Wake Up, Church

Text: Romans 13:1–14 (ESV)

Series: Journey’s Road Map

Theme: Christians are called to live as faithful citizens, loving neighbors, and spiritually awake people in a dark world.

Introduction – Moms Know How to Wake People Up

Funny Story with a Point

Mothers have a special spiritual gift called “getting people out of bed.”

A teenager once set five alarms before school.

His mother walked in after the fifth one and said,

“You’ve hit snooze so many times your alarm clock just gave up and accepted defeat.”

He groaned, rolled over, and said,

“I’m awake.”

She replied,

“If you were awake, your feet would be touching the floor.”

Now honestly… that’s funny because every mother in the room has probably had that exact conversation.

But spiritually speaking, a lot of Christians are doing the same thing.

God keeps sounding alarms:

through His Word

through conviction

through circumstances

through the condition of the world

And many believers keep spiritually hitting snooze.

Romans 13 is Paul walking into the room saying:

“Wake up.”

And on Mother’s Day, it’s fitting to say:

Thank God for the mothers who kept waking us up—

physically and spiritually.

Some of us are here today because a mother:

prayed for us

corrected us

dragged us to church

refused to stop believing God for us

Romans 13 is a wake-up call to live like people who know Jesus is coming.

Submission to the Authorities

13 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Fulfilling the Law Through Love

8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Point 1 — Christians Should Live Respectfully Under Authority (vv. 1–7)

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.”

Explanation

Paul teaches that authority ultimately exists under God’s sovereignty.

This does not mean every government is righteous.

Paul wrote this under Rome.

Government exists to:

restrain evil

preserve order

punish wrongdoing

Christians should be known for:

integrity

respect

honesty

peaceable living

Cross-References

1 Peter 2:13–17

Acts 5:29 — obey God rather than men when conflict arises

Illustration – Traffic Lights

Nobody enjoys waiting at red lights.

But if all traffic laws disappeared tomorrow, chaos would follow immediately.

Authority may feel restrictive at times,

but disorder destroys societies.

Mother’s Day Tie-In

Good mothers understand this principle.

Children don’t naturally wake up wanting discipline.

But loving authority protects them.

Many of us appreciate rules now that we once rolled our eyes at growing up.

Quote — Augustine

“Without justice, what are kingdoms but great robberies?”

Application

The world is full of outrage and rebellion.

Christians should stand out by:

showing honor

living responsibly

reflecting Christ in how we respond to authority

Point 2 — Love Is the Fulfillment of the Law (vv. 8–10)

“Owe no one anything, except to love each other…”

Explanation

Paul shifts from government to relationships.

The one debt we never finish paying is love.

Real biblical love:

protects

serves

sacrifices

tells truth

seeks another person’s good

Love fulfills the intent of God’s commands.

Cross-References

Matthew 22:37–40

Galatians 5:14

Illustration – A Mother at 2 A.M.

Nobody has to teach a loving mother sacrifice.

A mother gets up at 2 A.M.

exhausted

running on no sleep

carrying burdens nobody sees

Why?

Because love acts.

Biblical love is not just emotion.

It moves.

Quote — C.S. Lewis

“Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person’s ultimate good.”

Application

The church should be known for genuine love:

not fake kindness

not social media outrage

not selective compassion

Love should define how we:

speak

forgive

serve

respond to difficult people

Point 3 — Wake Up and Put on Christ (vv. 11–14)

“Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep.”

Explanation

Paul says salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

The imagery changes:

Night = darkness and sin

Day = Christ’s coming kingdom

Paul commands believers to:

cast off darkness

put on the armor of light

put on the Lord Jesus Christ

Christianity is not passive.

It is daily readiness.

Cross-References

Ephesians 5:14–16

1 Thessalonians 5:5–8

Illustration – The Fire Alarm

Nobody sleeps peacefully through a fire alarm unless something is deeply wrong.

Romans 13 is Paul pulling the spiritual alarm.

Wake up.

Live intentionally.

Jesus is coming.

Mother’s Day Tie-In

One of the greatest gifts many mothers give is spiritual wakefulness.

Some of us heard things growing up like:

“Get ready for church.”

“Pray before you leave.”

“Remember who you belong to.”

At the time it felt repetitive.

Now we realize:

those voices were helping prepare us for life.

Quote — Charles Spurgeon

“A Christian is either watchful or worldly.”

Application

Ask yourself:

Am I spiritually alert?

Am I drifting?

Am I becoming numb to sin?

Am I living ready for Christ’s return?

You cannot walk in the light while spiritually asleep.

Conclusion — Time to Wake Up

Romans 13 teaches us:

Live honorably under authority

Love others deeply

Wake up spiritually

The Christian life is not casual.

The King is coming.

Final Reflection

And on this Mother’s Day,

many of us thank God for women who helped wake us up spiritually—

through prayer,

through correction,

through sacrifice,

through relentless love.

Some seeds planted by praying mothers took years to grow.

But God heard every prayer.

Closing Line

“Somebody once woke you up to truth. Now it’s your turn to live awake.”

Amen.