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Years in the making, all these 
other chapters have covered all 

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these years and now everything 
has slowed way down and we're in

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the last week of Jesus's life 
now, in the last couple of days 

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all the way here, all the way 
through chapter 28. 

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As we've said many times, Jesus 
has preached his last public 

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sermon. 
The Olivet Discourse, as this is

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commonly called, is most most 
likely a private conversation 

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that's happening with his 
disciples. 

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They asked, hey, the stuff you 
said about the temple, when's 

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all that going to happen? 
He shares in 24 about Here's how

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the world is going to move 
forward. 

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This is what my second coming is
going to look like. 

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We talked about the different 
ways that Christian, faithful, 

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loving, respectable, 
intelligent, God honoring 

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Christians interpret those 
passages. 

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And then we said, so we, I told 
you as your pastor, I'm not 

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certain how the world is going 
to end. 

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I'm just certain that Jesus is 
coming soon. 

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I'm certain that we should, we 
should all be excited about it. 

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I'm certain that we should all 
be motivated by it. 

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And as a church, we can all say 
Amen to that. 

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And then we said, now how should
we live? 

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Since we all know and agree that
he's coming, since we all know 

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and agree that he's coming soon.
It could truly be today. 

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It might be much longer down the
road, but because it could be 

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any moment, he encourages us to 
be prepared. 

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He encourages us to always be 
ready, and He's been walking us 

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through what does that look 
like? 

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So here are the Olivet 
Discourse. 

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He's warning his disciples to be
watchful and be ready for his 

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coming. 
Chapter 24 was largely about 

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what is going to come. 
And then last week we 

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transitioned into how we're 
supposed to live. 

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And here in chapter 25 we see 
more about the warning and 

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instruction of how to live. 
I'll give you your big take away

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from today's sermon already. 
Today's big sermon take away is 

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that you need to be ready for 
Jesus's return. 

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That was his emphasis. 
That was his priority. 

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That was the whole thing that he
keeps driving home here over and

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over and over. 
He didn't just mention it once. 

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He gives multiple parables, He 
gives multiple examples to 

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emphasize it. 
I told you last week, if you say

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that you believe Jesus is coming
soon, but you're not obeying the

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most obvious obedience for your 
life, whatever that might look 

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like, we framed that up as like,
not the extravagant thing, not 

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the I've got to change the world
thing. 

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Like no, no, no. 
Thankfully it's much simpler. 

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Thankfully my obedience is much 
more in my ability. 

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It's not beyond my ability. 
If you're not obeying the most 

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obvious obedience for your life,
then no one believes you when 

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you say that you think Jesus is 
coming soon and you don't have 

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fear of God. 
I know that's coming on strong. 

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I know I didn't do much of A 
warm up there, but remember, 

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this is your eternal soul they 
were talking about. 

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So this is the heaviest of the 
heaviest. 

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It's not a small thing. 
It's the biggest thing. 

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And the warnings that Jesus puts
on this are massive. 

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The example he gave last week, 
he says, hey, the unfaithful 

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servant, you know, like, oh, is 
this guy going to get a 

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scolding? 
Jesus said this guy gets cut 

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into pieces and thrown out with 
the hypocrites. 

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You know, like throw cut into 
pieces. 

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OK, that's pretty graphic 
language, Jesus, pretty specific

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stuff. 
So Jesus takes this seriously. 

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I should take this seriously? 
You should take this seriously. 

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Here we are in chapter 25 in 
verse 1 he says then the Kingdom

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of heaven will be like 10 
virgins who took their lamps and

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went to meet the bridegroom. 
Five of them were foolish and 

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five were wise. 
For when the foolish took their 

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lamps, they took no oil with 
them, but the wise took flasks 

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of oil with their lamps. 
As the bridegroom was delayed, 

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they all became drowsy and 
slept. 

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But at midnight there was a cry.
Here is the bridegroom, come out

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and meet him. 
Then all those virgins rose and 

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trimmed their lamps, And the 
foolish said to the wise, Give 

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us some of your oil, for our 
lamps are going out. 

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But the wise answered, saying, 
Since there will not be enough 

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for us and for you, go rather to
the dealers and buy for 

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yourselves. 
And while they were going to 

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buy, the bridegroom came, and 
those who were ready went in 

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with him to the marriage feast, 
and the door was shut. 

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Afterward the other virgins came
also, saying, Lord, Lord, open 

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to us. 
But he answered truly. 

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I say to you, I do not know you.
Watch therefore, for you know, 

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neither the day nor the hour. 
Lord, we take seriously your 

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words today. 
And I pray again that the 

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weighty words of Jesus would 
land as they're supposed to, 

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just like the gentle words of 
Jesus are supposed to land with 

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impact. 
These heavy, these fearful words

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of Jesus are supposed to land 
with impact. 

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God, I pray for every single 
soul. 

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God, what a tragedy it would be 
for anyone to hear this exact 

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message and then still be lost. 
I pray for everyone in this 

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church and everyone under the 
sound of my voice that they 

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would, that they would be 
pierced by the word of God, that

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they would be cut deeply, and 
then that that they would 

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respond and receive the Holy 
Spirit to come in to change, to 

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bring repentance. 
Not just a life that looks good,

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not just a life that's marked by
fellowship with the Saints, but 

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a life that's truly marked by a 
saving faith in the Lord Jesus 

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Christ. 
Lord, it's a difficult lesson. 

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It's a difficult message to 
receive someone who thinks that 

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they've been saved only to find 
out that they haven't been. 

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But then the then the good news 
that they still can be if the 

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time hasn't run out. 
God help us to be a people of 

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urgency for ourselves and for 
others. 

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Not just a self introspective 
church, but a church that's 

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looking outward to say let's run
and let's carry and let's make a

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difference and let's make 
disciples, equip us well and 

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then send us out in Jesus name, 
Amen. 

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That is the priority that we 
would truly take seriously for 

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ourselves. 
That's my starting point. 

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Do you want to see the whole 
world save? 

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Yeah, but I don't want to go to 
hell. 

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Like for me, that's really, 
really, really important for me.

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Like I would do anything for 
you, but I would not go to hell 

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for you. 
I would not trade places with 

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you and go to hell for you. 
I wouldn't do it and you 

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shouldn't do it either. 
That's your soul. 

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It's the, it's the one thing 
that we've got. 

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So I would do a lot of things 
for a lot of people, but I don't

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think I would do that for 
anybody. 

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And I mean anybody. 
I mean my wife and my children, 

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anybody, because it's 
unnecessary, first of all. 

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So it's kind of a foolish 
thought experiment, but I just 

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want you to understand like your
soul is the one thing that you 

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have jurisdiction over and it's 
the one thing that you should 

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take very, very, very, very 
seriously. 

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And you see the the wise 
virgins, they take their souls 

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very seriously. 
They take their lives very say, 

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hey, hey, let me extract from 
you so that we both go without. 

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No, no, I'm going to be 
protective of this thing that I 

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can protect. 
I'm going to do the thing that 

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I'm supposed to do. 
And this is the weight that 

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Jesus is putting on all of this.
So let's explain this parable 

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quickly. 
Whenever they say bridegroom, it

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just means groom. 
It's kind of confusing because 

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it says bridegroom, but it's 
just groom. 

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So that's the way that you and I
can read that the groom here is 

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Christ. 
The wedding feast is the final 

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celebration when God gathers all
of his people. 

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The oil represents a saving 
faith that is necessary to 

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endure and to obey the wise. 
The wise virgins are the genuine

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believers. 
The foolish virgins are the 

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people who are attending 
churches and they live good 

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lives and they think that they 
are in good standing with God. 

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But they are not really saved 
because they lack a saving faith

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in Jesus. 
And this saving faith in Jesus 

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is revealed by their lack of 
readiness. 

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So it's not I do the things, 
therefore I am saved. 

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Remember, it's God has saved me 
and out of that, the evidence of

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God saving me is that I do the 
things now, I don't do the 

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things to get saved. 
And many folks have been 

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deceived by that and many folks 
have been able to put a mask on 

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top of that. 
That's when we've been 

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hypocrites. 
Sometimes people have done it in

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ignorance and they're like, I 
want to be a religious person. 

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I want to be, I want to do right
by the Lord. 

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And they focus on what do I need
to do? 

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What do I need to do, What do I 
need to do? 

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That's where you want to bring 
that person the good news and 

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go, first of all, let me start 
you off right here. 

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Jesus has done it all and they 
go, but I need to do something 

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and that you're right, you need 
to trust in the work that the 

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Lord Jesus has done because 
there's nothing you can do. 

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And once we once they come to 
that place of saving faith, then

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their wanter changes, their 
appetite changes. 

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They don't like the trash. 
They don't like to eat the trash

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that they used to like. 
They have a hunger and a thirst 

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for a new thing. 
So we have to be careful because

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there are certain things in 
people's lives around us that we

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would like to see changed in 
their lives, right? 

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Because there are certain things
that are damaging and 

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destructive to their lives. 
So there are certain behaviors 

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that go, man, I really wish so 
and so would stop doing this 

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insert destructive behavior, 
right? 

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Because it would, it would 
literally be a blessing to their

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life. 
But they would still, they would

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still go to hell even though 
that thing was removed from 

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their life if they have not 
experienced a saving faith in 

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the Lord Jesus Christ. 
Man, I really wish, I really 

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wish we could help Bob quit 
drinking. 

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I do too, because if Bob would 
quit drinking, it would 

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dramatically bless his life and 
change a lot of things for him. 

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But if, if that's all that 
happens in Bob's life, Bob will 

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go to hell sober instead of 
going to hell drunk. 

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Man, I really wish so and so. 
Like man, their, their mouth is 

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just like outrageous and filthy.
I really wish we could clean 

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that up. 
Me too. 

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I think it's jarring. 
I think it's appalling. 

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I think it's a lot. 
I think it's way too much. 

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But even if we have, even if so 
and so just cleaned up their 

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mouth, they're just going to go 
to hell with a cleaner mouth. 

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So in the same way, especially 
in the American South where 

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everything is Christian, 
Chick-fil-A is Christian, 

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everybody and their mama's 
Christian, whenever everybody 

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thinks that way, we get 
deceived. 

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And this is a risk that we run. 
So this is the challenge that we

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have to guard against and where 
we really have to continue to 

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inspect and say, am I saved? 
Now? 

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The tender conscience who really
already loves and walks with the

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Lord gets paranoid and they 
think, I think I lost my 

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salvation. 
So This is why the word of God 

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is safe. 
The Word of God is appropriate 

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and we can continue to get all 
the confidence and all the 

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reassurance that we need right 
here. 

