Balls of Priority - Family

An anonymous writer wrote:  Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air.  You name them:   work, family, health, friends, and faith, and you’re keeping them all in the air.  You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball.  If you drop it, it will bounce back.  But the other four balls – family, health, friends, and faith – are made of glass.  If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered.  They will never be the same.

 

Weeks ago we started a series on juggling the 5 balls of life, but due to a broken computer screen that was just replaced, I was unable to continue the series on a weekly basis.  So now, I will try to play catchup.

 

With that being said, God shows us in Luke 14 that faith has to be the #1 ball – it is the most fragile making it the most important.  Jesus showed us that faith must be #1 in our lives because it will keep us from dropping the other four.

 

In fact, focusing on faith first helps us to truly prioritize the other 4 – keeping all the balls balanced and in the air.   Focusing on faith helps us to understand what God is looking to see in the other four.

 

So all we have to do is look at Creation to see what God deems most important.

 

First He created humankind in His image to have relationship with them.   He didn’t just create them and leave them to their own.  He came into their presence to commune with them.  He created them for faith.

 

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from Him the Lord God among the trees of the garden.  But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’”  Genesis 3: 8-9

 

Second He created male and female to have relationship with one another.  Family was ordained by God from the beginning of time.

 

“But for Adam no suitable helper was found.  So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh.  Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.  The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman’ for she was taken out of man.’  For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.  The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” Genesis 2: 20-25

 

God has laid out the dynamics of family – man can define it however he chooses, but God has made it clear through the scripture I just shared the true definition.  But today we’re not going to delve into what makes a family.  We know that family takes on many different forms in this cursed world.  Rather we will be seeing how faith, if treated as the #1 ball, helps make family into what God desires.

 

And whether single or married, young or old, scripture always provides us with principles that can be applied to our lives.

 

Paul's teaching on family in Ephesians 5: 22 – 6: 4 is often taken  out of context.  And when taken out of context you see where the curse of sin is involved.

 

“To the woman He said, ‘I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to your children.  Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.’” Genesis 3: 16

 

So on one hand, you have some self-righteous pious men who believe a woman’s sole role is to submit to their authority – that God ordained that they rule over their wives.  So they latch onto verses 22-24 in Ephesians 5.  They use it to keep women in their place.

 

And yet, on the other hand, you have self-righteous irreverent women who believe that men have no headship over them – that women are equal to and even far superior than their male counterparts.  They too latch onto verses 22-24 in Ephesians 5, but to fight against it – to disprove what was written and to live solely for their desires – to defeat the curse.

 

Yet faith, understanding God in the Big Picture, understanding God in context, shows us what God truly desires for the family.  God didn’t desire the curse.  Man chose it through our disobedience.  And so what God is asking His children to do in the face of the curse is to be family the way he destined it to be and live according to the principles He has outlined for all sexes.

 

So God’s Big Idea for us is this:  True Family = Done God’s Way. 

 

In other words, if you want true family, then you got to do it God’s way.  And if you do things God’s way, you’ll get true family.  If you want true family, you have to have faith to understand what God is looking for and then do it His way.

 

You see, the outline of what God had Paul write to the Church – to the believers in Ephesus - was:   Wives submit to your husbands, Husbands love your wives, and Children obey your parents.  But really, it was so much more than that.

 

God puts a “Why” – a reason for doing what He’s asking you to do.  God gives a “Why” because if we will follow His way we will see the fruit of His reward – a family that beats the odds stacked against it in this cursed world.

 

Now before jumping into the “whys”, I want to make these disclaimers:  The word submission is only bad because man has made it bad.  What God established in the beginning was good, and humankind has made a debacle of what true family should look like.  And submission applies to more than just marriage.

 

Now, why should wives submit to their husbands?

 

Everything has an order. 

 

God is saying, “As you submit unto your husbands, you submit unto me.  I am God the Father, Head of all.  Jesus, the Son, submits unto Me and does what I want Him to do.  The Holy Spirit submits unto Me, as well as Jesus, doing what We want Him to do.  The Church is under the submission of Christ who is the Head of the Church.  And the husband, who is the head of the household, is under the submission of Christ.  Therefore, the wife should submit to the husband as this is the order I established.”

