{"id":9646,"date":"2015-12-11T16:36:45","date_gmt":"2015-12-11T20:36:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=9646"},"modified":"2016-01-07T17:11:50","modified_gmt":"2016-01-07T21:11:50","slug":"how-many-shopping-days-are-left-12615","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=9646","title":{"rendered":"How Many Shopping Days Are Left? (12\/6\/15)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Advent is a time of busy preparation- shopping, writing cards, planning parties… you’re never really ready until it’s all over. \u00a0\u00a0 On this Second Sunday in Advent, Pastor Jim spoke on Matthew 25:1-13, a parable Jesus spoke about getting ready for His return.\u00a0 As we prepare for Christmas, are we ready for Jesus?
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Our scripture was from Matthew 25:1-13. The reading is not included in the recording, so open this drop down box and read the scripture before playing the recording…
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Matthew 25:1-13<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t

1 The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.<\/p>\n

2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.<\/p>\n

3 The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps,<\/p>\n

4 but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil.<\/p>\n

5 When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.<\/p>\n

6 “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’<\/p>\n

7 “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps.<\/p>\n

8 Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’<\/p>\n

9 “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’<\/p>\n

10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.<\/p>\n

11 Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’<\/p>\n

12 “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’<\/p>\n

13 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.<\/p>\n

Holy Bible, New Living Translation \u00ae, copyright \u00a9 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

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Click the below “Play” button to listen to the recording, then scroll down and follow along…<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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Opening Story… Sad but True…<\/span><\/h3>\n
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In April 1988 the evening news reported on a photographer who was also a skydiver.\u00a0 He had jumped from a plane along with several other skydivers and filmed the group as they individually dove out of the plane and opened their parachutes.\u00a0 As the video was being shown of each member of the crew jumping out and then pulling their ripcords so that their parachute opened to the wind, the final skydiver opened his chute… and then the picture went berserk.<\/span><\/p>\n

The announcer reported that the cameraman had fallen to his death, having jumped out of the plane without a parachute.\u00a0 It wasn’t until he reached for the ripcord that he realized he was free falling without a parachute!\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Up until then, he was enjoying himself and was absorbed in what he was doing.\u00a0 But tragically, he was unprepared for the jump.\u00a0\u00a0 It did not matter how many times he had done it before or what skill he had. By forgetting the parachute he made a foolish and deadly mistake.\u00a0 Nothing could save him, because his faith was in a parachute which he had never taken the trouble to buckle on.\u00a0<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n

This skydiver was so busy with the event and so pre-ocupied with his photography that he forgot to prepare himself for the more important task at hand: landing safely on the ground.\u00a0 He was so excited about the little things and when the moment came, his lack of preparation cost him dearly.<\/p>\n

We don’t want to miss it.\u00a0 There’s a need to be prepared, and WE are responsible to be prepared!<\/p>\n

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The Marriage Model…<\/span><\/h3>\n

In both our time and in Jesus’ time, marriage required a lot of preparation.\u00a0 It’s important to understand the marriage betrothal period in Jesus’ time in order to make sense of this parable…<\/p>\n\n\t\t

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\n\t\t\tIn Our Time<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The bride and groom set a date for the “Big Day”,\u00a0 and during the engagement period the families get to work to prepare all of the details to make the Wedding Day work.<\/p>\n

The wedding happens on THE DATE.\u00a0 When the date comes, you’re as ready as you’re going to be.<\/p>\n

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.\"Bride<\/p>\n

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(Click Next to see what it was like for Mary and Joseph…<\/em><\/span>)<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tIn Mary & Joseph’s Time<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

In the first century, the “Engagement Period” was called a “Betrothal.”\u00a0 During this time, the husband-to-be and wife-to-be didn’t live together, but they were considered to be married.\u00a0 They were fully committed to eachother, just as if they had already said “I do.”<\/p>\n

The word “Betrothal” literally means “set apart,”\u00a0 and actually defines the purpose of this period.\u00a0 They were in a process of being “set apart” for each other, and this period was a time to prepare themselves for the covenant of marriage.<\/p>\n

The Jewish understanding of betrothal has always been much stronger than our modern understanding of an engagement.\u00a0 The betrothal was so binding that the couple would need a religious divorce in order to anul the contract (Deuteronomy 24:1-4<\/a>).\u00a0 This option was only available to the husband; the wife had no say in the divorce proceedings.<\/p>\n

During this betrothal period, the husband would go away to begin earning money to support his wife and future family.\u00a0 He would also find or build housing (frequently adding to his father’s house).\u00a0 He would live away from his wife and they may not even see each other for up to a year.<\/p>\n

When he felt that he was ready, he would suddenly return.\u00a0 As soon as he returned, it was time for the wedding.\u00a0 If the wife wasn’t ready… there was no wedding.\u00a0 It was up to her to be ready to be married at a moment’s notice.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\n