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Let's go here in verse one. 
Then the Kingdom of heaven will 

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be like 10 virgins who took 
their lamps and went to meet, 

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we'll say, the groom. 
So the idea here in in the 

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Jewish culture, the wedding, the
way it would happen, the bride 

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and the groom, they would be 
pledged to one another. 

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This would be official. 
Everybody would know, everybody 

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would rejoice. 
This would be the big official 

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engagement. 
And now the time is set for the 

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wedding. 
But the, the big focus now, the 

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groom is going to go prepare his
household to receive his wife, 

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and the bride is going to go 
prepare herself. 

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And they're excited. 
And this is a big season and 

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people are looking forward to 
it. 

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But the groom is going to be the
one who actually hosts the 

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wedding event. 
And when it finally does come, 

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he's going to say, hey, it's 
going to be on the, you know, 

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whatever this month, we're going
to do it. 

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And then we're going to do it on
this week. 

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And then, hey, it's going to be 
on this day. 

226
00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:24,040
And they would zone in on it 
more more precisely. 

227
00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:26,880
And then he would come in the 
evening, he would come at night 

228
00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:29,000
time, and he would come with a 
procession of all of his 

229
00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:32,040
friends, all the groomsmen, you 
could call it, and they're 

230
00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:34,160
proceeding forward. 
It's the prey, but nobody knows 

231
00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:36,960
exactly the time. 
So that part made it exciting 

232
00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:38,800
and that part kind of kept you 
on your toes. 

233
00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:41,560
The bride has all of her 
bridesmaids. 

234
00:11:41,680 --> 00:11:44,840
Those are the virgins. 
So that's the description of 

235
00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:47,880
what's going on here. 
So he comes after this, at this 

236
00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:51,040
random time, sometime after 
sunset, most likely to get his 

237
00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:53,240
bride. 
The bridesmaids would be waiting

238
00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:56,760
to join in the procession with 
oil lamps or torches and the 

239
00:11:56,760 --> 00:12:00,600
groom would take the bride and 
he would take everyone back to 

240
00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:03,360
his place for the full wedding 
celebration. 

241
00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:05,880
They would have it that night 
and then they would feast and 

242
00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:07,680
celebrate. 
The whole wedding would be 7 

243
00:12:07,680 --> 00:12:11,000
days long. 
So the groom and the bride would

244
00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:14,080
would have their exchange of 
vows. 

245
00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:17,840
They would consummate their vows
all the way in their home and 

246
00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:21,040
they'd come back outside and be 
like, hey, we know what you just

247
00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:23,400
did. 
And, and they would celebrate 

248
00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:25,000
all week long. 
And there's the joy and there's 

249
00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:28,000
the blessing and there's all the
celebration together and 

250
00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:29,240
everyone just continues to 
rejoice. 

251
00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:33,040
It's just a wonderful, it's a, 
it's a high point in Jewish 

252
00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:34,560
life. 
It's a high point in Jewish 

253
00:12:34,560 --> 00:12:38,280
culture and it's a big deal. 
Now, the virgins that are 

254
00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:41,400
referred to here, these 10 
virgins, these are likely 10 

255
00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:45,120
teenage girls who have been 
asked by the bride, say, hey, I 

256
00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:47,720
want you to be my bridesmaids. 
This is a huge honor. 

257
00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:50,280
This is an exciting thing. 
They are thrilled. 

258
00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:52,440
They're all prepared for the big
event. 

259
00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:56,720
It's a massive deal. 
So This is why it's quite 

260
00:12:56,720 --> 00:13:00,520
jarring compared to what the 
Lord said last week, because 

261
00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:03,680
last week, remember, he talks 
about the wicked and unfaithful 

262
00:13:03,680 --> 00:13:05,840
servant. 
This guy's getting drunk while 

263
00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:08,800
the master's gone. 
He's beating the other servants 

264
00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:12,280
and he's just serving himself. 
You could kind of feel it 

265
00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:13,760
coming. 
You're like, oh, when the master

266
00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:16,440
gets there, this boy's in 
trouble. 

267
00:13:17,560 --> 00:13:21,360
And he was, Jesus said he's 
going to be cut into pieces and 

268
00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:27,720
he's going to be destroyed. 
This week we got 10 sweet, 

269
00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:32,160
wholesome, beautiful girls. 
They're healthy. 

270
00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:35,440
They're happy. 
Like, they're not harlots, He 

271
00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:36,960
says. 
They're 10 virgins. 

272
00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:40,440
These are good girls. 
OK, whatever. 

273
00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:44,000
Whatever you would think of as a
good girl, these are good girls.

274
00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:47,440
This is why this parable is so 
much more jarring because you're

275
00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:50,080
like, oh, oh, girls, you're 
late. 

276
00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:53,600
Come on in. 
But that's not the picture that 

277
00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:56,760
Jesus paints. 
We don't have any teenage girls 

278
00:13:56,760 --> 00:13:59,120
in the church. 
All my teenage boys, of course. 

279
00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:02,440
They're like, yeah, we noticed, 
Pastor, we got to do something 

280
00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:07,160
about that. 
But imagine, think of, think of 

281
00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:10,280
think of a sweet cousin or a 
niece or whoever it may be. 

282
00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:13,320
And, and you're going, you know 
who? 

283
00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:16,600
Who do you think of? 
She's a good girl. 

284
00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:18,560
She's a sweet girl. 
She's a wholesome girl. 

285
00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:21,480
That's who you can picture 
throughout this parable. 

286
00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:26,760
And they're all there, but five 
are wise, and unfortunately 5 

287
00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:31,920
are foolish. 
Verse 2 Five of them were 

288
00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:37,120
foolish and five were wise. 
For when the foolish took their 

289
00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:41,040
lamps, they took no oil with 
them, but the wise took flasks 

290
00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:44,840
of oil with their lamps. 
As the bridegroom, as the groom 

291
00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:47,800
was delayed, they all became 
drowsy and slept. 

292
00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:51,040
But at midnight there was a cry.
Here is the bridegroom. 

293
00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:56,400
Come out and meet him. 
Five were foolish and five were 

294
00:14:56,400 --> 00:14:58,280
wise. 
Notice there's not a third 

295
00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:03,240
category listed. 
Foolish, wise. 

296
00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:05,000
Well, the what about isms in 
between? 

297
00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:08,680
No, the foolish were prepared. 
The foolish were unprepared. 

298
00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:10,160
The wise were prepared. 
That was it. 

299
00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:13,240
That was the whole qualifier. 
That was the only distinction. 

300
00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:15,680
Look at you, wouldn't you and I 
wouldn't know it. 

301
00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:17,120
Look at all. 
Look at those beautiful sweet 

302
00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:18,400
girl. 
They're all dolled up for the 

303
00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:20,000
day. 
They spend all day doing the 

304
00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,880
makeup and the dresses and each 
others hair and like you look 

305
00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:25,200
lovely ladies. 
They had done the photography 

306
00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:27,880
already. 
They're all, they're all sweet 

307
00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:30,720
as they can be, excited as they 
can be, happy for the bride, 

308
00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:33,200
happy for the groom. 
But they have a certain mission 

309
00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:34,480
and they have a certain 
assignment. 

310
00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:37,920
It is their responsibility to 
carry the light for the whole, 

311
00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:41,840
for the whole family parade, for
the whole procession of all the 

312
00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:43,840
guests. 
It's the bridesmaids who are 

313
00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:46,560
going to carry the torches. 
So they're around the group and 

314
00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:49,200
they're carrying the torches and
they're lighting the parade all 

315
00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:52,000
the way to the house. 
This is whole thing is an honor.

316
00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:54,400
This whole thing is also a 
responsibility. 

317
00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:58,120
We see the same thing with our 
modern weddings as we have our 

318
00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:00,520
other traditions. 
You know, you turn, you say, and

319
00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:03,880
now the rings and the groomsmen,
you know, has the rings. 

320
00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:06,760
And this is a trusted thing. 
It's a responsible thing. 

321
00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:08,720
It's an important thing. 
It's something that you got to 

322
00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:11,120
get right. 
Or if you don't, you're going to

323
00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:12,840
ruin. 
You're going to ruin something 

324
00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:17,280
sacred, something you should 
have prepared for, something you

325
00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:20,800
knew was coming. 
And there's no excuse to not be 

326
00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:27,120
prepared in that moment. 
Five of them were wise, five 

327
00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:28,760
were foolish. 
There's no other category 

328
00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:31,040
listed. 
And remember the oil. 

329
00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:34,400
What does the oil represent? 
The oil represents the saving 

330
00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:38,360
faith that is necessary to 
endure and to obey. 

331
00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:42,720
So theologians, thankfully, they
refuse to get too precise. 

332
00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:45,560
I mean, you can find some who 
will say the oil is because in 

333
00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:47,960
Scripture, the oil is often the 
presence of the Holy Spirit. 

334
00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:50,800
So throughout the Scripture, 
like whenever you see oil, you 

335
00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:52,880
can see themes and you go, oh, 
oh, oh. 

336
00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:56,760
But here theologians are careful
to say this is just about a 

337
00:16:56,760 --> 00:16:58,920
general. 
This is about a saving faith. 

338
00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:02,440
Do you have a saving faith in 
the Lord Jesus Christ? 

339
00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:05,040
Well, yeah, I do. 
Well, But here's where this 

340
00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:08,760
parable should give all of us 
pause, especially all of us 

341
00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:11,079
American Southerners. 
This is where it should give us 

342
00:17:11,079 --> 00:17:13,119
all pause because we all look 
the same. 

343
00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:17,079
We're all dolled up. 
We're all in church on a Sunday 

344
00:17:17,079 --> 00:17:19,319
morning. 
We all have on pretty dresses 

345
00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:21,680
and pretty makeup and bows in 
our hair. 

346
00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:24,680
We all look the same. 
Nobody could tell the difference

347
00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:26,839
when they looked at the five 
wives and the five foolish. 

348
00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:29,240
Nobody knew. 
They're all wholesome. 

349
00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:32,080
They're all virgins. 
They're all excited to be here. 

350
00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:35,680
They all want to participate. 
That's crazy. 

351
00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:39,520
They all want to participate. 
They're knocking at the door. 

352
00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:40,640
Hey, hey, we're here. 
Sorry. 

353
00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:42,800
You know, a little. 
We had a little, had a Little 

354
00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:44,680
Mix up. 
Well, we're here now. 

355
00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:46,640
We want to be a part of your 
wedding. 

356
00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:50,960
We want to be a part of what the
bride and the groom are doing. 

