ROM. 13:11-14 “GOD’S CLOCK IS ALARMING, IT’S TIME TO WAKE UP”
A) The message that Paul is saying is that our Lord’s return is nearer than when we believed!
* The coming of Jesus is sooner than we think … Jesus could come any second now!
* Paul says, “And that knowing the time …” * The believer is to know the time!
* The word “knowing” means “to make sure you know, do not dare miss knowing.”
B) The word “time” means “the critical period,” or “the special period of time!”
* What is that critical period of time … What is that period of human history that we must not
overlook? * “The day of our salvation” … The day which is nearer than when we first believed!
* The day which is at hand … The day when we meet the Lord Jesus face to face.
C) It’s time that we wake up to some things in life … We’ve been asleep long enough!
* So many Christians are slumbering and paying no attention to what’s going on in the world.
* Too many are not watching … Too many are not observing the signs of the times.
D) There are too many today with little commitment to Christ and serving Him!
* It’s time to be awaken … To be aroused and stirred … It’s time to get up and move and act now!
E) Look at the world situation … Look at the signs … Look at yourself …
* Look at your body and it’s condition … Look at life and it’s uncertainty … Look at the time …
* The day of our redemption is nearer than it’s ever been … Jesus is coming!!!!!!!
F) There is no doctrine in the Word of God that will cause believers to live holy and righteous
lives like the doctrine of the imminent return of Jesus Christ!
* 1 John 3:3 “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”
* 1 Cor. 15:34 “Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I
speak this to your shame.”
* 1 Thess. 5:5-6 “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the
night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.”
G) Four things we must do to be effective Christians … They’re very important …….
(1) CAST OFF THE WORKS OF DARKNESS – V.12!
A) The works of darkness are the works which men do under the cover of darkness and want
to keep secret!
* They are sins which men know are unacceptable … Men know would cause hurt …….
* Men are ashamed of … Men fear the results of … And men know would do great damage.
* Isa. 29:15 “Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works
are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?”
B) The Bible makes it very clear that Christians are not supposed to be in darkness … Why?
* 1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar
people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into
his marvellous light:”
* Eph. 5:8 “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children
of light:”
* Paul asked the question in 2 Cor. 6:14 “and what communion hath light with darkness?”
C) Listen to what the apostle John has to say about the subject …….
* 1 John 1:5-6 “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship
with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:”
* 1 John 2:9-11 “He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until
now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in
him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not
whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.”
* WE ARE COMMANDED TO CAST OFF THE WORKS OF DARKNESS!
D) And after we cast off the works of darkness, we need to put on the armour of light!
* The picture here is that of clothing oneself! * In other words, get right with God!
* We’re to strip off whatever dark sins and works we have wrapped ourselves in, and then cast
them all away … Then “put on the armour of light.”
* This armour is protective … It cannot be penetrated by the works of darkness!
* What is this armour? * Of righteousness – 2 Cor. 6:7, and the armour of God – Eph. 6:10-20.
(2) WALK HONESTLY – V.13! * It is time to walk straight! * “Honestly” – “proper, decent.”
A) The believer is to walk honestly before God! * Here’s what the word “honest” means …….
* “Free from deception … Truthful … Genuine … Real … Creditable … Honorable.”
* If a Christian can’t be honest, then who can? * Your life should be one of honesty!
* He is to walk as in the day, not hiding or trying to hide anything … Are you hiding anything?
* Being honest is having good character … Moral excellence … It’s what people know you are.
B) Scripture gives us six sins in particular which the believer is to cast off and turn from them
forever, and not walk in … And they’re listed right here in v.13 …Walk honestly, not in …
* “Rioting,” – “Revelling; partying; unrestrained indulgence.” * Gal. 5:19-21 …….
* “Drunkenness,” – “To take intoxicating drinks or drugs to affect the senses and faculties.”
* “To become intoxicated for the purpose of lust and pleasure, to seek to be tipsy or intoxicated.”
* Luke 21:34 “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with
surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.”
C) “Chambering,” – “Sexual immorality, adultery, fornication, pre-marital sex!
* “Wantonness,” – “Running wild, living a wild, partying and immoral life, excess lust,”
* It also means, “having no regard for justice or for other people’s feelings, rights, or safety,
merciless, inhumane.”
D) “Strife,” – “Contention, arguing!”
* It’s also a spirit that’s in constant competition with others that will push one forward by …….
* “Putting others down … Bypassing others … By ignoring others … By holding others back …
By blaming others … And by neglecting others!”
* Phil. 2:3 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each
esteem other better than themselves.”
E) “Envying,” – “Jealousy that begrudges others!”
* It looks upon the position, recognition, and success of others with a jealous eye.
* It regrets the success of others. * 1 Cor. 13:4 says that “love envieth not.”
* Gal. 5:26 “Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”
* Prov. 24:1 “Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.”
* Prov. 24:19 “Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;”
(3) PUT ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST – V.14!
A) Again, this is the picture of clothing ourselves!
* We are to clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and be as closely bound to Him as we are
our own clothes. * THIS MEANS TWO THINGS …….
* First: Jesus becomes our clothing … As our clothing, He touches us, protects us, warms us,
covers us, and hides us.
* Second: We are wrapped up in Jesus! * Being in Him means that we live, move, and have our
being (Acts 17:28)!
B) Therefore, we must look at only He would look at … Listen to what only He would listen to!
* Talk only what He would talk … Touch only what He would touch … Eat and drink what only
He would eat and drink … And think only what He would think.
* Phil. 2:5 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”
(4) DON’T MAKE PROVISIONS FOR THE FLESH – V.14!
A) The idea is that we don’t give in to the flesh and its lusts!
* It means that we don’t fulfill the lusts of the flesh!
* Gal. 5:16 “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”
* 1 Peter 2:11 “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts,
which war against the soul;”
* “Make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”
CLOSE
A) Turn to Rom. 8:1-4 ……. Also Rom. 7:14-25 …….
* Jesus said in Mark 9:43-48 “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter
into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be
quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two
feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God
with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”
B) God’s clock is alarming, it’s time to wake up!
* Wake up and cast off the works of darkness … Wake up and walk honestly.
* Wake up and put on the Lord Jesus Christ … wake up and make not provision for the flesh to
fulfil the lusts thereof.
C) Are you an effective Christian? * What are you doing for Christ?
* Do you need anything from the Lord right now?
* Come and tell it to Jesus!
