Sermon on Brokeness

Expository Sermon Outline:

Theme……………………………………….. Broken   

                        Introduction:

                                                                                                             I.      “I walk down the road.  There is a deep hole in the road.  I fall in.  I am lost…I am helpless.  It isn’t my fault.  It takes me forever to find my way out”

                                                                                                          II.      I walk down the same road.  There is a deep hole in the road.  I pretend I don’t see it.  I fall again.  I can’t believe I am in the same place, but it isn’t my fault.  It still takes me a long time to get out.

                                                                                                       III.      I walk down the same road.  There is a deep hole in the road.  I see it is there.  I still fall in…it’s a habit.  My eyes are open.  I know where I am.  It is my fault.  It is my fault.  I get out immediately.

                                                                                                       IV.      I walk down the same road.  There is a deep hole in the road.  I walk around it.

                                                                                                          V.      I walk down another road.

Thesis………………………………………..3. God will never allow us to stay in our valley of dry bones.   

Transition…………… Israel was being show that their life was life a valley of dry bones and Israel provided three typical responses that we still give today:

(What lead up to Israel’s first response, picture with me:)

                                                                                           I.      Israel’s h-o-l-y  scrap book  

a.       Drought

b.      Joseph

c.       Ten plagues

d.      Arial photo of the exodus

e.       Bondage is close behind

f.       The Red Sea miracle    

g.       Starting to get the picture

                                                                                        II.      Ezekiel’s life time

a.       580 BCE

b.      Fall of Judah

c.       Exile

d.      A people group ready to give up 

e.       Big Idea:  I will never let you stay like the valley of dry bones.

(Israel’s first response)

                                                                                     III.      First Reason  

a.       Verse 11 list three reasons

b.      Verse 12 answers these three reasons  

                                                                                                                                            i.      “Our bones are dried up.”

1.      bone, substance, or self.

2.      they lost themselves

3.      Have you ever felt that was?

4.      God will never let your life stay in the valley of dry bones.

                                                                                     IV.      Second Reason

a.       “Out hope has perished.”

b.      Expectation

c.       Habits

d.      Where is your hope?

                                                                                                                                            i.      Achievement, possessions, self righteousness, acceptance, control, or denial?

e.       What is the worst that can happen if you are not accepted?

f.       The un-holy cycle

                                                                                                                                            i.      Beat themselves

1.      Shame vs. guilt

                                                                                                                                          ii.      Blame

                                                                                                                                        iii.      Try to be strong

                                                                                                                                        iv.      Fall again

                                                                                                                                          v.      God is saying I’m not letting your life stay in the valley of dry bones.

                                                                                        V.      Third Reason

a.       “We are completely cut off”

b.      I’ll always be this way

c.       Story of spelling bee

d.      Failure flue

e.       Albert Schweitzer - “The Tragedy of life is what dies inside a person while they live”

f.       MR LD and trying to find myself in other people view of me

g.      GOD WILL NOT LET YOU STAY IN THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES.

                                                                                     VI.       Verse 37:12

                                                                                  VII.      Charge to the church

a.       God is willing to heal brokenness

b.      He is looking for a church to do it in

c.       Fear of past church experiences

d.      If you’re mixed up with…

e.       You will not find your identity in…

f.       You will not find you value in…

g.      IF ISRAEL DIDN’T GET INTO THE PROMISE LAND WITHOUT GOD’S HELP WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN GET OUT OF YOUR SITUATION ALONE?!

h.      Individualism is not the way to go.

i.        God will not let His church stay in the valley of dry bones.  

Conclusion:  Don’t leave thinking you’re alone. Don’t leave today thinking there is no hope or that you will always be the way you are.  God called Israel out from the valley of dry bones and he wants to do it for you.  Perhaps Robert Frost said it best, “Two roads diverged in a wood.  And I, I took the one less traveled.  That has made all the difference”.