Plan for: Thanksgiving | Advent | Christmas
This sermon explores surrender, submission, and obedience to the Spirit, using Ezekiel 37:3 as a guide for spiritual transformation and renewed faith.
Welcome, dear friends, to this sacred gathering where we draw nearer to our Creator and seek His wisdom. As we gather in His name, let us open our hearts and minds to the transformative power of His word. Today, we turn to the profound passage of Ezekiel 37:3, a scripture that invites us to surrender, submit, and obey in the spiritual realm.
Ezekiel 37:3 says, "He asked me, 'Son of man, can these bones live?' I said, 'Sovereign Lord, you alone know.'"
In this passage, we find ourselves standing in a valley, surrounded by dry bones, and we hear the voice of God asking us a question that challenges our understanding and shakes our complacency. Can these bones live? Can we, in our spiritual dryness, find life anew? It's a question that echoes in our hearts and minds as we navigate the complexities of our faith journey.
When we talk about surrender, we often think of it as a sign of weakness, as giving up or giving in. But in the spiritual realm, surrender is not about weakness. It's about strength. It's about letting go of our own understanding, our own plans, and our own desires, and instead, letting God take control. It's about trusting in His wisdom, His plans, and His timing.
But, we like to be in control! We like to know what's going to happen next. We like to have a plan. But the truth is, we are not in control. We don't know what's going to happen next. And our plans are not always in line with God's plans. So, what do we do? We surrender. We let go and let God.
In the valley of dry bones, Ezekiel didn't know if the bones could live. He didn't have the answers. He didn't have a plan. But he knew who did. He knew who held the power of life and death. He knew who could breathe life into the dry bones. And so, he surrendered. He let go and let God.
But what does this look like in our lives? How do we surrender to the Spirit? How do we let go and let God?
First, we need to recognize our need for God. We need to acknowledge that we can't do it on our own, that we need His wisdom, His strength, and His guidance. This is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength. It takes courage to admit that we need help, that we can't do it on our own. And when we do, we open ourselves up to the transformative power of the Spirit.
Second, we need to trust in God's wisdom and His plans. We may not understand why things are happening the way they are. But we can trust that God knows what He's doing, that He has a plan, and that His plan is good. We can trust that He can breathe life into our dry bones, that He can bring beauty out of ashes, and that He can turn our mourning into dancing.
Next, we need to let go of our own understanding, our own plans, and our own desires. It's about clearing the way for His will to be done. It's about surrendering our will to His will, our plans to His plans, and our desires to His desires.
Finally, we need to obey. Surrender is not just about letting go, it's also about following through. It's about obeying God's commands, following His guidance, and doing His will. It's about walking in obedience, even when it's hard, even when it doesn't make sense, even when we don't understand. Ezekiel recognized his need for God, he trusted in God's wisdom and His plans, he let go of his own understanding, his own plans, and his own desires, and he obeyed. And what happened? God breathed life into the dry bones. He brought them back to life. He turned the valley of desolation into a valley of hope.
In the heart of Ezekiel's vision, we find a profound truth about the Spirit's work ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO