TITLE: Visualize Your Resurrection 04-28-2014
Read Romans 6:1-11 in in its entirety as the service begins
TEXT: 1 Corinthians 11:1 1Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.
Romans 6:1-11 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
I. DR. EVIL AND MINI-ME
A. Here’s a blast –from-the-past. Now I know none of you actually saw this movie cuz Mom said it was way too trashy.
1. It was a James Bond spoof called Austin Powers, yeah, there were a couple of them. But in the movie, since none of us saw, there was a villain called Dr. Evil.
2. Dr. Evil’s chief concern in life was he had no one suitable to pass his evil empire on to since his son, also named “Scott”, was raised in a dysfunctional home, was struggling with emotional issues which left him unable to cope with the stress of being the boss over all things evil.
3. So Dr. Evil, though terribly, emotionally broken over the whole ordeal because of his heartfelt love for his son, was forced to clone himself so he could begin to train his replacement.
4. the fly in the ointment was, it seemed the science of cloning back in the day was not as perfected as it is now and certain aspects of this project failed. The product of this cloning was not the master-mind over all things evil as the bad Dr. had envisioned. No, no! The product was an impish little person who was a great bit more obnoxious than evil.
5. But Dr. Evil still had hope that this obnoxiousness would one day turn into a great evilness which would threaten the entire world. Of course you do not know the name of this little person is “Mini-Me” since you did not see the movie
II. BE IMITATORS
A. All of this came to me as I was brushing my teeth one morning.
1. I’m a little embarrassed to tell you God gives me visions. I’m embarrassed because when I say it sounds like I’m trying to present myself as some sort of hyper spiritual person, or that my Christian experience is something a little higher than you could ever hope to enjoy. Anyone who knows me thinks such sentiments are laughable. But visions are what they are. Many times the visions God gives me have a good dose of humor.
2. As I was brushing, God was speaking and He was showing me some mental images you wouldn’t ordinarily put together with the voice of God.
3. He was showing me this image of Mini-Me and speaking these words of the Apostle Paul to me at the same time. 1 Corinthians 11: 1 Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.
4. I’ve been accused of having a warped mind. But then again, others have told me secretly, “I’ve thought the very same thing, I was just too smart to admit I thought it.”
5. So here it goes: I started thinking, I am supposed to imitate Paul (that’s a stretch) who is an imitator of Christ (that’s seems like less of a stretch). Therefore, I am to be an imitator of Christ (in a lot of areas of my life, that’s down right laughable).
6. Then I remembered all I’ve heard about “Self-Love” lately. I ought to be fair to myself. So I say back to the Holy Spirit, “You know, there are a lot of areas of my life where I have indeed become like Christ. But then I chuckled again spitting toothpaste on the mirror. I’m like Christ sort of like Mini-Me was an exact replica of Dr. Evil.” (During this, it might be cool to have a picture of Jesus, then flip to a picture of me with my pinky to the side of my mouth, photo-shopped bald).
7. “...You’re a lot like Jesus alright: Not as powerful, just a smaller, much more obnoxious version of Him.” If you can imagine. But you don’t have to imagine, Because you have me. And truth be told, obnoxiousness is not my only problem.
8. Now at this point, I need to ask, is there anyone who might say, “Yeah, that’s twisted. But that’s me to a T. But I’m way too smart to admit it.”
B. So what is the solution to this problem? I asked the Holy Spirit as I continued to brush my teeth. Remembering we are still celebrating the season of Resurrection, the Holy Spirit started bringing to me other things Paul has written Romans 6:4-8 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. 5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him.
1. Mini-Me needs to participate with Jesus in His death, so that Scott can experience a resurrection. For just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now Scott may live a new life. Since I have been united with him in his death, I will also be raised to life as he was.
2. The battery on my toothbrush is still holding out so I start singing. Do you ever sing with tooth paste in your mouth –and a toothbrush? “Wow Scott that is really stupid. Yes I do that too, I’m just way too smart to admit it to anyone.”
3. “Up from the grave Scott arose with a mighty triumph or his foes. He arose the victory ore a dark domain, he will live forever with the saints to reign. Scott arose! Scott arose! Hallelujah! Scott arose!”