357
00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:54,360
They have desire for that, but 
they don't have the 

358
00:17:54,360 --> 00:17:57,480
qualification for it. 
That's a strange category. 

359
00:17:58,120 --> 00:18:00,160
They're not giving the middle 
finger to the groom 

360
00:18:00,360 --> 00:18:03,480
intentionally. 
They're saying we're excited, 

361
00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:05,240
we've been preparing for that. 
We've been looking forward to 

362
00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:09,200
this for so long and the groom 
says you're not qualified and 

363
00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:11,400
you're not coming in. 
I don't know you. 

364
00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:21,960
The foolish were so swept up in 
the whole crowd, in the whole 

365
00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:25,480
event, in the whole excitement 
and all the honor, that they 

366
00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:28,440
neglected to attend to their 
individual priority. 

367
00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:31,520
That's you and I attending to 
our own souls. 

368
00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:36,920
Verse 5 As the groom was 
delayed, they all became drowsy 

369
00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:41,040
and slept. 
He was delayed. 

370
00:18:41,120 --> 00:18:43,120
Maybe it was on purpose, maybe 
it was a mishap. 

371
00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:46,320
We're not told because it 
doesn't matter. 

372
00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:50,800
The point I want you to see is 
he obviously comes later than 

373
00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:52,200
everyone thought he was going to
come. 

374
00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:56,320
So everybody thought they knew 
the moment they thought like, 

375
00:18:56,320 --> 00:18:58,880
oh, typically, traditionally 
this is the expectation. 

376
00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:00,600
This seems like a reasonable 
time. 

377
00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:03,520
They're like, well, well, he's 
delayed. 

378
00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:06,200
So they had their lamps running,
but they didn't have the extra 

379
00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:08,560
oil that they needed. 
They weren't prepared for 

380
00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:10,480
whatever would happen with the 
groom. 

381
00:19:11,120 --> 00:19:13,640
Are you prepared? 
Should the groom delay? 

382
00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:17,280
Should he come soon? 
Should he come later, depending 

383
00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:19,840
on where you are in your heart 
and in your life, you might be 

384
00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:21,720
like, I want Jesus to come right
now. 

385
00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:25,440
Some of you are like, I would 
love it if Jesus came right this

386
00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:28,640
second. 
That's you probably have a high 

387
00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:30,200
sense of readiness. 
You know, I love the Lord. 

388
00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:31,680
I'm with the Lord. 
I walk with the Lord. 

389
00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:34,640
I know I'm saved by the blood of
Jesus. 

390
00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:36,840
I know I trusted him. 
I know I didn't earn it. 

391
00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:39,160
I know I don't deserve it. 
And I know I'm secure. 

392
00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:42,280
And others go, yeah, I hope it's
not right now. 

393
00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:47,800
So if, if I'm not wanting him to
come right now, that's a concern

394
00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:51,720
for a number of reasons. 
It, it reveals probably a number

395
00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:57,360
of things #1 maybe you don't 
feel secure in your salvation 

396
00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:01,640
and #2 why on earth would you 
not want to see Jesus face to 

397
00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:03,200
face right this second if you 
could? 

398
00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:08,000
Hey, Joe, Michael, would you 
give up your next 45 years to 

399
00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:13,120
meet Jesus in this moment? 
Yeah. 45 years of what? 

400
00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:15,000
Earth? 
Are you serious? 

401
00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:18,400
Yeah, yeah, yeah. 
We'll take that. 

402
00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:21,120
So the affectionate heart that 
loves him, of course, is like, 

403
00:20:21,120 --> 00:20:24,080
come Lord Jesus, as the whole 
book ends. 

404
00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:27,520
Amen. 
Come Lord Jesus. 

405
00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:30,080
That's our desire. 
That's our expectation. 

406
00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:31,600
That's what we're supposed to 
have. 

407
00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:33,920
We're supposed to have a 
motivation to say come Lord, 

408
00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:37,080
come Lord, come Lord, and find 
me faithful when you do. 

409
00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:40,520
Find me obedient to the thing I 
was supposed to be obedient to. 

410
00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:43,760
Notice also. 
There doesn't seem to be 

411
00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:45,200
anything wrong with him 
sleeping. 

412
00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:47,640
Typically you would think of 
sleeping as a bad thing, but 

413
00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:51,760
even the wise are are resting. 
So there's some degree which 

414
00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:53,280
with which that's where we're 
like. 

415
00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:56,080
That's why we don't want to have
a paranoia about the Lord's 

416
00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:58,000
return. 
We want to have a hope and an 

417
00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:02,520
expectation, but not a paranoia 
that stops you from taking a 

418
00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:04,480
nap. 
Is this what you want to be 

419
00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:06,920
doing when Jesus comes back? 
Well, yeah, I'm allowed to take 

420
00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:09,760
a nap, you know, like, don't 
save any money in your bank 

421
00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:11,160
account 'cause he could come 
back any minute. 

422
00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:14,000
Like, well, you, you, you can 
keep living. 

423
00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:17,400
You can keep moving forward with
faithfulness and with 

424
00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:19,440
fruitfulness. 
That's his expectation because 

425
00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:23,720
you don't know what it is. 
So your heart posture should 

426
00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:25,520
always be ready for the next 
moment. 

427
00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:28,880
But you should continue to build
your life and your world. 

428
00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:31,640
And you should continue to build
the kind of world around you 

429
00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:33,440
that you would say. 
I want my great, great, great 

430
00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:36,240
grandchildren to have a world 
like this. 

431
00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:39,600
You disciple people and you 
preach the gospel. 

432
00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:43,240
With a love. 
With an expectation, with a 

433
00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:46,680
hope, with an urgency. 
But you also keep living. 

434
00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:50,760
So the wise also sleep. 
But when do they sleep? 

435
00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:53,200
They sleep clearly after 
preparations had been made. 

436
00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:56,280
The foolish slept and they 
hadn't made the preparations. 

437
00:21:56,480 --> 00:21:58,720
Maybe they were watching the 
wise and like, oh, they're 

438
00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:00,800
drifting off and we can drift 
off, too. 

439
00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:04,520
Yeah, but they're secure. 
They're actually secure. 

440
00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:06,400
They're well prepared. 
So. 

441
00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:08,720
So they lay down and they're 
just resting. 

442
00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:11,360
Rest in their eyes, as we like 
to say it. 

443
00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:12,640
Are you sleep? 
No, I ain't sleeping. 

444
00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:15,440
Just rest in my eyes. 
That's what I do on a Sunday 

445
00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:16,800
afternoon. 
I don't sleep. 

446
00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:19,120
No, no, I don't nap. 
Just rest in my eyes. 

447
00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:22,360
I do nap unapologetically, to be
clear. 

448
00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:26,560
But they've actually made the. 
Preparations. 

449
00:22:26,960 --> 00:22:30,720
But the ignorant or the foolish,
they're saying, I, I think we're

450
00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:33,160
comfortable too, but they're, 
where are they getting their 

451
00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:35,960
comfort from? 
And this is the concern for the 

452
00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:39,720
church. 
This is my concern for our 

453
00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:43,800
church, my church in particular.
Are you really saved? 

454
00:22:44,360 --> 00:22:47,720
Do you really have a saving 
faith because Jesus has actually

455
00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:53,040
done the work inside of you. 
And then the secondary piece is 

456
00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:56,640
there is then evidence to show 
that and to reveal that in your 

457
00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:59,600
life. 
Because all the comfort. 

458
00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:01,520
You're a part of the wedding 
festival. 

459
00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:03,480
You were invited, Of course you 
were invited. 

460
00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:07,360
Everybody's invited. 
And your familiarity. 

461
00:23:08,120 --> 00:23:10,640
You're doing all the things. 
Maybe not with a deliberate 

462
00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:13,040
hypocrisy, but maybe with 
ignorant error. 

463
00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:15,440
But that still equals 
foolishness. 

464
00:23:16,360 --> 00:23:17,800
So this is what gives us. 
Pause. 

465
00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:20,720
Because it's quite different. 
I'm not getting, I'm not doing 

466
00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:23,000
the drunken thing. 
I'm not beating all the people, 

467
00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:25,800
you know, like, like the other 
servant was doing like, oh, he's

468
00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:27,160
in big trouble. 
He really blew it. 

469
00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:30,080
I'm doing the wholesome. 
Stuff. 

470
00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:32,880
Well, wholesome stuff is good. 
The wholesome stuff isn't. 

471
00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:36,000
Saving a wholesome life never 
saved anybody. 

472
00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:39,400
Only faith in the. 
Lord Jesus and then the miracle 

473
00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:41,320
of the new birth. 
That's what saves them. 

474
00:23:41,360 --> 00:23:44,280
That's what saves somebody. 
I'll take wholesome living over 

475
00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:45,800
unwholesome living every day of 
the week. 

476
00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:49,040
If I could pick that for 
everyone's life, even if they 

477
00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:50,760
weren't following Christ, I 
would still pick that. 

478
00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:54,040
It's objectively better, but 
it's not a saving faith. 

479
00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:57,800
It's not the miracle of the new 
birth that Jesus has told us 

480
00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:02,480
about, so this principle applies
to all of our lives. 

481
00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:05,800
The wise may also sleep, but 
only after preparations have 

482
00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:08,440
been made. 
So you attend to things. 

483
00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:11,480
That need to be attended to in 
the order that they need to be 

484
00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:14,280
attended to. 
We got firefighters in our 

485
00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:16,960
church. 
They have their boots. 

486
00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:19,880
And their gear ready before they
go to sleep, so that when the 

487
00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:22,200
alarm hits, there's no other 
preparation that has to be made.

488
00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:28,200
In our family. 
One of the values that we 

489
00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:32,720
embrace is that we say we we say
we embrace discipline to enjoy 

490
00:24:32,720 --> 00:24:36,240
freedom and that shows up in all
kinds of ways for our household.

491
00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:40,280
So hey daddy, can I have a snack
or can I have a this like sure 

492
00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:41,640
buddy. 
Is your room clean? 

493
00:24:43,400 --> 00:24:45,720
I'll be right back. 
So we want to embrace a 

494
00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:49,000
discipline and then to enjoy a 
freedom, and we want to make 

495
00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:50,560
that a habit. 
We want to make that a pattern. 

496
00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:53,240
This is just a good principle. 
Again, wholesome living doesn't 

497
00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:56,760
save anybody's soul, but 
disciplined living that brings 

498
00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:59,280
order to chaos, that's an 
advantage. 

499
00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:02,800
That's a good thing. 
So wisdom is still wise, even if

500
00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:04,640
wisdom doesn't always lead to 
saving faith. 

