Rev. David Holwick ZH Romans series #18
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
November 6, 2005
Romans 13:8-14
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I. Are your affairs in order?
A. Getting bad news.
A man was bitten by rabid dog.
The doctor said the man now had a rare form of rabies that
gave him only an hour to live.
The doctor left the room.
When he came back in, he found the man furiously making a list.
"Well I'm glad you are taking this so well.
Trying to put your affairs in order?"
"No!" the man snapped.
"I'm making out a list of people to bite!"
#30155
B. Knowing the deadline.
1) What if you had only one year to live?
a) One year is enough time to make major changes.
b) You can get married, move, change jobs.
2) What if you had a week to live?
a) Not enough time to make major changes.
b) Maybe you could draw up a will.
c) Straighten out your finances.
3) What if today was it?
a) In 24 hours, what would you do?
b) Probably, you would focus on two things: God + people.
C. Our time is not unlimited.
1) We have limited time, but we don't know just how limited.
2) We have definite obligations.
3) Paul lays out God's advice for our situation.
II. Deal with your debts. 13:8 a
A. Be responsible with your assets.
1) Recent rush to declare bankruptcy.
a) New policy: you can't just walk away from your debt.
2) Even death is not a fool-proof way to go bankrupt.
a) We can't take debt with us...but we leave it behind.
B. Live with balanced accounts.
1) Proverbs: debtors are controlled by creditors.
2) Live as free, independent people.
C. How is your stewardship?
1) Are you financial priorities in order?
a) Balance between basics, extras, God...
2) Are you planning for your future?
3) Christians don't ignore obligations and responsibilities.
III. Focus on love. 13:8 b
A. The only debt we can allow to accumulate.
1) Love remains an obligation for Christians.
a) We are commanded to do it, for all sorts of people.
b) Christians can never say, "I have loved enough."
2) Jesus says love is how people will know we are Christians.
B. Love sums up the law. 13:9-10
1) Some want to make love the only criteria for morality.
a) Situation ethics promotes this.
1> John A. T. Robinson said that love has its own
built-in moral compass.
2> Intuitively we are supposed to know what is the
right thing to do in any situation.
3> This is dangerous, because human intuition is
easily warped.
b) Love requires a moral standard. 13:10
1> Love does not eliminate the law, but fulfills it.
2> Love needs law for its direction, while law needs
love for inspiration.
2) Others try to reduce spirituality to legalism.
a) "Don't do this, and don't do that."
b) Normally, legalism focuses on the negatives.
1> Paul lists the negative 10 Commandments here.
3) Genuine spirituality is summed up by love, not rules.
C. Who should you be loving?
1) Maybe it is your literal neighbor.
a) What concrete thing can you do to show them love?
2) Maybe you need to reconcile with a family member.
IV. Understand the time. 13:11
A. Second Coming is closer than we think.
1) But aren't we 2,000 years too late?
a) Some scholars think Jesus (and Bible) was wrong.
b) More likely - prophetic perspective.
1> God's coming is ALWAYS near, at hand.
A> Old Testament prophets taught it.
Isaiah 13:6
Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it will come like
destruction from the Almighty.
Joel 1:15
Alas for that day! For the day of the LORD is near;
it will come like destruction from the Almighty.
B> Jesus taught it.
Matthew 4:17
From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is near."
C> Paul teaches it here.
2> There is a sense of urgency.
When Ted Turner launched CNN, he reportedly mapped out
the network's coverage of the End of the World.
Rumor has it that during the ultimate news bulletin, a
tape of military bands playing "Nearer My God To Thee"
will air automatically.
Nobody dares doubt the sincerity of Turner's beliefs;
the programming obviously isn't intended as a ratings ploy.
#19571
B. The "Left Behind" mentality is not necessarily bad.
1) We could be the last generation.
2) It should motivate us to holy living.
V. Behave yourselves!
A. Imagery of light vs. darkness.
1) Also found in 1 Thessalonians 5.
a) People who live in the light won't be surprised.
2) Still valid today.
a) Think about what happens at night, in the dark.
1> "Nightlife" behavior.
b) Compare that with what you do when people can see you.
B. Christians must live cleanly.
1) Paul highlights gross sexual sins.
1970s, Studio 54 in New York.
Celebrity, sex, drugs.
One disc jockey commented,
"There was ... this celebrity lounge at 54 that made
Sodom and Gomorrah look like kindergarten!" [1]
2) It's not just the celebrities in Manhattan.
a) Plenty of sin in Ledgewood...even in this church.
b) Note emphasis on "dissension and jealousy," too.
C. Put on Jesus instead.
1) Do you know what God is doing today?
2) Do you know where the events of our day are taking us?
3) Do you know where we are in the great program of God's
redemption?
a) Have you committed yourself to him?
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
[1] Comment by Paolo Miranda, "Studio 54," http://www.disco-disco.com/clubs/~
studio54.shtml
#19571 "CNN's Coverage Of Second Coming," by Gail Gilchriest, Seven World's
Publishing, Dynamic Preaching Illustrations, Oct-Dec 1999.
#30155 "His Desperate To-Do List," http://wordtruth.com/mat_05b.htm.
These and 25,000 others are part of a database that can be downloaded,
absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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