****ezekiel 37

(Ezekiel 37:1–10)

Application to the nation of Israel: In chapter thirty-six God promised the people through the prophet that there would be a restoration of the nation of Israel. There would be blessing on the nation like never before. They would return to the land and the land would be like the Garden of Eden. The cities would be rebuilt and fortified.

During the time of Ezekiel the nation was far from experiencing the blessings of the Lord.

→ They were a divided nation.

→ They were a dead nation,

→ a departed nation away from their homeland and

→ they were a deprived nation.

They were deprived of their land, their king, and their place of worship in Jerusalem. Israel from the North and Judah of the South needed restoration, reconciliation, renewal, and revival.

Application to Lost sinner: Those who are lost are dead in their trespasses and sins. (Ephesians 2:5) Lost sinners need life. They need the breath of God, the life of God, and the power of God.

Application to the church: Israel was the Old Testament church given the blessings of God and the message of God for the world. They failed the Lord miserably.

Ezekiel declared the possibility of revival, the preaching in revival, and the power for revival. Revival can still come to people who sense their condition, seek the cure, and surrender to Christ. Do we need revival? Can we ever have revival again? Do we sense our distance and dryness? Are we willing to hear and heed the word of God and call upon the Lord to send revival? Do we even recognize the problem? This passage gives us some insights into what the Bible says about revival.

I. We must recognize the situation. (1–3)

A. The initiative of the Lord: Where He took the prophet. (1–2)

The Lord took the initiative in showing His servant what He would do in the future for His people. Ezekiel had the hand of the Lord come upon him. You and I need the hand of the Lord to be upon us as we serve Him. The Bible tells us where the Lord took the prophet.

1. It was a place of deadness. (1)

“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.”

Ezekiel saw a vision from the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord took Ezekiel out and set him down in the midst of a valley of dry bones. Valley: means wasteland. He was in the midst of a place of deadness. There was death all around.

God took Ezekiel to Dry Bones Baptist Church. There are plenty of those churches in the world today. I’ve seen and heard of:

→ Funeral Home Fellowship

→ Corpse Congregational

→ Miserable Multitude

→ Graveyard Gathering

→ Apathetic Assembly

Dr. Herb Reavis, pastor of North Jacksonville Baptist Church, made this observation: Most pulpit committees will bring the preacher in and show him the best side of town. They will show him the Super Wal-mart, Target stores, the shopping centers, the fun activities for his kids. They will roll out the red carpet for him and his wife and tell him “All we need is a leader. We are ready to follow.” What they really mean is that the first time you try to take us to where we do not want to go we will tar and feather you and put you on the first bus out of town. The Holy Spirit was a One Person Pulpit Committee. He took Ezekiel out and showed him a dead church. There was no life at all. He didn’t paint a pretty picture. He didn’t call Ezekiel to an easy work.

God called Ezekiel to Dry Bones Baptist Church. The Lord took Ezekiel and set him down in the midst of a valley of dry bones. This was a picture of judgment on the nation because of their disobedience to the Lord. There was no meat or flesh or sinews at all. The valley was full of death. The birds of the air and vultures had picked the bodies clean. The Lord told His people this would happen if they did not obey Him. Deuteronomy 28:25–26 says, “The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth. 26 Your carcasses shall be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and no one shall frighten them away.” Jeremiah 34:20 says, “I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. Their dead bodies shall be for meat for the birds of the heaven and the beasts of the earth.”

The Lord took the Prophet to a place of deadness. Dry bones filled the valley. There were bones everywhere. They had been so dead so long and from all human perspective the situation was hopeless. The Lord didn’t take him to a pile of bones, but a place of bones! It was a place of deadness. We also learn:

2. It was a place of dryness. (2)

a. The inspection by Ezekiel. (2a)

“Then He caused me to pass by them all around”

Ezekiel evaluated the situation. He did a thorough inspection of the valley of dry bones. The Lord caused him to see the deadness and dryness and to get the full impact and seriousness of the situation. You and I need to examine ourselves daily to make sure we are walking in close fellowship with the Lord Jesus. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.”

It is wise of us to take a spiritual inventory and to seriously inspect our own lives. We are often times too busy inspecting the lives of others that we fail to look within.

• Would you ask God today to show you the true spiritual condition of your own heart and life?

