8/6/2023 - Relationship with Time
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Romans 13:11-14
As we have made our way through this section of Romans we have looked at the Believer’s relationship with:
God - 12:1-2
Himself - 12:3-8
Other Believer - 12:9-13
Unbelievers - 12:14-21
the Government - 13:1-7
Fellow Citizens - 13:8-10
And now we come to verses 11-14 of Chapter 13 where it speaks of the Believers relationship with Time itself.
Let’s read - Romans 13:11-14.
Time is important to most everyone.
If we are out of time, that means we are dead.
We all have the same amount of time in a day at least, but we are not promised the next moment.
So it is vitally important that the Christian use His time wisely.
Let’s see this evening five things Paul tells us that it is high time for the believer to do!
It is time to...
I. Know the Time
I. Know the Time
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.
What is the time?
Of course not, what does the clock say…but realize where we are in human historical timeline.
We are closer than we have ever been to the Day of the Lord.
Pay attention…and get busy!
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
There is no doubt that there is evil around us!
And it is getting worse and worse, just like God told us it would!
We need to redeem the time that we have now!
The word redeem here means to buy back…just as a slave may be redeemed…he is bought back out of a market.
We need to buy back our time from this evil world and use it for God!
We can do nothing about redeeming yesterday.
We are not promised tomorrow.
So the only thing we can do anything about is right now!
What are you doing to redeem the time right now?
We don’t know when the Lord will come so get busy doing right…right now!
7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
The end is at hand....so be sober - take it seriously - and watch unto prayer!
I wish I could have had more time to pastor - I wasted so much time doing other things
Oh I was serving the Lord, and I was probably doing what God wanted me to do, but time is short!
WE need to get busy for Him!!!
It is time to Know the Time!
The verse continues and says seeing that it is this time we need to...
II. Wake Up
II. Wake Up
“…It is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”
The rapture is sooner to us than it ever has been before!
Have we done all that needs to be done to prepare to meet Jesus?
Far too often we are asleep on the job!
34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
Get out of this world’s distractions and sin!
We don’t have time for that!!
There are people out there who do not know Jesus as their Savior, and He is coming soon!
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
Let’s get serious!
Don’t sleep on the job!!!
Wake up and get busy!
III. Put on the Armor
III. Put on the Armor
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.
The night is far spent - it’s later than you think!
The day of the Lord is at hand!!!!
So then he tells us to do a couple of things here:
A. Cast off the Evil Works
A. Cast off the Evil Works
“…cast off the works of darkness...”
The imagery here is that of taking off a garment, to cast it aside…away from you!
Paul has had much to say about the believers relationships with all of those around us.
And now because the time is short....we need to cast aside these evil things that distract us!
22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Again the language is that of casting off a garment that we are wearing....now it says the former conversation (behavior) of the old man (the flesh).
Don’t seek after the things of the flesh!
It is corrupt according to deceitful lusts.
The devil will try to pull us, to entice us away by our own desires.
Cast it off!
We are to put off the works of darkness…what are the works of darkness…the Bible has much to say about this!
8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
These are the deeds of the Old man - Put them off!
No anger,wrath or malice
NO blasphemy or filthy communication or gossip
No lying!
1 Peter tells us a few more
1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
Cast it away!
Jesus said,
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Ephesians tells us to have no fellowship with darkness!
So cast off the works of darkness
B. Put on the Armor of Light
B. Put on the Armor of Light
Later in this chapter he tells us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Be like Him.
But to fight the battle, we are going to have to put on the Armour of light.
This is The armour of righteousness
7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
This is the Armour of God
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Are you prepared?
It is time to Know the time ...the battle is ready!
It’s time to Wake up!
It is time to Put on your armor and get ready for battle.
And then Paul tells us here it is time to...
IV. Walk Honestly
IV. Walk Honestly
13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
It’s time to behave properly!
That is to walk appropriately…honorably.
He says as in the day…as opposed to the darkness
Job very poetically speaks of the works of darkness…
14 The murderer rising with the light Killeth the poor and needy, And in the night is as a thief.
15 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, Saying, No eye shall see me: And disguiseth his face.
16 In the dark they dig through houses, Which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: They know not the light.
17 For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: If one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.
Things are done in the dark because they are shameful and dishonest.
We represent the King…we need to walk honestly...
A. Not Fleshly Partying
A. Not Fleshly Partying
…not in rioting and drunkenness...
rioting means feasting or revelling.
is spoke of the wicked feasts and banquets they would hold where all kinds of impurity and obscenities would occur.
The Christian has no business being at these kind of events.
I used to work for a pest control company in the office.
Every year they would talk about a Christmas party that everyone was invited to hosted by the Association of Pest Control companies in the Bay Area.
It was sponsored by various pest control product companies.
It was a free meal and even had some door prizes.
I should have known better than to go…but I went.
When I got there I found out the sponsors provided an open bar and this is why they like to go to this even so much.
I was stuck in a very awkward place, in a place that I had no business being at!
