You have your Bibles, wanna turn to Romans chapter 13. Romans chapter 13. We'll continue our series in this together. Again, the first part of Romans is all about salvation, how one comes to know Jesus Christ as the Lord and savior of your life. When we get to chapter 12, Paul switches gears and he switches gears to now, well, I am saved.

What am I gonna do with my life? What are you gonna do with your life? Does God have a say in what you do with your life as his child? Does he have expectations of you? What does God expect of his people, of his church?

And Paul begins in Romans 12 to go through several things that God does expect of us. He expects of us to give our lives as a a living sacrifice. He expects us not to be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind in his service. He expects us to use the gifts that he has given us in his service and to minister to others. He expects us to choose to love him and one another.

He expects us to live at peace the best we can with other people. He expects us to be diligent in our service to the Lord. He expects us to be patient in the face of tribulation. He expects us to do our best to obey the authorities that God has placed over us. We looked at that last week from chapter 13.

And then we'll begin in verse eight today. Verse eight. Owe no man anything but to love one another for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, thou shall not commit adultery, thou shall not kill, thou shall not steal, thou shall not bear false witness, thou shall not covet. And if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself.

Love worketh no ill to his neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. And that knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep. For now is our salvation nearer than we believed than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness.

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 wantonness, not in strife and envying, but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Lord, thank you for this day. Thank you for your word.

May you use it in our life. May the Holy Spirit give us understanding. May, Lord, you open up our heart to receive it. Lord, may you make a difference today. May your word not return void.

And if there be one here that is yet to receive Christ as their Lord and savior of their life, I pray that today might be their day of salvation. For it's in Jesus' name we do pray. Amen. Amen. So this morning, the message is entitled two good reasons to behave.

What? Two good reasons among many, to behave as Christ, the apostle Paul shared with us here in Romans 13. They are two. Number one, why should we behave? Why should we live a life pleasing to God?

For love's sake. We should behave ourselves. We should should live a holy life for love's sake. Number two, we should for time's sake. Okay?

We have both of those here in this passage for love's sake and for time's sake. So we'll start with for love's sake. We'll begin this morning with love. You might have you might ask, haven't we heard about love in this series a couple times already? And the answer to that would be yes.

You would have read about that a couple times already in Romans chapter 12. Why? Because Paul needs believers in Rome to understand how important and integral love is to the human life and particularly to life in Christ. Love is key. If you do not have love, Paul says in first Corinthians 13, you might do many great and wonderful things, but in God's book, they're vain, they're empty, they're worthless.

Love is key. Begins with loves God's love for us, but it continues in our love for God. We love him because he first loved us. And it should extend to our love for others as Christ loved them, we should love others too. Thus, the greatest commandment, love the Lord your God with all your heart and the second, love your neighbor as yourself.

It is this love for others which is the emphasis of Paul here and which serves as the basis for several of the 10 commandments. Our love for others. He said here, if you love, you have what? You have love for others, you have fulfilled the law. What is he talking about?

Well, he goes through a list here. He says, thou shall not commit adultery, thou shall not kill, thou shall not steal, thou shall not bear false witness, thou shalt not covet. Is briefly comprehended or summed up in this saying, namely, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. So if you get this point down, love your neighbor as yourself, then you will fulfill the law. In other words, then you will keep these other commandments.

Okay? It's love that God is after. Okay? That's what he wants to see. Not just, well, I didn't kill anybody today.

Well, that's good. I hope you didn't kill anybody today. But that God's looking for something more than I didn't steal their car today. Okay? God's looking for love.

And if we truly love our neighbor as ourself, then that's these things are gonna take care of themselves. That's what Paul is saying here. Why would you betray the trust of someone you love? Why would you cheat cheat on one to whom you had promised your undying love and faithfulness? If you truly love them, you won't commit adultery.

People betray those that they do not care for as much as they care for who? Themselves. Do not kill. You certainly are not going to take the life of anyone that you truly love. Even wish ill upon them.

Do not steal. Why would you take from another that which was rightfully theirs or that which they needed in order to supply your want? Why would you steal from somebody that you you love and you care for? You won't. People steal from others for whom they're not really all that concerned.

They steal because they're concerned about who? Themselves, not about those who they steal from. Do not bear false witness. You're not going to lie to or about someone whom you truly love, particularly to their injury or for your own selfish gain. If you love them, then you'll tell them the what?

You'll tell them the truth. You're not going to scam them. The people that draw people into scams aren't scamming people they love. They're scamming people they don't care about. Do not covet.

If you love somebody, you rejoice in their blessings and good fortune. You don't envy their blessings and good fortune. You rejoice that they have that blessing in their life. Why? Because you what?

Because you you love them and you're glad for them and therefore you rejoice. People jealously covet what others have because they're only thinking about who? Themselves. And this is the opposite of love thy neighbor. All of these commandments can be summed up or comprehended as the word here in verse nine in this one, love your neighbor.

