WEBVTT 00:00:09.640 --> 00:00:12.099 Well, it's Wednesday night here in the Fellowship 00:00:12.099 --> 00:00:14.199 Hall. It might not be Wednesday night wherever 00:00:14.199 --> 00:00:18.460 you are. But right now, in your headphones, you're 00:00:18.460 --> 00:00:20.640 in the Fellowship Hall with us. Smells just like 00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:23.359 coffee and casseroles. The kind of place where 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:25.339 the gospel still rides shotgun with laughter. 00:00:25.460 --> 00:00:28.280 Folks are finding their seats. The air is humming 00:00:28.280 --> 00:00:31.440 with conversation. And somewhere out there, Wayne 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:33.719 is about to get asked if I have permission to 00:00:33.719 --> 00:00:36.679 start. Welcome, friend, to our midweek Bible 00:00:36.679 --> 00:00:39.359 study. This isn't pretend church or studio religion. 00:00:39.820 --> 00:00:42.840 It's the real thing. You're pulling up a chair 00:00:42.840 --> 00:00:46.000 at a real table amongst real people opening a 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:49.439 real Bible. You can almost hear the forks, the 00:00:49.439 --> 00:00:52.640 murmuring prayers, small town sound of grace 00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:55.979 doing her quiet work. And right now we're walking 00:00:55.979 --> 00:00:58.939 through the parables of Jesus, those strange, 00:00:58.939 --> 00:01:01.320 beautiful stories he told to wake us up while 00:01:01.320 --> 00:01:04.290 there's still time. Tonight's story is about 00:01:04.290 --> 00:01:07.849 ten lamps, one wedding, and a long silence of 00:01:07.849 --> 00:01:11.329 waiting. It's a story about oil and about hearts 00:01:11.329 --> 00:01:14.269 that burn steady through the dark. So pour yourself 00:01:14.269 --> 00:01:17.370 another cup of coffee, settle in. Let's open 00:01:17.370 --> 00:01:19.129 up the Word together and see what the Spirit 00:01:19.129 --> 00:01:22.489 might say to us tonight. I'm Pastor Jim Wellhelm. 00:01:22.530 --> 00:01:25.650 This is the Semi -Seminarian. And I'll see you 00:01:25.650 --> 00:01:32.989 on the other side. Somebody the other day said, 00:01:33.150 --> 00:01:39.750 who is Wayne? And I said, Wayne is one of my 00:01:39.750 --> 00:01:42.849 favorite folks at the church. And I said, I've 00:01:42.849 --> 00:01:47.090 always kind of pretended like those big televangelist 00:01:47.090 --> 00:01:49.370 guys, you know, and I think I've said this before, 00:01:49.450 --> 00:01:51.870 where you got the producer over to the side saying, 00:01:51.989 --> 00:01:55.650 I like to think of Wayne as my guy. So before 00:01:55.650 --> 00:01:58.409 I start the Bible study, I always, there it is. 00:01:58.890 --> 00:02:01.650 Wayne giving his thumbs up. We are still looking 00:02:01.650 --> 00:02:04.489 at the parables of Jesus. Tonight, we're going 00:02:04.489 --> 00:02:08.189 to look at the parables of the 10 virgins, and 00:02:08.189 --> 00:02:11.150 that is in Matthew chapter 25, verses 1 through 00:02:11.150 --> 00:02:14.669 13. And let me set the scene here before we actually 00:02:14.669 --> 00:02:18.270 get into Scripture. It's well into the night 00:02:18.270 --> 00:02:22.590 now, and not just the kind that we might be having 00:02:22.590 --> 00:02:24.909 right here, the kind of night that comes after 00:02:24.909 --> 00:02:29.199 supper, small talk. but the kind where the quiet 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:33.699 has now settled in thick and long, kind of night 00:02:33.699 --> 00:02:36.580 where even the oil lamps start to flicker low 00:02:36.580 --> 00:02:41.860 and the stars feel distant. Ten young women sit 00:02:41.860 --> 00:02:45.740 waiting for a wedding procession. They have been 00:02:45.740 --> 00:02:49.759 here for hours, through