How many born again believers do we have here this morning?
People who truly love Jesus?
Let’s then let’s go ahead and tell Him , I love you Jesus
Loving Christ has to be the 1st priority of Christians
There are churches filled with Christians that have forgotten this simple fact- That nothing , absolutely nothing else matters.
That in every part of your being Jesus must be second to none
Mathew 7:23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'
The words I never knew you in Matthew respond to that fact that Jesus never knew your love, there was no love exchanged
Religious , self righteous , unbelievers , atheist , all have this same appointment .
Now Atheist there’s a group I don’t get because even the devil believes and trembles .
This morning we will be in the book of Ezekiel .
Let me get you caught up on the Prophet
Ezekiel is a friend of Daniel and was exiled to Babylon in the second phase.
There were 3 phases of the Babylonian captivity
• First phase: 605 when the wall was breached, This was the church fast we had 3 weeks ago
• Second phase: 597 B.C. Again the Babylonians came and carried off more loot and prisoners. On this occasion Ezekiel the prophet was taken to Babylon
• Third phase: 586 B.C. At this time the city was burned and the first Temple destroyed ,
That is actually next Saturday night, the fast of the 9th of AV when the temple was destroyed
And it’s when the spies came back with a bad report, not trusting God casting Israel into the 40 year of desert wondering.
AV is the name of the fifth month on the Jewish calendar ,
It literally means “father.” It is customary to add the name “Menachem,” which means “comforter” or “consoler”—so Menachem Av. or
Comforting Father
The month of Av includes a “lowest point” on the Jewish calendar—the Ninth of Av,.
But it also incorporates a “high point”: the 15th of Av, a day designated for one of the happiest days on the Jewish calendar.
He was the only Old Testament prophet to mention Noah, Daniel, and Job by name (14:14, 20).
His is the final of two Old Testament books depicting the activities of Satan before his fall
Ezekiel37:1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. 3He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, You know.” 4Again He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.’ 5“Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. 6‘I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the LORD.’”
7So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9Then 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 come to life.”’” 10So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
Ezekiel 37:2 He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry
Ezekiel had endured a troubled life, ripped from his home in Jerusalem to Babylon ,
It was in Babylon where he was ridiculed and tormented and regarded as a fraud.
Oh he heard the insults, the abuse and slander from the others
He had a hard ministry goal ,convincing the captives that lost everything that God didn’t give up on them.
But the same ones who pointed, laughed, and made insults God would now allow Ezekiel to see them as they really are .
God raised up Ezekiel and caused him to walk among them
All the people who at one time had hurt him, and spite him, were now at his feet as dead bones.
When you feel you are at your lowest, when you feel like you don’t matter or you have been told you are a failure
Step back
Because the Lord your God is getting ready to work through you,
And He is about to use you in the most supernatural way you never imagined
Ezekiel was surrounded by all his enemies on every side were the people who wronged him ,
Then God opened his eyes and said
Now what do you see?
All my enemies all the ones who hurt me and bullied me and mocked me
God had to ask him twice
Can these bones live?
What Ezekiel doesn’t realize is that God has been preparing him for this exact moment and this exact purpose his entire life .
Your enemies, the ones who have tormented you , disrespected you and mocked you
God is opening your eyes right now to what they really are ,
Then God is causes you to walk among all those evil people
The people who have hurt you, the people who sabotage you and want you to fail .
Looking all around you
God now opens your eyes and ask you what do you see
Can those bones live?
Be careful how you answer this question, because it’s a trap
John 14:21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him."
We can’t fulfill the law of Christ and be lawless at the same time and claim to love Him .
God has healed you, restored and strengthened you not for your own good but t use you .
Who else would He use to reach your enemies but the person who is the closest to them , who knows them best , who understands the situation .
If you are going through a rough time , if you feel all the attacks , if everything seems to be a battle ,
Praise God and be excited because He sees you worthy, He has determined you are ready , and He knows you will have the victory
Can these dead bones live ?
Ezekiel 37:11Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.’ 12“Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13“Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. 14“I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it,” declares the LORD.’”
