Rom 13:11-14
11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. NKJV
Awake: to stir oneself, to rise from sleep, implying also the idea of rising up from the posture of sleep
- This passage tells that some have allowed the culture to change them, and its time to wake up!
1 Thess 4:15-18
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
NKJV
- “Alive” is used twice in these passages
Alive: spiritually living, active, opposed to what is dead, inactive
Remain: left, persist,
Damon Translation
Wake up, only those who are spiritually active and engaged at the coming of Christ will be caught up to meet the Lord!
Let’s see if this is a true statement………
In Mathew 24 Jesus is talking to the disciple about the signs of His coming again!
Matt 24:4-14
4 And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come NKJV
- 1 in 7 Christian are persecute worldwide, 1 in 5 are persecuted in Africa, 2 in 5 are persecuted in Asia; a total of 380 million Christians is being persecuted
Matt 24:37-44
37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. NKJV
Again, is it important for believers to be spiritually active and engaged?
- Jesus moves from Mathew 24 and gives us parables or spiritual insight on what was just shared!
Matt 25:1-13
1 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom………….. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6 "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 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.' 10 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. 11 "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' 12 But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' 13 "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. NKJV
Verse 1 gives us three components to take note of!
- Virgins
- Virgins represent those in the church that should be living a pure and holy life!
- Lamps
- In Jewish culture, the marriage events started at night, therefore there was a need for oil to keep the lamp burning in case the bridegroom delayed his coming, because he was preparing a place for the bride!
John 14:1-3
14 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. NKJV
- These lamps had the potential to burn all night if they had enough oil to do so!
- Oil represents the Holy Spirit and His keeping the fire of God burning in our life!
Matt 25:1
1 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Meet: encounter, a grand encounter
- It what we call a VIP reception
Eph 1:18
18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. NLT
- By the way, He is not inheriting a bunch of sinners, He’s inheriting blood bought, sanctified, righteous children of God that is spiritually active!
1 Thess 5:17
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
- At the Rapture, He’s coming for His Bride, at His Second coming, with judgement!
- Bridegroom
- The bridegroom represents Christ the Redeemer, the Lord!
The Wise and the Foolish!
Matt 25:1-13
25 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6 "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'
Wise: to think, have a mindset. Prudent, sensible, practically wise in relationships
Foolish: (moros): Dense, dull, slow
What made them foolish?
- They didn’t take oil with them
- They had an incorrect mindset with their relationship with God
2 Tim 3:5
5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! NLT
- In the delay of the bridegroom, they were not……..
Alive: spiritually living, active, opposed to what is dead, inactive
Why the delay?
2Peter 3:9-10
9 The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. NLT
- When they should have been active, spiritually alive, they slept!
Matt 25:5, 6
5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6 "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'
Slept: To be spiritually asleep, i.e., secure and unconcerned in sin, or apathetic and careless in the performance of duty
- The wise were ready for their grand encounter with the bride groom!
Matt: 25:7-13
7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 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.' 10 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. 11 "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' 12 But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' 13 "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. NKJV
Trimmed: to put in order
- They arose to put things in order, but those that had been spiritually inactive had no Oil!
Shut: Willfully preventing men from entering.
Watch: to watch, i. e. give strict attention to, be cautious, active
Conclusion: If you met God today, could you honestly say that you have been spiritually active, or have you been unconcerned and careless in your duty?