501
00:25:05,040 --> 00:25:08,080
But in this case the wisdom is 
about your salvation itself. 

502
00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:11,720
And verse 6. 
But at midnight there was a cry.

503
00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:16,000
Here is the bridegroom, come out
and meet him. 

504
00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:19,200
Then all those virgins rose and 
trimmed their lamps. 

505
00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:22,360
So they all. 
Think they're going to be in the

506
00:25:22,360 --> 00:25:24,280
wedding, the wise and the 
foolish. 

507
00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:25,960
They rise up. 
I'm excited. 

508
00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:29,200
But their lamps had been burning
earlier sunset. 

509
00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:31,360
They all lit their torches or 
they lit their lamps and they're

510
00:25:31,360 --> 00:25:36,280
like, could be any minute and 
then a couple hours went by and 

511
00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:39,920
they're like. 
Maybe. 

512
00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:42,880
Maybe we put out our lamps for 
now and then. 

513
00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:47,280
Now it's. 
Late, like, well, let's just 

514
00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:49,160
nap. 
I mean, he's still clearly going

515
00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:52,400
to be here any minute, but let's
rest Well, the problem is they 

516
00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:53,840
weren't ready. 
So when he, when the 

517
00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:56,960
announcement is made, hit the 
groomsman, the best man, yes, 

518
00:25:56,960 --> 00:26:00,440
he's coming. 
Like finally everybody hope hops

519
00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:01,680
up. 
They're excited. 

520
00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:03,560
They're not expecting to be 
reviewed. 

521
00:26:05,360 --> 00:26:07,400
They're not like me. 
I told you the story. 

522
00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:10,920
Mom would come home, we'd hear a
pole in the driveway, and we 

523
00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:14,080
would do Flight of the Bumblebee
to make it look like we had done

524
00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:16,680
the chores that we're that we 
had hours to do. 

525
00:26:17,120 --> 00:26:20,120
Instead, we're sitting there 
watching Ricki Lake late night 

526
00:26:20,120 --> 00:26:25,400
afternoon TV. 
So we knew we were in. 

527
00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:27,120
Trouble we knew we had. 
We had done wrong. 

528
00:26:27,120 --> 00:26:28,520
They don't think they've done 
anything wrong. 

529
00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:35,200
They are in for the worst terror
and the worst shock later when 

530
00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:38,400
they come to the door, they are.
They're expecting to be let in 

531
00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:41,600
later. 
They all think that they're 

532
00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:42,600
going. 
To be in the wedding, they 

533
00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:45,520
expect to be in it. 
They would tell you that they're

534
00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:47,480
excited about it. 
They've been looking forward to 

535
00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:49,240
it ever since they got the 
invitation. 

536
00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:52,840
But they were foolish and they 
didn't prepare verse 8. 

537
00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:56,400
And the foolish said to the 
wise, give us some of your oil 

538
00:26:56,400 --> 00:27:00,240
for our lamps are going out. 
This would be like a firefighter

539
00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:03,840
on his way, running to the truck
with the rest of his crew and 

540
00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:07,160
realizing he doesn't have enough
air in his tank and said hey, 

541
00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:09,080
give me some of the air out of 
your tank. 

542
00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:12,080
I I prepped. 
My tank. 

543
00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:15,480
You didn't prep your tank. 
Like then we're going to be two,

544
00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:17,840
two dead people instead of just 
one. 

545
00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:21,640
Like I'm not going to give up my
air because then nobody has 

546
00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:24,360
enough air. 
We see the stupidity of it. 

547
00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:26,840
The wise virgins saw the same 
thing. 

548
00:27:27,120 --> 00:27:30,240
I've prepared for this. 
I did what I needed to do for 

549
00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:33,720
this and I need to fulfil my 
duty in this to the groom and to

550
00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:35,680
the bride, so everyone can see 
their glory. 

551
00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:39,600
I'm going to illuminate them and
I'm going to participate in the 

552
00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:41,720
way that I've been called on to 
participate. 

553
00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:44,840
And I can't have that extracted 
from or taken from. 

554
00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:48,600
You can't have your obedience 
taken away from by anything or 

555
00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:52,160
anybody for any reason. 
You cannot have your spouse 

556
00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:54,080
subtract from your obedience to 
the Lord. 

557
00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:56,720
You cannot have your children 
subtract from your obedience to 

558
00:27:56,720 --> 00:27:58,920
the Lord. 
You cannot have anybody or 

559
00:27:58,920 --> 00:28:01,960
anything subtract from your 
obedience to the Lord, no matter

560
00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:04,360
how they might call for it, no 
matter how they might reframe 

561
00:28:04,360 --> 00:28:08,400
it, your obedience to the Lord. 
Like I'm going to honor the Lord

562
00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:11,240
and the way that I know how I'm 
going to honor the Lord in the 

563
00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:14,000
way that I am accountable for 
and responsible for because I 

564
00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:15,400
love him and I want to please 
Him. 

565
00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:17,200
And I've been looking forward to
this. 

566
00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:27,800
The wise. 
Virgins, they're not selfish, 

567
00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:32,320
they're not cruel, the wise 
answered in verse 9, saying. 

568
00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:37,400
Since there will not be enough 
for for, for us and you go 

569
00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:39,800
rather to the dealers and buy 
for yourselves. 

570
00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:42,000
They're like, hey, what? 
That's our best recommendation. 

571
00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:44,240
Like settle it and get it 
straight. 

572
00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:45,840
It's late. 
I don't know how you're going to

573
00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:48,320
find any dealers open at this 
time of night. 

574
00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:50,760
Maybe you can knock on some 
doors and beg. 

575
00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:53,840
But the time to prepare was 
before now, not now. 

576
00:28:54,320 --> 00:28:57,040
But the wise they're prepared. 
If they give their oil, then 

577
00:28:57,040 --> 00:28:59,360
nobody's going to have enough 
oil to keep to keep the 

578
00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:01,400
procession lit all the way to 
the groom's house. 

579
00:29:01,920 --> 00:29:03,960
The whole wedding party won't be
able to see their way. 

580
00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:06,440
They won't see the glory of the 
groom and the glory of the 

581
00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:08,920
bride. 
We're doing our part and we're 

582
00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:13,960
not going to fail our job. 
Back in verse 40. 6 Jesus said 

583
00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:16,720
it this way. 
Blessed is that servant whom his

584
00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:19,040
Master will find so doing when 
he comes. 

585
00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:22,200
There's nothing new and crazy 
heavy being put on you this 

586
00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:23,320
morning. 
What am I supposed to do? 

587
00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:26,080
The simple thing that the Lord 
has put in front of you. 

588
00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:29,920
That's the doing part. 
After. 

589
00:29:30,120 --> 00:29:34,800
You've been saved genuinely 
after you've experienced the new

590
00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:37,920
birth, then you'll do these 
fruitful things. 

591
00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:41,000
I don't I don't see myself doing
these fruitful things, right. 

592
00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:44,720
That's the concern. 
Those fruitful things or you say

593
00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:47,800
why I I try to do them, but I 
fail at doing them. 

594
00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:51,120
Well, this is where we get into 
the area of the temptations of 

595
00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:53,600
the flesh where Christians still
sin. 

596
00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:56,280
This is where we need the 
clarifier to say. 

597
00:29:57,480 --> 00:30:00,240
If you love the Lord. 
Then you feel conviction of your

598
00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:04,440
sin and you repent when you sin,
and you're humble when you sin 

599
00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:07,800
and you hate your sin, you know.
But I do it again. 

600
00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:10,320
Well, Paul talked about that 
very thing. 

601
00:30:10,320 --> 00:30:14,160
My flesh continues to rise up 
and my flesh continues to rise 

602
00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:16,040
up. 
Well, welcome to taking up your 

603
00:30:16,040 --> 00:30:19,600
cross and following Jesus. 
It's an ongoing crucifixion. 

604
00:30:19,640 --> 00:30:22,200
The Christian life is not marked
by perfection. 

605
00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:25,520
It's marked by faithfulness. 
It's marked by progress. 

606
00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:28,800
It's marked by growth. 
So those are the things that we.

607
00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:36,240
Have to look for. 
Blessed is the servant whom his 

608
00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:38,800
master will find so doing when 
he comes. 

609
00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:42,200
The foolish should have copied 
the behavior of the wise and 

610
00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:45,680
prepared like they did. 
And people should learn. 

611
00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:50,120
From the spiritually prepared 
and do the same as they do and 

612
00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:52,400
set a beg them for their portion
at the appointed time. 

613
00:30:52,800 --> 00:30:55,640
If you question, if you wonder, 
I don't know if I'm spiritually 

614
00:30:55,640 --> 00:30:58,200
prepared in the way that I 
should be, who do you know that 

615
00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:01,480
is? 
You know somebody who is and you

616
00:31:01,480 --> 00:31:05,040
can learn from them and you 
should mimic them and you should

617
00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:07,560
follow them. 
You say they seem spiritually 

618
00:31:07,560 --> 00:31:10,320
prepared. 
Not just not just the outward 

619
00:31:10,320 --> 00:31:14,240
adorning all ten of these young 
women, sweet pretty girls, happy

620
00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:17,120
to be here today. 
But you know how you can find 

621
00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:20,600
out what's under the hood. 
You, you talk to them, you have 

622
00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:23,760
a conversation and you find out 
these are 10 different young 

623
00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:26,200
ladies in a photograph. 
You still look at those sweet 

624
00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:29,080
young ladies, aren't they happy 
and having a great time with the

625
00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:31,840
bride today? 
But then in conversation, you 

626
00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:34,840
go, wow, OK, that's very 
impressive. 

627
00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:36,560
A lot of a lot of wisdom and 
insight. 

628
00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:40,280
Wow, this one's very intelligent
or this one's very whatever. 

629
00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:44,600
Wow, this one's very kind or 
whatever without this one's kind

630
00:31:44,600 --> 00:31:47,480
of rude. 
That was unexpected. 

631
00:31:47,680 --> 00:31:50,480
One of these is not like the 
others, but in the photo. 

632
00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:54,480
The group. 
The bride. 

633
00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:55,720
'S got her rings and they're 
going. 

634
00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:58,240
They're posing for all the 
photos. 

635
00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:00,520
They all look sweet and the same
on the surface. 

636
00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:04,160
But as you get to. 
Know somebody, you get to know 

637
00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:06,960
somebody and you find out what's
under the hood or what's not 

638
00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:09,960
under the hood. 
Wow, that car has all the 

639
00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:11,240
outward look and you pop the 
hood. 

640
00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:15,360
There's no engine. 
I guess that's why I've never 

641
00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:16,640
seen. 
It driving up and down the road.

