Zombie Christian - Clover Sitesstorage.cloversites.com/cornersotnechurch/documents... · VIDEO GAMES -- you name it, that all have ZOMBIE THEMES to them. Even the CDC , the Center

Zombie Christian - Are You Infected?

Hal Gaudet 2011 Cover art copyright 2009 by Ivan Bliznetsov at iStockphoto.com / Additional graphic designs by Hal Gaudet

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Zombie Christian Are You Infected?

Study 1 - Have I Become a "Christian Zombie"?

INTRO – Ok, so you're probably wondering what's up with the ZOMBIE theme, right? It's a fair question. Our modern CULTURE’S FASCINATION with ZOMBIES is at an all-time high. There are tons of MOVIES, TV shows, VIDEO GAMES -- you name it, that all have ZOMBIE THEMES to them.

Even the CDC, the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, got in on the action a few weeks ago, and had a web page informing Americans on how to be prepared for a “Zombie Apocalypse.” It was on the FOX News site.

So I figured if the CDC could use our fascination with zombies to get their point across, why couldn’t I? So let’s jump in and talk about zombies.

Oh, before we get started, have you heard this one? "Why did the zombie cross the street?" To get to his other side.

Okay, let’s get serious. Let’s talk about what we KNOW about zombies.



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Zombie Appearance - What do they look like? They look like people – humans – except they have various degrees of decay as they are indeed the walking dead.

Zombie Agility - While how fast or slow zombies move varies at times in movies, most of the time zombies are kind of lethargic, lumbering around, kind of on auto pilot.

Zombie Feelings - Zombies don’t seem to feel anything. You can shoot 'em, stab 'em, and they just keep meandering along.

Zombie Memory - Zombies don't seem to remember who they are, they just plod along mindlessly ignoring people who call them by name.

Zombie Hygiene - Have you ever noticed? They always seem to be dirty – dirty clothes, dirty nails, dirty hair, not big on cleanliness.

Zombie Intelligence - Zombies seem generally UNAWARE and UNRESPONSIVE to their surroundings – zombies are oblivious and seem to operate out of instinct.

Zombie Motivation - It seems zombies’ only motivation is to - EAT – EAT – wander around looking for more people to EAT. They are PURE CONSUMERS – and CONTRIBUTE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to society.

Zombie Contagion - And a REALLY bad thing about zombies, as if eating the living non-zombie population isn’t bad enough, zombies are actually CONTAGIOUS. Zombies are infected with whatever Zombie Virus turned them into zombies. And CONTACT with zombies by a bite or scratch spreads the virus they're infected with and start turning other people into zombies.



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Zombie Antivirus - In a lot of these zombie movies and stories, there is a TREATMENT of sorts for the Zombie Virus - an ANTIVIRUS that can be given to INFECTED people that holds the Zombie Virus at bay – so even though the person is STILL INFECTED with the Zombie Virus, the SYMPTOMS aren’t controlling them.

Ok, so those are most of the zombie characteristics in a nutshell. I did my homework - what can I say?

Transition: So far, we’ve been talking about the fictitious "walking dead", but there is a REAL - an ACTUAL “deadening virus” infecting Christians on a global scale; and it has been rapidly spreading here in the U.S.

WE HAVE A SHARED CRISIS - I'm calling this INFECTION that so many modern day Christians seem to be plagued by a “Christian Zombie Virus” because it DEADENS our effectiveness to ATTRACT outsiders to relationship with Jesus Christ and actually CONTAMINATES other Christians’ efforts as well. And this INFECTION I’m calling the “Christian Zombie Virus” is HUGELY responsible for the decline of Christianity.

I'm talking about a Christian SPIRITUAL AMNESIA, driven by EMPTY, TEMPORARY THINKING that is a result of DARKENED SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING - DISTANCING in our RELATIONSHIP with God due to HARD HEARTEDNESS that ultimately comes from our choices to live life by THIS WORLD’S standards and not Jesus Christ’s standards.



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And we will see that this virus is a self-fueling cycle that is bringing about the extinction of Christianity as a HOPE GIVING, TRANSFORMATIONAL force in the world. But I don't want you to think I'm just being dramatic and alarmist; listen to what the research tells us --- about us.

The Barna Research Group does research offering statistics and custom reporting on current cultural and spiritual trends in Christianity.

Here's what the Barna Group’s 2010 research revealed concerning the decline of Christianity in the United States - these results were published in December of 2010.