We learn of the inspection by Ezekiel and we also see:

b. The insight by Ezekiel. (2b)

What did Ezekiel learn by his investigation and inspection of the situation?

“and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry.”

There was very many and they were very dry! The valley was full of dry bones and they were very dry. Churches today are very dry! Many times there’s no spiritual vitality in our worship services. There’s no consecration to the Lord or celebration of the Lord! My good friend John McDaniel said, “We are not to come for toleration, but for celebration.”

Vance Havner said, “There ought to be enough divine electricity in every church service to give everybody in the congregation either a charge or a shock!”

He goes on to say, “It is time God’s minister grew tired of hearing the pagans sneer, ‘Where is your God!” We claim to have the answer to every need of humanity. If we really believed this, no auditorium would hold the people. If we don’t believe it, we are the worst hypocrites on earth to preach and promote what most adherents wouldn’t miss being without. There is something wrong with our Christianity when we have to beg most of our crowd to come to church to hear about it … We ought to be ashamed when the world goes by looking at a corporal’s guard huddled in a lumber yard of empty seats singing, ‘Revive us again.”

If I were a non-Christian who dropped into an average church during a so-called revival, and saw a handful of the membership trying to enlist more recruits in the army of the Lord when most of the outfit they already have was A.W.O.L., I would conclude either that Christianity is not what it is supposed to be or that Christians had been inoculated with a mild form of the faith and immunized against the real thing. I would feel like rising from a back pew to ask, ‘Where is your God? What do you mean by singing ‘Onward, Christian Soldiers’ when most of your army has deserted? What do you mean by singing, ‘My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine; for Thee all the follies of sin I resign,’ when on Sunday night most church members sit home watching Sodom and Gomorrah brought into the living room?”

“Where is your God?” Any other organization, business, secret order, political party or social club with no more loyalty to its founder, no more joy in its program than most church members have, using as much raw material and turning out as poor a finished product as does the average church, any such organization would be out of business.”

Ezekiel inspected the situation and saw that it was not good at all. God gave him some insight into the reality of things. There were very many bones and they were very dry bones. This tells us that they had been dead a long time. Very: the word means “vehemently, wholly, or exceedingly. Dry: the word means “dried away or dry.” Are you dry this morning? Has there been a time in the past where you were closer to the Lord Jesus? Have you drifted away?

What caused Israel to get into the shape they were in? Ezekiel 36:17–18 says, “Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own ways and deeds; to Me their way was like the uncleanness of a woman in her customary impurity. 18 Therefore I poured out My fury on them for the blood they had shed on the land, and for their idols with which they had defiled it.”

Idolatry got them into the mess they were in. Idolatry has gotten America and even the church in the shape it is in!

→ Many people are religious, but not righteous.

→ They are consistent, but they are cold.

→ They are diligent, but they are dry.

Let me give you some signs to tell if you are dry.

◦ If you wake up on Sunday morning and have to think about whether to go to church or not, then you are dry.

◦ When you get to church and you are taken up with everyone or distracted by anything else, then you are dry.

◦ If you do not look forward to and long for worshiping and praising God, then you are dry.

◦ When it comes to the singing you are more concerned about whether we have to stand or not, you are dry.

◦ When it comes to the preaching of the word if you are more concerned about the time than the text, you are dry.

◦ If you are more concerned about whether someone gets “your” set or not, then you are dry.

◦ If you are concerned more about the temperature in the room than the temperature of your heart, then you are dry.

◦ If you more concerned about where you are going to eat than lost sinners being saved, you are dry.

A good word: Israel’s disobedience led to distance and their distance led to dryness.

We have a generational gap in the church which tells us that we are not reaching the next generation for Jesus. Society is getting wicked everyday and the church is getting less godly everyday. We are not passing on our faith to our children and grandchildren.

Statistics:

• Builders: (1927–1946) 65% of that generation has Bible based convictions.

• Boomers: (1946–1964) 35% of that generation has Bible based convictions.

• Busters: (1964–1983) 16% of that generation has Bible based convictions.

• Bridgers: 1984-present) 4% of that generation has Bible based convictions.

