1. CONQUERED DEATH AND THE GRAVE

1. STRATEGICALLY REVERSED                                                                               curse of death.  Remember God told Adam and Eve, “You can have any tree in the garden, but don’t touch the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  But the day you touch that, you shall surely die.”  And they did.  They ate of that tree and death invaded the Earth realm and now they began to die slowly.  When death invaded the Earth, satan got the keys to death and the grave.  He then becomes the prince of the power of this air.  He walks to and fro on this Earth seeking whom he may devour.  His whole job description is that he can now come and seek, kill and destroy.  But God says, “I have come that you might have life and that you might it more abundantly.”  So when Jesus died on the cross and He rose for the grave; he reversed the curse of death.  He took authority over death and the grave; and by conquering death and the grave, what happened in Eden was reversed.  The Apostle Paul declared it in I Corinthians 15, “death was swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is your sting.  O grave where is your victory.  The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Therefore my beloved be steadfast, unmovable; always abounding in the work of the Lord, for you labor is not in vein.”  My brothers and sisters, He loved us so much that now man has a chance at Eternal life.  Pastor, why are you talking so much about relationship?  Because I need you to understand that there is a difference between relationship and religion.  There are some people who get so caught up in religion; the form and fashion of religion.  They get so caught up in religion, that if things don’t happen on the program you get upset.  You don’t feel like you’ve had church unless the choir has worn choir robes; unless the preacher has on black.  You don’t feel like you’ve had church until certain things happen but the problem with religion and formality is that the moment somebody in church hurts you, you’re gone.  But when you have a relationship with Christ, you declare, “I’m not here for people.  You don’t have to speak to me; you don’t have to like me; you can walk over me; guess what, you’re not going to phase me!  Because I’ll let nothing separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus! 

Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives. - Alan Sachs

What do you think? 

Jesus' survival weapon of choice is Scripture. If the Bible was enough for His wilderness, shouldn't it be enough for ours? Don't miss the point here. Everything you and I need for desert survival s in the Book. We simply need to heed it.