6 KEY AREAS REVEAL OUR DECLINE:

1. The Christian Church is becoming less theologically literate.

We don't know what we believe. What used to be basic, universally-known truths about Christianity are now unknown mysteries to a large and growing number of Americans--especially young adults.

For instance, Barna Group research showed that while most people regard Easter as a religious holiday, only a minority of adults associate Easter with the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

2. Christians are becoming more ingrown and less outreach-oriented.

Despite technological advances that make communications instant and far-reaching, Christians are becoming more spiritually isolated from non-Christians than was true only ten years ago.



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Examples of this tendency include the fact that less than one-third of born again Christians planned to invite anyone to join them at a church event during the Easter season.

Teenagers are less inclined to discuss Christianity with their friends than was true in the past.

As young adults have children, the likelihood of them seeking a Christian church is diminishing--especially given the absence of "faith talk" in their conversations. With atheists becoming more strategic in defending their godless worldview there is increased reluctance of Christians to engage in faith-oriented conversations.

3. Growing numbers of people are less interested in spiritual principles and more desirous of learning pragmatic solutions for life.

When asked what matters most, teenagers prioritize education, career development, friendships, and travel. Faith takes a back seat to life accomplishments and is not perceived to affect their ability to achieve their dreams.

Americans consider survival in the present to be much more significant than eternal security and spiritual possibilities.

4. Among Christians, interest in participating in community action is escalating.

Largely driven by the passion and energy of young adults, Christians are more open to, and more involved in, community service activities than has been true in the recent past.



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However, simply doing good works because it's the socially fashionable choice of the moment will not produce staying power.

(Community service without the story of Jesus associated as the motive behind the service is "social work", not "mission work".)

5. The postmodern insistence on tolerance is winning over the Christian Church. Our biblical illiteracy and lack of spiritual confidence has caused Christian Americans to avoid making discerning choices for fear of being labeled as judgmental. The result is a Church that has become tolerant of a vast array of morally and spiritually uncertain behaviors and philosophies.

6. The influence of Christianity on culture and individual lives is largely invisible. Contemporary Americans are hard pressed to identify any specific value added from Christian presence in their community.

(What would the city and municipal leaders of St. Cloud say if Cornerstone were to close up shop? What would be the effects? Would city leaders and officials get by without us, or would they be truly devastated and experience real loss from our absence?)

The report goes on - Jesus frequently spoke about the importance of the fruit that emerges from a Christian life; these days the pace of life and avalanche of competing ideas communicates the vital importance of visible spiritual fruit as a source of cultural influence. *

*See the article in full, Six Megathemes Emerge from Barna Group Research in 2010. December 13, 2010. Article

link: http://www.barna.org/culture-articles/462-six-megathemes-emerge-from-2010



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SUMMARY of the Barna Research description of Christians in the U.S.

1. Christians are less knowledgeable about our own faith - pretty much CLUELESS ABOUT CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY.

2. We're more focused on ourselves, our own interests and agendas, and less interested - DESENSITIZED - APATHETIC - CALLOUSED toward the needs of people outside the faith.

3. Christians are LESS INTERESTED IN SPIRITUAL AND ETERNAL MATTERS and more focused on our TEMPORAL WANTS and "NEEDS" here and now. We've MINIMIZED our Christianity - COMPARTMENTALIZED it MADE it into A THING WE DO ON THE SIDE.

4. Our COMMUNITY INFLUENCE looks more like SOCIAL WORK than mission work BECAUSE WE DON’T POINT PEOPLE BACK TO JESUS being the REASON we're helping our community in the first place.

5. Christians have grown so CALLOUSED and ROUTINE in our faith that we won't TAKE A STAND against things we know are harmful.

6. And lastly, our LIGHT IS SHINING SO DIMLY there is little in our society and in our individual lives that draws outsiders to become a Christian.

Now think about what the Barna Research reveals about today's Christians in America, and compare that with the description of zombies that we began with. If you combine the two descriptions we come up with a list

that describes Zombie Christians here in America.



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Zombie Christians' Appearance - We look and act very much like non-Christians - like no spiritual rebirth has taken place in us.

Zombie Christians' Agility - A large number of the Christian population are not really moving very quickly in spiritual matters - many of us are lethargic, just staring off into space.

Zombie Christians' Feelings - Many Christians these days don't feel too much of anything - many of show little care or compassion.

Zombie Christians' Memory - Modern day Christians will refer to themselves as followers of Jesus Christ - we'll show our status as "Christian" on Facebook, but many of us seem to have forgotten the identity we have in Christ. It's like we have "spiritual amnesia."