daylight and now dusk, 00:02:49.759 --> 00:02:53.460 through chatter and laughter, through side glances 00:02:53.460 --> 00:02:57.719 and second guessing, but now the air. has become 00:02:57.719 --> 00:03:05.919 still. The bridegroom hasn't come yet. No word, 00:03:06.060 --> 00:03:09.759 no torchlight on the horizon, just the silence 00:03:09.759 --> 00:03:15.860 of delay. But still they wait, because that is 00:03:15.860 --> 00:03:21.139 what you do when joy is coming. You stay ready, 00:03:21.259 --> 00:03:26.310 or at least you try to. And they hold up their 00:03:26.310 --> 00:03:28.990 lamps, maybe fidget with them a little bit. And 00:03:28.990 --> 00:03:32.949 one by one, lulled by the hush, they begin to 00:03:32.949 --> 00:03:37.849 nod off. Every single one of them. Even the wise. 00:03:39.889 --> 00:03:43.129 Jesus tells a lot of stories. Some make us smile. 00:03:43.210 --> 00:03:47.090 Some confuse us. Some comfort us. But this one, 00:03:47.169 --> 00:03:52.259 this one carries weight. This one comes wrapped 00:03:52.259 --> 00:03:57.580 in silence and in shadows. And at the end, a 00:03:57.580 --> 00:04:03.939 door that will not reopen. This parable does 00:04:03.939 --> 00:04:08.439 not wink or chuckle. It is very serious and it's 00:04:08.439 --> 00:04:15.259 timely. It sits in Matthew chapter 25, right 00:04:15.259 --> 00:04:18.860 between the parable of the talents. and the judgment 00:04:18.860 --> 00:04:22.920 of the sheep and goats. Three stories. We've 00:04:22.920 --> 00:04:27.600 done this before. Three stories. One theme. That 00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:32.519 theme is, are you ready for the king's return? 00:04:33.699 --> 00:04:40.500 Not someday ready. Not eventually ready. But 00:04:40.500 --> 00:04:46.639 ready. Right now. Let's listen to the word. Slowly 00:04:46.639 --> 00:04:50.740 and carefully, because this isn't a story we 00:04:50.740 --> 00:04:55.399 want to skim. It is a warning, yes, but it's 00:04:55.399 --> 00:04:59.399 more than that. It's an invitation to wake up 00:04:59.399 --> 00:05:04.000 while there is still time. Friends, the reading 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:06.639 of the scripture, Matthew chapter 25, beginning 00:05:06.639 --> 00:05:11.889 verse 1. Jesus speaking. Then the kingdom of 00:05:11.889 --> 00:05:14.069 heaven will be like ten virgins who took their 00:05:14.069 --> 00:05:17.509 lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of 00:05:17.509 --> 00:05:19.810 them were foolish and five of them were wise. 00:05:20.670 --> 00:05:23.709 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took 00:05:23.709 --> 00:05:29.250 no oil with them. But the wise took flasks of 00:05:29.250 --> 00:05:33.930 oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, 00:05:34.569 --> 00:05:38.800 they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight 00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:43.439 there was a cry, Here is the bridegroom, come 00:05:43.439 --> 00:05:49.139 out to meet him. Then all virgins rose and trimmed 00:05:49.139 --> 00:05:52.060 their lamps, and the foolish said to the wise, 00:05:52.360 --> 00:05:56.620 Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going 00:05:56.620 --> 00:06:02.180 out. The wise answered, Since there will not 00:06:02.180 --> 00:06:06.079 be enough for us and for you, Go rather to the 00:06:06.079 --> 00:06:10.339 dealers and buy for yourselves. And while they 00:06:10.339 --> 00:06:13.939 were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those 00:06:13.939 --> 00:06:16.879 who were ready went in with him to the marriage 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:23.620 feast. The door was shut. Afterwards, the other 00:06:23.620 --> 00:06:28.019 virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to 00:06:28.019 --> 00:06:33.720 us. But he answered, Truly