642
00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:20,600
It looks good in the driveway. 
But that's why it doesn't have 

643
00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:23,080
the. 
Fruit of taking someone from A 

644
00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:26,560
to B or it doesn't have the 
fruit of winning any races. 

645
00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:28,840
It hasn't done anything because 
it doesn't have the engine. 

646
00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:31,800
So we're not focused on winning 
races, we're focused on the 

647
00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:34,200
engine itself. 
Do you have the engine, which is

648
00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:36,360
the new birth? 
Do you have a saving faith in 

649
00:32:36,360 --> 00:32:39,160
the Lord Jesus? 
That's what I'm praying for. 

650
00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:40,840
You. 
That's why I'm praying that if 

651
00:32:40,840 --> 00:32:46,360
there's any confusion for 
anyone, any one of you, Are you 

652
00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:49,480
looking at me, pastor? 
You better believe it. 

653
00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:51,720
Who else would I be preaching 
to? 

654
00:32:51,920 --> 00:32:55,680
Who else would I be praying for?
I have a particular love, a 

655
00:32:55,840 --> 00:32:58,800
particular concern, and a 
particular affection for you. 

656
00:32:59,280 --> 00:33:02,760
Yes, I want the whole body of 
Christ to thrive, but if I had 

657
00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:06,920
to pick, there's like 60 people 
in particular who I would bless 

658
00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:10,840
before everybody else. 
So yes, are. 

659
00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:14,440
You kind of like insinuating it 
could be me, yes. 

660
00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:18,320
Always. 
Of course. 

661
00:33:20,600 --> 00:33:22,960
I don't intend to. 
Chip away at a confidence that 

662
00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:25,040
the Lord has put there. 
But I do intend to preach the 

663
00:33:25,040 --> 00:33:27,800
Scriptures as they are in front 
of us, and I intend to 

664
00:33:28,040 --> 00:33:30,440
communicate the same thing that 
the Lord Jesus was intending to 

665
00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:33,080
communicate. 
We're reading Jesus, these 

666
00:33:33,080 --> 00:33:36,680
letters are in red. 
Jesus is talking here and he's 

667
00:33:36,680 --> 00:33:38,560
saying this is the warning. 
This is the way. 

668
00:33:38,560 --> 00:33:41,480
I want to frame this up for you.
Not just the wicked servant who 

669
00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:42,760
everybody's like, I got's a 
jerk. 

670
00:33:42,760 --> 00:33:46,480
He's beating on people, but also
look at those sweet little 

671
00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:48,160
girls. 
Aren't they all the same? 

672
00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:51,600
No, they're not. 
There's a difference. 

673
00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:55,320
Obedient believers, they will 
leave clues all over their 

674
00:33:55,320 --> 00:33:57,840
lives. 
Those clues will be the fruit of

675
00:33:57,840 --> 00:33:59,960
the Spirit. 
Those are the things that you're

676
00:33:59,960 --> 00:34:02,800
going to see in people's lives. 
You're like, I need more of 

677
00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:06,280
that. 
I got oil, I got some oil, but I

678
00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:09,000
need more oil. 
And it's not that we can be 

679
00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:11,760
saved and then more saved. 
So now I am using oil in a 

680
00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:15,400
different reference but I'm 
seeing like I got some fruit but

681
00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:17,560
I want more fruit. 
I'm not content. 

682
00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:20,159
Like I've told you before, some 
of us have said, Lord, this is 

683
00:34:20,159 --> 00:34:23,560
as Christian as I get. 
No one has ever said. 

684
00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:25,840
That with their mouth, but many 
people say that with their 

685
00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:28,679
lifestyle. 
Lord, I've got as Christian as 

686
00:34:28,679 --> 00:34:30,560
I'm going to get. 
This is what you got. 

687
00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:33,679
If it's an upgrade, if it ain't 
sorry. 

688
00:34:34,040 --> 00:34:36,360
He's like, whoa, I always ask 
for all of you. 

689
00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:40,239
That was my only invitation was 
to give me all of you. 

690
00:34:40,520 --> 00:34:43,159
And then you measured A portion 
and said, I hope you're happy. 

691
00:34:44,120 --> 00:34:46,400
I'm only happy with full and 
total surrender. 

692
00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:51,320
As I showed Abraham, I wanted 
Isaac and he wants our Isaac as 

693
00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:54,080
well. 
So the good news is obedient 

694
00:34:54,080 --> 00:34:56,000
believers leave clues all over 
their lives. 

695
00:34:56,159 --> 00:34:59,120
They're not hard to find. 
They have the fruit that we all 

696
00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:01,520
want. 
They have peace that's deep. 

697
00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:05,280
They have love that's gracious. 
They have self-control that's 

698
00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:07,680
unique. 
They have order that's 

699
00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:10,400
welcoming. 
They have obedience that is 

700
00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:13,640
costly. 
And they have preparation. 

701
00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:17,120
That's obvious. 
Imitating them. 

702
00:35:17,120 --> 00:35:20,840
Won't give you their oil, only 
Christ can do that, but it will 

703
00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:23,800
show you the path of real 
repentance and real faith. 

704
00:35:24,440 --> 00:35:27,640
So find somebody like that and 
do what they do and then ask 

705
00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:29,560
them real and practical 
questions. 

706
00:35:30,040 --> 00:35:32,120
Hey, why do you do that with 
your kids? 

707
00:35:32,120 --> 00:35:35,320
Can you explain that to me? 
That seems interesting. 

708
00:35:35,440 --> 00:35:38,920
Hey, why do you pray like that? 
You know when you pray what I 

709
00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:41,320
noticed you said this and that. 
Explain that to me. 

710
00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:43,560
Why do you run your house like 
that? 

711
00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:47,320
Why do you read like that? 
Why do you listen to that? 

712
00:35:48,160 --> 00:35:50,640
Teach me more about that. 
I have AI have a question. 

713
00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:54,960
Those believers. 
Will be eager to bless you. 

714
00:35:55,520 --> 00:35:56,920
They will not condemn you and 
go. 

715
00:35:57,880 --> 00:36:00,680
You don't know. 
They'll be so happy and so 

716
00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:03,080
relieved that somebody humbled 
themselves to actually go. 

717
00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:05,840
I'd love to learn from you 
because they have it in them to 

718
00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:08,480
pour out. 
It's not an excuse for those 

719
00:36:08,480 --> 00:36:12,280
believers who do have that fruit
in your lives to not be 

720
00:36:12,280 --> 00:36:13,640
attempting to pour out. 
Anyway. 

721
00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:15,400
We're not just waiting to be 
asked questions. 

722
00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:18,800
And yet still, if you're looking
for for certainty, if you're 

723
00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:20,880
looking for confidence, if 
you're looking for conviction, 

724
00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:23,840
if you're looking for better 
fruit, find believers like that.

725
00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:29,520
Learn from them, grow with them.
In verse 10. 

726
00:36:29,680 --> 00:36:34,240
And while they were going to 
buy, the bridegroom came, and 

727
00:36:34,240 --> 00:36:37,440
those who were ready went in 
with him to the marriage feast, 

728
00:36:37,800 --> 00:36:42,920
and the door was shut. 
It reminds me of Noah. 

729
00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:47,960
Noah gets on the boat, his 
family gets on the boat. 

730
00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:49,320
All the animals were already on 
there. 

731
00:36:49,520 --> 00:36:52,280
And the Bible says the Lord 
shuts the door. 

732
00:36:54,600 --> 00:36:58,880
Everybody's still laughing, I 
suppose. 120 years Noah had been

733
00:36:58,880 --> 00:37:01,600
preaching. 
Repentance so. 

734
00:37:01,600 --> 00:37:04,080
That people would be saved. 
God didn't want to drown the 

735
00:37:04,080 --> 00:37:06,520
whole earth, but he was going to
destroy the wicked. 

736
00:37:07,160 --> 00:37:10,200
So it's not that everybody had 
to die, it's that everybody 

737
00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:13,320
chose to die. 
Because they they. 

738
00:37:13,320 --> 00:37:15,120
Got exactly what they wanted. 
You don't want to be God. 

739
00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:16,360
You don't want to be with God. 
No. 

740
00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:19,800
No, we don't. 
Then don't worry, you won't be. 

741
00:37:21,800 --> 00:37:24,680
So we don't know what it looked.
Like once it started to rain, we

742
00:37:24,680 --> 00:37:26,520
don't know what the outside of 
the ark looked like. 

743
00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:30,840
Everything would just be 
speculation, but I'm sure it 

744
00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:33,280
wasn't pleasant. 
I'm sure it was horrifying. 

745
00:37:33,280 --> 00:37:37,080
As the waters started to rise, 
as the earth broke open and let 

746
00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:40,480
out the springs, and as the Lord
rained down the rain from above 

747
00:37:40,480 --> 00:37:43,560
as well, all of a sudden 
everything got very real and 

748
00:37:43,560 --> 00:37:47,680
everybody understood and 
realized the door is shut. 

749
00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:51,560
The world should have done what 
they saw Noah doing and they 

750
00:37:51,560 --> 00:37:55,680
should have built an ark. 
Jesus is the ark, and Jesus is 

751
00:37:55,680 --> 00:37:58,760
the door we enter in through his
wounds. 

752
00:37:59,560 --> 00:38:01,120
He is the door that we enter in 
through. 

753
00:38:01,120 --> 00:38:04,880
He was pierced and it's through 
Jesus that everybody can come 

754
00:38:04,880 --> 00:38:07,160
in. 
This is why. 

755
00:38:07,680 --> 00:38:09,240
The love of God should compel 
you. 

756
00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:12,560
The love of God should move you 
to pray. 

757
00:38:12,560 --> 00:38:14,960
The love of God should move you 
to speak. 

758
00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:18,600
The love of God should move you 
to say I haven't really 

759
00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:21,240
witnessed, I haven't really 
testified to what the Lord has 

760
00:38:21,240 --> 00:38:23,840
done in my life and I can't stay
there. 

761
00:38:24,160 --> 00:38:29,000
I can't go another year with my 
with the the level of which I 

762
00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:31,840
testify. 
What does testify mean? 

763
00:38:31,840 --> 00:38:33,440
Just talk about what the Lord 
has done for you. 

764
00:38:33,600 --> 00:38:36,000
Easy, easy day. 
He's done a lot for you. 

765
00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:37,680
I don't see what He's done for 
me. 

766
00:38:38,480 --> 00:38:42,560
OK, well start writing things 
down because He has and you have

767
00:38:42,560 --> 00:38:44,240
more blessing than you're even 
aware of. 

