INTRO: While hunting, Larry and Elmer got lost in the woods. Trying to reassure his friend, Larry said, "Don’t worry. All we have to do is shoot into the air three times, stay where we are, and someone
will find us."
They shot in the air three times, but no one came. After a while, they tried again. Still no
response. When they decided to try once more, Elmer said, "I hope it works this time. We’re down to our last three arrows."
-Have you ever felt you’re in a hopeless situation and nothing seems to be working and every solution that you come to works as well as the story I read?
Today: We are going to focus on a concept called hope. When we have God, there is always hope. TITLE: Hope for the Hopeless
TEXT: Ezekiel 37:1-10
I. Setting. Ezekiel has a vision from God. At the beginning of Ezekiel’s ministry, the Spirit transported him to sit among the discouraged exiles by the canal (3:14f0. Later the Spirit took him in visions to Jerusalem (8:3ff), to the temple gate, and then back to Babylonia (11:1, 24).
A. Now the Spirit brings him in a vision to a valley filled with many bleached bones scattered on the ground, the skeletons of corpses long ago decomposed.
1. It was a humiliating thing for the body of a dead Jew to not be washed, wrapped, and buried with dignity in a grave or a tomb.
-These bodies were left on the battlefield to become food for the vultures to eat and objects for the sun to bleach.
II. Ezekiel saw a great many bones (v. 2). The Lord takes him in a vision; lo and behold, he sees death.
A. In your life this morning, what do you see?
1. Question: What do you see in your life, what do you see in your marriage, what do you see in your children and family, what do you see in your career, what do you see in your relationships, what do you see in your health, your future?
2. Do you see death, discouragement, disappointment, heartache, pain?
-Pastor, I can sum it up on one word—I’m in a hopeless situation! Well, today I’ll try to help you see it differently or at least give you something to think about.
B. Let me first define hope. For most of us hope is just another word for wishfulness. It even has a melancholy nature to it.
1. However, in scripture it is a much more powerful word. It means to have confidence and to be certain in the face of circumstances that present no visible reason for such emotions.
2. Let’s look at some elements of hope so we can better understand it.
-Romans 5:3b-5, "Because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."
-Romans 15:4 says, "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope."
a. In these two different texts comes the idea of endurance or perseverance. It’s the idea of waiting for the answer.
-It’s hard to wait or persevere when you’re in a painful situation. Question: Why would God delay in fulfilling what we hope for?
-One possible reason: So that we would gain appreciation for what the Lord gives when it arrives.
Illustration: God created Adam, he didn’t immediately give him Eve. Genesis 2:18, "The Lord God said, ’It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for
him.’"
-What do you think Adam thought—great, when is this going to happen? (After you name all the animals.) I’m sure this took a long time.
-Another possible reason for God’s delays is our need for purification and strengthening. Perseverance builds character.
Illustration: I remember when I was around 14, wanting a car so bad, and not being allowed to have one because I was too young. (I thought, no I’m not.) But after going through it, I think kids shouldn’t be able to drive until 21—all the accidents and money and would save.
Summary: Now that we know a bit more about hope let us realize
II. God alone holds the answer to the hopeless situations. V. 3, God speaking to Ezekiel, "Son of man, can these bones live?" Even when God brings a question he is making a statement.
A. God alone is the one who can make it happen.
-God brought the prophet to the place of death.
1. Just as he has brought some of you to this place and asks you what you see.
-He’s asking, can this be brought back to life (whatever situation you’re in) and you respond, God you’re the only one that knows.
a. This situation is so impossible, only God can fix it.
-Notice what God does, he tells the man to prophesy what he’s told.
2. A lot of times as humans we expect God to do it all but God involved a human to help in the supernatural event.
Example. You’re in a tough situation, you cry out to God, the Lord communicates a word back like love your wife. You don’t like the answer so you continue to cry out and get frustrated and lose hope because God’s not helping you. (Understand we have a part to play.)
B. The prophet prophesies to the situation, and what happens?
1. Things begin to change—notice it didn’t happen all at once.
-There was a noise, a rattling sound.
-The bones came together.
-Tendons and flesh appeared.
2. But there was no breath in them, so he was told to prophesy again as the Lord told him. -Breath came into the bodies and they came to life!
Point: They didn’t come to life right away.
-I think here is where many Christians fail. They get a word from the Lord, and initially try it and it does not work as fast as they like, so they give up and walk away.
-Where is the perseverance or endurance that gives hope?
3. We need to realize
-There is no greater state of hopelessness than a man without Christ.
-Those apart from Christ have a feeling of meaninglessness and abandonment that they cannot explain. (H. Lindsell)
-When you say a situation or a person is hopeless, you are slamming the door in the face of God. -There are no hopeless situations. There are only people who have grown hopeless about them.
III. We need to understand as men and women of God who are seeking a closer walk with him
-When you’re in the will of God
A. We can take comfort in knowing a few things.
-Let me use the story of the disciples who were told to cross over to the other side while Jesus went and prayed. It was after the feeding of the 5000. They get out there and this giant storm comes up. They’re rowing all night, not getting anywhere.
1. We can learn many things from this story but I just want to mention a few.
: The crisis they were going through was no accident.
-In the story, who was the one who told them to go to the other side? It was God, Jesus. I’m sure he knew what they would be facing.
Thought: Today maybe you’re in a situation and you’re confused because you followed God’s instruction and things don’t seem to be turning out the way you thought. Hang on, God knows.
: Another thing. Understand the crisis they were in was in God’s timing.
-I’m sure in their minds they thought the timing of all this is a disaster—Jesus is not with us, we just got through with a long day of ministry, now we’re up all night trying to get to the other side.
Thought: When you’re in the will of God, God’s timing is never wrong. I find the Lord’s tests come at the most inconvenient times.
: Another thing we can learn from this story. The circumstances of this crisis were no accident.
-I believe the Lord orchestrated these circumstances to build the disciples. It gave Peter a better chance to practice his faith as well as the others. They all had a greater revelation of who Jesus was after it was all over.
Thought: Maybe the circumstances you’re facing today are God ordained.
In Conclusion
Nothing is impossible with God. God raised dry bones to life but he used Ezekiel to do it. Just as Ezekiel was obedient and spoke life into the situation, we also need to speak life into our situation.
-I wonder what would have happened if Ezekiel didn’t speak. Nothing would have happened.
Example. The Lord told some of you exactly what to do and until you do it, it’s not going to come about.