I say to you, I do 00:06:33.720 --> 00:06:39.040 not know you. Watch therefore, for you know neither 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:45.759 the day nor the hour. That's the word. A wedding 00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:51.199 story, a midnight cry, a door that shuts. And 00:06:51.199 --> 00:06:54.939 somewhere in it, each one of us is standing, 00:06:55.060 --> 00:07:00.439 holding a lamp, listening for footsteps, waiting 00:07:00.439 --> 00:07:07.180 for the sound. Now, as we unpack this, let's 00:07:07.180 --> 00:07:10.860 not start by just talking badly about the foolish 00:07:10.860 --> 00:07:14.079 ones. Let's actually talk about how close they 00:07:14.079 --> 00:07:19.019 came. These young women had lamps. They showed 00:07:19.019 --> 00:07:23.220 up. They were in the right place. They waited. 00:07:23.879 --> 00:07:27.939 They got sleepy just like the others. They trimmed 00:07:27.939 --> 00:07:32.110 their wicks just like the others. And if you 00:07:32.110 --> 00:07:36.350 had been standing there watching, you wouldn't 00:07:36.350 --> 00:07:40.129 have been able to tell the difference between 00:07:40.129 --> 00:07:45.930 the wise and the foolish. At least not at first. 00:07:47.730 --> 00:07:50.610 Because you don't see the difference in the daylight. 00:07:52.310 --> 00:07:55.110 You don't see the difference when things are 00:07:55.110 --> 00:08:00.379 going well. You only find who brought oil. When 00:08:00.379 --> 00:08:04.899 the night gets long, you only find out who's 00:08:04.899 --> 00:08:09.500 truly ready when it's too late to borrow someone 00:08:09.500 --> 00:08:14.100 else's fire. Now, let me have a little sidebar 00:08:14.100 --> 00:08:17.100 with you guys here. I just want to look at this 00:08:17.100 --> 00:08:19.920 real quick. We'll mention this again in a second. 00:08:19.980 --> 00:08:25.600 But who are the virgins or the maidens? These 00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:29.470 are not the bride. The bridegroom doesn't. marry 00:08:29.470 --> 00:08:34.450 all of these girls. They're bridesmaids. And 00:08:34.450 --> 00:08:38.769 in that tradition, bridesmaids held lamps along 00:08:38.769 --> 00:08:42.710 the road to the celebration. And then they were 00:08:42.710 --> 00:08:45.230 invited into the wedding feast as a part of the 00:08:45.230 --> 00:08:50.929 wedding party, right? Now, Jesus is the bridegroom. 00:08:52.730 --> 00:08:55.250 Now, here's the way I think this makes sense. 00:08:55.350 --> 00:08:58.649 This is my interpretation. Part of scripture 00:08:58.649 --> 00:09:03.470 does not say this, but the brides, the church, 00:09:03.549 --> 00:09:10.649 right? The virgins or the maidens are the attendants 00:09:10.649 --> 00:09:15.649 of the church. Us, we are a part of the wedding 00:09:15.649 --> 00:09:19.769 party, right? That's the relationship here of 00:09:19.769 --> 00:09:22.990 everybody. So we don't get tripped up on that 00:09:22.990 --> 00:09:28.500 word. This story here, though, is as much about 00:09:28.500 --> 00:09:34.659 time as it is oil. And it is about both. The 00:09:34.659 --> 00:09:38.419 bridegroom was delayed, and in that delay, everybody 00:09:38.419 --> 00:09:44.419 slept. The text says it plainly. They all became 00:09:44.419 --> 00:09:50.200 drowsy and slept. So, sleeping isn't the sin. 00:09:51.039 --> 00:09:56.460 Being tired isn't the failure. The difference 00:09:56.460 --> 00:10:01.620 is some had oil that could last through the night. 00:10:02.639 --> 00:10:10.759 And the delay here also reveals dependence. Anybody 00:10:10.759 --> 00:10:18.379 can sing a joyful hymn at noon. But what about 00:10:18.379 --> 00:10:23.539 when it's midnight and silent? What about... 