Introduction

Good day to everyone. Let us turn to Matthew Chapter 25. Actually, Matthew is not easy to study. To grasp the purpose of Matthew’s Gospel requires some effort. After much deliberation and repeated consideration, we have titled this chapter: The Standards of the Kingdom of Heaven. Speaking of the standards of the Kingdom of Heaven, there are all sorts of ideas. I often hear people say, I have been baptized, I have received grace and salvation, and I will go to heaven after I die.

Sometimes I wonder: Can such people really go to heaven? How can heaven possibly have such people? You might think I am judging, but to be honest, the attitude displayed by many Christians is not even as good as that of monks! Actually, my impression of Christians is not good at all. Sometimes, when I hear someone say they are a Christian, I immediately become more cautious because I am afraid of being deceived. Especially those who like to call themselves Christians and want others to believe them, why should I believe you? There is nothing to believe, really.

Reading Matthew Chapter 25, we find that the first, second, and third sections all speak of Christians. After reading these passages, I think many of us should feel discouraged. Some might say: The standards are set so high, who can enter heaven? Who can go to the Kingdom of Heaven? Actually, such sentiments are a great help to you. How will you account to God if you are a Christian who lacks aspiration and does not believe in the Lord properly, but just babbles nonsense?

Brothers and sisters, ponder this carefully: The standards of the Kingdom of Heaven have never been low. You will find that we in Chinese Mingding Destiny have a characteristic; we place great emphasis on Mingding. We rarely talk about receiving grace and salvation, but often talk about striving diligently. Actually, even striving diligently is not quite enough. How can we get by with merely coping? There is a vast difference between whether a person takes this matter seriously or not.

Vigilance and Wisdom

Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were foolish, and five were wise. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. (Matthew 25:1-13)

Reading this passage does not leave one with a good feeling. If one day the door is shut, and we say, Lord, open the door for us, and the Lord says from inside, Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you, that would be very severe. Wouldn’t everything be in vain if God does not know us? It is very dangerous to live life without vigilance or to believe in the Lord with a casual attitude. The ten virgins in the parable are all Christians and are all preparing to welcome the return of Jesus Christ; they are divided into the foolish and the wise. What is the difference between these two types of people? The difference lies in the matter of preparation.

Let's not talk about why the lamp is so important for now. Let's first assume that this matter is important. If you are not prepared, what will you do when the oil runs out? Suppose you are driving to Tibet, and you don't bring extra fuel; what will you do if you run out of gas on the road and can't find a gas station? Some people who are a bit dim often come and ask me questions that they could figure out with a little thought. Actually, they could solve the problem if they thought one step further. Since you are waiting to go out and meet the bridegroom, shouldn't you prepare for this matter? Shouldn't you check whether there is oil in the lamp first? The five wise virgins prepared a vessel; not only did they have oil in their lamps, but they also brought an oil can, so that when the oil in the lamps ran out, they could pour oil from the can into the lamps. That is a wise person.

Whether a person is intelligent is very important to me, and I think God also needs intelligent people. Actually, the Kingdom of Heaven should be full of intelligent people. This intelligence has little to do with education. If you want to accomplish something, shouldn't you prepare everything that needs to be prepared in advance? If you don't prepare what you need in advance, can you accomplish this thing? For example, if you want to drill a hole in the wall, shouldn't you prepare a drill in advance? You can't drill with your finger, can you? Therefore, believing in the Lord is not about being saved just because you are baptized. Many Christians don't read the Bible properly and are very good at talking nonsense. They don't prepare what they should prepare. Do you think the Lord Jesus will know you when He comes? The Lord Jesus will not know you!

Think about it, what is most precious to us in this world today? Isn't it the Kingdom of God? If we want to enter the Kingdom of God, is it acceptable for us to be unserious, unvigilant, and without God's presence? Actually, sometimes God deliberately delays a little in order to sift out those five. Our God is not a softhearted person! Actually, the other five virgins are also quite ruthless; not only did they not share with the five virgins, but they also said, I don't even know if I have enough for myself! They had already prepared enough oil.

The standards of the Kingdom of Heaven are written so clearly in black and white in the Bible! If you read the Bible carefully, how could you not know God's will? If you read the Bible carefully and still don't understand, that's okay. If you carefully study the Bible with me, verse by verse, you should be able to get a general idea! Don't pretend to know, and don't arbitrarily change God's standards. Many people have changed God's standards arbitrarily.

