Theme: A Portrait of the King
Title: "The King's Itinerant Ministry Chronicled"
Text: Matthew Chapters 24-25
INTRO: * The Olivet Discourse - A Sermon on the End Times Continued *
*** Matthew 25 ***
I. Parables of the Kingdom
Matthew 25:1-30
A. The Parable of the Ten Virgins who Went Forth
Verses 1-13 c/f II Timothy 3:5 -- Religion w/o Salvation
1. A Story of Subtle Distinctions
*** There were Several Similarities, yet there were also Certain
Differences.
a. Similarities Stated
1.) All Ten were Virgins . * Representing Religious Purity
Verse 1
2.) All Ten had Lamps in their Possession . * Representing
Verse 1 the Light of the Word Held Up by Religious People
3.) All Ten Went Forth to Meet the Bridegroom .
Verse 1 * All were Expecting the Messiah's Coming.
4.) All Ten Slumbered & Slept while they Waited for the
Bridegroom . * All became Weary with Waiting as the Hour
Verse 5 of His Coming drew Near.
5.) All Ten Arose and Trimmed their Lamps when they
Heard the Cry that the Bridegroom was Coming .
Verses 6-7
6.) All Ten were Seeking for Entrance Into the Marriage
of the Bridegroom .
Verses 1 , 7-8 , & 10-11
b. The Differences Revealed
1.) Five were Wise , but Five were Foolish .
Verse 2
2.) The Five Wise Took Oil in their Vessels Along with
their Lamps, but the Five Foolish Took No Oil Along
with their Lamps.
Verses 3-4
3.) The Five Foolish Virgins' Lights Went Out while they
were Waiting because they Had No Oil to Keep them
Burning, while the Lamps of the Five Wise Remained
Burning because they Had Oil .
Verses 8-10
4.) The Five Foolish - at the Last Minute - Went Away to
Buy Oil , while the Five Wise Went In with the Bride-
groom to the Marriage.
Verses 9-10
5.) The Five Wise were Granted Entrance Into the
Marriage of the Bridegroom, while the Five Foolish
were Denied Entrance .
Verses 10-12
6.) The Five Wise Virgins were Ready when the Call
Came to Meet the Bridegroom , but the Five Foolish
Virgins were Not Ready .
Verses 6-13
2. A Story of Satanic Deceptions
a. All Ten Virgins were In Company Together , yet their
Approach to being Ready to Meet the Bridegroom
was Not in True Accord .
Verses 2-4
b. The Ten Virgins can be Seen to Represent Churches
Today with Two Different Kinds of Believers ( or
Professing Christians ) in them : Ones that are Ready
to Meet the Lord & those who are Not Ready to Meet
Him.
Verses 10-12
c. The Ten Virgins can Also be seen to Represent 2 Kinds
of Churches : Ones which Worship God in Truth &
Those which Worship God in Vain .
Verses 10-12 c/f Matthew 15:8-9 & John 4:22-24
d. False Religious Beliefs are Always the Product of
Satanic Deception .
I Corinthians 11:13-15 & I Timothy 4:1
3. A Story of Shocking Discoveries
Verses 6-13
a. Their Lamps had Gone Out .
Verse 8
b. They were Unprepared to Enter In with the Bridegroom
to the Marriage.
Verses 6-10
c. When they Finally Realized the Problem, it was Too Late
to Fix it in Time .
Verse 10
d. They Found Out Too Late that They were Not Recognized
as the Bridegroom's Own .
Verses 11-12
4. A Story of Serious Direction
Verse 13
a. Be Ever Watchful for the Lord's Return, because We Know
Not When He's Coming.
b. Make Sure You've Got Oil in Your Vessel ( which Repre-
sents being Saved and Having the Holy Spirit Dwelling
Within You ) -- Not Just Carrying the External Light of
Religion ( which Has a Form of Godliness but Denies the
Power thereof ) that is Not being Fueled by the Holy Ghost
from Within.
c. If You're Not Ready & Watchful Now He May Come Before
You Can Get Ready, & It will Be TOO LATE .