00:10:23.690 --> 00:10:27.870 When your prayers start to feel unanswered and 00:10:27.870 --> 00:10:33.990 you feel your strength fading. Now, why does 00:10:33.990 --> 00:10:37.330 the bridegroom delay? Again, the text doesn't 00:10:37.330 --> 00:10:41.929 tell us directly. But scripture elsewhere gives 00:10:41.929 --> 00:10:48.029 us clues. Peter says in 2 Peter 3 and 9, The 00:10:48.029 --> 00:10:51.700 Lord is not slow. to fulfill his promise, as 00:10:51.700 --> 00:10:57.759 some might count slowness, but is, rather, patient 00:10:57.759 --> 00:11:02.840 towards you and to me, not wishing that any should 00:11:02.840 --> 00:11:07.799 perish, that all should have repentance. The 00:11:07.799 --> 00:11:14.240 delay is mercy. It's space to get ready. But 00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:20.840 it's also what really tests us. The foolish ones 00:11:20.840 --> 00:11:25.440 assumed that showing up was enough, that holding 00:11:25.440 --> 00:11:30.419 a lamp was enough, that standing near somebody 00:11:30.419 --> 00:11:35.100 else's faith would be enough. But it wasn't. 00:11:36.480 --> 00:11:41.940 And here is the tragedy of this parable. They 00:11:41.940 --> 00:11:46.019 didn't realize what they lacked until it was 00:11:46.019 --> 00:11:53.559 too late. And we do the exact same thing. We 00:11:53.559 --> 00:11:57.480 assume that proximity to God's people is the 00:11:57.480 --> 00:12:01.779 same thing as being filled by his spirit. We 00:12:01.779 --> 00:12:05.580 think that having a religious resume counts for 00:12:05.580 --> 00:12:09.580 intimacy with Jesus. We think that our Sunday 00:12:09.580 --> 00:12:13.220 morning attendance means we've got oil in the 00:12:13.220 --> 00:12:17.679 tank. The tragedy of this parable is not rebellion, 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:22.379 it's presumption. They thought they were ready. 00:12:23.460 --> 00:12:26.580 They thought the oil would be there when they 00:12:26.580 --> 00:12:30.559 needed it. But they never actually bothered to 00:12:30.559 --> 00:12:36.299 get any. So, let's break this open and talk about 00:12:36.299 --> 00:12:39.340 what's really happening here. Three details matter 00:12:39.340 --> 00:12:43.960 most in this parable. The oil, the cry, and the 00:12:43.960 --> 00:12:49.759 door. First, the oil. The oil is not good works. 00:12:50.940 --> 00:12:55.320 It's not volunteering or tithing or even carrying 00:12:55.320 --> 00:13:00.240 your Bible around. The oil is the presence of 00:13:00.240 --> 00:13:05.639 God in your life. It is the ongoing, daily, personal 00:13:05.639 --> 00:13:11.080 relationship with Christ. The intimacy of the 00:13:11.080 --> 00:13:15.039 spirit that sustains you when things become dark 00:13:15.039 --> 00:13:20.740 and delayed. It's what Paul wrote about in Ephesians 00:13:20.740 --> 00:13:24.799 chapter 3 and 17, being rooted and grounded in 00:13:24.799 --> 00:13:32.940 love. And here is the crucial thing. You can't 00:13:32.940 --> 00:13:37.759 borrow it, you can't fake it, and you can't pour 00:13:37.759 --> 00:13:41.990 it out last minute. When the foolish asked the 00:13:41.990 --> 00:13:45.629 wise to share, the wise refused. And that sounds 00:13:45.629 --> 00:13:49.669 harsh, doesn't it? But it's not selfishness. 00:13:51.169 --> 00:13:56.629 It's spiritual laws of physics. They didn't say 00:13:56.629 --> 00:14:00.750 no because they were stingy. They said no because 00:14:00.750 --> 00:14:04.009 they literally could not give away what each 00:14:04.009 --> 00:14:08.009 person must obtain for themselves. There's no 00:14:08.009 --> 00:14:13.090 excess to spare. Oil represents something that 00:14:13.090 --> 00:14:16.230 cannot be transferred from one soul to the other. 