Parable in matt 25, opening we read "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise."

What is "that time?" The end. What will be like ten virgins? The kingdom of heaven? So to whom is this parable directed? Religious people. How are the virgins differentiated? 5 foolish and 5 wise.

List five characteristics held in common by both wise and foolish virgins in verses 1-7.

1.	all are virgins–good livers, pure faith, all in the church, professing and sincere

2.	all have lamps–What is symbolized by lamp in scripture? word of God. They all have it in their possession

3.	all go out to meet the bridegroom–When is this? Should be same time-frame as the Talents. At Jesus' return. Some have pointed out that His return is after what deciding event? Close of probation is really where it is all decided and settled.

4.	all go to sleep--bridegroom is delayed, once probation closes there will be no delay, so delay is before close prob--like disciples at vital time to be watching and praying they slept, all of them

5.	When the cry rose at midnight, all arose and trimmed lamps--why trim? When wick gets charred it doesn't put out as much light. If you want light you must trim regularly. Why trim Bible in sp. sense? So it gives off more light. What would you do if you wanted more light from the Bible? Study? pray? Be honest, most of us listen to tapes or sermons of other people studying the Bible and explaining it. These virgins are doing all that. They want greater understanding. Not hypocrites! Seeking a deeper understanding of truth! Scary!

these are the five chars in common.

Here the story changes.

The foolish for the first time notice something very ominous, and they try to do something about it. Reading verse 8: "Give us some of your oil," Why? "Our lamps are going out!" They are standing side by side with the wise, and they are even trimming their lamps trying to get more light, but they haven't been looking at the oil gauge. Reminds me of Dwight Nelson's story of the VW which had no dash light to indicate an empty gas tank, instead it had a small spare tank, of course as a poor college student he could never keep the tank full, so he was constantly driving around on the reserve tank, and constantly getting stuck.

These are sincere people, who've done all the right things and are even trimming their lamps seeking greater truth, only to discover their lamps are going out, they're running on the reserve tank, and the car is starting to stall.

What is use of trimming a lamp that has no oil in it? No use. Which would you rather, have, a nicely trimmed empty lamp, or one that is full of oil even if the wick isn't trimmed nicely? That's a rhetorical question.

What's going on here? Spiritually speaking, how is it possible to trim one's lamp (representing what? Bible) only to discover that it is going out, running out of oil? Somebody tell me what that would mean. It would mean that the word of God is not shedding light because the Spirit is not present. Thus it is possible to read and study--even pray--and listen to others talk about it but not understand it. It will shed no light on your situation in life if the Spirit is not shining through it.

What example do we have of this in scripture? Do we see any group of people possessing the Bible, even studying it carefully, and still not having it shed light on their situation? In Jesus day there was one group that had access to the scriptures, plenty of knowledge about the scriptures, but failed to understand their meaning. They'd forfeited the privilege of having the Spirit enlighten them through the word.

In the parable the five foolish virgins desperately try to replenish their supply how? They tried to get it from others by begging.

Many find their response cold. I used to, but understanding what we do, how appropriate was their response? Why? The spirit of God cannot be dispensed by human beings as if it were their own. So the wise, wisely direct them to go to the source of oil. (I think of Jesus counsel to the church at Laodicea to buy from Him gold, robes and eye salve--to see, much like oil for a lamp allows one to see.)

They go off to purchase oil and return expecting to be let in, "Sir! Sir! Open the door for us!" the cry, but he replied, "I tell you the truth, I do not know you."

Why do the lamps of the foolish run out of oil and not the lamps of the wise? It's in verses 3 and 4. This, by the way is the only difference between the foolish and the wise. The wise had oil separate from their lamps in their vessels.

The privilege of having oil in our lamps is related to having oil in our vessels. What do vessels represent in the New Testament? 2Cor4:7 "we have this treasure in earthen vessels." my life.

So, if we have oil in our vessels, we will have oil in our lamps. (Maybe the song should be give me oil in my life?)

Why do the foolish virgins get the response "I don't know you" when up to this point the issue seems to have been a lack of oil? If we have the Holy Spirit in our lives, we are privileged to have the Holy Spirit enlightening our study of the Bible. The Bible is not a human book which we can understand by applying ourselves to its study it is a relational book. We can understand and benefit from it only as we are in relationship with it's Divine Author.

