Anticipation

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Romans 13:11-14

11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. [i]

[i].The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Introduction

A little girl had been listening while her mother's friends were speaking about the imminent return of the Lord. After some time she was missed, so her mother went in search of her. She found her looking out a window at the top of the house. Asked what she was doing she said, "Oh, Mother, I heard you say Jesus might come today, and I wanted to be the first to see Him. See, I washed myself and put on a clean dress." This precious little girl did something that many of us grown ups need to do, first she looked for Jesus and then she prepared herself to meet him. She did not know when he would come but she waited expectantly for him. My brother and sisters Jesus is on his way back and it behooves us to get ready to meet him. Matt 24:44 which says “therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of Man cometh.” How do I prepare myself for the return of Jesus Christ? How do I get ready? What shall I be doing as I wait? The passage of we will study gives us the answer to these all important questions.

I. Wake Up

And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.[i]

The context of the passage is that Paul is telling us how to live our lives now that we have been justified by faith in Christ Jesus. In Romans 12:1-2 we are instructed to give our selves to God in a total way, to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. By doing this we show God that we are serious about loving him. Then the emphasis shifts to loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. We should not procrastinate in doing these things because- Jesus Christ is coming back, and his return is closer than anyone thinks it is. Paul does not want anyone caught by surprise when the Lord cracks the sky.

Paul has a sense of urgency in the tone of his writing here. Paul sees a dangerous state of being in the Roman church and I suggest to you that we are guilty of the same condition. We are sleeping. Paul tell the Romans the first thing they need to do is to prepare for the Lord’s return is to wake up. This is not the time in history in which the people of God need to be snoozing. We need to fully alert.

Knowing the time

Why do I need to be fully alert- because of the times that we are living in. Can you discern the lateness of the hour- can’t you see that time is winding up. Paul is suggesting that we take heed of the fact that we are living in the last days. The last days started two thousand years ago when Christ ascended into heaven. These last days -also known as the church age, the age of grace is about to end. In fact the evidence points to the fact that we are living in the last of the last days right before the rapture of the church. The rapture of the church is simply the first phase of the return of Christ when He removes the true Christians from the earth. This will happen so quickly that before you knew what happened it will have occurred. Because it happens so fast, you will not see it. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:51-58

51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.[ii] The reason Christ is coming for his own is to keep a promise he made to the faithful church in Revelation 3:10

10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. [iii] The rapture or the snatching away can occur at any moment, there is no prophecy needing fulfillment before it occurs. To catch this morning train we must have live in a state of constant readiness.

The Second phase of the return of Christ is the visible return of Jesus Christ in power and great glory.

He will crush the enemies of God and set up the millennial kingdom. The Second return of Christ will has some signs associated with it. Jesus and the Apostles gave us some things to look for. In Matt 24-25 and 1 Thess 4:14-5:11, 2 Thess. 2 these passages provide us with clues to look out for. The return of the Jews to their homeland, Wars, famine, pestilence, earthquakes, lawlessness, false prophets, apostasy. Because of the fact that today the Jews (some of them) have returned to their homeland, Because of the fact that this century alone has seen over130 wars, two of those being global in scope fought on 5 continents killing over 90 million people. Because of the fact that we live in a day like Noah-when people are eating and drinking, married and given in marriage and not concerned about God’s judgement, Because of the fact that the love of many people has waxed cold (people will kill you for your cloths, jewelry or simply driving to close to them), Because of the fact that lawlessness is increasing with kids shooting up their classmates in school, hate mongers shooting up day care centers, blowing up government buildings and the demonic folk killing folk in the church. In light of the fact that false teaching is pumped into our home via radio, cable, and satellite. Because these things are occurring now more frequently and with greater intensity shows that time as we know it is winding up.

It is high time

It is well past the hour, You should be awake already, you have no business sleeping this late, time is slipping away. No you can’t just hit the snooze button on this- The time to heed and obey is right now. This is no time for slouching, it a time to be diligent. This is not the time for apathy- This is not the time to act as if you don’t care. This is not something that you should be complacent about, this is not something that you should be indifferent about. You can’t name the name of Christ and live like the devil. You can’t continue sneaking and creeping, slipping and sliding.

