This message was preached by Navaz D via zoom at Word Of Grace Church on Feb 28th,2021. for the audio please click here. For the worship please click here
THE WELL TRIMMED WICK – SERMON
INTRODUCTION
Over the last
year God has been speaking similar things to us in different ways. The year
2020 was a year of a huge pause wherein we got to reexamine our lives and reset
our priorities. God spoke to us about abiding in His presence. He said He will
shake everything that can be shaken. At the start of this year, God spoke to us
about being in a season of a cross over. Cross over seasons are seasons of
preparation. My text today is about a preparation season.
Some of us have taken advantage of last year to realign our hearts. If you
have not yet spent time in reflection I hope today’s message would encourage
you to do that. It is not too late yet.
Matt
25:1-13
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
This section is what we call
eschatological teaching by Jesus. He is talking to the disciples in private as
they sit with Him on the Mount of Olives. The teaching of the wise and foolish
maids builds on the previous teaching of the wise and foolish servants. After
this parable, Jesus gives them the parable about the talents which demonstrates
how we are to be prepared and faithful. All three parables illustrate the
need to live in a manner that expects the return of the Lord, even when the
return is seemingly delayed. “Therefore, you also must be ready, for the
Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”
Wedding festivities typically lasted
seven days and the processions of the bride and groom marked the beginning of
the joyous event.
Delay is not uncommon at a
wedding. It was customary for the wedding
procession to be led by young maidens with oil lamps in their hands.
We have all been to weddings where there
is some delay. We are familiar with the Indian Baraat. The procession is led by
dancers and musicians who announce the groom’s arrival much before you can see
him.
Let’s take a look at this parable
closely and see how does this applies to our lives. Ask yourself ‘where am I in
this story?’.
The challenge to us is this:
Will we finish strong, will we be ready and prepared or just get in by the skin
of our teeth?
Like John 15, I
believe this is a now word. God is putting His finger on our vertical and horizontal relationships. Both
John 15 and Matt 25 have those elements: our relationship with God, our
intimacy with Him and our relationship with our fellow Christians.
Jesus is talking
about the end of all things in Matt 25.
We are in a
preparation season.
There are 3 parables in this passage. All have a warning that if we behave like
the foolish persons, we will face the same fate.
Let’s look
at the parable of the Virgins.
Put
yourself in the story and allow the holy spirit to examine your heart.
Who are the
virgins? All are believers.
The question is are we the wise or foolish ones?
We have all made
a covenant with Jesus and He with us. We have been betrothed to Him and now we
are in a season of preparation.
A wedding
has 3 stages: the
betrothal, the preparation and the wedding celebration.
BETROTHAL
Betrothal or
engagement happens at
our baptism if you like. Salvation is not just a free ticket to heaven.
PREPARATION
We have made a
promise to be faithful to Jesus. Our life on earth is a preparation.
When Jesus returns it will be the end of all the waiting and the wedding
will take place.
They all
had lamps – i.e., God’s
Word. Ps119:5 His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.
Lamps are also our life and service to God. It is
our life and service. We are those earthen vessels in noble service. 2 Tim
2:20-21
Light We are called the light of the world. Our
function has spread the Word which dispels darkness.
They all
had oil – that is the Holy
Spirit. Empty lamps are useless.
Lamps are the source of power to keep the light going/our
witness for Christ to shine.
For this, we need
the Holy Spirit. Apart from Him, we can do nothing.
They all started off well. They were all
filled with the Spirit, passionate about being the light etc.
All ten were all
waiting for the Bridegroom. We are all waiting for Jesus’ return.
In this parable, we are warned not to be like the foolish virgins. Don’t assume you
are not.
How are you
preparing yourself? Is your oil flask full? Do you have a flask? What does that
look like in today’s terms?
WHAT DOES
PREPARATION LOOK LIKE?
·
It
involves focus and devotion.
We need to find out what makes the bridegroom happen and adjusts our priorities
and our life accordingly. Eg) Before getting married in courtship you take the
trouble to find out what each other like.
·
It
will involve your time
– learning to cultivate a relationship with Jesus. Intimacy is cultivated over
time and not overnight.
·
It
will cost you – there
will be things you have to realign, things you will have to give up.
·
Are
you actively cultivating a relationship with Jesus where you are longing for
His return?
The bridegroom takes his time coming. When he comes it will be a great day and a terrifying one.
At the
midnight hour – midnight
is significant in Biblical symbolism. It is the point of breakthrough. The
Israelites were delivered at midnight. It’s the darkest hour.
The Philippian
jailer was saved at midnight. Paul and Silas were set free at midnight.
So, midnight is
when problems are at the greatest but it is also the point of breakthrough.