Zombie Christian Hygiene - In a spiritual sense, we're not staying very "clean" morally speaking. More and more of us are getting down into the muck and mire of this world and we're looking just as unclean and unholy as someone with no connection to the Holy God.

Zombie Christian Intelligence - Many modern day Christians have become relatively clueless regarding what we believe and why we believe it. Fewer and fewer of us can show a person the Biblical basis for what we say we believe.

Zombie Christian Motivation - Much like the zombies we talked about earlier, we've become incredible consumers and are contributing less and less to our society.

Zombie Christian Contagion - Too many of us are doing more harm than good for Christianity because we're spreading our "contaminated" type of passive faith to the other Christians we come in contact with.



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These SYMPTOMS describe a SICKNESS in the WAY many of us are living our Christianity. These SYMPTOMS of an UNHEALTHY CHRISTIAN STATE of MIND and LIFESTYLE are evidence of the presence of what I've labeled the Christian Zombie Virus. And ALL CHRISTIANS ARE SUSCEPTIBLE to it.

Christians infected with this Christian Zombie virus COMPARTMENTALIZE their Christian lives - and MINIMIZE their Christian life to something they DO ON THE SIDE. A simple description of a "Zombie Christian" is this:

ZOMBIE CHRISTIANS wander through this life experiencing LITTLE PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION, INSPIRING FEW Christians to GROW SPIRITUALLY, and ATTRACTING FEW OUTSIDERS to RELATIONSHIP with Jesus Christ.

And I’ll be the first to admit, I’m one of these Christians. Isn't this a nice, positive, inspiring talk? Aren't you glad you came to church today?

Now as dark and hopeless as all of this sounds, and we'd love to just forget about, go home, turn on the TV or the Internet or go fishing, pray for the Lord to return -- the REALITY of our CONDITION puts each of us in the uncomfortable position of being forced to RESOLVE a couple of questions this week.

And if you and I think we can simply walk out of here and attempt to ignore these two questions, well, that very action of walking out of here and doing nothing will answer the two questions for you.

Here are the TWO QUESTIONS we need to RESOLVE this week.



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Your ANSWER to the first question might be a little DISCOURAGING – but the second question offers HOPE, depending on how you RESPOND to it.

Here's the first question:

1. Am I a walking dead "Christian Zombie"? Have I become an unaware, unresponsive consumer, infecting others with this “Christian Zombie Virus”?

Now the TEACHING from the Apostle Paul we're going to look at in just a minute will help us get an ACCURATE ANSWER to whether or not we've started to turn into a Zombie Christian or not.

So that's the first question - kind of downer, I know -- but the second question has some hope attached to it depending on our response. Here's the second question:

2. If I determine that I am infected with the Christian Zombie Virus, am I willing to receive the "Antivirus"?

So the first question is:

1. Have I become a Christian Zombie?

And the second question is:

2. If I have, am I willing to receive the antivirus?

Transition: The Apostle Paul gave a first century teaching around 60 A.D. which shows us that this Christian Zombie Virus is a 2,000 year old pathogen for would be Jesus followers. Turn to Ephesians 5:14



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BIBLE TEACHING - In Ephesians 5:14 we can read our theme verse for this series. If you have a Bible with you (and I encourage it), turn to the table of contents and find what page Ephesians is on and once you get to Ephesians, then turn to chapter 5 verse 14.

"Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

"Wake up sleeper! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you!"

Now this verse's PRIMARY meaning seems obvious: it's a call to unbelievers - those without a relationship with Jesus Christ to be awakened spiritually. BUT Paul is speaking to BELIEVERS. Because just as lifeless as life without Jesus Christ can be to those outside the faith, Christians who have invited Christ into their lives can live life here and now in a "DEAD", "LIFELESS", "NON-SHINING" way.

But Paul uses a call to UNBELIEVERS to spiritual rebirth as a WAKEUP call to CHRISTIANS of his day that were living like people outside the faith.

And in this entire teaching that Paul gives to first century Christians, he uses non-Christian behavior as a NEGATIVE EXAMPLE to teach Christians what to AVOID if they are to live as authentic Jesus followers.

Now remember, this whole teaching is directed to Christians. This teaching isn't about living right to earn God's approval to try to get into heaven. Paul is talking to Christians - people who already have a relationship with God, and are already guaranteed the free gift of eternal life in heaven with God because they've chosen to believe in his Son, Jesus Christ. Also remember, this so called "Christian Zombie Virus" is just that, a CHRISTIAN sickness - it attacks CHRISTIANS.



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Let’s look at where Paul begins this teaching on Zombie Christians. Back up a chapter and we'll pick up Paul's message in Ephesians 4:17.

