We Will Need Oil

I believe there is a time coming in this world that shall be dark and shall be gloomy and even the children of God shall fall asleep. Beloved ones, there is a danger of that, as Christ here stated that they all slumbered and slept. (Matthew 25)

And it might be that the darkest night will be one that we don't even know and don't even see and don't even perceive. It might be that when they shout 'peace and safety' and everything shall seem to be quiet and good and, even, daylight around us -- that might be the kind of night that He spoke of here. And men's eyes shall be blinded and their hearts shall be hardened and their ears shall be deaf.

Perhaps this is the kind of night He is speaking of here, when we will need oil to be able to see right from wrong, good from evil; that we will be able to see the right road to go, so that we do not stumble and fall by the wayside. That might be a night like that, beloved ones, and so we will need to have gathered oil -- faith in Christ and love for God and a striving for things that are eternal, and not only a longing for things of this world that shall only choke out the good seed.

Let us strive. Let us pray. If we feel that we are becoming careless and indifferent, if we can feel that the things of this world are choking out the good seed -- the good fruit -- we have that much more reason to pray to God, to go into our closet and fall upon our knees and ask God that He would be gracious and keep our eyes, ears and our hearts open that we might perceive the right way that we shall go. And to have the love of God, the joys and peace that we shall have with our fellow men, with our Savior and our God.

Beloved ones, we will have to strive. We will have to try and will have to watch and pray, or we might also fall asleep and our oil might run out and our lamps might go out. And then when the time comes at midnight, we will have nothing to show. That would be a sad thing, would it not?

But to all those who are sincere, whether we have found the Savior or those who are still outside, it is time today yet to hasten -- to make haste and come while the day is yet here before that night comes when man can work no more. May God help us to keep ourselves open to the truth -- the whole truth.
--Sermon Excerpt: Unknown (1953)

Note: True preaching of the Word of God is timeless and is as applicable today as it was 50 years ago.