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Sermon: Final Exam
(preparation for the Passover)
by Chris Cumming
While in college, I was taking a Health
class for 3 college credits. It was a required class for graduation.
One day, upon arriving to take the class, I was shocked to find out a
major exam was being given. The results of the exam would be considered
a major portion of our quarter grade. I was not ready. No one had told
me about any test.
I had not been prepared. I had been
taken totally by surprise. I felt helpless; there was nothing I could
do. I felt so bad, being caught unawares, I cancelled the class until
the next quarter.
Such was the case with 5 of the 10
virgins we read about in Matthew 25. Let’s turn there and read.
Matt 25:1-13
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.
So, like myself in that college class,
these 5 virgins were caught by surprise. They knew the bridegroom was
coming someday, they just failed in their preparation.
Maybe if they had just examined
themselves along the way, they would have known their lamps were growing
empty.
Well, we have an examination coming up
on our calendars. It is called the Passover. Let us read the notice of
exam…
Turn to 1 Cor 11:23-29
23 For I have received of the
Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same
night in which he was betrayed took bread:
24 And when he had given thanks,
he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for
you: this do in remembrance of me.
25 After the same manner also he
took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament
in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
26 For as often as ye eat this
bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
27 Wherefore whosoever shall
eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be
guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself,
and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29 For he that eateth and
drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not
discerning the Lord's body.
Verses 27 and 29 concern a number of
people and some have even refrained from taking the Passover because of
a lack of understanding of these scriptures. They feel that if they
have ANY sin in their lives, they are somehow unworthy to take the bread
and wine. If this were true, none of us could take those symbols, for
we all have sin in our lives, we are working to overcome sin and are
subject to sin, as long as we are human.
Verse 28 says that we are to examine
ourselves and then (clearly boldly and with confidence) eat that bread
and drink that wine. What we are examining ourselves to find out; to
confirm is whether we are in the Salvation Process. We enter this
process when God calls us (John 6:44) to repentance; we are baptized and
receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands (Hebrews 6). We stay
in this process for the rest of our life till death or the return of
Christ. We can never allow ourselves to leave or fall away from this
process if we are to ever be in the Kingdom of God.
Luke 9:62
62 And Jesus said unto him, No man,
having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the
kingdom of God.
KJV
The Salvation process has several
elements important to each firstfruit Christian:
It is a commitment to a way of Christian
life in which one is actively:
1) keeping the Law and commandments.
2) invoking the Principles of God which
the Law points to (Gal 5:22-23).
3) overcoming sin....making
progress...stopping the sin process before it begins....controlling the
mind…being repentant.
4) becoming more like Jesus Christ.
5) going on to perfection (Heb. 6)
6) responding to your specific Godly
Calling (God calls each member to a specific place and to specific
duties and/or offices). This includes duties pertaining to the first
commission of spreading the gospel and the second commission of feeding
the flock.
7) maintaining this process at the
return of Jesus Christ.
8) having absolute trust in God and
Jesus Christ.
So my purpose today, and I know you are
way ahead of me on this, is to
Examine yourself. Prepare for God’s
Final exam.
Before we proceed into just how we
examine ourselves, a few more words about the foolish virgins.
Someone contacted me the other day upset
that the virgins were not given a second chance; after all they went to
buy oil as the wise virgins told them……..or did they?
Turn back to verse 9 of Matthew 25 and
notice what is said..
Matt 25:9 ---(the foolish virgins had
asked oil of the others)
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.
Is this something they could have
actually done? Look at Verse 6:
Matt 25:6
6 And at midnight there was a
cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
It was midnight. The markets were not
open. Notice now verses 10 and 11…
Matt 25:10-11
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.
There is nothing here indicating they
actually bought the oil. Remember this is a physical parable and the
physical part made sense to them. It had to. If a parable does not
make full sense on the physical side, the audience would be lost and
totally miss the spiritual side (speaking here of those with the
understanding to see the spiritual side). In fact, the physical side
confirms the things we glean from the spiritual side of the parable.
