Goodmorning and welcome everyone.
Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.
Many of you are old enough to remember back to 1970, when Apollo 13 lifted off on a mission that was meant to land on the Moon. Their destination was set, and their eyes were focused on obtaining the prize of a lunar landing. They rocketed out of the atmosphere, traveling at a speed of over 16,000 mph, becoming pilgrims in space as they ventured out into its darkness.
After a few days into the mission, a routine stir of an oxygen caused the tank to ignite and damaged the wire insulation that was inside of it, which resulted in an explosion. When that oxygen tank ruptured, it critically affected the flow of electricity, lights and daily water for the crew. On board, the astronauts had a set of three fuel cells that combined oxygen with hydrogen that powered the fuel cells. These power cells produced most of the power for the ship, but because of the loss of precious oxygen, they didn’t have enough power to land on the Moon. Although they weren’t responsible for the defective part that had been made years earlier, it was the lack of fuel that resulted in them not obtaining their final goal.
Fuel is very important, because it helps us to get where we want to go, whether it’s gas for our cars, diesel for our trucks, or oxygen for a spaceship. If you run out of gas, you are not going to get where you are going, and will fall short of the destination that you had hoped to reach.
Hebrews 4:1-2 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
The problem on the Apollo 13 was a lack of oxygen that they combined with hydrogen to power the ship. This is very similar to the Christian faith, because it takes two combined items to get all the way to heaven, and obtain eternal life. It’s more than memorizing scripture. It’s more than just hearing the Word of God preached. It’s more than fasting and praying. Like pure oxygen was mixed with hydrogen on the Apollo, the gospel must be combined with pure faith to energize the spiritual fuel cell that is needed to eventually touchdown in the eternal sea of tranquility, the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
When you ” come short ” it means to fail to achieve that which was desired and hoped for, or to meet certain expectations or goals. I’m sure that both the astronauts, along with much of the world, were devastated at the news that they were not going to be able to walk on the moon.
Just as oxygen was an important fuel for space travel, lamp oil was just as important 2000 years ago. Like the Apollo 13 ran out of fuel, scriptures teach about five virgins who did the same.
Matthew 25:1-13 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 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. 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.
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Oil is symbolic in the Old Testament of the Holy Spirit just as the Passover Lamb was symbolic of Jesus Christ the Lamb of God. Oil was the fuel that kept lamps burning in the Holy place. These lamps were to never run dry. (Exodus 27:20)
When we have true faith, we can be empowered with the Holy Spirit. Like Oxygen fuels a spacecraft, it’s the Holy Spirit that fuels our hearts to do the will of God. The five virgins didn’t have the fuel that they needed so that they could get to where they wanted to go. They missed the Moon.
Many people really want to obtain eternal life and be able to walk in paradise someday. A large amount of them profess some sort of belief in God, whatever that may be to them. True Christianity recognizes that there is only one God and that there is only one way that we will be able to walk with Him in Paradise. It is through faith in His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, sent by the heavenly father as a savior to the world.
When we place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we can ask God for the Holy Spirit. It is the gift of the Holy Spirit that is the fuel that we need to overcome all of the sinful things in this world, and someday being able to touch down in the sea of eternal tranquility, paradise with our creator.
Coming up short is failing to reach the desired outcome. It’s failing to reach the final destination that you want to get to. Please remember, the gospel is preached to us as well as to others, but hearing the word by itself is not enough, we must become doers of it. That happens because of true faith in your heart and the power of the Holy Spirit..
Although the astronauts were powerless to do anyting because of a defective part made years earlier, the facts remain that they missed the moon because of a lack of fuel.
If you don’t believe what the Bible says you won’t have a desire to do it. You must possess faith in Jesus to enter eternal life.
Hebrews 4:3 For we which have believed do enter into rest,……
Christianity is a “do something faith” evidenced by an obedient heart and works of the Holy Spirit.
James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
There are people today who profess to be spiritual, yet reject the doctrines of Christ Jesus. They claim to believe in the Lord but their oil lamps are completely empty. They lack the fuel to see the correct path in front of them. When Apollo 13 lost fuel, they too had no way to navigate through the darkness of space.
The lesson today is that fuel is very important if we want to get to where we are going. We need to be filled with faith and the oil of the Holy Spirit to empower the fuel cells of our hearts to get us all the way to heaven.
Real faith will result in the evidence of action, because without works in the Christian Life, faith is completely dead. It is just as dead as a fuel cell without oxygen, and we know what happened to the Apollo 13, as a result of that…..
………Losing the Moon
Let’s think about these things for right now, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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