JESUS FULLY ALIVE

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Mary Magdalene the first to experience the resurrection—Outside the empty tomb the risen Christ stood before FULLY ALIVE! Were her tear-soaked eyes playing tricks on her? The first April fool’s?

“Teacher,” she calls him, yet we know he was to her so much more; the one who saved her. Jesus the one who made her feel ALIVE.

An Easter morning she would never forget—Jesus once dead...now FULLY ALIVE

Feb. 27, 1991, at the height of Desert Storm, Ruth Dillow received a very sad message from the Pentagon. It stated that her son, Clayton Carpenter, Private 1st Class, had stepped on a mine in Kuwait & was dead. She later wrote, "I can't begin to describe my grief & shock. It was almost more than I could bear. For 3 days I wept, I expressed anger & loss. For 3 days people tried to comfort me, to no avail because the loss was too great."

But 3 days after she received that message, the telephone rang. The voice on the other end said, "Mom, it's me. I'm alive." Ruth said, "I couldn't believe it at first. But then I recognized his voice; he really was alive." She said, "I laughed, I cried, I felt like turning cartwheels, because my son whom I had thought was dead, was really alive.

We can only imagine what that glorious homecoming was like; mother and son reunited. Her son, being "fully Alive," an Easter story she would never forget.

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There is something about Easter that makes us feel more alive, as spring ushers in signs of new life. When buds begin to swell, and crocus’ break their way from darkness into open light. Birds begin to sing and scout for good nesting, a place to give life to their young. Snowflakes give way to raindrops. The light of day increases overtaking the darkness.

There is something about the Easter that makes us feel alive. Churches are full, people dressed in their Sunday best—Children; we know what’s on really their minds...

A man was driving along the highway, and saw a rabbit hopping across the middle of the road. He swerved to avoid hitting the rabbit, but unfortunately the rabbit jumped in front of the car and was hit. The driver felt so awful, he began to cry. A woman driving down the highway saw the man crying on the side of the road and pulled over. She stepped out of her car and asked the man what was wrong. "I feel terrible," he explained. "I accidentally hit this rabbit and... The woman went to her car trunk and pulled out a spray can. She walked over to the limp, dead rabbit, and sprayed the contents of the can on to the rabbit. Miraculously, the rabbit came to life, jumped up, waved it's paw at the two humans and hopped down the road. Every 50 ft or so the bunny would stop, look back, and wave. The man was astonished. He couldn't figure out what substance could be in the woman's spray can. He ran over to the woman and demanded, "What was in your spray can? What did you spray on that rabbit?" The woman turned the can around so that the man could read the label. It said: "'Hair spray restores life to dead hare; Adds permanent wave."

For the church, Easter has a much different meaning—we change the flowers and the dressings to white, put away the memories of a dark Friday in exchange for light of hope —The empty grave brings healing and promise—The shadow of the cross reminds us of the father’s relentless love—When death is defeated with resurrected life—When Jesus showed himself FULLY ALIVE

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He was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time... he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him.,” 1 Corinthians 15:6-8

For so many the first Easter became their resurrection personal story—Seeing Jesus fully alive

Road to Emmaus—Disciples in a locked room—Thomas who doubted—From the shore, as the disciples fished—To hundreds more he appeared, over the course of 40 days—Mary who ran to the disciples saying, “I have seen the Lord”

Easter is even more—Jesus fully alive can become our Easter story

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You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you ALIVE with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. Colossians 2:13 (NLT)

The resurrection was meant to be our story; made alive only by the reach of God’s grace. Christ who gave-up his life on Friday, broke through the hold of death on Sunday, so that "the full presence, power, and the riches of God," can be made known to us through a relationship with Jesus fully alive!

One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed 2nd grader Alex standing in the foyer of the church. He was staring up at a large plaque, that was covered with names with small American flags mounted on either side of it. The boy had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor stood beside the him, and said quietly, “Good morning Alex” “Good morning pastor”, replied he replied, still focused on the plaque. “Pastor what is this?” he asked. The pastor said, “Well son, it’s a memorial to all the young men and women who have died in the service.”

Soberly, they just stood there together, staring at the plaque. Finally, little Alex’s voice, barely audible and trembling with fear, asked, “Which service? The 8:00 or 10:30?”

Who wants to be in a church full of dead people? — Sadly the church today can resemble more of a dying faith then a living hope. the threat of losing both its doctrine; what it believes, it’s spirit; that gives it life, and its disciplines; by which it grows and is sent out to proclaim Christ fully alive.

"I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid, lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power." J.W.

The church doesn't need a spray can…it needs Jesus who is fully alive!

