WAKE UP CALL
(Transcribed Message)

Sunday Morning:  September 16, 2001

Text: 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.

WISE AND FOOLISH

2. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

NO EXTRA OIL

3. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

EXTRA OIL

4. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

ALL SLEPT

5. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

WAKE UP CALL

6. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

BOTH TRIMMED

7. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

NOT PREPARED

8. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone [going] out.

NO SHARING

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.

TOO LATE

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.

DENIED

12. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

WATCH

13. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh."

WAKE UP CALLS

BACK RUB – Wonderful wake up call.

SMELL OF BREAKFAST COOKING – Refreshing call.

CLOCK RADIO – Not too startling.

ALARM CLOCK WITH BELLS – Scrambling for the clock.

SMOKE DETECTOR – Start dialing 911, then the door.

WEATHER SIREN – Head to the basement.

SEPTEMBER 11 – Wonder and watch TV.

THE WORD OF GOD – Watch and Pray!

SIGNS OF THE END

Matthew 24:3-8  "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world [age]?

DECEIVERS

4. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

RUMORS

6. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

WORLD WIDE TROUBLE

7. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8. All these are the beginning of sorrows."

ISRAEL AND NATIONS

Luke 21:29-36  "And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;

SHOULD SEE AND KNOW

30. When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.

KINGDOM IS NEAR

31. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. 32. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

TRUST ME!

33. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

TAKE HEED!

34. And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

35. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

WATCH AND PRAY TO ESCAPE

36. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."

NO REPENTANCE

Revelation 9:20-21  "And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

FOUR MAJOR SINS

21. Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts."

NOAH AND LOT

Luke 17:26-32  "And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

JUDGMENT COMING

27. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

LOT ESCAPED

29. But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

END OF TRIBULATION

30. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. 31. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.

WIFE DID NOT

32. Remember Lot's wife."

NOAH, DANIEL, AND JOB DELIVERED

Ezekiel 14:20-21  "Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.

IN TIMES OF TROUBLE

21. For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?"

NOAH WARNED

Hebrews 11:7  "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith."

JOB ENDURED

James 5:11  "Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy."

DANIEL PURPOSED IN HIS HEART

Daniel 1:8  "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself . . . ."

DANIEL STUDIED THE WORD

Daniel 10:11-12  "And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.

SET HIS HEART

12. Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words."

IN THE DAY OF TROUBLE

Nahum 1:7  "The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him."