Note: Most of this is original (if that is possible) expect for the part about "dry bones" of sin, which I got from a powerpoint by Arthur Pigman from Evans Church of Christ.
Title: Son of Man, Can These Bones Live?
Theme:
Text: Ezekiel 37:1-14
Offering
Proverbs 3:9 Honor GOD with everything you own; give him the first and the best. (10) Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over.
Opening Prayer
Introduction
If you would turn in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel. Ezekile chapter 37. What an awesome weekend we had. It was different but what a powerful word that Bro. Doyle brought to our church. He dealt with two major topics that I think are prevalent for the New Year. 1. Our image of God. 2. Positioning yourself to walk in the purpose and the will of God. Our image of God helps us understand God. This is the reason so many struggle with God because they see him as filling a missing part that their father or mother never gave them. So instead of looking for blessing they look for failure. We must position ourselves to follow God’s plan and we must walk in that. Any venture off the path causes our lives to be in chaos.
Scripture
1. The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones.
The Prophet Ezekiel “Peculiar Prophet”
Ezekiel was a peculiar prophet. He was different. God would often ask him to do different things. He would have visions and dreams and what seemed to be “outer body” experiences. God would transport him places mainly to give him a message. Just a few weeks ago we dealt with Ezekiel’s vision of the river. Going deep.
In these visions we see a message for Israel to waken up their spiritual lives. To me in the scriptures Israel is a type of the church. Now we can’t take this to the extreme but we often see the behavior of Israel repeated in the church. God called the church to be his vehicle to share Christ. Yet the church seems to be so caught up in its own purposes and plans that they fail to listen to God.
This time the Lord sits him in a valley that is full of dry bones. We would later learn that this is an illustration of Israel but all Ezekiel could see around him was death, this had been this way for a while.
2. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry.
So he moved around the valley and it was everywhere. There was a vast army of these “dry bones”.
3. And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" So I answered, "O Lord GOD, You know."
What a powerful question. The Lord asks Ezekiel a question. The obvious answer at the moment seemed to be no. There is no reason for these bones to live. They have run their course. In reality they had been deposited here because they have no purpose.
Yet notice Ezekiel’s answer. He says, “O Lord God, You know.” God – Jehovah – the self existent one. It is hard to talk about the impossibility and what CAN’T happen when you are talking to Jehovah. He is the one that created life.
As a young boy Ezekiel must have memorized the story of Adam and Eve and how God had taken nothing and created man.
4. Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!
So then the Lord challenges Ezekiel to do something about it. Ezekiel now saw the problem and God gives him the command to bring the solution. He says, prophesy.
Why do bones get dry?
Sin
Sin takes a person farther than they meant to go, will cost them more than they meant to pay, and keep them longer than they meant to stay !
Sin robs our hearts and lives …
…like dry scorched bones.
Ephesians 2:12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
• Compliancy
• Distractions
• Fear of God’s will and purpose
• Control
5. 'Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. 6. "I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD."' "
This is the Word of the Lord and surely he can do it. The most amazing part about God is not only that he controls what happen in the physical realm but he controls the spirit realm.
There is often times that God spoke life in to people. Adam and Eve, Sarah who was barren and yet had children at 90 years of age. Rachel, Hannah, Elizabeth and Mary. God is the creator of life and he can speak.
No one declares death until the Lord does.
7. So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone.
As Ezekiel obeys the Lord that is what happens.
8. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.
This is the order. What I noticed about this verse is the process.
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
9. Also He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live."' "
Prophesy. If you believe it then speak. It if you believe that the Lord can do it then start speaking it. Over your situation, over your family, over your life.
Pro 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
10. So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
"I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly." -- John 10:10b
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me." -- John 14:6
Jesus answered her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." -- John 4:13-14
11. Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, 'Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!'
If the bones is dry then where is our hope.
12. "Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
This is the prophetic word of the Lord.
13. "Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves.
These are dead people. It is like Lazarus in the tomb. He was dead until Jesus spoke
John 11:43-44 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" (44) And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."
14. "I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it," says the LORD.'"
You shall life.
Zec 4:6 So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts.
Conclusion
Some of you need life this morning. You have been moving around lifeless. You need the breath of the Lord to bring new life into you, into your situation, into your family. +
