A Message For Delinquents: Skipping Church Is Starving Your Faith

Text: Matthew 25:1-13

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

This morning, I need to warn you that you will be very uncomfortable with this sermon and the Gospel reading from Matthew.  That is right, this sermon will not tickle your ears, and it will not give you warm, cuddly feelings. Instead, the reading from Matthew and this sermon should wake you up; it should make you squirm and think.

So let's get right to it.

Christians should rightly understand that those who trust in Christ, rest in Christ, and receive good gifts from Christ are assured of inheriting eternal life. Think of John 3:16: 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." 

But we must also keep in mind what Jesus goes on to say. He also says, 

"Those who do not believe are condemned already."

And so, what this means is that people who reject the church and do not believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ are outside His forgiving grace. Indeed, pagan unbelievers will not inherit eternal life but instead will inherit eternal damnation. Hell.

Now, some Americans will not like hearing that.  Saying that unbelievers will go to hell is too extreme or too radical for them. However, as you have already heard, it is clearly taught by Jesus. There is no way around it. And so, pagans who never darken the door of the church and reject Christ will tragically not be recipients of eternal life in Christ Jesus.

Now, let me make this a bit more uncomfortable for you.

What about people who are members of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church but never come? What about the delinquents of our church? 

Several times a year, the Elders and I sit down and go over the membership roster of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. We identify members who haven’t attended for quite some time. In some cases, we find out they’ve moved or are homebound and need to be added to the shut-in list. But more often than not, when we reach out to these members, we hear something like,

“I’d like to continue to be a member, but I’ve been really busy. But my faith is actually fine.”

Now, I get it. People are busy these days. However, at the same time, I don’t buy it—and neither should you. We have approximately 175 services a year—that’s 350 services over two years, and yet a person can’t make it to even one service? I don’t buy it — and neither should you.

But many will protest and say, 

“You don’t have to go to church to be a Christian; you just need faith.”

Yes, that is partially true.  Faith is the key. And that is exactly the concern from the reading in the Gospel of Matthew.  

In our Gospel reading from Matthew, we heard about ten virgins who had lamps and flasks intended for oil. But keep this in mind: these lamps that are spoken of do not contain enough oil to burn through the night. They needed extra oil to keep burning.  Now, as we heard, the five wise virgins brought extra oil. But the other five? They didn’t think they needed any extra oil. 

So, what’s the point? 

The point is that the foolish virgins became sleepy. They weren’t serious about their faith. They began to believe that they could do spirituality on their own. They became secure in themselves, saying,

“We don’t need extra oil—we’re fine just the way we are.” 

These foolish virgins followed their own minds; they would not be taught and accepted no opinion but their own.

Let’s pause here and make this really easy to understand: you can’t create your own faith. You cannot sustain your own faith. You can’t strengthen your faith by your own works. When it mattered most, the five foolish virgins could not create oil out of thin air.  They needed to obtain oil to keep their lamps burning. And so do we.

Dear friends, when someone is baptized, catechized, taught the faith, and receives the Lord’s Supper, they are indeed a Christian. They are a burning lamp, for faith is created by the Word of Christ. But keep in mind that those lamps need to keep burning – they need oil. Faith needs to be sustained and strengthened. Without the Gospel and Sacraments, faith grows weak. It shrivels. It becomes choked like a seed in thorny soil – it dies and turns into unbelief.  Again, this is why the Elders and I want delinquent members to return to St. Paul’s Lutheran — we want them to have plenty of oil. We want their faith strengthened. We want their lamps to burn brightly. We want them to be ready for the wedding banquet, so they are not left out of the wedding banquet to hear the words of Jesus on the last day:

“Truly I tell you, I do not know you.”

Truth be told though, when the Elders and I reach out to delinquent members, the response we often get is: 

“Don’t be judgmental; my faith is just fine! Are you kicking me out of the church?”

I am fearful that many of these delinquents are just like those foolish virgins, thinking they are fine, but in reality, they are without oil.    

Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy on them, and us too.  

Dear friends, it would be simple if you and I were given a lamp and didn’t need oil. But that is not how Christianity works. We need oil every single week. We need it every single day. The reason why? Because we do not depend on ourselves. We cannot create faith by our own works. We cannot keep the lamp burning by our own spiritual enthusiasm. Faith separated from the Word and Sacraments is not real faith but a counterfeit faith.  The oil flasks must be filled by the Word and Sacraments. For every Christian, faith must be created, sustained, and strengthened by God’s gifts of Word and Sacrament, for apart from the Word and Sacraments, the oil runs dry – plain and simple. 

Now, in case this hasn’t been uncomfortable enough, let me raise the bar once more.

It is entirely possible for someone to come to this church week after week and still not have oil.

But how is that possible?

Dear friends, listen up!  Simply attending church does not mean one is a Christian. A person can tithe, sit in the pew, and serve on church boards — but if their ears are closed to the Word and Sacrament, if their heart is hard to the Gospel, then they are no different than a pagan. Think about it: standing in a barn without a pitchfork doesn’t make you a farmer. Walking across a baseball field without a glove doesn’t make you a major leaguer. Sitting in a pew without faith doesn’t make you a Christian.

Listen up: the end is coming soon. In a very short time, you will either be dead in the grave or Christ will return to usher in the Last Day. And when that day comes, every person will stand or fall on their own faith. Not the faith of your pastor. Not the faith of your parents. Not the faith of your spouse. Not the faith of your church or denomination. Your faith.

And the tragic, terrible reality is that those who have no oil—no faith—have brought it upon themselves. They have excluded themselves from the wedding banquet of the Lamb. They have foolishly believed that church membership on a roster, their supposed good works, or some outward appearance will be an adequate substitute for saving faith.  Lord, have mercy!

But pastor, you may say, I don’t want to be excluded! I need oil!

Thanks be to God—you’re in the right place.  You and I do need oil!  

Yes, we all need oil. We all need faith. And this faith is not something you and I can manufacture. Faith is not self-generated; instead, it comes by hearing the Gospel. Faith is grounded in the hope of our Baptisms. It comes by hearing the Word of Christ, and it is strengthened every single week at this Altar.

And so, today, like every Sunday, your faith is being strengthened here at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. 

This is why we have weekly communion, this is why we have sermons each week based on the historic lectionary, this is why we sing the songs we do from our hymnal, this is why we have weekly Bible studies from the Word, this is why we confess our sins and hear the absolution.  Hear this loud and clear: this church exists for the sole purpose of immersing you in the Gospel. This church exists to pour forgiveness into your ears - to lay it on your tongue, so that you are never lacking oil.  

Baptized Saints, in Holy Baptism, your faith is established – you are marked as one of the redeemed.   In the Word, you are rooted in good doctrine – the Word sanctifies you in Truth.  In the Supper, you are built up and strengthened – your sins are forgiven.  All of this is so that you may have abundant oil today, tomorrow, and to the very end. 

Baptized Saints, receive the gifts of Christ often, so that your lamp may burn brightly until your final breath—or until Christ returns to bring you home.

Keep awake, Baptized Saints – always receiving the gifts of Jesus that are for you.  

In the name of Jesus. Amen.