Advent: Begin With The End In Mind

And this morning we are going to be taking a little bit of a deeper dive into the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans and his teaching to us concerning the return of the Lord.

And more specifically, what our lives should look like while we wait in anticipation of that imminent return.

If you recall from last week, John the Baptist called them an old bunch of snakes for their deceptive and sinful ways.

But he also challenged them to not only change their ways but also change the way the lived while they were waiting on the Lord.

He challenged them to really get to work for the Lord while they wait.

And also to reflect the Lord in absolutely every single thing that they did in their lives.

And really, this morning Paul is no different.

He is going to be issuing a very clear challenge to these people (and to us by the way) to think about our lives and how we are living our lives.

And not only to think about it, but to do something about it.

To live differently.

To live our lives in such a way that it reflects the Kingdom of God, here—on earth.

I mean just think about what this place would be like if they lived like this already, an earthly reflection of God’s Kingdom.

Well, we cannot change other people, but we can change ourselves.

What’s stopping us from living this way?

Truth be told, we are.

We are the biggest barrier we have to achieving all things that God has called us to.

And one of the biggest hinderances we have is our own mindset.

Our mindset is concerned and consumed with the immediate.

The right here and now.

And to an extent that makes sense because the way we are designed dictates that we are after our basic needs before anything else.

Our primary focus in on survival and when that need is met we can then focus on other, higher order needs.

But for all of us, our basic needs are met, so we can focus on other things.

And what I would like us to focus on this morning is the concept of “Beginning with the End in Mind.”

And this is not a concept that I came up with.

Actually a man named Stephen Covey came up with it and it is used to train leaders.

However, the concept itself is rock solid.

When we can begin each day, week, month, year, with the end game in mind that will help us to focus on what we need to achieve to make it to our goals.

And for our purposes, what is our end game?

Heaven?

Helping others find Jesus?

That’s what it should be, but life distracts us, gets us off track.

Well this morning we have an opportunity to get back on track.

And Paul here is going to help us do it.

So, if you have found in your Bibles, I’d invite you stand with me.

I will be reading verses 8-14, this morning.

Paul writes . . .

Scripture Focus

Romans 13:

Romans 13:8–14 NIV - Anglicised

8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow-man has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbour as yourself.”10 Love does no harm to its neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law. 11 And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

The Debt of Love (vs 8-10)

So, if we are keeping our theme in mind here, Paul is actually breaking down how we are going to be able to achieve our end goal.

And, it really should be no surprise that the very first thing he talks about here is love.

And the reason he starts out here is that Paul is assuming by this point most of the people reading his letter would already be Christians.

They would have already heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ and accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Because without first doing that they would not be able to accomplish this level of love that he is taking about in this passage.

Which may sound strange because we know that people who are not Christians are able to love.

We see people every day that are loving people, nice people, and we know that they are not Christians.

Well, the good thing about being created in the image and likeness of God is that we all inherit some of God’s character.

Which includes a capacity to love.

However, that love is somewhat tainted and imperfect because there is a root of sin that still resides in us.

And what Paul is getting at here is we should be seeking to live a life of perfect love.

Meaning that God has changed our heart and removed that deep down root of sin that has lived in us all our lives and changed our entire outlook and way that we live our lives.

And to be honest it is difficult to articulate in words exactly what God does.

It is one of those things that you have to experience.

The only way I can explain it is that today I am a different person than I was before Christ.

Actually I am a different person than I was a year ago, 5 years ago, 10 years ago.

Initially God removed that overwhelming power that sin had over me and then God began to work in my heart.

And over time God has changed me into a more calm, less reactive, less angry person.

And I still have bad days where that flesh will want to rise up, but I see things different.

And its not just me.

Everyone here who God has touched is the same way.

We are not the same people we used to be.

God has made us new, like the Word says.

And what Paul is really getting at here is making it to the end and achieving our end goal.

He tells them . . .

Romans 13:8 NIV - Anglicised

8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow-man has fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:

And the reason he is bringing this up is because Paul is combating that voice in the back of their heads telling them that the “rules say do this or do that.”

Telling that if they can’t follow the Jewish law they were not good enough.

Which was a problem for them because many of the Christians in Rome were actually not even Jewish.

