ALIVE IN CHRIST

Alive In Christ

ILLUSTRATION

After dying in a car crash, three friends go to Heaven for orientation. They are all asked the same question: “When you are in your casket, friends and family are mourning over you, what would you like to hear them say about you?”

The first guy immediately responds, “I would like to hear them say that I was one of the great doctors of my time, and a great family man.” The second guy says, “I would like to hear that I was a wonderful husband and school teacher who made a huge difference in our children of tomorrow.”

The last guy thinks a minute and replies, “I’d like to hear them say -- LOOK, HE’S MOVING!!!!!”

LISTEN -- most people will fight “TOOTH AND NAIL” to stay alive as long as they possibly can in this world. Why?

If they’ve experienced anything good in life they want to cling to that good. They don’t want to give it up.

Also, people are naturally afraid of dying. They don’t know what will happen or how it will happen.

And most people are not sure there is another life beyond this one!

But the sad truth is this: Many People Are Already Dead And Don’t Know It!

That Is, They Are Dead Spiritually. Dead To God And Christ.

Sin Has Made Them Dead.

ILLUSTRATION

Very few college football coaches have made a point against drugs as effectively as Erk Russell of Georgia Southern College. He arranged for a couple of good ol’ country boys to burst into a routine team meeting and throw a writhing, hissing, six-foot-long rattlesnake onto a table in front of the squad. “Everyone screamed and scattered,” Russell recalls.

“I told them, ’When cocaine comes into a room, you’re not nearly as apt to leave as when that rattlesnake comes in. But they’ll both kill you!”

SIN -- in its various forms, has had a dreadful affect on our world.

It has killed people.

It has made them dead to real life.

It has deadened them to God, Christ and all things spiritual.

Sin, too, often comes dressed in an adorable guise, and as we play with it, how easy it is to say, “It will be different for me.” The results are predictable.

SIN may appear harmless and be pleasurable but eventually it will turn on you and INJECT ITS VENOM INTO YOUR ENTIRE LIFE

Sin Kills The Life Out Of People.

Sin Takes Over, Controls And Makes People Essentially Into The “WALKING DEAD.”

But there is an escape and that escape is through Jesus Christ. He alone gives victory over sin.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 7:24-25 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Ephesians 2:1-10 (GW) You were once dead because of your failures and sins. You followed the ways of this present world and its spiritual ruler. This ruler continues to work in people who refuse to obey God. All of us once lived among these people, and followed the desires of our corrupt nature. We did what our corrupt desires and thoughts wanted us to do. So, because of our nature, we deserved God’s anger just like everyone else.

But God is rich in mercy because of his great love for us. We were dead because of our failures, but he made us alive together with Christ. (It is God’s kindness that saved you.) God has brought us back to life together with Christ Jesus and has given us a position in heaven with him. He did this through Christ Jesus out of his generosity to us in order to show his extremely rich kindness in the world to come.

God saved you through faith as an act of kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God. It’s not the result of anything you’ve done, so no one can brag about it. God has made us what we are. He has created us in Christ Jesus to live lives filled with good works that he has prepared for us to do.

Paul gives the SIGNS of how to become alive in Christ.

SIGN #1 -- DEAD END

Ephesians 2:2 (PassionNTPsa) And his fullness fills you, even though you were once like corpses, dead in your sins and offenses. It wasn’t that long ago that you lived in the religion, customs, and values of this world, obeying the dark ruler of the earthly realm who fills the atmosphere with his authority, and works diligently in the hearts of those who are disobedient to the truth of God.

The corruption that was in us from birth was expressed through the deeds and desires of our self-life. We lived by whatever natural cravings and thoughts our minds dictated, living as rebellious children subject to God’s wrath like everyone else.

Dead doesn’t sound good. This text speaks of the walking dead -- That may sound like some kind of horror movie to some people. Dead and yet still alive!

ILLUSTRATION

The man huddled on the cabin floor was slowly freezing to death. It was high in the Rockies in southwestern Alberta, and outside a blizzard raged. John Elliott had logged miles that day through the deep snows of the mountain passes.

As he checked for avalanches and as dusk and exhaustion overcame him he had decided to “hole-up.” He made it to his cabin but somewhat dazed with fatigue, he did not light a fire or remove his wet clothing. As the blizzard blasted through the cracks in the old cabin walls, the sleeping forest ranger sank into oblivion, paralyzed by the pleasure of the storm’s icy caress.

Suddenly, however, his dog sprang into action, and with unrelenting whines, finally managed to rouse his near - comatose friend. The dog was John’s constant companion, a St. Bernard, one of a long line of dogs famous for their heroics in times of crisis.

“If that dog hadn’t been with me, I’d be dead today,” John Elliott says. “When you’re freezing to death you actually feel warm all over, and don’t wake up because it feels too good.”

This story illustrates the spiritual condition of many people today. They are SPIRITUALLY COLD -- and sadly are oblivious of their true condition.

MANY PEOPLE ARE DEAD AND DON’T KNOW IT!

Ephesians 2:1-2 (MSG) It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience.

LISTEN -- those who have not given their lives to Christ in faith and surrender are essentially DEAD.

At one time -- BEFORE CHRIST -- we all were dead in our sins

We followed the sinful ways of the world and followed the ruler of the kingdom of the air who is Satan whether we realized this or not.

Everyone Starts In This Lane Of Life -- Dead In Sin.