America is in trouble if we do not have a Heaven sent, Holy Ghost, sin killing, Christ exalting revival that purges out the wickedness in our hearts and homes and lives. Ezekiel gained great insight into the situation by taking a close look at the dry bones in the valley that God was showing him. You and I can gain great insight into the situation as we take a close look. America will be a nation of dry bones unless the church gets serious about living for Jesus. Unless we look seriously at the situation and repent of our lifelessness and coldness and indifference we will not experience revival from the Lord. We’ve noticed the initiative of the Lord: Where He took the prophet. We also see in this passage:

B. The inquiry by the Lord: What He taught the prophet. (3)

1. What the Lord asked. (3a)

“And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

The Lord didn’t ask this question because He didn’t know the answer. He asked the question to teach Ezekiel a great lesson. Ezekiel had gotten the full impact of the situation. The valley was full of dry bones. There were very many and they were very dry. I’m sure Ezekiel was taken back by this question.

Many pastors go to new works to find the church dry and dead. There’s no life, no joy, no celebration, no reverence, no worship. It’s a valley of dry bones. Pastor’s look at the situation and the Lord asks: “Can this church be vibrant, victorious, fruitful, and godly?”

From the human standpoint we couldn’t fault Ezekiel if he said, “Are you kidding me? This is a valley of death and dryness.” I’m encouraged to know if there was hope for the valley of Dry Bones Baptist Church there’s hope for churches today to be revived! AMEN! The Lord at times asks us some direct, soul-searching, and penetrating questions about the situation! We need to hear the Lord ask today, “Can this church live? Can we make an impact in this world for Jesus Christ? Can Newberry be reached through this local church? Can this church experience revival?” We learn of what the Lord asked. We also see in verse 3:

2. What the prophet answered. (3b)

“So I answered, ‘O Lord God, You know.”

Ezekiel wasn’t dodging the Lord’s question. He answered rightly. From all human reasoning and perspective there was no way in the world that these bones could live. It takes a work that is from out of this world to raise up a valley of dry bones. It takes the work of the Lord Jesus to revive the church that has been slumbering and resting at ease. If there is any hope of revival only God knows and only God can send it!

God was teaching Ezekiel that only by the His work could dead bones live. What seems to be impossible is possible with God. We need to be grounded in our faith and trust in God and Who He is and what He can do. He can do what no man can do! He is God Almighty! What seemed like a great improbability and great impossibility was actually a great possibility with the Lord. Luke 1:37 says, “For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Elizabeth ‘Millvina’ Dean died on May 31, 2009 as the last survivor of the RMS Titanic. She was just over two months old when the ship went down on April 14, 1912 about 380 miles southeast of Newfoundland. Dean’s death, at the age of 97, closes the chapter of a somber tragedy that has captured our attention for nearly 100 years.

Dean, her 2 year old brother, and their mother were three of the 706 survivors. Her father was one of the 1,517 casualties. As historians used the occasion of Dean’s passing to reminisce about the ship that was advertised as “practically unsinkable,” one interesting reminder surfaced. The pride of the White Star fleet had previously unheard of amenities. It boasted a mahogany-paneled smoking room, a swimming pool, and a squash court.

Unfortunately, though, it did not have enough lifeboats for the 2,223 onboard. Such examples from history teach us how easily we can become enamored with life’s perks and overlook the essentials. Are we enamored with the perks and blessings of life and have neglected the essentials of true life? Ezekiel knew that only God could rectify this situation.

The situation is dark and gloomy in the church today, but it is not hopeless. Ezekiel understood that if there was going to be a resurrection and revival in the nation of Israel only God could do it!

→ It’ll not take place by our planning, programming, or persistence.

→ It’ll not happen by our work, worry, or wishing!

→ It will not come about by our energy, efforts, or enlisting!

→ It will not occur by our positive thinking or our prideful attitudes.

→ It will not ensue from our diligence, determination, or developments.

If there is ever going to be a revival in America and this world and in the church only God knows! He is the One that can send revival, but we must do our part in preparing ourselves for a great awakening from the Lord. We must be spiritually and physically in a place where we can hear and heed the word of God. The Lord will raise up the broken; He will draw near to the humble; He will lift up the contrite; He will revive those who truly hunger and thirst for righteousness. Isaiah 57:15 says, “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

What the Bible says about Revival! (pt. 2)

(Ezekiel 37:4–10)

In the previous study we learned that God called Ezekiel to a difficult work. From all human perspective it was an impossible work. The hand of the Lord came upon Ezekiel and He took Ezekiel out in the Spirit of the Lord.

