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The Prepared And The Unprepared
– Matthew Twenty-Five –
Matthew chapter twenty-five provides Bible
students with three different looks at the prepared and the unprepared. The
parable of the wise and foolish virgins, the parable of the talents, and the
judgment scene all picture some that were prepared and some that had every
opportunity to prepare but still remained unprepared.
God has given each of us talents that we
should use to His glory. If we fail to use those talents they will be taken
from us. If we have anything in our hand we must give it to God so that He can
bless it and bless us. This is necessary if we are to be prepared for final
judgment.
The prepared and the unprepared virgins –
Matthew 25:1-13: The primary subject this chapter has to do with is the
final judgment. Matthew 24 ended with the need to be prepared for the sudden
and unexpected return of the Lord. The parable of the five wise and the five
foolish virgins continues that emphasis of preparation for the coming of the
Messiah. In this section five foolish and thoughtless virgins were set in
contrast against five wise and sensible virgins. The kingdom of heaven is like unto
all "ten"
virgins. Of the ten virgins, only
the five wise ones were taken to the wedding. The
foolish ones were not. Jesus used this story of a wedding taking place to teach
some great lessons concerning His kingdom.
The point of Jesus' parable is very clear.
Only those that are prepared for the bridegroom's coming will participate in
the marriage supper of the Lamb. Those that are unprepared will be left
outside. The only difference between the five wise and the five foolish virgins
was their preparation. In the parable five virgins were wise and they made the
necessary preparation and even went the extra mile. Five other virgins tried to
get by on the very minimum. "Those who were foolish took their lamps and
took no oil with them." (Matthew 25:3) It was in contrast to this spirit
of doing only the minimum that the godly attitude of the wise virgins’ shines
forth. "The wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps."
(Matthew 25:4) The wise are simply those that are prepared for Christ’s coming.
Many want to go to heaven attending only a
minimum number of services, giving only a minimum amount of money and time,
teaching and visiting only the minimum. These that try to get by on the minimum
will find the door to heaven shut just as did the foolish virgins. "While
they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with
him to the wedding; and the door was shut." (Matthew 25:10) What about
you? Are you wise or foolish? Are you prepared or unprepared?
The servants that used their talents –
Matthew 25:14-23: Jesus wanted us
to understand what readiness means so He taught a great lesson about two men
that used the talents of money that their master had put into their hands, and
about one that failed to do so. "He who had received the five talents went
and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had
received two gained two more also." (Matthew 25:16-17) The result of using
what had been given is stated in Matthew 25:21. "Well done, good and
faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler
over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord."
Those that use what God puts into their hands
are upright, honorable and faithful. What has God put into your hands? Has He
put a car, a house, some money, a pen, an envelope, a family member or a friend
into your hand? The delay of our Lord's second coming should cause an increased
appreciation for opportunities of evangelism, worship, and service that this
delay offers believers. Are you a faithful servant that is using your talents
for God?
The servant that did not use his talent –
Matthew 25:24-30: The man that
did not use what God put into his hands is one of the most condemned men in the
entire Bible. "You wicked and lazy servant... take the talent from him...
cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping
and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 25:26-30) "Being ready" when
the master comes consists not only of keeping pure but also of active and
faithful service that produces good results.
What the unfaithful servant had was taken
from him and given to the servant that had ten talents. The master said,
"Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall
be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be
taken away even that which he hath." Those that are faithful in God's
service will have more opportunities for service and blessing. Those that are
unfaithful will loose the blessings that they earlier had. Use what God puts
into your hands for His glory or stand condemned before your Marker!
The prepared and unprepared among the people –
Matthew 25:31-46: In this portion of scripture the Lord contrasted the
saved and the lost. "These will go away into everlasting punishment, but
the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:46) Observe the following
facts about the judgment. (1) The Son of man will be the judge. (2) All nations
will be gathered before Him. (3) A separation will take place. A separation
from God in life because of sin leads to a separation from the righteous in
eternity. (Isaiah 59:1-2) (4) The basis
of judgment will include little things that we all could have done and should
have done. The prepared will hear the words, "Come, you blessed of My
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world." (Matthew 25:34) The unprepared will hear the words, "Depart
from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire
prepared for the devil and his angels." (Matthew 25:41)
Each of these parables is designed to teach
the immanent return of Christ. He could come soon, or His return could be a
long time away. However, one thing is certain. Jesus is coming again. The
uncertainty of the time of the Lord's coming motivates us to live our lives in
such a way as to stay prepared for eternity. We need to live and work like the Lord
is going to be back any minute. We will be rewarded according to what we have
done while the Master is away.