 

Submission has its rewards

 

When a wife submits to her husband she is fulfilling God’s plan and will receive His favor.  Not only will she find her joy in the Lord for doing what God desires.  She will also find the favor of her husband who feels lifted up and needed because his wife trusts him to lead.  When a man feels respected and honored by his wife, he will do anything for her.  If she will submit to her husband’s lead, she will be more empowered within the household than the woman who fights her husband to gain that power and equality.

 

Now why should husbands love their wives?

 

Christ sets the example

 

If a husband is a Follower of Christ, he is under the headship of Christ, meaning he is to submit to Christ.  And because Christ so loved the Church and gave Himself up for her, caring for and meeting her needs daily, husbands are to do the same for their wives.

 

Love has its rewards

 

When a husband loves, cares for, meets the needs of his wife, holding no authority over her head, his wife will love him fully and will willingly fall under his headship and submit to his leading.  His wife will trust him because he is doing everything he can to make sure she feels like an equal – which he would die for her if need be.

 

Now, why should children obey their parents?

 

It is a commandment with a promise

 

If children will obey their parents, they will be blessed and enjoy a long life on earth.  This is the promise given.  God established this commandment as one of the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mt. Sinai.  In order for order to happen in a home, within a society, children must obey their parents.

 

Obedience has its rewards

 

If children will obey their parents, it means they will be trusted by their parents.  And the more parents trust their children, the more freedom parents will give to their children.  So God makes it clear:  Obey = Freedom.  If children fulfill their natural desire to live for self, they find their freedoms becoming less and less with each disobedient act.

 

If more families were to live as God has directed – were to place their priority on its’ importance and doing it God’s way – we would see families growing in love and connection with one another.  More importantly we would see families growing stronger in their relationship with God who created family.

 

So in conclusion, to keep the balls of life in the air, we’re beginning to see how interconnected they really are.  But the balls of faith and family are rather similar in that God established that if both are to work, He must be central.

 

Juggling the balls of faith and family can and must be done.  But they must be done according to God’s principles.

 

Faith is the #1 Ball.  If it isn’t, all other balls will fall to the ground.  But if it is, then family will become #2.  And the other 3 will fall into line with these two.

 

So the question to conclude today’s message is:  Are you doing family the way God wants it done?  Are children obeying their parents?  Are adults loving and submitting their wills to Christ, who in turn is calling them to love and submit to others, especially their spouses?

 

If not, start.  You won’t be disappointed by the results – the results will come from God.

Balls of Priority - Faith

Ever had to make a choice – a choice you knew would bring negative consequences – a choice that would cost you, whichever path you took?

Let me share a couple stories to set the mood for the start of a Sermon Series God has given me for the next month.

But before I share the first story, a deer hunting story, please see the humor in it.  I know I can because I am a deer hunter.  Though I’ve never had to make this choice, I understand the choice completely.

A group of friends were deer hunting.  They separated into pairs.  That night, one hunter returned alone, staggering under a large eight-point buck.  The other hunters asked, “Where’s Harry?”  The lone hunter replied, “Harry fainted a couple miles up the trail.”  The others couldn’t believe it.  “You mean you left him lying there and carried the deer back instead?”  The man answered, “It was a tough call, but I figured no one was going to steal Harry.”

To this deer hunter it was simply a matter of priorities.  And one of the secrets in life is to have your priorities in order.

The second story is a true story of a professional football player.

In the late 1980’s and early 90’s, Chris Spielman was an awesome linebacker for the Detroit Lions and the Buffalo Bills.  Football was his passion, or so everyone thought.  But in 1994, Chris gladly gave up football when his wife, Stefanie, was diagnosed with cancer.  He moved into his wife’s hospital room and waited on her hand and foot.  He ate only what she ate, only slept when she slept.  When Stefanie lost her hair to chemotherapy, Chris shaved his head.  He became the primary caretaker for their two children.  And Chris has no regrets about giving up his career.  As he says, “This is my family.  This is my responsibility.  This is my duty.”

Both stories required a decision.  One story probably cost the man many of his friends, especially the one left behind, but it gained him a trophy mount on the wall.  The other cost him fame, fortune, and a career he loved, but it gained him love – love from a spouse and family that cannot be broken in any trial.

Well this is what Jesus wants us to look at over the next five Sundays:  What balls are you juggling?  And what happens if you place too much or not enough focus on one of the balls?

So let’s define these balls with another story.

