Frankie Mazzapica - The Feast and the Rehearsal Dinner
The title of today’s message is «The Wedding Feast and the Rehearsal Dinner.» Let me lay the scriptural foundation of where this message is coming from; it’s in Matthew chapter 25, and we’re going to go over verses 1 through 12. It reads like this: «The Kingdom of Heaven is like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to see the bridegroom.» Now, the bridegroom in this passage is Jesus, and the bridesmaids represent the Church, you and I, who come as one with the Lord. It’s saying that the Lord is coming back. In another passage of the Bible, it says that, in the twinkling of an eye—just blink your eyes—you’re in the presence of the Lord.
But the story goes like this: there were ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to see the bridegroom. There were five foolish bridesmaids and five wise bridesmaids. The five foolish didn’t prepare enough olive oil to burn their lamps, while the five wise brought more than enough. Because the bridegroom delayed in his return, the ten bridesmaids became weary as they awaited Jesus' return; they fell asleep. At midnight, someone cried, «Hey, the bridegroom is here!» The bridesmaids arose and went out with their lamps to meet him. However, the five foolish bridesmaids looked at the five wise bridesmaids and begged them, «Please give us some of your oil.» The five wise bridesmaids replied, «We don’t have enough oil for all of you; go down to the store and buy some more.» But while they were gone, the bridegroom showed up, took his brides, and led them in to enjoy the wedding feast.
You know, when we get to heaven, there’s going to be a massive feast like no other—a feast where no one’s going to gain a pound. You can eat all the meatballs, all the fried shrimp—just eat it all! The Lord will say, «Hey, come sit down; I’ve prepared this for you.» But when he walks the wise bridesmaids in, the Bible says that he locks the door behind them. Afterwards, the five foolish bridesmaids show back up and yell from outside the door, «Let us in!» The Lord yells back, «Believe me, I do not know you.»
Now, the oil that burns the flame represents the Holy Spirit; it represents this heart and passion toward the Lord. The lamp signifies you; you’re the lamp. When you have a relationship with God, it’s burning through you, so when people look into your eyes, they see strength. When you talk to people, there’s this uplifting presence; they feel better being around you. There’s something about you that makes them wonder where you get your strength from. You tell them, «You have to come to church with me! If it weren’t for God, I would be dead right now!»
The story is unpacking the Church; these are ten Christians, but half of them let their passion wane; they didn’t bring enough oil to get through the tough times. I want to talk about two major things: first, I want to discuss the Wedding Feast, and then I want to discuss the Rehearsal Dinner before the Wedding Feast. The Wedding Feast is this moment in heaven that is only for the people who kept their fire burning. In Revelation chapter 3, verse 16, the Lord says, «Because you are neither hot (passionate for me) nor cold, I will spit you out.» The people who are lukewarm—those who say, «I believe in you, but I’m not passionate about you"—didn’t bring enough oil to get through the difficult seasons. They’re not going to dine with me; they will be left standing outside the door, calling to Jesus, but he will say, «I don’t even know you.»
He’s talking about people in the Church. Originally, all ten bridesmaids showed up ready to go; they all brought oil, but only five were ready for the seasons to come. There are three different ways the enemy comes in to snuff out the flame. The first way is through discernment. The enemy takes discernment out of your head, making it impossible for you to distinguish right from wrong; it all blends together. In Isaiah 5:20, it says, «You will call what is right wrong and what is wrong right; you will call what is black white and what is white black.» This is the enemy seizing your discernment; he puts it out.
Charles Spurgeon said this: «Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong; it is knowing the difference between what is almost right.» Imagine if your cable company stopped billing you. You still have cable TV, but they aren’t sending you a bill. After a few months, what do you do? Do you thank Jesus, saying, «You took from the wicked and gave to the righteous»? Or do you call the cable company to say, «I think there’s been a mistake; you haven’t been charging me, but I’ve been getting free cable»? This requires discernment. It’s not about what’s right or wrong; it’s what’s almost right.
I read about a guy who dreamt of a fence dividing two acres of land. On one side, the grass was incredibly green with flowers, while the other side was scorched and dead. In the dream, he knew that the Holy Spirit rested on the green side, while the devil controlled the scorched side. He also understood it was decision time: would he choose to live for God or act as if God doesn’t exist? He could easily find himself straddling the fence, but he discovered that the devil owns the fence. Stay away from gray areas; the devil lives in them. Do you have the discernment to know this is a gray area?