Keeping these commandments is simply the outgrowth of love for others. Love others and these will not be hard to keep. All these evils that we see in these commandments could be eradicated in humanity and society if just everyone would truly love their neighbor as their their self. If we would learn to forgive others of their wrongs because we love them. If we learn to deal with our anger in a way that is righteous and not destructive.

If we could learn to show grace and mercy to those who are hurting or fail failure. If we desire the best for our neighbor, if we desire that they be happy and fulfilled, there would be no wars. There would be no domestic violence. There'd be no riots on the streets or threats to harm one group or another. There would be no cursing of others or bullying of the weak.

There would be no hostages, no terrorists, no no homes torn apart, no abused children. None of those things would occur in a world where everyone loved their neighbor as their self. These would not be issues, but they are because we don't live in that kind of world. But as Christians, you and I, we should live in that kind of world. That should be our lifestyle.

That should be our attitude. That should be our heart's desire because we have received the love of who? The love of Jesus Christ. And we ought to be able to love others as ourselves. Choosing to love others even as yourself will rule out most of these untoward behaviors.

In the end, it is not the absence of these behaviors that is the highest purpose, but love itself that precludes them. It is love of others which God is looking for in the heart of man. It is this love which reflects the love of God for us. Why should you behave? Because you care.

You care about the Lord, you care about others, therefore, you're not gonna hurt them, you're not gonna steal from them, you're not going to betray them or cheat on them or lie to them because you love them. And this shouldn't come too difficultly for the child of God. You wanna satisfy the law? Love your neighbor. It is a change of heart toward others rather than just checking off a list that God longs to see in his children.

It's what we love to see in our children. Not just that they took out the trash and that they they didn't do this or they didn't do that, but that they have they're people of character. They're people that love others. They're they're people that that want to do what's right. God expects this of his children.

He expects more, not less. He wants us to get our eyes off the letter of the law and onto Christ. Jesus said in Matthew twenty two forty, on these two commandments I think I have it on here. There we go. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

You get these two down, love the Lord with all your heart, love your neighbor as yourself, those other commandments, I will all take care of themselves. In Matthew seven twelve, it says this, Jesus said again, therefore all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them for this is the law and the prophet. It's something similar to what we call the golden rule. As you would that others do unto you, do you to them. That works pretty good.

Don't do unto others as they do to you, do unto others as you would have them to do unto you. In other words, love your neighbor as yourself. And not only will God in heaven be glorified in your life, but it will impact the lives of others and it will also impact yours. So we should love, we should behave particularly as we grow in our love for one another. Fights and arguments and insults and gossip and well, that that should kind of fade away in the church as we learn as a church to do what?

To love each other. And then those other things will take care of themselves. For the most part, I think that's true here. But we always must be on guard and we can always do a little bit what? Better.

So we should behave for love's sake. And secondly, this morning for time's sake. Look if you would again in Romans chapter 13. And that knowing the time, that now it is high time to wake out of sleep for now is our salvation nearer than when we believe. Now salvation there is speaking of the day when we see our salvation come to its fruition as we stand before who?

As we stand before Jesus Christ in heaven. We will be like him for we shall see him as he is. One day, he's coming to take us home to be with him. He's prepared a place. He said if I go to prepare a place, I'm gonna come again and receive you onto myself that where I am there ye may be also.

The result, the end of our salvation in Jesus Christ is the day that we stand before him and we are like him. I get a new body. Maybe it'll have hair on top of my head. I don't know. I can't wait to see.

But I know I'll have an elbow that doesn't hurt all the time and works like it's supposed to. I know I won't need a new knee, I'll have a new knee. I know that I won't struggle with some health issues or also some spiritual sin issues either. All of that will be what? All of those struggles will be past.

And that day is coming. And it may be coming sooner than any of us know. It's time. It's time for us to wake up, Paul says. It's time for you to wake up.

Time time for you to get serious about this because the day we stand before God is coming. The day we give an account before him as Christians for what we have done with the time he has given us is coming. What are you doing with your time? It's a good reason to think about how you behave because our time is short. Why should I be careful to live a holy life pleasing to the Lord and blessing and as a blessing to others?

Time. You only have so much and it's going it's it is going by quickly and you can't retrieve it. You can't go back to yesterday and grab a few hours. We have this one life these days, these hours to lay up treasures where? In heaven.

Now God's not saying you shouldn't have some nice things here on earth. That's fine. But don't forget about what? Don't forget about heaven because those things you're gonna enjoy forever. These things?

No, can't take it with you. We have this these days and hours to prepare for the day we'll stand before the Lord and give an accounting. We have these days and hours to make a difference on this earth, to be salt and light in our home, in our church, in our neighborhood, with our coworkers. God has put you there to make a difference for him. You have this day, maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day.

But the fact is we do not know when Christ will return. We do not know when we may make an early exit from this and entrance to heaven. Our time is limited. We're told in the scripture it's like a vapor which is here for a moment. And you see the the vapor rising off the off of the the the kettle that's boiling or off of the pond in the morning and it's there and then it just goes away.

We are told to redeem the time, that is to purchase it up and use it wisely circumspectly for the sake of Christ and for our own good. We're told to number our days. That means to think about the limited time we have and to use it accordingly. Consider this time on earth is limited. So think about how you're using your days and your time.