The Christian doesn’t belong in a bar
The Christian doesn’t belong at a party where alcohol or inappropriate music and dancing is happening
The Christian doesn’t belong in the parties of this world!
When I was in high school I remember my friends talking about going out over the weekend.
I remember asking them one time, “How come you didn’t invite me, it sounds like ya’ll had fun.”
My friend looked at me and said, “We didn’t think you would want to come we went to a party and we knew there would be drinking there…and you’re a Christian.”
Even the World knows that we don’t belong there!!!
B. Not in Sexual Immorality
B. Not in Sexual Immorality
…not in chambering and wantonness...
The word translated chambering is The Greek word is koites - to lie with.
It is used here and translated as chambering because it carries the idea is cohabitation.
Wantonness - is licentious, lasciviousness, debauchery or sexual excess, the absence of restraint.
He is saying the Christian needs to walk honestly - not giving into the flesh.
God is still concerned about purity!
This world may have let go of the idea that you ought to be married before you move in together, but God has not!
The Christian ought to protect himself from impurity!
Then he says Walk honestly...
C. Not in Jealous Strife
C. Not in Jealous Strife
…not in strife and envying”
strife means contention, or wrangling or fighting.
We have a testimony to up hold!
we cannot win the world for Christ if we are known for fighting each other, or the unsaved around us.
It is a spirit of constant competition that pushes yourself forward while...
putting others down
or ignoring others
or holding others back
or blaming others.
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
No we should not be known for our strife.
or our Jealousy.
That is the meaning of the word envying here in our verse.
It means jealousy or angry this is the works of the flesh
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
This certainly should not describe the believer!
Time is too short!
It is time to know the time
It is time to Wake Up
It is time to Put on the Armour of Light
It is Time to Walk Honestly, and then it is time to...
V. Plan for Right
V. Plan for Right
14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
We will never do what we need to do in the time that we have lest if we don’t plan for success.
How can we have success in this sinful world?
A. Putting on Christ
A. Putting on Christ
…but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ...
We are to clothe ourselves with Jesus Christ and His Righteousness.
This is a purposeful decision - it is a plan for right!
We are to be so closely bound to Him and His righteousness as we are to our clothes.
His righteousness will be our future clothing in heaven!
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Today we are told to put on the breastplate of righteousness.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
In the Roman army the breastplate was the central part of the soldiers armor.
It provided protection the most vital organs like the heart and lungs.
We need a breastplate to protect our hearts!
to Put on the breastplate of righteousness is to put around our heart the truth that we are righteous…not by our own works…but we are declared righteous by God…we are given righteousness by God…His Righteousness.
Wearing the breastplate of righteousness is to recognize this truth, and use this truth to live our lives and fight the battle.
It means when we face temptations, we turn to Him for help - recognizing we have the righteousness of God.
It means guarding our heart from the Devils attacks.
watching out for the snares of the devil.
Put on Christ - Put on His righteousness to protect your heart from the evil attacks of our enemies, The World, the Flesh and the Devil!
This means doing as He would do
WWJD
Look only at what Jesus would look at
listen to only what Jesus would listen to
talk only as Jesus would talk
eat and drink only what Jesus would consume.
Think only what Jesus would think.
Putting on Christ is a constant submission to what Christ would have us do.
A yielding to the Spirit of God.
We can do this much better if we...
B. Make No Provision for the Flesh
B. Make No Provision for the Flesh
"…and make not provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof.”
the word provision means to know ahead, to provide for something.
It means to plan for something.
Here the Bible tells us not to make any plans that would allow the flesh to win.
Jesus in talking about this used hyperbole, not a direct command when He said:
29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Jesus had just talked about the fact that even looking upon a woman with lust in your heart is committing adultery with her already in your heart.
Now he uses hyperbole to say don’t allow yourself to fall…even if it means plucking out your eye, or cutting off your hand.
He is not literally encouraging or ordering us to pluck out our eye or cut off our hand.
He is just telling us what this verse in Romans is saying…make no provision for the flesh.
If you have a problem with drinking…don’t go to the bar…or even walk down the aisle at the supermarket.
If you have a problem with lust…don’t go to the beach where a bunch of women are half dressed, don’t watch movies that may provide opportunity to lust.
If you have a problem with smoking…don’t go to break at the designated smoking section to talk to your friends.
If you have a problem with overeating - don’t go look in the fridge at night.
If you have a problem remaining pure with the opposite sex - don’t be alone with the opposite sex…ever…anywhere!
If you have a problem with anger - don’t dwell on things that make you angry.
Make no provision for the flesh!
Don’t make plans to make it easier for your flesh to be fulfilled.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Dear Christian, the time is at hand!
Time is short!
It is time to know the time!
It is time to wake up! and get busy!!
It is time to Put on the Armor of Light!
cast off the evil works
and put on the armor of God
It is time to Walk honestly
Don’t act like the world
You can’t win them if you are like them.
It is time to Plan for doing Right!
Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ
and Make no provision for failure!
Time is short
the need is great
The Calling is from God
Let’s head the call and Redeem the time!