Main Thing Podcast
This podcast encourages others to love God and people by leading them to know and follow Jesus’ truth.
Main Thing Podcast
Are You Prepared for Christ's Return?
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The parable of the Ten Virgins serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of genuine spiritual readiness for Christ's return, distinguishing between those who are merely religious and those who are truly transformed.
• True salvation produces evident fruit in a believer's life
• Many churchgoers may embrace religion without true transformation
• Many love the concept of Christianity without embracing its cost
• Authentic faith requires total commitment rather than partial religious observance
Introduction to the Ten Virgins Parable
Speaker 1Thank you .
Speaker 2All right . Well , welcome back to the Main Thing Podcast with Pastor Steve . I'm Brent and we are looking at the Ten Virgins today . I know that means a lot of different things to a lot of people , but we're going from the biblicalgins today . I know that means a lot of different things to a lot of people , but we're going from the biblical perspective today Spiritual readiness in an uncertain world . So , pastor Steve , welcome Thanks for joining me .
Speaker 3Good to be here .
Speaker 2I want to start out with a question . See how good your memory is . When you were a teenager , back in the 70s , there was a song by a guy named Larry Norman . It started I wish we had all been what Ready . Wish we'd all been ready . I remember the chorus so clearly . Of course I was in the 90s , so I was familiar with the DC Talk version . It said there's no time to change your mind . The sun has come and you've been left behind . And that's really what we're talking about today . Is what does it mean to be spiritually prepared for Christ's coming ? So , if you will , we're going to be in Matthew 25 , 1 through 13 today . Would you just kind of give us a rundown of this parable ? This was a parable Jesus gave us about being spiritually ready in this world .
Understanding the Parable's Elements
Speaker 3Yeah , you got to understand the elements of the parable . You know , the bridegroom is a representation of Christ and the virgins represent us as individuals on planet Earth . The wedding feast is the time when Christ will return and call his church home those who are in his family , and call his church home those who are in his family . The oil represents , I believe , the work of the Holy Spirit in us that gives us the ability to have faith and to believe in our Savior , and so it is a parable-like picture to help us see the greater truth that Christ is coming back , and we need to be prepared for that .
Speaker 3In the Jewish world , a young man that was engaged to a young woman would not marry her right away . He would prepare for her arrival , and so he would traditionally build a home , or build on to his parents' home where he and her would live , and whenever he was finished with the construction , he had his house in order , he would go to get her . Now , jesus has told us that he went to prepare a place for us , that , where he is , we can be also . So , theoretically , what we understand with that is is that Christ is in heaven and , whatever that means , he's preparing for our arrival and when we least expect it , he's going to come and call us to himself . So that's the overall picture .
Speaker 2So there's 10 versions . Five of them have oil in their lamps and are ready to go . Five of them do not have oil on their lamps . So obviously the ones with oil in their lamps are prepared . They are ready for the coming of the bridegroom . So , in this day and age , what does it look like to be spiritually prepared for Christ's coming ?
What It Means to Be Spiritually Prepared
Speaker 3Well , I think we got to be careful , especially in our theology . Historically , you know this once saved , always saved teaching that we have is that you prayed a little prayer at the front of church one Sunday and now you're saved and sealed for all eternity . And it doesn't matter how you live or what you do , you're saved . And I certainly believe in God's ability , when he saves someone , to save someone . But Scripture is very clear that not everybody who claims to be saved will be saved and that there is evidence in a saved person's life . That's very obvious . They produce fruit , they , and so the five virgins with the oil in their lamps are those whom I believe have genuinely been saved by Christ . They've counted the cost and they're living their lives in such a way that they're anticipating his coming back .
Speaker 3Average Christian ought not have a death wish , but there ought to be a little bit of a desire inside of them to be called home , to be with Jesus . That's what Paul said , you know . He said if they kill me , I get to go live with Jesus , and I think we all ought to have that mentality as we live our life . So if the Holy Spirit is represented in the oil , which I believe it is , then those five virgins show a lack of the Holy Spirit in their life , which means they most likely were not believers in the Lord Jesus Christ , they were not his children , and so the powerful thing of this parable is , when they get there , the five with the oil in their lamps are invited in , and then the door is shut . It's too late for oil in your lamps .
Speaker 3Another powerful truth in this parable is that the five without the oil wanted to get oil from the five who had it , and we often say God has no grandchildren , only children , and so you cannot give another person your salvation experience . You cannot give another person the presence of the Holy Spirit . This comes only from God himself , and if you don't have it , when the time comes , the bridegroom Jesus returns for his church . It's too late .
Speaker 2I'm going to read you a couple of verses . I just want you to comment on them . 1 John , 2.28 . It says so that we may have confidence and not be ashamed at his coming . And then Philippians 2.12 , where Paul ends that verse by saying work out your salvation with fear and trembling .
Speaker 3Yes .
Speaker 2How does working out your salvation help with that confidence ? Because John 2.28 seems to say that we can have oil but not be really ready in the way we need to be .