He was combating against all of the legalists, the “church people” who turned their nose up at anyone who was different or anyone who didn’t fit their mold.

And what Paul is saying to them is “you don’t owe anything to anyone, except love.”

And for us, if we want to “follow the rules” or “fit the mold” we shouldn’t be so concerned about what the church thinks.

We should be more concerned about what Jesus said and what Jesus taught us.

And Jesus taught us to love.

And when we have love and love like Jesus, then guess what? We have fulfilled the law.

The only law that matters.

The Law of God.

Paul goes on to explain to them . . .

Romans 13:9 NIV - Anglicised

9 The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbour as yourself.”

Romans 13:9

Sound familiar?

It should, because it is the second half of the Great Commandment that Jesus taught us.

The Great Commandment that tells us to Love God with all our being and then lover others as ourselves.

And Paul knows, just like Jesus knows that if we would stop focusing so much on man made rules and doctrines and simply follow Jesus’ command to love God and others, then we wouldn’t have to worry about all this other stuff.

These rules and doctrines that we come up with, would really just become common things.

Many of them may not even matter so much anymore.

Because when we get to that point, our rules are the rules of love and our doctrine is the Bible itself, God’s eternal Word.

And living a life for God, making it to the end, would be so much easier.

But in order to love, we have to first allow God to change our heart.

And we also have to allow God to continue to change our heart, day after day after day.

Because . . .

Romans 13:10 NIV - Anglicised

10 Love does no harm to its neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.

And we have to be changed into a people of love.

Wake Up From Your Slumber (vs 11-12)

So, with the foundation firmly laid by Paul now, he is going to build on that foundation.

And what he is building on that is both a warning and a challenge to the people.

He tells them in verse 11 . . .

Romans 13:11 NIV - Anglicised

11 And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

And we need to hear that as well.

We in this country, in this church need to wake up from our slumber.

We need to be looking around and seeing what is going on around us every single day.

We need to be aware of the times and how things are getting closer and closer to the return of Jesus Christ.

Even, as we ourselves age, we are getting closer and closer to meeting Jesus from our own death bed as well.

What have we left undone?

Who have we failed to tell about Jesus?

What have we been waiting to do or say?

That’s what we are talking about here.

Waking up and getting to work because time is drawing short.

Paul goes on to tell them (and us) . . .

Romans 13:12 NIV - Anglicised

12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light.

Romans 13:12

And there is not really much more that can be said here, other than we need to be getting with it.

We need to quit riding the fence and playing games and get serious about God and about serving God.

We need to quit dabbling in sin and evil and start walking in the light as He is in the light.

Practice is over and it is time to get in the game.

Clothe Yourselves with the Lord Jesus (vs 13-14)

Which is also why Paul goes on to say . . .

Romans 13:13–14 NIV - Anglicised

13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Romans 13:13

Listen to what he is saying here.

Let us behave decently, as in the daytime—meaning walking light.

Sin is shrouded in darkness and people sneak around doing it because they know it is wrong.

Paul is saying we should be walking around in the wide open daytime.

What we reflect to other people shouldn’t be an act, but should be who we really are.

We should . . .

Romans 13:14 NIV - Anglicised

14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

In other words we should be wrapped in Jesus.

When people see us, they should be seeing Jesus in us and through us.

Our lives should be a reflection of Jesus.

That means our lives on Sunday morning in Church.

Our lives Tuesday morning at work.

Our lives on Friday night out on the town.

Our lives on Saturday afternoon at home.

Even our lives on that dreadful Walmart trip every week.

We should be a reflection of Jesus every single day.

Altar Call

But are we?

Do our lives reflect Jesus?

Have we even thought about the “end game?”

What are our goals?

And I’m not talking about our life goals to get a good job, have a family, maybe get rich.

I am talking about our eternal goals.

Have we even thought about them?

Considered what is going to happen one day in the end?

Have we accepted Jesus as our Savior?

Have we allowed Him the access to change our hearts?

Have we given him full access?

Are we anticipating His return and getting ready for it?

Or are we just going through life not really paying attention to what is going on?

What has God spoken to you here today?

What has He told you?

We have altars, they are ready, will we use them?

It is all about choices, what will our choice be today?

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