The wise virgins were showing the foolish virgins the absurdity of their
request.
It is also absurd in the Spiritual
sense. If Christ is in the sky and we can see Him, clearly it is too
late to seek the Spirit of God.
1 Peter 4: 17-19
17. For the time is come that judgment
must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall
the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
18. And if the righteous scarcely be
saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
19. Wherefore let them that suffer
according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in
well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
So we see the need to be examining
ourselves. Question is: Just when do we do this examining?
Turn to 2 Corinthians 13 and verse 5
(Paul concerned that the Corinthians had
been deceived)
5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in
the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that
Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
Paul challenged the Corinthians to
“examine themselves as to whether they are in the faith. He says,
“Prove yourselves.”
3
In doing so, he employs the present tense for the verbs “examine”
and “prove”
4
Indicating that such examination was to be an on-going activity!
We are to continually examine ourselves.
This naturally raises 3 questions we
will discuss throughout the rest of this sermon.
1) Why should we examine ourselves?
2) By what standard should we examine
ourselves ?
3) What sort of questions should we be
asking ourselves?
Let us answer these questions one by
one…
…and as we do so please understand
this. No one but you and Christ can judge you on these things.
These things we are about to discuss are
very private things for your prayers and meditations before the throne
of God.
1)
Why should we examine ourselves?
a) To determine if Jesus Christ is in
us...
John 14:21-23
21 He that hath my commandments,
and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall
be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to
him.
22 Judas saith unto him, not
Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and
not unto the world?
23 Jesus answered and said unto
him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love
him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
b) To determine if we really know
ourselves…
Rom 6:16-22
3
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey,
his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of
obedience unto righteousness?
4
But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have
obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
5
Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of
righteousness.
6
I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your
flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and
to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to
righteousness unto holiness.
7
For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from
righteousness.
8
What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now
ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
9
But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye
have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
We know ourselves by looking at what we
serve, sin or righteousness.
2)
By what standard should we examine
ourselves ?
a) Not by the estimate of self.
1 Cor 4:1-4
1 Let a man so account of us,
as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 Moreover it is required in
stewards, that a man be found faithful.
3 But with me it is a very
small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I
judge not mine own self.
4 For I know nothing by myself;
yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
b) By the standard of Jesus Christ and
His Word.
2 Cor 10:18
18 For not he that commendeth
himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.
2 Cor 5:10
10 For we must all appear before
the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done
in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
John 12:48
48 He that rejecteth me, and
receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have
spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
3)
What sort of questions should we be
asking ourselves?
a)
Am I keeping the commandments?
John 14:21
21 He that hath my commandments,
and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall
be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to
him.
b)
Am I abiding in His word?
John 8:31
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews
which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my
disciples indeed;
c) Do I love my brethren like Christ
loved me?
John 13:34-35
34 A new commandment I give unto
you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love
one another.
35 By this shall all men know
that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
I Jn 3:14-19
14 We know that we have passed
from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not
his brother abideth in death.
15 Whosoever hateth his
brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life
abiding in him.
16 Hereby perceive we the love of
God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our
lives for the brethren.
17 But whoso hath this world's
good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of
compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
18 My little children, let us not
love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
19 And hereby we know that we are
of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
d) Am I bearing fruit—invoking the
principles of God?
John 15:6-8
6 If a man abide not in me, he
is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and
cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my
words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto
you.
8 Herein is my Father
glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
We invoke the power of the Holy Spirit
in the form of Godly principles such as love, joy, peace, forgiveness,
kindness, compassion, honesty, service, excellence, longsuffering and
the like. When we do these things, we grow in the character of Christ,
while at the same time being a light to the World. People see Christ in
us when we manifest one of these principles of God---fruits of the
Spirit.
e) Am I praising God?
