How Are you Walking?

 

1.    Introduction

a.      Why are we Christians?

                                                   i.      We know that Jesus is the son of God (Matthew 3:17)

                                                 ii.      We know that Jesus gave his life for our sins (Romans 5:6-8)

                                                iii.      We know that Christians have the promise of Heaven (1 Peter 1:3-5)

                                               iv.      We love God and want to obey him (John 14:15)

b.      What is required of us to be faithful Christians and receive this gift of Heaven?

                                                   i.      Message to Christians

1.      Ephesians 5:15-17

a.      Walk Carefully

b.      Use your time wisely

c.      Understand the will of the Lord

2.      Romans 13:11-14

 

2.    It's Time To Wake Up!

a.      Paul felt the need to exhort the brethren in Rome to awake from sleep

                                                   i.      "To awake from carelessness and indifference"

                                                 ii.      To awake from "stupid, fatal indifference to eternal things"

b.      Apathy and lethargy are problems that often afflict the people of God

c.      Many Christians simply "go through the motions"

d.      Such problems were common in New Testament times

                                                   i.      The church in Ephesus left their first love (Revelation 2:1,4)

                                                 ii.      The church in Laodicea became lukewarm (Revelation 3:14-16)

[*Have you become lethargic and indifferent to eternal things, to serving our God?  If so… It's Time To Wake Up!]

                                                                                 

3.    Why we need to wake (Romans 13: 11-12a)

a.      …KNOWING THE TIME…

                                                   i.      Knowing the nature of time

1.      Time is short

a.      Which goes faster?

                                                                                                                           i.      Happy times

                                                                                                                         ii.      Times of boredom

b.      Category for time serving the Lord?

2.      Time is fleeting  (James 4:13-17)

                                                 ii.      Knowing what time it is

1.      Now is the time to obey the Lord

2.      Now is day of salvation (1 Corinthians 6:1-2)

b.      …OUR SALVATION IS NEARER…

                                                   i.      The Lord's return is nearer

                                                 ii.      Our own death is nearer, should we die before the Lord returns (Hebrews 9:27)

c.      …THE NIGHT IS FAR SPENT…

                                                   i.      The night - referring to the moral darkness of this world (1 John 1-2:17)

                                                 ii.      Is far spent - lit., "is cut off" It is becoming short; it is hastening to a close (1 Corinthians 7:31b)

                                                iii.      This world and time as we know it will not last long (James 4:14-17)

d.      …THE DAY IS AT HAND…

e.      The Word of God serves as a light shining in the dark (1 Peter 1:19, 

1 John 1:7)

[*Since these things are true, let us walk properly...]

                                                                                                          

4.    How we ought to walk (Romans 12b-14)

a.      …CASTING OFF THE WORKS OF DARKNESS…

                                                   i.      Revelry, drunkenness, lewdness and lust (sexual impurity and promiscuity), quarreling, jealousy

                                                 ii.      Adultery, fornication, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissension's, heresies, murders (Galatians 5:19-21)

                                                iii.      Sexual immorality, evil desire, lust, anger, malice, blasphemy, filthy language, lying (slander) (Colossians 3:5-9)

b.      …PUTTING ON THE ARMOR OF LIGHT…

                                                   i.      The breastplate of faith and love, the hope of salvation as a helmet 

(1 Thessalonians 5:8)

                                                 ii.      That armor of God including truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, the hope of salvation, the Word of God (Ephesians 6:10-18)

c.      …PUTTING ON THE LORD JESUS…

                                                   i.      First, in baptism

1.      For in baptism we "put on" Christ (Galatians 3:27)

2.      We are raised "with" Christ, "made alive together with Him" (Colossians 2:11-13)

                                                 ii.      Then, in developing Christ-like character

1.      Putting on the new man, renewed in knowledge, with tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance, forgiving one another, love (Colossians 3:10-14)

2.      Being renewed in mind, a new man in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:20-24)

3.      Growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:5-8; 3:18)

d.      MAKING NO PROVISION FOR THE FLESH...

                                                   i.      Something we must do!

1.      If we want to live spiritually (Romans 8:12-13a)

2.      If we desire the love of the Father (1 John 2:15-17)

                                                 ii.      Something we can do!

1.      With the aid of the Spirit (Romans 8:13b, Galatians 5:16-17, Ephesians 3:14-16, 20)

2.      With the aid of God's providence (1 Corinthians 10:13)

3.      With the aid of watchful prayer (Matt. 26:41, 1 Peter 4:7; 5:8)

                                                iii.      How serious are we in this regard?

1.      Do we avoid circumstances that might tempt the flesh?

2.      Do we abstain from activities that arouse fleshly lusts?

 

 

5.    Conclusion

a.      Are you sleeping...?

                                                   i.      Indifferent to matters of the spirit, careless about things eternal?

                                                 ii.      Lethargic in your service to the Lord, apathetic about your spiritual well-being?

                                                iii.      Perhaps you have not even put on Christ yet!

1.      This lesson was focused on those who have already put on Christ – Have you?

a.      Heard the word of God (Romans 10:17)

b.      Believed that the Bible is the inspired word of God (John 8:24)

c.      Confessed that Jesus is the son of God who came to this earth to die for his or her sins (Romans 10:10)

d.      Repented of your old path of sin (Acts 2:38)

e.      And put on Christ in baptism (Acts 2:38, Gal. 3:27)

b.      If you are sleeping then "It's Time To Wake Up!"

                                                   i.      The time to change and grow will soon be gone!

                                                 ii.      The day of eternity will arrive and you need to be ready!

c.      Let us be children of the day, not of the night...

                                                   i.      Put on the Lord Jesus

                                                 ii.      Put on the armor of light

                                                iii.      Walk properly

                                               iv.      Make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its fleshly lusts

d.      …then we can look forward to obtaining salvation through Jesus Christ! 

(1 Thessalonians 5:1-11)

 

We hope to see you next time on Speaking The Truth In Love!