Matthew 25:1-13

Matthew 22:34-40

Matthew 25:1-13

“Let’s Be Wise Guys And Gals!”

Sermon 11/9/08

Part 3 of Stewardship series 2008

What are the most important things for us to be doing?

What are the most important things for us to remember?

We began our Stewardship emphasis for this year 2 weeks ago — looking at what it truly means to live as Christians – and what the most important things are for us to remember as we strive to live our lives in God’s ways.

What are the most important things for us to be doing?

What are the most important things for us to remember?

I talked a little about “final exams” and the Ordination Exams every Seminary graduate has to take before being ordained when we began this series 2 weeks ago — and how they were filled with questions to which we prayed that we had answers.

I also talked about how Rick Warren — in his book The Purpose Driven Life — writes that God has a Final Exam for us. He writes that — when our life is over — God is going to have 2 questions for us:

1. How did you respond to my Son Jesus Christ?

2. What did you do with what I gave you?

2 questions.

If you answer them in the way God wants you to answer them, He has a place in heaven prepared for you.

If not, your place will not be in heaven.

Maybe it would be wise to look at how to answer these questions in the way that will please God. As we move through November, we are going to look at the fact that God has questions for us – and whether or not we have answers.

2 weeks ago we looked at the primary passage that we’ll be looking at for the next few weeks — Matthew 22:34-40 – and saw that responding to Jesus by loving God with all our heart, soul and mind – and loving others as ourselves – are the 2 primary ways we can respond to God’s questions of how we responded to Jesus and what we did with what He gave us.

Last week we looked further at exactly what it means to love God and love others as we looked at Matthew 23:1-12 – and discovered that we not only have to talk about loving God and serving others – we have to do it. We can’t be “Do as I say – not as I do” Christians – we can’t be “Do as I say – not as I do” Church members – but we have to be Christians – we have to Church members – that show God and the Christian life to others I what we say and in what we do.

Today we continue our look at what it means to love God with all our heart – soul – and mind – and to live our neighbors as ourselves – as we look at Matthew 25:1-13 – and see that it means using the gifts God has given us wisely. When it comes to living the Christian life and using the gifts God has given us, we have to wise guys – and wide gals.

Listen to God’s word as we look again at Matthew 22:34-40 – and at Matthew 25:1-13:

Read Scripture

How did you respond to my Son Jesus Christ?

What did you do with what I gave you?

2 questions that God may aks us when we get to heaven.

How did you respond to my Son Jesus Christ?

What did you do with what I gave you?

God does not want us to have to say:

“Lord – I was not ready to answer these questions!

Give me more time to prepare – give me more time to get ready –

Give me more time – I’ll do better – I promise!”

God wants us to be able to say:

“Lord — I am ready – I was waiting – I was living my life in way You wanted me to.

I was not living foolishly – I was living wisely”.

How did you respond to my Son Jesus Christ?

What did you do with what I gave you?

We need to be able to say:

“I loved Jesus with all my heart – soul – and mind.

E very day I looked at how Jesus and I were getting along – right then and there.

I loved others and used what You gave me to share Your love with others.

I lived in such a way that others could see you in what I said and in what I did.”

We also need to be able to say:

“I lived wisely – and used what You gave me wisely.”

God has given you gifts to be used for His glory – gifts to be used to show Him to others – gifts to be used to do His work in the Church and the world.

Do you use them wisely?

Do you use them for His glory?

Do you use them to show Him to others?

Do you use them to do His work in the Church and the world?

Do you use what God has given you wisely?

Are you a wise guy?

Are you a wise gal?

Maybe “wise guys” and “wise gals” are not what you want to be.

Maybe you think of The 3 Stooges when you hear the term “wise guy” – and think of smart alecks and people who are always playing pranks. “Wise guy” has become somewhat synonymous with “jerk” – and no one wants to be a “jerk”. But – we have to become wise when it comes to how we use the gifts God has given us.

