 |
 |
 |
| Written by Pastor Leon |
Death Unto lifeScripture: Luke 24:1-8 “Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4And it happened, as they were £greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 5Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, 7saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’” Introduction: When these women came to the tomb of Jesus, they fully expected to find his dead body but instead found angels in attendance. It’s so easy to look for death and discouragement when things have not gone the way that we had planned. The angels confirmed the word that Jesus had been teaching His disciples, “He is not here, but is risen”. God’s people need to begin to expect life, not death, in every situation that Jesus Christ is involved in. 1. God means for us to pass from spiritual death unto spiritual life. John 5:24-29 “Truly, truly I tell you, the one who hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life. 25Truly, truly I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear it will live. 26For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he has granted the Son to have life in himself. 27And he has given him authority to pass judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28Don’t be amazed at this, because the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29and will come out—those who have done what is good to the resurrection of life, and those who have practiced what is evil to the resurrection of condemnation.” (ISV) 1. Hearing and believing is the catalyst that moves us from the death realm into the realm of life. 2. We must keep our spirits open to hear the voice of God for only His living Word can give us life. Luke 4:3-4 “And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” 3. The Father has given Jesus Christ the authority to pass life on to any who will follow Him. 2. Jesus Christ is calling His disciples to come into life. John 11:38-44 “Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” 40Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 41Then they took away the stone £from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 44And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.” 1. Every hindrance to our coming out of death into life is going to be removed. (Take away the stone.) 2. We have to face the stench of death if we are going to experience the freedom that Jesus Christ has for us. 3. Sometimes we have to get as dead (four days) as possible before we can hear the voice of Jesus Christ over the noise of everything else. 4. Life isn’t about just getting out of the grave, but being loosed from the things that had you bound and kept you from enjoying the life that He comes to give. John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” 3. We shall be quickened by the Spirit of the living God. Romans 8:10-11 “And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (KJV) 1. Quicken is a very important word. definition: To make alive; to vivify; to revive or resuscitate, as from death or an inanimate state; hence, to excite; to, stimulate; to incite. 2. The word quicken indicates that at one time death was present but now life has overcome death. Ephesians 2:1-6 “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,“ 1. In that death, we lived a different lifestyle than we now live. 2. By not walking in the life of God, we were living in disobedience. 3. Because of the life of God, we now dwell in heavenly places and actually sit with Christ on His throne. 3. Come to Jesus Christ to be brought out of the tomb of death into the life of God. Psalm 119:25 “My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.” (KJV) 1. The psalmist acknowledges that he has been too well acquainted with the realm of death. 2. The dust realm is the flesh realm and it is a realm of death. 3. There’s life in the word and it has power to overcome death. Psalm 119:40 “Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.” (KJV) Psalm 119:50 “This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.” (KJV) Psalm 143:11 “Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.” (KJV) 4. The Kingdom of God is filled with people who have been brought from death to life. John 5:19-21 “Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 20For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. 21For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.” 1. It’s time to break the covenant with death that we have made and move into life. 2. It’s time for everything that speaks of death to yield to the word of life. 3. The Father is speaking life, the son is speaking life, let’s accept it. |