Scripture: Romans 6:8-11 (p. 1116)

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Title: Celebrating Life.

This passage tells us that the significance of Jesus resurrection for us is that we can be alive to God. What does it mean to be alive to God? When we are alive to God. . .

1. We are responsive to him

2. We cry out for spiritual food

3. We grow to be like him

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Two babies

I'd like to introduce you to Melissa Caroline Holmes. She quite new to life -- you can see that from her wide eyes [and she's not sure she wants to be here.] Isn't she a doll?

I also have this other baby I'd like you to meet. This one is very much like Melissa. Has eyes, hands, fingers, toes, ears. Both Melissa and this baby smile. In fact, this baby smiles all the time. You have to really work to get Melissa to smile like that. I know, I've tried.

Come to think of it. This baby is really much more convenient than Melissa. She never complains. I can do anything I want with her and she just keeps on smiling -- see! Doens't take up much space. I could leave her up in the attic for months, and no harm would come to her. She won't keep anyone awake at night. Never needs changing. She's alot cheaper.

Now, given all of these advantages, why did Rob and Lori opt for this other troublesome kind of Baby? It would have been so much less trouble -- no drag on their careers, no lost sleep, no expensive tuition.

What's the difference?

Two words will do: Dead ---- Alive; very alive, in fact, especially at 2 a.m.

What parent would exchange a dead doll for a living, breathing, smiling, crying, giggling, RESPONSIVE baby. [Notice I emphasize the word responsive -- keep it in your minds - its important.]

Now let's draw a spiritual analogy:

I'd like you to think about the innermost part of yourself -- the very core of who you are -- the part that makes you you. In your natural state, the way you were born, that innermost part of you was like this doll. It was dead. Imagine this dead, lifeless, smiling doll somehow inside you, representing your inner being. On the outside you may resemble a living person, just like this doll resembles Melissa, but on the inside you are lifeless -- you are dead.

And it is no fun being dead. The boring thing about being dead is that you are completely UNRESPONSIVE -- like this doll. [Knock on head. Hello!] And if the innermost part of us is dead, then that's how we are in relation to God. We're completely unresponsive to him. We don't hear his voice. We don't cry out to him. We don't respond to his smile. We don't thank him for his gifts.


Now what does any of this have to do with Easter?

Well imagine this: You live in a country full of people who have all contracted a terrible and fatal disease. There is no cure. Everyone who has this disease will certainly die. It may be sooner, it may be later, but the mortality rate is 100 percent.

Now imagine that a doctor enters your country who is free from the disease. Not only that, he possesses the antidote -- the one thing that will save your life. All you have to do is go to him and ask and you can live.

What is the proof that he has the cure? The only way he can prove it is by contracting the disease himself and showing that he can overcome it.

The country is our own world. The disease is death. The mortality rate is 100%. The person with the antidote is Jesus. And what is the proof that he has the cure? The proof is that death could not keep him. The proof is in his resurrection.

Here for the first time was a human being who was born fully alive in every way -- alive to his innermost core -- so alive that death had no power over him. And he was so full of life -- so bubbling over with life -- that anyone who asks him can have it.
John 7:38 He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, 'Out of his heart shall flow rivers of
living water
.'"

So the real meaning of Easter is not just one man two thousand years ago who rose from the dead -- Easter is about the life that he had within him overflowing to millions and millions of people. Easter is about people becoming alive to God in their innermost being so although their bodies die, they will go right on living because the most important part of them will never die.

When you are connected with Jesus, the dead doll part of you gets thrown out and replaced with a living, breathing spiritual person. You used to be dead and unresponsive to God and to spiritual things; now you are a living child of God.

So what's the difference? What is it like to be alive to God?

Think again of what makes Melissa different from a doll. There are alot of things, of course, I'll just mention 3:

  1. Melissa is responsive -- especially to her parents. She knows them, she responds to their voices. She smiles at them. She gets upset when she is taken away from them.

In the same way, when you are spiritually alive, you respond to the voice of your heavenly father.

You may not understand what he is saying very well -- but you want to hear him. You want to be close to him. Your heart aches when you feel far from him.

That's why people who are spiritually alive long to spend time praying. They desire to be in God's presence -- to feel his smile, to hear his voice, to be reminded of his love and care.

Another thing about Melissa that shows quite clear she's alive -- she gets hungry. And when she needs nourishment her body lets her know and she lets everyone else know.

In the same way, if you are spiritually alive, you'll start to become spiritually hungry -- you'll know that you need nourishment. You'll cry out for spiritual food.

Where do Christians go for spiritual nourishment? Two places primarily: The Bible, and other Christians.

Now imagine what would happen to Melissa if she was cut off from her source of nourishment. It's a horrible thought. The same thing happens to us if we cut ourselves off from spiritual nourishment.

Finally, Melissa shows that she is alive by growing. The doll will be the same 9 years from now -- just rattier. Melissa will be out playing softball, buying clothes, getting irritated at boys. Her life will have changed completely.
In the same way, when you are spiritually alive, the spiritual part of you grows. It gradually takes over more and more of your life. So that eventually there is no part of you that is not affected.

And just as Melissa will grow up to be like her parents, who gave her physical life -- in the same way Christians grow up to be like Jesus, who made us spiritually alive.

But growth is not an easy process. As you grow as a Christian you are bound to find more and more ways that your life needs to change -- more and more ways that you must change in your attitudes, habits, lifestyle

[need some sort of analogy here]




I'd encourage you to do a check of your vital signs this Easter.
Are you alive to God -- or are you dead and unresponsive? Are you like Melissa, or like this lifeless doll. I pray this easter that you will each experience the vibrant life of a child of God
-- responsive to him, longing for his presence
-- hungry, crying out for spiritual nourishment from the Bible and from fellowship
-- growing and becoming each day more like Jesus.