Osceola Sermon Bible Ezekiel June 2 nd, 2013 Pastor Bob Vale

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1 Osceola Sermon Bible Ezekiel June 2 nd, 2013 Pastor Bob Vale In Ezekiel: June 2 nd, 2013 Book Theme: He is your wheel in the middle of a wheel-the one who assures that dry, dead bones will come alive again. Sermon Title: It ain t over til God says it s over!!! Sermon Topic: (Old Bones in our lives can come back to life! Do you have old bones in your closet? There is hope for our old weary bones with God!!!) Sermon Text: Ezekiel 37:1-14 Speaker: Pastor Bob Vale Biblical Focus: Ezekiel 1:1 In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. Scripture Lesson: Ezekiel 37:1-14 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know." EZE 37:4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, `Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD. EZE 37:7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. EZE 37:9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.' " 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet--a vast army. EZE 37:11 Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, `Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am

2 the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.' " Good video to show for both services: Dry Bones by the Cathedrals before the worship Service: Dry Bones by the Cathedrals. Good video for before both services begins of a college accapella group singing Ezekiel Saw The Wheel: Vive great group singing Ezekiel saw the wheel. Pretty good. The Book of Ezekiel is the 26 th book of the Old Testament and the 4 th book of Prophecy. The book is named after the prophet Ezekiel, which means, God is Strong. The prophet Ezekiel was a prophet for Israel during the 70 years of Babylonian captivity. Ezekiel was born in 623 B.C. to a priestly family, and grew up in the surroundings of the temple in Jerusalem. During the first part of his ministry Ezekiel proclaimed basically the same message given by Jeremiah Jerusalem and the temple were doomed to destruction because of the sinfulness and the idolatry of the people. After the news reached Babylon that Jerusalem actually had been destroyed in 586 B.C. Ezekiel proclaimed a new message of hope and restoration. God would gather the Israelites from the ends of the earth and re-establish them in their own land. The nations who challenged Israel s return would be defeated and judged. The Dry Bones prophecy of chapter 37 reminds Judah that God can indeed breathe new life into their people. The vision in chapter one reminds the people of Israel to strive to be in the center of God s will. Ezekiel was a prophet who had very different prophecies. The images in the stories he told were never seen before. Images of dry bones connecting together to become a skeleton, forming flesh and then coming to life. Images of a wheel within a wheel in the sky with a four headed flying man suspended in the middle.

It would be like telling campfire stories today. One family leader would tell another and so on. The visions and creatures he talked about had to be very odd and scary for some.

3 These were odd indeed. These images compare to the creatures in our own movie creations. Remember 3,000 years ago, there were no movie theaters, no television, no radio, and not even newspaper or books. Stories were simply told from one person to another. It would be like telling campfire stories today. One family leader would tell another and so on. The visions and creatures he talked about had to be very odd and scary for some. I remember as a young teen, my parents allowed me to watch the Saturday night show: Creature Feature. We sat in front of the television scared to death as we watched the different creatures play across the screen. Here are some of the creatures I remember. The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Frankenstein.

scared young teen on late Saturday evenings.

4 The Egyptian Mummy. Count Dracula The Ware Wolf who came out on a full moon. These images still bring back memories of a scared young teen on late Saturday evenings. I wonder if the people in Ezekiel s day felt as if his prophecies and images sent fear and wonderment to their imaginations?

Or do you see a God of the New Testament who is slow to anger and forgiving with mercy and grace towards the truly repentant sinner? Is there a way to view God as both? How about you?

5 I sometimes wonder if some folks in America have an Old Testament view / image of God rather than a New Testament image of God? The Old Testament God image The New Testament God of the Prodigal Son Story Do you see The Lord as the Old Testament fire and brimstone God, ready to quickly punish those who disobey swift judgment? Or do you see a God of the New Testament who is slow to anger and forgiving with mercy and grace towards the truly repentant sinner? Is there a way to view God as both? How about you? How do you view God? The answer to that personal question actually shapes your understanding of life, your relationship with God and how you relate to the Lord and to people around you. In my many years of theological study and reflection, this is one of those questions I don t have a clear answer. I trust that God is good and although I may not understand all of the reasons why God did the things he did in the Old Testament, I know there is a divine purpose and plan to it. I fully trust in his all knowing power. Even today when I look at my own life or the lives of others, I am not always sure of God s providence. But I trust Him all the same; And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

6 I also know both the Old Testament and the New Testament show images of a very forgiving and loving God. God indeed is just and not wanting us to sin, but is also forgiving of us when we are truly repentant. There are great things about the God of both testaments: 1. I like the God who set up the cities of refuge. 2. I like the God who pierces the ear of the volunteer servant. 3. I like the God who set up the scapegoat situation. 4. I like the God who continually over the centuries sends a deliver to save his people, despite their continual sinning and falling away. 5. I like the God of Hosea and Gomer who stays with his adulterous wife as a symbol of God s love for all us sinners. 6. I like the God who hunts for the lost sheep. 7. I like the God who searches for the lost coin. 8. I like the God who calls Zacheus, the cheating tax collector to come down from the tree to eat at his house. 9. I like the God who talks the older men to drop their rocks and not stone the woman caught in adultery. 10. I like the God who willingly gave himself up for us as a ransom for many. Today I want to quickly focus on two important stories from the book of Ezekiel. These two stories are. 1. The Wheel within a wheel he saw in a vision 2. The dry bones in the desert he saw come to life. As Christians we look at these Old Testament stories and ask the question: What do they mean to us today? In an effort to answer that question, we must look at the history of each story and what God was trying to tell the people 3,000 years ago.

