Encourages Christians to awaken from spiritual complacency, cast off sinful behaviors, and live vigorously in the light of Christ's truth and righteousness.
Good morning, dear brothers and sisters in Christ. It is always a joy to gather together in the house of the Lord, especially as we prepare to unpack the rich truths found in the book of Romans, chapter 13, verses 11-14.
Let's read the passage together,
"And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh."
Isn't it wonderful how the Word of God is timeless, always relevant, always speaking to us? This passage, penned by the apostle Paul, is as alive and applicable today as it was when it was first written. It is a call to awaken, a call to recognize our spiritual slumber, revive our spiritual awareness, and recommit to spiritual wakefulness.
In the words of the renowned preacher, Charles Spurgeon, "A vigorous temper is not altogether an evil. Men who are easy as an old shoe are generally of little worth." We are not called to be complacent in our faith, to be 'easy as an old shoe'. No, we are called to be vigorous, to be awake, to be alive in Christ.
And so, we find ourselves standing at the threshold of a powerful message from God's Word today. A message that will challenge us, that will stir us, that will call us to cast off the slumber and step into the light of Christ.
Are we ready to awaken? Are we ready to cast off the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light? Are we ready to clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh?
Let's bow our heads in prayer.
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your Word, a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. We pray that as we study Your Word today, You would awaken us from any spiritual slumber. Stir in us a deep desire to walk in the light of Your truth. Help us to put on the armor of light and to clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. May Your Word penetrate our hearts and transform our lives. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
Let’s get started!
In the passage we read, Paul uses the metaphor of sleep to describe a state of spiritual unawareness. It's a state where we are not alert to the things of God, where we are not sensitive to His Spirit, where we are not living in the light of His truth. It's a state where we are, in essence, spiritually asleep.
But how do we know if we are in a state of spiritual slumber? What are the signs that we are not fully awake to the things of God?
First: We may find ourselves becoming complacent in our faith. We may find that we are no longer passionate about the things of God, that we are no longer excited about His Word, that we are no longer eager to spend time in His presence. We may find that our prayer life has become routine, that our worship has become mechanical, that our service has become a chore. We may find that we are just going through the motions, that we are just doing the religious thing, that we are just playing the Christian game.
Second: We may find ourselves becoming comfortable with sin. We may find that we are no longer convicted by the Holy Spirit, that we are no longer grieved by our sin, that we are no longer repentant before God. We may find that we are making excuses for our sin, that we are justifying our sin, that we are rationalizing our sin. We may find that we are living in sin, that we are walking in sin, that we are abiding in sin.
Third: We may find ourselves becoming conformed to the world. We may find that we are no longer set apart for God, that we are no longer living a holy life, that we are no longer walking in the Spirit. We may find that we are adopting the values of the world, that we are embracing the standards of the world, that we are following the ways of the world. We may find that we are loving the world, that we are pleasing the world, that we are serving the world.
Fourth: We may find ourselves becoming cold in our love. We may find that we are no longer loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, that we are no longer loving our neighbor as ourselves, that we are no longer loving one another as Christ has loved us. We may find that our love has grown cold, that our love has become lukewarm, that our love has become stale.
Those are the signs of spiritual slumber: These are the indicators that we are not fully awake to the things of God. These are the symptoms that we are in a state of spiritual unawareness. But the good news is that we can awaken from our spiritual slumber. We can become alert to the things of God. We can become sensitive to His Spirit. We can live in the light of His truth. We can be fully awake to the things of God.
How do we awaken from our spiritual slumber? How do we become fully awake to the things of God?
First: We need to stir up our passion for God. We need to reignite our love for His Word. We need to rekindle our desire for His presence. We need to fan into flame our zeal for His glory. We need to awaken our passion for God.
Second: we need to deal with our sin. We need to confess our sin. We need to repent of our sin. We need to turn from our sin. We need to forsake our sin. We need to deal with our sin.
Third: We need to separate from the world. We need to renounce the values of the world. We need to reject the standards of the world. We need to resist the ways of the world. We need to come out from the world. We need to separate from the world.
Fourth: We need to renew our love. We need to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We need to love our neighbor as ourselves. We need to love one another as Christ has loved us. We need to renew our love.
As we move forward, let's turn our attention to the second part of the passage, where Paul urges us to put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
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