17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. Ephesians 4:17-19 (TNIV)

In verse 4:17 - Paul starts out with an imperative inspired by Christ himself that Christians are to: "Stop living like unbelievers live with EMPTY, POINTLESS THINKING."

In verse 4:18 - Paul explains that Gentiles (those who are outside the faith - unbelievers) have no understanding about relationship with God and that they're SEPARATED from God – essentially they are in SPIRITUAL DARKNESS. And this spiritual darkness is due to them having HARDENED HEARTS. You know how calloused skin can have a needle stuck into it and there's no feeling at all? That's what Paul is saying a HARDENED HEART is like - it's UNABLE to FEEL or SENSE anything.

Verse 4:19 - This DESENSITIZING of the heart causes those without relationship with Christ to FEEL NOTHING in regard to MORAL CHOICES - which FURTHER NUMBS their conscience in morality and they DIVE HEAD FIRST into whatever CRAVING they might be having –they totally INDULGE any APPETITE that presents itself whether IMMORAL or not.

This cycle Paul describes is WHAT the Christian zombie virus IS.



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Paul explained that what I've labeled the "Christian Zombie Virus" is a CYCLICAL INFECTION that left alone ACTUALLY FEEDS INTO ITSELF. Paul uses a DESCRIPTION of NON-CHRISTIAN BEHAVIORS and NON-CHRISTIAN THOUGHT PROCESSES to ILLUSTRATE a SPIRITUAL INFECTION that plagues Christians who exercise the SAME THINKING and the SAME BEHAVIORS that take place in NON-CHRISTIANS. And the result is that the CHRISTIANS don't seem very "CHRISTIAN" or very CHRIST-LIKE.

Now if we were to diagram what the Christian Zombie Virus Cycle might look like, it could look something like this. And this is right from Paul's teaching in Ephesians 4. At the top is "unattractional behavior".

Unattractional Behavior The Christian Zombie infection shows itself in EXTERNAL SYMPTOMS by a "PRE-CHRIST LIVING STYLE" that is so similar to the lifestyles of people outside the faith, there is little or NO ATTRACTIONAL quality to DRAW OUTSIDERS to Christ.

Pointless Thinking This unattractional behavior comes from INTERNAL POINTLESS, TEMPORAL THINKING or thought processes.



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Darkened Spiritual Understanding The empty, futile thinking is the result of a DARKENED SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING - a DISTANCING from God in our relationships with him.

Desensitized Conscience The darkened spiritual understanding and distancing in our relationships with God is a direct result of a DESENSITIZED CONSCIENCE - a HARDENED HEART. Our inner self can barely feel any promptings from God's Holy Spirit living in us.

Then, the completely DESENSITIZED CONSCIENCE offers EVEN LESS RESISTANCE to the cravings and appetites of the flesh CAUSING even MORE INDULGENCE into all kinds of impure and unattractional behaviors - AND the CYCLE CONTINUES - THE BEAT GOES ON - into the downward spiral described in verse 19.

And that's the nature of the Christian Zombie Virus.

The RESULT is a MARGINALIZED, PART-TIME STYLE of Christianity that sees LITTLE PERSONAL LIFE TRANSFORMATION, does LITTLE TO INSPIRE OTHER CHRISTIANS to GROW SPIRITUALLY, and EVEN LESS TO ATTRACT OUTSIDERS to faith in Christ - consequently - the DECLINE of CHRISTIANITY here in the U.S.

And while the Christian Zombie Virus is harmful to each of us on an INDIVIDUAL or PERSONAL level as a Christian, what makes things worse is that Christianity SPREADS by CONTACT which enables the virus to be SPREAD by CONTACT -- and it is highly CONTAGIOUS.

Newer Christians learn the "behaviors of Christianity" from CONTACT with other Christians; so if the "MENTOR" is infected, guess what – so is the APPRENTICE.



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And as damaging as POORLY APPRENTICING new Christians can be for the cause of Christ, OUTSIDERS who are TURNED OFF to relationship with Christ because of poor Christian behavior -- they could end up eternally separated from God because of the way WE MISREPRESENTED Christ during our lives here.

Transition: So what do we do? This epidemic in Christianity is GLOBAL – it’s a PANDEMIC. It seems too big – too overwhelming to do anything about it. Frankly, it can be downright depressing.

But there IS good news, we CAN have hope; because our God is bigger than any outbreak. And Jesus promised that his church would prevail. And in over 3,500 years of recorded Biblical history, God has never broken a promise yet.