Some anonymous writer put it like this:  Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air.  You name them:   work, family, health, friends, and faith, and you’re keeping them all in the air.  You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball.  If you drop it, it will bounce back.  But the other four balls – family, health, friends, and faith – are made of glass.  If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered.  They will never be the same.

Jesus says in Luke 14: 7-24, Prioritize the Balls of Life.

How do I get that from the parables we just read?  

Jesus taught that if a person wants to be exhalted, he/she must first be humble.  “Don’t take the seat at the head of the table.  Take the seat where the servants sit, and then when you’re asked to take the seat at the head, you will be honored.

Jesus taught that if a person wants to be blessed, he/she is to reach out to those who cannot repay the good deed.  “When you have a banquet, have one for those who are poor; for those who are strangers; for those who won’t honor you with an invitation to their party.  Give expecting nothing in return.”

Jesus taught that if a person wants to participate in the eternal banquet being prepared, he/she better prioritize – he/she better quit making everything else more important than faith.  “Enough with the excuses.  Property, family, work, fun, whatever it may be, cannot take preference over Me.  You will miss out if they do.”

And so Jesus teaches clearly through all three parables that life is about choices, and we must get our priorities straight before we can make the choices He desires we make.

Though all five balls of life are important and must be balanced in order for the balls to remain in the air, the most fragile and the most important ball is the ball of faith.  Without it being the #1 ball, our focus will waiver and we will drop the other balls – even if we think we are the greatest juggler in the world.

And the best way to focus on all the balls equally is to concentrate on the most important one, faith.  

Concentrating on faith helps us to see:  that we need to work hard at our jobs, that our bodies are the temple of God and need to be cared for, that strength comes through our friendships, and that we are to genuinely love our families and care for them.

But if we place our concentration on something other than God, something other than the #1 ball, we’re asking for conflict and trouble.

Pastor James W. Moore tells the story of a church member who came to his study one day.  The pastor could see that the man look deeply troubled.

The man said “Pastor, I need to talk.  I am so empty – so dried up inside – I’m scared.”  His voice began to quiver just a bit.  He said “Pastor, I have just come from the doctor’s office – and he told me that I only have six months at best to live.  After I left his office I realized that I have no spiritual resources, no inner strength to cope with this.   There is nothing to fall back on, to lean against.  Many people would be surprised to hear me say that, for I have made lots of money, and people think I am a success not only at making money but at being a strong powerful person.”

He then fell quiet, and the pastor waited in silence for him to go on.  Finally the man said, “You know I’m poor in the things that count the most.  I see it now.  I’ve put my faith in the wrong things, and the truth is I’m destitute, spiritually destitute.  I could pick up the phone and call any bank in Houston and borrow any amount of money to do whatever I want to do.  Just on my name, Reverend, just on my name!  Do you understand?  I could borrow it on my name only.”

The man leaned forward and put his head in his hands, and said softly through tears, “I guess there are some things you can’t buy or borrow.”

There are some things you just can’t buy or borrow.  Family, friends, health, and faith – those glass balls.

But even if this man were to have to have poured himself into his family, his friends, and his health, he would still have been spiritually destitute.

There are 3 other glass balls, but you better prioritize them according to the #1 ball – FAITH.

Why?  Because the Faith ball provides a God who is teaches you how to live eternally in a finite world; the Faith ball provides a God who teaches you how to live heavenly in an immoral world.

And yet we even have to be careful with the Faith ball, and this is a catch 22, because if our focus is extremely on religion and duty, building something in our own strength, and not on what faith teaches us about the other balls, we will certainly drop the other four.

This is why you are seeing and hearing of so many moral failures that are sexual within the church, why 50% of marriages among those claiming Christ as Savior are ending in divorce, why money is embezzled and misused by some within the church, why those working in the church are burning the midnight oil to make ministry happen, why……….

The Faith ball must not be all about doing.  The Faith ball must focus on Jesus – literally sitting at His feet and taking in His every word.

God wants faith to be the #1 priority, the #1 ball in juggling the 5 balls of life.  But He also wants us to know that focusing too much on one ball, or two, will cause us to lose track of the others, thus causing them to fall to the ground and possibly be shattered.

Faith must be the #1 ball.   Is it in your life?  Are you making excuses why everything else in life takes precedence over faith?  

Jesus says "Put Me first and all the others will fall into place."  I don't know about you, but that's what I want. 