SIGN #2 – U TURN

ILLUSTRATION

When I was in the hospital, didn’t know it but they almost lost me. But the next thing I know, I hear people yelling my name – hey I’m trying to sleep here but they’re trying to wake me up in order to SAVE ME!!

THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT GOD WAS DOING HERE – WAKING US UP IN ORDER TO SAVE US!!

Ephesians 2:4-10 (Phillips NT) But even though we were dead in our sins God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, gave us life together with Christ - it is, remember, by grace and not by achievement that you are saved - and has lifted us right out of the old life to take our place with him in Christ in the Heavens.

Thus he shows for all time the tremendous generosity of the grace and kindness he has expressed towards us in Christ Jesus. It was nothing you could or did achieve - it was God’s gift to you. No one can pride himself upon earning the love of God.

The fact is that what we are we owe to the hand of God upon us. We are born afresh in Christ, and born to do those good deeds which God planned for us to do.

God Didn’t just become merciful and gracious. HE IS rich in mercy -- HE IS EXCESSIVE IN HIS LOVE FOR US!!!

MERCY means we don’t get what we deserve

GRACE means we get what we don’t deserve -- which is salvation & ALL GOD’S PROMISES

Someone said, “The two greatest words in the Bible are: BUT GOD.” -- Dead in sin, BUT GOD!

GRACE is all about God and God FREELY giving to us the gifts of forgiveness, mercy, and love.

And God’s mercy goes along with His grace. Because of God’s grace or the fact that He is gracious -- He is also rich in mercy and this is the path that leads to life which is truly life.

SIGN #3 -- ALIVE TO THRIVE

Ephesians 2:4-6 (PassionNTPsa) But God still loved us with such great love. He is so rich in compassion and mercy. Even when we were dead and doomed in our many sins, he united us into the very life of Christ and saved us by his wonderful grace! He raised us up with Christ the exalted One, and we ascended with him into the glorious perfection and authority of the heavenly realm, for we are now co-seated as one with Christ!

I’m alive to THRIVE! I’m alive to THRIVE!

We all can shout these words WHEN WE ARE IN CHRIST

They are true because of Jesus. He is the One who gives life more abundant and free.

JOHN 8:36 (PassionNTPsa) So if the Son sets you free from sin, then become a true son and be unquestionably free!

Because of His great love for us

ILLUSTRATION

William Whiting Borden (November 1, 1887 – April 9, 1913) was a Christian missionary to Egypt with Samuel Zwemer and the heir to the Borden, Inc. family fortune. William Borden was a graduate of Yale University in 1909 and of Princeton Theological Seminary. Borden was converted to Christianity under the ministry of Dwight L. Moody.

He later decided to become a missionary to the Muslims of China, but died of spinal meningitis in Egypt during his training there at the age of 25. After his death, Borden’s Bible was found and given to his parents.

In it they found in one place the words “NO RESERVE” and a date placing the note shortly after he renounced his fortune in favor of missions. At a later point, he had written “NO RETREAT”, dated shortly after his father told he would never let him work in the company ever again. Shortly before he died in Egypt, he added the phrase “NO REGRETS.”

“NO RESERVE, NO RETREAT, NO REGRETS” in following Jesus and in going to Egypt to do mission work.

Why did William Borden do that? Why did he willingly give his life on foreign soil for others?

ILLUSTRATION

Right after I was saved -- one of my college professors went to bat for me to get me a place to audition for the University of Louisville Conservatory of Music. We received the letter qualifying me for the audition, which I went and played a few classical pieces for them and a few months later, I was notified that I won the spot for a full ride at the Music Conservatory -- THAT’S BIG STUFF IN THE MUSIC PROFESSION. BUT -- God called me to Ministry -- WHAT?? I TURNED IT DOWN & NEVER LOOKED BACK!! NO REGRETS!!

Philippians 2:5-8 (GW) Have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Although he was in the form of God and equal with God, he did not take advantage of this equality. Instead, he emptied himself by taking on the form of a servant, by becoming like other humans, by having a human appearance. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, death on a cross.

The story is this: Jesus left His home in heaven for earth for one purpose only. TO SEEK AND TO SAVE THE LOST. Why did He do that?

John 3:16 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

WE ARE MADE ALIVE BECAUSE OF HIS GREAT LOVE!

CONCLUSION ------------------

John 10:10-11 (PassionNTPsa) A thief has only one thing in mind — he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect — life in its fullness until you overflow! I am the Good Shepherd who lays down my life as a sacrifice for the sheep.

Satan wants to kill and destroy -- But Jesus Came To Give Us Life And The Ultimate Promise Of Abundant Living Here & Life After Death.

WE’RE ALIVE NOW, AND SHALL LIVE FOREVER, AND IT’S ALL BECAUSE OF JESUS!

Romans 10:9-11 (PassionNTPsa) And what is God’s “living message”? It is the revelation of faith for salvation, which is the message that we preach. For if you publicly declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will experience salvation.

The heart that believes in him receives the gift of the righteousness of God—and then the mouth gives thanks to salvation. For the Scriptures encourage us with these words: “Everyone who believes in him will never be disappointed.”

I’M OFFERING AN INVITATION TODAY -- IS THIS THE TIME YOU WILL FINALLY SAY “YES” TO JESUS & BECOME A FOLLOWER OF HIM