Sermon Central
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The Fierce Urgency Of Now
Contributed by Rohan Diedrick on May 18, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: This sermon was inspired by a speech made by Dr. Martin Luther King in 1967. It deals with the fact that humanity is indeed running out of time when it comes to his eternal security. There is an urgent call for us to awake from our slumber because as Dr
"Charity [love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up" (1 Cor. 13:4).
"Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another" (Galatians 5:26).
"But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth" (James 3:14).
5. NOW IS THE TIME TO PUT ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
Romans 13:14 (NKJV)
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
Note two points.
1. We are to put on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Again, the picture is that of clothing ourselves. We are to clothe ourselves with Jesus Christ and His righteousness. We are to be as closely bound to Him and His righteousness as we are to our clothes.
This means two things.
a. Jesus Christ becomes our clothing. Galatians 3:27 says,
Galatians 3:27 (GW)
27 Clearly, all of you who were baptized in Christ’s name have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Clothing touches us!
Clothing is used for protection!
Clothing is used to warm us!
Clothing covers us!
Clothing hides us!
So it is when we put on Christ He...
• touches us
• protects us
• warms us
• covers us
• hides us
The second thing putting on Christ means is:
b. We are wrapped up in Jesus Christ.
Being in Him means that we live, move, and have our being in Him: It means our life is wrapped up in live in His life. It means His thoughts and behavior becomes us.
And so we must...
• only look at that upon which He would look.
• listen only to that to which He would listen.
• talk only as He would talk.
• touch only what He would touch.
• eat and drink only what He would eat and drink.
• think only that upon which He would think.
"And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephes. 4:24).
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5).
"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God" (Col. 3:1-3).
"And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him....Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering" (Col. 3:10, 12).
"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23).
2. We must not make provision for the flesh.
The idea is that we do not give in to the flesh and its lusts; we do not indulge or give license to the flesh. We do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
"And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell" (Matthew 5:29).
"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin" (Romans 6:6).
