Text: Matthew 24:1-25

Topic: How to prepare for judgment day

Introduction:

• Illustration: May rambles on about different forms of insurance to illustrate the common frustration of paying high premiums to insure against something that might never happen.

• Life insurance, however, makes sense because death is a certainty.

• Meeting Jesus face to face is also a certainty.

• Big Idea: We need to live this life in such a way that we prepare ourselves to stand before Jesus on judgment day.

• Matthew 25:1-13

• The wise virgins brought oil for their lamps, the foolish ones didn't—a seemingly small detail, but it had significant consequences.

• Illustration: May tells the humorous story of a friend who almost missed his wedding because he was jailed for forgetting to renew his license plates and paying traffic tickets—illustrating the significant consequences of neglecting details.

• Illustration: May points out that we often focus on the wrong details by telling the story of a man who, on the way to Promise Keepers, was confronted by a daughter who said, "Dad, in less than a month I'll be moving out of the house, and I feel like I don't even know you."

• Your relationship with God matters more than anything else in the world—tend to it.

• Matthew 25:6-9

• Illustration: May briefly cites a wall sign that reads, "Lack of preparation on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."

• When it comes our eternal destiny, you are responsible for you.

There's such a thing as too late.

• Matthew 25:10-13

• In 20 years, if you're still resisting him, and you decide at that point to come home to God, he will receive you…but we're not guaranteed 20 years.

• Hebrews 9:27-28

• 2 Peter 3:9

Conclusion:

• Jesus has given you an invitation to eternity.

• You can experience new life in him today.

• To those who are already followers of Jesus, this parable is also about living the Christian life to the fullest right now