B. The Parable of the Traveling Master who Went Away
25:14-30
1. A Journey Planned by the Master
Verse 14 c/f John 14:1-3
2. The Servants Called and a Stewardship Committed
Verses 14-15 c/f I Corinthians 4:1-2 & Matthew 21:33-44
a. The Stewardship is Variable
Verse 15 c/f Ephesians 4:7-16
b. The Stewardship is Based on the Abilities of the Servant
Verse 15 c/f Ephesians 4:7-16
3. The Master's Immediate Departure
Verse 15 c/f Matthew 28:18-20 ; Mark 16:15-20 ; &
Acts 1:6-11
4. The Servants Varying Response
Verses 16-18
a. Some Servants Put their Talents to Use.
Verses 16-17
b. Another Servant Buried his Talent - Rather than Put it to
Work for the Master's Profit.
Verse 18
5. The Servants' Varying Return
Verses 16-18
a. The Faithful Servants Got a Double Blessing for their Using
the Talents they'd been Given.
Verses 16-17
b. The Slothful Servant Got Nothing in Return, because he
Refused to Use the Talents he'd been Given in Trading for
the Master.
Verse 18
6. The Master's Return Brings a Day of Reckoning for All
the Servants.
Verse 19
7. The Judgment of the Servant's Stewardship
Verses 20-30
a. The Reward of the Servants was Based on their Faith-
fulness ( or the Lack thereof ) in Using the Talents they'd
been Given for the Profit of the Master -- Not on How
Much Profit they had Gained.
Verses 20-27 c/f I Corinthians 4:2
b. The Commendation & Promotion of the Faithful Servants
Verses 20-23
c. The Condemnation & Separation of the Slothful Servant
Verses 24-30
d. The Loss & Reassignment of Talents Not Used FOR the
Master
Verses 28-29
8. Some Practical Applications & Lessons we can Learn
from this Parable
a. Don't Make Excuses for Keeping Your God-given Talents
To Yourself ; Put them to Use for the Master While You
Can.
b. Faithfully Using the Talents we Have For Jesus will Bring
Additional Talents to Us that we Don't Have Now.
c. Don't Worry About Who has More Talents than You, for
You TOO will be Rewarded If You are Faithful to Use what
You Do Have for the Lord.
II. The Glorious Return of the King & the Separation of
People as Sheep from Goats
Matthew 25:31-46
A. The King Comes In Glory to Sit On His Throne .
Verse 31 c/f Revelation 19:11-16
B. The Gathering of the Nations & the Separation of the People
into Two Groups
1. The Sheep & the Goats
2. The Saved & the Unsaved
3. Those who Follow Him & Those who Do Not
C. The Two Different Destinies for the Sheep & the Goats
Verses 34-46
1. The Destiny of the Sheep
Verses 34-40 & 46b
*** They are RECEIVED by the Lord Into an Eternal Kingdom
of Blessing & Glory.
2. The Destiny of the Goats
Verses 41-46a
*** They are REJECTED & CAST INTO a PLACE of Ever-
lasting Cursing & Torment.
D. Two Very Important Lessons we Dare Not Overlook
Verses 35-40
1. When we Bless the People of God when they are in Need, We
are Also Blessing the Lord.
Verses 34-40
2. When we Fail to Bless the People of God when they are in
Need, We are Also Failing to be a Blessing to Jesus.
Verses 42-45
III. A Final Word of Caution in Light of this Last Public
Sermon that Jesus Ever Preached
A. The End is Coming , & You Don't Know When Exactly.
B. The End is Awful for those who will be Unprepared.
C. The Reward is Great for those who will Watch & are Ready
for the King's Return.
D. DON'T WAIT UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE ; GET RIGHT WITH
GOD TODAY !!!