The standards of God's Kingdom are actually very high standards. Let me give you a few examples. In Abraham's time, there were two people, Abraham and Lot. Lot left Abraham. Do you think Lot had any Mingding? Actually, he had no Mingding. He only cared about making money. Then, unknowingly, he became muddled and actually moved to Sodom and Gomorrah. Can you live in such a lewd place? You can't. But he was bold and stayed there, living quite well. Both of his daughters were dating and were about to get married. Lot was actually a person who lost his Mingding. Abraham and Lot formed a stark contrast. But many people have glorified Lot as a righteous man.

God never said that Lot was a righteous man. Actually, God saved Lot entirely because God remembered Abraham. Lot saved God's two angels, but what does that prove? So we must often ponder this matter. Today, when we look back, we must be careful not to lower God's standards. Frankly speaking, Lot is really not as good as the five virgins who did not prepare oil! The five virgins who did not prepare oil were at least waiting for the bridegroom, carrying lamps with oil in them. It was only when the bridegroom was delayed that they fell asleep. Then someone shouted, The bridegroom is coming! At this time, they looked at the lamps and saw that there was no oil, so they went to get oil.

Some people think that God's standards are too high, but what can we do? We can't argue with God, can we? God's standards have never been lowered. If you ask me why Chinese Mingding Destiny has such great effort and ability, I will tell you that it is because we never lower God's standards. We have not learned from Lot; we do things according to Abraham's standards. I have often heard some pastors explain the parable of the ten virgins, saying that the other five virgins were thrown into the outer darkness, where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth.

They also say that there is a dark place in heaven. I wonder, would you want to gnash your teeth in such darkness? Would you want such a result? Would you want God not to know you? Then don't interpret it that way. Anyway, I don't want to stay in darkness. I want to be vigilant and prepare well. What should we prepare? As for the lamp and the oil, let's not talk about them for now because interpreting them has no basis. But if you ask me, there are seven golden lampstands in Revelation. The seven golden lampstands are seven churches, and the lamps on the seven golden lampstands are the Spirit of God. As for whether we can compare the oil to the Holy Spirit or other things, let's not speculate about these things for now.

Actually, if Christians read the Bible properly, how could they not know? How could they not know God's requirements for us? If you don't know, read Matthew and Hebrews. How high are the standards in Hebrews! You must strive diligently. Actually, this is a very simple matter. If you think a little, you will know that the lamp is running out of oil. This is not some high technology, not some chip, not some nanotechnology, not some optical technology; it is a very straightforward thing. What will I do if the lamp runs out of oil?

Let's think for a moment. You are driving a car, and the fuel in the tank is already low before you set off, but you don't refuel and continue driving. As a result, the car can't go anymore halfway. If you say, It's okay, I'll pray, and the car can still go, isn't that tempting God? Isn't it your responsibility to refuel when you should refuel? So brothers and sisters, don't believe in the Lord to the point where you lose the most basic common sense. The main thing is not to be lazy, don't assume that everything will be fine, and wait until the time comes. I tell you, when the time really comes, God will not know you.

Today, we must be rigorous in reading the Bible. Actually, we must be rigorous in whatever we do, because God wants to send us to manage all that He has. If your attitude is not right, you will not be able to manage anything. So the Kingdom of Heaven is not what you imagine, where you do nothing in heaven and just shout hallelujah. Because in the Kingdom of Heaven, we still have to manage these things with God; this is our responsibility. When God created Adam on earth, He sent him to manage the affairs of this earth, to manage the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all kinds of living creatures on the earth. Why did God send Adam to manage these things? Because it was a good thing for Adam. Otherwise, what would Adam do all day long? Was he supposed to retire immediately after being created by God? That would be so boring!

God deliberately prepared such an environment for us so that we could live out our creative power. Everyone must know that God's salvation is not just about going to heaven after death; it is about letting us live out God's glorious image. Therefore, we do things practically on earth as we wait for Jesus Christ to return, and we walk with God in what we do.

Faithfulness

For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:14-30)

Is this lazy and wicked servant a Christian? Yes. Do you think our God would say: This is also unrighteous wealth. It's good whether you earn money or not, anyway it is unrighteous wealth! God did not say that. That is to say, God compares a person who doubles his money to being faithful and good. What exactly does it mean to be faithful and good? It means that one knows the master's will in his heart and does what the master wants him to do. That is called faithfulness. There are no unfaithful people in the Kingdom of Heaven.

