Change Your Clothes
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INTRO:
Welcome
Turn with me to Romans 12:1-2
Stand for the Reading of God’s Word
Continuing Transformed Sermon Series
We will be wrapping it up next week.
Homework: How many of you have been praying for the Authorities in our lives?
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
PRAYER:
SERMON:
How many of us here still want to live a life that is holy and pleasing to God?
As we have read here… That comes from renewing our minds.
We have to change the way we think in order to change our behavior.
This morning we are continuing to renew our minds with the truth of God’s Word.
If you are taking notes this morning, our Sermon Title is: Change Your Clothes
Turn with me to Romans 13:11
11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
Before we go any further, let’s look at what Paul is saying.
He starts off by telling us we need to do something (And do this), but before telling us what that is... He gives us the why.
The Why is a powerful tool.
Understanding the why motivates us to do the what!
So what is the why?
Paul takes a moment and looks at the present time...
What was going on during his time of history?
Well, there was rising persecution for Christians & Growing political tensions.
Paul took this to mean that the end was coming soon.
I think he would be surprised that Christ’s return has not happened yet.
Over 2000 years has come and gone without Christ returning. Many have expected the rapture to occur at any moment throughout the years.
Just consider all the wars and terrible catastrophes that have happened over the years (World War 1 & 2)
Christians have been expecting Christ’s return for a long time.
And something happens when we wait a long time...
We start to get tired and restless.
Paul didn’t realize that we would still be waiting for Christ’s return, but he was still correct in what he was saying.
“The Hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”
Paul recognized that the church in His days were in a slumber.
And its the same kind of slumber the church wrestles with today as well.
Many have fallen spiritually asleep as they wait for the return of Christ.
And Paul is saying to us… WAKE UP!
The Hour has come… We can’t keep sleeping!
Look around you… Can’t you tell that Christ is coming soon?
Church,
We are closer today to the return of Christ than we have ever been.
So, wake up from your spiritual slumber!
But Pastor as you have already pointed out… the Church has been waiting for over 2000 years. What’s the rush?
Because we don’t know when He is coming… just the signs… and those signs point to His return more and more each day.
And He can come at any moment… Even today!
Christ gives us signs to be looking for in Matthew 24.
4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
We don’t know when Christ is returning, but like Paul said… our salvation is nearer now than it was when we first believed.
Understanding that Christ is coming soon and can come at any moment, we are then motivated to do what Paul calls us to do in verse 12.
12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
Here is where the renewing of the mind comes in.
Remember… Paul isn’t writing to unsaved people!
He is writing to the body of Christ who have fallen asleep spiritually and continue to live in sin.
And He is urging us to wake up spiritually and begin to remove all that is sinful out of our lives! Time is not on our side!
And he gives us a great imagery of what that looks like.
Paul uses the imagery of changing clothes.
Look at verse 12 again.
12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
“let us put aside”
Literally means:
To Throw away
To Leave
To Cast off
It’s a picture of someone taking off dirty clothes and balling them up and throwing them aside.
(when you throw them on the ground you don’t care if they get wrinkled or lay on the dirty floor…)
Paul is telling us that as we draw ever closer to the return of Christ, we need to take off our clothes of darkness.
To throw away and leave that lifestyle, and cast it away from you!
Get rid of it! All of it!
We must spiritually wake up and begin to take off all the deeds of darkness that we have held onto for far too long.
And then after we put aside our sin… Paul tells us to put on the armor of light.
“Put On”
Literally Means:
Dress Oneself
Wear clothes
So we are to dress ourselves in the armor of light!
What does that mean? The Armor of Light?
The Armor of Light
1 Thess 5:2-11 helps us to understand what Paul means by the Armor of light.
2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5 You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
The two armor pieces we see here are:
Faith & Love as the Breastplate
Hope of Salvation as the helmet.
These are the same as the Armor of God found in Ephesians chapter 3.
Only one difference: Here in 1 Thessalonians we see its a Breastplate of Faith and Love.
In Ephesians it is a Breastplate of righteousness.
It seems like maybe they are not the same thing but I assure you they are.
Righteousness comes only through Faith and Love.
Our faith in Christ brings righteousness into our lives and living sincere love produces righteousness.
What are the greatest commandments? Love the Lord your God and Love your Neighbor right?!
Paul is saying, as we draw closer to the return of Christ...
We need to take off sin and unrighteousness and put on righteousness and hope!
Then He continues to list just some things that are obviously in the church… (Not in the church today right?!)
13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
Drunkenness
Sexual Immorality
Sensuality
Quarraling
Jealousy
Gratifying the desires of the flesh
So the question you have to ask yourself today is...
What behavior do I have in my life that is sinful?
We need to put these things aside.
We need to wake up and recognize that they are not preparing us for the return of Christ but instead will hurt us when that day arrives!
And then Paul gives us one more article of clothing to put on...
14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
Clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ...
In other words…
Christ shouldn’t just be inside of you, He should be on your outside too!
If people can’t see Christ when they look at you… Then you have some changing to do.
This is a process. That is why Paul uses the imagery of changing clothes.
There is a process of letting go and removing and then adding on Christ.
But it is something that we must be intentional about as we draw close to the last days.
So the renewing of the mind is us recognizing that we have things in our lives that we need to continue to remove from our lives and add Righteousness to our lives.
Colossians gives us a good list to start adding on to our lives...
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
CLOSING:
Will you stand with me.
Church… He is coming soon!
Are we ready? Or are we still sleeping spiritually?
Wake up! Cast off the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light!
So,
What do you need to take off in your life?
What is it that you need to leave and cast away?
And,
What do you need to put on?
ALTAR CALL
RESPONSE TO MESSAGE
SALVATION
If you are here and you have never accepted Christ as your Lord and savior. But you would like to be ready for the Last days… Will you raise your hand? We want to pray with you.