We desperately need the hand of the Lord upon us as we serve, minister, and live out our faith in the Lord Jesus. We learned in the last study that the Lord took the initiative. We learned in verses 1–2 where He took the prophet. God took Ezekiel out and He set Ezekiel down in the midst of a valley full of dry bones.

We learned in the last study that if we are ever going to have revival in the church we must recognize the situation. God took Ezekiel to Dry Bones Baptist Church! The Lord didn’t paint a pretty picture for Ezekiel. We have learned that the Lord took Ezekiel to a place of deadness and to a place of dryness.

In verse two we noticed the inspection by Ezekiel. The Lord caused him to pass by them all around. He saw the bones from every angle. We also noticed the insight by Ezekiel. There was no doubt they were very many and there was no doubt they were very dry. This was Death Valley and I’m not talking about where Clemson Tigers play football! Ezekiel gained great insight by taking an honest look at the situation. You and I need to recognize the situation in the church today.

The Lord took Ezekiel out and showed Ezekiel a valley of death. The Lord took the initiative: we learned where He took the prophet. In verse three we noticed the inquiry by the Lord: what He taught the prophet.

God asked Ezekiel if these bones could live. We need to be confronted with the situation and asked, “Can this church be alive and vibrant? Can we make a difference in this world for the Kingdom of God? Can we see lost sinners saved and the saved serving by the power of the Spirit of God for the glory of God?”

Ezekiel answered the Lord, “O Lord God, You know.” Only God knows if the church can be revived! Only God knows if America and the world can be revived again! What we must do first is recognize the situation. We’ll never receive revival until we see our desperate need for revival! Ezekiel declared the possibility for revival, the preaching in revival and the power for revival. We can still be revived if we will sense our condition, seek the cure, and surrender to Christ. This passage gives us some facts about what the Bible says about revival.

II. We must respond to the sermon. (4–7)

A. The command to preach. (4a)

“Again He said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones, and say to them,”

Prophesy: to speak the truth for God. Ezekiel was called by God to preach and he was commanded by God to preach. God has not rescinded His call to preach the word of God. 2 Timothy 4:1–2 says, “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.” True men of God are called by God to preach!

God has not called us to be:

→ Biblical Life Coaches to help folks get in touch with their inner self.

→ Spiritual Facilitators

→ Polished Communicators

→ To have a chat or share time

→ Or dramatic dialogue

He called Ezekiel to preach the word! Thank God for God called preachers. Ezekiel was not “mama” sent, but he was God called! And there’s a difference! AMEN!

God told Ezekiel to preach and then He told Him who to preach to! He said, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them” He was to preach to a valley of dead and dry bones. Some pastor’s think they have a hard ministry. They ought to look at Ezekiel assignment! God does not call us to an easy work! He’s commanded us to stand and preach! God told Ezekiel to preach to dead and dry bones. He called Ezekiel to preach to dead people.

My evangelist friend Rick Coram told the story of the time he was preaching a meeting in Virginia. He was only going to be there for one night so to accommodate the people he stayed in the home of one of the members. The home he stayed in was a three level home. They had the basement where he stayed, the middle level where the family stayed, and on the ground level the family had a fabric shop.

Bro. Rick had a 5 A.M wake up call the next day. That morning his alarm went off and he got up and went to the restroom to get a shower. He said that he was half blind and he pulled back the shower curtain, and the family had left a female mannequin in the shower—they had forgotten about it. When the evangelist pulled back the curtain he screamed bloody murder. He said that what bothered him was that the woman was not screaming back. He thought, “Not only is there a woman in the shower, but she’s dead!” The folks in the house came to check if everything was alright. A little later at breakfast everyone laughed about it. The man of the house gave the preacher a line that would preach. He told the evangelist, “Boy, preacher you have got some lungs. You didn’t scream loud enough to wake the dead, but you did scream loud enough to wake the sleeping.”

Ezekiel didn’t have to preach to the sleeping, but he had to preach to the dead! We’ve noticed the command to preach. We also notice:

B. The contents of the preaching. (4b–6)

1. The word of the Lord. (4b)

“O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!”

Ezekiel wasn’t call to preach his philosophy, his own ideas, his agenda, but he was called to preach the word of the Lord. Would to God that every pastor would stand and preach the word of God! We need more men that will stand in the power of the Holy Spirit and say “O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!” True men of God will preach the true word of God without fear, without hesitation, and without reservation! God told Ezekiel who to preach to and what to preach! We learn the contents of Ezekiel’s preaching!

