LBC Sermons & Messages

What would you do if someone came barging into the room and yelled, “Get out! Fire?” Would you finish your conversation? Would you finish that cup of coffee? Or, would you leave as fast and as safe as you could making sure those around you were safe and out of harm? This is the same urgency that Paul is using. Awake! Why? Because there is a spiritual fire that will consume all if not ready for it and willing to fight it.

Paul tells us to awake and to cast off our works of wickedness. These are the works of the flesh. We cannot fight the battle and serve the Lord depending on ourselves and our flesh. We must mortify it all and give no please to it.

In verse 13, we see the command and that is to walk honestly or to awake out of spiritual death. The carnal verses the spiritual. If we have not cast off the flesh, we will not make it any further. However, when the flesh is taken care of, on a continual basis, we can then walk in honesty. In I Sam. 15 Saul was not walking in honesty. He disobeyed God and Samuel had to correct him. Samuel told him that it is better to obey than to sacrifice. God wants us to walk in honesty.

Then Paul tells us to awake and put on Christ. Awake out of spiritual slumber. What on earth are you on earth for. If you are living for yourself, money, fame, etc. than you will be sorely disappointed and spend an empty life trying to obtain it all. Instead, we are to live holy and put on holiness or Christ, Col. 3:12-16. Then we will have fulfillment and truly be awake and alive.

Remember, as Paul tells the Corinthian church, we do not war after flesh and our weapon, Christ-likeness, is mighty and strong.

Paul understood this concept because he had to come face to face with it in his own journeys. Paul wrote most of the verses we discussed and his life in Christ is what gives it power. He not only encouraged those around him to do it with words but also with his life.

I am sure that Paul could have fought back against the powers that were. Paul was a brilliant man and well trained in law as he was part of the Sanhedrin. However, Paul knew that our weapon of godliness was mighty to the pulling down of strong holds and he probably had to remind himself of this truth often.

I am also sure that Paul had times of doubt for he was human. When he was left for dead after being stoned, when he was severely beaten, when he was ship wrecked, when he finally came face to face with being martyred Paul probably had a thought of doubt. However, the truth in which he placed his faith matched the truth by which he lived his life and gave him victory in ways that we may never truly comprehend till glory.

So, will you awake or remain asleep? The choice is yours and mine. Thomas Paine said, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” Times have not grown better and man is growing worse. So, these are more than ever the times that try men’s souls. You and I as Christians are the front line of defense and we need to awake. We need to teach those around us. We need to live the truth for all to see. Let us awake today and give God glory.

Awake! Paul tells us in verse 11. The time is late and the need is now more than ever for Christians to awake out of sleep. II Cor. 6:1, 2 tells Christians that now is the accepted time and now is the day of salvation. Here in Romans, Paul tells us that salvation is now nearer than ever. The time to awake is NOW!

This does not mean be religious. The Pharisees were religious and Christ called them serpents. He called them whitened sepulchers full of dead men’s bones, Matt. 23. We need to awaken to Christ himself.

After we awake, we are to cast off the works of darkness, the sin that doth so easily beset us. We are to mortify the members of the flesh, Col. 3. We are to put to death the earthly desire and fleshly lusts. Carnal desires war against our spirit and Christ warns his disciples the watch and pray for the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Because the flesh is weak it is easy to fall into temptation.

Eph. 4 warns to not even give place to the Devil. If we give him a place, he is like a cancer and will take over and destroy. Remember, he seeks to devour and destroy, I Pet 5:8. This is a conscience decision on our part and a continual battle. This is why Eph. 6 instructs us to put on the whole armor of Christ.

We must awake and we must cast off the works of darkness. We cannot serve God and fleshly or carnal desires. When Christ arose from the dead, He did not wear His grave clothes around. That would be gross and foolish. Yet, many Christians try to do this very thing. Christ quickens us from an eternity of damnation and gives us life through His shed blood, and yet many of us leave on our grave clothes and try to serve Him. Let me encourage you and I today to cast them off.

When I think of casting off the old man, the ways of wickedness I think of Paul. Acts 9 gives us a glimpse of what it means to cast off something. Paul was persecuting the church, God’s people. He thought he was doing the work of God but he had religion and no relationship.

He was on the road to Damascus and he had an encounter with God. His eyes were blinded by religion in the past but now after his encounter with God, his eyes were literally blinded. He could not see because his eyes had a covering on them. He had to go to Ananias so the scales would come off.

