The Last Sunday in the Church Year - 11-22-09

The Church Season of Trinity
The Last Sunday in the Church Year, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (November 22, 2009)

“Be Prepared”

Readings:
Psalm 149
Isaiah 65:17:25
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon Form Deductive

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Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 25th chapter of St. Matthew, especially the following verses:

Matthew 25:1-13

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ 9 “ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. 11 “Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’ 12 “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’ 13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Today is the Last Sunday in the Church Year and we hear the parable of the ten virgins with their ten lamps. We know that these verses of scripture elude and teach of the return of Christ. This scripture also reminds us that we have completed another church year and it is only November. Next week is the first Sunday in Advent and then in a few short weeks we will be celebrating Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. A bit strange isn’t it, this week the end of all times, the next four weeks of Advent. The first week of Advent about Christ’s birth, the second about His return, the third about the beginning of His ministry, and the fourth the announcement of His birth. A kind of odd jumping around a bit isn’t it. From being prepared for an immediate return to being prepared for His immediate entrance into the world. Well no matter how random it may sound the message is clear, Christ is the bridegroom and He comes for His bride the church. He comes to you as an infant. He comes to you in the Words of John the Baptist crying in the wilderness. He comes to you through the Holy Spirit who spoke through angels to Mary. He comes to you at an unknown time, and an unknown hour to lift you up from this earth to your eternal home. Are you..

Prepared

That same question will be asked thousands of times in the next few weeks. Are you prepared for the Holidays? Meaning do you have the turkey for Thanksgiving and the Ham for Christmas? Do you have the cookies and pies made, the stuffing purchased. What about those potatoes? You know we have to have regular and sweet potatoes. Did you hear about all those deals for the Friday after Thanksgiving? Maybe that will get us well on our way for our shopping for Christmas. Do you know when the office party is? What time is Thanksgiving with the children? Do the in-laws have the kids in the morning or do you? How am I supposed to cook when I’ve got to go to the airport to pick someone up? Are you going to ring the bells for that charity? Are we getting out the Christmas lights? Did you see the sale at Wal-mart or Meier, actually GFS has a better deal? Are you going to Dow Gardens for the Festival of Lights? What nights are the school concerts? When is the cookie and candy sale? Do Advent Mid-Week services really start in two weeks?

Stop..... What if the door just closed? What if the bridegroom just came? What if all those random series of scattered thoughts about things, people, and events have so filled our minds that we are surprised to find ourselves suddenly outside? What if allowed had our faith to be so pressed in from all sides thinking of things, that Christ came and we were not prepared? What if, we have so worn ourselves out with the thoughts of preparing for two holidays, that we don’t have time left over for Christ?

The parable in the Gospel lesson is a sermon by Jesus to us. And the topic of the sermon is the end of the world. Are we prepared? Christ the bridegroom is approaching.

Some of the attendants, half in fact were called foolish: they didn’t take any extra fuel along with them for their lamps. The other half were wise and took extra oil with them, they were prepared.

The ten virgins represent the people who wait for Christ’s appearing. Some were ready, some were not. Some wait in faith, some do not. Some wait prepared and vigilant, others with callous indignation. Some Christians say they look forward to Christ’s return. But even the non-believers of this world know that not all church members are true Christians. And Jesus was pointing that out too, when he said that five of these virgins were foolish.

There are some who do expect the Lord’s return. But, the foolish are those who think they are prepared for the Lord, but really they are not. Perhaps some of them are the lukewarm Christians who attend church only out of habit who neglect their Bible reading, or their worship attendance. Or maybe they do not make diligent use of the means of grace, meaning they take for granted the Lord’s Supper. Their faith is not maintained, replenished, renewed, refreshed by the means of grace, by God’s Word and by His true body and blood.

When the bridegroom Jesus Christ returns unexpectedly they will come up short. There will be no time to prepare and those who are prepared will not be able to share. Just like the wise virgins who could not share their oil. Each and every person must believe for themselves. One person cannot give faith to another, nor can a parent give their faith to their children. A parent can, “train a child in they way he should go, and when he’s old he will not turn from it.”(Prvb 22:6) But, when Christ does come each person will stand before Him based upon only their own faith. The bridegroom will know you only by your own faith.

So then what do we have to do to make sure that we have enough oil of faith for today? How can we have enough oil of faith to await for Christ’s to return? Repent, and see that we can do nothing. For your reason and strength lead us to busyness and distractions.

Your faith was and is prepared for you in advance, and given to you as you have heard the Word of God proclaimed, as you read His Holy Word in the Bible. Your faith is renewed and refreshed as you receive the Holy Supper of our Lord. In the Sacrament of Holy Communion Christ’s true body and true blood gives you the forgiveness of sins. The oil of your lamp is filled to the brim, you are prepared by Christ when He speaks these words for you, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.”

Christ the bridegroom will return for you, His bride, the church. The heavenly door will close, some will be with Him, and others will not. For those outside, the reply will come, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’(v.12) But for you whom God has prepared by giving you faith and by His free gift of grace, you have been made ready. He has prepared you in baptism. He has prepared you by His death on the cross and His resurrection. He has prepared you with eternal forgiveness given for you to eat and drink this very day in His Holy Supper. Christ will come. And on that day He will bring you into His heavenly wedding banquet feast. The door will shut. And Christ the groom will celebrate with you His bride. And that is a marriage feast that will be celebrated forever and ever. Amen.

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