Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Can you remember a time when a picture you saw come to life?
Maybe it was when you had a color television in your home for the first time.
Maybe it was when you had a black and white photo restored in color,
or when you saw black and white footage turned to color.
Maybe it was when you saw a high definition TV for the first time.
Maybe it was when you saw a filter on your phone
put one of your pictures in just the right light.
Whatever it was,
it brought joy to your heart
and a smile on your face.
The story from Ezekiel this morning is about things coming to life.
It’s not your typical story from the Old Testament.
Most stories from there talk about historical events that had happened
giving promises and guidance from God
to prepare you for the future.
Now this story from Ezekiel does have a time and place
and even direction from God
but it’s given through a vision
--not through a plain telling.
It’s not so much an apocalyptic prophecy about the end times
but it still speaks about a resurrection of the dead.
God uses this vision to Ezekiel
to bring hope to his people.
When Ezekiel was given this vision
God’s people were still in exile.
They were waiting for God to still deliver them from Babylon.
I don’t know about you,
but I find when I’m waiting for things
it can seem like an eternity
And I’m just talking about waiting for my next doctor’s appointment.
Now, I’d imagine that the 40 years the Israelites were waiting to be delivered from Babylon seemed like something that would never come.
For those were an unpleasant 40 years.
A time of living in a country that had worship practices
that were bad for your spiritual health.
Living in a country that practices a survival of the fittest
instead of living in God’s gracious and sacrificial love.
Living as second class citizens.
To not be able to go to temple.
To not have a place to worship God in the fullness as he had asked
where the whole city up in celebration.
Instead
they were worshiping God
in small circles of people
whenever and wherever you can.
Could you even make it through a single year?
But in this mist of the Israelite’s troubled hearts
when they even wondered if God cared for them
God gave Ezekiel this vision.
Ezekiel saw a valley full of dry bones.
God questioned Ezekiel
and asked
if these bones could come alive.
Ezekiel says to God that he should know the answer to that question.
Then God says that Ezekiel shall prophesy over these bones.
Tell them to hear the Word of the Lord,
and that God will breathe life into them.
God tells them that when they see these things
they will know that God is still God.
So in Ezekiel’s vision
Ezekiel prophesied to the dry bones.
And the bones came alive.
People were formed.
Tendons were placed on the bones.
Skin covered the joints.
But the bodies
still had no life to them.
But God told Ezekiel to prophesy breath into the bodies
so that those who were slain
the Israelites who were defeated at war
may live.
And Ezekiel did so.
And an amazing army
alive and well
not zombie
but fully human
was ready to represent the Lord.
And so God tells Ezekiel that
just as God can make these dry bones come alive
so will he bring his tiring people out of Babylon.
And when this happens
the people of Israel will know that God is still God.
And there did come a day
when the Israelites did return to Israel.
They were able to be in and run their own nation.
But they didn’t return as a military force
but as a scattered people
slowly but surely returning home.
Here we can see a God
who is faithful to his promises
--the promises about God saving his people.
Here in this vision from Ezekiel
we see another picture of what God can do
like what he did when he created Adam and Eve.
When God created man
he breathed life into the dust
and made the crown of his creation
something beautiful.
He made a human.
Something he fearfully and wonderfully made.
What does this message from Ezekiel have to do with us Christians today?
Yes, humans are still the crown of creation to God.
But though we have sinned as we live in this cursed world
God still cares about us,
and desires for us to live well,
and he desires to save us.
But whenever I see this passage selected for a Sunday
I think to myself
how am I supposed to preach on this passage?
What are the people supposed to take away?
In Christian pop music lately
this passage has been referred to more than I have ever heard before.
And I have to ask why?
Is there something I’m missing?
Is there something people are longing for more than ever?
And the answer I’m coming up with
is that people are longing to see a miracle.
People are wanting God to bring restoration
to their lives
to their community
to those who are hurting
like dry bones coming to full life.
When I read the comments to the song Rattle! by Elevation Worship,
one person commented,
“[I’m] praying for everyone here who's experiencing depression, anxiety,
those who lost their jobs
that God grant them healing and restoration of their faith.”
Many other people there have given their testimony
of how God has worked in their life
especially in how God had delivered them from the impossible.
One person said,
“I was an atheist for 25+ years
and deeply anti-Christian.
But in August [of] 2020, at the lowest [point] I ever was in [my] life,
I tried to pray for the first time.
Amazing things happened since.
I experienced the Holy Spirit, physically,
that shook my entire worldview to its core.
I've seen signs and wonders that defy explanation
- except that Christ is true
and [that] Christ loves us.
I now work in full-time ministry serving the Lord.
To anyone reading this who has doubts,
ask God to reveal Himself with a sincere heart,
and He will surely show the Truth to you.
With this passage with Ezekiel and the vision of the valley of dry bones,
I can easily see a signs and wonders church
saying
look here
in God’s name you are supposed to pronounce life
into whatever struggling situation going on
and expect everything to be alive and well after such a prayer or command.
And while there are many other passages of Scripture that also seem to support this idea
I still would wrestle with preaching this takeaway.
This takeaway that spiritualizes the text
rather than seeking what God can do through his word
which is what a person would do through an expository sermon.
Yes, I hope God answers your prayers
and God brings life into people
like a black and white film
that is remade in full color.
And I hope that God will speak into your soul
bring you out of all death and darkness
and fill you with a life and a joy
that is something greater than what any person could imagine for their own life.
I remember when I heard the message of the Bible was taught in a worship setting
that brought joy and energy into my life
and truth that was shaping me how I was designed to live
a message that led me to find my identity in God
as someone who was loved.
And through God’s Word
I learned that I can take to heart
the Good News
that I belong to him.
This message from Ezekiel
is for you as well.
You all belong to God.
God’s promises life and salvation
you as well.
That while we are dead in our sins in this cursed world
that while we are weak in our own strength
and can lose hope in this world
God gives us his Word,
and he promises that there will come a time
that he will rescue us.
On this day of Pentecost
it’s difficult to preach the message of Christ crucified for us
the message that our sins are forgiven through Christ’s perfect life
as he was sacrificed on the cross.
For there is a lot of talk about God pouring his spirit into creation
--God pouring into broken people
--ignorant people
and giving them life.
But much of the life
that is brought to the people
comes from receiving the good news
God telling the people
--that he is a god of his promises
--that he said he would save his people
and he has a plan to do it.
Let us not let go of this hope.
I know some of you have shared with me some difficult things you are going through,
but I bet all of you have even more things that you have yet to share with anyone in this church,
and I’d even imagine there are things that you don’t realize you are struggling with
just like how I probably have things that I don’t realize I’m struggling with.
But the message today isn’t about a lost hope,
nor is it that we ought to be living our lives
where others might be thing we are under the influence of some substance.
No.
As the New Testament Church
we get to be reminded of the certain hope that we have
--that not only that God will continue to use the Holy Spirit
to bring life into our lives
as he leads us to do good works
but also that the Holy Spirit will continue to keep our faith song
in our savior Jesus Christ.
-- that in this hope
whatever comes our way
we don’t have to fear or despair.
Jesus is alive.
Our sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ
and his work on the cross.
And when Jesus Christ comes again a second time
he will take the dust from our grave
and put us back together
and bring us into the full and perfect living bodies
living for his purpose
living in a world for eternity
that will be far more remarkable
than seeing your favorite black and white film
recolored for greater experience.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