We humans like to find a lot of excuses not to grow and do a lot of things that have no return. You might ask: Why did he give someone five talents, someone two talents, but only give me one talent? Do I not have talent? Isn't this one talent a talent? If you have the talent of one talent, then he will give you one talent, then you should make good use of this one talent to manage it into two. However, some people do not think of ways to do it. Are the ones with five talents and two talents smart? Not only are they smart, but they also think of ways to do it. Why do they dare to do this? Because they know the master's requirements and what he wanted them to do.

God gives you talents not for you to bury them, but to create value through effort. Solving problems and creating value are very important concepts in our Chinese Mingding Destiny. We don't think poverty is a good thing; poverty is basically related to laziness. Why bury the talent in the ground? Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven is full of smart people. Smart people are faithful people, and faithfulness is the greatest intelligence. Some people will ask: What if I lose money? Why would you lose money? The reason is simple, because you didn't do a good job of investigation and implementation.

Why did they earn five talents? Because they seriously investigated, understood, and explored. There are plenty of opportunities in this world! Even in the midst of an economic crisis, there are many opportunities. Our God is a God who bestows opportunities on people. If you are someone who works with God on earth, someone with five talents will definitely be able to earn back five talents, and someone with two talents will definitely be able to earn back two talents. Even someone with only one talent will be able to earn back one talent.

The key is not how much money we have, but whether we have faithfulness. If God entrusts us to manage a certain industry, it must increase in value. If we don't manage it, how can it increase in value? What is the most important standard of management? It is what is said in Genesis.

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28)

How do we manage? Originally there was one fish, now there are two, and then they produced many eggs, and the number of fish began to multiply. Originally there were two sheep, one male and one female, and then they gave birth to one after another, and finally there will be many sheep, and the result will multiply. So brothers and sisters, what is management? Investment and financial management is managing money. Investment and financial management is making more and more money, making things better and better, and making them more and more valuable. That is called management.

So our church has a characteristic. I hope that with my co-workers, as we manage together, you will become more and more valuable. Whenever I see the salaries of our brothers and sisters increase, I am very happy. Why? Because of our management and your own efforts. Your value is constantly increasing, and that is called management.

If we are unfaithful in management, don't use our brains well, and don't manage well, it will be troublesome. So the church is a place that makes people grow, a place that turns people into talents, and a place that manages people. Shepherding is management, and management is shepherding. If we manage people to increase in value, we can give a good account to God in the future.

What exactly have you done today? No matter what it is, if you don't do it wholeheartedly, it will be over. If you are a virgin, if you do it wholeheartedly, you will become a wise person. If you are a servant of God and do it wholeheartedly, five thousand will become ten thousand, and two thousand will become four thousand. Actually, if you are faithful over a few things, God will send us more things to manage, and we will be more faithful. The more we manage, the more rewards we get. God actually wants us to be able to create value.

There are no lazy people in the Kingdom of Heaven, there is no such lazy and wicked servant, and these people are mostly thrown into darkness. So some lazy people among us do not know what it means to enjoy the joy of the master. I tell you, in this world, if we are always innovating and constantly creating things, it is so happy after we finish creating, that is called entering into the joy of your master.

That is to say, we have the glorious image of God on us, and that is a very happy thing. If we have the image of the devil on us, that is a very entangled thing. Some people say, Oh, this is not a matter of money, but the analogy that God uses is money! Actually, it shows that God values ​​value very much.

If you can't manage the things in this world well, what will you manage when you go to heaven? Don't think about sweeping the floor when you go to heaven. It's impossible, because even the janitors on the ground are about to lose their jobs. Why? Robots are doing it. So don't expect to do odd jobs in heaven or something. There's no such thing. Heaven is full of managers, all managers, and no one is managed.

What to manage? Manage money, manage people... that is God's will. When Jesus comes again, we will manage the earth with God for a thousand years, and then there will be a new heaven and a new earth. Why is it a thousand years? It's actually to test whether you can manage at all.

Love

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, I was naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. (Matthew 25:31-46)

The standards of the Kingdom of Heaven may be high, but they are not unreasonable. If you reflect on it, you will find it is not all that difficult. Preparing ten virgins with oil to await Jesus is not difficult at all; it is straightforward. Earning five thousand from five thousand, or two thousand from two thousand, is also straightforward. These are straightforward principles, are they not? If we are to manage affairs, we must practice the ability to manage.

