A Wake Up Call

If you have your Bibles tonight will jump into God's word.

I will be in Romans chapter 13 Romans chapter 13 the night.

When you find your place will stand on her reading God's word but Romans chapter 13 I will begin in verse 11 down to verse 14 the warlord says in verse 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 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 armor of light. Let us walk honestly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and not wantonness, not in strife and envying, but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lust thereof (father we just come before you this evening. Lord, there's some that are entering into your house with a heavy heart this evening or there's others that have great joy.

Mothers of all those in between is the father's we we pause at this midweek service to pause in your presence. May we set the distractions aside of this week heavy heartedness that the burdens of life. The focus in on you and your word father is rich. It is true. Help us to apply it to our lives. Lord help us to see that the time is near of your return help his father to not reload the sleep awake us, Lord, shake us from our apathy at times.

Lord help us to see the great need. That is before us. Lord help us to be less like ourselves and more like Jesus. We ask this tonight in Jesus name, amen. Maybe seated. I know some people when they come to church, and the preacher stands up, that is your cue to go to sleep. I was that teenager when my parents, my stepdad and my monitor to take us to church. I was that team that would sit in the back. I refuse to go as the pastor started to speak.

I would goes off to sleep and there was a guy that I heard about who would slip every time the preacher started the preacher, so one Sunday morning, the preacher decided to play a nice joke on this young man as he was preaching about halfway through his sermon, he got real quiet and he said to everybody that was in the sanctuary said you would like to go to heaven when you die, stand up several softly and all the people stood up except for the one guy that was in the back sleeping and he said okay maybe seated and it was a very loud shout, he said, who doesn't want to go to heaven set up now and the guy jumps up and is looking around and is confusing is that preacher.

I don't know or vote non-but only you and I are in agreement on this and that, he sat back down, not knowing what the preacher just done and I as we open this passage of Scripture.

Tonight I were not talking about a real slumber.

A real sleep tonight were going to be talking about waking up from a spiritual slumber were going to hear God's alarm to wake up and and I think in it, even in the church is as great as lighthouses with God's hand upon it. We all at some point in time in our walk could be load to sleep before not care how we can be distracted by the things of the world we could become apathetic to the things that we see. So tonight, as we look at God's word when little Paul has to say in and the urgency and I title tonight's message is a wake-up call wake-up call and that brings us to our first point tonight you see that in verse 11 first point tonight is wake up in verse 11 it says in knowing and that knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep. So as we look at this passage I we learn what it is trying to teach us tonight is what were looking to do the first thing we are to do is to wake up.

He tells us, is God's alarm clock and it is it is going all you do. We see it in the Scriptures. There can we hear that the urgency of Paul's voice as it sees it is, is guided by the Holy Spirit is Thomas a it's time to wake up, got a saying there's no longer time to sleep.

There's work to be done.

It's time for us to wake up and so I don't know about you but I believe that there are three types of people when it comes to waking up. There's this type of people that they just get up. Naturally, they don't need an alarm clock like whatever time they get up was 4 AM 70 and whatever it may be, they just wake up they'll need an alarm clock right there, is that type of person and then there's that person probably drives my wife crazy look as if you like of the others I will get to hear in a minute.

She's just not a morning person, but that the person that wakes up doesn't mean alarm clock is like bones are going for the day.

The second type of person is a person is a set one alarm to help them get up are not nearly as like motivated right they again without alarm clock but they set one alarm and they get out they don't have to have several alarms. This brings me to my third type of person when it comes to waking up.

They have 15 alarms on their cell phone. They hit the snooze on each one of them until like the very last minute anybody do that where you set your alarm like an hour and 1/2 before you have to get up so you just hit the snooze button. So there are some of us in the room that do that, there's probably something here that don't need an alarm clock. You just get up and go and I am under the oppression under impression that whoever invented the snooze button was of the devil and thinking as as they visit it. I just had to be a lazy guy they just invented the snooze but he does have want to constantly roll over the snooze and maybe that was his daily exercise. I don't know.

But the sad reality is that when God has called us to wake up spiritually, we hear a wake-up call like this we might be tempted to do the same thing we might be tempted to hit the snooze button. We might stir for a moment to wake up to it. Spiritual wake up, but then we reach over we hit the snooze but not right now.maybe later.