The Incredibles Gospel Story - A Super's Love

Over the past few weeks we have looked at the animation movie, The Incredibles, to find relevant spiritual messages that apply to us today.  

We have learned that even though Super Heroes have secret ID’s, none of us can hide anything from God.  He knows exactly who we are, even our innermost secrets.  

We have learned that just as the Super Heroes became frustrated because the world never stays saved, God experiences the same emotion when His creation continues to rebel against Him.  Thank God He is patient with us and gives us many chances.  

We have learned that we need to be careful not to buy into the lie:  “I still got time!”  Even though Mr. Incredible said it three times and was late to his wedding, he still was able to get married.  But if we aren’t spiritually ready for Christ’s return to fetch His Bride, the Church, we won’t be allowed into the wedding banquet.  Once He returns, it’s too late to make things right.  

And we have also learned that Jesus went from being a Super to a Villain.   In less than a week on His return to Jerusalem, the people of His day changed their tune about who He was because they didn’t trust the Real Jesus.  The Real Jesus came to establish His Kingdom in Heaven, not on earth.  The Real Jesus lives and works within the hearts of those who do trust Him.

So today we want to look at what God feels is the most important characteristic about Him – He wants us to see the side of Him that makes Him different than any other god out there.

Just as the Super’s came back to protect and defeat the evil robot because that’s what they were created to do, and more importantly, loved to do, God came back to protect and defeat the evil that haunts us.

And if there is one thing God wants us to see about Him, it is a side to Him that should draw us closer to Him – should have us applauding Him.

Luke 15: 11-31 shows us that side.

There are many different avenues that I could take on this parable, but I want to focus on one.  

I don’t want to look exclusively at the mistakes of the Prodigal Son.  We all have squandered away the physical and spiritual talents that God has purposed for us to use for building His Kingdom.

I don’t want to look at the attitude of the brother.  We all have a tendency to become jealous and claim, “That’s not fair!” especially when someone else is getting all the glory and credit for something we have done.

What I want to focus on is the Father’s reaction to his son’s return.  "But while he (the son) was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."  

Even though the son had squandered away everything that his father had given him, even though the son had wasted the years of prosperity that the father had worked long and hard to achieve, even though the son had made many immoral decisions, the father longed for his son’s return.  He longed for the day he would see his son again.

The father knew that the son had a change of heart, and had forgiven him before he ever spoke a word.

He knew that his son was truly sorry for the mess he had made of his life.  He knew his son was repentant and wanted to start a new life.

How did he know this?  He knew this because his son came back.

Then his son spoke – "Father I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son."

He didn’t make excuses for his behavior.  He didn’t justify his actions or blame anyone for his mistakes.  He humbly said, “Dad, I messed up, and I’m willing to accept what you want me to do.”

The misconception of a prodigal is that he/she is someone who is a black sheep in the family - someone who goes off and does wild and crazy things to rebel against the authority of his/her parents.  And because people have this misconceived idea they tend to think they are okay and don’t need to change.

When I was teaching in VA, I carpooled with some other ladies from WV.  I remember conversations we had in particular that dealt with Church and Heaven.  One of the young ladies said countless times, “If our principal, who is a Christian, can make it into Heaven, certainly God won’t keep me out.” (She didn’t care for the principal).  She also said, “I enjoy going to church and God knows I am a good person.  Therefore, I don’t think He’ll keep me out of Heaven because I’m living with and having relations with a man who’s not my husband.  Those sins aren’t going to keep me out of Heaven.”

You might be thinking I’m making this up to prove my point.  But I’m not.  I’m not exaggerating anything.

She really believed that she could have the best of both worlds.  She believed that God overlooks the small sins, not the big ones like murder and stealing, just as long as the small sins don’t hurt others.  She truly believed she was not a prodigal - she didn’t hurt anyone – “she wasn’t a prostitute strung out on drugs and alcohol.”

But the definition of a prodigal is not based upon human standards and comparisons, but rather upon God’s.  And when we look at ourselves in God’s mirror, we really should see that we are all prodigals – any sin, big or small, makes us a prodigal.  You and I are the “prodigal” until we return home – for good.

But the good news for any prodigal:  God is the Father in this story.  God is the father who anxiously awaits – who is looking out the window everyday – to see if His prodigal child is returning.  God is the father whose heart aches as He knows His child is living loosely and wasting years.  God is the father who goes running to his child upon return.

