Are you afraid of a Zombie Apocalypse? Seems that this is very much in vogue these days, as the cultural obsession with all things zombie populates our media menu like a, well, zombie apocalypse!
I, for one, am not afraid. Primarily because I feel like I’m intelligent enough to get away from slow moving creatures with little to no intelligence. Also because when I fall down I don’t twist my ankle, and I have no plans to go willingly into dark basements that are inhabited by flesh eating boogiemen (or boogiewomen).
In fact, the whole concept of a pandemic that causes dead folks to reanimate and dominate doesn’t score very high on my plausibility scale, but I will tell you that zombies are very real…because I used to be one.
It’s true, and I had forgotten about that chapter from my past until the other day when I was reading from God’s Word:
As for you, don’t you remember how you used to just exist?
Corpses, dead in life, buried by transgressions, wandering the course of this perverse world. You were the offspring of the prince of the power of air—oh, how he owned you, just as he still controls those living in disobedience (Ephesians 2:1-2, The Voice).
Yep, that was me…my dead soul was literally reanimated by Satan, and even though I breathed and spoke and journeyed through this world, my spirit was six feet under.
And that is the condition of everyone on the planet who hasn’t trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation and new life. Externally they are unlike zombies in that they don’t have open wounds and rotting flesh, but if you get close enough, they internally exhibit many of the same characteristics:
Zombies exist only to satisfy their cravings.
Zombies desire to bring the living into their existence.
Zombies don’t respond to the truly beautiful things of this world – especially love.
If you had known me when I was among the walking dead, you would have seen how self-absorbed my life had become. I relentlessly pursued the useless things of this world like a famished zombie.
And my friends who knew Jesus lived a lifestyle of contentment and peace that made me want to bring them back into my world. I resented how alive they were!
Worst of all, when anyone shared the gospel with me, it fell on deaf ears (or dead ears?) I couldn’t, or wouldn’t, respond to the unconditional love offered by Jesus Christ.
But that all changed in one timeless moment when, by God’s grace, I allowed the cure for my spiritual death to totally infiltrate my rotting spirit…and I became alive for the first time in my life. Here’s the way the Bible describes it:
But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) (Ephesians 2:4-5).
And now I am on a mission to reach the walking dead. THE Cause is MY Cause, because keeping the good news of the gospel to ourselves is as horrible as hiding the cure for the undead during a zombie apocalypse!
Maybe you are reading this and you now realize that you are among the walking dead. The cure is only a prayer away, my friend, place your trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, and His grace will resurrect your soul to a new life that you never believed possible.
Or perhaps you are reading this and you now realize that as followers of Jesus, we can’t turn a blind eye to the spiritual apocalypse that rages all around us. You may be fearful of the risks you face in joining THE Cause, but trust me, Jesus goes with you every step of the way as you share His message of hope, and He will empower your choice to help your friends choose life.
Speaking of that, for you fans of The Walking Dead, look to Hershel for some powerful motivation:
You step outside…you risk your life.
Take a drink of water…you risk your life.
You don’t have a choice.
The only thing you can choose is what you’re risking it for.
If you have been made alive in Christ, what are you risking it for?
Flashpoint: Ignite Into Action
This week, take some time to go to a local mall and sit quietly without any distraction for 30 minutes while you simply watch people walk by. As they pass your view, imagine a sign above their heads that reads: “Walking Dead.” I promise you that your investment of just 30 minutes will change your perspective on people forever.
Accelerant: Fuel for THE Cause
Pray: Father, thank You for bringing us back to life and rescuing us from being dead in our rebellion against You. Jesus , thank You that we can share the cure with our friends, and Holy Spirit, please empower us to go out with reckless abandon and risk to save as many as possible.
Read: Colossians 2:13. You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.
Get: InZane. Zane Black was one of the “walking dead,” until he experienced a radical encounter with Jesus. Pick up a copy of his book and pass it along to a friend who needs to hear about Jesus.
Discussion Questions for Leaders:
Big Idea: The Walking Dead is an accurate picture of the internal state of humanity without Jesus Christ. Christ followers must take our life-saving role seriously and help rescue people who are dead in their souls.
Key Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-2
ALT-ernative Questions:
- Do you like horror movies? Why or why not?
- What evidences of the “walking dead” do you see in the real world?
- What risks could you take to help the walking dead in your life trust Christ?
- How can you use this Soul Fuel to further THE Cause of Christ and spread His message?
