Romans 13
What Time is It?
It is time to wake up
God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work
He began when we first believed.
If God is putting His finishing touches on salvation
We need to realize salvation can only come through repentance
We all need to repent
So how will we facilitate repentance?
How will the church prepare for the revival God is looking for?
Do we know how to repent and bring others to repentance?
From the scriptures we have looked at today in the Sermon on the Mount
Paul’s letter to the Romans and Peter’s second letter, we are to love
The wrath of God is affecting all of us,
We are in the world and believers are suffering as the sinners
Why? So, we might have compassion upon the lost
Not just for physical healing, but most of all spiritual healing
It is not good enough that you and I go to heaven
We are to go and make disciples
Helping people to turn from their wicked ways, so God can heal our land
What Time is It?
How many times in your life
have you asked the question…
“What time is it?”
Every time you look at a clock
whether on your wrist, phone, desk,
wall, or asked someone for the time…
You are asking this question…
“What time is it?”
Sometimes we look at the minutes
till the next appointment.
Other times we look at the calendar
for the next season or events to come.
Time is important and more important than
time is to be in the right place at the right time.
Sandy and I went to Alaska when we
celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary.
When we got off the plane.
It looked like a beautiful day.
After putting our things in the hotel,
we took a walk around the town
and wanted to get something to eat.
It seemed so strange that what looked
like a nice evening, there were not people
in the streets and all the stores
and restaurants were closed.
It took Sandy and I awhile to
figure out what was going on…
We had traveled across several time zones.
We have also traveled from a latitude of 41.39 in Toledo, Ohio
to 61.13 in Anchorage, Alaska.
We had no idea it was 1:00am in the morning.
Sandy and I did not know what time it was.
I am afraid that is true concerning God’s time line.
Depending on the season,
our days are longer or shorter.
God is timeless as He has no beginning or end…
Yet we can see He has a calendar.
Psalms 90:2
At creation, He made
day and night to be one day.
God spoke through His prophets
concerning times and seasons.
One term was “The day of the Lord”.
Peter says…
“The day of the Lord will come”
2 Peter 3:10
There is a lot the Bible tells us about
concerning “the day of the Lord”.
In Romans 13:11 it says…
And do this, understanding the present time.
What time is it?
The beginning of 2020,
the world was alarmed with the news
of a dangerous virus we call Covid 19.
At the end of 2021,
We now have three strains or waves of this virus…
Covid-19, Delta, and Omicron
By now I think all of us
know someone who has had Covid
or died from it.
It seems that whether you had Covid
or the vaccine, your immunity is only 8 months.
People from all walks of life,
sinners, as well as, believers are affected.
It is like the scripture says…
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?
Do not even pagans do that?
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:43-48
Love your enemies.
This seems to be too hard for the people of God.
Think about the enemies of the Gospel.
They do and say horrible things.
When we were in the world,
we hated people who do horrible things.
So the world has no right to point the finger
at us as believers when we villanize evil doers.
But our Father in heaven does have the right
to address us concerning our hatred.
Why?
Because while we were sinners Christ died for us.
The command to love is very hard.
But it is the most powerful weapon
to change an evil heart?
Note Romans 12:30
“He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good,
and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
What God brings on the earth
touched both righteous and sinners.
Maybe the answer to why the righteous
are not exempt has to do with the context…
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
When we are all facing the same thing,
we find something in common.
In the midst of divisions,
God shows who He has approved
1 Corinthians 11:19
The church, which is God’s people,
is never to have a closed door.
And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?
Do not even pagans do that?
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
As Paul writes to the Romans,
he makes it clear we are all the focus of God’s wrath.
Whether Gentiles or God’s people, the Jews…
Could it be that the time we are living in
is a time of God’s wrath?
Would God be just if He took action against our sins?
When Paul says in Romans 13:11…
And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed
.
He also says in Romans 13:13-14…
Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don't participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy.
New Living Translation
Does not this verse describe our world today?
Look at the increase of sexual promiscuity and immorality.
Paul’s description of the sinful Gentile world
in Romans 1 is increasing in our day.
Is God just to bring His wrath?
Yes!
But why?
Because God hates us?
No!
If God says…
Love your enemies and
pray for those who persecute you
Would not God also love His enemies?
Yes!
As important as it is to develop antidotes for diseases…
It is more important that we repent of sin.
They say there are no atheist in fox holes.
When the enemy of death comes…
We all question spiritual things
and what comes after death.
We are in a time when Paul says…
Romans 13:11-13
But make sure that you don't get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed.
THE MESSAGE
It is time to wake up.
God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work
He began when we first believed.
If God is putting His finishing
touches on salvation…
We need to realize salvation can
only come through repentance.
We all need to repent.
So how will we facilitate repentance?
How will the church prepare
for the revival God is looking for?
Do we know how to repent
and bring others to repentance?
From the scriptures we have looked at today
in the Sermon on the Mount…
Paul’s letter to the Romans and
Peter’s second letter, we are to love.
The wrath of God is affecting all of us.
We are in the world and believers are
suffering as the sinners are also suffering,
Why?
So, we might have compassion upon the lost.
Not just for physical healing
but most of all spiritual healing.
It is not good enough that you and I go to heaven…
We are to go and make disciples.
Helping people to turn from their wicked ways,
so God can heal our land.
What time is it?
It is time to put the finishing touches on salvation.
Time to repent and facilitate repentance.
Scripture Reading
Romans 13:11-14 NIV
11 And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 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. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
