CAN THESE BONES LIVE? MVBC 08/31/14

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1 1 CAN THESE BONES LIVE? MVBC 08/31/14 Ezekiel 37:1-14 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. 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. 3 And He said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? So I answered, O Lord GOD, You know. 4 Again He said to me, Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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! 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. 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. 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.

2 2 How would you answer that question? - My first time here. - I have no experience in this. - Is this a trick question? This vision illustrates the promise of chapter new life and a nation restored, both physically and spiritually. The dry bones are a picture of the Jews in captivity -- scattered and dead. - The Old Testament was written for our learning. Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. God has taught many wonderful lessons in some rather unusual ways. a. Hosea was told to marry a harlot. (Hosea 1:2). b. Naaman was told to dip in the Jordan. (II Kings 5:10). c. Moses was told to make a brazen serpent. (Num. 21:4-9). d. Ezekiel was told to lie on his left side for 390 days. (Ezekiel 4:4-8). He lay on his left side for 390 days to show that Israel would be punished for 390 years; I. The Person A. God starts with a person. 1. Noah, I m going to save the human race through you.

3 3 2. Abraham, I m going to build a nation through you. 3. Gideon, I m going to destroy the Midianites through you. 4. Peter, I m going to give you the keys to the kingdom. 5. Paul, I m going to make you the light to the gentiles. B. God starts with an imperfect person. Psalm 103:14 For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. James 3:2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. I am reminded every day how imperfect I am. Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Ecclesiastes 7:20 For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin. Job 9:20 Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; Though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse. Quote The more I get to know people, the more I love my dog. - Frederick the Great God starts with a willing person. -Source unknown

4 4 To Do Thy Will I am not sent a pilgrim here, My heart with earth to fill; But I am here God s grace to learn, And serve God s sovereign will. He leads me on through smiles and tears, Grief follows gladness still; But let me welcome both alike, Since both work out his will. No service in itself is small, None great, though earth it fill; But that is small that seeks its own, And great that seeks God s will. Then hold my hand, most gracious Lord, Guide all my doings still; And let this be my life s one aim, To do, or bear thy will. - Source unknown At a meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Bobby Richardson, former New York Yankee second baseman, offered a prayer that is a classic in brevity and poignancy: Dear God, Your will, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen. -Source unknown He says, O Lord GOD, You know. Job 34:21 For His eyes are on the ways of man, and He sees all his steps. Psalm 147:5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. Hebrews 4:13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

5 5 Quote Nothing is too big for my God to accomplish, and nothing is too little for Him to use in accomplishing it! - Source unknown Illustration: God said of the Apostle Paul shortly after his conversion HE IS A CHOSEN VESSEL UNTO ME, TO BEAR MY NAME BEFORE THE GENTILES, AND KINGS, AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. 2 Corinthians 8:1-3 Living Bible (TLB) Now I want to tell you what God in his grace has done for the churches in Macedonia. 2 Though they have been going through much trouble and hard times, they have mixed their wonderful joy with their deep poverty, and the result has been an overflow of giving to others. 3 They gave not only what they could afford but far more; and I can testify that they did it because they wanted to and not because of nagging on my part. Ezekiel was someone who listened and responded. Israel was not like him. God s hand on a man Nehemiah 2:18 And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king s words that he had spoken to me.

6 6 So they said, Let us rise up and build. Then they set their hands to this good work. Listen Slowly Writer Charles Swindoll once found himself with too many commitments in too few days. He got nervous and tense about it. I was snapping at my wife and our children, choking down my food at mealtimes, and feeling irritated at those unexpected interruptions through the day, he recalled in his book Stress Fractures. Before long, things around our home started reflecting the pattern of my hurry-up style. It was becoming unbearable. I distinctly remember after supper one evening, the words of our younger daughter, Colleen. She wanted to tell me something important that had happened to her at school that day. She began hurriedly, Daddy, I wanna tell you somethin and I ll tell you really fast. Suddenly realizing her frustration, I answered, Honey, you can tell me and you don t have to tell me really fast. Say it slowly. I ll never forget her answer: Then listen slowly. Bits & Pieces, June 24, 1993, pp II. The Place A. The point I want to make is that God had to open Ezekiel s eyes to see these conditions. 1. A dry place 2. A dead place 3. A dreaded place 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.

7 7 Pagans, worshipers of Diana, immoral Have you ever been in despair? The answer is simple: Quit looking at your circumstances and look at God. Quote: A pessimist finds a problem in every opportunity, but an optimist finds opportunity in every problem. -Winston Churchill Don t despair, for God is the answer. Psalm 19:8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. People will try anything but the Word of God. If I wanted advice on how to have a successful business, I d ask people who were successful, not those who failed. Get advice from Christians who are living for Christ not those who aren t. III. The Problem A. Miracle needed B. Mercy needed When Sarah was 90 years old and God told her that she would bear a son, He reminded her Genesis 18:14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

8 8 God reminded Jeremiah Jeremiah 32:27 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me? The angel Gabriel reminded Mary Luke 1:37 For with God nothing will be impossible. Jesus encouraged His disciples Matthew 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. There is no such thing as a hopeless case. There are no hard cases. There are no problems that are too big for our God. There is no situation that we face that comes as a surprise to Him. Situations where we see the power of God: - Abraham and Sarah - Noah enters the Ark - David goes up against Goliath - Paul sets sail for some foreign land IV. The Prophecy A. The remedy was the Word of God 1. Speak to the dead 2. Speak to the wind Illustrations: I'd rather be able to pray than be a great preacher; Jesus Christ never taught his disciples how to preach, but only how to pray. D. L. Moody --James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988), p. 417.

9 The brilliant scientist Sir Isaac Newton said that he could take his telescope and look millions and millions of miles into space. Then he added, "But when I lay it aside, go into my room, shut the door, and get down on my knees in earnest prayer, I see more of Heaven and feel closer to the Lord than if I were assisted by all the telescopes on earth." Speak what God said Picture Ezekiel standing in the middle of the battlefield among the corpses preaching to piles of bones. But God s ways are not man s ways. Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Every conflict Christ had with Satan, Jesus overcame the obstacles by using the Word of God. In each and every recorded case He declared, "It is written." Can God use you? Can God give life to the dead? Can God go beyond our understanding? Can God change things? Can God place you in a valley of dry bones? What God Does: 1. God is always at work around you.

10 10 2. God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal. 3. God invites you to become involved with Him in His work. 4. God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways. 5. God s invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action. 6. You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing. 7. You come to know God by experience as you obey Him and as He accomplishes His work through you. Experiencing God, Nashville, TN God Knows I know not, but God knows; Oh, blessed rest from fear! All my unfolding days To Him are plain and clear. Each anxious puzzled Why? From doubt or dread that grows, Finds answer in this thought: I know not, but He knows. I cannot but God can; Oh, balm for all my care! The burden that I drop His hand will lift and bear, Though eagle pinions tire, I walk where once I ran, This is my strength to know: I cannot, but God can. - Annie Johnson Flint 1. Hand vs.1 2. Spirit vs.1

11 3. Set vs.1 4. Caused to see vs.2 5. Say something vs Then you shall know vs.6 7. So he did it vs.7 8. Great army from nothing vs You shall know up from an open grave vs I will vs