Olive Oil Meets Advent: Are you Ready?

Joseph Kindon

What We Believe • Sermon • Submitted 5 months ago • Presented 5 months ago

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Welcome/Prayer/Intro

Good Morning Church! How is everyone doing this morning?

Last week we talked about God’s recipe for healing. We talked about how in that recipe God used something as simple as olive oil for something as sacred as super natural healing.

We also explored the reality that their are different forms of healing beyond physical healing. Forgiveness as a form of spiritual healing. We landed on looking within ourselves to see where we need healing in our own lives and where God is calling us in the next step of the healing.

Would you pray with me?

This morning we are going to continue our conversation around olive oil, particularly the olive oil found in lamps that we see in the parable of the ten virgins. However this parable isnt really about Oil at all it is about being ready.

How many of you take awhile to get ready when going on a trip or vacation or maybe its just getting ready for the day raise your hand.

One of the areas I have grown in my marriage is getting ready, I used to take forever to get ready. Because I would have a process for packing. (Describe Process) (Talk about adding things for Jess) I may have taken forever, but I am almost always prepared when we go away on vacation or camping.

Today’s parables around 5 virgins that were not prepared. The parable serves as a warning for those not ready for Christ’s return.

Christ’s return:

When we hear about the 2nd Coming- the thought is when? We are almost obsessed with it as a church.

a well known Christian wrote, the last days are upon us- it was written by Ignatius a few decades after John wrote revelation.

In 236 AD a Church Father wrote, Christ would surely return by 500 AD. In 1500, Martin Luther wrote that we have reached the time of the white horse of the apocalypse. Christopher Columbus, predicted that the world would end in 1656. Over and over we have tried to guess when and predict, but we are asking the wrong question: the true question we need to be asking is are we ready?

If you have your bibles would you turn with me to Matthew 25 starting at verse 1.

Walking through the Text- Matthew 25

Context- This parable is part of a larger discourse where Jesus is talking about His return.

Now lets take some time to understand what is going on in this parable.

Jewish Wedding- often took longer than our weddings great celebration!

Groom would travel from his house to his brides house with the groomsmen usually by foot! (I am glad I did not have to walk all the way to CT for Jess!)

The groom would have conversation with In Laws like dowry this could take quite some time.

The bride and groom would travel back to the groom’s house and often take the longest route possible- this was like a parade! People would then wait outside or near the grooms house for them to arrive and the wedding to begin.

This process could take hours or even days.

Parable of 10 Virgins.

Here is what we know. 10 virgins waiting in the grooms town or close to it. They all knew that he ways coming, but had no clue when. Interesting part is all of the women fall asleep- there is no negative connotation.

This connects with us today in that we don’t know when Jesus will come, but we have been warned

The story takes a twist when the bridegroom comes. The virgins are awaked and light there lamps, but 5 of them brought extra oil and 5 did not. The ones who didnt asked for them to share, but they replied, no there wont be enough for us to get there. Go buy some.

The 5 virgins are “too late”. In this parable, and in the real world there is a such thing as too late!

Jack and Jill’s first date. Jane got all ready put make up and a dress on and waited for her date to arrive. Two hours went by, Jill got into nice cozy pjs grabbed some icecream and put on a movie. There was a knock at the door. It was Jack. She was so mad she couldnt speak. Jack said, I am two hours late and your still not ready!

The wedding feast had already began when the 5 foolish virgins arrived- the door was shut.

Even when they tried to get into the wedding feast the groom responded, I never knew you.

Transition: How do we apply this parable to our lives does something so far in the past have relevance today?

interestingly enough we are in the middle of Hannakah where olive oil is an important part of this holiday. Selucids ruled of Jerusalem. Defiled the 2nd temple. Judah the macabee let a small army and retook the temple and...

When they sought to light the Temple's Menorah (the seven-branched candelabrum), they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks. Miraculously, they lit the menorah and the one-day supply of oil lasted for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity.

Olive Oil has been an important part in this holiday tradition for practicing Jews around the world. As we look at the parable this morning this oil plays an equally important role. Where do we fit in the story of the parable?

We could say we are one of the 10 virgins in the story, we are either prepared and ready or we are not.

The question I want to pose is are we lamps full of oil shining bright for Jesus?

The problem in the text is the foolish virgins did not have enough oil when the Bride Groom was delayed. If Jesus is the bridge groom and how is the church being a lamp in this world.

Oil Filled Lights Burning bright

We are the just the vessel. Romans 9- Paul says we are the clay He is the potter. In acts, Jesus calls Paul his chosen instrument. We are just like the lamp. We all have a purpose, to shine light. Jesus himself calls the church a light.

In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus describes us.

Matthew 5:14–16 NIV

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

In order to Keep Burning we need Oil in our lamps!

Did you know a plane can coast for several hundred miles without any fuel in the tank?

How do we stay Oil Filled?

Sustained and intimate relationship with Jesus!

What does your relationship with Jesus look like in your life right now?

Can your engagement with God be discribed in drops of oil? You go to church. You read your bible. You pray. and those drops are just enough to get you by but maybe you step back and you wonder if your light was dimmer than it was before? (Pause)

Does your relationship with Jesus look like the way some people treat their gas tank- living E and running on fumes only coming to God when youre absolutely desprate for more? (Pause)

Are you like David who describes his cup as overflowing? You are connected to Jesus in such a way that he is a stream of living water? A constant flow of oil into your lamp.

No matter where you are this morning there is good news!

There is still time to get ready there is still time for you to refuel and fill your lamp!