Dead or Alive

Welcome

Happy Mother’s Day!

Thank you visitors, for being here!

No bible study tonight!

Lesson Connection

Bill Drost “The Pentecost”

On May Day, 1915, Bill Drost was born at a farm on the rolling hills of New Brunswick, Canada. His life would be characterized by astounding miracles as he fulfilled God’s prophetic call as a missionary in South America.

When Bill was ten years old, his older sisters attended a revival meeting where Mattie Crawford preached. Many responded to her preaching by repenting of their sins. Bill’s parents were troubled by it. His mother did not want her children to “be led away with the error of the devil.”

Five years later, another spiritual stirring came into the area. A group holding “Bible meetings” spoke of the Holy Ghost. An older friend of Bill’s, named Bless, joined these people. Bless was a champion boxer, tall and powerful. He had “gone to the altar” and had become a changed man. Bill’s mother was furious to learn her son had anything to do with Bless and warned him never again to speak to the man.

But Bill could not resist visiting a Bible meeting he discovered while riding his bicycle one night. He marveled at the testimonies he heard, the songs they sang, and the spontaneous worship. When he told his mother he had been to the meeting, she was stunned and said, “If you ever go back there, it will be over my dead body! I now forbid you to go, and I never want to hear you mention those Holy Rollers again! You know they are of the devil—they have deceived you.”

Perplexed, Bill knelt by his bed that night and with tears prayed, “O God, show me what to do. If these people are of the devil, they should be told. Lord, whatever Scripture you give me, it will help me.” He dropped his finger on his open Bible. It fell on a verse he had never heard before: “O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph” (Psalm 47:1). Stunned, Bill said, “O God, that’s just what those people were doing—they clapped their hands!”

As he slept, Bill had a vivid dream. He saw Jesus coming from glory in a sky ablaze with beautiful light. He saw the faces of people he recognized; they were the people he had seen at the Bible meeting. They were rising to meet Jesus in the air, their faces filled with great joy.

“O God, take me!” Bill cried out, awaking and jumping from his bed. He was on his way to discovering what God had done to make it possible for him to experience eternal life.

Oh, aren’t you thankful that you got a revelation of where you were, what God did for you, and where He wanted to take you to?!

I want to talk for awhile today about where God brings us out of when we are saved. Our title is “Dead or Alive”. And, I’d be willing to be a certain song from the ’80s just came into your head. Don’t lie!

There’s a wonderful hymn of the church that says, “I once was lost in sin, but Jesus took me in...” There’s a deep reality to that first part that I want to explore - that we were once lost in sin.

Sin Introduced Death to Humanity

Adam and Eve Sinned

It’s important to understand just what happened when the first two human beings sinned.

If you go back to when man was created, there are a couple of things that we are told about humanity:

In Genesis 1:26-29, we find that both male and female are created in the image of God. Both share equal blessings and responsibilities.

Then, in Genesis 2:7, 18, 21-22, we find that humans were made from the earth, however, at the same time the breath of life is breathed into them by God Himself.

Now, none of this offers any hint of sinfulness. Instead, the man and woman are spoken of in a hopeful and positive way.

Though we are made of the earth - which itself is created by Him - humans are more intimately related to their Creator than any other created thing. God has personally breathed into human nostrils. And the result is the image of God.

But, to be made in God’s image includes the fact that we possess the power of choice. Because God has the freedom to choose, so do we. And because of that, God have a warning to Adam:

Genesis 2:16–17 NKJV

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

So, in their freedom of choice, Adam and Eve disregarded that warning. And they suffered the consequence - death. And death in two ways...

Spiritual Death

When the Bible speaks about death, it’s referring to a kind of separation. When someone dies, it’s not that they have ceased to exist, event though we often feel or think that way.

Every person born will exist forever. When they die, that person’s materiel and immaterial parts are separated. James talked about this:

James 2:26 NKJV

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

So the human body is lifeless without the spirit. And when the Lord is ready to take someone’s spirit, the result is that their body dies.

But when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, right then they had a spiritual death. They were separated… from fellowship with God. And they were removed from the Garden of Eden. Paul wrote about this...