To Wake up

The metaphor of sleep is used to describe a state of inattention and unpreparedness. It also deals with spiritual apathy, lukewarmness, complacency and being lazy. Paul is saying it is time to shake off your indifference about living the Christian life, and get serious about living as redeemed people. To be sleep means that you are in essence comatose to the things of God. You are unresponsive, unconscious and inactive when it come to the things of God. A comatose person is alive but they appear to be dead. A spiritually comatose person is alive but appears to be dead, have no life in them. They don’t appear to be any different than the people around them who are spiritually dead. They are your secret agent Christians, they blend right in with society undetected, undiscovered, their cover is in tact. They are going right along with the flow of this world. They are not concerned about what God is doing in the world and could care less what he does in the future as long as he blesses their plans. They are selfish. Specifically we need to wake up get out of bed and apply ourselves to the business of holy living as if there was no tomorrow because we don’t know for sure that there will be one. Ephesians 5:14

14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. [iv]

Our Salvation is nearer than when we believed.

Paul is reminding the Christians in Rome that their reward is nearer than when they first placed their faith in Christ. The salvation spoken of here is glorification. We have already been justified in God sight if we trust in Christ as Savior and Lord. Justification is when God declares us righteous and grants us positional righteousness because of our faith and obedience to his Son. With justification we have been acquitted from the penalty of sin. Glorification is the perfecting of believers as children of God. This is a reference of completion of God’s work on behalf of the church at the time of Christ’s return. That is when all our troubles will be over. When we won’t have to cry anymore, when there will be no more heart aches no more sorrow, no more pain. When this mortality will put on immortality, when we get to see Jesus face to face.

Paul appeals to the Blessed hope as the ultimate incentive for holy living. In Titus 2:11-13

11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; [v]

James tells us in James 5:8

8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. [vi]

The question is “Are you ready for the coming of the Lord.” If he was to come at noon today will you be ready. We don’t know the exact time of the Lord’s coming but we do know that we are 2000 years closer than at the time of Paul writing. Are we living in daily expectancy for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Are we walking around indifferent to the greatest event on the prophetic calendar of God? Do you really want to see Jesus? The evidence suggests that we are very close to the end.

Verse 12

the night is almost gone the day is at hand

Paul is saying that man’s season of rebellion, season of spiritual unbelief, and his season of sin is about to end.

Night here is depicting a negative image, associating with darkness, evil deeds. The night would be the time between Christ’s two comings, this present evil age dominated by the works of evil, the agenda of Satan and the expression of man’s depravity.

The night is when the deeds of sin are done, the darkness provides cover for evil deeds

Rather than live in expectancy of Jesus return the world lives as if He will never return.

In 2 Peter 3:3-7

3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.[vii]

The day is at hand

The day here is associated with a positive image- light. The Bible says that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. Jesus said that as long as he was in the world that He was the light of the world. When Jesus walked this earth, the world had light, when he returned to heaven the world has been in darkness. Paul is saying that Jesus is on his way back again and “daylight” will return with him. We as children of God are called forth to reflect the light of God in this world but like the moon cannot reflect the sun’s light when it is out of position; when we are out of position we cannot reflect the light of God. The light is there but when we are out of position to reflect God’s light darkness prevails. The question must be raised are you in position to reflect the Glory of God. If you are playing church then you are out of position. If you are straddling the fence you are out of position. If you are lukewarm you are out of position. If you are living a double life you are out of position. IF all you want is a Savior and you are not interested in him being Lord you are out of position. In those positions you cannot reflect the glory of God. The time has come for us to stop playing church, pretending to be sanctified. God is saying it time to get serious about serving me. The days of hypocrisy are over, the day of your half hearted service to me are over. The leftover time you squeeze me into are not enough. Am I the Lord of your life or am I the bell hop the genie the good luck charm the spare tire that you only pull out when there is an emergency. I am on my way back will you be happy to see me or will you be ashamed. Will you stand in the judgement or will you be on of the ones he tells depart from me I never knew you.

Are you awake- do you recognize what time it is- can’t you see the sign of the times all around you, are you living alertly, are you sold out for Jesus or have you sold him out??