So what does this look like what does it mean to be spiritually asleep. What is it mean to have SOI Encyclopaedia Britannica. You know those were things that they that they were door-to-door to sell the people. Anybody have this people come to your door back in the days princely encyclopedias. I just get a free online right, but this is what they defined sleep as a state of inactivity with a loss of consciousness and ate this in a decrease in responsiveness to the events taking place around in Webster's dictionary defines this is that the natural easily reversible periodic state of many living things that is marked by the absence of wakefulness by the loss of consciousness of one's surroundings so the phrase the night is far spent the day it is at hand expresses the urgency for us to be called out of our spiritual slumber.

The time is now to obey and to heed God's word so there's no time for apathy. There's no time for complacency or indifference. In this admonition it was urgent.

In Paul's day, how much more so today, as we see the day of the Lord approaching 2000 years since Paul has wrote this letter and I was ever patient has had her skeptics as second Peter chapter 3 verse four tells us that says in saying, where is the promise of his coming for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. So there have been those if you've ever witnessed the people and that's all just been saying that for years. You Christians been saying to God's gonna come back even saying Jesus's return is near.

But it is through. There's those people have been skeptical of Christ's return. And so we see that at the time is is in that knowing the time.

In verse 11. Paul's emphasizing that the present time is of the highest importance. I we must be remember that we are never to stop offering our bodies a living sacrifice. Romans 12 one tells us this tells us in Romans 12 one. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable want to. God is your reasonable service which is your reasonable service because weird, some are untaught, they don't know the Scriptures are ignorant or maybe they're talking wrongly about the Scriptures and an Christ's second returning to develop a spiritual blindness, there's none but there's blindness in particularly. Sometimes they like to be in class even close to being classified as unbelievers in the response to the ignorance that they have towards the urgency of Christ's second return, especially the lack and interests of his return. I would say this is the spiritual Aaron of illness that has plagued believers in the early church, and even today of some people do not go do the work of the ministry because there's more time for that will be another day to do that would be another day that I can witness to my love today is not the time I got a lot of things on my schedule today is not the time for me to set aside time to share the gospel says now is time is high time to wake out of sleep. Paul's calling for believers to awaken from a spiritual sleep from the unconsciousness for responsiveness and inactivity concerning the things of God. And I know in my own Christian walk. At times, especially early on and you have stages of Christianity when you first get saved. The Bible says you're a baby in Christ and your desiring the sincere word is so as a baby.

The baby can't feed itself.

Those of us that have had children. We know that been around young we have to feed them. They can't be themselves.

They can't even change their diapers we have to help raise and this was called children in the faith, and they did become a little more mature.

The starting to walk on their own and then it speaks of young men in the faith. And then there's the mature believer is so as we are seeing that sometimes unconsciousness, unresponsiveness and inactivity. We would expect that out of maybe younger lesser mature Christian.

But this too can creep into the life of the season believers.

Well, I would tell you.

Many have been lulled to sleep by the things of this world. It's like they've been on a Netflix bench for weeks on end and Yvette ever done.

I got sucked into like some day, whenever it is a series on I know my kids.

Sometimes they get on YouTube and the start to watch something like, how are you still on this like hours later and it's just like this never ending warm tunnel and it just keeps on liking your wasting your day get off their move on but we, too, if were not careful below to sleep by the things of this world.

That's what Satan has his greatest desires for us to do is fit to below the sleep cannot be active in the things of God to not be concerned with the things of Christ and to just continue about our daily routine. So Paul had a similar call to the believers in Ephesus listen to these in chapter 5, verse 14. Wherefore he said awake valve asleep us and arise from the dead. Price shall give the light he wasn't speaking to the loss for the unsaved here Ephesus.

He was addressing the church at Ephesus. These are believers in Christ who were spiritually lethargic. They become lazy, made them and they basically had made them appear as an acting as if they had no spiritual life as if they were lost just like the unsaved people in their day: speaking to the believers at court both warned an appeal to them. He said this in first Corinthians chapter 15 verse 34 awake to righteousness and sin not for some have not. The knowledge of God, I speak this to your shame. So again, Paul's addressing the church at Corinth and he said hate these people. It would expect this to be sent to the lost, but he speaking to the believers in Christ lawyers not accusing this. Corinthians of not knowing Jesus as her Savior, but these accusing them of being ignorant to God's word. They become apathetic to God's were they become lethargic to the things of Christ. They were unaware of the un-and unconcerned about what the Lord was then doing in the world and also what he would do in his promises in the future would still continue to be done.

