Romans 13_11-14 A Jesus Suit

A Jesus Suit – One Size Fits All

Secular:

Josh and the Rabbits…

Very different
Strange faces (1st meeting)
How they talked
How they drive…
Little fridges…
Slower pace….

But he adapted well…
Understood the reality at hand… (as much as a 20 month old could)
Went out in the front garden to play with his cousins…. He came back… at their request to ask our permission to do something…
We looked into his excited little face…
We asked can I play with the Rabbits…
He wasn’t mocking… he was reflecting the reality at hand….
Italian Lady in Dominican…
We were waiting in a line-up near the buffet tables in order to get a drink
We would always ask how do you say that in Spanish…. Aqua fra-ya for cold water… and we learned how to ask for tea and coffee… and had a good report with our servers…
Italian and Spanish are fairly close… but not the same…
She stepped up and in Italian asked for something…
The young lady behind the counter looked confused…
She hadn’t done the speak slow thing…
Just fired off in her native tongue…
When she repeated it she still spoke very quickly and in what I presumed was Italian…
The poor girl looked confused and desperate to understand…
The lady started screaming her order… still in Italian… still very quickly with increasing frustration…
She was not making the adjustment very well at all… she failed to realize the reality at hand… and struggled in her own way…
We haven’t just landed in England….
Or even the Dominican republic….
But for those who have trusted in Christ…
Things have changed…

Faith, priorities, security, love… are all changed…
We no longer live for the moment… for flesh and blood… we live for Christ.
In Him, Through Him, and With Him…

Biblical:

After the declaration that Godly love fulfills the law… Paul then focuses on the urgency of believers becoming more and more like their Saviour… which is the them of Romans chapter 12-16… Become more like Christ… faithful, obedient, loving…. Romans 13:11 Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. 12 The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light. 13 Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

Personal:

One of things we appreciate about the family of God is that they exhibit a different culture…

Meet our eyes
Love us unconditionally
Friendly
Caring
Genuine

When someone who comes in… they can tell they are somewhere else…
Our actions are a powerful testimony to transformation… we are something else

Bridge:

We can loose site of why?
The church becomes safe…
It becomes content…
Paul’s words today remind us….

Don’t be satisfied!
Get excited, passionate, get holy…
Just don’t nod off…
Freddy Kruger… get you when you sleep…
1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Wake-up… from your slumber
Throw-off… all evil
Put-on… Jesus to his Glory

Body:

Wake-up!!

13:11 Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. 12 The night is almost gone, and the day is near….

Wake-up… our translations do a good job…

it is already the hour
now salvation is nearer
The night is almost gone
the day is near….
?? Urgency…
Get out of bed you’ll be late for school
Wake-up you’ve slept in… don’t be late for work!
Paul… wake-up… salvation is nearer!
No time for apathy… or delay…

There is real urgency…

Every generation has had its sceptics…
But we trust in God’s Word… Paul is talking about an imminent encounter with Christ…
Peter too reminds us… 2 Peter 3:3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts,4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation."… we know that it is unfolding according to God’s plan.

Do this, knowing the time… kairos vs. chronos…
Era… epoch… the age of God’s redemptive activity…
The church in ministry for the gospel…
Living Romans 13:8-10 in our world

As Ambassadors
As Messengers
As Agents of the Holy Spirit

This is the time….

it is already the hour
now salvation is nearer
The night is almost gone
the day is near….

Awaken!

it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep

Encyclopaedia Britannica…
“a state of inactivity, with a loss of consciousness and a decrease in responsiveness”

From this state we must awaken…
V 12. for The night is almost gone, and the day is near….

The blindness… the darkness… is almost finished…
The light of Christ will shine… and all will be revealed…

It is nearer than we know…

Ask anyone who is retired or retiring… how long it seemed and how fleeting now…
Crisis Moment… Break-out Churches…
Demographics…
Old Man wept as he listened and looked at the handouts…
“We are not even reaching my grandchildren with the gospel!”

The Alarm Clock is ringing….
It is already the hour….
Wake-up

Throw-off!!

12 b. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light. 13 Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.

Remember the night is passing the day is at hand…
Set aside the things of darkness… set aside sin..

All sin…
Selfish living…
Not for God
Not for others…
NAU 1 Peter 2:1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,
James 1:21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.
Set aside the things of darkness…

Put on the armour of light…

Confess and repent…
Acknowledge and Turn away

Notice that the it is an armour of light…

Not a t-shirt… or tunic…
Armour…
There is a battle involved…
And we can be protected….
First we are the children of God… indwelt by his Spirit… Loved by the Father… Redeemed by the Son!... and nothing can separate us from the love of God. (Romans 8:38-39)
Second that very indwelling Spirit is our protector…

Temptation is not the ruler… God has provided… darkness need not prevail…. 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
The armour is Jesus Christ… our faith in Him… His Spirit within Us… guiding us… strengthening us…
THROW OFF THE DARKNESS!

Put on!!

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

Our lives were messy and unappealing to God…
Then we found Christ…. And can wear his glory…
Josh adopted his new culture…. Rabbits
The lady on vacation wanted away to be the same as home… Speak my language
We urgently want to wake up… and throw off the things of darkness!
We want to put on the glory of God…
It isn’t something that coexists with evil… not the trench coat for smuggling friends into a movie theatre…
The reality of the glory of Christ radiating through us something we just don’t fully appreciate in this time….
It is real… it has been promised and…
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
We choose to live in the glory of the God who redeemed us… the strength… the power… the love and mercy…

Or to succumb to the flesh…

We are told… and have to be told… make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
Provision… forethought…
What we often call stumbles are actually preplanned…
Sin that we scheduled… chose…
The primary battle we wage is against our minds… our flesh..
Fill our lives with the glory of the one who redeemed us!

His Word
Prayer
Worship

Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Put on Jesus!

Conclusion:

Wake-up… Throw-off… Put on
Do not slumber…
The Kingdom of God is at hand…
Throw off that we discourages… robs joy… promotes sin… eats at your soul.
Live Christ… the peace, mercy, strength, faithfulness of Jesus… until we see him face to face!
Wake-up… from your slumber
Throw-off… all evil
Put-on… Jesus to his Glory