Gtcotr/ss021217
Matthew 25 NKJV
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.”
Whether
or not you are familiar with this parable it nevertheless holds a truth. There
are doors which are open to you today that will one day be shut forever.
·
Doors
of opportunity
·
Doors
of education
·
Doors
of relationship
·
A
Door of salvation
o Not only for
yourself but also for those whom you love and others you influence.
o The rest of the
parable …
Matthew 25:11 Afterward …
·
There
is an afterward … after the door is shut …
·
Some
doors shut but not without fair warning …
·
It
might be wise to consider this a fair warning.
Even
for those who aren’t Believers and those unfamiliar with the Bible most have
nonetheless heard of Noah and the Ark of his salvation.
The
Bible gives an account in the early chapters of the Book of Genesis how that
mankind ceased to serve God and the inhabitants of the world became so evil that
God decided He would destroy the earth and save only those who were doing what
was right in His eyes.
God
then went about giving fair warning while trying to change the minds of men. He
sent Noah to preach a message of repentance for 120 years while Noah prepared
an Ark to save those who believed.
The
Bible paints a picture of a world that was prospering but without God. People
were marrying, (Matthew 24:37 & 38), and carrying on business and all
seemed safe and secure in the midst of the evil which surrounded them.
Scriptures tell us that Noah was a preacher of righteousness, (2 Peter 2:5), who
had only one message, “Get right with God!” After 120 years of preaching and
reaching out with the truth Noah’s only converts were his wife, his three sons
and their wives.
No
doubt it was on a day just like any other day when people least expected. They
were happily going along blinded by their false sense of security and their
unwillingness to change; supposing they had all the time in the world. That day
something happened that had been preached for 120 years … something they had
heard over and over again … something extraordinary and something never before
seen … It began to rain.
I
imagine flashes of the messages Reverend Noah had preached on Sunday mornings
came to mind. As waters gushed forth from the belly of the earth like boundless
fountains and the skies unleashed torrents of rain dropping water faster than
the earth could swallow, everything quickly began to flood.
When
the waters first lifted the Ark there is no telling how many people ran to see
if they could get themselves and their families inside. However, as we
understand from Genesis, 7 days earlier God had already shut the door.
Genesis 7:16 … Then the
LORD closed the door behind them.
How
terrible would it be to realize that you waited too late and the door had
already been closed? The Bible tells us that God opens doors which no man can
shut and shuts doors which no man can open. Both in the days of Noah and in the
parable Jesus taught in Jerusalem 3000 years later, doors close – but not
without fair warning.
The
truth remains the same for us today. There are some doors which are open to you
today that will one day be shut forever.
There
is an open invitation for everyone today to come to Jesus. Some don’t know
about it and you may the only one who can make sure they hear. There are other
doors open today which you should consider taking very seriously. These doors
will not always be open to you – one day they will shut and many of them
without further warning.
·
The Door of Repentance from Sin
·
The Door of Forgiveness Towards Others
·
The Door of Fostering a Good and Godly Relationship with Your
o
Parents
o
Spouse
o
Children
o
Friends
·
The Door of Service for the Cause of Christ
o Make a Living
o Make a Life
o Make a Difference
Today,
open the door of your heart to the will of God while you still have time. Don’t
put it off another day.
I
close with this scripture from the passage in:
Matthew 25:13 “Watch
therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is
coming.”
Get
right with God and come on in …
