Why Do You Seek The Living Among The Dead: The Importance Of The Resurrected Church

Why Do You Seek The Living Among The Dead: The Importance Of The Resurrected Church

Bible Passage: Luke 24

Summary: Luke 24:5-6

Luke 24:5–6 KJV

And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,

1. If were going to be a church that comes alive in 25, we must journey from the empty tomb to the upper room

In a world hungry for something real, we cannot afford to camp out somewhere between the two.

Only 24% of the ppl who encountered the Risen Jesus remained at the upper room

We cannot separate the substitutionary work of the cross from the ressurection

Luke 22:19–24 KJV

And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed! And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing. And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.

Matthew 26:38–43 KJV

Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.

John 21:3 KJV

Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

2. When your relationship with God becomes optional instead of intentional, then your encounter with Jesus becomes intellectual and ceases to be transformational

When we regulate our relationship with god based on our emotional state (weather we “feel” like connecting with God) we end up “re-defining” biblical truths through a “social” lease rather than a biblical worldview. Things then become optional, and we look more like the compromising church of Pergamum, rather than the Body of Christ. Church as we know it then becomes mechanical, going through the motions. We pride ourselves on how regularly we attend services, how many verses we can memorize, or who gives the most to the church, instead of focusing on changing lives and adding souls to the kingdom.

In doing so we essentially remove the transformational power of the ressurection in exchange for a “mechanicalized” worship experience. We cannot separate Romans 12:2 “Be you transformed by the renewing of your mind” from James 1:22 “be doers of the word not just hearers” Simply put…Our encounter with Jesus must move past intellectual worship and produce fruit with in our actions in order to be a transformational church

3. A Church Content With Encountering The Tomb, Prepares Its Own Funeral, And Passively Brings Death To Its Community

Proverbs 29:18 KJV

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

The church has been called to be “The City On The Hill” but a dead church has no light to shine and no vision to lead. A Quick survey of our social environment tells us the spiritual state of many churches. A resurrected church firmly rooted in scripture produces the fruits necessary of leading the vision of the community

Luke 24:1–9 KJV

Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words, And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.

If we are too busy being inward focused, and directing that focus towards the tomb, might we remember today that Christ not only died, but ROSE AGAIN in order that we might have NEW LIFE, and sent the HS to empower us to fulfill the very ministry we were commissioned with

4. The Resurrected Church Renews The Fire Of Their Relationship W/ God By Encountering Jesus Daily

Luke 24:30–32 KJV

And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

“Did our hearts not burn within us?”