The apostle Paul is encouraging the church of Corinth not lose that which it knows; what it learned by the teachings of Jesus (3 years), its witness of his resurrection, and the power of God it received through the Holy Spirit — Christ is the church, the gathered body of believers; fully alive, who are to proclaim to the world of his resurrection; that he has risen indeed.

There is good news, the church is not where our faith journey begins. It begins in the heart of the person transformed by the power of the risen Christ — Like Mary Magdalene- seven demons, who Jesus made alive.

When we discover that the Easter story is in fact our story! When by the reach of his grace, we are made fully alive in Jesus. The church then becomes the way we learn to live out our resurrection; growing in faith together, learning to live in his will, and choosing to daily carry our own cross, all to proclaim Jesus alive!

What does it mean for us, to be fully alive in Christ, in the way that Paul knew? Who would know better? Paul, once a persecutor of Christians, proclaiming Jesus alive.

God made you ALIVE with Christ...

(S5) What doe this mean? To know Jesus fully alive in us, we only need to do 3 things

I. To RESPOND to Jesus...fully ALIVE!

Colossians 2:9 “For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.”

Paul is pointing to the oneness of God; father, son and spirit, all brought together in the body of Christ—God’s complete dwelling presence in Jesus, means that through him, he dwells in us also. —In Christ, is the fulness of God, in him we are made complete; lacking in nothing, sustained by the power of the living God

The one who believes in and RESPONDS to the resurrection of Jesus, doesn't walk around as those who have no hope; but as those who are fully alive!

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 1 Thessalonians 4:13

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To RESPOND to Jesus fully alive is to live is to be AWAKENED to the spirit of Christ In us!

Highschool—Yes to Jesus—Responded to his grace

Mary’s response to Jesus fully alive—She grabs him

“Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).” John 20:16

How will you respond to Jesus fully alive?

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To know Jesus fully alive in us...

II. To RECEIVE forgiveness in Jesus...fully ALIVE!

11 When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature.

When we come to the knowledge that we are sin-filled and receive Christ’ forgiveness, we die to our old ways, so we can live live fully alive under the power of Jesus’ resurrection

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Phi. 1:21

This is a spiritual removal of that which only leads to death—sin in us, by replacing it with Jesus who gives life—Forgiveness

Lily flower removal

Dying to self, is given up the sinful nature; to live into God’s best for us by receiving forgiveness

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Romans 5:6

The result is a life of abundance; fully alive, sin no longer has its way in us.

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13 You were dead because of your sins…then God made you alive with Christ, 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.

By his death Jesus took the burden of our sin upon himself so we could live fully alive in him...

Mary knew the forgiveness of God when she met Jesus the first time…why she was in tears when at the tomb for the one who saved her...

To be fully alive is to receive forgiveness found in Jesus

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To know Jesus fully alive in us...

III To be RAISED with Jesus into NEW life!

Colossians 2:12 “12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.”

In baptism we receive the life of God in spirit—Present blessing and future hope. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead, takes us beyond a life that ends in mortal death, to a new blessed life dedicated to loving and serving God.

Present blessing, future hope, forever to live, fully alive. All by the reach of his grace! So we can live live fully alive under the power of Jesus’ resurrection

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“ I pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 1:19-20

How does Easter become for us more than bunnies and chocolate? Like it was for Mary, and the many others who saw him fully alive?

When we RESPOND to Jesus who is fully alive —When we RECEIVE by faith his forgiveness, that he loves as we are, but loves us too much to keep us where we are—When we are RAISED with him into new life by our baptism- dying to the old self and living as a new person in the power of the risen Christ.

Easter is meant to be your resurrection Sunday, your story of becoming fully alive in Jesus. When what was once dead in us, is now made alive. When hope is no longer on the distant horizon but is something we experience each and every day.

All signs of new life—signs of a new spring – so that we can feel alive again!

All because of what Jesus did for us! All a gift from God.

The 1989 Armenian earthquake needed only four minutes to kill thirty-thousand people! One father refused to believe his son was dead. He dug in the rubble—refusing to quit. After thirty-eight hours, he pulled back a boulder and heard his son’s voice! The father called his son’s name, and the voice answered him, “Dad, it’s me!” Then the boy added these priceless words: “I told the other kids not to worry—if you were alive you’d save me and when you saved me, they’d be saved, too. Because you promised!” Max Lucado

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Easter morning is a picture of a father’s unwavering and relentless love for his children; giving up his only son to fulfills his promise of love to the world. All by the reach of his grace!

Can we be fully alive as Jesus was before Mary that spring morning? No…not yet…there will be a day-when we will know in full

Until then…

God, made us to be alive with Christ!

Fully alive! Is that your Easter story?

I hope so!

Happy resurrection day!