February 20, 2022
Evening Service

Jesus is finishing His Olivet Discourse showing to us what the future holds at the end of time.  The great tribulation will last seven years with the last half being the so terrible that Jesus stated it would be “such as ha not been since the beginning of the world until now, no nor ever shall be.”  This time will be followed by the return of Jesus where He will “gather together His elect form the four winds, from one end of heave to the other.”  That is the moment we all should set our eyes upon and not look away.  Jesus will return and in a moment our faith will become sight and our hope will be fulfilled.  Our struggles will be forever removed from us as we will dwell in His presence for eternity.  Again, to make it to that point we will have some very difficult times to overcome.  To endure to the end, we are going to need to make the preparations necessary to make it.  This morning we read a parable and two illustrations that Jesus gave us to help us better understand the seriousness of the moment.  The parable of the fig tree encourages us to be spiritually aware of the changes that are occurring all around, much like we aware of the change of seasons.  Jesus wants us to recognize what is happening around us.  Our focus is to be fastened on things eternal (His words) not the things temporary (this world).  The illustration of the days of Noah shows us that these things will all happen and people will be living their lives, eating, drinking and giving in marriage, clueless to the magnitude of what is happening around them just as they were in Noah’s time.  The encouragement here was to “watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord will come.”  The illustration of the two servants put on display the two attitudes that will prevail.  The faithful servant showed great integrity in staying on task while His Master is gone and doing what was required of him.  The evil servant tired of waiting and began doing things that more pleased himself than follow his Master’s instructions.  When the Master returns there will be a time of judgment and accountability.  Tonight we will look at two more parables as well as a prophecy of the coming day of judgement.

Mat 25:1-13 "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.

            This parable is about a wedding.  On the wedding day the bridegroom went to the bride’s house for the ceremony.  The bride and groom then, along with a great procession, returned to the groom’s house, where there was a great feast which may last as long as a week.  These bridesmaids were waiting to join the procession, and they hoped to take part in the celebration.  But when the groom did not come at the expected time, five of them were out of oil for their lamp.  By the time they went and purchase the needed oil, it was too late.

            When Jesus returns the Bible sometimes refers to this event as the wedding between the Groom, Jesus, and His Bride, the church.  When the time of His return comes we must be ready for it.  Spiritual preparations cannot be bought or borrowed at the last minute.  Our relationship with our Groom must be our own and our preparations must be already completed.  The oil in the lamps represent the Holy Spirit that we are given at the time that we receive our salvation.  At His return we either have it or don’t.  We must be ready and make sure our relationship with our Lord is solid and growing now and not wait.  Now is the time to prepare and be sure we are ready.

            Jesus now uses the parable of the Talents to demonstrate what the time of judgment will look like.

 

Mat 25:14-30 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  (15)  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  (16)  Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  (17)  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  (18)  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  (19)  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  (20)  "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  (21)  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'  (22)  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  (23)  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'  (24)  "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  (25)  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.'  (26)  "But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  (27)  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  (28)  So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  (29)  'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  (30)  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

            At this time of judgement, I know which servant I want to be.  I long to hear those words from verse 21 and 24 (read).  It means we have completed our journey and are welcomed into the place we have longed to be.  Each of us have been given different gifts and talents that we need to be using to build the kingdom of heaven.  To have been given these and not use them is considered a failure.  Being afraid or lazy is not an acceptable excuse.  We each have to choose to use whatever God has blessed us with for His glory.  We will each be held accountable for our choices and actions.  Jesus now goes further explain what that final judgment will look like as He finishes this teaching.

 

Mat 25:31-46 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  (32)  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  (33)  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  (34)  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: (35) for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; (36) I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  (37)  "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  (38)  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  (39)  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  (40)  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'  (41)  "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: (42) for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; (43) I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  (44)  "Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'  (45)  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  (46)  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

            Jesus, through this teaching, ties together the two “greatest commandments;” to love God with all your heart, soul and mind and to love your brother as yourself.  When we love our brother and show kindness to them, (feed, give a drink, take in a stranger, clothe, visit the sick, and visit the imprisoned) we are doing unto our Lord.  It is a very tangible way that we prove that the love of God lies within us.

            The separation of the sheep and goats does not only refer to those who are doing the right things, but to those who know and are known by their Savior.  Our actions do not “earn” us salvation, but they are done “because” of our salvation.  These acts of love, compassion and kindness are the result of the change that occurs in our lives when we truly receive the gift of salvation into our lives.  It is the result of the relationship we have created with the Lord; to know Him an be known by Him. Remember Jesus’ words at the end of the Sermon on the Mount.

 

Mat 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  (22)  Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'  (23)  And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

            Jesus’ reasoning for rejecting these is NOT because of their works, but it was because of their relationship.  We must open our heart and become vulnerable and known before God and seek to know Him at a much deeper level to be found truly faithful in His eyes.

 

Heavenly Father, help us to make the needed preparations for Your coming and to realize that is is through relationship (faith), that we are saved not by our works and actions.