This Is The Moment – Romans 13: 8 – 14
Intro: We can’t hold onto it. We can’t stop it. We can’t make it slow down or move faster. We can’t possess it. All we have is the moment, this moment that quickly becomes our past. – Time – A precious commodity.
I. VS. 11a - “Besides this, you know what time it is,”
A. As a kid sleeping under comforter filled with goose down – not wanting to get up – Mom yelling to get up – “You know what time it is?”
B. What time is it? – VS. 11b – “it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep.”
C. People often avoid life by sleeping. “Wake up and smell the coffee.” It’s time for YOU and this church to wake up.
II. OKAY – I’m awake – now what!!!!! – Time to get dressed – “What am I going to wear?” – “put on the armor of light” VS. 12B
A. Way kids dress: prep, goth, jock etc. You can tell what people are “into,” what they are like by the way they dress.
B. Opal Whetset, Xian writer, wrote of a bus trip she took from Arizona to Albuquerque, NM – teenager got on, fell asleep and missed stop – no money to take return bus – Opal arranged for his return trip – “Ma’am, are you a Christian?”
C. If you were hauled into court and put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
III. VS. 13 – “Live honorably as in the day . . . “ sins listed by Paul:
A. Reveling (party spirit), drunkenness (over-indulgence), debauchery (sexual promiscuity), licentiousness (sexual deviant behavior) – thank God I’m not like that!!!!!
B. Quarreling and jealousy – oh no – never quarrel because we want things our way
C. A man walked into store noting there was no one else but he and the clerk – waited patiently – finally went to clerk – “Could you help me.” – “You’ve got to take a number.” – “But there’s no one else here.” – “You’ve got to take a number.” – took number 37 – looked last person served 34. Clerk was more interested in the rules and proper procedure. – refusing to be flexible and change.
Conclu: VS. 14 – “Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” – Immerse ourselves so deeply in Christ that the only thing the world sees in us is Jesus. – This is the moment to decide – this is the place to begin.
