Title: Our new outfit
Focus: Since we have been saved and given life, we need to be alert and recognize that we no longer walk in darkness, which means we no longer walk in immorality and strife. Instead, we now walk in the light which means we have a devoted love for God and one another.
Function: To motivate the hearers to evaluate their self and their behavior in such a way so they can see whether thay have put on Christ or not.
Text: Rom 13:11-14
Intro:
1. Shopping for clothes
a. Some people very particular about what they wear
b. What do you look for when buying clothes?
2. This morning’s text tells us we need to be particular about what we wear
3. Rom 13:11-14 How? Ways...
I. By recognizing what is temporary (v.11-12a)
A. Paul speaks of the world as thought it were about to end
1. Salvation is nearer that we believed
2. Night is almost gone
3. Day is at hand
4. This seems to be common in the New Testament
B. Yet here we are 200 years later. What happened?
1. Various explanations have been given
a. Realized eschatology - No “literal” heaven
b. Christ already returned in 1st century
c. Biblical writers were wrong
2. A better explanation that is a Biblical explanation
a. (Mt 24:36) - No one knows when
- (v.42) - Solution - be on the alert
b. (1 Thess 5) - Paul says he will come like a theif
3. So we should always be on the alert
C. ILL: We had various inspections in the Air Force
1. I.G. inspections inspected everything
2. Didn’t know when they might come
3. New guy’s job - Buff floor every 30 minutes
4. We should have same attitude about Christ’s coming
D. (2 Pet 3:8-10) - All is temporary on this earth
1. What are we to do? -- (v.11-2) Look for his coming
2. Wake up, and say, “this might be the day”
Trans: If recognize this, will be easier to do what text says next...
II. By getting rid of our old clothes (v.12-13)
A. This is clothing that is of this world
1. Paul calls it the “deeds of darkness”
2. We need to lay this clothing aside
B. What exactly is the clothing we need to to aside?
1. First part of the list:
a. Carousing; drunken orgies; reviling
- Usually used of drunken feasts
- In today’s venacular - Wild Parties
b. Drunkeness
c. Sexual Immorality
- Reminder - Reserved for marriage
2. Most of use probably do not have a problem with these
C. Second part of list:
1. Strife; quarreling; dissension; fighting
a. ILL: A church that always fighting arguing
- No baptisms, people started to leave
- Went from 600 to 50
b. Mt 5 - Blessed are peacemakers = sons of God
c. Remember it takes 2 to make a quarrel
d. Need to disagree without being disagreeable
2. Jealousy, envying - I jealous of another’s paycheck, house. etc
a. This root of first sin - Wanting to be like God
b. ILL: Jealous eagle, other eagle flies higher
- Asks hunter to shoot it down
- Can’t without feathers for arrow
- Missed, eagle fly to high - so give another feather
- Finally, eagle couldn’t fly, no feathers - got shot
c. That is the effect of jealousy - eats away at you
D. We need to put aside the old clothing, ALL OF IT
1. How can we do this? Love one another...
2. Rom 13:9 - Turn these into positive statements
a. No adultery = Be faithful
b. No murder = Make life great for others
c. No stealing = share your blessings
d. No coventing = Be happy for other’s blessings
3. “The man who keeps busy helping the one below him won’t have
time to envy the man above him - and there may not be
anybody above him anyway.”
III. By putting on our new clothes (v.12-14)
A. Paul calls it both the armor of light, and putting on Jesus Christ
1. Behave properly as in the day
2. Put on Christ, make no provisions for the flesh
B. What is the armor of light?
1. Used to own a camaro with red vinyl seats
a. Cleaned it every week
b. Armor all - protect from uv rays and dirt
c. Made the vinyl shine
2. Can thing of other kinds of armor
a. Turtle wax
b. Flap jackets
c. Sun screen
C. Our armor is made up of light - How can light protect us?
1. ILL: Biloxi, MS
a. Daytime, it a typical gulf coast town
b. Nightime, street covered with rough characters,
gangs on corner, music, etc.
c. Not around during the day - Light repels evil
2. Light repels the darkness
3. Anything evil is exposed
D. Rubber meets the road - What it mean to put on new clothes?
1. Behave properly as in the daytime
a. No carousing
b. No strife, backbiting, jealousy, etc.
c. We should LOVE one another
2. Make no provisions for the flesh
a. Security lights all around your life
- Secrets are breeding ground for sin
- If have a “secret friend” why?
- Lead to bad things, even affair if opposite sex
b. How to have security lights - accountable friend
- Help keep you from sins of the flesh
- Also help keep you from swin of jealousy, strife, etc.
c. Have to sin-proof life as much as possible
3. Could sum this up - Put on love
Concl:
1. So we all have new outfits to wear
a. ILL: Went shopping for outfits in military
b. Didn’t have to decided what to wear - it already decided
2. Same for us, God has told us what to get rid of and what to put on
a. We must put away sins of the flesh, jealousy, dissensions
b. We must put on love, perfect bond of unity (Col 3:14)
3. Have you put on the new self? Invitation
4. If yes, Are you still wearning the new self?