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We (The Church) are betrothed to Jesus.\u00a0 As we go through this Advent season preparing for December 25, we also go through this life preparing for an unknown date when Jesus will return. \"Deptford<\/p>\n

As of this moment there are about 18 shopping days until Christmas.\u00a0 Unless we go through the preparation of getting a gift for that someone special or family members,\u00a0 we will not be ready when the day arrives.\u00a0 Now is the time to go out and buy Uncle Eddie’s fruit cake!<\/p>\n

If we don’t set a priority to prepare, we’ll end up like the bridesmaids who where not ready when the bridegroom returned.\u00a0 The wedding was off for those who weren’t ready.<\/p>\n

What if Jesus came back 20 minutes from now?<\/p>\n

What prepares us for Jesus’ return?\u00a0 Are you ready?<\/p>\n

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1:\u00a0 Preparation is an Individual’s Choice…<\/span><\/h3>\n

Some of the bridesmaids did what was necessary to be prepared, but some CHOSE<\/strong> to be unprepared.\u00a0 If you’re not ready for something, it’s because you didn’t set the right priorities: it’s because You Chose<\/strong> to focus on something else.\u00a0 Just like our skydiver who forgot his parachute because he was focused on his camera.<\/p>\n

It’s not like this is sneaking up on us; we all know it’s coming.\u00a0 Even 20 years from now, when we turn the calendar to December, the word “Christmas” will still be printed next to December 25.\u00a0 We know it’s coming.<\/p>\n

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Matthew 24:37-39<\/span><\/p>\n

As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.\u00a0 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;\u00a0 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.<\/span><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/div><\/div>\n

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The people were choosing to go about their normal activity, just drifting along living their lives.\u00a0 They didn’t set a priority to prepare.\u00a0 And so as the flood hit, a lot of people\u00a0 were left to pound on the door of the closed ark.\u00a0 One day, either through death or through the end times, Jesus will come back for you.\u00a0 And He won’t tweet you when He’s coming back.<\/p>\n

You may not like going to malls an you may hate the taste of envelop glue, but you still need to shop and send cards BEFORE Christmas in order to be prepared.<\/p>\n

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Dennis was a man from Katy,\u00a0 Texas who had an emergency and needed his suit dry cleaned before he left on a trip.\u00a0 He remembered one store with a huge sign:<\/span><\/p>\n

ONE HOUR DRY CLEANERS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It was on the other side of town, so he drove out of his way to drop off his suit.<\/span><\/p>\n

After the clerk filled out the necessary information,\u00a0 he told her,\u00a0 “I have some errands to run and I’ll ber back in an hour to pick it up.”<\/span><\/p>\n

She said, “I can’t get this back to you until Thursday.”\u00a0 “I thought you did dry cleaning in an hour,” he said.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

“Oh no,” she replied. “That’s just the name of the store.\u00a0 We don’t actually do that!”<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/div><\/div>\n

I fear that many folks today who wear a sign saying they are a Christian, but they fail to deliver the goods.\u00a0 It seems that if they are asked, “Are you a Christian,” they will say “yes.”\u00a0 But there is nothing in their life that bears witness that they are a Christian.<\/p>\n

Just like the Dry Cleaners who chose a name and chose not to live up to it, if we have chosen to be a Christian, we must also choose to live up to the name.\u00a0 We must choose to grow closer to God in the grace He gives us.\u00a0 We must choose to be ready.<\/p>\n

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. <\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. \u00a0 <\/span><\/em><\/strong>John 15:4-6<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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2: Preparation is YOUR Job- Nobody Can Do It for You…<\/span><\/h3>\n

Imagine that it’s 10:45 on Christmas Eve,\u00a0 and you haven’t even started your Christmas shopping!\u00a0 In between sips of egg nog, would you even consider asking your wife if you can borrow a few gifts so that you’ll have something to put under the tree in the morning?\u00a0 Just like the bridesmaids who wanted to borrow oil, its up to us to be ready.\u00a0 No one can wear a parachute in your place!<\/p>\n

Another person’s faith won’t cover you.\u00a0 Just because you were reared in a Christian home or you are in a church with other people of faith does not necessarily mean that YOU have faith.\u00a0 It\u00a0 will not rub off just by sitting next to someone who has a vital relationship with Christ.\u00a0 You can’t “Catch Faith” like you catch a cold.<\/p>\n

The late Scottish theologian and scholar William Barclay says..<\/p>\n

We cannot always be living on the spiritual capital which others have amassed.
\nThere are certain things we must acquire for ourselves.<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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December 26 WILL Come!<\/span><\/h3>\n

There will be a time when it’s too late.\u00a0 The preparation must be done in advance, even as you anticipate the coming of that day.<\/p>\n

Imagine you have an airline ticket which says you are flying from Philadelphia to Honolulu on December 19 and that the departure time is at 9:47 AM.\u00a0 You know you must arrive 2-3 hours before the departure time and there are certain things which must be done so that you are ready for the final boarding call.<\/p>\n