“And Are We Yet Alive?
Colossians 2:6-14
Memorial Day Sunday, May 25, 2003
Purpose: To reawaken the “alive” in each believer and to tempt those who do not believe with the “aliveness” of Christ. (Based on Charles Wesley’s hymn “And Are We Yet Alive.”)
Introduction – (asking the congregation) What does it mean to be alive??? What does it mean to not be alive???
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There’s a Yiddish story that goes something like this…
A scholar was traveling on his way to give an important lecture when the rain began to fall in torrents. When the rain stopped, the river quickly rose above the bridge and the scholar was unable to cross.
He hired a carpenter who owned a rowboat to take him to the other side. As the carpenter prepared the boat the scholar asked, “Living this far from civilization, do you have access to a quality newspaper?”
“I seldom read a newspaper at all,” replied the carpenter, “What news I get comes from the radio and TV.”
“My dear man,” the scholar replied, “anyone who doesn’t read a daily newspaper is missing out on life.”
As they boarded the boat, the scholar asked yet another question, “Well, you must have a library near by where you can check out good books, don’t you?”
The carpenter took the oars into his massive hands and began to row, “I haven’t read a book in years,” he replied.
“My dear man,” the scholar retorted, “anyone who does not read is missing out on life.”
There was a long pause in the conversation as they crossed the raging water until the scholar asked one last question, “What about plays or symphonies, dramas or good music? Are you able to attend or enjoy any of these?”
“As I’ve been trying to tell you,” the carpenter said with some irritation, “I wouldn’t mind going to plays and symphonies, but they are terribly expensive, and my carpentry business keeps me busy as I try to meet the needs of others…and to be honest, even though you might not agree…I do feel very much alive.”
Just then the boat hit a stump and capsized sending both men into the raging water. The carpenter shouted to the scholar, “Sir, can you swim?”
“No!” came the fear-filled shout of the scholar.
“Well, then…” as he grabbed an oar and pushed it in front of the scholar, “here, have my creation and learn how to truly live.” And with that, the carpenter pulled the scholar back to safety.
(taken from “Stories for The Gathering” by William White)
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Webster says that to be alive is to “have a life, to be sensitive to, to be aware of , in existence of
operation, to be active and living.”
On the other hand, with no surprise, Webster says to be dead is to “have no life, lacking feeling and sensitivity, numb or unresponsive.” It’s interesting to note that the definition for “dead” is three times as long as the definition for “to be alive.”
While many people will tell us how we should “be alive”, it takes three times as many words to explain what we mean by death.
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You may have heard this other story…
Two men were fighting side-by-side in the worst war ever to be fought. They found themselves on the losing side of the battle. And, as the enemy quickly surrounded them negating any hope of retreat or surrender, one of the men looked at the other and asked, “Will this be it? Is this how it will end?”
The other man, being a person of faith, quickly tried to reassure the other, telling him that Christ offered an option that he may not have thought about, and that if he would only accept, that option would be his.
But the first man responded, “I don’t know about you, this Christ, or acceptance, but I do know this, facing death, I’ll take any option.” As one theologian put it, “we never truly understand our lives, until we come to face to face with our inevitable deaths.”
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This Memorial Day weekend, we will celebrate both being alive and the dead. While many people see this simply a three-day weekend, we must never forget that for those who have lost someone because of war or military action, it means much more than time off.
We are alive today. Because people have died for this country, we have the right to preach God’s word freely. We have the right to live at peace in our own homes. We have the right to pursue peace, prosperity, and happiness in our communities. We have to right to assemble and to thank God for those who died to make us free.
As we prepare to enter into a day to remember those who died for liberty, it is also fitting to remember the One who died to set us free from spiritual tyranny. Jesus fought the armies of Hell that we might have liberty in his holy name.
We celebrate Memorial day once a year to remember those who died for freedom, but every week in some way. Every Sunday can be a memorial day as we come to celebrate our life in Christ.
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Isn’t that the message of Paul to the Colossians?
“Be rooted and built up” says Paul. “Be strengthened in the faith” says Paul. “Overflow with kindness” says Paul. BE ALIVE says Paul!
“When you were dead in your sins and in your sinful nature, God make you alive with Christ.” (v.2:14)
And the question I most want to speak with you this morning is a simple one, one that I invite you to respond to as printed in your bulletins…the question? - ”Are We Yet Alive?” And the response, “We Are Alive”
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Thisw may sound overly simplistic, but it’s a message that is reoccurring throughout Scripture…
Ephesians 2:4 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love which he loves us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.”
Romans 6:8 says, “Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.”
Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not, I, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Are we yet alive…..the answer is…”we are alive.”
When our plans fall apart and we’re left with hopeless situations…are we yet alive…we are alive.
When it rains when it’s supposed to be dry, and its dry when it’s supposed to rain…are we yet
alive….we are alive.
When we’re facing with challenges beyond our imagination ….are we yet alive…we are alive.
When we disappoint, discourage, and disobey, and we search for God’s forgiveness…are we yet
alive…we are alive.
When the economy falters and our investments begin to fall…are we yet alive…we are alive.
When we’ve lost loved ones, feeling the pain of grief…are we yet alive…we are alive.
When the checkbook balance does not equal the bill balance…are we yet alive…we are live.
When they break into our church and steal our microphone system…are we yet alive….we are alive.
(get disappointment suggestions from the congregation…are we yet alive…we are alive.)
Ray Stedman, pastor of Peninsula Bible Church in CA puts it like this…
During each crisis, each opportunity, we need to remind ourselves that we are in the battle…a battle that is more than possible to win…
We are alive in Christ. We may not be what we ought to be, but thank God, we were not the same people we once were. We are alive in Christ! We are raised with Him. We have a new power at our disposal…the power of His life within us!
Therefore we can rest. We can step out and say and do the right thing, and expect him to accomplish the results. We can relax. We don’t have to strain. We can leave the problem of solving the difficult situations in his hands, and we will wait for the ultimate and certain result! (©1995, Discovery Publishing, “Alive to Live” www.pbc.org)
We are alive because of our new birth in Christ.
We are alive because of our new life in Christ.
We are alive because we have a friend in Christ.
We are alive because we a new home, a new family in Christ.
This is the way God works.
“Even in the midst of our sinful natures, God made us alive with Christ. he forgave us all our sin, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us, and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.”
Are we yet alive? We are alive. And because of that, the church says….AMEN!
Will you join me in prayer….
Our Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for our life as well as those who gave their lives for us. We also give you thanks that in You we are spiritually alive.. We pray that you will enable us to grasp our aliveness, to understand it, and to begin to use it in new ways as we continue to be alive in you, for you, and about you. We know that by your grace, we are no longer dead in our sin, but we are a living people for you.
In the name of Christ we pray….Amen
# 553 - And Are We Yet Alive
Closing Benediction…
Hear these words from St. Paul to the Colossians…
Since, then, you have been raise with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God…And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him…. Amen.
Note: If for any reason you did not find this sermon helpful, please let me know by contacting me at gb@clergy.net. Your input will help me personally and my congregation as I learn professionally.
