We Don't Have Time For That!

Romans 13:11
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.

When it’s time to wake up in the morning it’s hard to get out of that bed sometimes. You want to lay in there a few more minutes. You hit the snooze button repeatedly only to realize that you slept another hour. All that changes when you know you have to be somewhere. You don’t have time to sleep when you have somewhere to be. Oftentimes, when I’m traveling and have to catch a plane, I wake up two hours earlier than I have to so that I can make sure that don’t miss my plane.

We all have an appointment with our purpose that we are in danger of missing because we love sleep more than we love being about our Father’s business. Proverbs 20:13 Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare. Sleep is metaphoric for being idle and not active in the things that bring about self-fulfillment. We are at a crucial hour in this world where every believer needs to arise from their slumber because we don’t have time for that.

Paul says that the Law can be summarized in one sentence, Love your neighbor. You can’t love your neighbor and do evil. By this time in our spiritual journey we ought to be helping people instead of slumbering in sin. The time is approaching when God will judge each of us for what we were supposed to be doing for him. The older we get the nearer our appointment with God. We don’t have any more time to waste. All those youthful lusts we chased and wasted time with are no more. It’s time for us to rise from our sleep and be productive for God.

Paul says, “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” When you wake up there are some things you have to take off and some things you have to put on.

Take off the deeds of darkness:

Sexual lawlessness-- I Corinthians 6:18 Shun immorality and all sexual looseness (flee from impurity in thought, word, or deed). Any other sin which a man commits is one outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

Drunkenness-- I Thessalonians 5:6 Accordingly then, let us not sleep, as the rest do, but let us keep wide awake (alert, watchful, cautious, and on our guard) and let us be sober (calm, collected, and circumspect)

Conflict-- Romans 12:18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Jealousy-- Proverbs 14:30 A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones.
When you wake up clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ by putting on the full armor of God

Helmet of Salvation
Breastplate of righteousness
Shield of faith
The belt of truth
Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God
The foolish things we did when we were younger we don’t have time to do anymore. It’s time to wake up, we’ve got work to do and somewhere to be. Like Mary Mary said, “I’ve got to get myself together because I got somewhere to go, And I’m praying when I get there, I see everyone I know. I wanna go to heaven, I wanna go to heaven.”

Dear God,

Help us to wake up this morning with a sense of urgency to Love our neighbors, to take care of the poor, to practice justice, do mercy, and walk humbly with you. The night time of our lives has passed and we are ready to wake up to a new day filled with opportunities to serve you and establish your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. I’m awake now Lord and I’m ready to do what you want me to do. I refuse to go back to sleep.

In Jesus Name,
Amen