00:14:17.529 --> 00:14:22.330 You cannot coast on your parents' faith. You 00:14:22.330 --> 00:14:26.710 cannot ride on someone else's prayers. You have 00:14:26.710 --> 00:14:31.730 to know God for yourself. So how do you get oil? 00:14:33.370 --> 00:14:38.059 You get it in the hidden places. You get it when 00:14:38.059 --> 00:14:42.019 you pray when no one's watching. When you read 00:14:42.019 --> 00:14:45.379 scripture for no other reason than because you're 00:14:45.379 --> 00:14:49.500 hungry. When you worship in the car on the way 00:14:49.500 --> 00:14:52.200 to work with no band, no lights, just you and 00:14:52.200 --> 00:14:57.159 God. Oil is built in the everyday choices to 00:14:57.159 --> 00:15:02.340 seek his face, to sit in his presence, and to 00:15:02.340 --> 00:15:09.580 say yes when it is costly and quiet. Second, 00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:12.759 the midnight cry. This is the turning point or 00:15:12.759 --> 00:15:16.740 hinge of the story. The moment when it's too 00:15:16.740 --> 00:15:21.399 late to prepare. The cry represents the return 00:15:21.399 --> 00:15:26.940 of Christ. It is unexpected. It is jarring. And 00:15:26.940 --> 00:15:30.360 it exposes the truth of where people really stand. 00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:36.860 Some were ready. Some were not. Cry doesn't give 00:15:36.860 --> 00:15:40.769 time to get things in order. Just announces what 00:15:40.769 --> 00:15:45.309 is already true. And let's be plain again with 00:15:45.309 --> 00:15:50.809 another reminder. Bridegroom in this parable 00:15:50.809 --> 00:15:54.669 is Jesus. The wedding feast is the kingdom of 00:15:54.669 --> 00:15:57.409 God. The maidens represent professing believers, 00:15:57.710 --> 00:16:01.649 people who claim to be waiting for him. All of 00:16:01.649 --> 00:16:04.970 them are in the same place doing the same thing, 00:16:05.070 --> 00:16:11.240 but only some of them actually know him. Third, 00:16:11.379 --> 00:16:19.759 lastly, the door. And this one's hard. Because 00:16:19.759 --> 00:16:28.539 the door shuts. And once it shuts, it stays shut. 00:16:30.279 --> 00:16:33.399 When the foolish return and say, Lord, Lord, 00:16:33.500 --> 00:16:40.759 open to us. The answer is heartbreaking. Truly 00:16:40.759 --> 00:16:48.220 I say to you, I do not know you. Not, you weren't 00:16:48.220 --> 00:16:52.100 good enough. Not, you didn't try hard enough. 00:16:53.580 --> 00:17:01.600 But, I never knew you. And this isn't the only 00:17:01.600 --> 00:17:06.180 time Jesus says this. In Matthew chapter 7, the 00:17:06.180 --> 00:17:10.180 Sermon on the Mount. He warns about people who 00:17:10.180 --> 00:17:13.519 will say, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in 00:17:13.519 --> 00:17:16.059 your name and cast out demons in your name and 00:17:16.059 --> 00:17:18.559 do mighty works in your name? And his answer 00:17:18.559 --> 00:17:23.380 to them, Matthew chapter 7, 22 and 23 is, I never 00:17:23.380 --> 00:17:30.680 knew you. Depart from me. You can be busy for 00:17:30.680 --> 00:17:36.630 Jesus and still be stranger to him. You can do 00:17:36.630 --> 00:17:39.730 religious things and not have a relationship. 00:17:39.890 --> 00:17:43.809 And that is the nice edge to this entire parable. 00:17:45.250 --> 00:17:49.049 This isn't about moral performance. It is about 00:17:49.049 --> 00:17:54.150 relationship. That's what's missing. Not activity, 00:17:54.309 --> 00:17:58.509 not outward appearances, but real, abiding, personal 00:17:58.509 --> 00:18:05.319 knowledge of Jesus Christ. And now... Jesus gives 00:18:05.319 --> 00:18:10.160 the takeaway. Watch, therefore, for you know 00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:15.660 not the day nor the hour. Now, watchfulness does 00:18:15.660 --> 00:18:20.740 not mean living in fear. It doesn't mean keeping 00:18:20.740 --> 00:18:24.920 your eyes glued to the sky, obsessing over every 00:18:24.920 --> 00:18:28.019 earthquake and eclipse, trying to figure out 00:18:28.019 --> 00:18:30.259 when the rapture is coming by watching TikTok 00:18:30.259 --> 00:18:35.710 videos. It means living ready, staying rooted, 00:18:36.029 --> 00:18:42.609 keeping oil in the lamp. The wise ones didn't 00:18:42.609 --> 00:18:48.190 panic when that cry came. They didn't scramble. 