.  Living Hope Fellowship Church....Sermons by the Pastor 

LIVING AMONG THE DEAD

by Pastor Kevin Badgley, 04/16/95

     Luke 24:1-8 tells how the women came to the sepulchre, but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  The angels asked, “Why seek ye the living among the dead?” 

     There is a risen Savior among God’s people today, for even though they are in a body of death, Jesus is alive inside!  Jesus knows what it is like to live in a “body of death”.  He knows the infirmities and the bondages that afflict mankind, and He knows the pulls and temptations of sin.  Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” 

     Paul cried out in Romans 7:24, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” 

     Paul got to the place that he said he was crucified with Christ.  When you take on Christ Jesus and His lifestyle, you are guaranteed a crucifixion.  Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” 

     By His Spirit God raised Jesus from the dead, and we have a guarantee in Romans 8:11 that says, “But 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.” 

     He will make alive this mortal body of death that gives us so much trouble, and that doesn’t want to fast and pray.  God’s Spirit makes us alive.  Jesus promised a crown of eternal life to the faithful, and Luke 10:19 says He has given us power over all the power of the enemy, so we can get the victory!

     Jesus died and was buried three days, but the grave couldn’t hold Him.  There was an anointing on Jesus, and He said in John 11:25, “. . . I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:”

     I ask the church, Why do you seek happiness in dead things?  Why do you seek happiness in the world and in tradition?  The only place you will find true pleasure, joy, and peace is in Jesus.

     The devil says, You can’t overcome.  You can’t quit sinning.  You can’t lay down every weight.  Don’t you know that isn’t possible? 

     The devil is a liar!  There is coming a day that every soul that has the Kingdom of God in him will be raptured when God calls.  They will be resurrected and leave this earth to walk on the streets of gold! 

      Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.  He told them to go to the sepulcher and take away the stone.  That stone is like an unbelieving heart.  By salvation it is taken away! 

     Ezekiel 36:26 says, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”  

     That new heart believes God, and is ready to receive things from heaven.  God gets a hold of that stony heart and rolls away unbelief!        

     Jesus was raised from the dead, and He intercedes for us to our Father in Heaven.  Is He living in your heart?  Romans 8:15 says, “. . . but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”    

     God will give you the baptism of the Holy Ghost.  He will bring you sanctification when the stone is rolled away.  He cries out to us saying, Come on out from among the dead!  Get out of that sepulchre and walk and talk with me! 

     There will be persecution.  The Pharisees plotted to kill Lazarus, because he arose from the dead!  If you rise from the dead, the same spirit that hated Jesus will hate you, but some will see the change in you and ask what happened.  Let the world know that Jesus is the RESURRECTION and the LIFE! 

     When Lazarus came forth, he was all bound up in grave clothes.  When we come out of deadness, we are still worldly and bound by the things that we used to trust in, but God soon takes that away.

     In John 11:44 Jesus said, “Loose him, and let him go.”  Lazarus wasn’t bound of the devil.  He was bound with grave clothes! 

     Christians aren’t bound of the devil, but they are unsanctified.  First, the stone is rolled away, and then you are called forth.  Then you need to be loosed from everything that has you tied to this world that makes you smell like a dead man!

     God has a hold of you.  He’s pulling you out of that grave, and you are free!  Don’t worry about what you look like and sound like.  Jesus became of no reputation for you and me.  Throw away your pride, and let God have your whole life and being. 

     For you to pray with conviction in your soul is a supernatural act of God.  To talk to God in heaven and for Him to answer prayer is supernatural.  To speak in tongues at will in the power of the Holy Ghost is a supernatural act of God, and He will sanctify your life.

     God wants us to get the grave clothes off and live for Jesus.  The resurrection power of God needs to touch every soul, but the most important thing YOU can do is stay in touch with God!

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