Midnight hour - the virgins were asleep. It could refer to the
regular cycle of life or that they were unaware of what was happening.
Asleep the state of a lot of churches and Christians.
The there
is a cry Like the Baraat announces its arrival with music and dancing – it is a prophetic cry that rings out
announcing the Lord’s return announcing His return and that we should be ready.
I believe that cry is going out in this season.
All the
virgins wake up and trim their lamps. I feel the Holy spirit arrest my
attention here. This is what we need to look at in this season of preparation.
The oil lamps
have wicks that need trimming or they will give off a lot of soot /smoke that
will dull the light.
The church is
beginning to wake up from her slumber and realizes that the wicks are smoky
and the light is dim.
Jesus talks
about a time when people get offended and all kinds of wars, hardships are upon
them.
And then shall many be
offended, and shall
betray one
another, and shall hate one
another. Matt 24:10.
The Greek word used is “skandalon” which
is a trap used to trap animals.
Oil is the activity of the Holy Spirit that flows well
through a surrendered heart
The wick is
symbolic of your heart.
Out of the heart flows the issues of life. When the heart is impure you give
off smoke viz selfish ambition, pride, offence etc.
Trimming
the wick speaks of sanctification and repentance. Cutting away things that are clogging our hearts. We
need to be constantly saturated with the Holy Spirit. We all need to guard our
hearts for it is the wellspring of life.
What is
some of the soot we are carrying in our hearts today? Unforgiveness, offence, bitterness, pride, envy,
jealousy, disappointments, trauma, grief, betrayals, hate, jealousy etc.
Has the light of
the Church gotten dim today? What can we do about it? Each of us needs to trim
our wicks and sort those issues out.
Some hard
work needs to be put into repentance and a change of heart. God is committed to transforming us and making us
more like His Son Jesus. But we need to cooperate with Him.
Today there is a lot of smoke in the church and amongst Christians with the marriage, family life, relationships etc.
The difference between the wise and foolish virgins is the value they placed on the
oil. The wise ones
paid the price of intimacy on daily basis. The oil and wick work in
unison.
This is time to reset
our hearts. COVID-19 has forced us out of our big gatherings into our
homes. This is a time to reset your walk with God, develop your intimacy with God.
Don’t squander away this time because it is not coming back. Then it
will be too late. This is the warning and we would be wise to heed this.
The foolish
virgins are not evil people.
They just did not value intimacy with Jesus. No one can give that to you. You
have to pray the price. You have to buy it. It means you have to be willing to
give up something in exchange for it. You have had to have invested time
with God and forged a history with Him. It is not transferable. No one can
lay hand on you and give it to you. No one can pray you into intimacy
What am I
doing to get ready for the greatest marriage of all time?
What does
intimacy look like?
It is a close bond between 2 people that develops over time. It is progressive
as time is spent in each other’s presence. It is dynamic in that you
can start off well but if you do not maintain it.
V13 – Watch.
Stay alert, vibrant. The opposite is sleepy, halfhearted, unaware, no prayer
life.
What are
you watching for?
What is
happening in your heart, the influences that are affecting you.
Work – keep making sure your oil flask is full.
Pray- always goes hand in hand with watching.
Watch for
His return. Do not lose
sight of eternity.
In the third
parable Jesus explains what this is. It is about being faithful. I’ll touch on
it briefly.
Notice the reaction of the man with
one talent.
He called the
manager hard!!! “wicked men to lay the blame of their
miscarriages upon others, oftentimes upon God himself.” (Poole)
The
wicked servant was blinded by his pride. He could not see his faults. He was
used to playing the blame game. He felt he was dealt an unfair hand so he did
not work or even try. Jesus judged him as lazy and wicked. This is strong! Do
we see laziness as sin?
THE
WEDDING
What is at stake
here is whether or not you get to enter the celebration. This is not about
salvation. The door is shut. It will be heartbreaking to be left out. All
three parables point to a grave loss suffered by the foolish and wicked. And we are warned that it will be like this if
we have the same attitude.
“Never knew
you”- no intimacy developed.
The key
thing is to be ready. Allow God to trim your wick- cleanse your heart and
invest in an intimacy so your light will shine. We need to prepare for his coming.
CONCLUSION
This requires a response. Maybe some of you
are cultivating intimacy with God. Make sure you keep trimming your wick so it
is not giving out the smoke of pride, offence etc.
Some of us have
forgotten that the bridegroom will return. Repent and return to your First
Love. Start cultivating that intimacy with Jesus. Wherever you are in this
story there is something for you to stop doing, start doing and continue doing.
Let us ask the Holy spirit to lead us into all truth. Amen.
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