Missing the Bus

Good morning and welcome in. Today we’re going to take a look at a passage of scripture but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.

When I was a young child our school bus used to come about 20 miles from town to pick up the kids on our road to attend classes.  The bus showed up each morning promptly at 7 a.m. and would turn around in our driveway because we lived at the end of the road.  Our routine was to stand by the front door and watch for the bus through the window.

There was a morning when I spent way too much time in the shower, trying to wake up because I was half asleep.  By the time I got out, the bus was nearly on our doorstep as I ran upstairs to get dressed.  I wasn’t prepared at all and had to pack up all my books and homework from the previous day.  When I finally got my boots and winter jacket on, I looked out the window to see the bus driver shut the door and drive off into the distance.

Have you ever done this before?  Have you ever been unprepared for something that you knew was coming in the future?  

Matt 25

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

2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

How many of you have had to run outside in the middle of the night but when you turned on the flashlight, the batteries were completely dead?  How many of you have got up to leave for work in the morning only to find out that your car was completely out of gas?  These events can be avoided by preparing beforehand.

Our passage today is about procrastination and not being ready or prepared to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. When you prepare for something it means to make ready in advance.  Procrastination is to be slow or late about doing something that should be done, or to delay doing something until a later time.  It’s putting something off until later that should be done today.  We need to get ready now for what is coming in the future.

2 For 6:1-2

We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Noah was a man of God who prepared himself and his family for what was coming in the future.  The fact that Noah prepared beforehand showed that he was filled with faith towards God.  It was his faith that caused him to get ready for what was coming.

Hebrews 11:7 – By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

In the scriptures we find that oil has been used as a metaphor for the Holy Spirit.  A lamp is a vessel in which you carry oil.  As a spirit-filled Christian, each of us are vessels who carry the gift of the Holy spirit inside of our hearts, and we want to be filled up with it completely.  If somebody is going on a long trip, they normally will go to the gas station and fill up their gas tank until it is completely full to the top.  This is the same way that we want to be in the Christian Life.  We want to be filled up in our hearts and minds with the things of the Holy Spirit.  

Ephesians 5:18 – And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 

In our passage they had run out of oil in their lamps and it was dark out.  Without light in the middle of the night how were they possibly going to be able to see the path in order to meet the bridegroom?  We need to be filled up with the light of spiritual things, a source being God’s Holy Word.  It helps us find our way through the darkness of this evil world.

Ps 119:105 105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Psalms 43:3 – O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.

Have you ever decided to go on a trip and pack up your bags a week beforehand?  You had prepared yourself beforehand and you were ready to go.  The Christian Life is very similar. Our hearts are like a piece of luggage that we are filling up with Spiritual things.  We have the opportunity right now to seek them.  We have the opportunity today to grow in our faith and be filled up with the teachings of scripture. Today is the day of salvation.  Today is the day to seek the Lord with your hearts.  Today is the day to get forgiven for your sins and to begin a new life of serving Him.

Luke 12:35-38

35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

We need to get ready now for the things that are going to come to pass.

Matthew 24:44 – Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

1 Thess 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

God wants us to watch and be prepared for his coming.  Someday every eye is going to see Him and He will send His angels down to the Earth to retrieve His faithful.  God wants us to watch and be prepared for his coming. 

Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Seek the Lord now while you have the opportunity, because you don’t want to be like those who are caught missing the bus.

Let’s think about those things for right now and Lord willing I’ll talk to you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye-bye everybody.❤️

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