When it comes to what God has given us – we need t use them wisely – we need to use them for His glory – we need to use them to show Him to others – we have to use them to do His work and will in the world.

When it comes to how we use what God has given us, we need to be wise guys – and wise gals.

Our passages for today give us 2 answers to the questions God will ask:

How did you respond to my Son Jesus Christ?

What did you do with what I gave you?

If you can say:

“I loved Jesus with all my heart – soul – and strength”

You are able to give a response that is in line what God will for you to answer.

Having a personal relationship with Christ is the first step towards living the life God would have us live. That’s why – every day – you need to ask yourself:

“How are Jesus and I getting along –n right now?”

“How are Jesus and I getting along –n right now?”

If you can also say:

“I used what Youn gave me for Your glory – and to do Your work and will in the Church and the community”

You are another step closer to being able to answer God’s questions in the way God intended.

If you can also say:

“I used what You gave me wisely –

I used Your gifts to me to make a difference in the world and the community for Your glory – I used what You gave me to do Your work in the community and the Church – I used what You gave me wisely ro make a difference for You in the Church and the community.”

Then you are well on your way living as God would have You live.

How did you respond to my Son Jesus Christ?

What did you do with what I gave you?

Can you say you were a wise guy –

Can you see you were a wise gal?

How did you respond to my Son Jesus Christ?

What did you do with what I gave you?

Love the Lord your God with all your heart – soul – mind – and strength.

Love your neighbor as yourself.

Be a wise guy.

Be a wise gal.

In our passage for today, Jesus tells about a wedding feast – and 10 bridesmaids.

Of the ten young women, five were wise. They prepared for the coming of the bridegroom so they would be ready when he arrived. They made sure that they had oil for their lamps, and they trimmed the wicks so that their lamps would burn properly.

But five of the young women were foolish, and they made no preparation. They didn’t have oil for their lamps, and they hadn’t trimmed their wicks. They weren’t ready.

When the bridegroom arrived, the young women were asleep –– all of them –– wise and foolish alike –– all were asleep. But they heard people shouting, “Look! Here is the bridegroom!” –– so they woke up and started out the door to join the parade.

But then it occurred to the five foolish women that they weren’t ready.

They didn’t have enough oil for their lamps.

They would be really embarrassed if they started to participate only to have their lamps run out of oil — So they asked the five wise women to give them some oil –– but the wise women replied, “No! There will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.”

So the foolish women went to buy oil. But when they returned, the wedding banquet was in progress and the door was locked. They cried out, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But the bridegroom replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.”

Jesus concluded this story with a piece of advice:

“Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

In other words, be prepared.

In other words, live wisely.

In other words –

Be a wise guy.

Be a wise gal.

OK – so we need to live wisely.

So we need to be wise guys.

So we need to be wise gals.

What does that mean?

What does it mean to live wisely?

What does it mean to be a wise guy – or a wise gal?

It means knowing how to answer God’s questions:

How did you respond to my Son Jesus Christ?

What did you do with what I gave you?

It means that when God asks you:

How did you respond to my Son Jesus Christ?

What did you do with what I gave you?

You will be able to say:

“I loved Jesus with all my heart – soul – and strength”

“I had a personal relationship with Christ – and Christ changed my life”.

“I asked myself on a regular basis:

How are Jesus and I getting along – right now?

And I made adjustments in my prayer life – my worship life – and my life of service to God and others when I needed to.”

You will also be able to say:

“I loved others.

I used what God gave me for His glory and to do His will in the world.

I looked for ways to reach out to others with the love of God.

I looked for ways to use what God gave me in the community and the Church.

I met needs in the community and the Church by doing my part and using the gifts God gave me for His glory and to do His will.”

I was wise.

I responded to Jesus wisely.

I used what God gave me wisely.

I was a wise guy.

I was a wise gal.

Be a wise guy.

Be a wise gal.