4. Whoa, Whoa, Whoa! Hold on there. That sounds sacrilegious! I thought to myself. If it isn’t sacrilegious it is at least irreverent, something I’d never do...though accused of ...falsely.
5. But I’m feeling like this is a Holy Spirit driven teeth-brushing experience. I’m feeling like He’s trying to show me something personally as well as something from which you can benefit.
--Because maybe we have already established we all think and maybe even say and do the same sick, stupide, fearful, twisted, self-medicating, I’m sorry –sinful stuff, it’s just that most people are just too smart to admit it.
TS. Just for fun, let’s look at this hymn. I looked up the lyrics 1st
III. THE GRAVE –Up From The Grave He Arose...
A. Low in the grave Scott lay, and I can see myself reaching up calling for the help of: Jesus my Savior, Waiting the coming day Waiting for: Jesus my Lord! What is this grave? My grave is not equal to Jesus tomb.
1. This grave is all my failures --All the things keeping me down. The things I did in Jesus name, but somehow managed to do apart from Him, remembering from the junk-heap of catastrophe His words, John 15:5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.
--What a downer. I know this one way, way too well.
2. I may not know where I missed the turn, or at this point how to do better. But when I demonstrate I can do nothing,But since what I have is failure –no fruit, it must be apart from Him.
--Man, I hope this is helping somebody.
3. This grave is the sins of the flesh, bad decisions, the rotten stuff which still clings to me. I’ve repented of it. I’ve tried to pray it away. I’ve read that book, joined that self-help-group, submitted to counseling surrendered in every way possible, I’ve done this. I’ve done that. –everything I know to do, but the flesh still clings to me like a cheap suit I’d be ashamed to be seen wearing in public.
4. One thing I know. One thing I’ve proven over and over...I cannot overcome the grave by myself. I cannot resurrect myself. I cannot change my spots.
5. But here’s what I can do: #1 I can continue to recognize the Bible is God’s final say on every matter and is the ultimate authority for my life. #2 I can continue on a daily basis, on a moment by moment basis when necessary surrender my will to God’s better will. #3 I can ask the Holy Spirit to fill me, walk beside me and help me overcome daily.
IV. HIS FOES
A. Up from the grave Scott arose with a mighty triumph ore his foes. He arose the victor ore the dark domain... Jesus foes are my foes because I am called by His name.
1. The dark domain is the realm of the devil and people, who sometime do his bidding here on earth. These are people who love to kick a guy when he’s down.
2. These are people who are always looking for the worst in you, gossiping about you, putting the bad word out about you whether it’s true, ½ true, ¼ true or 100% fabrication.
--Have you considered it is virtually impossible to defend yourself against accusations which are ¼ true? If you try, you will look 125% guilty.
3. And then there is the outright demonic Paul warns us about Ephesians 6:12 ...we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
3. We have foes given the assignment from down-low: “Keep him in that grave no matter what!” If they fail to do so, they know we will become the world changers we were reborn in Christ to be.
4. There are some believers who have actually made it past The Foes, out of The Grave and this has indeed been their experience.
5. Our foes know our eternal reservation in Heaven is still in tacked, but they sure want to keep us miserable and defeated –dead and in the grave while we are here.
6. Also, I have found, a resurrection of this sort must take place in the life of a believer more than once during our walk through this shadowy valley. For some reason, we have a tendency to crawl back into the grave and die again.
V. HE AROSE THE VICTOR
A. Scott arose! Scott arose! Hallelujah! Scott arose!
1. At this point in my teeth brushing vision...I’m serious, as humorous as it sounds, it’s a full blown vision now. Jesus is singing, Hallelujah! Scott arose!
2. Jesus, the One who made it all possible. Jesus, the One who went before me and took the heavy, heavy weight of my sin so I could get out of the grave. He is cheering me on.
3. He wants it so bad for me.
--He alone knows all the things of which I am capable.
--He sees my gifts and graces going to waste down in that dark hole.
--He knows how bad I want these things to be used for His glory.
--Jesus wants me out that grave.
--With tears in His eyes, Jesus is singing to me in this vision.
4. So I say to Jesus, “You know what? Today seems like a good day for a resurrection to me.”
5. What else can you say to Jesus when He is cheering you on like that?
6. And I haven’t been the same since. My situation is changing from death to life before my very eyes.
