Pastor Rev. Steven Wagner Telephone: 573-437-5190

Rt 3, Owensville MO. 65066

OCTOBER 6, 1996

JUST GETTING BY

Matthew 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

A. These people were all the same, virgins, had lamps, went forth to meet the bridegroom.

B. They all looked the same, acted the same what was the different.

Matthew 25:2 And five of them were wise, and five [were] foolish.

A. Well the bible says five were wise and five were foolish.

B. How could this be, they all were the same.

Matthew 25:3 They that [were] foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

Matthew 25:4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

A. The Bible says they that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

B. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

C. What could make one wise and one foolish they were all the same except for one little fact.

D. The amount of oil.

1. The oil in this passage represents the Holy Spirit and the presence of God in our lives.

2. OK so what difference does it make how much of God I have in my life ? I mean I have God in my life,

a. I come to church, well when I can, you know how other things can pop up,

b. I even have a ministry, well I don't always have time to study, but I'm there that should count for something,

c. I pay my tithes, well except once in a while I have a hard month but God understands and I know the Church can get buy, and I know the pastor won't need my tithe this month, You know God will take care of him.

d. I pray and read my Bible, lets see I was reading it just the other day if I only could remember where I put my Bible, but I read it once in a while, and I always pray over every meal.

e. That should be enough what could it hurt if I only have a little oil? Illustration

Matthew 25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

A. This represents that our life as Christians must be able to stand up against trials and temptations, and be able to stand for an undetermined amount of time.

B. They all slumbered and slept, but they were not all the same.

C. This scripture brings out that many Christians are deceived into thinking that everything is all right, that they can just get by with there lives, as they are.

a. They are all asleep, peaceful, not worrying about anything, everything is just great.

b. This is a trick of the devil he lies to us, and tells us that we can just have just a little of God and can get by.

D. But it takes more than just a little of God to get by especially in the days to follow as indicated by the following scriptures about the end times.

Matthew 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

Matthew 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

Matthew 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Matthew 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

Matthew 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

Matthew 24:8 All these [are] the beginning of sorrows.

Matthew 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

Matthew 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

Matthew 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Matthew 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

Matthew 24:16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

Matthew 24:17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:

Matthew 24:18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

Matthew 24:19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

Matthew 24:20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Matthew 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Matthew 24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here [is] Christ, or there; believe [it] not.

Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

a. The Bible says that the devil is out to destroy us any way he can.

b. II Tim 2:26-And [that] they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

Matthew 25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

A. The Bible says we don't know the day or hour the son of God is coming back.

B. It also says our life is but a vapor and that our next breath is in the hands of God.

C. There is two ways the cry can come either by death or by the Rapture of the Church, either way you better be ready.

Matthew 25:7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

A. Lets look at these virgins they all had oil but there was a difference.

Matthew 25:8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

Matthew 25:9 But the wise answered, saying, [Not so]; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

A. When the cry goes out will you still have enough oil to make it into the kingdom of God, this is what is really happening.

B. All the virgins had oil, but its going to take enough oil in your life to make it all the way in to the Kingdom of God.

C. Be ye filled with the Spirit, it takes a continuous filling of the spirit to keep your vessels filled.

D. What else does it say, It tells us how to fill our vessels, go ye rather to them that sell.

1. You need to go now to them that sell oil before its to late.

2. So who are them that sell oil?

a. Of course Jesus Christ he has the storage tank.

b. But we get filled by the ways God has set forth.

c. When your car needs filled with Gas you go to the gas station.

d. When your soul needs filled with oil, You can go several places.

1. Church, God has set forth the Church to be filling point for our oil.

2. Prayer, We can receive oil through praying, not just over meals.

3. The Word, by reading our Bibles we can be filled with oil.

Matthew 25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

A. We have to realize that getting oil is not an instant thing.

B. If we wait till temptations, trials come we won't have enough oil to overcome and we may fall to the devil and loose out.

C. If we wait till the cry comes it will be to late to get oil because it isn't an instant thing.

D. It takes going to them that sell, and receiving the oil.

E. You won't be able to make everything OK in split second.

Matthew 25:11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

A. Churches are full of people that know Jesus, they have just a little oil and think there just getting by, but they are not.

B. They keep just enough oil to make themselves fill OK and the Devil has lied to them and they think everything is OK.

C. But when hard times come they won't make it, when the cry comes they won't make it, because it takes being full of oil to make it.

D. The truth is if your not full of the Holy Spirit then you have a mixture, the Spirit and something else that shouldn't be in you. Then you sin and fall and can't control yourself.

Matthew 25:12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

A. We need to realize that Jesus is only coming back for those that are full of His oil.

B. Not just a little of Oil but full.

Closing: What are you full of today? Or what mixture?