They were unaware or unconcerned about that. So what are some of the warning signs of wear dad do a survey you know you take your car and sometimes you got the check engine light on, and you take it in. They run it on the mesquite on the machine to do a diagnostic seat. Hey what is going on with this vehicle. So what are some diagnostics for us to check to see if we're spiritually lethargic, or maybe if we have fallen asleep.

The first one I would say this. Perhaps you never bring your Bible to church. Now I'm a firm believer that you should have a paper Bible most people I've now gone to electronic I like footnotes in minded and what have you but if you never bring your Bible to church. We never have it on your device to be a sign that you may be spiritually asleep. If you never share your faith and never want to share your faith that could be a sign that you are spiritually lethargic or spiritually asleep.

I do not have a desire to read God's word. If you lack a desire to pray these are all signs that maybe you fallen asleep. Maybe your spiritually asleep.

Maybe I'm spiritual sleep and so these are just things that we need to check. Do we have unconfessed sin that we haven't been made aware that we haven't got right with God.

We haven't gone to him in repentance and this week was my son's birthday on Monday we went up north for a trip Monday and Tuesday I had a great time. We stayed at this hotel and it reminded me that sometimes Christians can be like the signs that are in the hotel you go into the room and have a sinus on the back of the door. The Latin put out on the front of the door and it says do not disturb so sometimes us as Christians if were not careful when were loath asleep.

We do some of the same things.

There are some who do the same when it comes to their spiritual walk. They hang a spiritual sign, do not disturb around her heart.

There say I'm content to come to church on content this day I'm content to stand on consent to sing the songs on content to hear the message on content to go through the motions but Lord, do not move me in any way when I leave this place. Do not stir me up, do not disturb me so we have to be cautious of that myself included, and if we can sit through services and the preaching of the word that we have here at this church and not be moved by the Holy Spirit. We need to really check what is going on in our hearts we need do a diagnostic to see what is going on is you cannot sit under the teaching and preaching of God's word and not be moved by some people are so content, though they just get into a spiritual right so maybe they haven't really fallen asleep their discontent with the status quo and I would ask this if you believe God is okay with the status quo implanted its greater things he wants that he wishes that none should perish, that all should come to repentance, so our job is never done as long as were here on earth were to be proclaiming the gospel corporate to go out into our community. Since our highways are in an arch communities and to tell others about Jesus there some going through the motions. Living it out where they're going through a religious tradition that are just kinda going through the motions.

They come the church. They said they sing, they think look outwardly right but inwardly there. There is so they've lost that personal intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Christianity isn't religion. It's a relationship with our Savior with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and God is trying to say all out to all of us. Hey, wake up were all prone to fall asleep and if were in that case is like a wake up today is the day the alarm has gone off yet. Matthew 937 Matthew chapter 9 verse 37 says the harvest is truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few and I think that's where Satan wants to say he wants us to be able to sleep. He wants us to be apathetic. He wants us to be lethargic.

He doesn't want us to go out you see in verse 38 of Matthew chapter 9 is three therefore the Lord of the harvest he will send forth laborers into his harvest field know we we have a great opportunity while were here on this earth to tell others of Jesus Christ. What he's done for us. We look at the church year in Xenia and we see that he is doing great things. We praise God for what he's doing here.

Lighthouse Baptist Church. The question for us tonight though as if Christ were to return tonight before this message was over.

With the recent things that he would not be proud of in our lives is her sin that needs to be confessed. Is there forgiveness that needs to be given or asked for this past Sunday when pastor preached you know any.

He brought up that when is the last time as a husband and wife sat down and read the word of God together.

Where's the urgency and then sitting down and and and taking the time to do those things. I'll ask this question. I we we need a great awakening not only here but we need a great awakening in America.

If you agree to raise your hand it out like we need a great awakening in America, and I agree with that.

Would you agree that we need a great awakening in Xenia, Ohio, and our surrounding communities.

We would all agree with that. They don't have to raise your quiet your hand on this next question. But how many of you in this room are in this building tonight would say I need a spiritual awakening, I fallen asleep at the wheel. I've been lulled to sleep by the distractions of this world. Listen to what Paul reminded Titus he tells Titus this in Titus chapter 2 verse 11 to 13 the grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. In verse 13 says, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of that great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, and James counsels us of the following in James five verse seven the race is be patient, therefore brother, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waited for the precious fruit of the earth and half law patients for it until he received the earlier and latter rain. Verse eight.

