Renew

Good morning, and happy Sabbath. Once again church family. How we many of you were blessed by that wonderful skit if you were same in. We want to thank I'll praise team as well for leading Us in worship, and we are just so glad that you were here to worship with us as we serve a god together. As you can see, in your bulletin says that pasta de Ferguson is speaking today. But if you're new here, I am not pass today Ferguson on pasta Joseph too bad, but it's a pleasure to be with you. He is feeling a little under the weather. And so I just ask you to pray for him. And I trust that God will bless out time together, you know, this Christmas Advent season is often the theme of things going on plan. Do you know Mary didn't plan to be pregnant at her age? The Holy Spirit visited her but yet tremendous blessing can come out of the unexpected. Amen and surveys unexpected things happening in your life. Know that God can be on the move and even bless you in unexpected places. As we come together to worship. I just want to invite you until we're to pray with me. So let us pray. Father. God we want to thank you for bringing us here. We want to thank you for the Advent season. We want to be reminded that you were Emmanuel God With Us that you can fill us in places that we think a dead that you can resurrect. Lord. We want to thank you that the light of the world came into al.doc place. And through your light. May we see you and see Al challenges more clearly knowing that you are the god that has overcome all. And when you are on outside you wasn't, we are the majority. So, Lord, we pray that you bless us right now. Nothing to the cross. I bring only to the cross, I cling for, I ask it in Jesus name. Amen. I shared this with our young people last night for Vespas. Just this little story of my wife who loves to get festive during this time of year. We are you one of those people that like to get festive. And when she was a student here, studying in the school of Journalism and communication, she would prepare in her dorm room and put a little Christmas tree up and get gifts under the Christmas tree. And so she would get some empty boxes and wrap those boxes. And she did, she's just so good at wrapping gifts. If you ever get a gift from her know that the, the rap, the wrapping will be tight around, it'll be no loose ends. You won't even see the tape. Sometimes that's how will she wraps them. But if he ever went to that tree and grab the gift, you'll be disappointed. If you opened it because the box was empty. It was just a superficial thing to to allow the sea. To become festive, but if you looked inside you would find nothing there. And I wonder if some of us sometimes a satisfied with a blessing that external but God wants to go deeper and Phyllis internally. Amen. I believe that God wants to fill us in a way that will not only make a difference on the outside, but it will transform our lives on the inside. So, as we enter our time together, the title of a message, this morning is cold, renew, renew. And we'll be spending most of our time in the Book of Ezekiel. So invite you to turn there as you prepare, but as you do, I want to share with you just this story of of a discovery that took place quite a few years ago. In fact, if you are a bit of an archeology buff, you would know that. This is the sarcophagus of the pharaoh Tutankhamun. In fact, his, his sarcophagus was found in 1922 by a British archaeologist by the name of Howard Carter and has a chisel the way through the doorway, there. He found the entry to the tomb and some of you may or may not know that the pharaoh Tutankhamun died when he was 19 years old. They believe that he had a rare bone disorder based on DNA test. And if you look at some of the odd that is Wrigley depicting him normally every other pharaoh, when he's doing a physical activity, like archery would be standing up. But King, Tutankhamun is sitting down doing some of those physical things that pharaohs would do. So they believe you had a red burn disease. That's what led to his early death. And if I asked you this morning as we look at this sarcophagus, that's a 3200 years old and I asked you can these dead bones live. What would you say would say? Well, of course, not. Of course, these bones cannot live, of course, these burns are so dry know. Life can answer these bones again, but in the Book of Ezekiel, we have a story where that same question is asked to the prophet Ezekiel. And as we turn that, we going to Ezekiel chapter 37, but I want to set a little bit of a context. Because as we look at the Book of Ezekiel, the word Ezekiel, the name is Ezekiel in Hebrew means God. Strengthen, if you need strength this morning, if you need, God to work, a special blessing in your life, if you're saying, God, I'm feeling weary and I need your Holy Spirit to strengthen me. You're in the right place and we're in the right book. Cuz the very name is Ezekiel means god strengthens. In fact, the book Ezekiel provides a major content structures that follow the Book of Revelation. I just want to share some. The son of man is found in Ezekiel 1 and Revelation 1. There are four living creatures that are mentioned in both books. There is an eating of a sweet tasting. Scroll in both books. There is the battle at Gog and Magog in both books. There is very much a relationship between Ezekiel and Revelation. And as we look at this book called Ezekiel, we find that it is a microcosm of the final actions of God before the cosmic close of probation. It's a significant book. It's a book worthy of reading and we going to be in chapter 37 and chapter 37 is