II. Wash Up

After we wake up- we need to wash up....In the natural you would not think about leaving your house without cleaning up first. When you wake up from a long night of sleep we prepare to do business for our employer. Because even man will not let you represent them in any old fashion we clean up.

We take off our night clothes, take a bath or shower, brush our teeth and comb our hair.

We need to apply the same thing to our spiritual lives. Look at second part of that verse: let us

Cast off the works of darkness: put aside, lay aside, lay down, put them off.

God is telling us to take off your night clothes. It is inappropriate for you to walk around in your night clothes. Your night cloths here will be symbolic of sinful deeds, attitudes, and habits that we hold on to after receiving salvation. Take off the dirty sin stained garments that warmed you in sin. Whatever are you holding on to that you don’t want to give up God is saying cast it off. That secret sin God is saying put it down. That attitude that keeps you from growing in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, God is saying lay it aside. Those friends who entice you to do sinful deeds God is saying put them off. Stop trying to serve two masters you, you can’t be lukewarm about the things of God. Take off the garments of sin and wash your self so that you won’t be offensive to God. The scriptures are clear that we should cast off the works of darkness - that means we need to renounce it forsake it and repent of it. In

Hebrews 12:1

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, [i]

Put on the armor of light. Vs. 12c

Christians must remember that we are not citizens of this world but we are just passing through it. Armor is associated with warfare. Christians are in a battle and we are called to fight spiritual warfare against the forces of evil. Therefore we must be dressed for battle so that we may fight off the lingering enemies of the night. Many of us have gone awol. Paul says put on- cloth your self, assume a new character, to be filled with, to be like someone, the armor of light. To put on is used figuratively to picture incorporating holiness into one character. Well the only person worthy of imitating for the Christian is God. The Bible tells me that God is light in him is no darkness at all. In the gospel of John the apostle describes Jesus as the true light that comes into the world and enlightens every man. Paul tells Christians to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth...You were formally in darkness but now you are light in the Lord: walk as children of Light.” The Christians spiritual armor of light is the light of God’s own holiness and purity. It is the clothing of spiritual purity and integrity that all the world can see. The armor of light is also known as the full armor of God by which we can stand firm against the schemes of the devil. The full armor includes the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.

The message is clear: Christians have passed from the sphere of darkness and death into the sphere of light and life. Therefore we must at once cast away from us everything associated with darkness and evil and wrap our selves completely and exclusively in the lifestyle of moral purity and truth.

Let us walk honestly as in the day-vs. 13

To walk has to do with our daily behavior, our daily living our moment by moment routine. We are to walk honestly- or decently, in a respectable manner. To walk honestly means that we live in a manner that pleases God. It means that we walk the talk we talk. Our daily deeds match up with our profession of faith. We should live in such a way that our lives can’t be pointed to by an unbeliever as an excuse not to trust in Jesus Christ. Remember what He said that he is coming back for a church without spot wrinkle or blemish. Christians should live blameless lives because we have already passed from darkness into the light therefore we should live in reality of that truth.

Not in rioting-

As used here the word means any kind of wild partying, athletic victory celebration where drunken and immoral behavior happens. Like if our team win the world championship and we go down and trash downtown to celebrate.

Drunkedness -intoxication

Chambering and wantonness- Chambering is just a fancy word for sexual promiscuity- it means to go to bed with someone illicitly. It means you are inviting others in your bedroom to have sex with you that is not your spouse. It carries the idea of multiple partners or repeated encounters with the same individual who is not married to you. Chambering is a fancy word for shacking up. Living together with someone and enjoying the benefit of sexual relations without being married to them. No Christian should be living this way. You may say preacher that is none of your business- If you claim to be a Christian and you live this way you are in direct disobedience to God. Its my business to tell you that the bible says in Galatians 5:19-21 that the people who do these things are not going to heaven. Your opinion or mine can’t change that. You need to get married or move out. The only context allowable for the enjoyment of sexual union is in marriage between a man and a woman.