00:18:48.869 --> 00:18:54.970 They stood up and were ready. And then they walked 00:18:54.970 --> 00:18:58.490 into the joy that had been promised them all 00:18:58.490 --> 00:19:05.049 along. So, we need it. How do we get it? What 00:19:05.049 --> 00:19:09.789 does oil look like for us today? What does a 00:19:09.789 --> 00:19:12.349 watchful life actually look like on Thursday 00:19:12.349 --> 00:19:17.269 morning when you are emotionally exhausted? When 00:19:17.269 --> 00:19:23.789 you are doubting? When the well feels dry? It 00:19:23.789 --> 00:19:25.990 looks like a fate that lasts longer than the 00:19:25.990 --> 00:19:30.059 crisis. It looks like a prayer on a Tuesday when 00:19:30.059 --> 00:19:32.400 you're tired and distracted, not because you 00:19:32.400 --> 00:19:36.140 have to, but because you need to talk to him. 00:19:37.700 --> 00:19:40.319 It looks like reading the word when there's no 00:19:40.319 --> 00:19:45.180 one there to impress. It looks like worship that 00:19:45.180 --> 00:19:47.880 happens in the car, in the kitchen, in the quiet, 00:19:47.960 --> 00:19:51.079 not for an audience, but for an audience of one. 00:19:51.869 --> 00:19:54.589 It looks like compassion that doesn't burn out 00:19:54.589 --> 00:19:58.210 because it's fueled by his love, not your own 00:19:58.210 --> 00:20:02.170 willpower. It looks like forgiveness you cannot 00:20:02.170 --> 00:20:04.970 manufacture on your own. It looks like peace 00:20:04.970 --> 00:20:09.710 that makes absolutely no sense given your own 00:20:09.710 --> 00:20:15.750 circumstances. It looks like abiding in Jesus, 00:20:15.849 --> 00:20:22.460 not just knowing about him. But knowing him, 00:20:22.700 --> 00:20:27.960 loving him, trusting him, even when he takes 00:20:27.960 --> 00:20:31.779 longer than we thought. Because here's the truth. 00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:37.420 Jesus didn't tell this story to terrify us. He 00:20:37.420 --> 00:20:41.299 tells it to wake us up in the grace. The delay, 00:20:41.519 --> 00:20:46.000 that's mercy. That's him giving us time to get 00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:51.200 oil, time to press in. Time to move from presumption 00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:56.140 to actual relationship. The door is still open, 00:20:56.240 --> 00:21:01.859 friends. That cry hasn't yet come. And that means 00:21:01.859 --> 00:21:05.160 that there is still time not to panic, not to 00:21:05.160 --> 00:21:10.900 perform, but to know him. The wise didn't somehow 00:21:10.900 --> 00:21:14.799 have more information. They didn't have insider 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:17.869 knowledge of the groom's schedule. They weren't 00:21:17.869 --> 00:21:21.009 special. They were just ready to wait longer 00:21:21.009 --> 00:21:24.289 than they thought they needed to. And when that 00:21:24.289 --> 00:21:26.890 cry rang out, they didn't scramble. They just 00:21:26.890 --> 00:21:32.170 stood up and walked in. The point of this whole 00:21:32.170 --> 00:21:35.470 parable, when Jesus says, watch therefore, he 00:21:35.470 --> 00:21:38.529 doesn't mean worry all the time. He doesn't mean 00:21:38.529 --> 00:21:43.049 go build a bunker in the backyard. He means live 00:21:43.049 --> 00:21:48.170 like someone whose life has been filled. Live 00:21:48.170 --> 00:21:51.990 like someone who expects the groom to come, even 00:21:51.990 --> 00:21:56.250 if it's later than we hoped. A watchful life 00:21:56.250 --> 00:22:01.170 is a prepared life, not frantic, not reactive, 00:22:01.369 --> 00:22:06.849 not spiritually only when it's convenient, but 00:22:06.849 --> 00:22:11.190 ready because you kept the oil stocked. You've 00:22:11.190 --> 00:22:15.980 made space for the spirit. You lived with your 00:22:15.980 --> 00:22:20.480 heart tilted towards heaven. And that oil isn't 00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:23.980 flashy. And it's not the loud kind of religion. 