Romans 5:12 NKJV

12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—

Romans 5:17 NKJV

17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

Romans 5:21 NKJV

21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Ephesians 2:1 NKJV

1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

Ephesians 2:5 NKJV

5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

And these scriptures are not referring to a physical death. It’s a separation from fellowship with the Lord - spiritual death.

Now… I am quite sure that everyone here is physically alive (unless I am boring you to death this morning). But I would like to know is… are you spiritually alive???

If spiritual death is being separated from fellowship with God, then being close to God is being spiritually alive.

There is much being made of physical vitality - more today than ever before. And there is merit to that. We ought to take care of this body (that the Bible calls the temple of the Holy Ghost). But what about spiritual vitality?

Let me put it this way...

Those who push for physical vitality make it a way of life. And we have a spiritual walk.

If you want physical vitality, you set time aside for your exercise… spiritually, we have to set and keep time in the Word and prayer, daily.

If you are going to have physical vitality, you have to keep a good diet. And spiritually, we better be serious about what we’re taking into our spirit.

People concerned with physical vitality often seek out physical trainers. I’ll put it to you straight… you don’t need a life-coach; you need a pastor.

Jeremiah 3:15 NKJV

15 And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.

Hebrews 13:17 NLT

17 Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.

I’m talking about spiritual vitality! Being spiritually ALIVE!

You know, there are outwards signs to a person who is spiritually alive. I can walk into a church and see very evidently who is spiritually alive. Because it’s a fire within them - and it shows!

\You need to find a spiritual fire to keep within you!!!

Physical Death

This Garden of Eden, it had many trees. But only two had special significance.

The Tree of Life was there to provide an opportunity for Adam and Eve to live forever. And the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil gave them an opportunity to exercise that freedom of choice.

Having that option was necessary to make their relationship with God meaningful. God loved them, and He wanted them to love Him in return. But love is only meaningful when it is a choice.

After their sin, Adam and Eve were exiled from Eden, away from the Tree of Life. That tree had been there to preserve them from physical death.

So, there are now two deaths: spiritual and physical.

The Wages of Sin is Death

There has always been a connection between sin and death.

Romans 6:23 NKJV

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

In Romans 5, Paul explained that there was a negative impact that Adam’s sin had for everyone:

Romans 5:12 KJV 1900

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

And so the consequence of sin on humanity was universal death.

Dead in Trespasses and Sins

All Have Sinned

Scripture teaches that all people - everyone - are sinners that are in need of a Savior.

Paul wrote:

Romans 3:23 NKJV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

All have sinned (past tense) and fall short (present tense) of the glory of God. It’s important to see that, grammatically, not only has every person sinned in the past, but all continually fall short of God’s glory. That is why the blood of Jesus continually cleanses us from sin as we walk with God.

1 John 1:7 NKJV

7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

We All Need a Savior

So, if sin is universal, that means that we’re all sinners. And we all need a Savior.

Galatians 3:22 NKJV

22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

Even before Jesus’ birth, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. The angel told him the name that should be given to Mary’s son and the reason for that name:

Matthew 1:21 KJV 1900

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Literally, the name Jesus means “Yahweh-Savior” (or Jehovah-Savior). And He truly is a Savior to anyone who comes to Him in faith!

Jesus Came to Offer Himself As a Sacrifice for Our Sins

The First Man Adam and the Last Adam

1 Corinthians 15:45 NKJV

45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

The key phrase here is “the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.” Just like Adam, Jesus was a living soul. But He was much more than that: He was a quickening spirit (life-giving spirit).

The Free Gift from God

But let’s look at the rest of that scripture about the wages of sin...

Romans 6:23 NKJV

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

There’s a wage. And then there’s a gift.

We earn wages by the work we do. But we do not earn gifts.

Peter called the Holy Ghost a gift...

Acts 2:38 KJV 1900

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

There are things that are taught and there are things that are caught. I can teach to you the oneness of God. But I can’t teach to you the Holy Ghost. It is a gift that must be received.

