Are You Dead

ARE YOU DEAD

JOHN 11:14

INTRO:

A) DO YOU EVER NOTICE HOW PEOPLE TEND TO REACT TO DEATH

B) MOST OF THE TIME THEY WON’T EVEN USE THE WORD

C) WE SAY THINGS LIKE

1) WELL THEY PASSED AWAY

2) THEY’RE NO LONGER WITH US

3) THEY’VE GONE TO BE WITH THE LORD

D) BUT JESUS DIDN’T BEAT AROUND THE BUSH

E) HE JUST COME RIGHT OUT AND TOLD THE DICSIPLES

F) LAZARUS IS DEAD!

G) WELL YOU CAN’T BE MUCH PLAINER THAN THAT

H) YET WE STILL CRINGE AT THE THOUGHT OF IT

I) DEATH IS JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WANT TO TALK ABOUT

J) BUT FOLKS IT IS A REALITY OF LIFE

K) WE DIE AND THAT’S JUST THE SIMPLE TRUTH OF THE MATTER

L) BUT WHAT IS DEATH:

1) DYING

2) THE END OF LIFE

3) EXTINTION

M) BUT THERE HAS TO BE MORE TO IT THAN THAT

N) DEATH IS THE LAST ENEMY

O) BUT I GUESS THE GENERAL CENSUS WOULD BE

P) I KNOW ITS COMEING BUT JUST NOT RIGHT YET

BUT FOLKS HOW YOU DIE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU EVER DO!

A) THE WORDS, DEATH, DEAD OR DYING ARE MENTION 1373 TIMES IN THE BIBLE

B) I KNOW BECAUSE I COUNTED THEM

C) JESUS SIMPLY SAID “THAT LAZARUS WAS DEAD”

D) AND I NEED TO ASK THE QUESTION TODAY:

E) ARE YOU DEAD?

A) NOW I KNOW THAT YOU AIN’T PHYSICALLY DEAD

B) BUT ARE YOU WALKING AROUND IN THIS WORLD SPIRITUALLY DEAD?

C) THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS WE CAN DO TO FIND OUT IF YOU ARE DEAD

YET THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN FIND OUT IF YOU ARE TRULY DEAD OR NOT IS TO FIRST FIND OUT IF YOU ARE ALIVE

SO WHAT MAKES US NOT DEAD:

I. DEAD MEN DON’T HAVE AN APPETITE:

A) WHEN A MAN IS DEAD FOOD NO LONGER MEANS ANYTHING TO HIM

B) YOU CAN HAVE FILET MIGNON WRAPPED IN BACON, STUFFED MUSHROOM CAPS, BAKED POTATOES, SOUR CREAM AND CHIVES AND FRESH STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM

C) AND YOU WON’T CARE.

D) DEAD MEN DON’T HAVE BIG MAC ATTACKS.

E) THEY DON’T CRAVE FOR FOOD.

F) PIZZA, ICE CREAM, BURGERS, FRIES, NOT EVEN CHINESE FOOD INTERESTS THE DEAD MAN.

G) YET SOMEONE WHO IS ALIVE

H) GETS HUNGERY ON A REGULAR BASIS

I) SOME OF US MORE THAN OTHERS

YET THE SYMPTOMS OF BEING SPIRITUALLY DEAD IS A LACK OF APPETITE

A) NOW LACK OF APPETITE FOR GOD DOES NOT MEAN A LACK OF APPETITE FOR CHURCH

B) THE PROBLEM IS MANY PEOPLE GET GOD AND CHURCH CONFUSED

C) YOU CAN HAVE AN APPETITE FOR CHURCH AND NOT FOR GOD

D) YOUR CHURCH APPETITE MAY BE BECAUSE YOU LIKE THE MUSIC,

E) OR PERHAPS THE PREACHING,

F) OR BECAUSE IT IS A SOCIAL OCCASION,

G) MAYBE IT ADDS TO YOUR PRESTIGE.

H) THERE CAN BE MANY REASONS WHY YOU LIKE CHURCH AND GOD MAY NOT COME INTO THE PICTURE AT ALL.

I) NO HUNGER FOR GOD INDICATES A LACK OF SPIRITUAL APPETITE,

J) WHICH IS USUALLY INDICATIVE OF SPIRITUAL DEADNESS.

ONE OF THE EASIEST WAYS TO DIAGNOSE YOUR APPETITE IS TO WATCH WHAT YOU EAT:

A) I LOVE CHICKEN

1) I CAN EAT IT EVERY DAY

2) I CAN EAT IT COLD

3) I COULD EAT IT FOR BREAKFAST

4) AND OF COURSE YOU CAN TELL THAT I LIKE CHICKEN

5) BECAUSE I BECAME A BAPTIST PREACHER

B) YOU CAN TELL ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE LIKE BY THEIR APPETITES

C) YOU CAN TELL ABOUT A PERSONS SPIRITUAL CONDITION BY WHAT THEY’RE FEEDING ON

D) WHAT ARE YOU SPIRITUALLY FEEDING ON:

1) THE WORD OF GOD

2) OR THE IDIOT BOX

3) NOW I’M NOT SAY THROUGH YOUR TV OUT THE DOOR

4) BUT IT SOMETIMES AND USUALLY TAKES OVER AND KEEPS YOU FROM TIME WITH GOD

5) WHEN YOU ARE READING THE BIBLE YOU ARE FEEDING ON THINGS OF GOD

6) AFTER ALL THE BIBLE IS CALLED THE BREAD OF LIFE

SOME PEOPLE CAN’T FIGURE OUT WHY THEY DON’T GROW

AND IT’S JUST SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY DON’T EAT THE RIGHT FOODS

YOU GOTTA HAVE AN APPETITE FOR GOD

II. DEAD MEN AREN’T ACTIVE:

A) STRANGE THING ABOUT DEAD FOLKS IS THAT THEY DON’T DO MUCH

B) NO MATTER WHAT LIFE WAS LIFE BEFORE WHEN YOU DIE YOU JUST DON’T DO ANYTHING

C) THE SAME IS TRUE ABOUT BEING SPIRITUALLY DEAD

1) SOMEONE ELSE WILL LEAD THE YOUTH

2) SOMEONE ELSE CAN MOW THE LAWN

3) SOMEONE ELSE CAN TEACH A CLASS

D) FOLKS I DON’T WANT TO POP YOUR BALOON AND BUST UP YOUR LITTLE PARTY

E) BUT GOD’S PEOPLE ARE ACTIVE PEOPLE

F) GOD’S PEOPLE ARE BUSY PEOPLE

G) BUSY ABOUT THE LORD’S WORK

H) THE FUNNY THING IS:

1) WE FIND TIME FOR WORK AT HOME