Sermon Tone Analysis
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Imagine how you would feel if you were told that you had only a few months to live.
You might try to cram a lifetime into those last days.
You might travel to places you have always wanted to see.
You might do things for which you had never found the time before.
It would not be difficult to understand why you would want to spend your last days indulging yourself.
In , Paul proposes a radically different response to a similar type of deadline—one every Christian must face.
He reminds the Christian that his time is limited because the day of the Lord’s return is daily drawing nearer.
In the light of this reality, he calls upon him to deny his fleshly lusts and to live for God.
He challenges the Christian not to indulge himself, but to give himself sacrificially in serving others and in seeking their good.
In this way, the Christian fulfills the Old Testament Law and its standards for godly conduct.
Our text in Romans is particularly significant in that, at the moment, our future is dominated by a deadline—January 15, 1991.
This is the date which the United Nations has set for Iraq to retreat from Kuwait or face the threat of attack.
The Middle East crisis draws our attention to the deadlines in life.
This crisis could play a significant role in the final events which pave the way for the coming of our Lord to judge the earth and to establish His kingdom.
But even though our text in Romans draws attention to life’s ultimate deadline—the coming of our Lord—it challenges us to do more than be preoccupied with it.
The important thing is to be found faithful when our Lord returns.
We are to watch, wait, and work until He comes, whenever that might be.
We can accomplish this by adopting the mindset which Paul explains in our text.
It is a mindset that denies fleshly lusts and refuses to make provision for them.
It casts off the evil attitudes and actions which characterized us before our salvation and which are typical of the unbelieving world in which we live.
In this text of Scripture, Paul calls attention to a lifestyle appropriate for the Christian living in the light of Christ’s approaching return and reign.
It applies to us all and demands the careful attention of each of us.
Taken from https://bible.org/seriespage/34-love-law-and-last-days-romans-138-14
This deadline reminds of my childhood.
My mom and dad would go to work and while I was at home during the summer, she would give me a list of chores to accomplish each day.
Her instructions were, “Get this done before I come home for lunch.”
Well, I would simply wait until about 11:00 am to get started so that she would “catch” me being obedient.
It never worked to my favor though.
One day, Jesus is coming back, what will you have to show for your time?
The time is now...
Debt, and Demonstration -
The Call is Clear - 13:8 - Debt
We covered the passage over how we relate to the government, but within the context of ch 13, Paul directs our attention to live submissively as LIVING SACRIFICES in light of the coming end of the age.
The call from Paul here is pretty clear… “Owe no one anything.”
It would be a glorious thing for everyone to live debt free.
IT is a worthy goal, but we also must be wise and disciplined with our money.
You don’t need habitual, repeated, or ongoing debt.
What Paul’s goal here is to pay off what you owe.
Don’t let it be your master, don’t add debt on top of debt.
Don’t default on the loan...
But the context here is broader than money.
The command to avoid owing anything to anyone extends to include intangible things.
The only exception is love.
Love is the ONE SANCTIONED UNPAID DEBT.
In reality, it is a debt that cannot be paid, it is a continuing debt.
Paul’s point is simple.
Be a person of honor.
Fulfill your obligations.
Don’t make the creditors chase you down…seek them out and set up an arrangement to pay off your debts.
If you have committed your time or given your promise, be all in.
The reward for this is freedom.
The less we do out of obligation the more we are able to give freely.
Notice, also, this goes beyond just the church.
The debt is to our neighbor.
Brings to mind the truth Jesus taught regarding just who our neighbor is.
One thing we are great at is loving one another…for the most part.
But where we can improve is loving the other which is someone different from you.
Could have different beliefs, theology, personality, politics, mannerisms, tastes, race, values, and history.
This is the perpetual debt that is not repaid.
Chuck Swindoll says, “With love, difference should make no difference.”
Here is what Paul is after, “The way to open doors for the gospel in Rome is to avoid entanglements.
We are on a kingdom mission of spreading the gospel, not morally rehabilitating the Roman Empire or its citizens.”
Too many today see our task as an effort to rehab America to the way she used to be.
We’ve got a bigger mission!
You and I are on the same mission the Romans believers were on…a Kingdom mission to advance the gospel.
For all of Ch. 13, Paul says, so obey the emperor and love your neighbor.
The paradox in Paul’s words: in order to get out of debt to the Law we have to go into the debt to love—we fulfill the law when we love.
We are freed to do what we can always do (love one another).
The Call is Explained - 13:8b-9 - Duty
The Call is Fulfilled - 13:9-10 - Demonstration
Paul called love the fulfillment of the Law, which recalls what Jesus taught in .
Everything these 6 mention, Jesus is saying the can be summed up by saying, Love your Neighbor as yourself.
The Law is an expression of God’s character, and it points us to His original created order, His vision for how the universe should work.
But of course SIN distorts the truth and what God created to be good.
Sin and love cannot coexist.
Love DOESN’T COMMIT OR CONDONE ADULTERY, LOVE CANNOT MURDER, LOVE CANNOT DEPRIVE ANOTHER PERSON OF THEIR POSSESSIONS, AND LOVE CANNOT DESIRE THE BLESSINGS OF ANOTHER.
There is a positive side to this as well…This love is what drives you as a Christian to minister to others.
Think the Good Samaritan...
These are all actions that serve the self at the expense of a victim.
“Take care of your neighbor with the same natural motivation that you take care of yourself.”
There is a positive side to this as well…This love is what drives you as a Christian to minister to others.
Think the Good Samaritan...
If you love God, you will love others as you love yourself.
Paul’s main goal here is that before Jesus returns, that believers be living examples of this new kingdom reality in Christ.
It won’t be perfect until Christ returns, but we are to strive to reach that goal.
Speaking of Christ’s return, look at the next couple of verses with me...
Wake Up & Get Dressed! -
In light of the end of the age, believers should put off the works of darkness and walk in the light of salvation of Christ.
Wake Up - The Call to Action - 13:11a
The Reason - This is the why we need to increase our worship of service through loving others - The nearness of “the day” 13:11b-12a
Note the urgency in Paul’s words.
It’s like he is sounding reveille to wake up the soldiers out of their bunks and onto their feet in the morning.
We need to WAKE UP and get busy because of the time!
We are in a fixed or appointed season of time, a certain period of time and we need to be ready!
What are we to do?
have a balanced view of ourselves - 12:3
Use our gifts for the good of the church 12:4-8
Outdo one another in showing honor to one another 12:9-16
Return good for evil and leave room for God to convict and redeem others 12:17-21
Meet all our obligations to government officials and give them the respect they are due.
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