768
00:38:44,280 --> 00:38:46,720
Do you have pain in your body 
right now? 

769
00:38:46,840 --> 00:38:49,480
No. 
Did you thank him for it? 

770
00:38:49,600 --> 00:38:51,960
No, no, we take it all for 
granted. 

771
00:38:52,440 --> 00:38:54,680
Your body is working in a 
million different ways right 

772
00:38:54,680 --> 00:38:58,320
now, and in the sovereign 
goodness of God that you're not 

773
00:38:58,320 --> 00:39:00,160
even aware of. 
I don't think about my body. 

774
00:39:00,160 --> 00:39:02,640
You know when I think about my 
body, when it hurts, when 

775
00:39:02,640 --> 00:39:05,600
something goes wrong, we'll go, 
oh, now I know how Job felt. 

776
00:39:07,800 --> 00:39:10,200
Because I've had this. 
Minor infraction in my life. 

777
00:39:11,360 --> 00:39:15,520
I truly am a man of suffering. 
That's how I feel. 

778
00:39:16,360 --> 00:39:19,120
The Lord is going were. 
You thankful when things. 

779
00:39:19,120 --> 00:39:21,840
Were healthy? 
No, no, I wasn't. 

780
00:39:22,640 --> 00:39:25,320
So we have all these goodnesses,
all these things that we should 

781
00:39:25,320 --> 00:39:27,800
be grateful for, all these 
things that we should be paying 

782
00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:30,520
attention to. 
We see the goodness of God in 

783
00:39:30,520 --> 00:39:32,880
our lives. 
We see that Jesus is the ark 

784
00:39:32,880 --> 00:39:38,400
that we've come running into. 
And that is the question. 

785
00:39:38,680 --> 00:39:42,600
Have you really come fully and 
securely into the ark readiness?

786
00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:45,280
The thing you should take from 
this parable is that readiness 

787
00:39:45,280 --> 00:39:48,200
is not something that you give 
to someone else. 

788
00:39:48,480 --> 00:39:51,080
The gospel is something that you
give to someone else. 

789
00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:54,040
The message is something you 
give to someone else, but what 

790
00:39:54,040 --> 00:39:57,320
they do with their soul is 
outside of your control. 

791
00:39:58,040 --> 00:40:00,520
So you'll pray. 
You'll pray for Holy Spirit 

792
00:40:00,520 --> 00:40:02,520
breakthrough. 
You'll pray for revelation. 

793
00:40:02,520 --> 00:40:06,320
You'll pray that their sin would
taste filthy in their mouths and

794
00:40:06,320 --> 00:40:08,880
that they would experience 
whatever rock bottom that they 

795
00:40:08,880 --> 00:40:12,000
would need to so that they would
then run to Christ and go wow, 

796
00:40:12,200 --> 00:40:16,160
all of my gods are worthless. 
Pray that they would meet their.

797
00:40:16,160 --> 00:40:18,840
Idols face to face so they can 
realize how incredibly 

798
00:40:18,840 --> 00:40:21,920
disappointing they are and how 
empty and worthless they are. 

799
00:40:22,160 --> 00:40:25,400
And then they go, well, it's got
to be Jesus. 

800
00:40:25,400 --> 00:40:27,240
Yeah. 
Wait till you meet him face to 

801
00:40:27,240 --> 00:40:30,480
face. 
You won't be disappointed, I 

802
00:40:30,480 --> 00:40:33,520
assure you. 
You'll be amazed. 

803
00:40:33,960 --> 00:40:35,600
You'll be drawn to deeper 
worship. 

804
00:40:37,360 --> 00:40:40,360
Your parents faith. 
Won't apply to you. 

805
00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:43,360
Your friend's faith will not 
apply to you. 

806
00:40:43,360 --> 00:40:46,200
Your favorite preacher's faith 
will not apply to you. 

807
00:40:46,200 --> 00:40:48,640
Your spouse's faith will not 
apply to you. 

808
00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:51,680
You need to be ready now, and 
you can be. 

809
00:40:55,360 --> 00:40:57,080
So. 
What does it mean for me? 

810
00:40:57,720 --> 00:40:59,360
Where am I? 
How do I locate myself? 

811
00:40:59,360 --> 00:41:01,000
Do you feel conviction of your 
sin? 

812
00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:04,320
Do you repent? 
Do you humble yourself before 

813
00:41:04,320 --> 00:41:06,840
God and others? 
Do you have a love for God? 

814
00:41:06,840 --> 00:41:10,280
Do you have a love for others? 
If you don't long to be closer 

815
00:41:10,280 --> 00:41:13,800
to Jesus, then you probably 
don't belong to Jesus. 

816
00:41:16,680 --> 00:41:18,720
These are the tests. 
That you can check in your own 

817
00:41:18,720 --> 00:41:22,360
heart. 
Verse 11 Afterward the other 

818
00:41:22,360 --> 00:41:28,120
virgins came also saying, Lord, 
Lord open to us, but he answered

819
00:41:28,120 --> 00:41:30,680
truly I say to you, I do not 
know you. 

820
00:41:31,800 --> 00:41:35,880
And then Jesus tells his 
disciples, Watch therefore, for 

821
00:41:35,880 --> 00:41:39,280
you know, neither the day nor 
the hour. 

822
00:41:40,800 --> 00:41:44,600
Notice they say, Lord, Lord, 
they don't say, we hate you, we 

823
00:41:44,600 --> 00:41:47,600
always hated you. 
He says exactly what he said 

824
00:41:47,600 --> 00:41:50,800
many will say on that day. 
Many will say to me on that day,

825
00:41:51,080 --> 00:41:54,320
Lord, Lord, and didn't we even 
bear fruit? 

826
00:41:54,520 --> 00:41:56,440
That part's kind of crazy for 
our theology. 

827
00:41:57,120 --> 00:41:58,960
Didn't we cast out demons in 
your name? 

828
00:42:00,920 --> 00:42:02,760
We did work. 
In your name. 

829
00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:05,840
He's like, yeah, that was my. 
Grace to the people you were 

830
00:42:05,840 --> 00:42:09,160
doing the work for. 
I was still blessing. 

831
00:42:09,160 --> 00:42:14,520
My word, I was still honoring. 
Man, it almost sounds. 

832
00:42:14,520 --> 00:42:15,960
Hard. 
It's not. 

833
00:42:16,200 --> 00:42:19,680
It's just, it's just humble, the
prideful thing. 

834
00:42:19,680 --> 00:42:22,240
This sounds really difficult. 
It's so complicated. 

835
00:42:23,000 --> 00:42:26,280
It is for pride. 
It's really hard for pride, but 

836
00:42:26,280 --> 00:42:29,320
for the humble, we just go. 
I'm so glad I'm secure. 

837
00:42:29,680 --> 00:42:32,720
I'm so glad Jesus saved me. 
I'm so glad there's nothing I 

838
00:42:32,720 --> 00:42:34,280
could do to earn it or deserve 
it. 

839
00:42:34,520 --> 00:42:37,640
And I receive it by grace. 
Lord help me. 

840
00:42:37,640 --> 00:42:39,640
Lord grow me. 
Lord, lead me. 

841
00:42:40,800 --> 00:42:43,560
The groom says. 
To these girls who he obviously 

842
00:42:43,560 --> 00:42:46,040
would have known. 
Of course he knows the 

843
00:42:46,040 --> 00:42:50,120
bridesmaids. 
But he says I don't know you. 

844
00:42:51,520 --> 00:42:54,240
What's he mean by that? 
Maybe after today. 

845
00:42:55,320 --> 00:42:57,040
I thought I knew you, but 
clearly you're not even 

846
00:42:57,040 --> 00:43:00,000
prepared. 
I don't even know you girls. 

847
00:43:00,280 --> 00:43:03,120
No, you're not coming in. 
He let in everybody else. 

848
00:43:03,120 --> 00:43:05,440
Mom, Dad. 
Uncle Joey. 

849
00:43:05,440 --> 00:43:08,040
Yeah, we'll let it. 
Uncle Joey, everybody come on 

850
00:43:08,040 --> 00:43:11,520
in. 
But you, you 5, where were your 

851
00:43:11,520 --> 00:43:12,680
torches? 
Where were you during the 

852
00:43:12,680 --> 00:43:14,960
procession? 
Where were you to celebrate and 

853
00:43:14,960 --> 00:43:18,200
to honor and be prepared? 
Crying. 

854
00:43:18,200 --> 00:43:21,640
Teen girls with makeup running. 
They cannot believe this is 

855
00:43:21,640 --> 00:43:24,800
happening. 
But you've known this was 

856
00:43:24,800 --> 00:43:26,720
coming. 
Everyone knew this was coming. 

857
00:43:26,880 --> 00:43:30,000
You knew you should prepare. 
You saw others prepare, but you 

858
00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:31,760
didn't bother to prepare. 
I don't know you. 

859
00:43:33,280 --> 00:43:35,280
The scary thing we have to see? 
Here is that there's not going 

860
00:43:35,280 --> 00:43:38,640
to be any mercy on that day. 
There was no exception. 

861
00:43:38,640 --> 00:43:41,200
There was no hey, it's your 
first time doing a wedding. 

862
00:43:41,480 --> 00:43:43,400
Y'all didn't realize I know I 
came late. 

863
00:43:43,600 --> 00:43:46,280
There was no mercy. 
That's the other jarring thing 

864
00:43:46,280 --> 00:43:48,280
about this parable in contrast 
to the other one. 

865
00:43:48,960 --> 00:43:51,120
That guy had it comin these 
girls. 

866
00:43:52,120 --> 00:43:54,200
Picture that sweet. 
Teen girl that you know and 

867
00:43:54,200 --> 00:43:57,200
love, that family member, that 
wholesome good girl. 

868
00:43:58,040 --> 00:44:02,560
Picture her bawling her eyes out
and that's genuinely what it's 

869
00:44:02,560 --> 00:44:04,760
going to be like. 
On the day of judgement, people 

870
00:44:04,760 --> 00:44:07,320
were like, I thought I was a 
part of the thing. 

871
00:44:07,800 --> 00:44:10,760
Well, you were misinformed and 
you misunderstood. 

872
00:44:11,760 --> 00:44:15,240
Because it's only the saving. 
Faith that we'll actually 

873
00:44:15,240 --> 00:44:17,280
prepare. 
It's the saving faith that we'll

874
00:44:17,280 --> 00:44:20,920
actually endure. 
This is graphic and that was 

875
00:44:20,920 --> 00:44:25,760
Jesus's intention. 
We're going to. 