The second way the enemy keeps us from the Wedding Feast is through temptation. You know it’s right; you know it’s wrong. Temptation makes you believe that giving in is the solution, but it will ultimately destroy you. I once spoke to someone addicted to methamphetamines. He described it as having a Ziploc bag pulled over your head. With every breath, the bag catches in your mouth, and when someone pokes a hole, you struggle to breathe. To cope, you think the solution is to go back to drugs, but they’re not the answer. The bitterness and the desire to detach are temptations that won’t make things better; they will kill you. If the enemy can keep you from pressing through discouraging seasons, you may not have enough oil to endure.
You must be spiritually prepared to handle discouraging times. Your relationship with the Lord should be strong enough to help you overcome these moments. Have you been praying and worshipping before the discouragement hits? I listened to a preacher who, when delivering a prophetic word to someone else, I felt it was meant for me. He said, «When you’re looking at track and field in the Olympics, the inside track is shorter than the outside lane, which is why they stagger the runners.» Once the gun goes off, you may think your runner is losing, but the race changes the moment they take the turn.
You don’t know when you’ll take your corner in life. Ladies, when you find out you’re pregnant, your whole life changes in that moment. God changes everything in moments; you just won’t know when that moment will be. You have to maintain enough oil and a close relationship with God to endure discouraging seasons.
Now, let’s talk about the rehearsal dinner. The Wedding Feast will be grand, and there is no time in heaven. You may have lost a loved one, and while you wait for years or decades to see them again, for them, there is no time. The moment they walk into the Pearly Gates, they see you right away.
We, right now, are in the rehearsal dinner. Those who have brought enough oil to get through discouragement and temptation will experience a kind of peace. We should have enough oil to endure. There will be times when temptation overtakes you, and you feel you’ve blown it. But that’s why I love God; He knew we would struggle. In 1 John 1:9, it says if you confess your sins, He is faithful and just to forgive you of all unrighteousness.
None of us are perfect. Can you remember every time you’ve asked for forgiveness in your life? You’ve probably asked thousands of times. You don’t remember all the moments you’ve asked because time isn’t relevant to God; He forgets those sins the second you confess them.
Last thought: my wife means everything to me; she’s my best friend. Every single night, I tell her, «At the end of the day, it’s just you and me. I’ll meet you here tomorrow.» When she speaks to me, I want her to see my face. If she’s talking and I’m watching a game, she’ll ask, «Are you listening?» It’s the connection that matters.
The intimacy I’m mentioning now—while it might not be as good as the feast—is vital. You sense and feel it when you turn your face towards the Lord and talk to Him. Let’s do that together now. If you would, please stand. Would you put both hands out to the Lord? In 1 Timothy 2:8, it says every time you come into the house of the Lord, raise your hands to Him.
When I raise my hands, it’s a reflection of what I’m thinking and desiring. So, if you want to receive something, just put your hands out. One of the ways the enemy tries to snuff out that flame is by sealing your lips, preventing you from speaking to God. He cares little if you attend church; however, when you open your mouth to speak with the Lord, the enemy trembles and runs. So, some of you in this room resonate with this message, and you want your heart to be on fire for the Lord. If there is anything in your life you need Him to do, this is the time to express it.
Put your hands out like you want to receive something, and take a moment to talk to Him. If you want to repeat the same sentences, that’s okay. Holy Spirit, thank you for being here this morning. Bless your people.
Everyone, look at me for a moment. I’ve been to Brazil a few times, and I began doing something there that I still practice. When someone gets healed or freed from demonic oppression, we say, «Lord, I don’t know where those spirits went, but if they circle back to torment me, we brush them off.» To do this, we physically brush them off in Jesus' name. I want you to do that now. Just brush your shoulders and say, «In Jesus' name, leave.» Repeat it three times, breathing out.
Now, smile at me if you feel better. I don’t know what happened, but I sense the Lord’s presence here. If you’re struggling during the week, remember to brush your thoughts away.
Thank you, Holy Spirit! If you need prayer, the prayer partners are ready to pray with you. Some of you may feel unprepared to see the Lord, fearing you might identify with the five foolish bridesmaids. You might be indifferent. But build your theology on scripture, not solely on your beliefs.
In Hebrews 10:26, it says, «If you continue to sin after coming to know grace, there remains no more sacrifice for your sins.» While no one can pluck you from God’s hand, it is wise bridesmaids who endure. If this message has stirred something in you, there are people here who want to pray with you.
Come out of your seats if you want to pray, and remember, there’s no official dismissal. May the Lord bless you, keep you, shine down upon you, and bring you peace in Jesus' name. Amen.