Sermon Tone Analysis

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/*