Full Coverage

Sunday Sermon
February 15, 2009
Rhema Community Church

Sermonic Skeleton

Sermonic Scripture: Ephesians 6:14 (ESV) Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

Sermonic Subject: Spiritual Warfare

Sermonic Theme: The Righteousness of God

Sermonic Sentence: I am covered fully by the righteousness of Jesus Christ

Sermonic Tension: Since I am fully covered by the righteousness of Jesus Christ, why is it at times I do not live righteously? (I am unrighteous when I refuse to live in the Holy Ghost.) NLT Ephesians 5:18 Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you. NLT Ephesians 2:2 You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.

Sermonic Background: The Righteousness of God in general, something is righteous if it agrees with divine or moral law, and is free from guilt or sin. The “righteousness of God,” however, is more than fulfilling an exterior code of what is right: It is an attribute of God’s very nature. God does not arbitrarily decide what is right or wrong, good or bad rightness and goodness flow out of the character of God himself. God’s righteousness as understood in a covenantal context includes God’s right judgment of both God’s own people and those who oppress them, as well as God’s salvation and mercy extended to those to whom the covenanting God has promised to be faithful. Righteousness and salvation are summed up in and provided for all those who believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. By extension, righteousness denotes the type of life that ought to characterize Jesus’ disciples. Believers are to “imitate” God and thereby become righteous in life just as God is righteous.

Sermonic Cross Reference: NLT Isaiah 11:5 He will be clothed with fairness and truth. NLT Isaiah 59:17 He put on righteousness as his body armor and placed the helmet of salvation on his head. He clothed himself with the robes of vengeance and godly fury. NIV Isaiah 61:10-11 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. NIV Luke 8:27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. NLT Luke 8:35 A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, for they wanted to see for themselves what had happened. And they saw the man who had been possessed by demons sitting quietly at Jesus' feet, clothed and sane. And the whole crowd was afraid. NLT Luke 15:22 "But his father said to the servants, 'Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger, and sandals for his feet. NJB Acts 19:14-17 Among those who did this were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest. 15 The evil spirit replied, 'Jesus I recognise, and Paul I know, but who are you?' 16 and the man with the evil spirit hurled himself at them and overpowered first one and then another, and handled them so violently that they fled from that house stripped of clothing and badly mauled. 17 Everybody in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, heard about this episode; everyone was filled with awe, and the name of the Lord Jesus came to be held in great honour. ESV Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith." NLT John 19:23-24 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. 24 So they said, "Let's not tear it but throw dice to see who gets it." This fulfilled the Scripture that says, "They divided my clothes among themselves and threw dice for my robe."

Sermonic Structure:

I. CHRIST RIGHTEOUSNESS IS A GIFT FROM GOD TO COVER ME

II. CHRIST RIGHTEOUSNESS HAS BEEN GIVEN BY GOD TO COVER ME

III. CHRIST RIGHTEOUSNESS WAS DEMONSTRATED UNTO GOD ON GOLGOTHA TO COVER ME