A Dead Man Named Jesus
Acts 25:1-27
Intro: This will be a somewhat different sermon. It is more topical than most of my sermons are. In other words, the topic comes from the text, but not necessarily the main points. However, I’d like to go ahead and read the narrative account that Luke gives us in Acts 25, and then focus on v.19 as the basis for the message today.
-In v.19, Festus tells King Agrippa, “They had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. Here is the main thought of the message today:
Prop: Jesus must become more than a dead man in the way we live and present Him to others.
Interrogative: What do we mean by allowing Jesus to be more than a dead man?
TS: I’d like to look at 3 principles that will help us let Christ live in us and through us.
I. Many People View Jesus (and Christianity) as Dead or Irrelevant
-Some people have had bad experiences with a church or with Christians, or with religion. Unfortunately, that colors their perception of who Jesus is. They say, “After all, if that is what Jesus is like, then who needs Him?” Or, after seeing how some so-called Christians live, they conclude that the whole thing must be a fraud, and that only the weak-minded are taken in by it.
-There are other people who may not have had bad experiences with Christians or churches, but they just don’t see how God has anything to do with their everyday lives. This is always troubling to me, because I want people to know the Jesus I know. I don’t want them to miss out on a relationship with their Creator. I don’t want them to miss out on forgiveness or eternal life! But for many people, Jesus is just a dead man who religious people still like to talk about.
-Some people are just waiting to see a Christian whose life really demonstrates the claims of their faith. If God is a loving God, can they see that love in us? If God is patient, how are we doing in that area? If God cares, do we?
-Unfortunately, sometimes the church has placed so much emphasis on believing the proper doctrine that they have not properly examined their lives to see if it is being lived out.
-What makes something relevant? Well, something is relevant when it helps meet a need. Something is relevant when you cannot live without it. Something might be relevant if it helps me improve as an individual, as a spouse, as a parent, or in some other relationship.
-Bottom line: If the church cannot demonstrate how someone who died nearly 2000 years ago can make a profound difference in people’s lives, then we will be painting a picture of a dead man named Jesus! Now I realize that many will reject Jesus – even when He is shown to be real and relevant. Festus did. Festus was a pretty good ruler, one of the better ones, but even after encountering the relevant Christ in the life of Paul, he still viewed Jesus as a dead man, and a dead issue in his own life.
-But even though some will reject Jesus, never making room for Him, there are others who will receive Him, and experience an awesome life change! That’s the power of the good news about Jesus! Lives changed! Hope restored! Joy bestowed! A release of peace! Something to live for!
-TS: That leads us to the 2nd point.
II. Many People Have Encountered the Risen Christ
-We’ve already covered much of Paul’s life in our study of the book of Acts. Paul had a powerful encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. Up until this point, Paul had viewed Christ as a dead man named Jesus. However, when Jesus started talking to him, and Paul was blinded by the powerful light of His presence, Paul’s life was dramatically changed! He stopped persecuting the followers of Jesus, and he became one himself. Jesus became so relevant in Paul’s life that every decision he made involved hearing from the Lord and doing what He wanted. Paul devoted the rest of his life to sharing the good news about Jesus.
-Many people sitting here today have encountered the risen Christ. To you, Jesus is much more than a story. He is more than someone who died 1978 years ago. He is more to you than a dead man named Jesus, whom some claim is still alive. If you have encountered the risen Christ, then you know what I’m talking about. Your sin is gone! Your guilt is gone! You now have a reason to go on! Your fears are turning into victories. You’ve traded your despair for joy and hope. You are able to care more for others than you do for yourself. Your desires are changing. Your habits are changing. You are beginning to experience the life you’ve always wanted!
-My advice for you is this: Don’t stop! Be sure that you are encountering the risen Christ on a regular basis. One shot is not enough! Once a week is not enough! Whatever you have to do, begin to spend time with the Lord. Talk to Him. Sing to Him. Worship Him! Cry out to Him! Pour your heart out to Him. Stay connected with the risen Lord! Don’t let your relationship with Jesus become “past tense.” Keep it updated. Stay current in your love for the Lord. If you do this, you will keep on growing and will be better prepared for the work God has for you.
-TS: That leads us to the final point. Let’s talk about the work God has for us.
III. It Is the Mission of Every Believer to Show that Jesus Is Alive!
-If you’ve ever seen the show, Mission Impossible, you might remember how the mission was presented to the secret agent. It was usually a tape or some such thing that would self-destruct in so many seconds. The tape said, “Your mission, should you choose to accept it is as follows.” Then it would briefly explain the details, the tape would go up in smoke, and the agent would be off to save the world.
-Well, we have been given a mission. The interesting thing is that God gives us the freedom to choose whether or not we will accept the mission. He wants us to, but He will not force us. Our greatest mission is to know God and glorify Him. However, as we get to know Him, we begin to discover what is important to Him. People are important to God. That is why He gives us the mission to tell the good news about Jesus to everyone we can. God loves people and wants them to receive His gift of forgiveness and eternal life. Our mission is to show people that Jesus is alive and that He really is who the Bible claims He is.
-Now, what happens if we do not accept our mission? Rather than talk about all of the grave consequences, let me just say that to refuse the mission God has given us would be totally inconsistent with who we claim to be. If I say I am a Christ follower, that means I follow Christ and do what He wants me to do. And He wants me to carry out the mission He has set before me- letting people know that He is alive and real in my life.
-How do we do that? We show that Jesus is alive through a lifestyle of following after Him and doing the things He did. We live in such a way that Jesus is visible in our lives. Jesus is alive in us and can make a wonderful difference in a person’s life.
-The apostle Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). He also said, “For to me, to live is Christ.” Or “For me to live is for Christ to live in me and through me.”
-I have to be transparent with you, sometimes I don’t let Christ live in and through me the way I should. Sometimes I’m too busy letting Mark live. Sometimes I’m more concerned about Mark getting his way than Christ having His way in me. I don’t like it to be that way, but sometimes it is.
-Maybe you find yourself in the same boat sometimes. It’s hard to do what Jesus would do because we really just want to do what we want to do. Let’s try something together. Next time you start to get upset, try to take a few moments before you take matters into your own hands and ask yourself, “Is this Jesus responding, or just me?” Even before you have a chance to say something, your thoughts about another person can pave the way for your words. So stop and ask yourself, “Is this Jesus thinking these thoughts about the other person, or me?” “Is Jesus the One formulating these unkind words, or is it me?” Then just whisper a prayer and say, “Jesus, help me to show that You are alive, not me.”
-Remember, Paul said that he died daily. Did he mean physically? No. He died to himself and his own desires. If I will stay dead, it will be a lot easier to show that Jesus is alive. If my selfishness and pride and deceitful heart will stay dead, then people will be able to see that Jesus is alive in me!
Conclusion: As we close, is Jesus living in you, or is He little more than a dead man named Jesus? See, many people already view Jesus and Christianity as dead or irrelevant. But those who have experienced Jesus for themselves know that He is alive and powerful enough to change us. We need to stay connected to Him so that we will keep growing spiritually. As we do that, He will help us carry out the mission He has for us.
-What picture of Jesus does your life paint? Can people see that He is alive and well, or is He just a dead man named Jesus? I would encourage you to talk to Him today and ask Him how you can let Him live through you. If He shows you some areas that you need to deal with, please listen to Him and be willing to work on those areas. Maybe you aren’t staying very well connected and you need to make a commitment to do better. God will help us, if we will call on Him and be willing to do things His way. [Pray]
