Series “Summer Stories” Sermon: Just a Little Oil

Sermon – Just a Little Oil – Parable of the 10 Virgins
Impact Church London
July 10, 2022

Recap: Why Parables?

Matt. 13:10-15
10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”…“Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

It’s not a bad thing to experience the judgement of having whatever self-righteous vision you have taken from you and exposed as blindness.

Intro: Just a Little Oil – The Parable of the 10 Virgins

Matthew 25:1-13
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom [a]is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour [b]in which the Son of Man is coming.

Acts 1:11
“…This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

Revelation 19:7
“…the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”

This theme of Jesus coming back like bridegroom for bride is also the imagery of the parable, contextualized by their wedding process not ours. 

Two different fates for the wise and the foolish:

Matt. 25:10
“…those who were ready went in with him to the wedding…”

Matt. 25:11-13
“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

Watch and be ready because the consequence is dire! 

Who’s Who and When’s it Going Down? 

The LEFT OUT vs. LEFT BEHIND: perspectives have a history that is often read into the Bible, not taken from it! (See Margaret MacDonal, John Nelson Darby, and Cyrus Scofield – champions of dispensationalism)

Even though Matt. 24 “wrongly” applied, Jesus is still coming for his people. 

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

Caught up: ἁρπάζω / harpazó: to seize, catch up, snatch away

1 Corinthians 15:51-52
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 

Eschatology matters, and it needs to be Christological, new Covenant based. 

1 Corinthians 11:26
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. 

Context Matters (theologically and practically) 

Matt. 24:1-3
“Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Jesus starts talking in Mathew 24:4-35 about all the signs of things that will happen: Deception, wars and rumours of wars, earthquakes, famines, persecution, betrayal, destruction, the abomination of desolation, sun, moon and stars falling from sky etc… all of this was not in reference to his coming, but to the first part of the question, “when will these things happen, when will the stones be turned upside down?” 

** See “The Not So Great Tribulation,” Oct. 11, 2020.
https://www.impactlondon.ca/479-move-series-7-the-not-so-great-tribulation/

The signs of the temple destruction are obvious and ominous! The signs of his return, not so much!

Matthew 24:36
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” 

The day will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night! 

1 Thessalonians 5:2-6

“For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.”

Who Are The Virgins and How Are They Ready?

The only difference between the 5 wise and 5 foolish, was not their behaviour, demeanour, disposition, or status. It was only the absence or presence oil. 

Oil is symbolic of holy Spirit throughout scripture. Thus the virgins who were ready, the ones who watched and went with the Bridegroom, had the oil of the Holy Spirit, and the 5 virgins who missed it did not. 

Romans 8:9
“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”

Ephesians 1:13-14
“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance…” 

2 Corinthians 5:5
Now he who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 

If you have Spirit you are prepared, you are ready. 

What About…?

1. But they’re all virgins…? Must be believers who don’t make it! 

Jesus did something universal for humanity, not just some of us (double predestination and limited atonement – it was universal) 

2 Corinthians 5:19
“…that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them…”

John 1:9
That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

Acts 2:16-17
But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:17  ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;

Here’s the difference. 

Proverbs 20:27
“The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord.” 

It’s not enough to have all this done for you and to you, you must internalize the oil of God’s spirit in your spirit by faith. 

Galatians 3:13-14
“…that the blessing of Abraham night come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the Promise of the Holy Spirit through faith.”

2. Christians seem to be Indistinguishable from the non-Christians

This is one of major points of the parable Jesus told: You can’t always tell! 

Matthew 13:47-50 – Parable of the Dragnet
Matthew 13:28-30 – Wheat and Tares
Matthew 25:31-33 – Sheep and Goats 

Separation happens, but it’s at the end and done by Jesus because often we can’t tell. The fact that the 5 wise and 5 foolish virgins were so similar doesn’t mean they were all believers! 

Who knows? Jesus knows those who are his!

Matt. 25:12
But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

John 10:27
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

2 Timothy 2:19
Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

3. That’s too easy! 

 The Bible is full of admonitions to live right in light of his coming.  Correct! 

2 Peter 3:10-14
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night…what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God… Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.” 

If you have the oil you will live right! Jesus died to get us the oil. All you have is a little oil?  All you need is a little oil! 

Do we think oil isn’t enough, that’s too easy? We undervalue and underestimate His power and influence so we say there has to be more, we need more. But all you need is just a little oil! 

Summary

1. Jesus is Coming Back 
2. You must be ready because you can be unprepared
3. Being ready is a matter of having the Spirit! 
4. Because we have the Spirit we will live a certain way (presence of failure and sin in our lives doesn’t negate this – believe it and stop obsessing over our own or any one else’s failure, and stop explaining it as anything other than a forgiven anomaly! 
5. You can’t buy oil, only receive it by faith. 
6. Do you have the oil?

Galatians 3:13-14
“…that the blessing of Abraham night come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the Promise of the Holy Spirit through faith.”

Romans 14:17
“for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”