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THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL MOTIVATES SERVICE

(Matt.  25:1-12)
November 29, 2009

The good news of the Gospel motivates service.  Service includes preparation, personal responsibility and immediate action.  If the Gospel can motivate these behaviors, it’s truly good news.

    But how does it do that?

    The Chinese have a proverb that says, “Dig your well before you get thirsty.”

    That means in order to handle life’s problems we must have foresight and preparation.  Solomon even uses an ant as an example of preparation.  He said, “Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and be wise!  Even though they have no . . . ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter . . . I want you to learn this lesson” (Prov. 6:6-8, nlb).

   Pro-active people think ahead.  A humorous verse says:

    The lightening bug’s flight is tragic.
    It’s been said again and again.
    He cannot see where he’s going
    He can only see where he’s been.

    In order to be successful and productive, we must exercise responsibility.

    Jesus emphasized this principle in a story about a wedding.  Let’s consider Jesus’ parable of the Ten Virgins: “The kingdom of heaven will be like ten girls who went to wait for the bridegroom. They took their lamps with them.  Five of the girls were foolish and five were wise. The five foolish girls took their lamps, but they did not take more oil for the lamps to bum.  The wise girls took their lamps and more oil in jars.  The bridegroom was very late. All the girls became sleepy and went to sleep.

"At midnight someone cried out, 'The bridegroom is coming! Come and meet him!' "Then all the girls woke up and got their lamps ready. But the foolish girls said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil. Our lamps are going out.'  The wise girls answered, 'No! The oil we have might not be enough for all of us. Go to the people who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'

"So, the five foolish girls went to buy oil. While they were gone, the bridegroom came. The girls who were ready went in with the bridegroom to the wedding feast. Then the door was closed and locked. 

"Later the others came back. They called, 'Sir, sir, open the door to let us in.' But the bridegroom answered, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.' ” (Matt. 25:1-12).

Now, what happened in this story?

I.  FIRST, THESE GIRLS WERE NOT PREPARED.

    Five of the members of this wedding party did not consider the future.  They only had enough oil for now!  They didn’t even think about the possibility of a delay or a spillage.  They did not have a “Plan B.”

    This is a serious problem in our society today.  Many people do not fix a leaking roof until it starts to rain.  Many people do not save funds for a time of sickness or the loss of a job.  Many people do not anticipate a “What if” situation.  We must look ahead and think and provide for tomorrow.  A business slogan says: “Begin with the end in mind.”  The Boy Scouts’ motto is: “Be Prepared.”

    Recently the news reported a plane crash in California.  The pilot landed his private plane at the airport, picked up his father and mother, took off again and promptly crashed.  All three were killed.  The plane was new.  The pilot was healthy.  The weather was fine.  What happened?

    When inspectors noticed no fire and no gas on the ground, they checked the tanks.  Incredibly, witnesses said, the pilot was in such a hurry that he didn’t take time to refuel before taking off.

    We must be prepared for our journey.  If not, we’ll crash!

    When we have important projects, we need to anticipate problems that may arise.  We need to always have an alternate plan, just in case.  We need to prepare for the worse, but hope for the best!  Solomon said, “A sensible  person watches for problems ahead and prepares to meet them.  The simpleton never looks and suffers the consequences” (Prov. 27:12, tlb).

    These negligent virgins didn’t prepare for future problems, and as a consequence they were shut out of the kingdom.  Likewise, many people do not seek the Lord until a crises or tragedy forces their hand.

    One of our old hymns says, “O prepare to meet thy God!”  Are we prepared?

II.  NEXT, THESE GIRLS DID NOT TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR PROBLEMS.

    Instead, they expected their wise and prudent friends to bail them out.  Now some things can be shared; but most of the significant needs in our life must be filled by us and us alone. No one can breathe for us. No one can eat for us.  No one can learn for us.  No one can love for us.  No one can make a decision to accept Christ for us.

    We must realize that, “I am responsible for me!”  I can’t blame my parents, my associates, the weather or the government.  I can’t pass the buck.  As Harry S.  Truman said, “The buck stops here.”  And that’s not only for presidents.  It’s for everybody.

    The Old Testament said, “Each person must die for his own sin” (Deut.  24:16, edb).

    Paul said, “Each of us will have to answer to God for what he had done” (Rom.  14:12, edb).

    We must take responsibility for our own lives and choices.  No one else can solve our problems for us.  Pope John XXIII often explained this.  He said for many years, I’d wake up at night and begin to worry about a serious problem, and my first thought would be: ‘I must ask the Pope about this.”  Then all at once I’d remember that I am the Pope.”

    We are our own authority figure.  We can’t expect someone else to fill our lamps or do our job. 

