Sermon

December 2, 2007
Advent 1a
Romans 13:11-14
Pastor Ben Berger

Wake Up

(Alarm clock sounds). Don’t you hate that sound? Now I know that some of you are morning people and you love to get up; not me. I’d rather stay up all night than get up in the morning. I think that’s true of most people. Night is the time we either party or sleep; it’s our playtime and our rest time. Day is the time we work and carry out the rest of our responsibilities. The alarm clock tells us that it’s time to get up; play time and rest time are done. It’s time for work and responsibility. Today the apostle Paul sounds a spiritual alarm clock. As we look forward to Jesus’ coming at Christmas and Jesus’ return at the end of time, we need a wake up call. Paul says, Wake Up 1) Get with the Times and 2) See the Light.

After encouraging Christians to love one another, Paul said, 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. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here (11-12a).

Paul says, “Wake up. Understand the present time. It is time for the day of your salvation. The day of your salvation is almost here.” Now we can look at that day of salvation two ways. First, it’s Christmas; it’s the day of the Savior’s birth. Thanksgiving is over and it’s time to prepare for the birth of Jesus, the Christ-child. Many of you have already begun your preparation. You’ve already been sucked into (or suckered into) standing in line for hours at four a.m. to by presents (now that’s a wake up call). You’ve already decorated your house with lights and trees and ribbons and bows. You’ve brought out all the Christmas music. You’ve planned to throw or attend parties and family gatherings. The excitement will build as we approach the day of our salvation.

We could also view the day of our salvation as the day of Jesus’ return on the Last Day. We’re not quite as prepared for this day. And this is the day that is still coming, not the day that’s already come. We don’t really like to talk about that day, whether it be our death or the end of time. We want to go to heaven and all, but we’re still not real excited about Jesus’ return. We don’t put up decorations, don’t listen to special music, don’t throw parties, and don’t buy presents. And yet, with every passing minute, hour and day that day of our salvation draws near.

People, we’re living in the time of the darkness. This world is not where we want to spend eternity. Sin, death and the devil rule this world. They fill it with all kinds of empty treasures and pleasures trying to lure us to stay. And they succeed. We live for this world. Just about everything we do revolves around our life on earth. It’s night time; it’s our time to party or rest or enjoy life. The devil tempts us to believe that salvation is instant gratification – getting what we want right now.

We need a wake up call because we’re sleeping. We forget that the day of salvation is near. Our preparation and celebration of Christmas should be a wake up call and reminder of the final day of our salvation, but we often ignore that message. Instead, when Christmas is over, we carry on as before. We heard in the Gospel that the same thing happened before the flood. People were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, living life as if nothing was going to happen.

Wake Up! The day of your salvation is coming. It’s nearer now than when you first believed. I know how easy it is to forget because it seems so far away. Christians have been waiting for this day for over 2000 years. But the longer we wait, the closer it gets. It’s like Jack in the Box. You know he’s going to pop out; you just don’t know when. It could be after any turn. Da, da, da – da, da-da, da, da – pop goes the weasel. Jesus himself said that we do not know the day or the hour, but he is coming soon. So wake up and get ready.

We can prepare the same way we get ready for Christmas – with repentance and excitement. We typically associate repentance with the season of Lent, but repentance is also appropriate for the season of Advent. We are about to meet our God in the flesh. Granted, when he came the first time, he came as a baby. But when he returns, he will come as our king in all his glory. Every knee on earth and under the earth will bow to him and confess his holy name. Before we meet our holy, almighty God, we’ll want to confess our sins and make sure we are welcomed with forgiveness.

Knowing that we are already forgiven by the very blood our king shed on the cross, we can look forward to his return with excitement. We may not put up trees and lights or buy presents, but we could. We most certainly can change our attitude. We can get with the times and realize that we’re living now in darkness. Realize that Jesus will bring the light. Realize that he offers eternal blessings rather than temporary and fleeting pleasure. And realize that he has already prepared this salvation for us.

So, after we wake up and recognize the present time as the time of darkness, then we can wake up and see the light. Actually, that might be understated. We don’t just want to see the light; we want to live in and for the light.

Paul said, So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy (12b-13).

Although we see the light, the day of our salvation approaching, and although we want to live in and for that light, we often live according to deeds of darkness. Paul lists a number of those deeds of darkness: drinking, sex, arguing and jealousy. Sounds like the weekend, doesn’t it? Sounds like the night life. That’s why Paul calls them deeds of darkness. Have you ever noticed that we’ll often act differently at night than in the daytime? Maybe we think that because it’s dark out no one can see. No one will find out. Because of the stress of the day, the work and responsibility, we feel the need to let our hair down. We want to hang loose, but we get a little too loose. Maybe Paul’s list doesn’t apply to you though?

You still have your own personal list, your own personal deeds of darkness. What is it that no one knows about you? That you hope no one ever finds out? What sins are you hiding? During the day you look so wholesome and pure, but what do you look like at night?

And do you realize how the darkness threatens the light? Satan wants us to live in the darkness. He wants us to live it up, take a rest and live it up some more. He wants to keep us in the dark. And Satan knows that the longer he can keep us in the dark, living according to deeds of darkness, the better chance he has of stealing our faith. That’s Satan’s goal. He is a roaring lion looking to devour you. You cannot live according to deeds of darkness and expect to see the light.

Darkness threatens not only your faith but also your salvation. Once Satan has taken your faith from you, you have also lost your salvation. You may think that no one sees or knows about your secret sins. And maybe no human does. But God sees; God knows. You cannot hide from God. And you cannot have the best of both worlds. You cannot live according to all the sinful pleasures and treasures of this world and expect God to also give you all the eternal blessings of the next. Wake Up and See the Light. That Light is Christ.

Paul says, Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature (14). Put on Christ. He does three things for you. First, the light of Christ covers your darkness. He covers your sins, your deeds of darkness. He’s paid for all of them by his suffering and death on the cross. It’s like they never happened. He also changes your desires. He takes away the need for temporary pleasure from this world by giving you all you need and promising you even more than you could imagine. He has stored up for you treasures in heaven that will never disappoint and never disappear. And Christ equips you to fight the darkness. He gives you weapons of light like the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness and the sword of the Spirit. These weapons will defend you from the attacks of the devil and his forces. They will enable you to live holy lives of light.

So, Wake Up and put on Christ. You now know that the present time is a time of darkness. You know that the day of your salvation is near. Prepare with repentance. Confess your deeds of darkness. Then look to the light of Jesus Christ. He has forgiven all your sin. He has given you the desire and ability to live for the light. Look forward to that light with excitement. It’s almost time. The day is almost here. The alarm clock is sounding.

© 2007 Mount Olive Ev. Lutheran Church and School - All Rights Reserved