Finding Oil in Church

“So they went to buy the oil. But while they were on their way, the groom arrived. The bridesmaids who were ready went in with him to the wedding dinner. Then the door was shut. “Later, the other bridesmaids also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’  “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’  “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Matthew 25:10-13

Lamps with no oil are like people who hear the good news, are filled with real joy and enthusiasm, but in time the necessity to build into their life, routines and disciplines become boring or just too much work, and they fall to the side. They fail to be fruitful in their Christian life.
Do we come up against demands for which we are not prepared.
Are we good disciples as well as good party goers?

 Just because you got an invitation does not mean you will be there when the main event comes around, unless you build into your life a means of growing, refreshing and living a life faithful to Christ--producing good fruit.

One commentator says the bridesmaids had a presumptuous relationship. That is they presumed too casually that all would be well, that someone else would take care of it for them. Their fellow bridesmaids would surely loan them oil and when that did not turn out, surely the bridegroom would not exclude them. But they were wrong.

They assumed that being invited was all they needed.
No other action on their part was necessary, they believed.
This teaching of Jesus reminds us that a person whose faith is not changing their life, is not ready.
There should be no warm cozy, familiarity that breeds contempt. Stay ready. Make sure your life is moving in the right direction.

I also see in this a refutation of the argument some make that they are fine Christians without the church or any of the disciplines of the Christian life.
Jesus is saying that just because you think your name is on the roster, don't get presumptuous.
A team player who gives up of training and practices is not going to be on the team for long.

Robby Robins was an Air Force pilot during the first Iraq war. After his 300th mission, he was surprised to be given permission to immediately pull his crew together and fly his plane home. They flew across the ocean to Massachusetts and then had a long drive to western Pennsylvania. They drove all night, and when his buddies dropped him off at his driveway just after sun-up, there was a big banner across the garage—"Welcome Home Dad!"
How did they know? No one had called, and the crew themselves hadn't expected to leave so quickly. Robins relates, "When I walked into the house, the kids, about half dressed for school, screamed, 'Daddy!' Susan came running down the hall—she looked terrific—hair fixed, make-up on, and a crisp yellow dress. 'How did you know?' I asked.
'I didn't,' she answered through tears of joy. 'Once we knew the war was over, we knew you'd be home one of these days. We knew you'd try to surprise us, so we were ready every day.'"^1.