Be patient, establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draws nine so we are to be patiently waiting on the Lord weird bead about our father's business.

The Bible tells us where to go out into share our faith were to encourage others. Paul reminds us that even as believers we are going to appear before the judgment seat of Christ, we may be right positionally in Christ. That means we are not to be eternally separated from God. We are going to be judged for what we did for him why we received. This is what he says in second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 10 for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according that he had done, whether it be good or bad.

So as Christians here tonight know that we are going to appear before the judgment seat of Christ was known as the bema seat of Christ and his is a judgment of what we did why we are here with our time or talents or treasures or Christ do we use our time wisely do we do everything that we could for his glory. We are eternally free from condemnation. We know that if were here tonight were Jesus Christ were positionally right but ultimately we will receive a judgment of what we did for him why we were here. So when Christ returns.

There will be a judgment of our efforts on the behalf of his kingdom when he will bring things to lightest prescriptions for five tells us is therefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord come and both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of parts and then shall make chai every man had Promise of God, so that into Paul's ministry as he gets to the end of his life, and if there is a man that really spent his time in his efforts for Christ. Would it not be the apostle Paul ship Greg beaten stones left for dead a bear the marks of Christ in his body and he said this at the end of his life as the spacing death and second Timothy four verse 73 I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I've kept my faith henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge side give me at that day and not to me only, but also all them that love his appearing and so the good news for us tonight as well as we are all going to receive a crown of righteousness. When we get to heaven. For the things we did for Christ's so do we bear the marks of Christ in her body.

Do we do the things we are called to do, or do we have we been lulled to sleep.

So not only refers called to wake up. But secondly will look at the second point and eyes we are to wise up. I weird to get wise about this is not only just to wake up that we need to be having wisdom when we wake up the pastor shows that there's more than just waking up and says hey wise up to the time. Look at verse 11 again with menaces and that knowing the time.

So knowing I do when I think of knowing. I think of knowledge I think of wisdom or being wise is of the New Testament and we look at that and study it. We go back to the original Greek this word here for time others to words in the New Testament for time. The first one is Chronos and I didn't know this when I previously to working here at the church on staff. We had a timekeeping system is called Kronos and that's how we updated everybody's hours for the week, but Kronos is where we get our English word chronology, so that's not the word that is spoken of here in Romans chapter 13 the word that is spoken when you go back to the Greek. Here is Kai Ross which it needs a season of time music.

Of time in which we find ourselves so to help illustrate this if I was say it is almost time for cooler weather.

I'm not talking about a specific date to October 15 at 2 PM is when the cooler weather's going to be here Saturday who love summer.

I made several of you who dreads the winter so there several that do not like the winter the snow that's like a dreaded word but when I was say that there is a time for cooler weather were not talking about a specific date. Were talking about the fall season that's get ready to roll in the pumpkin spice latte's the fall decorations are all coming out and so is speaking of a specific season and that's what he's talking about here in Romans chapter 13 when it says knowing the time is not a day on the calendar, but is a season that is coming as a wheeze when he's unpacking forces that we do not know the hour of Christ's coming. However, we know that it is some 2000 years closer than when Paul wrote the book of Romans. We don't know how much time remains in the top of that the hourglass of humanity before Christ's return.

But we know that there's not much time left. There's evidence pointing that there's not much time left in the top of this hourglass and I believe Russ as believers we need to live like acts chapter 1 verse seven and eight tells us and says, and he said under them, it is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the father had put in his own power is not for us to be worried about the times and the power are the seasons of when Christ is going to return the thing is, we need to be focused on verse eight in verse eight tells us this but you shall receive power, after the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and you shall be witnesses.

It both in Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the world, so are our ocular what we should be preoccupied with what were here, is not necessarily concerned when Christ is coming back, but the objective is to go out and to tell others of Christ to be witnesses faithful witnesses for Christ, to tell others that he did die on the cross for our says that he is the only way to heaven. And that's what we need to be occupied with, not only in NRC and you are Jerusalem, but intra-Judea Beavercreek Jamestown Fairborn are Samaria, which is good that you know the Jews hated the Samaritans of rest, that would be like Michigan up north that's just a dreaded play.

Start your from their kind and not really but anyways I still love you and into the uttermost parts of the world that we should be consumed within in the day and age in the times we have left the times here on earth should be in the power living in the power of the Holy Spirit in telling others of Christ, we are not to be concerned with the exact date and time the Christ is returning we just know that he is who should live with that anticipation in anticipation should compel us to live a holy sanctified life that apart from sin, that should be our goal in our motivation to live for him.

