34 min

The Oil of Preparation Lake Merced Church of Christ

    • Christianity

Jay Mijares gave us Sunday’s message about “The Oil of Preparation.” This message is taken from the parable of the ten virgins, Matt. 25:1-13. In this story, the ten virgins (members of a wedding party) are waiting for the bridegroom to appear, but it’s not known when he will arrive. While they wait, they are meant to keep their oil lamps lit, as they will light the path for the wedding procession.

However, five of the virgins were not prepared. Matt. 25:3-4, “For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.”

The bridegroom was delayed, and they all fell asleep. When at last the bridegroom arrived, the wise virgins were able to light their lamps. The foolish ones had to go searching for oil to buy, but when they returned, the door was locked. They were denied access to the wedding.

Lamp oil is, of course, a metaphor for our faith, the strength of the holy spirit within us. It is up to us to keep our lamp full; we cannot use another person’s faith. Jay gave us four lessons about the prepared and the unprepared:
Each of us is a lamp that bears witness to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
An inherited faith or a borrowed faith is no faith at all.
We all fall asleep in our faith (have moments of weakness or lapses in our faith practices).
Profession as a believer in Christ without obedience to Christ is not a genuine faith in Christ.

We all know that Christ is coming, but none of us know exactly when he will arrive. It is up to us to be ready to meet him at any time. Jay gave us three questions to ponder, and to answer honestly:
Do you have enough oil to get through the night?
Is your faith your own?
Does Jesus know you?

We are all invited to the celebration, but we must be awake and prepared to attend. Let us work consistently to keep our lamps full in joyful anticipation of Christ’s return.

Jay Mijares gave us Sunday’s message about “The Oil of Preparation.” This message is taken from the parable of the ten virgins, Matt. 25:1-13. In this story, the ten virgins (members of a wedding party) are waiting for the bridegroom to appear, but it’s not known when he will arrive. While they wait, they are meant to keep their oil lamps lit, as they will light the path for the wedding procession.

However, five of the virgins were not prepared. Matt. 25:3-4, “For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.”

The bridegroom was delayed, and they all fell asleep. When at last the bridegroom arrived, the wise virgins were able to light their lamps. The foolish ones had to go searching for oil to buy, but when they returned, the door was locked. They were denied access to the wedding.

Lamp oil is, of course, a metaphor for our faith, the strength of the holy spirit within us. It is up to us to keep our lamp full; we cannot use another person’s faith. Jay gave us four lessons about the prepared and the unprepared:
Each of us is a lamp that bears witness to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
An inherited faith or a borrowed faith is no faith at all.
We all fall asleep in our faith (have moments of weakness or lapses in our faith practices).
Profession as a believer in Christ without obedience to Christ is not a genuine faith in Christ.

We all know that Christ is coming, but none of us know exactly when he will arrive. It is up to us to be ready to meet him at any time. Jay gave us three questions to ponder, and to answer honestly:
Do you have enough oil to get through the night?
Is your faith your own?
Does Jesus know you?

We are all invited to the celebration, but we must be awake and prepared to attend. Let us work consistently to keep our lamps full in joyful anticipation of Christ’s return.

34 min