Part of what it means to be a wise guy – or a wise gal – it to let God change your life – to let Jesus change your life. Part of what it means is to let Jesus control – and manage – your life.

I read recently about a man was converted to Christ through the work of the Salvation Army. He and his wife were so uneducated that neither could read or write.

He started worshiping regularly at the Salvation Army services — but one day he came home looking glum. When his wife asked what was wrong, he said, “All the people in the Salvation Army wear red sweaters, and I don’t have a red sweater.”

His wife said, “I’ll knit one!” –– and she proceeded to do that. So the next Sunday, the man went to the worship service dressed in his red sweater. But he came hone looking glum once again. His wife asked what was wrong, and he said, “I just noticed that all their red sweaters have yellow writing.”

Keep in mind that neither the man nor his wife could read or write, so they had no idea what the yellow writing on the Salvation Army red sweaters meant.

The Salvation Army symbol is a yellow eight-pointed star with the words “Blood & Fire” written in red letters.

But this man wasn’t sophisticated enough to understand that. He just knew that there was a yellow symbol on the Salvation Army sweaters, and he wanted one on his sweater — so his wife agreed to embroider some yellow writing on his sweater.

But she was illiterate too, so she had no idea what the letters should say or how she should say it. So she walked downtown and looked in some of the store windows. She found some writing in one of the windows that didn’t have too many letters –– she thought that she could copy those letters onto her husband’s sweater. So she wrote down the letters exactly as she found them in that store window and went home to embroider those letters onto her husband’s sweater.

The next Sunday, the man went to church again. When he came home, his wife asked if the people liked his sweater. He told her that they loved his sweater. In fact, some of them said that they liked his sweater better than their own.

So what was it that the wife had copied from the store window sign?

What was it that she embroidered onto her husband’s sweater?

It was this:

“Under New Management!”

That’s what the sign in the window said, and that’s what the wife had embroidered onto her husband’s sweater –– “Under New Management!”

Isn’t that what it means to be a Christian?

That’s what it takes to get ready to answer the questions God might put ton us.

That’s what it means to live wisely.

That’s what it means to be a wise guy.

That’s what it means to be a wise gal.

You need to put your life under Christ’s management.

You need to him your Lord.

When we do that, you will be able to say to God:

“I took Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

I used what you gave me for Your glory used it to show You to others.

I looked for ways to get involved in the Church and the community – ways to do Your will with what You gave me.”

That’s what it means to live wisely.

That’s what it means to live wisely.

That’s what it means to be a wise guy.

That’s what it means to be a wise gal.

Live wisely.

Be a wise guy.

Be a wise gal.

Take Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

Live wisely.

Be a wise guy.

Be a wise gal.

Let your life be under His management.

Live wisely.

Be a wise guy.

Be a wise gal.

Use what God has given you for His glory,.

Use the gifts God has blessed you with to do His work and will in the Church and the community.

Live wisely.

Be a wise guy.

Be a wise gal.

There is much to be done for God’s glory in the Church and the community.

Live wisely.

Be a wise guy.

Be a wise gal.

Look for ways to show God to others – and to do the work of God.

It takes wise guys and wise gals to do God’s work.

Guys and gals committed to letting to God change their lives.

Guys and gals committed to using what God has given them to do His work and will in the world.

Live wisely.

Be a wise guy.

Be a wise gal.

When God asks:

How did you respond to my Son Jesus Christ?

What did you do with what I gave you?

Be able to answer wisely.

Be able to say:

“I loved Jesus with all my heart – soul – and strength”

“I used what Youn gave me for Your glory – and to do Your work and will in the Church and the community”

“I used what You gave me wisely –

I used Your gifts to me to make a difference in the world and the community for Your glory – I used what You gave me to do Your work in the community and the Church – I used what You gave me wisely ro make a difference for You in the Church and the community.”

Be a wise guy.

Be a wise gal.

Amen