another vessel with
their lamps. This vessel of oil was hidden, it was close to their
heart, it was not easily seen. This vessel of oil is the new
man, born of God the Holy Spirit, called a new creature with a
new nature, a divine nature. It's holy, incorruptible, it
cannot sin because God who made it cannot sin. But of Him, of
God, are you in Christ Jesus, who God has made unto us wisdom. This is how the wise are wise.
righteousness, sanctification, that's the holiness, and redemption. This life, this vessel of oil
is eternal life, it's the actual presence and life of Christ dwelling
within the soul, the love of Christ in the heart. and those
that have this oil they love Christ and love those who are
Christ's, those who are his children. I am crucified with Christ nevertheless
I live, yet not I live but Christ liveth in me and the life which
I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of Jesus Christ
who loved me and gave himself for me. So how did they get this
oil? The Lord told Nicodemus, except
a man be born again, born from above, he cannot see this kingdom,
this kingdom of God. He said in another place, the
kingdom of God cometh not by observation but by operation. It comes by an operation, a spiritual
surgery performed by the Holy Spirit in regeneration. The Lord
continues, it's not by observation, the kingdom of God is within
you. If you go ahead and turn to John 6, please. Everything
we learn, everything we experience and come to know in this life
is by observation, by these five senses, that's our flesh. But
no man has ever acquired a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ
with these eyes, these ears, feeling out who he is with this
heart, or figuring out him with this mind. They're evil, desperately
wicked before God, and will never come close to who he is left
alone. Come close to idols, but never
to the true and living God. So we are utterly at God's mercy
to do something for us. It must purely be by revelation
given by God's spirit. This is how they receive the
oil. John 6, 36. It is the spirit that quickeneth,
maketh alive. The flesh profiteth nothing.
The words that I speak, the words of Christ, they are spirit and
they are life. So we see we need the Holy Ghost
to open us up, dead men and women, by and only by the preaching
of his gospel and planting his spirit in us. Within this spiritually
dark cavity, we need life. We need our old heart of stone,
hatred of God, hardness, to be removed, ripped out, and we need
a living organ to be put in place. One that loves God, that trusts
in Christ, that depends on His Spirit for strength. And this
is, we're also given spiritual eyes and spiritual ears to hear
God's Word with this operation. God the Spirit gives this oil
through one means, in 1 Corinthians 1, to preach the gospel, not
of wisdom of words, not of the wisdom of man which attracts
our flesh, lest the cross of Christ be made of none effect.
So the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness,
but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. So what did this oil do for the
wise virgins? What made them to differ in action? Well, they went forth with a
different confidence in verse one because they had Christ in
you, the hope of glory. They had a good hope that they
would meet the Lord and be accepted. In verse five, even while they
slept, indistinguishable from the foolish, they were kept by
his grace, that oil within. They never did deny him. And
if we believe not, Paul wrote, he abideth faithful still. In verse seven, Having this hidden
oil, when they were called on to light the lamps, only allowed
their lamps to shine. They believed and obeyed Christ's
word out of love for him and for his appearing. Verse eight,
and when their lamps were lit, then they suffered persecution
for Christ's sake. Natural men are offended by the
gospel of free grace, one in which God saves whom he will
according to his good pleasure. In verse nine, under persecution,
they publicly confessed that Christ is all. They said, not
so, we can't give you this oil, lest there not be enough for
us and you. This was their only hope of salvation,
and they declared that his death and the shedding of his blood
was enough to save a sinner like me, and only that. to take away a single piece of
Christ's work, a single drop of this oil which he has given,
is to have none. Salvation is all by grace, or
it's all of works. Even adding your free will, the
slightest touch of any work, and it's all of works. Christ
will have none of it. I need all of Christ's life within
me, his complete righteousness, total justification from sins.
A partial covering will not do when we stand before him. Fortunately,
he declared on the cross, it is finished. He accomplished
a complete work. He's God, he cannot fail to perform
all that he set out to do and to perform and to save his people
to the other most. And we read, we are complete
in him. And that's what these virgins
were declaring, we are complete in Christ. Outside of Christ,
we are nothing. And that's what every believer
declares. So they were, and in verse 10,
they that were ready for him were only ready because of the
oil within. They were made ready by the Lord. They were made holy,
unblameable, and unapprovable in his sight. and they went in
with him into the marriage, accepted in the beloved, accepted in Christ.
So that leads to the last question, how were they accepted when others
were not? They were accepted, unfortunately he told the foolish,
I know you not. He knew the wise. For him to
know you is to love you. For him to love you is for him
to come, take your sin, and to put them away and give eternal
life. The oil that he gives is his
first fruit of his grace, the down payment until the full purchase
of his redemption that he accomplished in his death. and which we will
see, the wise will see at his return. When he shall appear,
we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And they
were ready because they were ready and went in with him. How
can two walk together except they be agreed? They were with
the Father when He made a difference among men to choose His people
before time. They were with Christ in eternity
as their surety when He stood for them, promising to save them,
do everything they needed and required. In life, they were
with Him as their sinless representative. Under the law, they were with
Him on the cross in His death. They were with Him in the resurrection
and His justification where they were declared not guilty. And
right now, every foolish virgin is with him in glory as our righteous
advocate. They are with him in all that
God requires of them because he looks to their Lord for. How often when we go to a place
where we don't know anybody and we're with one person, I'm with
him. And many will say that to him
in that day, but Lord, Lord, I want him to say to me, he's
with me. Those, those five virgins, those
with my oil, my spirit in them, they are mine. So verse 13, we'll
wrap it up here. Watch therefore, the Lord says,
for we don't know the day or the hour of his return, but we
need to be ready. Are we ready to meet him? Are
we ready to die? What would truly be important
at that time to me and to you? Don't look for proof that you're
elect, or you have enough assurance, or any fruit of the spirit, or
any evidences within. Don't look without at a profession,
churchgoing, any knowledge of scripture, good doctrines, expecting
his return, or even preaching. None of these things will keep
you safe in that day. I would point you unto Jesus,
who is the Lord and the Savior spoken of throughout this book.
Is His finished work on the cross all and enough to save a sinner
like you, like me, without a contribution from you or me at all? Is His
righteousness the only righteousness and the very one that I need?
Are you completely in His hands to accept you or reject you according
to His will and His grace? Do you need Christ's life in
you? Do I need it in me? If he is
my all in all, all in salvation, all in righteousness, if he's
put this oil within me, if he's had grace upon my soul, this
is that hope which may make it not ashamed. But the love of
God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given
to us. Don't presume. Now is the time. Call upon his name right now.
put your oil of grace within me and make me if you will ready
to stand before you. If you just turn briefly to Isaiah
50 and we'll close with that. The Lord says watch, he says stay
awake and if you look to Christ for all but you fear you may
be asleep Isaiah 50 verse 10, who is among you that feareth
the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, and that's the
voice of Christ, that walketh in darkness and hath no light,
let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God. We'll end there.