We, like Paul, are blinded with scales on our eyes. When we meet Christ, the scales are removed and we can now see. However, many times we choose to put the scales back on and we become blinded once again. When we choose to work through the flesh or not cast off the works of the flesh and darkness, it is like looking with scales on our eyes.

Sometime, these scales get in the way when we are even serving God. David comes to mind when He is returning the Arc of the Covenant back to Israel. He was doing a good work but in the wrong manner and mode. He knew the law and if he did not, he should have found out. But instead, he was zealous but blinded and tried to serve in the flesh. God wants us to serve but He wants us to serve according to His design not ours. This mistake of David’s cost Uzzah his life, II Sam. 6. Most of the times, our blindness cost and it affects those around us.

It is our choice to be blinded by scales or to see clearly. God gives the power to remove the scales and to keep them off. We simply must obey. So, this week, let us mortify the deeds of the flesh and serve our Maker with gladness.

Today we are back in Romans 13:11-14. Up to this point, Paul has built his case well. He has reminded his readers about the Law and God’s grace. He tells us what we have in Christ and what Christ expects from us. In the end of Romans 13 we hit the climax.

One of the most annoying sounds to me is the beeping of the alarm clock. My father always used one of the old time wind- up clocks and you talk about startling you half to death. If it did not kill you out of surprise, it would wake you.

Here in Romans, the alarm clock begins to ring. Paul cries out, “AWAKE!” He says it is high time meaning that we have all we need to awake and the time is right to awake.

When I think of urgency Paul expresses here, I think of a few more verses. First, Eph. 5:16, Col. 4:5. They both tell us to redeem the time for the days are evil. We must make the most of the time the Father has given us for the days are growing more evil. Redeem means to make good. Honor God with every moment. Mordicea tells Ester, in Est. 4, that she was placed there for that exact moment and those exact circumstances so do what is right. God has you right where you are at this precise time for a purpose. Do what is right. Lastly, I Cor. 16:13, Paul tells the Jews to quit themselves like men. Be strong and courageous. One thing that is greatly lacking on our society today is strong Christian men. So, will you awake and arise or will you continue to slumber?

When you think of a wake up call, what Biblical accounts come to mind? Any scriptures come to mind? I Chor. 11 comes to my mind. Here we have David as king and the people are rallying around him because he is the Lord’s man. David has set up the city and a few mighty men have come around him.

Notice that in verse 10, the mighty men strengthened themselves as a group. We cannot do it alone. Life is hard and trials and temptations come our way. One can draw strength from a personal walk with God and by spending time in His Word, but God has designed us to strengthen each other. When we get together, we gain courage. Therefore, one who chooses to stay out of church chooses to become weaker.

Read down to verse 12 and 13 and you find Eleazar and David fighting together to save a barley field. Barley in that day was basically worthless. The rest of Israel fled from the presence of the Philistines and left these two men alone. They knew the job that God had for them and they were going to complete it no matter what the odds were.

When we are obedient to God sometimes we stand alone. If we are being obedient, than it really does not matter what everyone else is doing. We are not accountable for them but we better make sure that God is first in our lives. When we are obedient to God, He’s always victorious in ways that we could never think or imagine. So, let’s wake up and do what’s right.

John 20

Today is the pinnacle day of Christianity. Without the resurrection of Christ, our faith would be dead and Christ would have been a phony. Now, there is more historical evidence of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection than evidence for Napoleon and yet many do not believe. First, belief does not determine truth, it is simply truth. Also, if man believes in Christ than there is a God and he is now accountable so it is more convenient to not believe.

Upon reading the resurrection story, you find Thomas not with the other disciples at first. Put yourself in his shoes and you will see the disappointment that he must have faced. Here most of the disciples left a lucrative fishing business to follow Christ, their Rabbi. They learned from Him, saw miracles, and spent every moment with Him. Now Christ was crucified, buried and gone. Thomas’ world had come to an end.

Where was the disconnect? We know that Christ never disappoints except when we do not see Him for who He is. Thomas, along with the others were told several times that this very event would take place and yet they did not realize it to be truth. They did not believe because they did not really know who Christ was. Many times we are in the same boat.

So, how can we know who Christ really is? First, by being in the Word. The Bible gives us everything we need to know about God. We must simply search out the truths of the scriptures. Secondly, we need each other. We need fellowship and community to understand more of who God is. Also, suffering has a way to bring us face to face with our Creator. The list could go on but for now seek the face of the true, living God and make sure your faith is in Him and His completed work.