Ezekiel didn’t preach:

• A seminar on how to be better bones

• User friendly message: on how to feel good about your skeleton

• Positive message: I’m okay and you’re okay!

• Watered down message: All bones go to heaven

Ezekiel was to stand and call the dry bones to hear the word of the Lord. The contents of the preacher’s message must be the word of God. We are not to preach about the Bible, but we are to preach the Bible. The preacher’s authority comes from the Word of God! “Thus saith the Lord!” is our authority. Dry bones were called to hear the word of the Lord!

In today’s society Ezekiel would be locked up and put in a padded room for preaching to a valley of bones. Can dead bones hear the word of the Lord? God can speak to dead people and they hear!

Examples:

→ John 11 Jesus spoke to Lazarus, who had been dead four days, and the dead man got up and lived.

→ Luke 7 Jesus stopped the funeral procession of a young man. The widow from Nain’s only son had died. Jesus spoke to the dead boy and he got up from the dead!

→ I love the song by Michael Combs that goes, “Walking into the city of Nain. Jesus came upon a woman in pain. Her only son was dead and departed and she was so broken hearted. Jesus said, “Woman don’t you mourn. It’s for this reason that I was born. To heal the sick and raise the dead.” Then he looked at her young boy this is what He said, “Young man get up. Wipe the sleep out of your eyes that My Father may be glorified be alive, it’s time to get up.”

Dead bones will not respond to our words, but they will respond to God’s word! Matthew Poole said, “When they are deaf to a prophet, they will hear the prophet’s God.” Preachers today ought to stand and call sinners to hear and heed the word of God.

→ O adulterers hear the word of the Lord

→ O fornicators hear the word of the Lord

→ O drunkards hear the word of the Lord

→ O gossips hear the word of the Lord

→ O idolaters hear the word of the Lord

→ O liars hear the word of the Lord

→ O thieves hear the word of the Lord

→ O covetous hear the word of the Lord

→ O blasphemers hear the word of the Lord

→ O rebellious children hear the word of the Lord

→ O murderers hear the word of the Lord

The content of Ezekiel’s message was the word of the Lord! Within the word of the Lord we learn about:

2. The work of the Lord. (5–6)

a. They will receive life. (5–6a)

“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.”

God told Ezekiel when to preach, where to preach, who to preach to, and what to preach. Ezekiel preached the word of the Lord. We notice the contents of Ezekiel’s preaching. God had made a promise through His word about His work. He would cause breath to enter into them and they would live. He tells them that He would put sinews on them and flesh would cover them and the breath of God would enter them. They would indeed receive life!

The Bible tells us in Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” When the word of God is preached and people believe the message and by faith trust in Jesus there is life. Men and women dead in their trespasses and sins can live through Jesus Christ. This valley of dry bones can live and God will cause them to live.

When we believe on the Lord we will receive life. The bones will not be scattered and death will not reign when God shows up. God can still revive dead, dry, indifferent, lifeless, formal, cold, and calloused churches. Have you received life from the Lord Jesus? If you are in Christ you are alive in Him! Not only will they receive life, but we also notice:

b. They will recognize the Lord. (6b)

“Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”

The Lord tells Ezekiel that when the nation is revived and brought back to life they will know that the Lord is God. They will recognize the Lord and give Him the honor, reverence, worship due His name. They will know for sure that only God could do what He promised He would do.

The church of Jesus Christ needs to recognize that Jesus is the Lord. He is the One that conquered death, hell, and the grave! He reigns as Sovereign Lord of lords and King of kings. We need to “know that He is Lord” in our everyday living!

→ In our hearts He is Lord;

→ in our homes He is Lord;

→ on our job He is Lord;

→ on our journey He is Lord;

→ He is Lord over our wallets;

→ He is Lord over our work;

→ He is Lord over our labor;

→ He is Lord over our leisure;

→ He is Lord on Sunday’s;

→ He is Lord on Monday’s!

→ He is Lord of all!

God told Ezekiel that the bones would receive life and they would recognize the Lord. How are we doing in giving the Lord the glory due His name? The Bible tells us of the command to preach, the contents of the preaching, and we also note:

C. The compliance of the preacher. (7)

1. The response of the preacher. (7a)

“So I prophesied as I was commanded;”

Thank God Ezekiel did as he was commanded to do. There are still preachers today that will obey the word of God and His call on their lives. There are still some God called and Spirit filled preachers of the word of God. If preacher’s would be compliant to the command of God and preach the word of God then He can use His word to save souls, change lives, grow His servants, and change this world.