So throughout the New Testament, God encourages the saved and warns the unsaved of Christ's return and it being near listen to second Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 53 which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which she also suffered, seeing it as a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them. Trouble and you who are troubled rest with us. When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels and a flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is at the end of verse 11 we see it says for now. Our salvation is near the one we believe that when we first believed. Salvation that is near, is referred referring to the future and final destination which is glorification when we get to heaven we will be glorified. We will no longer have a corruptible body will no longer be able to sin and that is the future of plan for us. After this life is glorification in heaven is upright us as Christians are called to live holy and and and and anticipation of the return of Christ is why were to live a holy life that should be the upmost incentive Russ to live according to his will. We don't know when he'll return so therefore we want to be busy about his business. We want to live a clean and acceptable life for his glory and for his good to our good so-called declaration of responses that the night is far spent the day is at hand. It's now it's is the urgency means that man's time of spiritual unbelief. The rebellion and sin is about to in that God's judgment is coming in his glory and his righteousness is about to begin. So first I would not only call to wake up. Secondly, were not only call to rise up with 1/3 point tonight as we are called to clean up Odyssey we don't clean ourselves up.

He cleans us his Holy Spirit takes up residence inside of us and through that he can eat, he convicts us of our sins and we repent of that and the gods that he is faithful and just forgive us our sins, he cast them as far as the east is from the west look at Romans chapter 13 the latter part of verse 12. Says let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly as in the day, not in writing or drunkenness, not in chambering a oneness, not in strife or in the as of the illustration is when we wake or we woke up this morning and I'm looking across the room here.

Most of you probably didn't wake up in the statement you're in today. I you probably had to put in some effort to get ready for the day you woke up you got cleaned up, brush her teeth.

Most of you brush your hair. I did not obvious, there's not much up here to brush right there wasn't much effort put into this today but I did wake up. I did shower did get an idea get cleaned up and that is kind of the picture that we have. We didn't just wake up and go about our business know there's things that we had to clean and so the idea here is a forsaking or renouncing obviously refers to repent for the deeds in the works of darkness is what he saying here. God is grieved by all sin.

But when his children sin Greece and the specialists in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 30 says and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby your sealed until the day of redemption. So there's it. As believers, I believe we still sin, we should sin less, we need to repent of their sins.

When that happens, but our sins can grieve the Holy Spirit is so David spoke of a man who clothed himself with cursing and with his garments says this in Psalms 1 1918 T clothed himself with cursing's like, as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels, like water and light oil into his bones so previously to being saved. I live like the world and there's things I consumed and when the pressures of life hit yes what came out the things I had been consuming and putting an affidavit saying here this man" himself with cursing. I'll never forget the first big day of fall family day.

We're here and I've recently been saved and it was fall family day and we had a soccer thing going on over here in the field and I was taking off after the soccer ball and like there was the goalie that was it. If I could just kick the ball and I mean it would've been in clears day I would miss the shot probably would've but anyways that was my thought process run and after this ball and I tripped and lit and I fall flat on my face out here the biggest goof embarrassment ever like it was just this moment of sure. Just embarrassment. I would say and there's all these guys out there, and I'd been living like the world and I did you not like there was some curse words that came out of my mouth out in that field as I hit the ground and bears in front of everybody. I think Pastor was right there to and it just made it worse. But this man, he clothed himself and that is to us as Christians, we need to clothe ourselves in righteousness. We needed to put on Jesus Christ as will get to hear in a minute. But this we have to put all went to clean up and it's the Holy Spirit cleaning up inside of us we sin by choice. I will focus wheat we choose to send Odyssey.

We have an inherited sin nature that is within us that we choose to sin and what we choose to do that, we say that we know our ways are better than God's ways.

When we sin itself voluntarily clothing ourselves with evil in the spirits power, we can reserve that decision we can cast all we can we can lay aside the sins we can this robe. It is the power of the Holy Spirit, and so the idea here is to live a sanctified life to put away the sinful behavior of the flesh in Colossians chapter 3 verse 89 tells us this but now ye also put all these anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth, lie not one to another scene that you have put off the old man with his deeds.