Wantonness- is just a fancy word for lewd sex of all kinds in excess, group sex, orgies, beastality, same gender encounters. Wantonness deals with unbridled lust and unbridled uninhibited sexual activity. It includes the mind or the mental aspects of sensuality. The gentlemen’s club, prostitution, pornography, all fit this category. Before you write me off as being out of date and saying we don’t do these kind of things let me point out some things to you. Just this week a movie opened that explored the realms of two women and one man in a relationship. The movie is called “Trios.”

Just this week we on national tv PBS ran a story of Kids in Rockdale county who were engaging in group sex, orgies, and other types of sexual activity. So it does happen. If you are a Christian and you are participating in these type of things you need to stop.

Strife - persistent bickering, contention, petty disagreement, and debate. This person has a quarrelsome disposition.

Envying- a fierce indignation, want for something someone else has. This stretches to the point that you begin to plot to get what they got, try to deprive them of it, or cause them to lose what they got. Envy is a green eyed sinister monster.

The bible goes on to say where there is envying and strife together there is confusion every evil work. (James 3:16)

After we have washed ourselves of these type of impurities we need Wrap up or Suit up.

[i].The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

III. Wrap Up

Part of our suiting up goes back to the last phrase in verse twelve. We need to put on the right clothes for two reasons. One we are in a battle. Paul says put on- cloth your self, assume a new character, to be filled with, to be like someone, the armor of light. To put on is used figuratively to picture incorporating holiness into one character. To put on literally means that we appropriate, we absorb the character of a thing. Preacher what do you mean appropriate the character of Jesus Christ. I mean that we soak up, take in, and saturate ourselves in the person of Jesus Christ. To absorb something that means that there is something being taken in, it becomes a part of you the two things now become inseparable. This is what God has in mind about us taking on the Character of Jesus Christ. Think of a biscuit and some good gravy. If you place that biscuit in that gravy it will soak up that gravy. This is what God wants to happen to us in the spiritual. He wants to place us in the rich character of Christ in an effort to allow us to assume, soak up and take in some of Christ Jesus characteristics. Yes you can cover that biscuit with gravy but it will taste better if the biscuit soaks up that good gravy. I want to soak up His unconditional love, I want to soak up his forgiveness, I want to soak up his purity, I want to soak up his faithfulness, I want to soak up his humbleness, I want to soak up his meekness, I want to soak up his prayerfulness, I want to soak up his strength.

I am not making arrangements to gratify my flesh. I am not lining up opportunities for me to sin. I am actively and deliberately limiting my exposure to things that I know that temp me and I am not making any plans to indulge, satisfy my sinful nature, not even once.

Conclusion

I am too afraid of Christ coming and I not be ready to go back with him to play around with my relationship with him. I can’t gamble that he won’t come back tonight because all the signs pointing to his return are already here. I don’t want to laying around that day sleep, and be surprised by the sudden appearance of Christ. I don’t want to be standing around on that day with dirty cloths on. I want to be like Christ. I want to have on clothes that He dressed me in so that when he comes he recognizes me. His righteousness and holiness. I simply don’t have time for foolishness. Paul tells us in Eph 5:15-16 “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time for the days are evil.” Paul also said in Phil 3:13 Brethren I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, Forgetting those things which are behind me I reach for those things ahead I press on toward the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus.” Are we casting off the garments of sin, Are we are breaking sinful habits, Are we are renouncing sin. Is there anything between our soul and the Savior. Have we woke up? Are we washing up? Are we growing in grace and the knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ? When Christ comes back I want to be ready, I don’t want him to come and my work here on earth is undone. I got to get ready because I miss my daddy, I got to get ready because I want to see him face to face, I got to be ready because I want to hear him say well done. I got to get ready because I love him. I am tired of this old world. Tired of all the villains, tired of all the killing, tired of all the lies, manipulation, and treachery, tired of the war, pollution and contamination. I am looking for a better place. I want to be where I am wanted, I want to be with the one who loves me and died on the cross to prove that he loves me. The one who redeemed me and sanctified me, justified me, selected me, the one who helps me the one who comforts me, encourages me, the one who protects me. I want to see him I want to embrace him I want to thank him I want to worship him in his presence. You have been so good to me. I want to see him face to face. I don’t want anything in my life that might offend you. I am waiting on you I can’t wait for you to get here!!!!