GET READY

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 13)

PUT ON CHRIST

11 Besides this, since you know the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, because now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over, and the day is near; so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk with decency, as in the daytime: not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.

BIG IDEA: JESUS EXPECTS US TO BE READY!

WE’RE IN OUR THIRD INSTALLMENT OF OUR SUMMER PUSH SERIES...

WE’VE EXAMINED FROM ROMANS 15 - HELP SOMEBODY...

FROM ROMANS 13: LOVE SOMEBODY...

TODAY WE CONTINUE IN ROMANS 13: 11-14, WITH THE THOUGHT GET READY!

IT WAS AN INEVITABLE ENCOUNTER.

WE KNEW OUR RESPONSIBILITY.

WE KNEW HER EXPECTATIONS...

WE KNEW THE RETURN WAS IMMINENT...

WE KNEW OUR WEAKNESS AND CONSISTENT UNTIMELINESS...

EVEN WITH A LATE MORNING CALL AND REMINDER: CLEAN YOUR ROOM, CLEAN THAT KITCHEN, AND FOLD THOSE CLOTHES...

WE KNEW THE ASSIGNMENT!

AND YET...

WITH THE LURE OF SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS - MIDDAY KARATE FLICKS - STREET FOOTBALL (TOUCH IN THE STREE/TACKLE IN THE GRASS)...

AND AN ADDITIONAL PLETHORA OF TIME-KILLERS (FROM BICYCLES TO SKATEBOARDS), IT ALWAYS SEEMED TO HAPPEN: MAMA RETURNED HOME TO FIND HER ASSIGNMENTS INCOMPLETE - HALF-DONE - STILL IN PROCESS....

HERE IT IS: WE WERE NOT READY!!!

BELOVED, WE, LIKE MY BROTHER AND ME, HAVE AN INEVITABLE ENCOUNTER - AN ANNOUNCED RETURN - AND A SET OF EXPECTATIONS...

I’VE JUST COME HERE TODAY WITH A SIMPLE, YET FORCEFUL AND FRIENDLY REMINDER, TO GET READY!

PAUL IS CONTINUING HIS TREND OF THOUGHT WITH THE OPENING STATEMENT: BESIDES THIS…THIS REFERS TO HIS COMMAND FOR US TO LOVE SOMEBODY…LOVE, THE DEBT WE OWE THAT WE WILL NEVER FULLY REPAY…BESIDES THIS, THEN HE CONTINUES - SINCE YOU KNOW THE TIME...

THERE IS A CLEAR EXPECTATION THAT PAUL HAS FOR US, THAT ALL BELIEVERS KNOW THE TIME (NOT SUNDAY, JULY 17TH AT 10:?? AM), BUT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT AS BELIEVERS, WE LIVE BETWEEN AGES: CHRIST HAS COME AND WILL SOON RETURN - BETWEEN AGES!

THIS WE KNOW...

AND YET WITH THIS KNOWLEDGE OF HIS IMMINENT RETURN, MANY OF US (LIKE MY BROTHER AND ME) LIVE LIKE WE DON’T HAVE ASSIGNMENTS TO FULFILL - ISSUES TO ADDRESS - AND A STANDARD TO UPHOLD.

WE KNOW, BUT ARE CLEARLY NOT READY...

PAUL CALLS US SLEEPY!

SLEEPY

SLEEPY…11. BESIDES THIS, SINCE YOU KNOW THE TIME, IT IS ALREADY THE HOUR FOR YOU TO WAKE UP FROM SLEEP…WHY? BECAUSE OUR SALVATION IS NEARER THAN WHEN WE FIRST BELIEVED...

WE ARE SPIRITUALLY LETHARGIC. WE’VE GROWN TIRED OF LIVING FOR GOD, SO WE’VE CHOSEN TO LIVE FOR OURSELVES...

WE’VE WAITED FOR HIM TO RETURN, AND SINCE HIS TIMING DOESN’T MATCH OURS, WE’VE DECIDED TO TAKE A NAP…A SPIRITUAL NAP! SLEEPY!

AND BELOVED, CONSIDERING ALL THINGS PANDEMIC AND LIFE-THREATENING, IT’S ALMOST UNDERSTANDABLE HOW WE NOW LIVE - FOR OURSELVES - TO PLEASE OURSELVES - TO DO AS WE PLEASE, REGARDLESS OF THE VERY SCRIPTURE THAT WE’VE COMMITTED TO LIVE BY…WE’RE SLEEPY!

PERMIT ME TO REFRESH YOU ABOUT THE CHALLENGE OF SLEEPINESS:

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 5) 1 THESS 5

6 So then, let us not sleep, like the rest, but let us stay awake and be self-controlled.

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 15) 1 COR 15

34 Come to your senses, and stop sinning;

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 3) PHIL 3.