There’s was a young man some time ago who was talking about attending a so-called “School of Healing”. The only problem is… it can’t be taught.

I noticed recently that there was a charismatic charlatan prophet who was putting on a “School of the Prophets”. The prophetic is a gifting.

We’ve got to understand that there are things to be taught, and there are things that are gifted. I also believe that there are some things that are “caught” due to being around others that have that anointing.

Elisha could be found around Elijah.

Jack Cunningham could be found around Billy Cole.

Joe Campatella could be found around Lee Stoneking.

And while all of these people have unique giftings that only God can give, they were taught many things by their godly leadership. And then there were things that they “caught” by simply being around them.

SO… therefore, there are three important things you need to do:

Seek out and understand your God-given giftings.

Have a teachable heart and take in the teaching you receive from spiritual leadership.

Place yourself around those who are of spiritual authority, that you may catch more.

Things gifted, taught, and caught.

I Will Trust That the Sacrifice Jesus Made for Me Is Sufficient for My Sins

Paul gave us probably the most simply put definition of the gospel:

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 NKJV

3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

And to receive that “good news” and all its benefits, it’s essential to believe in Jesus...

John 3:16 NKJV

16 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.

But here’s what’s important: genuine belief results in obedience. If we believe in God, our belief should drive us to obey His Word. It’s a response of faith!

To those who asked on the Day of Pentecost, “What shall we do?” Peter answered, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:37-38).

Conclusion

Internalizing the Message

A bit more from Bill Drost The Pentecost...

After his dream of the people he had seen at the Bible meeting rising to meet Jesus, Bill Drost ran downstairs to tell his mother. “Mum, I want to talk to you! Do you believe Jesus Christ is going to come in the clouds from Heaven?”

“My dear son,” she replied, “the coming of the Lord is only when death comes and takes us—that is what His coming is.” When he told her about the dream, Bill’s mother said with tears, “Poor Willie, you’ve been deceived. This is just the devil. Try to forget about it.” She warned him again not to talk to the “Holy Roller” people.

But the next Sunday, Bill rode his bicycle seventeen miles to the meeting. When the preacher concluded his message, Bill knew he needed to come to Jesus. He went to the altar and prayed, “Lord, Lord, if You save me, I don’t care what happens. I want to be ready for Your coming, and whatever You want me to do, I will do it, Lord.”

A lady placed her hand on Bill’s head, praying, “Lord, help this boy to believe what You have done for him on Calvary.” At that moment, something gripped him—an inner realization of the things the woman had said. His faith reached out and took the words, pulling them into his experience, clinging to them, savoring the reality of them. He felt a lightening, a freedom, a liberation from the heaviness, confusion, and conviction that had been pressing on him.

On New Year’s Eve as Bill prayed, he heard a voice saying, “Go to the meeting tonight.” When he shared his intention with his mother, she responded, “Over my dead body!” Nevertheless, Bill walked through the snow to the service. The preacher’s text was Luke 24:49, “Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” The preacher asked, “Who wants the promise of the Father?” Bill went forward. He began to speak words he had never known.

It was 4:00 am before Bill realized how much time had passed as he was caught away in the Spirit. When he returned home, his mother asked, “Where have you been till this hour of the morning?”

Beginning to sense the Spirit welling up within him, he answered, “Mum, I was at the meeting.”

“And what went on there that would bring a boy of your age home at an hour like this?” his mother asked.

Bill responded, “Mum, it was wonderful!”

“What was wonderful?” she asked.

As Bill lifted his hands to Heaven, he began to speak with tongues again. His mother, with wide eyes and opened mouth, stared at him, bewildered.

Later, however, she chided and insulted him, rehearsing the faults of Pentecostal people. Never again, though, did she try to stand in his way, even when he was baptized in the river at Newcastle Bridge.

You’ve got your own story today. The story of how you were once lost and dead in sin, but God took a person who was spiritually dead, and made them alive! He looked at you, like He looked at Lazarus, and said, “COME FORTH!”

And he still speaks to us today, “COME FORTH! BECOME SPIRITUALLY ALIVE!”