Introduction
"If God is for us, who can be against us?" That's the question this sermon opens with. In the background: a bilingual church family (French and Spanish), Communion prepared, greetings sent to brothers and sisters in Argentina, Peru, Spain, Italy, and Marseille. Then, quickly, the message zeroes in on one verse: Romans 13:11. "It is already time for you to awaken out of sleep, for salvation is now nearer to us than when we first believed." The preacher wants to wake you up. Not to scare you or bury you under prophecies, but to reposition you on what matters, today, this week.
Outline of the Message
1. Contradiction doesn't prove God has let go of you
- The message opens with the cross: "No one took his life from him. The Son of God laid down his own soul, and that is why he said: It is finished."
- Even after the resurrection, contradiction remains: Pilate is still there, the Roman occupation is still there, the disciples are scattered and afraid.
- And yet it's precisely in that moment that "humanity's greatest miracle" takes place: at the cross, Jesus paid for all our sins.
- Point: when you see contradiction settling in around you, don't conclude that God has withdrawn. Grace is at work in exactly those places, the moment there's repentance.
2. Acts 1:6-8: Jesus wakes the disciples up
- After the resurrection, the disciples ask Jesus: "Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?"
- The preacher underlines the political context: Israel is occupied, Rome taxes heavily, Herod plays go-between, and the disciples are thinking of a king like David or Solomon, a thousand years earlier.
- Jesus doesn't get into politics. He answers: "It isn't for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority."
- Then, verse 8: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth."
- In other words: Jesus wakes his own up. He turns their eyes away from the calendar and back onto the mission.
3. Romans 13:11-12: Take off, put on
- "The night is far gone, and the day is near. Let's therefore throw off the deeds of darkness, and let's put on the armor of light."
- Paul speaks of a movement forward: night is advancing, day is dawning. In the spiritual world just as in the natural one, light eventually rises over your life.
- The armor of light is prayer, spiritual warfare, the word that tears down strongholds, arguments, and lies (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
- Putting on the light calls for a decision: letting certain things go, picking up the weapons Christ gives you, and refusing to fight with "fleshly solutions" that never get you very far.
4. Luke 12:22-34: Stop worrying, seek the Kingdom
- Jesus carries the wake-up call further: "Don't be anxious for your life, what you will eat, nor yet for your body, what you will wear."
- He points to ravens fed without a storehouse, lilies dressed better than Solomon in all his glory. How much more will the Father take care of you?
- "But seek God's Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you."
- "Don't be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom."
- And this key line: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Your awakening shows in where you store your treasure.
5. Communion: renewing the covenant
- The message leads naturally into Communion: "This is my body… This is my blood, poured out for the forgiveness of sins."
- It's presented as the place where you come to renew your covenant with God, remember the forgiveness you've received, and leave awake.
- It also points to real brotherhood, with a call to hold in prayer the pastors and churches elsewhere (Argentina, Peru, Spain, Italy, Marseille).
Key Takeaways
- Spiritual sleep isn't only blatant sin: it's also distraction, obsession with the political calendar, fear that freezes you in place.
- Salvation is nearer today than the day you first believed: every week brings you closer, so don't live it as if nothing were happening.
- The weapons that work against darkness are spiritual: prayer, the word, obedience, fellowship.
- Seeking the Kingdom first isn't a slogan: it's a real reordering of your treasure and your heart.
- Communion puts you back into the covenant: come renew your yes there.
Personal Application
- What is your heart "falling asleep" to right now: the news, calendars, material worries, a spiritual disappointment?
- What "works of darkness" is God asking you to lay aside this week, very concretely?
- Which weapons of light will you pick back up: a daily time of prayer, reading the word, interceding for other churches?
- If Jesus asked you today, "Where is your treasure?", what would you honestly answer?
- How do you want to experience the next Communion: as routine, or as a renewal of covenant?
Verses Cited
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to "wake up from sleep" in Romans 13:11?
Paul reminds us that salvation is nearer today than the day we first believed. Waking up isn't just coming out of a physical night: it's stepping off autopilot, opening your eyes to what God is doing, and bringing your life back in step with his time. Spiritual sleep is a numbed heart that no longer notices grace or the urgency of the Kingdom.
How do you practically put on the armor of light?
The preacher quotes 2 Corinthians 10: the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, they are spiritual. Prayer, the fight against strongholds, arguments and lies, the word of God: these are your weapons. Putting on the light also means concretely rejecting the works of darkness, deciding to let certain things go, and taking up the good disciplines of faith again.
Why does Jesus turn the disciples away from the political question in Acts 1?
The disciples ask Jesus if he is going to restore the kingdom to Israel. Jesus won't be drawn in: he tells them the times belong to the Father, and he refocuses them on their mission: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses." He wakes them up: don't stay fixated on calendars, get busy bearing witness.
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