God honors His word and blesses His servants and His saints when the Word of God is preached! If preachers are not going to preach the Book they ought to set down and shut up! If they refuse to faithfully preach the word of God then they have not been called by God to be a preacher. Preachers preach! That’s what they are supposed to do! AMEN! Ezekiel kept the main thing the main thing! He obeyed the command of God and he preached. Ezekiel got back to the basics and preached the word and the people responded to the sermon.

The story is told that years ago when Paul “Bear” Bryant was the coach at Alabama. It was during the time that they didn’t lose very often. One Saturday they blew a game. The Bear was furious. Monday when the team came to practice and they began to divide up into their units, the offensive, defense, and special teams were getting ready to practice. The “Bear” said, “Alright boys, everybody over here.”

The assistant coaches didn’t know what was going on. He gathered the Crimson Tide team around him. He said, “Gentlemen, we looked pretty bad Saturday. It looked like we didn’t know a play in our playbook. We looked like we didn’t know any defensive schemes. We looked like we’d never been on a Football field before. So Gentlemen, I’m going to assume you haven’t! It’s time to get back to the basics.” He reached down and picked up a pig-skin and held it above his head and said, “Gentlemen, this is a Football!” No one laughed and the Crimson Tide got the message! You and I need to get back to the basics. This is a Bible and we need to believe it, study it, obey it, and live by it! After the response of the preacher the Bible tells us of:

2. The result of the preaching. (7b)

“and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone.”

God does mighty works when His word is preached. In the process of his preaching Ezekiel was privileged to see God work. When revival comes and God sets down on a church there will be a noise heard. There will be a noise of confession and crying, there will be a noise of weeping and worshiping, there will be a noise unity as His church comes together for His glory.

Ezekiel said, “and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone.” Ezekiel saw:

→ The feet bones connect to the leg bones

→ The leg bones connect to the hip bones

→ The hip bones connect to the back bones

→ The back bones connect with the rib bones

→ The back bones connect to the neck bones

→ The arm bones connect to the torso

→ The hand bones connect to the arm bones.

There was something going on at Dry Bones Baptist Church. There needs to be a work of God in our churches today! AMEN! There was a shaking and a rattling going on at Dry Bones Baptist Church. Most of the time when there is movement it is not the right kind. Ezekiel was in a valley of Dry Bones.

◦ No one got up to go to the restroom

◦ No one got up and left out the back

◦ No one was texting their friends on their cell-phones

◦ No one was turning to look at what everyone else was doing

◦ No one was passing notes and giggling

This was a bunch of dead bones until the word of God was preached and God showed up! The bones responded to the sermon! They heard the word of the Lord and they were changed by the work of the Lord. Vance Havner said, “In Ezekiel’s day they heard the preacher, complimented him, told others about him, but did nothing about the message. The centuries have passed, and today we listen to preachers, invite others to hear them, congratulate them with that very doubtful compliment, ‘I enjoyed your sermon.’ But we do nothing about it. Let it never be forgotten that, although we may do nothing about the Word we hear, the Word will do something to us. The same sun melts ice and hardens clay, and the Word of God humbles or hardens the human heart. Truth heard and not acted upon is a dangerous thing.”

Ezekiel preached the word! Miracles happen when the Book is preached. Fragmented faith and fractured families are put together when the Book is preached. There will never be revival in the church today or any day until we first recognize the situation and then we must respond to the sermon. If you have preaching you ought to thank God for it! We ought to respond to the sermon! Ezekiel preached his heart out and there was movement! We must recognize the situation, respond to the sermon, and then lastly we note:

III. We must rely on the Spirit. (8–10)

A. There remained a problem. (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.”

Ezekiel observed the work of God. By the way when God is at work there will be some tangible fruits. Ezekiel no longer saw a valley of dry bones! He saw the sinews and flesh that came upon the bones. They were now bodies! They were one step closer to having life. But there remained a problem. These bodies looked good, but they were still dead bodies.

