Preparation for eternity is the urgent message at the heart of Pastor Tommy Boring’s sermon, “They Didn’t Forget the Oil. They Neglected It.” Preaching from Matthew 25 and the parable of the ten virgins, Pastor Boring challenges listeners to examine whether they are truly ready to meet God.

The five wise virgins and five foolish virgins all knew the bridegroom was coming. The difference was preparation. The foolish virgins had lamps, but they neglected to take oil with them. They did not simply forget what was necessary. They neglected the most important preparation.

Pastor Boring uses this picture to warn against neglecting salvation. Many people have heard the Gospel repeatedly. They know about Jesus, His coming, and the need to be born again, yet they continue to put off making things right with God. The danger is not always ignorance. Sometimes it is the decision to wait for another day.

The message points to the coming of Christ and the catching away of the church. First Thessalonians 4 describes the dead in Christ rising and the living being caught away to meet the Lord. Pastor Boring emphasizes the urgency of being ready because no one knows when that moment will come. Church attendance, membership, or religious activity cannot replace being born again through Jesus Christ.

The lamp in the parable had no usefulness without oil. In the same way, outward religion cannot substitute for the work of God within the soul. The oil represents what is necessary for the lamp to burn, and Pastor Boring uses this illustration to point to salvation and the Spirit of God.

The foolish virgins eventually realized their need, but by then it was too late. They asked the wise for oil, but salvation cannot be borrowed, shared, or transferred from one person to another. Each person must respond personally to God’s invitation while the opportunity remains.

The midnight cry came, the bridegroom arrived, and the door was shut. The foolish virgins cried out for the door to be opened, but they had waited too long. Pastor Boring uses this sobering picture to emphasize that there is no second chance after death. The time to prepare is now.

This sermon is also a direct call to those who have heard the truth but have continued to resist the Holy Spirit. God’s grace is reaching out, and the invitation to salvation is still being given. No one should assume there will always be another opportunity.

Pastor Boring reminds us that God sent His Son so that we would not have to face eternal separation from Him. Jesus is the only way to God, and the most important preparation anyone can make is to be born again.

If the Spirit of God is speaking to your heart, don’t neglect the opportunity. Don’t put off what matters for eternity. Bow before God, repent of your sin, and call upon Jesus Christ for salvation.

The question is not whether you have heard about the oil. The question is whether you have it.