Sometimes They Come Back

The Walking Dead Series

“Sometimes They Come Back” (1 of 4)

October 6, 2013 Chester FBC, Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker

Introduction:

A The cable channel AMC airs the most popular show among the highly sought after demographic of the 18-49 age bracket. The show is “The Walking Dead.”

1 The premise of the show is how groups of survivors make it in a post-zombie apocalypse world.

a Zombies, The undead, Walkers, Biters are a cultural phenomena that has captured the attention & imagination of audiences worldwide.

b The Undead, may be the flavor of the moment, their mythos has been around for a very long time.

aa The zombie genre was reinvented in 1968 with George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead.” (Recent deceased coming back to life.)

bb This summer’s “World War Z” based on Max Brook’s book of the same title is still dishing up tales of zombies.

2 The reason why the dead rise varies slightly in each film, story.

a Sometimes biological chemicals that got away, virus, or under a demonic curse/voodoo (The Serpent & the Rainbow)

b When they come back they are soulless, walking bags of flesh. In most of the stories the walking dead all have one purpose: to satisfy their desire to take the life of the living.

bb They only want to kill & destroy.

B These tales are the things of campfire stories and Friday Night Creature Feature Films . . . However, the dead coming back to life is mentioned several times in the pages of Scripture. (Reality)

1 When the dead do come back in the Bible, God does not bring them back as a zombie, walker, or a biter . . . he/she always has their soul/conscience with them.

a There are no fewer than 10 instances of the dead coming back to life in the Bible.

aa Elijah & the widows son.

1 Kings 17:17-24 (NASB) 17 Now it came about after these things that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his sickness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18 So she said to Elijah, "What do I have to do with you, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my iniquity to remembrance and to put my son to death!" 19 He said to her, "Give me your son." Then he took him from her bosom and carried him up to the upper room where he was living, and laid him on his own bed. 20 He called to the LORD and said, "O LORD my God, have You also brought calamity to the widow with whom I am staying, by causing her son to die?" 21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and called to the LORD and said, "O LORD my God, I pray You, let this child's life return to him." 22 The LORD heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to him and he revived. 23 Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house and gave him to his mother; and Elijah said, "See, your son is alive." 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth."

bb Elisha & the son of a prominent woman.

2 Kings 4:32-34 (NASB) 32 When Elisha came into the house, behold the lad was dead and laid on his bed. 33 So he entered and shut the door behind them both and prayed to the LORD. 34 And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth and his eyes on his eyes and his hands on his hands, and he stretched himself on him; and the flesh of the child became warm.

cc Unknown soldier’s body that was thrown into Elisha’s grave was brought back to life.

2 Kings 13:20-21 (NASB) 20 Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites would invade the land in the spring of the year. 21 As they were burying a man, behold, they saw a marauding band; and they cast the man into the grave of Elisha. And when the man touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet.

dd Jesus raised three people from the grave:

Jairus’ daughter

Luke 8:51-55 (NASB) 51 When He came to the house, He did not allow anyone to enter with Him, except Peter and John and James, and the girl's father and mother. 52 Now they were all weeping and lamenting for her; but He said, "Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep." 53 And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died. 54 He, however, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Child, arise!" 55 And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He gave orders for something to be given her to eat.