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In Christ Or In Adam
1 Cor 15:18-24
In the KJV the phrase "In Christ appears 77 times. In the
NASB
The phrase appears 90 times. So for the sake of discussion we can
readily say the phrase, "In Christ," appears more than 75
times in the Bible. I want to call attention to this phrase, and the
distinctions it brings to the
believer. I believe Jesus makes a very significant difference. Lee
Strobel calls attention to the
follow uniqueness of Christ.
Other religious leaders say, "Follow me and I'll show you
how
to become enlightened," but
Jesus says, "I am the light of the world."
Other religious leaders say, "Follow me and I'll show you
many
doors that lead to God," but
Jesus says, "I am the door," "So follow Me."
Do you see the difference? For a long time people have
tried to
harmonize the various religions
of the world, but there are drastic and irreconcilable differences
between Christianity and other
belief systems.
Illustration
Application
In Adam death is a part of life and in Adam we all die a
physical death. In Christ we do not have
to die a spiritual death.
A. In Christ All Are Given Eternal Life. Rom 6:23
Stuart got saved in a Billy Graham Crusade. He had a local
television program sponsored by a
beer company. He asked out of his contract and they refused. So he just
told the audience "I go
saved and quit drinking this stuff, and I would not recommend it to
anyone. The beer company
released him from his contract.
About six months after he got saved he ran into John Wayne. He said "Stuart you cost me some money I bet you wouldn't last six months". Stuart said "it is no secret what God can do". John Wayne said that sounds like a good song title and Stuart went home that night set down at the piano and the grandfather's clock sounded and Stuart wrote the song that starts with the words The chimes of time ring out the news another day is through, someone slipped and fell was that someone you? The chorus repeats "It is no secret what God can do."
Application
You see his life was changed by the power of God.
Are you in Adam or in Christ?
Illustration Joel Smith Sermon Central
Anne Rice is a famous writer and novelist. Her books have
sold 50
million copies, all over the
world. Most of her books deal with the occult and with
vampires. She's the author of "Interview
with a Vampire,"and "Queen of the Damned." And some of her books have
been turned into
movies.
In this magazine article, however, it told the story of
her
life, how her mother died when she was
still very young, and how she grew up afraid of the dark. Then she got
married and gave birth to a
baby girl and named her Michelle. But when the child was just a few
years old she died of
leukemia. Anne Rice began drinking heavily, and she sank into
depression. And she began
writing about vampires, because vampires are able to live forever - the
possess the secret of
eternal life.
Her novels brought her wealth and fame, and Anne Rice
bought a
big mansion in New Orleans ,
and entertained by holding big parties. But then, a strange thing
happened. Ann Rice began
reading the Bible and Christian books. And even though she
hadn't been to church since she
was a little girl, she felt a strange longing to take communion. And
finally, in 1998, she became a
believer in Jesus Christ. This is how Ann Rice describes it in her own
words, she says: "The
Lord came looking for me. Everywhere I turned, I found images
of the Lord and his love."
And then, three years ago, Ann Rice was sitting in church.
And
she decided, that she would no
longer write about vampires. Describing that moment, she says: "I was
in church, talking to the
Lord, saying, "I want everything I do to be for you. Then It hit me: It
will be for you. All of
it. Every Word ."
So in her latest novel , Anne Rice wrote a book
about
the life of Jesus called " Christ the
Lord " and that book was published in December. When that book
came out, it rocked the
publishing world. It was hard to believe that Anne Rice, the queen of
the vampires, had become a
believer in Jesus Christ. But you see, that should not surprise us.
Because Jesus is always born in the manger , born into
hearts
that are dark, cold and dirty.
Application
In Christ The Believer Receives
Newness Of Life.
A famous chess player came through one day. He looked at
the
painting. He felt sorry for the boy
and he hated the looks of the Devil. He began to study the board where
the men were placed, and
all of a sudden he shouted: "Son, I have found a move, one move . . .
if you will make that move
you can lick the Devil." He forgot himself, he forgot it was a
painting-he was so engrossed in it.
We see all the men of chess in the game of life there, and
in
some of our lives it seems the Devil
has almost got us. We look at the whole world picture ... it seems dark
at times with its little
bright intervals, but by and large the basic issues have not changed,
in spite of the recent smiles
on both sides of the Iron Curtain. We see the shadow of the hydrogen
bomb and all the vast and
terrible weapons being created behind scientific laboratories, and, as
we look into the future of
the next two or three generations, it seems that we are almost ready to
say "Check Mate."
But I believe there is One looking down from above who
looks
upon the board and says to you
and me: There is a move, there is one move that you can make, and you
can win! That move is
toward Jesus Christ. You can make that move today in your own souls
Application
Do You Feel Powerless?
Do You Feel Useless?
Do You Feel Condemned?
In Christ Believers Are Not Condemned.