God calls us to shepherd His flock, but what happens? Many churches fail to shepherd. What is their shepherding? It is all empty. This passage speaks so plainly: if someone is hungry, give them food; if thirsty, give them drink; if sick, visit them. How difficult is this? Not at all, because it is not about grand or lofty things. Yet, such a simple standard immediately separates Christians, like separating sheep from goats. What is this standard? It is love.

We must understand that if someone owes a gambling debt of $3 million, do you help them repay it? No. Because the Bible does not speak of repaying gambling debts; it is all very straightforward. In reality, a Christian’s living needs are few and small.

Our church encourages brothers and sisters to love one another, especially the little lambs God has entrusted to your care. As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. That is, the least among us, whom God has called us to shepherd, we must shepherd well, for what we do for them, we do for the Lord.

Know that one day we will have to give an account to God, but many fail to do this, choosing instead to pursue grand and lofty things. They neglect these simple, straightforward acts. What will be the result? These people will go into eternal punishment. They are cursed, entering the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Is this not a matter of life and death?

In being a Christian, do not engage in empty gestures; be genuine. Why do people fail to do these things? A sibling who is least, how much need does he or she have? It is not some complex need. Is this a high standard? No, it resides within our love. When you see brothers and sisters in pain, are you concerned? Some do not care at all, to such an extent that when they themselves fall ill, they merely send a message asking others to pray for them, without concern for whether the prayer is effective or not. Is this not engaging in empty gestures? Therefore, I do not encourage empty gestures.

In truth, living is a simple matter. Human needs are not grand or lofty; life is merely this: to know that what we do today is done for God. We serve as if serving God, not because someone is weak or small, but because we are servants of God. This is our calling, our Mingding Destiny. Therefore, brothers and sisters, do not lose love as you believe. Love is not complex; it is straightforward.

Having read these three passages, do you have a better understanding of God’s standard? If someone asks me what to do, is it necessary to ask? In every sermon, do I not tell you what to do? If you are a virgin, prepare oil well. How? By diligently putting God's Word into practice. In every sermon, every Bible study, do I not say this? Use the talents God has given you well in this world. These are matters of common sense.

When brothers and sisters are sick, can we spend the time and effort to visit them and lead them to healing and deliverance? We cannot engage in empty gestures, or we will become distorted. Sheep will become goats. People who once had love will become devoid of it. The standards of God’s Kingdom have never lowered. Are they difficult to attain? Indeed, what is impossible with man is possible with God.

“Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:24-26)

If we rely on God on earth, work with Him, walk with Him, and trust in faith, whether God gives us one thousand, two thousand, or five thousand, we will never haggle over these matters. We only care about one thing: walking with God on earth. If it is what God does, we will do as Jesus did, longing to be like God, believing in faith that what is impossible with man is possible with God.

Conclusion

If we believe in God, He will surely release His power in us, enabling us to live out His glorious image. Then we will enjoy the joy of the Master every day on earth; how wonderful that is. When we come to God, He says, Enter, share in your master’s joy, you good and faithful servant.

Since we have been faithful in a few things, God will put us in charge of many things. In the end, how could God say He does not know us? How could God cast us into eternal punishment? How could He cast us into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels?

The intent of our God is straightforward. What does God want from us? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Is this not a straightforward thing? Do not let your Christian faith become increasingly complex, with the Nicene Creed, the Apostles' Creed, and memorizing Romans from cover to cover, yet failing to put it into practice. That is useless.

Therefore, everyone must prepare well. If you believe this matter to be important, you will surely spend time doing it. From now on, do not make things complicated. Although God’s requirements are simple and straightforward, the standards are very high. Let us no longer deceive ourselves, no longer be foolish, thinking we have already attained, knowing that we are still far off.

Brothers and sisters! What you need to do most is to strive. If you have already earned five thousand from five thousand, and God adds another thousand, it becomes eleven thousand. But if you remain consistently at the level of eleven thousand, you become a lazy and wicked servant. If you continue to strive, that eleven thousand will become twenty-two thousand; twenty-two thousand will become forty-four thousand.

Today, we must establish the habit of striving, no longer being lazy, but living out God’s image on earth every day, walking with God, and becoming a blessing to this generation. Prepare well every day, as if the Lord Jesus were coming, maintaining a watchful attitude and conscientiously putting God’s Word into practice!

May God bless you all!