Other god’s are angry and damning – a person can never live up to the expectations set by them.  But God, the Real God, the Father of Jesus, the Father of all whom return to Him, is a loving God who welcomes home anyone who comes to his/her senses.

The Real God is not in the “gotcha” business.  No, He’s in the “running to meet you with open arms” business, the “wrap His arms around you and greet you with a kiss” business, the “compassion, love, and mercy” business.

But there is one thing about this Real God, He doesn’t force anyone to return to Him.  He blesses you (knowing you will squander it) and sends you on your way with everything you need to survive on your own.  Yet, despite wasting His money, His property, and His resources, He still welcomes you Home like nothing ever happened.  He still welcomes you home when you come to your senses and say, “Dad, I messed up, and I’m willing to accept what you want me to do.  I’m willing to accept your risen Son as my salvation.  I’m willing to be your servant.”

What a glorious day that is for God when a prodigal realizes, “I’m better off with Dad.” 

The Incredibles Gospel Story - Super to Villain

Over the past few weeks God has shown us: that none of us can have a Secret Identity – God knows everything about us – He knows if we are spiritually ready; that God, even in His frustration with His creation, continues to save humankind despite how often we spit in his face with our disobedience; and that one day the groom of 2^nd chances and mercy will become the groom of judgment - He will return and those who are spiritually ready to meet Him will go with Him into eternity and those who use the excuse “I still got time!” will find that time has run out.

So honestly, God has been calling us to reflect on our lives this Easter season and compare them with the standards found in His Word.  And there may be things in our lives, in our hearts that are wrong that we don’t even know they are wrong. We must read God’s Word, literally, in order to have it speak to us. The Bible shows us the good and the bad – it shows us everything that God desires to see lived out in His creation, you and me. Yet we cannot know it if we don’t read it and allow it to penetrate our souls.

“For the word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.  Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account.”  Hebrews 4: 12-13

God is saying to us, “Quit living in sin – quit rebelling against my commandments and seek my righteousness.  Don’t do what the world accepts and tells you is okay.  No, let your spirit and soul be revived by desiring more and more and more of me in your life. Be all that I have created you to be by living fully for me.  And the only way to live fully for me is to be open with me, allowing me to refine you into the person I desire you to be.”

Well, today we’re going to be looking at what Jesus experienced the last week of His earthly life.  

Just as the Super’s went from being “Super to Villain”, so did Jesus’ ministry.

John 12: 12-19 provides us a glimpse of the crowds shouting praises and placing palm branches in the path of Jesus as He is riding into Jerusalem on a donkey colt.

Jesus had done all these amazing miracles – miracles that people had seen, heard about, even experienced personally.  And so as Jesus is entering Jerusalem for His last Hoorah, the people were saying, “Here comes our Super.  Here comes our King who has saved the day.  Here comes our Savior.   We have nothing to fear.  He will destroy our enemies.  He will provide us with protection.  He will bring us peace.  Hosanna!  Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Yet within less than a week, the thoughts and opinions of those hailing their Super - they changed.

Luke 23: 13-25 tells us of Jesus' arrest and how Pilate has found Him to not be guilty, but the people no longer want Him as their king. 

Here we have the same people who had been touched in some way by the miraculous of Jesus now crying “foul.”  The same people who were laying out palm branches and yelling, “Hosanna!  Hosanna!   Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”, were now yelling, “Crucify Him!  Crucify Him!  Get rid of Him!  We don’t need this Super.  We don’t need Him to be our King – Caesar is our king.  We don’t need Him to save us from the Roman oppression.  We don’t need Him to tell us that we need to repent.  No, give us Barabbus!  We don’t want a Super.  We want someone just like us - someone that can blend in with us and no one would know any different.  We don’t want God!  We want a man!”

So if I could pull an application from today’s narrative on how Jesus went from Super to Villain it would be this:  TRUST THE REAL JESUS.

What do I mean by that? You see if the Israelites had trusted the real Jesus, the one they heard teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven, the one they saw performing all the miracles, the one they literally touched, then they would have come to understand that Jesus didn’t come to establish His Kingdom on earth.  He didn’t come to save them from the Roman oppression.  Instead He came to provide them salvation – a way to Heaven and a way to live here on this earth in the midst of its oppression.

They didn’t get it:  The real Jesus wasn’t about this world and their particular troubles.  He was about God’s world and everyone’s troubles, both Jew and Gentile, man and woman, and yes, even child.