876
00:44:26,320 --> 00:44:29,640
Close and we're going to receive
communion together. 

877
00:44:29,640 --> 00:44:31,720
Chris and Kayla, if you could 
prepare the elements. 

878
00:44:35,160 --> 00:44:38,960
Do what you're supposed. 
To do, yes, but what you're 

879
00:44:38,960 --> 00:44:41,840
supposed to do becomes obvious 
to you after you actually trust 

880
00:44:41,840 --> 00:44:44,480
in the Lord. 
That's all you're required to 

881
00:44:44,480 --> 00:44:46,240
do. 
They had one job and they failed

882
00:44:46,240 --> 00:44:48,080
it. 
The unfaithful servant is cut 

883
00:44:48,080 --> 00:44:51,560
into pieces. 
But the beautiful virgins, they.

884
00:44:51,560 --> 00:44:54,200
Don't make it either. 
You must be ready. 

885
00:44:54,960 --> 00:44:57,760
That's the warning that the Lord
is taking His time with. 

886
00:44:58,160 --> 00:45:03,320
These are His last moments with 
His disciples, His last 72 

887
00:45:03,320 --> 00:45:05,320
hours. 
This is the kind of message that

888
00:45:05,320 --> 00:45:08,560
he's leaving in the last of the 
last of the last hours with His 

889
00:45:08,560 --> 00:45:10,800
people. 
This is the thing I need to 

890
00:45:10,800 --> 00:45:12,680
leave with you guys. 
Be ready. 

891
00:45:13,240 --> 00:45:15,840
You don't know when I'm coming 
because they were still like, 

892
00:45:15,840 --> 00:45:17,000
how will we know? 
How will we know? 

893
00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:19,520
How will we know? 
And then he's like, here's how 

894
00:45:20,680 --> 00:45:24,760
also, you won't stay ready, live
ready. 

895
00:45:25,160 --> 00:45:27,560
The whole point of this parable 
is that spiritual readiness 

896
00:45:27,560 --> 00:45:29,560
isn't something you can take 
care of later. 

897
00:45:32,120 --> 00:45:33,720
And to reference the. 
Different end times 

898
00:45:33,720 --> 00:45:36,280
perspectives. 
If you hold to the belief like 

899
00:45:36,280 --> 00:45:38,120
we talked about. 
If you believe that there will 

900
00:45:38,120 --> 00:45:42,560
be a rapture and that the church
will be raptured out before a 

901
00:45:42,560 --> 00:45:45,600
time of tribulation, I don't 
intend to take that from you. 

902
00:45:46,120 --> 00:45:49,080
But if you're counting on that 
as a backup plan, that is 

903
00:45:49,080 --> 00:45:53,120
exceedingly stupid. 
And I've met people. 

904
00:45:53,120 --> 00:45:55,240
Who do that? 
I've met people who because they

905
00:45:55,240 --> 00:45:58,000
believe in that end times 
perspective, they thought that 

906
00:45:58,000 --> 00:46:00,280
that was an extra insurance 
policy for them. 

907
00:46:00,880 --> 00:46:03,560
So even if you hold that end 
times view, I don't condemn you 

908
00:46:03,560 --> 00:46:05,160
for to argue with you. 
I'm not intending to take it 

909
00:46:05,160 --> 00:46:10,160
from you, but to say, yeah, 
yeah, that that's going to give 

910
00:46:10,160 --> 00:46:13,760
me like an extra plan or or some
extra time. 

911
00:46:14,560 --> 00:46:16,200
This is your soul that you're 
toying with. 

912
00:46:17,720 --> 00:46:21,240
So if you won't walk. 
In the light right now, when 

913
00:46:21,240 --> 00:46:24,520
you're surrounded by the church,
you think that you'll do it. 

914
00:46:24,520 --> 00:46:28,280
When the entire body of Christ 
is removed from the earth and 

915
00:46:28,280 --> 00:46:31,200
persecution breaks out against 
anyone who claims the name of 

916
00:46:31,200 --> 00:46:33,240
Jesus, that's that person's 
plan. 

917
00:46:34,600 --> 00:46:37,320
Not walking with him. 
Now when I've got millions of 

918
00:46:37,320 --> 00:46:40,480
people who love him and walk 
with him, but I'll, I'll start 

919
00:46:40,480 --> 00:46:45,080
to when they're all ejected and 
join them and I and I'm left and

920
00:46:45,080 --> 00:46:46,600
I'll go. 
I'm ready now. 

921
00:46:47,520 --> 00:46:52,080
That's your plan with your soul 
at the most difficult time to 

922
00:46:52,080 --> 00:46:54,320
ever walk for the Lord. 
You're going to do it better 

923
00:46:54,320 --> 00:46:56,680
than ever. 
You're planning and counting on 

924
00:46:56,680 --> 00:46:59,160
that. 
Is that a wise virgin or a 

925
00:46:59,160 --> 00:47:02,680
foolish virgin? 
That's easy to discernment, 

926
00:47:02,680 --> 00:47:06,080
right? 
That reveals that that. 

927
00:47:06,080 --> 00:47:10,360
Person would be a foolish 
virgin, and then they won't even

928
00:47:10,360 --> 00:47:12,040
have the wise virgins to beg for
help. 

929
00:47:12,040 --> 00:47:14,480
There's nobody's oil to borrow 
from, even if they wanted to. 

930
00:47:15,840 --> 00:47:19,920
Your own. 
Soul should be motive enough to 

931
00:47:19,920 --> 00:47:22,000
be watchful and to pay 
attention. 

932
00:47:23,160 --> 00:47:26,160
But can I tell you something? 
Else the Lord wants to take us 

933
00:47:26,160 --> 00:47:29,120
so much farther beyond Where am 
I? 

934
00:47:31,320 --> 00:47:33,200
Am I? 
Am I going to hell? 

935
00:47:33,840 --> 00:47:35,880
Like that was not the plan for 
the church. 

936
00:47:36,080 --> 00:47:42,080
The plan for the church was get 
saved, get filled, get equipped,

937
00:47:42,680 --> 00:47:45,600
go change the world. 
Like keep doing it over and over

938
00:47:45,600 --> 00:47:49,400
and over. 
Not comfort me for my own 

939
00:47:49,400 --> 00:47:51,280
comfort. 
I just don't want to go to hell.

940
00:47:51,280 --> 00:47:53,360
Me either. 
Saints and the new. 

941
00:47:53,360 --> 00:47:56,520
Our New Testament repeatedly 
tells us to inspect and check 

942
00:47:56,520 --> 00:47:58,360
ourselves. 
So it's it's not something we 

943
00:47:58,360 --> 00:48:02,800
ever graduate past, but it's 
certainly not it shouldn't it 

944
00:48:02,800 --> 00:48:05,840
should not be the only thing 
that we're focused on so we 

945
00:48:05,840 --> 00:48:08,440
don't ever move beyond the care 
of our own soul. 

946
00:48:08,640 --> 00:48:10,040
That would be stupid and 
foolish. 

947
00:48:11,040 --> 00:48:13,480
But we certainly need to. 
Add much to it. 

948
00:48:13,960 --> 00:48:15,280
There should be much added to 
it. 

949
00:48:15,280 --> 00:48:18,880
We were to be making disciples 
who make disciples who make 

950
00:48:18,880 --> 00:48:21,800
disciples. 
But many people are like, I just

951
00:48:21,800 --> 00:48:23,920
don't want to burn forever. 
Like, well, that's good. 

952
00:48:23,920 --> 00:48:27,560
Me either. 
And also there's a much higher 

953
00:48:27,560 --> 00:48:31,640
calling beyond not suffering and
separation from God forever. 

954
00:48:33,080 --> 00:48:35,600
What must I do? 
Well, if you, if you do love the

955
00:48:35,600 --> 00:48:39,800
Lord, then you should find those
other Saints who have that fruit

956
00:48:40,520 --> 00:48:43,040
and you should get up in their 
business and get up in their 

957
00:48:43,040 --> 00:48:46,800
lives and be honest about where 
you are spiritually. 

958
00:48:47,560 --> 00:48:51,640
And then begin to say, teach me,
walk with me, help me to grow. 

959
00:48:51,920 --> 00:48:58,040
Show me what it would look like.
Church you are. 

960
00:48:58,040 --> 00:49:01,760
Going to need to be strong for 
what's coming so you can help 

961
00:49:01,760 --> 00:49:02,400
others. 
Amen. 

962
00:49:04,440 --> 00:49:05,800
Amen. 
I do not want to be a part of a 

963
00:49:05,800 --> 00:49:09,480
wimpy church, personally. 
I want to be a part of a very 

964
00:49:09,480 --> 00:49:12,360
strong church. 
I want to be a part of a church 

965
00:49:12,360 --> 00:49:17,440
where the men are fired up about
Jesus, where the women are fired

966
00:49:17,440 --> 00:49:20,400
up about Jesus. 
And it looks like something and 

967
00:49:21,080 --> 00:49:26,160
it shows up and we walk in grace
with one another and we walk on 

968
00:49:26,160 --> 00:49:29,480
mission with one another. 
That's what I that's what I 

969
00:49:29,480 --> 00:49:32,400
wanted to be a part of years ago
when I planted salt. 

970
00:49:32,640 --> 00:49:36,200
That hasn't changed for me. 
That's our purpose. 

971
00:49:36,200 --> 00:49:38,080
And that's not a special Salt 
church vision. 

972
00:49:38,080 --> 00:49:39,720
That's just a Bible, New 
Testament. 

973
00:49:40,000 --> 00:49:42,200
That's every church. 
That's what we're supposed to 

974
00:49:42,200 --> 00:49:48,120
be, not a Country Club. 
But the world is going to need 

975
00:49:48,120 --> 00:49:52,640
us at our very, very best. 
We need to be fruitful a we need

976
00:49:52,640 --> 00:49:54,600
to be a fruitful and life giving
church. 

977
00:49:54,800 --> 00:49:57,720
Because in the coming years, I 
believe there is going to be a 

978
00:49:57,760 --> 00:49:59,920
hopelessness. 
I believe there's going to be a 

979
00:49:59,920 --> 00:50:03,720
bondage come over the people of 
the world like we have never 

980
00:50:03,720 --> 00:50:05,960
seen before. 
And I think if you're not strong

981
00:50:05,960 --> 00:50:08,320
when it arrives, then you're 
going to be one of the victims 

982
00:50:08,320 --> 00:50:11,560
in it instead of one of the 
firefighters. 

983
00:50:12,160 --> 00:50:15,640
We need firefighters to be in 
shape so that they can pick up 

984
00:50:15,960 --> 00:50:18,600
our butts and carry us out of 
the house. 