20 Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 5) EPH 5.

14 for what makes everything visible is light. Therefore it is said: Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

BELOVED, OUR SLEEPINESS MUST BE ADDRESSED...

SOMNAMBULISM IS A CONDITION WE COMMONLY CALL SLEEP WALKING. IT’S MAINLY PRACTICED IN CHILDREN DUE TO THE IMMATURITY OF THEIR CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. BUT SOME PEOPLE SLEEP WALK ALL THEIR LIVES - EVEN DRIVING CARS, COOKING, OR COMMITTING VARYING CRIMES - WHILE ASLEEP! SOMNAMBULISTS ARE SPECIAL BECAUSE ALTHOUGH THEIR EYES ARE OPEN, THEY DO NOT FULLY COMPREHEND WHAT THEY SEE OR WHAT THEY’RE DOING...

COME HERE: WE’VE GOT SOME SOMNAMBULISTS IN US! WE’VE GOT A HIGH CALLING UPON OUR LIVES, AND YET, WE’RE WALKING AROUND SLEEPY! NOT FULLY SEEING OR COMPREHENDING...

TREATING OUR FAITH OUR WALK AND OUR WITNESS LIKE A FAIRY-TALE DREAM...

NOT REALIZING WE’VE SHOWN UP TO WORK WITH HOUSE-SHOES AND BONNETS ON - IMPROPERLY DRESSED FOR THE OCCASION! SLEEPY!

FRIENDS, SLEEPINESS HINDERS READINESS!

WE CANNOT BE READY AND SLEEPY!

HE CONTINUES IN VS. 12: THE NIGHT IS NEARLY OVER, AND THE DAY IS NEAR…AGAIN, WE’RE IN BETWEEN AGES: CHRIST HAS COME AND WILL SOON RETURN - BETWEEN AGES!

THIS SEASON WE’RE IN IS DARK!

EVEN THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW GOD CAN ASSERT THAT THESE ARE DARK TIMES...

SO HERE IS PAUL’S ARGUMENT: JUST BECAUSE DARKNESS IS SURROUNDING US DOESN’T MEAN WE HAVE TO LOOK LIKE IT!

LIGHT SHINES BEST WHEN CONDITIONS ARE DARK.

IN OTHER WORDS, CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL!

YOU CAN’T CONTROL THE DARKNESS, BUT YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR LIGHT!

…SO LET US DISCARD THE DEEDS OF DARKNESS AND PUT ON THE ARMOR OF LIGHT!

The NET Bible (Chapter 13)

So then we must lay aside the works of darkness, and put on the weapons of light.

PAUL SAYS, “WE’RE SLEEPY!”

NEXT PAUL SAYS, “WE’RE SLOPPY!”

SLOPPY!

THIS MESSAGE - THIS PASSAGE IS FOR BELIEVERS.

BELIEVERS HAVE STRUGGLES.

OUR CHALLENGE IS TO NOT ALLOW A STRUGGLE TO BECOME A HUSTLE!

CHURCH, I KNOW IT’S UNPOPULAR TO PREACH ABOUT SIN...

SIN PREACHING MAKES US FEEL GUILTY...

SIN PREACHING MAKES US FEEL BAD ABOUT OURSELVES...

SIN PREACHING ALSO CONVICTS US TOWARDS CHANGE...

SIN PREACHING REVEALS HOW GRACIOUS GOD IS, AND MOTIVATES US TO TRUST HIM MORE...

EVERY NOW AND THEN, WE MUST BE REMINDED OF THE DANGERS OF LIVING SLEEPY AND SLOPPY!

BOTH KEEP US FROM GETTING READY!

PAUL GETS SPECIFIC:

LET US WALK WITH DECENCY. PROPERLY. ACCEPTABLE.

DON’T BE: LIT - LOOSE - OR DIVISIVE!

FRIENDS, WE CANNOT SIN AND WIN AT THE SAME TIME...

FRIENDS, SIN IS STILL SIN!

FRIENDS, WE CANNOT ALLOW OUR DESIRES TO OVERRIDE GOD’S STANDARD FOR HOW WE LIVE!

HOLINESS IS STILL RIGHT!

NONE OF US GETS A PASS...

DON’T ALLOW YOUR STRUGGLE TO BECOME A HUSTLE!!

WE’RE DONE, BUT LET ME TOUCH ON VS. 14: BUT PUT ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND MAKE NO PROVISION FOR THE FLESH TO GRATIFY ITS DESIRES.

PAUL SAYS WE’RE SLEEPY AND SLOPPY!

IN VS. 14, HE CHALLENGES US TO BE

STEADY!

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 4)

27 For those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ.

LOOK LIKE CHRIST.

LIVE FOR CHRIST. (LEAVE NO ROOM)