To prepare for eternity you must obey the
gospel NOW and keep faithful to God. The seriousness of judgment and eternity
says that sinners should come to Christ and live for Him. Purify your heart by
faith (John
- - - - Charles
Box
News & Notes
1. Prayer List: In Need Of Prayers: Mae
Beverly, Cindy Edgar, Roy Goodwin, Nicole Griffin, Montine Hardin, Evan
Hartsell, Billy Heartsill, Mary Jo Hoffman, Jerry Johnson, Wanda Kyser, Mary
Lawrence, Jo Anne Moorer, Mary Powell, Jack Queener, Ottey Simno, Ralph Sims,
Nell Shanklin, Brenda Stallings, Earl Walden, Leroy Waller (surgery), Mary
Williams and Melissa Woodruff. Crowne Health Care: Kathy Johnson,
Myrtle Perdue, and Iva Lou Wright.
2. Please Pray For: The following
people are serving in
3. Margaret Munro’s Birthday Party:
Everyone is invited to a birthday party to celebrate Margaret Munro’s 90th
birthday on August 11th from
4. Youth Ministers’ Retreat: August 16th-18th
there will be a retreat for all male youth workers at Backwoods Christian Camp.
Call or see Darrell for details.
5. Finger Foods/Bridal Shower: There
will be a bridal shower for Kimberly Hittell and Adam Garlock on Sunday, August
26th after the evening service. Ladies are asked to bring finger
foods.
6. Mail For Jason Godwin:
The only way to communicate with Jason Godwin is through his e-mail,
jason.e.godwin@us.army.mil. The mailing address is no longer any good.
7. Birthdays: Celebrating birthdays
this week are: August 5th Lydia Ann Raybon, August 6th Randy
Bagents, August 8th Doyle Bender, and Roy Bender, August
9th Dawn Fullington, August 10th Marlasia Lett
and August
11th Margaret Munro
8. Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary: In
honor of the Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Byron L. Benson their
children and grandchildren request the pleasure of your company at a reception
Sunday, August 5th at
9. Thank You: To the Walnut Street Church
of Christ, As many of you must know, our Mom has developed dimension or
Alzheimer’s to the point she can no longer attend church or do so many other
things she has done all her life. After a short illness and stay in the
hospital and Greenville Nursing Home she has moved back home. We hope to make
it possible for her to live in the house her father built for her over 55 years
ago, as long as possible. We celebrated her 91st birthday this past
Friday. The church is providing an invaluable and gracious service in making it
possible for her to live at home. We sincerely thank you for what you are doing
with all of our hearts! From the family of Doris Conway Taylor –
Larry & Dennis Taylor
10. Put These Dates On Your Calendar: (a)
August 5th-8th – Gospel Meeting – Flatwoods Church of
Christ – Speakers Sunday Jack Cates, Monday Charles Box, Tuesday Michael
Coleman and Wednesday Mark Jones – Time Sunday 10:00, 11:00 a.m. &
Amnon: Ruined By Friendship
The decisions we make regarding our friends in this life are among the most vital decisions we must make. In II Samuel 13, we can read a tragic story of one of King David’s sons, Amnon. Now, Amnon had a lovely half-sister, Tamar, for whom he had deep desires. But he had never acted on those desires, for, “it was improper for Amnon to do anything to her” (vs. 2). However, the very next verse states, “But Amnon had a friend…[who was]…a very crafty man.” Amnon had never done anything to Tamar…then his wicked friend, Jonadab, presented him with a scheme that would give him the opportunity. Jonadab advised Amnon, to fake an illness to lure his sister in to tend to him, and then have his way with her (vs. 5). Amnon heeded his counsel.
The influence of a friend caused Amnon to bring shame on himself and his sister, and set in motion his brother Absalom’s plot for revenge. Amnon made a detrimental mistake in choosing Jonadab for his friend. How different his life may have been if he had surrounded himself with godly people!
So, Absalom waited two full years before carrying out his revenge on Amnon (vs. 23). He took all his brothers with him to Baal Hazor, and while they were there, he commanded his servants to slay Amnon (vs. 28) In this part of the story, Jonadab’s treachery is revealed to go deeper than one could imagine. After Amnon was killed, word came back to King David that Absalom had killed all his son’s. But Jonadab assured David, “…only Amnon is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.” (vs. 32) Jonadab had known all along that Absalom intended to kill Amnon, but apparently had not even warned him. What a friend!
From Amnon’s story we learn that friends can be a bad thing if
we don’t choose them wisely. What kind of friends do you keep? This is a
question that needs answering, for in it could lie your earthly, and eternal
fate (II Corinthians
- - - - Darrell Powell
Godliness is
the only investment that never fails.
Don’t just own a Bible; read it!
(334-382-3001)