Solid Rock Baptist Church of Rockwell NC

PodPoint
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Biweekly

PodPoint podcast feed

  1. 2d ago

    Can We Get Serious Romans 13:11-14

    Can We Get Serious? Text: Romans 13:11-14 Series: The Whole Armor of God   The Text "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." — Romans 13:11-14   Introduction Church, there's a scene in the movie Sully that I can't get out of my head. After Captain Sullenberger set that airplane down on the Hudson River, a board of investigators put him in a room and started picking apart his decision. They had simulations. They had data. They had plenty of opinions. And finally, Tom Hanks, playing Sully, stops the whole proceeding and says, "Can we get serious?" The reason he said it is simple. Nobody in that room had ever been in the seat. They had never felt the impact. They had never heard the silence of both engines gone quiet at the same time. They were playing at it from the outside. He had lived it. And I want to ask this church the same question this morning. Not to scold you. Not to beat you up. But because too many of God's people are living like the crisis isn't real, like the engines haven't gone quiet, when the Word of God says the clock is further along than we think. Paul says it in Romans 13:11: "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." Can we get serious?   1. The Clock Is Further Along Than You Think Romans 13:11 says, "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." Paul says we ought to know what time it is. And he is not talking about a clock on the wall. He is talking about the hour of history. Every day that passes puts us one day closer to the return of Jesus Christ. Think about it. Last Sunday He was closer than He was the Sunday before. This morning He is closer than He was last week. The clock is running whether we watch it or not. Now listen, church. That is a promise and not a threat. "Our salvation nearer than when we believed." If you are saved, the best day of your life is still out in front of you. The day you have been singing about, praying toward, hoping for, that day is closer today than it has ever been. But Paul attaches a therefore to it. Because the clock is running, we ought to live like it. Sully had 208 seconds to work with. He did not have time to be casual. He did not have time to sit there and worry about what some board would say about him later. He had to be present in the moment he was given. You and I have today. Tomorrow is not promised to anybody in this room. James 4:14 says our life is "a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." The clock is further along than you think, so live like it. And here is the encouragement in it. You have not missed it. If you are hearing this today, God is still giving you time. That is mercy, church. That is mercy.   2. Too Many of God's People Are Asleep Now look at what Paul says in the back half of verse 11 and into verse 12: "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." Notice what Paul does not say. He does not say awake out of sin. He says awake out of sleep. Sleep is what happens to a believer who knows the truth but has stopped living like the truth is true. Not lost. Not somebody denying the faith. Just comfortable. Numb. Going through the motions. That is the man in the hearing room in that movie. He had all the data and none of the reality. So what does spiritual sleep look like? Let me lay it out for you. Prayer that used to be daily is now occasional. The Bible that used to be open on the table is now closed on the shelf. Church that used to be the priority is now "when I can make it." Sin that used to bother you does not bother you anymore. Heaven that used to excite you is now just a doctrine you can pass on a test. That is sleep, church. And Paul says it is "high time." The alarm has been going off and we have been reaching over and hitting snooze. But here is the good news. Being asleep is not the same as being dead. If you can hear the alarm this morning, you can still get up. That is the whole point of the verse. God is waking you up. He is not writing you off.   3. Get Dressed for the Day That's Coming Now Paul gives two commands in Romans 13:12-14, and both of them are about getting dressed. Let me read them for you in full: "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." First, cast off the works of darkness. Take off what belongs to the night. You do not fight sleep by adding more to your life. You fight it by taking things off. And some of you folks are tired this morning because you are still carrying around stuff that God told you to drop a long time ago. Second, put on the armour of light. And church, there is your bridge right back into our series. Paul uses the same word here that he uses over in Ephesians 6, "put on." Same idea. You do not drift into readiness. You dress for it. Every single day. Belt of truth first, then the rest of it. And verse 14 gives us the whole suit in one line: "put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ." That is the armor. Not your willpower. Not your track record. Him. When you put Him on, the works of darkness do not fit you anymore. Somebody says, "Preacher, that sounds like a lot of work." No. This is not "try harder." This is "get dressed." A soldier does not will himself into his armor standing in the barracks. He puts it on. Believer, put on Christ this morning. That is not a burden. That is a covering.   Conclusion Sully was not being harsh in that hearing room. He was being honest. The situation was too serious for games. And so is ours. Not because God is angry with you. Because the day is at hand. Because people we love are still lost. Because eternity is real. Because Jesus Christ is coming back. Can we get serious? I do not mean serious as in sour-faced and grim. I mean serious as in awake. Serious as in dressed. Serious as in living today like what we say we believe is actually true. If you have been asleep, this is your alarm. Not to shame you. To get you up. The night is far spent. The day is at hand. Let me leave you with this. Sully did not save that airplane by panicking, and he did not save it by sleeping. He saved it by being awake and doing his job in the moment he was given. God is asking the same thing of us. Are you dressed for battle today? Let's live like it.

  2. Sep 27

    Put On The Whole Armor Of God Get Prepared For Battle Fireproof-How to Put Out What the Devil Throws at You

    Sermon from Solid Rock Baptist Church of Rockwell NC

  3. Sep 20

    Put On The Whole Armor Of God Get Prepared For Battle Boots On The Ground And Moving Out!

