Revival In Dem Bones

REVIVAL IN DEM BONES

Lighthouse Worship Center Am Service

August 17, 2008 am

Do you ever have times when it seems like God is on the other side of the universe? Times when it seems God’s not hearing you or your prayers? There are times I feel like that! But when I do I remind myself, that no matter how I feel I know what God’s Word says & take solace in that! Notice what I said, “I TAKE SOLACE!” I don’t always find solace in that but I “TAKE” solace in that. I have to fight my flesh to “TAKE” what is mine!

QUESTION: Why do I feel like that sometimes? When I feel like that it’s because I feel “EMPTY INSIDE!” Do you ever feel “EMPTY INSIDE?” When I feel “EMPTY INSIDE” it’s because I feel “DEAD” in my spirit! GOD “DOES NOT” WANT US TO FEEL “EMPTY OR DEAD INSIDE!” That’s not what being a Child of God is about! Being a Child of God is about being ALIVE, VIBRANT, EXCITED, STANDING STRONG, HAVING POWER, JOY, DID I SAY ALIVE? I DID! LET ME SAY IT AGAIN! ALIVE!

Being a Child of God is about being “ALIVE! ALIVE IN HIM!” Scripture says in Acts 17:28

“For in Him we live & move & have our

being... for we are also His offspring.”

FOLK, IT’S IN “HIM” WE LIVE, MOVE & HAVE OUR BEING! ASK YOURSELF THIS MORNING! AM I ALIVE IN HIM? ASK YOURSELF! GO AHEAD & IF YOU CAN’T SAY THAT YOU “TRULY ARE”, BECAUSE BEING “ALIVE” IS VIBRANT, EXCITING, STANDING STRONG, HAVING POWER, OH, & MULTIPLYING! (LIVING THINGS PROCREATE!), THEN MAYBE YOU’RE NOT AS “ALIVE” AS YOU THINK OR MAYBE NOT AT ALL! I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT BEING “ALIVE” THIS MORNING!

FOLK, YOU’RE CHILDREN OF GOD! THERE SHOULD BE AN “EXCITEMENT” ABOUT YOU THAT IS “CONTAGIOUS” WHEREVER YOU GO! IF NOT THEN AS RICKY RICARDO USED SAY...“LUCY! YOU GOT SOME SPLAININ TO DO LUCY!”

In Ezekiel 37:1-10 (read), God took Ezekiel to the “VALLEY OF DRY BONES!” They had some “SPLAININ TO DO” as well. THEY WERE DRY, & BLEACHED in the sun, they had NO LIFE, NO EXCITEMENT, NO VIBRANCY, NO JOY, NO STRENGTH, & NO POWER! THEY WERE DEAD!

But, hear me! The story is not really of “DRY BONES & DEATH!” But of “REVIVAL!” Those Bones were “DEAD & BLEACHED” picked clean of their “MUSCLES & SINEW” they were “SCATTERED”, & they had “NO UNITY!” They were bones of a “DEAD BEATEN ARMY” who were then “REVIVED TO LIFE!”, TO EXCITEMENT, TO VIBRANCY, TO JOY, TO STRENGTH, & TO POWER!

WE’RE NOT TOLD HOW THEY DIED BUT WE ARE TOLD HOW THEY CAME TO LIFE!

God takes Ezekiel out to this “VALLEY OF DRY BONES” in the Spirit & makes him pass over them, so he sees them in their entirety & he sees that they’re great in number & Ezekiel says they “...WERE VERY DRY!”

I believe Ezekiel recognized them as a “FORMER GREAT ARMY”, even as a former great army of the Children of Israel! THE ONLY FORMER THING I WANT TO BE IS A FORMER SINNER!

Even God speaks fo them as Ezekiel saw them, for God says in verse #12...

“...BEHOLD, O, MY PEOPLE...”

GOD SPEAKS TO EZEKIEL & ASKS HIM:

I. CAN THESE DRY BONES LIVE?

Even God recognized that the bones were “DEAD” when He asked him that question! I imagine that Ezekiel was moved but maybe not all that much. Don’t get me wrong! Ezekiel was a man of God! He knew that if “GOD CHOSE” the dry bones could & would live again. But he knew that only God could really know that or could really do that!

Ezekiel says to God, “GOD ONLY YOU KNOW!” & GOD DID KNOW! God KNEW THAT THOSE DRY BONES COULD LIVE AGAIN! But did the “DRY BONES KNOW” THEY COULD LIVE AGAIN? THAT IS THE GREAT QUESTION! But if the “DRY BONES” could talk they would tell you that “THEY WANTED TO LIVE AGAIN!”

DRY BONES CAN’T TALK BUT THEY HAVE A “VOICE” THAT IS “DEAFENING!” THEY HAVE A “VOICE THAT “ROARS” IN THE “MIDST OF SILENCE!”

KIND OF LIKE SOME CHURCHES! THE “SILENCE” IN A “DRY, DEAD, BONEY” CHURCH IS “DEAFENING!”

OH, FOLK, WHERE THERE IS “LIFE” THERE IS “NOISE!” LITTLE KACI MAKES SO MUCH NOISE AROUND OUR HOUSE SHE SQUEALS WITH “EXCITEMENT & JOY, TEARS & ANGER” & IT IS THE “NOISE OF LIFE!” WE NEED SOME “NOISE” AROUND HERE! SOME “NOISE OF LIFE!”

II. PROPHESY TO THEM

God tells Ezekiel in verse #4

“DRY BONES, HEAR THE WORD OF GOD!”

Thru God’s spoken word to Ezekiel He told them to “LISTEN! PAY ATTENTION! RECEIVE & DO WHAT THE WORD SAID!”

BUT, THE DRY BONES HAD A “RESPONSIBILITY!” FOLK, WE HAVE A