Speaker 3Well , that's possible too . I think we have a lot of and I use this word carefully . I think we have a lot of Christians who live a mediocre existence in their walk with Christ . They're not necessarily lost , but you couldn't say they have a sweet presence of Jesus living in them or that they're even continuing to grow . They're probably stagnant in their walk . But I think Scripture just has too many teachings . We talked about it recently in church . You know where Jesus says not everyone that says to me Lord , lord will enter my kingdom To work out your salvation . What that verse means is that once you're saved , you're now living for Christ and it's a daily walk , it's a daily journey , it's a daily experience and in that experience you're being tested , you're being tempted by Satan . You're growing stronger at times in your faith walk . You're struggling some days . So working out your salvation is the process of growing out . Your salvation is the process of growing . It doesn't mean that you're earning your salvation by any means . It means that you're in the process of growing in your walk with Jesus .
Speaker 2So , and you'll probably remember this at some point , you know , somebody asked Billy Graham years and years ago
Working Out Your Salvation
Speaker 2what did he think was the percentage of people in church who are actually Christians ? And I've heard different numbers over the years , but it generally seems he said something around 20% , maybe you know . So for those people , those 80% of people sitting in the church thinking man , I'm good to go , how can they know they're not ?
Speaker 3Yeah . Well .
Speaker 3Billy Graham was also asked if he could only preach one sermon , what would he preach and where would he preach it ? And he said I'd preach the gospel of salvation in church , because he believed most people in church were actually lost . And that conversation was based around the fact that so many Christians have no fruit in their lives . You know , we know Jesus walked up on a fig tree and it had no figs and he cursed it . He killed it , right . And yet we have this mentality that we got saved at age eight and it doesn't matter . God's obligated to take me to heaven and I don't see that in Scripture . We have to be fruit-bearing to show evidence of that relationship with Christ and I think this is what Billy Graham was seeing is that we have so many people that have bought the lie of religion . They go to church , they check the box , they feel like they've done a good thing , you know , and like I said in the last broadcast , they don't drink , cuss , chew or run with girls that do , they don't kick their dog . Surely , they're going to heaven .
Speaker 3The problem is , when you read your Bible , that's not what going to heaven is based on . It's based on a radical change in one's life done in the power of Christ , when one submits their life to Christ . Now I lead people in the sinner's prayer all the time and there's a lot of criticism about it , but I see it only as an avenue to help a person make a commitment , and then I explain to them now , what you're doing in this moment is you're committing your life to Christ . You're all in with him . He's your boss , man , from this day forward . Do you understand ? That's what you're doing ? But I think for a long time in this country , all we did and we meant well was lead people in the sinner's prayer and now you in and we failed to teach them what it meant to be in I pray . I'm never guilty of helping them understand , of not helping them understand what it means when you pray that prayer or you make that commitment to Christ .
Speaker 2Yeah , you know , I think , when I think back to when we all those years ago we started talking about a covenant class , a membership class , I think that was one of the reasons is that we want to make sure everybody who joins with covenant understands what salvation is . Yes , absolutely .
Speaker 3How can you serve and worship holy God if you've not experienced holy God and worship holy God ? If you've not experienced holy God , if you've not made a commitment to him ? We don't desire anybody come be a part of our fellowship who just wants to be a part of a church .
Speaker 3That's not going to do them any good and it's not accomplishing the goal that Christ gave us , which is to reach them for the kingdom . And so you know , I'm afraid in America today , if we're not careful , we've designed church where we're the cool church we got the most to offer . We can do this for you , we can do that for you , we can do this for you , we can do that for you . Really , all we can do for anybody is share the gospel with them . That's all we really can do .
Speaker 2Anything else is just accommodation . So my next question I would have for you then can we in fact be a follower of Christ but be complacent
Spiritual Complacency vs. True Faith
Speaker 2? Where does spiritual complacency come ?
Speaker 3from . Yes , I think every human being , with the exception of maybe a rare one here and there , has times of complacency . You know , as a pastor , I'd be the first to admit and this will shock some people you know I go out there week after week to preach and I'll be honest with you , there's some weeks maybe it's been a difficult week , maybe I've dealt with some difficult people , maybe old Satan's wailing on me . I just don't feel like I'm prepared to climb into that pulpit and preach the Word of God today because I don't feel like I'm spiritually where I ought to be . But you know , in the American mindset they're paying you to do that , so you got to do your job . It would be so refreshing if I could call one of you guys on Wednesday and say man , I'm not where I need to be this Sunday , can you preach ? You know I'm not where I need to be this Sunday , can you preach ?
Speaker 3I think we'd be better off as a church if we had that kind of freedom , but unfortunately we don't . So I think any Christian we're naive to believe that we're not all attacked by Satan , we don't all struggle , that life doesn't wail on us and we just get tired and beat down . I think we all go through those moments and I am not insinuating in any way . That means you're lost , but it means that your relationship is not where it needs to be . A marriage is a great example . There are times with your spouse where you feel very close and there's a sweetness there and you know , my wife tells me I love you , I always love you . There's some days I don't like you and I get it .