This is a video of Ezekiel chapter one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt0qnvbyevg I may read this scripture while the video is going on. The video is not in NIV and it is an odd British accent.

7 This is a video of Ezekiel chapter one: I may read this scripture while the video is going on. The video is not in NIV and it is an odd British accent. I think it would be better if I could read the scripture and keep up with the images. With the use of modern computer animation and movie innovation we can visualize a clear picture of what the Prophet Ezekiel was saying to the people of Israel. We need to cut into the middle of the video and also cut it off early. Start at 19 seconds and finish at 4:16 seconds. (Four minutes in all) Wow, how do you make sense of all of that symbolism? As I researched this scripture; there were many different interpretations. Here is what I think is at the heart of the vision. Fire & lightening: This illustrates the all powerful God of the universe who is above all things in the earth and universe. What do the four heads describe?

8 The Four Faces of the vision: Interpretation: 1. The Man s Face: The greatest among all creatures. 2. The Lions Face: The lion is the greatest of the wild animals 3. The Eagles Face: The eagle is the greatest among the birds of the air. 4. The Ox s Face: The Ox is the greatest among the domesticated animals. However, God s thrown and the Lord himself resides above all the creatures according to his vision. The Wheel within a Wheel: Remember Israel had sinned and was in captivity of the Babylonians at the time, because of their sinfulness and idolatry away from God, Ezekiel was telling them that if they stayed at the center of God s will, He would deliver them back to the promise land and back to Jerusalem. The four headed creatures were in the center of the two wheels; indicating being in the center of God s will. The Eyes within the Wheels: This indicates God s all seeing eyes upon our lives. Seeing past, present and future in our lives. Great video to illustrate the scripture of the Dry bones in the Valley: it is only 1 min. and 39 seconds. Lessons: Ezekiel 37 (Dry Bones) 1. God was trying to teach Israel; He can bring life back to them. 2. God is trying to tell us today. A. If you feel broken, dry, alone or Dead. God can bring life back into your life. B. God can breathe new life into your situation.

9 There was a baby boy born in 1901 in Chicago, Illinois to a very poor family. He grew up as most boys and had an interested in drawing and photography. His family were strict congregational Christians and faithfully went to church each Sunday. Growing up, he tried to join the military, but was rejected. He began to draw pictures and started a company called, Laugh O Grams, but was unsuccessful and in a short time went bankrupt. Suddenly as a young adult, he was single, broke, rejected from the military, started and failed in business, and had no college education. His future did not look bright at all. His life was like the dry bones in our story; not much was going well for him at all. But one thing this young man did not lack at all. Being raised in a Christian church and faith in God, he had a faith in the divine and believed in himself and moved forward towards better days. Later in life this man would quote from the Bible and say, Without inspiration, we would perish. All I ask of myself, is to 'Live a good Christian life. With faith in both God and his abilities, this young man would become one of the most successful men in America. With his suitcase and only twenty dollars in his pocket, he decided to start all over with a new life in Hollywood, California. Once in Hollywood he began to draw cartoon characters and became very successful in a short amount of time. This is when cartoons went from black and white to color on the movie screen. In 1927 he hit is big when he drew an unassuming little mouse named Mickey. Then in 1937, he drew seven dwarves and a princes named Snow White. Later his drawings included characters such as Pinocchio, Dumbo, Bambi and many others. His animated studios for color movies just took off in the 1940 s, hiring over 1,000 artist. He then started a theme part called Disney Land in California, in the 1960 he had the dream of Disney World in Florida, which is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world. Today Walt Disney is a huge success and legend in our American culture. It all started with a dry bones story of a young man who was struggling with life.yet a faith in God and himself moved him to be one of the most successful men in our history.

10 How about you today? Do you feel like your life is like those dry bones? Do you need God s help to pull you back together? God can do it. He can restore you back to new. II Corinthians 5:17 says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! This morning we are going to share in Holy Communion: This is a time to ask God to breathe a new spirit into your life. Perhaps you have old dead bones in your closet you would like to get rid of. The Lord will take those old bones away and burn them to dust at the altar of the Lord. Words of Wisdom: Old American Proverb: It s never too late to start over. God will be with you every step of the way! Benediction: "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace." Until we meet again and all God s people said, Amen.

1 Corinthians 14:1 NIV Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.

1 Corinthians 14:1 NIV Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. Page 1 of 5 Study #4 Prophetic Praying Prophecy and Prayer In this study the powerful connection between the spiritual gift of prophecy and intercessory prayer is taught from the scriptures. The Apostle