ACT LIKE IT!

This Week’s Theme: Put On Christ

Word for the Week is Lust: It is an overpowering and compulsive desire or passion, especially of a sexual nature. Scripture condemns lust of all kinds, and urges believers to show self-control.

Memory verse: 1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Essence of the Text: Paul called for the saints in Rome to remove their wicked works and replace them with the character qualities of Christ so they could live as those changed by God’s truth.

Proposition: Because of the shortness of time, Christians are called to live righteously outside and inside the church by casting off wickedness and clothing themselves in the character qualities of Christ.

Objective: I want the audience to analyze all opportunities to fulfill sinful desires in their lives and avoid or eliminate those opportunities by changing who they hang with, who and what they watch, who and what they listen to, and what they read.

Sermon Text: Romans 13:11-14

Romans 13:11–14 NKJV

11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

INTRODUCTION:

TRANSITION:

Due to God’s Mercy bestowed on us through the work of Christ

Romans 1:18–19 NKJV

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.

God has given men up to uncleanness

Romans 1:23 NKJV

23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

God has given men up to vile passions

Romans 1:27–28 NKJV

27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

God has given men over to a debased mind

Romans 1:28 NKJV

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

PAUL CONCLUDED IN

Romans 3:23 NKJV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

BUT THEN ADDED

Romans 3:24–26 NKJV

24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

ROMANS 4 PAUL SHOWS THAT JUSTIFICATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN BY FAITH

ROMANS 5-8 THE RESULTS OF CHRIST’S REDEMPTIVE WORK

ROMANS 5:1

DIED WITH HIM

RAISED WITH HIM

Romans 12:1–2 NKJV

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

I. BY CONCEDING

Romans 13:1–2 NKJV

1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

PAUL TOLD THEM TO SUBMIT TO THE GOVERNMENT BECAUSE OF TWO THINGS.

Romans 13:5 NKJV

5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake.

(LEGAL REQUIREMENT) BECAUSE OF THE WRATH OF THE GOVERNMENT

(L)AND BECAUSE OF YOUR CHRISTIAN CONSCIENCE WHICH TELLS US TO FOLLOW GOD’S WILL.

II. BY CHERISHING

Romans 13:8 NKJV

8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

PAUL TOLD THEM TO OWE ONE ANOTHER NOTHING BUT LOVE

WHEN A SAINT LOVES HE OR SHE FULFILLS THE LAW

Romans 13:10 NKJV

10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

LOVE FULFILLS THE LAW

LOVE DOES NOT HARM TO A NEIGHBOR

III. BY BEING CLOTHED

WAKE UP

Romans 13:11 NKJV

11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

REMOVE WICKEDNESS

Romans 13:12 NKJV

12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

Romans 8:12–13 NKJV

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Romans 13:13 NKJV

13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.

PAUL CALLED HIMSELF, THE SAINTS AT ROME AND HIS COMPANIONS TO LIVE PROPERLY

TO LIVE HONESTLY

TO LIVE DECENTLY

TO LIVE WITH CONVICTION AND WITH CARE

USING FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE, PAUL CONTRASTED THE DAY AND THE NIGHT.

LIVING DECENT COMPARED TO LIVING DESPICABLE

LIVING HONEST COMPARED TO LIVING HORRIBLE

LIVING ETHICAL COMPARED TO LIVING EVIL

Colossians 3:5–8 NKJV

5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.

LIVING CHASTE COMPARED TO LIVING CRUEL

LIVING RIGHTEOUS COMPARED TO LIVING ROTTEN

LIVING MORALLY COMPARED TO LIVING MEAN

1 John 2:15–17 NKJV

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

LIVING VIRTUOUSLY COMPARED TO LIVING VICIOUS

LIVING BLAMELESS COMPARED TO LIVING BAD

AWAKE

SHED

PUT ON

Romans 13:12 NKJV

12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

Romans 13:14 NKJV

14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

Galatians 5:16–17 NKJV

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

Galatians 5:24 NKJV

24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.