No wonder when the foolish virgins tried to gain entrance they were met not with a rule-based reply, "You're late, no one admitted after 2:00 a.m." but a relationship-based response. "I don't know you." Again this knowing is the intimate word for marriage and love. He's saying, "We've never been intimate." Maybe we've known about Him, maybe we've done all the right things, been good livers, been in the church, had the Bible, studied it, looked forward to Jesus coming, but never really been intimate with Him, never let Him love us. He may not be in me, by His Spirit, in relationship with me.

The ultimate question again is not:	How faithful have you been at coming to church? or how have you measured up? but "What have you done with Jesus? Does He live in You?"

Why must one have 'extra' oil for a lamp? What characteristics of an oil lamp require it?

You can't fill a lamp once and for all. Nor can you fill a vessel once and for all. The oil does no good merely siting in the vessel. It must be taken out and used. Neither can a vessel produce its own oil. In the same way, we cannot fill up on Jesus and the Holy Spirit once and for all. Nor can we produce the Spirit of God within ourselves, there must be a continual receiving of the Spirit day by day to keep our vessels full.

How does this happen in two parts?

Keep receiving and keep burning. Which would mean?

two things:

1.	connection with the source of oil, the Spirit, Life

2.	doing what God asks with the oil you have

2Kings 4: the widow's oil gives pattern:

1.	cried out in her great need--went to the source of help/Life

2.	Did what Elisha told her, oil did not run out

Parable of Talents gives pattern:

1.	Each received from the Master

2.	Those who did His will received more, the one who did not, even what he had was taken away.

What happens to the oil? It is used up. The oil is for one specific purpose, it is to allow the lamp to shed light. What's the light for? So you can see. Why do you want to see?

To know your condition, to act.

The foolish virgins describe those who may sit in church and be convinced of the truth, but they never see that they are insufficient without Christ in them--they are not willing to receive what God has to offer. They can give you bible studies on the sabbath and the state of the dead, but they don't realize that they are dead! They may have been convicted of the goodness and generosity of God, but have never been broken from self-reliance and become God reliant.

They also represent those who hear the principles of the word and are attracted to them, but do not act on them, and without a pattern of hearing, and acting they do not receive the anointing of the power of Spirit daily. They aren't putting the oil to proper use. It is designed to illuminate our path so we can walk with God. Spirit-led understanding of the Word is not designed to make us "right" so we can prove others "wrong" it is supposed to transform the life and make us more loving.

Are you self-deceived? Only when we realize our great need, and our unworthiness, and come to Christ to receive from Him, His life, His righteousness do we receive the Holy Spirit in us, who then begins to transform our lives.

Jesus cuts through every natural inclination we have. His transformation goes beyond external compliance, it changes our motives as well so we:

forgive where before we held grudges

give generously not holding back

love not hate

don't judge others, but love them and lead them to Christ--parking place illustration

We can never say we did anything, no self-promotion, the transformation in the Christian life happens when Christ takes over. We must have the attitude of John the Baptist, "He must increase, but I must decrease." This is why I'm so startled by those whose sole emphasis is on human performance. We have the responsibility of choosing to act on our faith, but when we act choose to do the impossible, it is not we who do it, it is God. With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. When the priests put their feet in the river Jordan they crossed on dry land, not because of power in the priests, but because of God's power, all the priests did was believe that God would act, and choose to step where God said to step. He must increase, I decrease.

This doesn't happen overnight, it's a process of continual reliance on Christ that brings this about, and it cannot be rushed or purchased in a hurry. That's why the parable tells us that in time of trial, at midnight, in earth's darkest hour, those who've had only and external religious experience (only in their lamps, not in their lives) will find that they lose touch with even the externals they once knew. They can no longer see clearly what to do.

Is there anyone here in danger this morning? of trimming your lamp just to have it go out? Are you interested in a heart religion, you'll be acting on your convictions, trusting God to supply the power to do the impossible.

What is God calling you to do? Are you willing to let Him inside, or are you content to keep him at arm's length, to know about Him, but no be known by Him–do you need to be aware, accept His generosity and be honest w/ Him about your need?

Who is He calling you to love? What conviction is He laying on your heart tonight?

I need to be in the Word, but I need the Word to be in me.

I'm studying this 'cause I want you all to be thinking about how God is calling you to action, to ministry, maybe you need to start w/ your family, learning to love, maybe he's put a vision for ministry in the community in your heart. What is he calling you to do. Will you act, burn and receive more, or are you content to have a shallow experience w/ God that will not stand the midnight trial?