Heb 13:15-16
15 By him therefore let us offer
the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our
lips giving thanks to his name.
16 But to do good and to
communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
(“communicate” here means to have
fellowship and to give to those in need)
Just as in the days of the animals
sacrifices, which represented Christ, God looks today to our sacrifices
of praise, as well as doing good (item d above) and in fellowship with
the brethren (item c above).
f) Am I zealous to invoke the principles
of God?
Titus 2:14
14 Who gave himself for us, that
he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar
people, zealous of good works.
Titus 3:8 and verse 14
8 This is a faithful saying,
and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which
have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These
things are good and profitable unto men.
14 And let ours also learn to
maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.
To be zealous is to be focused and
always looking for an opportunity to invoke the power of the Holy Spirit
in the form of Godly principles as we discussed above. God clearly
brings these opportunities our way and we need to train ourselves to be
looking for them.
g) Am I a doer of the Work?
James 1:25-26
25 But whoso looketh into the
perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful
hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
26 If any man among you seem to
be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart,
this man's religion is vain.
Looking back at the definition of the
Salvation Process above, we can easily see that most of the elements are
action elements—things we do with and through the power of the Holy
Spirit. If we are addressing this elements, we are “doers” of the Work.
h) Are my thoughts established?
Prov 16:3
3
Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be
established.
The more we immerse ourselves into the
Word of God (request the two-part sermon on this subject) the more our
thoughts are established for as 2 Cor. 3:18 states, the more we do this,
the more we are transformed into the image of Christ by the power of the
Holy Spirit. Notice also how God’s Word and promises are automatic.
Proverbs 16:3 says that if WE commit thy works to the Lord (being a doer
of the Work and immersing ourselves into the Word of God) the RESULT is
our thoughts being established. As the Word pours into our brain, the
false information and ways are forced out.
i) Am I abounding in the Work of God?
1 Cor 15:58
58 Therefore, my beloved
brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of
the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the
Lord.
This is talking about focus and concentration on both our Salvation
Process and the Work of God we support.
j) Have I established a gate on my mind?
See Church site—Bible Class—Specific
Studies---Stopping Sin Using the Wisdom of Solomon:
http://www.intercontinentalcog.org/bibleclassspecificstudies7.shtml
In brief, we are to realize that all sin
begins with a single thought. Like elders sitting in the gates of the
cities of Israel, we are to integrate and recognize each thought as it
comes into our “city” (mind) through its gates (eyes, ears, etc.) and if
that thought be one we KNOW will begin the sin process, to rebuke it and
destroy it and not allow it into our minds.
k) Do I have God’s Spirit in me?
I Jn 2:20
20 But ye have an unction from
the Holy One, and ye know all things.
I Jn 3:24
24 And he that keepeth his
commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he
abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
If you are actively focusing on the
elements of your Salvation Process, you will know this to be true. It
is by the Holy Spirit that you understand and have the power to do the
elements of the Salvation Process.
l) Am I preparing to meet the Lord of
the Passover?
Job 11:13-15
13 If thou prepare thine heart,
and stretch out thine hands toward him;
14 If iniquity be in thine hand,
put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.
15 For then shalt thou lift up
thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:
If you are conducting yourself in the
Salvation Process and immersing yourself in the mind of God (the Word of
God), your ARE preparing to meet the Lord.
So, here we have discussed just 12
questions we can ask ourselves as we prepare for the Passover, as we
prepare to take that bread and wine and as we proceed through the Days
of Unleavened Bread.
But you may be asking, “Why entitle
this sermon the ‘Final Exam’?”
That’s easy. From the day you were
called there has only been the One exam and that exam is final.
The Passover is a reminder that our exam
is final.
Remember the 10 virgins and what it says
in Matthew 25:1
Matt 25:1
1 Then shall the kingdom of
heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went
forth to meet the bridegroom. (this was their only mission, their
only exam)
Let us take our lamps, full of oil and
go forth to meet the bridegroom.
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