Speaker 3I get it because I know me right and I think maybe that's God's relationship with us . I think he loves us every day that we're taken in air . But there's some days he looks down at us and we probably grieve him because as we work out our salvation , we're just not in a good place . That day we're struggling , you know . Yeah , I don't think that means you're lost by any means . Uh , because to be complacent insinuates to me at least .
Speaker 2It's not a place where you stay , it's more of a season that we go through sometimes so how do we know the difference between we're in this season and we come out , or we never had any spirituality of Christ to be complacent about ?
Speaker 3Yeah , boy , that's a good question . I think if you're genuinely a child of God , you're not likely to stay in a complacent state long term . And look , that's a relative statement . If we're just dealing with a person who's going through , say , depression . They've lost a loved one , they've lost a job , they're in a season of life where life has beat them down and they just don't feel close to God , they don't feel spiritual , they don't feel the connection . They have to be reminded . It's more than a feeling , it's a promise and we all tend to react from feelings . Feelings are legitimate , but you got to be careful letting them control your thinking . So I think a person who has a genuine relationship with Christ , so I think a person who has a genuine relationship with Christ , will come out of that at some point .
Speaker 3I don't believe they'll stay there .
Speaker 2You know we're recording this on Thursday mornings . We had Wednesday night Bible study last night and I remember talking with my class . One of the things we talked about was the idea of something versus actually doing it . And I use the example . I love the idea of reading classic books . I think that's neat and I'd love to be that guy who says why . Last night I read War and Peace . It was quite good . I like the idea of reading those way more than I actually do . Why do you think we have so many people who like the idea of church and they like the idea of Christianity but they don't really want to do it ? In other words , why do we like the appearance and not the nitty-gritty ?
Speaker 3Well , in its simplest form , the idea of Jesus , this amazing moral person who came to planet Earth and lived this incredible life , is a lofty goal to live like him . Furthermore , the idea , the concept that I can have eternal
The Reality of Christian Commitment
Speaker 3life okay , and the Christian life , at least in our culture , historically in America , is a commendable life , a respectable life . You know , charles Darwin's mother insisted he be a minister because during the time he lived , to be a minister was the loftiest job you could have . So he actually went off and studied for the ministry for two years before leaving . I think it was Oxford in England where he was sent to study for the ministry . And so we still have a little of that , this being in love with the idea of Jesus , the idea of Christianity . It's positive , it's lofty , it sounds good and maybe in our simplest way of thinking , we feel like it makes us better in some way . But I think Scripture's clear being in love with the idea of Jesus is going to leave you short .
Speaker 2So however many percentage you know , as somebody who works here at Covenant , I'd love to say our percentage of people in the pews that know Christ is way more than 20% . I think sometimes it's very hard to know that percentage . But what do we say to somebody who doesn't have the oil on their lamps ? How would you say this is how you get the oil on your lamp this is how you get the oil in your lamp .
Speaker 3Oh well , I think the gospel , the presentation of Christ , that he gave his life for you , he shed his blood for you . You were a sinner in your sin nature , separated from a relationship with holy God and God , as Romans 5.8 says , before you even realized you had a problem , fixed your problem for you and he presents the solution to you , and that is accept Christ as your Savior , as your King , as your Lord , and commit yourself to him . And Scripture's clear without regret , without remorse , without looking back on the old life , and march forward . That's what it means to be a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ . In my own life . And look , I've had a wonderful life serving my Savior , life serving my Savior . But like anybody else , I've had a lot of times in my life that if I were not committed , just like serving anything else , and when you serve Christ , if you're not careful , you tend to start thinking that you shouldn't have to be challenged , you shouldn't struggle , you shouldn't have to deal with hard things because you're a Christian after all , right ? Well , scripture never teaches us that . In fact , jesus says they persecuted me , they're going to persecute you .
Speaker 3What in the world has given us this idea that Christianity is easy . All around the world right now , and on the African continent especially . World right now , and on the African continent especially , christians are being murdered daily just for believing in Christ . Islam is trying everything they can in that part of the world to destroy the Christian church . And yet in our culture here in America , you know , we come to Christ as if he's the Godfather on a cloud handing out ice cream cones .
Speaker 3And so we have to teach people it's only by the blood of Christ shed on the cross and that when they accept that , that it means they're willing to go and die for him , they're all in , they're giving their life to him , they're committing to him 100% .
Closing Thoughts on Spiritual Readiness
Speaker 3And that's where I think the difference is . I think we have a lot of people today who are committed to Christ 10% , 20% , whatever . I'll come to church , I'll give a little something once in a while . You know I'll do this if I have to . Those to me are screaming statements that they don't really understand what that commitment means . And so that is our greatest challenge not only to help people come to Christ , but to help them understand what that means . Not only to help people come to Christ but to help them understand what that means .
Speaker 2Well , thank you , pat Steve , for talking with us today , guys , if you are listening today , I thank y'all so much for being a part of this . I pray that , as we said earlier , you can have confidence and not be ashamed at the coming of Christ . So thank you for being here with us for the Main of Christ . So thank you for being here with us for the main thing . Podcast .