And if we don’t know the Real Jesus, then we won’t trust the Real Jesus.  We’ll be just like the Israelites that one day cried out, “Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” and the next day “Crucify Him!  Crucify Him!”

The Real Jesus must be trusted to come live within us and work within us so that we will be ready; spiritually ready when He does come to establish His Kingdom on earth.

The Real Jesus isn’t on a cross.  The Real Jesus isn’t in an Ark.  The Real Jesus isn’t in a church or a temple.

No, the Real Jesus lives in people’s hearts – where He can impact them personally. The Real Jesus lives in people’s hearts – where He can be seen and can be experienced by others. The Real Jesus lives in people’s hearts – where He can be worshiped.

The people of Jesus’ day didn’t get Him because they wanted an external figure to lead them – they wanted a king sitting on a throne that would destroy their enemies.  They wanted a Super.

But when Jesus didn’t give them what they wanted, He became a Villain who needed to be judged – a Villain who need to die.

Who is Jesus to you?  Is He your Super, or is He your Villain?  If He is your Super, then He should be trusted to live within you and to change you.  If He is your Super, then He should become very evident in your life.  If He is your Super, then you should be a Super too.
 

The Incredibles Gospel Story - Still Got Time!

So far God has shown us through The Incredibles that there is no way to have a secret identity – there’s no way to escape and hide from God.  God prefers we be open and transparent with Him.

And in review, to be a Super for God we must admit, repent, and share.  And the more we do, the more we become the Super who “saves the day.”

But God has also shown us that even though we continue to mess up this world – to mess up with our lives – He continues to step in and save the day.  We just have to be willing to grab hold of the Lifeline He has thrown us – the Lifeline Jesus.

Well, let’s take a look at what God wants us to share with us today.  

Three times, let me say that again, three times Mr. Incredible had to make a decision that involved time:  “Do I have enough time to be a hero before going to my wedding?”  And three times he looked at his watch and said, “Yes.” And with each “Yes,” he felt the crunch of time.  Yet, despite pushing time to the limit, he STILL was able to get married.

This story reminds me of (I hate to say it) of the many times I have been out hunting or fishing when it began to get dark.

I knew I needed to start home before darkness completely set in, BUT the woods began to come alive again, or fish would just begin to go on a feeding frenzy.  “Oh, I can stay a little longer” I would always tell myself.  Finally I would relinquish my will and go home only to find my parents or my wife not happy with my decision to stay later.  And they had a right to be.  After all, I knew I was okay.  But they didn’t.  For all they knew, I was hurt and in need of help.

Well, saying “I still got time” may be okay and even work out when I’m late in getting to my wedding (I wouldn’t suggest thisJ) or late coming home after trying to catch a big fish, but it’s NOT OKAY in getting me to Heaven.

Now, let’s put today’s scripture about another wedding (Matthew 25: 1-13) in modern English.  But before I do, I need to share with you a little history of weddings during Jesus’ day. 

First the groom and the bride were betrothed for about a year.  This meant they were legally married and a divorce was necessary to annul the marriage.  During this time the groom would be with his parents and the bride would be with hers getting ready for the wedding.  Also during this time, the father of the groom was making preparations to build an addition onto his house so that the new couple could live in his household.  The groom was not allowed to go fetch his bride until the father had finished the addition and had given him permission.  At this time, there was no haste on the part of the groom – he had been waiting for a year or more.  And the bride, along with her bridesmaids, had to be prepared for the unknown time the groom would come.  Once he arrived there would be a celebration to commemorate the union of the husband and wife.

With that background, we have a better understanding of why Jesus told this story.  

Here's what this story would sound like today: 

There were 10 bridesmaids:  five foolish and five wise.  The betrothal period was coming to a close so they knew the groom would be coming soon.  The word had spread around town that the groom was coming to get his bride, so they began to get themselves ready for the celebration.  It was nighttime so they took their flashlights with them to meet the groom.  The problem was that the groom did not come right away, so they began to grow tired and their eyes became heavy.  They were so tired that they fell asleep with their flashlights still on.  At midnight the cry rang out that the groom was on his way.  The bridesmaids woke up startled from their sleep and found that their flashlights were going dim.  The foolish ones said to the wise, "Let us have some of your batteries since ours are beginning to die."  "No" they replied, "We don't have enough batteries for both us and you.  Instead, go to Walmart and buy some for yourselves."