So sometimes as we we walk in our Christian walk. We think we may have got some issue under control and anybody ever do this with your kids are like little gremlins. Sometimes it is and how to push your buttons and like you just like you just now anywhere say subjectivity like oh that I should have not said, and have to go back yet repent and ask him for forgiveness and so sometimes we have these things that we think that there under control. Where there's anger whether it's wrath and we have to go back and we have to repent of those things we have to make it right.

Paul here is referring to a continually putting all of particular sins writer of Hebrews tells us this in Hebrews chapter 12 verse one wherefore seeing we are also compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us therefore lay aside every weight in the sin which does so easily set us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us and so Paul moves from this negative into a positive from emphasizing a confession and repentance to putting on a protective like to put on righteousness pulse picture here he's painting of a soldier basically who went out he partied it up on the that the town the night before he wakes up the next morning his commanding officer is there to take it's time to go to war but he still dressed up like you went out partying the night before. He doesn't have the proper armor the proper protection on to go out into the battlefield. That's much like us as Christians sometimes wheat we don't put on the full armor of God, and therefore we cannot stand against the wiles of the devil and soak the pictures that we need to do this because we don't wrestle against flesh and blood. As Ephesians chapter 6 verse 11 itself and 11 at $12 but we are wrestling against rulers and against principalities of darkness and wickedness in heavenly places. So in his gospel account job.

John described Jesus as this in John chapter 1 verse nine it says that was the true light which lighted every man that cometh into the world and so Jesus was the true life he came into the world and in his first letter first John chapter 1 verse five it says this and this is the message which we have heard of him and a clearance view that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all and he goes on to say verse six and seven if we say we have fellowship with him and we walk in darkness, we live and do not the truth.

But if we walk in the light as he is in life we have fellowship with one in with another and the blood of Jesus and his son cleanses us from all sin. So as we look at this is not saying that hey, because you have a sin that you fall into is not saying that you don't have any part with Christ. But as a continual habitual living in sin, you can't enter their mutually opposite you can't have darkness and light together. If you go to the Ohio Caverns and if you've ever been down into that they turn all the lights off and it's completely fill it pitch like you can see your hand in front of your face and if they leave the lights off long enough you go blind. So just a little school if you had yourself when you turn it on. It would it would radiate light throughout that cavern, so that their mutually opposite they can't be in the same place and that's the picture. Here's we cannot live continually in sin and say that we are of Christ doesn't mean we need to shiner lights for Jesus and obviously the answer is yes. Matthew 516 let your light shine before men, right but I would say we cannot shine for Jesus. However, we can reflect the light of Jesus. Just like the moon itself does not shine, it merely reflects the light of the sun.

We to merely reflect the light of God's son, Jesus Christ. What I mean by that is we cannot shine what we do is reflect his light we reflect his personality. We reflect his character is something that we must choose to do work.

Given that option daily is what Jesus said in Luke 923 pick up your cross daily as it is a daily choice to die to self and to live for Christ. Sin and righteousness are as contradictory as light and darkness, Paul urges the believers to be renewed by the spirit of our minds.

He says in Romans chapter 12 verse two and be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 23, 24 tells us this and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Verse 24 and that ye put on the new man, which is after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. So back in verse 13 he says let us walk honestly as in the day. So what does this mean is, he says let us walk honestly as in the day it means to live in a way that pleases God's will is trying to communicate to us as it is to live in a way that pleases God is to live honestly before God and before men is to live a life that has no spot or wrinkle. As Ephesians chapter 5 verse 27 tells us is to be without spot or wrinkle.

Second Peter 314 tells us to be spotless and blameless as well. As of the last point. Tonight is where to put on a not only way to wake up to wise up the cleanup, but we are to put on where to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, we see that there verse 14 but put ye on the Lord Jesus.

And make no present provisions for the flesh, to fulfill the lust thereof so to put on the Lord Jesus Christ means to be in a continual spiritual growth on at times we can get lethargic we can get complacent in our Bible reading going back to the Netflix thing is you know there's times where I've been guilty of spending more time on media than I have reading my Bible and passed especially as as a baby cries is that as a child in Christ and as a young man in Christ, not so much more now as I've moved to that spiritually mature season of life. My walk but all of us need to be careful that we we need to have a continual spiritual growth. Are we growing in the car and in our faith in our wall is if were not growing were were lethargic were regressing on.