    Once a lady gave her grandchildren a little incubator and some fertilized eggs.  The children cared for those eggs, gently turning them every few hours, checking temperature and counting the days.  It was a thrilling moment when they began to hear pecking sounds from inside.  But when day 21 arrived, the chicks had not yet made any cracks in their shells.  The children were impatient and called the hatchery.  “Should we help the chicks out a little?”  “Absolutely not,” replied the man.  “If you broke though from the outside, the chicks would not be strong enough to live.  This is something they must do for themselves.”

    It’s the same with us.  Being responsible is something we must do for ourselves.  Other’s can’t do it for us.

    These virgins were not autonomous or dependable.  They did not perform their duty and they were rejected.

    Are we taking personal responsibility for our problems?  Are we making the commitments we need to make?

III.  FINALLY, THESE GIRLS PROCRASTINATED.

    Instead of taking immediate action when the problem arose, they waited until it was too late.  Now, all ten of these young women started out okay.  But five of them only had enough oil for a short while.  But in a race it’s not how we start, it’s how we finish.  And they failed this test.  They were not prepared for the long haul.  They were not ready to do their duty and perform their service.

    Once a hunter was eager to kill his first deer.  He went to a lot of trouble and expense; but finally he heard the baying of the hounds.  Dropping behind the log, he aimed at the open spot and listened in breathless silence.  The sound grew louder, and his heart beat faster .  He waited.  He listened.

    Nearer they came.  Ah!  There in the open spot.  The deer, head tossed in the air, breath visible in the cool morning air!  The man could scarcely believe his eyes.   What luck!  At last his ambition was to be realized!  Aiming directly at the heart, he pulled the trigger, and it snapped.!

    The deer was gone in an instant.  His first and last chance!  He had forgotten to load his gun.  He had waited so long, and yet was not ready.

    These virgins had responded to the invitation.  They had waited for the right moment.  Yet, when the time came for them to fulfill their responsibilities, they were not ready.  Jesus said, “Always be ready” (see Matt. 24:42).

    We can live one of two ways.  We can pay now and enjoy later, or we can enjoy now and pay later.  And there’s always a lot of extra interest tacked on if we procrastinate.

    Opportunity doesn’t wait forever.  Once the door is closed, it’s too late.  A disciplined person is one who does what needs to be done, when it needs to be done.  Most people mean to do the right thing.  They mean to spend time with their families; but they procrastinate.  They mean to be baptized and join the church; but they procrastinate.  They mean to serve and teach and witness; but they procrastinate and then, one day, they discover it’s too late.

    An old poem says:

    If you’ve got a job to do,
        Do it now!
    If it’s one you wish were through,
        Do it now!
    If you’re sure the job’s your own,
    Do not hem and haw and groan—
        Do it now!
    Don’t put off a bit of work,
        Do it now!
    It just doesn’t pay to shirk,
        Do it now!
    If you want to fill a place
    And be useful to the race,
        Do it now!
    Please don’t linger by the way,
        Do it now!
    You will lose if you delay,
        Do it now!
        —Adapted by Maralene Wesner

    In spiritual matters we need to take immediate action.  These virgins slept instead of acting, and then it was too late...

CONCLUSION:

    So, the good news of the Gospel motivates service.

    The Parable of the Ten Virgins demonstrates the need to be prepared, the need to take personal responsibility for your problems, and the need to act immediately and avoid procrastination.

    In Jesus’ life and ministry je never hesitated or delayed.  He was a man with a mission.  When he saw Zacchaeus, he said, “Quick, come down! For I must be a guest in your home today . . .” (Luke 19:5b-6a).

    When giving advise about settling conflicts, he said, “Come to terms quickly with your enemy before it is too late . . .” (Matt. 5:25).

    When the thief asked for pardon, Jesus wasted no time replying, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43b).

    Paul also stressed immediacy.  He said, “God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation” (2 Cor.  6:2b).

    Christians must fill their roles.  These virgins were useless when push came to shove.  They had no lights to share. 

The wedding celebration was diminished because they weren’t in their place, performing the service they had been called to do.  The bridegroom couldn’t depend on them.  Can God depend on us?  Are we prepared?  Are we responsible?  Are we ready to do our part?

    Teach us, Lord, that every day,
    Down every path and street;
    We have a chance, important chance,
    To be God’s hands and feet.
        —Anonymous

    The good news of the Gospel motivates service.


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Copyrighted 2009 by Miles and Maralene Wesner, Idabel, OK.  PLEASE FEEL FREE TO USE THIS MESSAGE IN ANY WAY YOU THINK IS APPROPRIATE.  The only thing we ask is that you give credit for original material in PUBLISHED works. 

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Miles E Wesner
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