Dry Bones

U.S. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Ken Harris, Jr.

True Saints C.O.G.I.C.

Bamberg, Georgia

Scriptural references: SPP (Suffering; Profit; Pleasure); EAI (Expository; Application; Illustration) Rom. 12: 1 ( I Beseech thee …my the mercy of God …); Romans 15: 15:1 (We then that are strong …); 2 Kings 13:20-21; Proverb 3:1-4; Proverb 14:14; Proverb 17:22 … a broken spirit drieth the bones; John 19:36: Psalm 51:8; II Tim. 4:10 (Demas); 1 John 2:15-17 (Love not the world …); Hosea 4:16 (God is married to the backslider);

I. ANNOUNCE THE PERICOPE: Ezekiel 37:1-10

II. READ THE PERICOPE: Ezekiel 37:1-10

III. READ THE TEXT: Ezekiel 37:1-2 (The hand of the

Lord was upon me, and

carrried me out in the

spirit of the Lord, and

set me down in the midst

of the valley which was

full of bones, And

caused me to pass by

them round about: and,

behold, there were

,many in the open

valley; and lo, they

were very dry).

IV. PURPOSE: To encourage the hearers to move AWAY

from a backsliding stage of life TO

accepting GOD’S INVITATION for New

Life & Spirit.

V. SERMONIC THEME: “DRY BONES”

VI. Introduction: … IT HAS BEEN SAID … THAT BACKSLIDERS ARE FOLK THAT FEAR SUFFERING … IN OTHER WORDS … THEY DON’T WANT TO GO THROUGH ANYTHING … IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT Paul says in Romans 12:1 … I BESSEECH THEE BRETHEREN … MY THE MERCIES OF GOD … A LIVING SACRIFICE…

SOMEONE ELSE HAS SAID THAT BACKSLIDERS ARE FOLK THAT HAVE BEEN INSPIRIED BY THE “GREEN LOGO” … OR THE DOLLAR BILL. In other words … THEY’VE TURNED OR QUIT LIVING FOR GOD … IN ORDER TO MAKE A LIVING … BUT MORE SPECIFICALLY … A DOLLAR BILL.

…MANY OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INSPIRIED…. AND EVEN HIRE BY THE GET RICH QUICK SCHEMES OF THE DEVIL …

… STILL … ANOTHER HAS SAID THAT BACKSLIDERS ARE FOLK THAT HAVE TURNED FROM HAVING JOY IN JESUS … TO THE LUSTFUL PLEASURES OF THIS WORLD …

FOR THE WORD ENCOURAGES US NOT TO LOVE THE WORLD … NEITHER THE THINGS THAT ARE OF THE WORLD … BECAUSE HE THAT LOVETH THE WORLD LOVETH NOT GOD … (1 John 2:15-17)

FOR DON’T YOU REMEMBER …. WHAT THE GOOD BOOK SAYS IN 2 TIMOTHY 4:10 ….

PAUL IN HIS WRITING TO TIMOTHEUS … ENCOURAGES AND SOLICIT TIMS HELP … MAINLY BECAUSE SOME OF HIS MOST TRUSTED WORKERS …HAVE BACKSLID …

SPECIFICALLY, … DEMAS … FOR PAUL SAYS IN ESSENCE THAT DEMAS LOVED THE WORLD AND THE THINGS OF THE WORLD … MORE THAN GOD … THEREFORE HE HAS GONE BACK IN THE WORLD …

NOW … AS BELIEVERS …. WE MUSTN’ T FORGET THAT OUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS SO COMMITTED TO WINNING THE LOST … THAT THE GOOD BOOK SAYS THAT … GOD IS MARRRIED TO THE BACKSLIDER …

AS A RESULT, IN EZEKIEL 3:17-21, GOD TELLS EZEKIEL … THAT IF A RIGHTEOUS MAN TURNS FROM HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS TO COMMIT INIQUITY .. THE RIGHTEOUS MAN WILL DIE IN HIS SINS …

LIKEWISE, GOD SAYS IF A UNRIGHTEOUS .. MAN …TURNS FROM HIS UNRIGHTEOUSNESS TO LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY … BECAUSE YOU HAVE WARNED HIM … HE SHALLL LIVE … AND … EZEKIEL’S SOUL SHALLL BE DELIVERED …

IN OTHER WORDS …GOD EXPECTS THE SAINTS … TO WARN BACKSLIDERS OF TROUBLES THAT LIE AHEAD …

…BECAUSE … AS BELIEVERS … WE … ARE OUR BROTHER’S KEEPER …

***************TAKE 5 BEATS**************

MOVE 1: …IN OUR PARTICULAR TEXT … THIS AFTERNOON … WE

HAVE DISCOVERED GOD’S WORD IN A VISION …

a. NOW, … THE LORD’S HAND … WAS UPON EZEKIEL …

b. LONG … BEFORE, …. HE EVER … BROUGHT HIM OUT OF BONDAGE …

c. YET, … IT WASN’T UNTIL AFTER … GOD … HAD GIVEN EZEKIEL PERMISSION …

TO VISIT THE DOWNTRODDEN…

d. THAT …. HE SPOKE TO HIM IN THE MIDDLE OF A VALLEY … THAT WAS FULL OF DRY BONES…

***************TAKE 5 BEATS****************

MOVE 2: DRY BONES … THAT WERE SCATTERED … UPON THE

FACE OF THE EARTH … AS IF SOME … BLOODY

BATTLE HAD BEEN FOUGHT …

a. ALL .. BECAUSE …. GOD … WANTED EZEKIEL … TO KNOW …FOR HIMSELF …IF HE TRULY BELIEVE GOD …. AND …

b. …. THAT … IT WAS POSSIBLE … THROUGH THE PREACHING OF GOD’S … WORD …

c. FOR … DRIED-UP … AND BACKSLIDING … SOULS … TO LIVE … AGAIN …

d. IN OTHERWORDS … GOD WAS SHOWING EZEKIEL …THROUGH THE RUDIMENTS OF HIS MIND …

e. THAT IF EZEKIEL ONLY BELIEVED …THAT LIFE COULD BE RESTORED … THROUGH THE PREAHCING OF GOD’S WORD … IT COULD … be restored …

f. SO … MY … IF WE WOULD ALLLOW … OUR IMAGINATIONS TO WORK WITH US … WE WOULD HEAR … EZEKIEL SOUNDING CONVINCE AND RESPONDING TO GOD...