There is no standing still. You're either moving forward or your regressing and falling back just like working out and I know several of you work out many II run and if I'm not putting in the effort I'm regressing in the same thing in our spiritual walk up with were not putting in the time the effort to be with the Lord Bible reading through study and meditating on his word through prayer I were regressing in our wall so Colossians chapter 2 tells us this in verse seven rooted and built up in him and us and establish in the faith that you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. So are you rooted in my rooted and built up in him are we so established in the faith is so as we continue to grow in Christ. The old clothing of sinful thoughts and habits are continually being discarded were were putting that off, or putting on the righteousness of Christ will continue to grow in him and putting on the things of Christ with truth and holiness and love being put all this is what Paul had in mind when he said this one thing I do in Philippians chapter 3 verse 13 importance as brother and I cannot myself to apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching for to this things which are before I press toward the mark of the high calling of Christ Jesus, so are we pressing towards the mark of Christ Jesus. Are we moving forward. Are we regressing in our wall. I will say that we grow from one level of Christianity in Christ, glory to another.

As we faithfully study his word.

As we faithfully meditate on it and even entering into prayer more faithfully of the person who receives Christ the Savior takes on the name of Christian I will tell you what the quality of their Christianity is determined by their own spiritual faithfulness to his word. Question is how do we ensure the quality of our faithfulness. How do we ensure that how do we ensure that we are walking as we should be in us by not making provisions for the flesh more often than not, we the sins we commit, develop, we develop wrong ideas and lustful desires, we have allowed our lingering and a very lingering in our minds. I will tell you the longer we allow them to stay in our minds we don't repent of their sins. The more we move you make provisions for the flesh, the further we move away from the things of Christ throughout say this to be much with God are to be much for God, he must be much with God. The minute I know the women I know that are to be used greatly by God made it is and about their ability is about their availability. They've made themselves available to the Lord a for taking time and studying God's word to prepare the study that said prepare and praying and so it's it's a moving towards him and through that they're able to be used greatly by him. So in conclusion tonight on June 10 I married my wife Breanna. Not this year.

Several years back I but I married Bryn on June 10. I didn't just get up that morning of the wedding and just go to the wedding.

Just as I was when I woke up I took time to get ready that morning. What little bit here I have a gut shaved. I cleaned out Friday I shave my face got showered spell good and this was hours before my Brighton I ever said I went through our vowels and as I think of this, Jesus is coming back to take his bride home to the mud marriage supper of the land and the Bible says that there is a great hymn says that when he shall come with trumpet sound.

This is a him when he shall come with trumpet sound oh may then IV found dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne in Revelation chapter 19 says that the bride of Christ is made herself ready for the marriage supper of the Lamb. Let me ask this in closing tonight. Are you ready are you ready for the return of Christ. Are there things that maybe you need to get right before he returns. Then maybe you're right before he returns. Are you ready for him to come back and I'm not just talking about salvation. If you're here tonight you don't know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Tonight is the night of salvation. You need to be saved.

That is the first step, but on not necessarily addressing that I'm addressing us as Christians, are we ready do we have our affairs in order of the things that we need to clean up for the things that we need to repent of. Are we still wearing some of those old dirty clothes from her past life under some old habits and some old attitudes that need to be addressed are the some unforgiveness that we need to give Bible says that you need to get ready for his return.

And I need to get ready for his return thing we need to awaken out of our sleep. We need to wise up to the time and to put off the old and put on the righteousness of Christ you would stay with me tonight.

The altars are open but as eyes are close has about maybe you're here tonight said Braden. I don't know that heaven would be my home. I will know that Jesus Christ is my personal Lord and Savior, calling Buddy out with that you and I were just given up with an maybe you're here tonight said Braden are some things going on. If Christ were to return.

He would be proud of their some things that I need to get right. I've been lethargic. I've been asleep at the wheel. That unite would just given uplifted hand and have got some things in my life to Christ not be product used. Maybe tonight you have a love you like to pray for Noah's losses Christ to return at any moment is like a prayer for boldness or share the gospel with your loved ones with maybe a coworker is given uplifted and that many of the hands of Lord, we come before you. We thank you for this night. We thank you for your word in the truth that is in it. Lord help us to weigh from our spirit. Lord help us draw near to you soon to awaken the night is far spent in the day is at hand. Lord I pray for the hands when things and maybe the they need to get right before you return your work in their hearts work in my heart.

Help us to be the witnesses in your remotest to me. Help us to hold your gospel help us to tell others of which are done us moving him in this limitation in your hands Jesus and in the ring