I really do see dead people and they are everywhere. At the gas station, at church, at the skatepark, in the mall, on the chairlift, in my neighborhood; they are everywhere. I know that most people don’t see dead people. But hey! Dead people can’t see or hear or feel. That’s the thing about dead people; they don’t know they are dead! In fact they are completely incapable of doing anything. They’re DEAD! The thought is morbid and a bit spooky, but it is true. Jesus saw dead people too. Dead people walking around in coffins, lined up to burn in hell forever. Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.” Ephesians 2 says, “You were dead in your transgressions and sins.” Truth be told, dead people don’t need rehab or reformation. They don’t need to go to church on Sunday or cuss less. Those are valuable things, but they are impossible and unimportant for dead people. Ephesians 2 goes on to say, “Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions.” Dead people need to be resurrected! Dead people need first to be made alive! Dead people need Jesus!
Should we take part in Halloween tonight? I am not going to dress up like an evil clown or blood thirsty zombie and my wife won’t be going as a half dressed Miley Cyrus or Lady Gaga, but we won’t be hiding in our house with all the lights off either. Yes, our world is filled with evil, but Jesus prayed for us in John 17:15, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” Christ didn’t want us to hide from culture. Christ also did not pray that we would ‘weather the storm’ by creating an alternative ‘Christian’ culture. Jesus continues to pray in verse 18, “As you sent me into the world, I send them into the world.” Christ sent his disciples into the world. Into culture. Our mission is to bring the light of Jesus and the message of the gospel into the world just as Christ came into our dirty, messed up world via the incarnation. We have been called to transform culture, not to reject it and not to create our own alternative.
So tonight I am looking for dead people to come to my door. I hope to be the best candy giving house on the block because Christ called me to be a generous and joyful giver. I want to introduce dead people to Jesus because I want them to have life and only Christ can awaken the dead.
Do you see dead people? Like this, share this, be a light in our dark world and lets see how many dead people come alive through Christ.