Put On The Lord Jesus Christ

9-10-23

Hoonah-Hadley

Romans 13:8-14

Call to Worship Psalm 119:33-40

Daily Verse Romans 13:14

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lust.”

We have here this morning some classic offerings, a firm foundation, write them on the tablet of your heart, set them on the mantle of your life, adorn yourself with the authority they bring and the victory they provide over all things. You put on the Lord Jesus Christ and the darkness will flee from you, and or, it will come running to you begging for mercy. Romans 13:11 “And do this…” This is God’s word, don’t leave it on your nightstand all day unopened. Rise up with it, walk with it, sit before it, bow down to it (Him), build your house upon it, teach it to your children and your children’s children. Make it the first thing, the last thing, saturate yourself with it and you will see the desires of your heart manifest themselves in your life like nothing else will. Do not love the world or the things of this world, but “Put On The Lord Jesus Christ”, I say it again, “Put On The Lord Jesus Christ”. Fall in love with Him, His word, way and truth, get addicted to Him and you will find the things of this world will grow strangely dim in light of His glory and grace. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will see things in a different light. Your interest will change, your passions will be transformed into His, heaven will come down and glory will fill your soul. “And do this.” Ok. Have you done it? Are you fighting it, hanging onto beer, your cigarette, TikTok, Netflix or some video game.

Honest to God, on the flight home from Alaska, there are elderly men playing video games on their “smart” phones, smart, not wise phones.

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When God ask you what you did with the “talent” He gave you, Lord have mercy on your soul. What does it take for evil to prevail? Good men doing nothing. Or should we say, sinful man wasting his life. What would grandpa think? The man that set his mind to the plow, that earned a living by the sweat of his brow? There are young men today taking a free ride off the labor of their parents, they come home from college, work, kind of, for two weeks and go on vacation with their buddies to Florida. This is the very thing we are addressing this morning. Why? “Knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep…” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Yes, God is merciful, slow to anger, abounding in love, but He is also a jealous, wrathful, unquenchable fire. It’s time to put on the work clothes. The cologne, hair gel and beer will prepare you for the wide gate. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and enter the narrow gate, increase your talent, put your doggone lamp on the table. Wake up!

There has never been a time with more devices to communicate while simultaneously a time where communication is at an all time low. It’s not just time, it is “high” time, the right time, the only time we have, wake up! “Salvation is nearer than when we first believed.” See Deut. 4:7; Psalm 34:18; 46:1; 119:151, etc. Acts 17:27 “so that they should seek the Lord, that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us…” God loves you; He gave His Son that you might live, He wants not one to be lost, He longs to hear your plea, your petition, your cry, your call in the night. Romans 10:13 “For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Luke 15:7 “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.” A recent email: “That’s…the reason I sought you out…to improve my knowledge of the bible, and to improve my relationship with God.”

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Verse 12 “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” Whoa Nellie, I feel like preaching now! Jentezen Franklin says, “I’m preaching way better than you all are worshipping!” Praise God, the plants need light to grow. The night is spent, it is over, your hour of darkness is gone, behold the day. 2 Peter 1:19 “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Morning Star rises in your heart.” Darkness has exhausted itself, the morning light bankrupts it, see the light, feel the blessed warmth from it, absorb it, let it do its work, grow in it, be transformed by it, bear the fruit it was designed to encourage. The seed has been planted in your heart. Mark 4:28 “…first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.” Look up the parable of the Sower, the wheat and tares, the mustard seed. Lord have mercy, it is high time to wake out of sleep! 1 Cor. 3:6 “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” Eric Clapton Let it Grow: “Plant your love and let it grow…let it blossom, let it flow. In the sun, the rain, the snow, love is lovely, let it grow…” If you’re in the hearing or reading of this word, the gospel truth has been planted in you heart, mind and soul, it is watered by your pray, meditation, petition, worship, fellowship, hunger and desire. Matt. 15:28 “Oh woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” Romans vs. 12 continues, “Therefore, let us cast off…” Be done with it, set it at the curb on garbage night, throw it out, burn it, bury it, get rid of it. First things first, take off your filthy rags, they are spent, worthless, unprofitable, cast off the works of darkness! “And let us put on the armor of light.” Let us put it on, do it, wear it, own it, become it, it is armor, it protects, encourages, strengthens, adorns.

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Vs. 11 “And do this…”, cast off, put on, walk properly as in the day, not this way or that, “but”. There always seems to be a “but”. Vs. 14 “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provisions for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” Whoa Nellie! There’s a mouth full. We’re rocking the boat now, stirring the water. Just as a reminder, there is a wide gate and a narrow one. Remember the old piece of furniture for women called a “Vanity”? That was back in the day when men used shovel and axe, today the women have to wait in line at the vanity while the men put on their hair gel and earrings.

As the verses about the gate tell us, many enter the wide gate, in truth, humanity in general is vs. 14 in reverse. Paul says he considers it all “rubbish”, “dung”, there are stronger words in todays language your welcome to use if you like. When I say, I don’t use shampoo, laundry detergent, cologne or warm water, I’m serious. Do you think John the Baptist stood in front of the mirror or used warm water in his laundry for the delicate stuff? Now there is only one John the Baptist and one Lord but if your spending to much time getting ready, it’s not about Jesus, it’s about your agenda. What does it say, “and make no provisions for the flesh…” The provisions for the flesh take up way more space in the market place than Jesus carried with Him to Calvary. Christ must be in us before He can be on us. The light from a lantern doesn’t start with a match, first you must fill it with oil.

As soldiers of Christ, the armor of light is our daily apparel. Spring, summer, fall, winter, our clothing changes, work, leisure, rest, but the garment the women touched and was healed by is unchanging. Understand, God’s word is contrary to our nature, it will take a conscience, deliberate effort, a swimming against the current to put on Christ and keep Him on at all times, in all weather and occasions.

Put on Christ and be the light! Amen.