00:22:24.819 --> 00:22:29.660 It's the quiet yes in the dark. It's peace that 00:22:29.660 --> 00:22:35.480 steadies you when nobody else is calm. It's the 00:22:35.480 --> 00:22:37.900 rootedness that holds when the world has gone 00:22:37.900 --> 00:22:44.910 brittle. So, friends, it is my... and my responsibility 00:22:44.910 --> 00:22:51.650 to ask you plainly, do you know him? Not, do 00:22:51.650 --> 00:22:57.670 you know about him? Do you know him? Because 00:22:57.670 --> 00:23:03.410 when the cry rings out, friends, that is the 00:23:03.410 --> 00:23:07.730 only question that is going to matter. And the 00:23:07.730 --> 00:23:10.529 good news for us tonight, friends, is that that 00:23:10.529 --> 00:23:14.440 door is still open. The oil is still available. 00:23:14.539 --> 00:23:18.099 You have to stop assuming you're fine just because 00:23:18.099 --> 00:23:22.240 you're here tonight. Stop coasting on yesterday's 00:23:22.240 --> 00:23:28.039 fate. Stop borrowing someone else's fire. And 00:23:28.039 --> 00:23:36.539 get your own oil tonight. Because the cry will 00:23:36.539 --> 00:23:41.390 come. And when it does... Those who are ready 00:23:41.390 --> 00:23:44.869 will rise. Not because they didn't fall asleep, 00:23:44.990 --> 00:23:48.369 but because they trusted the oil to burn. And 00:23:48.369 --> 00:23:52.569 in that moment, will you panic or will you shine? 00:23:54.089 --> 00:24:05.130 Amen? Amen. Thanks, guys. Well, friends, that's 00:24:05.130 --> 00:24:07.430 our Bible study for tonight. You've been sitting 00:24:07.430 --> 00:24:09.029 here with us in the fellowship hall, coffee, 00:24:09.150 --> 00:24:11.849 cooling, beside your Bible, the hum of the air 00:24:11.849 --> 00:24:15.150 conditioner, keeping time with our amens. Maybe 00:24:15.150 --> 00:24:17.589 you can still hear a fork clink. Maybe someone 00:24:17.589 --> 00:24:19.490 laughed when they shouldn't have, or maybe grace 00:24:19.490 --> 00:24:22.150 slipped in through a side door. However she found 00:24:22.150 --> 00:24:25.849 you, I hope she stays a while. What we do here 00:24:25.849 --> 00:24:28.730 isn't a show. This is real church. People gathering 00:24:28.730 --> 00:24:30.589 in the middle of a noisy week, letting scripture 00:24:30.589 --> 00:24:34.450 steady our hands and refill our lamps. You're 00:24:34.450 --> 00:24:37.259 part of that now. Every time you tune in, you're 00:24:37.259 --> 00:24:40.180 pulling up a chair at that same table. Joining 00:24:40.180 --> 00:24:42.579 the circle of stories and saints who are still 00:24:42.579 --> 00:24:45.480 learning to keep a little oil on hand. And if 00:24:45.480 --> 00:24:47.319 you'd like to know when we're opening the word 00:24:47.319 --> 00:24:49.740 again, you can tithe your subscribe by hitting 00:24:49.740 --> 00:24:52.299 that subscribe button. That's your way of saying, 00:24:52.420 --> 00:24:55.759 save me a seat next time. Until then, keep your 00:24:55.759 --> 00:24:58.920 lamps trimmed and burning. Keep watch. Keep grace 00:24:58.920 --> 00:25:02.339 close. I'm Pastor Jim. Thanks for being a part 00:25:02.339 --> 00:25:05.309 of our little church family. Until I see you 00:25:05.309 --> 00:25:18.170 next time, be blessed. You're tuned to the late 00:25:18.170 --> 00:25:22.750 night revival line, the semi -seminarian, where 00:25:22.750 --> 00:25:27.150 the gospel still rides the static and grace don't 00:25:27.150 --> 00:25:30.950 charge admission. If you believe a click can 00:25:30.950 --> 00:25:33.680 be a witness, then, friend, you know what to 00:25:33.680 --> 00:25:39.140 do. Throw it in the plate.