Advent admonishes us that God’s plan is moving forward, and that we must not sleep in faith. It is time to check on our spiritual development!
On Sunday, 30 November 2025, over 3,000 believers assembled at the Missionvale Campus of Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha (South Africa) for a divine service with Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider. The latter was accompanied by Chief Apostle Helper Helge Mutschler, District Apostle Peter Lambert and his Helper Mandla Mkhwanazi, as well as District Apostles John Schnabel (USA) and Tshitshi Tshisekedi (Democratic Republic of Congo South-East). The basis of the sermon was a Bible passage from Romans 13: 11: “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”
The certainty of Christ’s return
Chief Apostle Schneider reminded his listeners that the prophets of the old covenant had announced the coming of the Saviour, a promise which was fulfilled with the birth of Jesus Christ. At the same time, he made reference to the future return of Christ: “We anticipate the return of Christ. We are not merely preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We also anticipate His return because we believe firmly that Jesus Christ will come again.”
He went on to point out that the return of Christ is just as certain as Jesus’ birth, even though the exact moment of this event is not known. “Apostle Paul repeated it especially often: it is impossible to know when the return of Christ will occur. No one knows it.” The signs of the end time described by Jesus stretch out over the entire era of the church, starting from the feast of Pentecost all the way to His return. These signs do not allow us to calculate the date, but are rather intended to strengthen our faith and admonish us to be wakeful. “The only thing that gives us reason to believe that the return of Christ is imminent is the fact that God tells us, ‘Jesus is coming!’ That is the only basis for our faith. There are no calculations, no studies. It is only because the Holy Spirit tells us that He is coming!”
Awakening from spiritual sleep
The Chief Apostle explained that Paul’s admonition not to sleep is a warning against weariness, boredom, and discouragement. Spiritual sleep can be identified when believers no longer respond to divine inspiration, become indifferent to the fate of their neighbour, or become stagnant in their own personal development. Spiritual tiredness can also arise when the feeling grows that sacrifices, hard work, and prayer do not yield any visible results.
Chief Apostle Schneider was aware of the severity of his remarks: “Wow, that’s a little bit harsh! It sounds as if we were all asleep in our faith.” Nevertheless, those who are awake will be able to recognise the progress in God’s work of salvation and share in it.
Salvation is within reach, and the work of God is moving inexorably forward. Chief Apostle Schneider went on to emphasise: “This is a very concrete event. Don’t ask me how it will work. I have no idea. But it will take place at a very specific point in time that has already been determined and decided by God.”
God is at work
The Church is developing in doctrine and knowledge, guided by the Holy Spirit. The emphasis is increasingly on Christ Himself, on eternal life, and on the commandment of love, instead of on purely human rules of conduct. “It’s more about Jesus Christ, and not about His servants or His ambassadors. There is an evolution in the doctrine.”
At the same time, the Chief Apostle warned that the progress in God’s work poses a challenge to the individual believers: those who stand still run the risk falling behind. Our personal spiritual development must keep pace with the progress of God’s work.
Our own spiritual development
Then Chief Apostle Schneider directed the attention of his listeners to the inner development of the believers. Faith in Christ is demonstrated by love for Christ. And love for Christ should not be motivated by the hope for a reward, but should rather come into being on the basis of genuine devotion. “We do it for Jesus and for our neighbour, because we want our neighbour to recognise that God loves him.”
“So what about my own development, my own personal development? How is my faith? At what stage do I find myself? With the help and grace of God we will be well prepared for the return of Christ.” Advent offers us an opportunity to examine our own life of faith. Where do I stand in my relationship with Christ? What importance does His coming hold for me? How is my love for God and my neighbour evolving? The striving for spiritual development is not a theoretical objective, but rather a concrete way of preparing for the return of Christ.
Photos: NAC Souther Africa
