0943 Hitting a Homerun - Dry Bones Shall Be an Army

DRY BONES SHALL BECOME AN ARMY

Dry bones became new flesh with skin.

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. 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. Ezekiel 37:7-8

Breath brought life.

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.” ’ ” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. Ezekiel 37:9-10

1. BELIEVE: “breath came into them, and they lived”

Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Ezekiel 36:25-27

Cleansing ⟾ New Heart ⟾ God’s Spirit ⟾ New Life

In the OT, God gave commandments, in the NT, God gave the Holy Spirit.

New nature doesn’t work without the Holy Spirit. New nature is like the lock and the Holy Spirit is the key.

As prophesying turned the dry bones into living beings so is preaching turns the valley of dry bones into an army of believers.

Your preaching is a prophesy.

Our valley of dead dry bones is waiting for the preachers.

While the culture is into protests, we are to be into preaching-prophesy.

2. BELONG + BUILD: “stood on their feet" Spiritual development has two feet: membership & maturity; connected & committed; belong & build

The Circles of Commitment (by Rick Warren)

Community - the unreached Crowd - attendees Congregation - members Committed - disciples Core - ministers

The circle gets smaller as you get closer.

The commitment gets higher as you get closer.

If our church grows but people don’t, it’s an inflammation not transformation.

3. BECOME: “An exceeding great army.”

Dry bones must become an army. Not a crown, day care, or mob or snowflakes.

It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. 2 Samuel 11:1

Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. 2 Samuel 11:2

Don’t go to a battle when it’s not your season.

What is your spiritual stage?

Don’t stay home when it’s your season to go to battle.

Your bones must go to battle or they get bored and become bad.

If you don’t battle, you get bored, when you get bored you do bad.

When you walk away from a battle you will wonder into bondage