    Sermon from Solid Rock Baptist Church of Rockwell NC

  4. Sep 13

    The Whole Armor Of God Get Prepared For Battle You're Covered In Christ-Stand Like It Conclusion

    Sermon from Solid Rock Baptist Church of Rockwell NC

  5. Aug 30

    He Will Take You Through The Fire Again

    Sermon from Solid Rock Baptist Church of Rockwell NC

  6. Aug 23

    The Whole Armor Of God Get Prepared For Battle You're Covered in Christ — Stand Like It Part 1 revised

    Sermon from Solid Rock Baptist Church of Rockwell NC

  7. Aug 16

    The Whole Armor Of God Get Prepared For Battle Don't Drop Your Belt Part 2

    Sermon from Solid Rock Baptist Church of Rockwell NC

  8. Aug 9

    The Whole Armor Of God Get Prepared For Battle Don't Drop Your Belt Part 1

    DON'T DROP YOUR BELT-GIRD YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH. 1. The Old Testament Command to Gird The physical act of girding the loins was a command for readiness. It meant pulling up the long robes, tucking them into a belt, and preparing for work, travel, or battle. Exodus 12:11  — The Passover command: "And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded..." This was a posture of readiness for deliverance. They were dressed to leave Egypt at a moment's notice. Exo 12:11  And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover.  1 Kings 18:46  — "And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab..." After the fire fell on Mount Carmel, Elijah had to run. He prepared himself for supernatural action. 1Ki 18:46  And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. Job 38:3; 40:7  — God commands Job: "Gird up thy loins now like a man." God is telling Job to prepare himself to receive the truth of who God really is. Job 38:3  Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.  Job 40:7  Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. Jeremiah 1:17 — God tells Jeremiah: "Gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee." This is a command to prepare for the ministry of proclaiming God's truth. Jer 1:17  Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.  2. The New Testament Call to Truth The New Testament shifts the metaphor from physical preparation to spiritual readiness, anchored in truth. Ephesians 6:14a  — "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth..." Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;  John 17:17  — Jesus prays, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." This defines what the "truth" is that we gird ourselves with: the Word of God. Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.  John 8:32 — "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Truth is not just a defense; it is a liberator. Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.  John 14:6  — Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." Ultimately, the belt is not just a set of facts; it is a Person. Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.  2 Timothy 2:15 — "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." This is the act of "girding" in the study room. 2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  1 Peter 1:13  — "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind..." Peter uses this exact language to describe mental and spiritual readiness based on the hope of the Gospel. 1Pe 1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;  3. The Enemy's Counterfeit: Lies If the belt is truth, the enemy's strategy is to unbuckle it with lies. Genesis 3:1  — "Yea, hath God said...?" The first attack in Scripture was an assault on God's truth. Gen 3:1  Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?  John 8:44  — Jesus says of the devil: "...he is a liar, and the father of it." Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.  2 Corinthians 11:3 — "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." 2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.  SERMON OUTLINE: "Don't Drop Your Belt" Big Idea:  The belt of truth is the foundation of our spiritual armor. Without it, everything else falls apart. We must actively gird ourselves with God's truth to stand against the enemy's lies. I. The Belt Holds Everything Together (The Function) Ephesians 6:14a A Roman soldier without a belt had no place for his sword. His breastplate would shift. His tunic would trip him. Application:  If you do not know the truth of God's Word, you cannot wield the Sword of the Spirit. You will trip over your own feelings and opinions. Cross-Ref:  2 Timothy 2:15  — You have to study to prepare the belt. 2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  II. The Belt Requires Active Preparation (The Action) Old Testament Context:  Girding was not automatic. You had to stop, pull up your robes, and tighten the belt. Cross-Ref:  Job 38:3  — God told Job to gird his loins like a man before God spoke to him. Job 38:3  Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Cross-Ref:  Jeremiah 1:17  — God told Jeremiah to gird his loins before he spoke the truth. Jer 1:17  Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.  Cross-Ref:  1 Peter 1:13  — Peter tells us to gird up the loins of our  minds. 1Pe 1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;  Application:  You don't wake up girded. You gird yourself through prayer, reading, and intentional focus on God's reality before you step out the door. III. The Belt is the Enemy's First Target (The Attack) The Strategy:  If the enemy can get you to doubt the truth, the rest of your armor is compromised. Cross-Ref:  Genesis 3:1  — "Yea, hath God said?" The enemy didn't attack Eve's breastplate of righteousness first; he attacked her understanding of what God actually said. Gen 3:1  Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? Cross-Ref:  John 8:44  — The devil is the father of lies. His native tongue is falsehood. Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.  Application:  The world is constantly whispering, "Did God really say that about marriage? About sin? About eternity?" If you drop the belt, you are already on the ground. IV. The Belt is a Person, Not Just a Concept (The Source) Cross-Ref:  John 14:6  — "I am the way, the truth, and the life." Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.  Cross-Ref:  John 17:17  — "Thy word is truth." Joh 17:7  Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.  Application:  Girding yourself with truth means being anchored in Christ and His Word. It is relational. You cannot gird yourself with truth if you are distant from the One who  is  Truth. Conclusion / Altar Thought:  Are you dressed for battle today? Or did you walk out of the house with your belt unbuckled? The enemy is looking for an exposed midsection. Gird up. Tighten the belt of truth. Know what God said. Know who God is. Stand.

See All (967)

About

PodPoint podcast feed

Information