This sermon is a sober, evangelistic call to examine whether you’ve truly been born again in light of Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25. Using the image of the wise and foolish virgins—all of whom looked religious, carried lamps, and waited for the bridegroom—the message stresses that only those with “oil in their vessels” (the indwelling Holy Spirit) are truly ready for Christ’s return. Outward profession, church activity, and religious ritual are contrasted with inward reality: a transformed heart, genuine faith in Christ alone, and a living relationship with Him.
Pastor Steve Taylor walks through eight marks of real conversion— a changed life, hunger for God’s Word, conviction and repentance over sin, the witness and fruit of the Holy Spirit, love for God over the world, obedient faith, love for other believers, and assurance rooted only in Jesus’ finished work on the cross. Listeners are urged not to rest in baptism, membership, or good works, but to “examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith,” and to come to Christ now while the door of grace is still open.
He closes the message with a heartfelt invitation: don’t settle for empty religion or a lamp without oil. Instead, repent, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, ask Him to save you, and openly confess Him—so that when the Bridegroom comes, you will hear, “Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord,” rather than the terrifying words, “I never knew you.”