And if you think about it, maybe you'll use them a little more what? Wisely and for the glory of the Lord who gave them you. Why should you be careful for how you live, what you do because you do not know what hour your Lord may return or the day you may be taken away to meet him? We'll read a couple passages. I'll be back in Romans 13.

I'll read a couple passages from Matthew and Luke here correspond to the passage that brother Vogt read earlier about the talents. In Matthew 24, it says this beginning in verse 37, but as as but as the days of Noah were, so also shall the coming of the son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark. Now those things he listed there, eating, drinking, marrying, giving in marriage, those are not bad things. Okay?

Not saying they were doing wicked terrible things. They were, we know from Genesis chapter six. But the point here is that they were just going through life without any thought of what? Of God's judgment that was coming. They didn't know it was coming or they weren't listening.

They wouldn't heed God's warning and then it came. Verse 39, and knew not until the flood came and took them all away, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. Then shall be two in the field, the one shall be taken, the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill, the one shall be taken, the other left. Watch therefore for you know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Do you believe the Lord's coming again? Do you believe he's gonna keep his promise to take us to that place he's prepared? I do. I believe that. And the Bible says no man knows the day or the hour.

That day could be today. Are you ready? Do you know Jesus Christ is your Lord and savior? Have you accepted his invitation to be your Lord and savior? To forgive you of your sins and give you a home in heaven?

Have you settled that with him? Are you ready? Are you living for him? Christian? Are you serving him?

Because we will give an accounting when we get to heaven of how we use this time. The prospect that our Lord should come today or that we should go in-depth to meet him should motivate us to consider more carefully our ways for we will give an accounting like the servants and the in the parable of the talents. The Lord will return what will he find? What will we have to show for what he entrusted to us? Will he find someone who has followed the instructions of Matthew sixteen twenty four?

This is what Jesus said, if any man will come after me or be my disciple, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. That phrase deny himself doesn't mean deny yourself of food or things that are necessities. He's talking about denying yourself of sinful lusts, pleasures that don't fit into whose will? God's will for your life. There are some things the world enjoys that are not for the Christian.

And you know something? That's okay. Because those things that they're enjoying are going to destroy them in the end. And they are going to regret it. But if you follow the Lord and do what is right in his sight, you will never what?

You will never regret it. Never regret it. Deny himself, take up his cross, that is take up God's will for you, and then follow in the steps of Jesus Christ. Is that how you're living your life? Following Christ, seeking to do your best to please the Lord?

Is that how we're spending our time? Back to Romans back to Romans chapter 13 in verse 11 again, he says, and that now knowing the time, it that now it is high time to awake out of sleep. He says in verse 12, 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. What is Paul saying?

He said, the time for sleeping is what? Is over. The time for not caring is over. The time for for slavishly following the lust of the flesh, it's over. It's time to wake up.

Time to wake up. It's time to wake up and receive Christ as savior if you haven't because the day of judgment is coming. And Christian, it's time for us to wake up and start taking a little more seriously the time and the opportunities that we have to serve him, to live for him. No more excuses. Get off the sidelines.

Get serious about life. Let the old ways of darkness go. Let the ways you lived before you came to know Christ, let them go. Put on the armor of God, the way of the Lord. Let your light shine.

Matthew five sixteen, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. When the day of service when the day of our service and life on earth is done and you stand before your father in heaven, what will you say if you spent so much of it simply fulfilling the lusts and pleasures of the flesh, simply selfishly doing what brought you pleasure without thought for what brings him pleasure. What will you say on that day? What will you say if you spent much of it on worthless momentary thrills and amusements? What will you say if out of sheer laziness you flittered away your time on earth?

What will you say if rather than seeking to please the Lord with your actions, you spent it doing things that hurt him? What will you say on that day? That day is coming. Would you rather not hear, well done, thou good and faithful servant? Two good reasons to behave, for love's sake, the love of others, and for time's sake because our time is now.

Don't waste it all. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for Jesus Christ our savior, for this time that you've given us today to take out couple hours of our day, to praise you, to thank you, to look to your word, to consider what we do with the rest of the week that lays before us. Lord, I pray that you would convict our hearts of selfish desires, Lord, that we place before you, that you would help us, Lord, to get victory over sin in our life. Forgive us for our laziness.

Forgive us for our selfishness. Help us Lord to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, to be the light in this world that other people need to see, the light of Christ. And Lord, we pray if there's one here today that is yet to make sure of their standing before God in heaven and yet to receive Jesus Christ as the Lord and savior of their life, there's any doubt in their heart and mind at all, I pray, Lord, as we give this hymn of invitation that they might come, we have the opportunity to share with them today how they can be saved and know it. And Lord, we thank you for this day and this opportunity. May you be magnified and glorified.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. You take your hymn books. If you would, turn to hymn number 374. 374.

It's entitled Jesus Calls Us. Jesus is calling you to maybe he's calling you today to come and receive Christ as the Lord and savior of your life and become a child of God. Come. Maybe he's calling you today to deal with