Ezekiel understood that there’s only so much that the preaching of the word can do! We have had so much preaching in America and we are still in the shape we are in. The problem that Ezekiel saw was that there was no breath in them. The preacher can and should be faithful to preach the word, but he must always rely on the Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit there is no life! Breath: ruwach, roo’-akh; wind; by resemblance breath, life, spirit, or Spirit.

Application: After I came to FBC many people told me we need preaching. I agree every church needs preaching. After two years here I can say that I have faithfully preached the word of God. There are many preachers that are better at preaching than me, but they do not preach a better Word than me. I have the same Bible and I am committed to preaching and teaching the Word of God. After looking, like Ezekiel did, at the situation I’ve noticed that some have been moved together and yet others are the same or in worse condition than when I got here.

We must recognize the situation, we must respond to the sermon, and we must rely on the Spirit. I say with a broken heart that many churches are stuck in the valley and they are happy and content to be there. Churches need the Life of God, the Breath of God, the love of God, and the power of God upon them! Ezekiel saw the problem that remained. He did something about it.

B. He requested the power. (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.”

God tells Ezekiel what to do to rectify the situation. He tells Ezekiel to request the power. Matthew Henry said, “God’s grace can save souls without our preaching, but our preaching cannot save them without God’s grace, and that grace must be sought by prayer.” The power is available for us to be revived. The Lord wants to send a great revival.

Ezekiel was commanded to prophesy to the breath. God is still telling us today to request the power. We must call upon the Lord and ask Him to breathe on those slain that they may live. It is God’s will to revive the Dry Bones Baptist Church and we must call upon Him as He directs.

Ezekiel had a responsibility to do His part and to trust God to do His part. Charles Spurgeon once said, “Decayed churches can most certainly be revived by the preaching of the Word, accompanied by the coming of the heavenly breath from the four winds.” He was to request that the winds of revival come from the four winds. This reminds me that God works in mysterious ways. He cannot be programmed and scheduled when we want and how we want, but He comes the way He wants and when He wants. We need the breath of God to breathe on the slain that they might live. Without the breath of God there will be no life. We, like Ezekiel, need to desperately request the power of God to revive the church of God. Warren Wiersbe wrote, “From time to time, in response to His people’s prayers, the Lord has seen fit to send a new “breath of life” to His church and His servants, and for that blessing we should be praying today.” Do you recognize the situation? Are you willing to respond to the sermon? Will you hear and heed the word of God? Do we rely on the Spirit?

In the 1st stanza of the Hymn “Brethren, we have met to worship,” says, “Brethren, we have met to worship and adore the Lord our God; will you pray with all your power, while we try to preach the Word? All is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down; brethren, pray, and holy manna will be showered all around.” We need to request the power. We must rely on the Spirit. Rick Coram said, “We need the Breath of God to blow on our churches so that we will quit applauding our celebrities and start adoring our Christ. So we’ll quit entertaining and start exalting. So we’ll quit playing church and start having church.” The Bible tells us that there remained a problem, he requested the power, and lastly we see:

C. God raised the people. (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.”

Ezekiel prophesied as the Lord commanded him. He said all that the Lord wanted him to say. The Lord put His thoughts in Ezekiel’s mind and His words in Ezekiel’s mouth. When Ezekiel did as God told him to do God did what He told Ezekiel He would do. God raised the people to life! God sent the revival on the Valley of Dry Bones Baptist Church. Breath came into them and they lived. The bodies came to life and the soldiers stood up! When God shows us there will be life and we’ll stand up for Jesus.

Ezekiel saw an exceedingly great army standing tall for the Lord. There is great evidence when God does a work in a church. People will take notice when dead man start living; when slain men start breathing; when fallen soldiers stand to attention! God did the work and God got the glory! That’s the way it should be! If God is going to send revival to His church today we must recognize the situation, respond to the sermon, and rely on the Spirit.

The Spirit of God is still speaking today! He is drawing men and women to the Lord Jesus! He is convicting of sin and raising from the dead! He is at work today! We need revival and I pray that God would rind the heavens and come down upon His people a fresh and anew. Have you been dry lately? Are you walking at a guilty distance from the Lord? Would you come back to Jesus today? Would you come in confession and repentance today? Are we hearing the word of God? Are we heeding the word of God? Are we relying on the Spirit of God? Are we responding to what God wants us to do? May we surrender to Him today and be revived! God’s is calling for sinners, dead in their trespasses and sins to turn from their sins and in repentance and faith in Jesus Christ they can be born again!