But if we want to spiritually "WAKE" OUTSIDERS and EXPERIENCE PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION, then we're going to have to WAKE ourselves UP and WORK WITH God and then Christ WILL SHINE on us just like the verse says in Ephesians 5:14.

CALL TO ACTION – Now we can start by taking to heart the REALITY of what Paul taught in Ephesians, and be HONEST with ourselves and with God and CONSIDER that as individual Christians, we MIGHT BE INFECTED.

We've got to HONESTLY EVALUATE and SEE if we're "infected". Do you - do I have this deadening and contagious, CHRISTIAN ZOMBIE Virus?

If our ACTIONS and our BEHAVIORS are the FRUIT - they are the OUTER RESULTS of what's INSIDE us, then let's evaluate the FRUIT --- let's look at the BEHAVIOR of our lives - look at the OUTSIDE and see what it TELLS us is on the INSIDE - if there's a possible INNER INFECTION.



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We can take an external "TISSUE SAMPLE" -- and TEST ourselves to see what is on the INSIDE of us.

This "external symptoms test" is in your BULLETIN. This is part of our HOMEWORK to do between today and next Sunday during some ALONE TIME with God.

FIRST we want to PRAY and then READ Ephesians 4:17-31. This is the passage that the Christian Zombie Virus Test is made up from. Now don’t forget, this is for you and God time - no one else.

So look at the insert in your bulletin.



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Prayerfully READ Ephesians 4:17-31. From Paul's list of "external symptoms" for the Christian Zombie Virus, check the box of the symptoms you are experiencing:

My Lifestyle Doesn’t Look Very Different from the Lifestyles of Those Outside the Faith

I Often Have Pointless, Empty, Meaningless Thoughts and/or Goals

I Don’t “Get” God Stuff or See What He Is Up To in the World

My Relationship with God Feels Separated and/or Distanced

I Cave In and Easily Yield to Fleshly/Worldly Impulses

I Crave Pleasure Seeking and Self Satisfaction Seeking

I Often “Bend” the Truth or Outright Tell Lies

I Let Anger Control My Actions

I Feel Entitled to Not Have to Work or Justify Taking Things That Do Not Belong to Me

I Use Unwholesome, De-edifying Talk, and or Dirty Jokes

I Argue and Fight Regularly

I Hold onto Bitterness and Evil Intent Toward Certain People

I Deeply Discourage the Holy Spirit Who Lives in Me

So that's the EXTERNAL TISSUE SAMPLE TEST which will reveal if the Christian Zombie infection is in us.

NOW LISTEN, it's great you came today and patiently listened to this depressing and/or frightening message, but if you do not take some time alone with God and go through the homework exercises to apply what you are hearing, then you are being ONLY a HEARER of the Word and not a DOER. Don't do nothing with what you've heard today, let God begin to transform you. Okay?



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AND REMEMBER, this external test is for each of us to take PRIVATELY, it's just between each individual Christian and God. We don't use this test to evaluate someone else's level of infection - this is for each of us to determine for ourselves. We don't point it at others.

Now, as each of us take this test, we're going to see that we are ALL probably infected to some degree or another. And we have to remember that infections GROW. They GROW in us, and they SPREAD. So the SECOND part of our HOMEWORK is just as vital as taking the Christian Zombie Virus test in the first part of our homework.

The SECOND part of our HOMEWORK is to PRAY and ask God to HELP us to be WILLING to RECEIVE the ANTIVIRUS treatment for the Christian Zombie infection.

You see when our hearts are EVEN A LITTLE BIT HARDENED, it is difficult to make right, godly choices - we NEED MORE than sheer WILL POWER and DUTIFUL DETERMINATION. We need GOD'S STRENGTH in our inner person. We need HIS help to make us WILLING to be TREATED.

So our homework before we come back next Sunday is this:

1. Prayerfully read Ephesians 4:17-31 and then take the Christian Zombie Virus “tissue sample” test; and honestly evaluate and determine to what degree you’re infected.

2. Pray and ask God to help you to be willing to receive the antivirus treatment for the Christian Zombie infection.

Now you’ll have to come back next time to find out WHAT the antivirus is and how we can treat ourselves. It's right there in Ephesians but it involves our free will, and whenever free will is involved, things can get complicated, true? That's why we'll need to pray for his help.

Closing Prayer and Dismissal

Documents

Zombie Christian - Clover Sitesstorage.cloversites.com/cornersotnechurch/documents... · VIDEO GAMES -- you name it, that all have ZOMBIE THEMES to them. Even the CDC , the Center