But while on their way to Walmart to get the batteries, the groom arrived.  The bridesmaids, who were prepared by having extra batteries, met up with the groom and went in with him to the wedding banquet.  And the door was shut to the Hall.

Later, after the foolish one's returned from their shopping trip, they knocked on the door to the Hall.  They could not get in because the door was locked.  The groom answered the door.  They said, "We were out buying batteries for our flashlights when you came.  Can we come in now?"  The groom said, "I've never met you ladies before so how do I know you're not here to crash the party?  Since I don't know you, you must leave."

That seems ridiculous to us today, since we’re all about sensitivity and second chances.  Why would this groom shut the door in their faces without trying to understand their reason for being late?  After all, that’s the only fair thing to do.

But as the door is being closed on them, if it were even opened, I can hear them banging against it and yelling out, “Hey, we were with the other 5 bridesmaids when you were coming.  Just ask them!  If you don’t believe them, then ask the bride to come here.  She’ll verify who we are.”

The Big Idea Jesus wants us to take from this passage is:  Be Ready – spiritually ready!

The foolish bridesmaids thought they had plenty of time – they thought they were prepared.  So they assumed it would be no big deal if they went to get batteries and were a little late. You can hear them saying, “Oh, we still got time!  They know us and they’ll certainly let us in when we get there.”

Yet, that is not the reception they received at all. This groom of grace was no longer a groom of 2^nd chances.  He said, “You knew I was coming – that was no surprise.   You should have prepared yourself in advance so that you were ready when I did arrive.”

So why should we be ready?  And ready for what?  We should be ready for the groom, who is Christ, to return to this earth, maybe even today.

How do we get ready?  By exposing our secret identities.

What Christ just taught us is that if you think you still have time, even though you’ve been invited by the Bride, Christ’s Church, to come to the wedding, you will be left outside.  You will be left outside simply because you never took the time to be ready.  You never took the time to be spiritually ready by exposing your secret identity - by admitting you have sinned against God, by repenting of these sins, and then by sharing God’s grace in your life with others.

Right now, Jesus is with His Father as His Father prepares many rooms (many mansions) for His Bride.  And Jesus is waiting on the day when His Father says to Him, “Go get your Bride!” Yet even Jesus does not know the day or the hour that God will tell him this.  

And it seems like a long time since Jesus left to go be with His Father. 

There are many, maybe even some of you today, who wonder if He will ever return.  It’s been that long.  But He’s betrothed to His Bride and He’s not going to divorce her.

HE’S COMING BACK, but He can’t come of His own will – it must be the will of the Father.

So while He is away, He wants everyone to hear that they need to be ready (spiritually ready) for His return.  And He also wants them to hear that any who are not prepared and ready to go to the celebration when He gets here will not be permitted to come into Heaven.

The biggest lie I have heard over the years from many is that they still have time to get right with the Lord. Those who have said this have meant they don’t want to be bothered now with this God-stuff – they’ll just wait until they’re older in life. Right now they rather like their life of sin and do not wish to fully submit their lives to Him.

The problem with this lie is that none of us are invincible - even Super’s die in this movie.  And knowing this should help us to see that none of us are guaranteed today, let alone tomorrow.  Just ask a grieving parent who has lost his/her child.

But even if we do get 70, 80, 90 or more years on this earth, none of us know when the groom is going to return.  One thing we do know is that the time of betrothal is coming to an end because the signs tell us so.  Another thing is that percentages say that the older a person, the less likely he/she will be in accepting Christ as Savior (set in their ways).

Mr. Incredible didn’t make it to his wedding on time. Yet Elastigirl forgave him and married him.

But Jesus on the other hand says “You better be ready when I return – you better not be at Walmart buying batteries for your flashlight.  You better confess and repent of your sins to God.  You better ask Me to come live in your heart.  You better become a disciple and walk the straight and narrow road that leads to life.  Otherwise, you won’t be prepared, when I do come.”

He will also say this as you knock at the door, “The reasons you had for not accepting me while I was away are of no benefit to you now.  It’s too late.  Depart from me, for I never knew you.”

Please be ready.  These aren’t my words, but Christ’s.  Start living in Him so that He is in you.  For if He is in you, you will have no need to fear His return - YOU WILL BE READY!