985
00:50:18,720 --> 00:50:21,600
We don't need them to come and 
then be another victim in the 

986
00:50:21,600 --> 00:50:24,120
fire. 
The church. 

987
00:50:24,440 --> 00:50:27,400
Are the ones who are supposed to
be in shape and ready and 

988
00:50:27,400 --> 00:50:29,560
unintimidated by whatever is 
coming. 

989
00:50:32,880 --> 00:50:35,040
But I. 
Think that there is a great deal

990
00:50:35,040 --> 00:50:38,320
of hopelessness and despair 
unlike anything any of us have 

991
00:50:38,320 --> 00:50:40,840
ever seen in our generation, 
from the oldest to the youngest.

992
00:50:41,280 --> 00:50:44,720
I think it's coming and I think 
it's sooner rather than later. 

993
00:50:45,520 --> 00:50:47,880
I think it's probably within the
next five to seven years. 

994
00:50:48,080 --> 00:50:50,200
Pastor, what are you getting at?
I'll be real brief on this 

995
00:50:50,200 --> 00:50:52,680
point. 
Jobs are going to. 

996
00:50:52,680 --> 00:50:56,960
Continue to vanish. 
So even if the AI, even if the 

997
00:50:57,000 --> 00:51:00,800
the AI world, even if the AI 
super smart robot, whatever is 

998
00:51:00,800 --> 00:51:03,720
coming, even if it's benevolent 
towards us, let's first pretend 

999
00:51:03,720 --> 00:51:06,240
it likes us a lot and wants us 
to all be happy. 

1000
00:51:06,680 --> 00:51:10,400
At an absolute minimum, jobs are
going to vanish by the millions 

1001
00:51:10,400 --> 00:51:12,720
upon millions upon millions upon
millions. 

1002
00:51:14,200 --> 00:51:17,280
And people aren't going to. 
Have any purpose because people 

1003
00:51:17,280 --> 00:51:20,760
don't know how to do household 
and family life now, so when 

1004
00:51:20,760 --> 00:51:23,800
their 40 hour a week job is 
taken and it will not be 

1005
00:51:23,800 --> 00:51:26,440
replaced by something else, 
you're going to do see. 

1006
00:51:26,440 --> 00:51:30,000
Despair like never before, 
Suicide like never before, 

1007
00:51:30,120 --> 00:51:33,760
Addiction like never before, 
Medication like never before. 

1008
00:51:34,560 --> 00:51:36,280
Because people are like, what's 
the purpose of life? 

1009
00:51:36,280 --> 00:51:38,200
At least I had to go to work 
every day. 

1010
00:51:39,680 --> 00:51:41,360
And that's that's small. 
Fish compared to the 

1011
00:51:41,360 --> 00:51:43,440
possibilities. 
I don't have a crystal ball. 

1012
00:51:43,440 --> 00:51:47,440
The Lord has not shown me what's
coming, but I have a brain and 

1013
00:51:47,440 --> 00:51:50,840
two eyes and I can see and go. 
Well, jobs. 

1014
00:51:51,040 --> 00:51:54,720
Jobs are already vanishing at a 
conservative rate compared to 

1015
00:51:54,720 --> 00:51:56,840
what's coming. 
So what's your point, Pastor? 

1016
00:51:57,040 --> 00:52:00,200
My point is, this world is going
to be reshaped in dramatic and 

1017
00:52:00,200 --> 00:52:02,560
unpredictable ways. 
What? 

1018
00:52:02,560 --> 00:52:05,040
Do we do? 
We need to be the church who 

1019
00:52:05,040 --> 00:52:07,960
remembers that we have a 
shepherd and we need to carry 

1020
00:52:07,960 --> 00:52:10,080
the light. 
I don't know what it's going to 

1021
00:52:10,080 --> 00:52:12,120
look like. 
I think it's going to be weird. 

1022
00:52:12,320 --> 00:52:15,320
And I'm also thankful that God 
saw fit to put you here and me 

1023
00:52:15,320 --> 00:52:18,600
here for such a time as this. 
He could have had us been born 

1024
00:52:18,600 --> 00:52:21,520
200 years ago, but he didn't. 
He could have had us been born 

1025
00:52:21,520 --> 00:52:22,760
in a different nation, but he 
didn't. 

1026
00:52:23,640 --> 00:52:27,000
So I say bring it on. 
We're the people of Christ. 

1027
00:52:27,640 --> 00:52:30,440
We'll be ready. 
It doesn't sound awesome. 

1028
00:52:30,720 --> 00:52:34,360
It doesn't sound appealing. 
But if if that's what the Lord 

1029
00:52:34,360 --> 00:52:36,600
has for us, then we're going to 
bring the light. 

1030
00:52:36,600 --> 00:52:38,320
We're going to bring 
resurrection where there's 

1031
00:52:38,320 --> 00:52:40,400
death. 
We're going to bring hope where 

1032
00:52:40,400 --> 00:52:43,240
there's hopelessness. 
But you actually have to have a 

1033
00:52:43,240 --> 00:52:45,920
life built on Christ and on the 
Word of God. 

1034
00:52:47,400 --> 00:52:49,560
You actually have. 
To build your life. 

1035
00:52:50,720 --> 00:52:52,800
You actually have to have. 
Something of substance that's 

1036
00:52:52,800 --> 00:52:55,640
worth exporting. 
And that's what we had said 

1037
00:52:55,640 --> 00:52:59,560
earlier, the Lord wants to do 
for us, surrender and be free of

1038
00:52:59,560 --> 00:53:03,440
the chains. 
And now Lord build my life and I

1039
00:53:03,440 --> 00:53:04,880
see him doing that in your 
lives. 

1040
00:53:05,520 --> 00:53:09,040
I am optimistic, I am hopeful. 
Don't walk away from this to go.

1041
00:53:09,920 --> 00:53:11,560
Let's start Googling what was 
pastor talking about. 

1042
00:53:11,560 --> 00:53:15,400
No, no, no, no, no, walk with 
Jesus and just focus on how do I

1043
00:53:15,400 --> 00:53:18,200
build my life? 
How do we make sure we're stable

1044
00:53:18,440 --> 00:53:21,400
and then we're actually a city 
on a hill for a? 

1045
00:53:21,400 --> 00:53:23,480
World that will have. 
No answers. 

1046
00:53:24,160 --> 00:53:27,080
They will have no answers. 
The church is going to be able 

1047
00:53:27,080 --> 00:53:29,680
to say too, we have good news 
for you. 

1048
00:53:29,920 --> 00:53:32,280
Your life is bigger than your 
job. 

1049
00:53:32,720 --> 00:53:34,840
Your life is bigger than your 
income. 

1050
00:53:34,840 --> 00:53:37,120
Your life is big. 
There is a purpose, there is a 

1051
00:53:37,120 --> 00:53:39,680
calling because there is a king.
Yes, Hallelujah, yes. 

1052
00:53:42,280 --> 00:53:45,600
It's going to be a very focused 
time for the body of Christ. 

1053
00:53:45,800 --> 00:53:49,440
I for one, I'm I'm ready for 
whatever comes. 

1054
00:53:50,720 --> 00:53:52,600
And it's my job to. 
Equip you to do the same. 

1055
00:53:53,760 --> 00:53:55,560
Lord, we love you. 
We honor you. 

1056
00:53:55,560 --> 00:53:56,280
We thank you. 
Yes. 

1057
00:54:00,600 --> 00:54:02,360
I pray you would ready. 
Every single heart. 

1058
00:54:04,120 --> 00:54:07,760
That you would make sure that. 
We are secure that no one would 

1059
00:54:07,760 --> 00:54:11,600
be insecure and that no one 
would be deceived, that no one 

1060
00:54:11,600 --> 00:54:15,520
would be surprised on that day. 
That no one in Saul. 

1061
00:54:15,520 --> 00:54:18,520
Church. 
Would be there on that day. 

1062
00:54:18,520 --> 00:54:21,520
Lord, Lord let me in. 
And him saying I don't know, you

1063
00:54:23,400 --> 00:54:26,640
protect us from that. 
And God, I pray you would help 

1064
00:54:26,640 --> 00:54:30,600
us to build our lives. 
Into the, into the. 

1065
00:54:30,600 --> 00:54:33,520
Details. 
I pray that we would. 

1066
00:54:33,800 --> 00:54:39,160
Not just surrender the chains, 
but also surrender our mourning,

1067
00:54:39,720 --> 00:54:43,520
surrender our work as worship, 
surrender our family as 

1068
00:54:43,520 --> 00:54:49,480
devotion, Surrender everything 
for your glory and for your 

1069
00:54:49,480 --> 00:54:53,680
goodness. 
And I pray that you would. 

1070
00:54:53,680 --> 00:54:55,800
Bring such good fruit to the 
people of salt. 

1071
00:54:56,600 --> 00:55:00,280
I pray that you would just make 
our marriages look ridiculous, 

1072
00:55:00,280 --> 00:55:03,280
Lord, that they would just be so
joyful that people would think 

1073
00:55:03,280 --> 00:55:06,520
we're faking it. 
But then they would zoom. 

1074
00:55:06,520 --> 00:55:08,480
In that they would come into our
homes and our living rooms and 

1075
00:55:08,480 --> 00:55:11,720
they'd say this is real. 
If this really is. 

1076
00:55:11,720 --> 00:55:14,080
Jesus in the church and they 
would see our children and they 

1077
00:55:14,080 --> 00:55:16,720
would say how in the world do 
they end up like that? 

1078
00:55:16,720 --> 00:55:21,680
And they would see Kingdom fruit
all throughout our lives. 

1079
00:55:23,040 --> 00:55:26,040
Lord teach us to build. 
Our lives in a weird world 

1080
00:55:26,040 --> 00:55:30,960
that's going to get weirder in 
an in an era that has never been

1081
00:55:30,960 --> 00:55:36,200
seen by humans before. 
But you're, you're the shepherd 

1082
00:55:36,200 --> 00:55:39,560
who will lead us through it. 
I thank you for securing the 

1083
00:55:39,560 --> 00:55:41,880
hearts of your people, drawing 
us to repentance. 

1084
00:55:42,880 --> 00:55:44,320
And marking us with. 
Humility. 

1085
00:55:46,480 --> 00:55:49,360
Causing us to carry. 
All the oil that we need and be 

1086
00:55:49,360 --> 00:55:52,040
well prepared for your coming. 
We look forward to that return. 

1087
00:55:54,640 --> 00:55:56,600
In Jesus name. 
We love you. 

1088
00:55:56,720 --> 00:55:57,320
We thank you.