SERMON OUTLINE

T HE P ARABLE OF THE T EN V IRGINS

BACKGROUND
Jewish wedding ceremony includes a procession from the grooms house all the way to the bride. It is customary for the procession to take the longest possible route so as many people as possible can partake in the celebrations and wish the groom luck. The whole city/town/village will be involved in the communal celebration most shops may be closed. At the brides house, the bridesmaid and the bride would wait for a long time. Sometimes, the grooms party will arrive at odd hours. All the bridesmaids knew this. To the host/groom, it is an insult to not be prepared for the whole celebration at the brides house.

ISSUE
1. The second coming of Christ is certain, but it can be delayed according to Gods plan a. Disciples would never know for sure the accurate date it is part of Gods secret plan (Eph. 1:9-11) b. We should still be prepared even if Christ comes again this afternoon, tonight or a century from now! 2. Those who are unprepared insults Christ and warrants judgement a. The Good News has been proclaimed, but believers choose not to make it a part of their life 3. Certain things cannot be attained at the last minute a. Time is available to those who know the custom/heard the news b. Faith cannot be attained at the last minute c. Compliance with the Commands of Christ must be from the beginning and progressive. d. Growing in Christ and in faith takes time to identify, to learn, to reflect and to apply. 4. Certain things cannot be borrowed especially at the last minute a. Selfishness is not justified by this parable. b. Sometimes it is not possible to loan/give something to others because there is just not enough c. More often than not, if the oil is likened to faith, the Christian must seek it out him/herself.

LESSON

When we believed in Christ as our Saviour, we accepted a contract with God. The terms of the contract are: o Our salvation is hinged on faith o The contract is made good by Gods grace o Our salvation is paid by the Blood of Christ As a deposit, the Holy Spirit is sent to each of those who believe (Eph 1:13). We have the choice to prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ, or when God finally calls for us, with the guidance and the gifts of the Spirit We decide to prepare or procrastinate based on the time leading towards the inevitable

CONCLUSION
How do we know when we are prepared? It is when we can afford to not need any more additions or when we neednt rush out to buy extra lamps when the shops are closed and when the rest of the world/town is ready to receive Christ.