Time to Wake Up: Devo

Introduction: Are You Awake???

Most of us can probably remember being a child and our parents coming into the room saying son it’s time to get up and get dressed.

I can remember as a young child dad coming and waking me up before the rooster’s crow turning the light on and saying….

Most children do not want to get up early and specially to go to work.

Now if its hunting and fishing well I would jump out of bed!!!

Paul tells us in Romans 13:11 It’s time to wake up!

We will look at three points.

First, we will see It’s Time to Wake Up (Romans 13:11).

Second, we will see It’s Time To get dressed (Romans 13:12).

Finally, we will see It’s Time to go to Work (Romans 13:13-14).

Thesis: As Christians we need to know its time to wake up, get dressed with our armor, and continue our work laboring for the Lord.

I. It’s Time to Wake Up (Romans 13:11).

a. Knowing the Time, its high time to wake out of sleep!!

i. Think of Paul’s Audience. Christians at Rome!

ii. Rom 1 The just shall live by faith.

iii. Roms 2 God righteous judgement

iv. 3 the problem- al have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

v. 4 Justified by faith- Abraham

vi. 5 The Christian is dead to Gods wrath- see wee are under a grace system

vii. 6 The Christian is dead to sin- becomes servants of righteousness.

viii. 7 The Christian is dead to the Law- Old Law.

ix. 8 The Christian is dead to condemnation.

x. 9-11 The Jew and Gentiles. Gods Compasssion on grafting in the Gentiles.

xi. ROM 12 The Christains attitude toward: 1-2 God, 3-13 the Church, 14-21 The Enemy

xii. Rom 13:1-7 The Christians attitude toward government, 8-10 The Law.

xiii. Now vs 11-14 A summary knowing all this, its time to wake up, not physically, but spiritually wake up. It’s time for a revival!!!!

xiv. Ephesians 5:14 “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”

xv. 1 Cor 15:34 Its time to Awake to righteousness; and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

xvi. Think about all the people who sit in the pews who have put on Christ but have become stagnant in their faith. They are not growing just coming to services like punching that time clock checking into work, but not actually studying Gods Word and growing in knowledge. We will all come across people like this as Gospel preachers and need to help revive them.

b. Knowing our salvation is nearer than when we first believed!!

i. Every day that passes by we are closer to salvation.

ii. We are closer today then we were yesterday.

iii. Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of our lives, but tomorrow is not promised.

iv. 1 Thess 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10- The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night….

v. Jesus- Matt 24:36 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”

vi. Every day that goes by we are closer to that day, the day that Jesus will return.

II. It’s Time To get dressed (Romans 13:12).

a. Knowing the night is far spent and the day is at hand.

i. Yesterday is over, the things that happened yesterday we can not change. It is already spent and done away with. What we can focus on is now, and the future.

ii. It is a new day, Let us as Christians make the most out of it. Don’t waste the precious time God has given us. As Bible students we learn that time is valuable- on your person studies, sermon prep, CHO, readings, family time, and sleep.

b. Let us cast off the works of darkness.

i. Think about the things that happen in darkness as Paul will list some in vs 13. But people drinking, gambling, Whoredom, murder, stealing, people are just eating, drinking and being marry some would call it late in the hours of night not even worried about tomorrow. Some will wake up hung over, out of money, with diseases, and even worse some wont even have a tomorrow.

c. It’s time to put on the Armor of Light!

i. We need to put on our Christian armor seen in Ephesians 6:10-20.

Breast plate of righteousness, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, Sword....... All from the Word of God!!

ii. 1 Thess. 5:5 We are children of light, and children of the day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

III. It’s Time to go to Work (Romans 13:13-14).

a. It’s time to walk Honestly as in the day: not rioting, in drunkenness, wantonness, strife, envying.

b. It’s time to put on the Lord Jesus Christ.

i. How do you do that???

ii. Paul has hit on this subject back in Rom 6. We are buried with Christ in Baptism. Put the Old man to death. We were servants of sin but are now servants of righteousness.

iii. We put on Jesus in baptism then we put Him on continually by getting into His Word until His Word is in us. We let the Word of God transform us!!!!!

iv. Rom 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

v. Now remember Paul’s audience Rom 1:7 The saints in Rome- they had already put on Jesus in Baptism. But possibly did not completely bury their old lifestyles, and Paul telling them they need to Put Him on continually by being transformed by His Word.

vi. It takes a lot of work, a lot of study, a lot of self-discipline. Many of us are learning this as Southwest Students. We have a lot to learn still and will continue to learn the rest of our lives. But it will take a lot of Work on our part individually.

c. It’s time to “make no provision for the flesh”, to fulfil the lusts thereof!!

i. Provision is: forethought or provident care or supply.

ii. Think about what are your temptations are? Say its drinking alcohol, well if you hang out with the same old drinking buddies, and go to places that serve it, or you keep the old whiskey bottle in cabinet then you are making provisions for the flesh which could lead you lusting after.

iii. Gal 5:16 “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.”

iv. When we become a Christian, we need to take out the trash. Get all the garbage that could cause you to stumble out of your life and now before its to late!!

v. Ropers commentary on Romans- Ask yourself what are my Spiritual weaknesses, u need to know because the devil knows them. Then ask what people, what places, what activities, what situations mostly encourage me to my temptations. Once you answer those questions then stay away from those people, places, activities, and situations to make no provision of the flesh.

Conclusion: We see Paul is telling the church at Rome, and also telling us today that we need to wake up.

The Christians at Rome were possibly falling back into their old ways.

Going back to the old law and the works of it.

When Paul is saying we are dead to the old law!

We are still under a law being the law of Christ.

Being under His law, after we put Him on in Baptism,.

Nw we have work: to do we need to get into the Word and let the Word transform us and show us how we need to live our lives. Its going to take a lot of work, but the rewards are out of this World!

First, we will see It’s Time to Wake Up (Romans 13:11).

Second, we will see It’s Time To get dressed (Romans 13:12).

Finally, we will see It’s Time to go to Work (Romans 13:13-14).

Are you Awake this morning or are you Spiritually asleep??? If not let us help u get that fire lit back up AND Let’s wake up and get to work!