Ezekiel is structured is a chapter focusing under the idea of God comforting us and giving us hope and restoring Israel restoration Revival restoring Israel and so is Ezekiel Chapter 37, and we're starting in verse 1. The Bible says this, 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 burn. It was full of Bones. Have any of you ever won that? God as you've been leading in my life. Why did you lead me to this place? Why did you even leave me to a place? That seems so dry. That seems like there's no life in it. It's full of Bones. Maybe, sometimes you want the God, you've been leading in my life, but I don't know why I'm in this situation. And yeah, even in this valley of dry bones, we find that even though there's no flesh on the bones. There's no sense in you, on the bones. God says, they could still be hope for these bones. You see, sometimes when we look at a valley such as this, we look at what we've lost. But God wants to focus us on what is left. Have you ever been in a situation where you've lost something and you want the god, I've lost too much and God goes. Don't focus on what you've lost. Focus on what you have left when Moses was called God. Why didn't you call me while I was a fair while I was a big shot in Egypt? And God said, in Exodus chapter 4, don't focus on what you've lost. What is in your hand. Focus on what is left? You see. God doesn't need a lot to do a lot. Amen. Anyone got some bills to pay sometimes. God can do a lot with a little, in fact, in the Bible. We see over and over again. Even when God had to feed five thousand. Jesus said, all I need is Five Loaves, and two fish. When God said to Samson, Samson was outnumbered by an army and yet with one Jawbone of a donkey. He killed anami. God doesn't need a lot even though there was a famine in the land. God still used a poor widows oil and he did a lot with a little. I just want you to know that you may not feel like you have a lot this morning, but God wants you to know when you place the little in his hand, he can make it much. And so God says to Ezekiel here. He's in the midst of the valley. He's full of it, hits full of Bones, and he's there and you may be wandering God. Why would you leave Ezekiel to such a place? We see the story. There's a connection here. Do you remember off the Jesus was baptized when he was lit? In Matthew chapter 4. He's LED. We're Into the Wilderness and some of you may wonder God. Are you really leaving me? Because I'm in a place that I don't desire to be. I'm in a place that seems like they could be no life here. And you may Wonder in your life. God, why am I in a valley such as this but sometimes, God will lead us in a Wilderness experience. Not because you're doing something wrong but by you because you're doing something, right? Coming from Australia. I'm learning a lot about sports in the United States and we have rugby in a stray. I don't know if any of you are familiar with rugby. There's some similarities with football here, but there's some differences as well. Some of the similarities are, we have a boil? That's a similar shape. Some of the similarities are we tackle. But in Australia, when not wearing that protective gearing for rugby in Australia, we don't pass the ball forward. We pass the ball backwards. Okay, but there is one similarity that we all share as well. Is that when you'll going to the end zone, you will experience resistance. When you're headed in the right direction, you will experience opposition and couldn't be the opposition that you're facing in your life. Is because you're headed in the right direction to be that the challenges you're facing in your life. When you said God, I just got baptized. And why am I facing so much challenges? Will the same thing happened with Jesus after he was baptized he faced challenges in the wilderness. You may be wondering, God. I've given you my life. I thought things would be easier, but God reminds us that sometimes when you're headed in the right direction, you will face opposition. Sometimes if we not facing opposition, we have to wonder what direction we're going in. And so he is Ezekiel is in this place. Ezekiel is in a place that looks like they could be no lie, and then God says to him.

And then he asked him this versus 324. He asked him. Son of man. Can these bones live?

Can these but have it has God ever said to you. Can you change the situation and looks hopeless in? And is he who gives the right answer? He goes silver in Lord. You only know, There's a bit of Hope in that answer. God, it looks hopeless. But, you know, if that this situation can turn around, you know, if this situation can change, then he said to me prophesy to these Burns and say to them dry bones, hear the word of the Lord Dry Bones hear the word of God. We're going to talk about this morning. Besides there are two things that bring about Revival. Ezekiel prophecies to two things. The first one is he prophesize to the burns through the word of God. If a revivals is ever going to take place if it changes ever going to take place. It's going to require the word of the lord. It's going to require the power of God's word. If anything's going to change, it's going to require the word of God to make a difference. And so as he is prophesying the word of God, as shift begins to happen and take place. He's in a dry place, but the word of God can have power even in dry places. In fact coming from Australia going to hear a lot of Australian illustrations. This morning Estrella is one of the driest inhabited continent in the world. And so because of that there's a lot of interesting creatures in Australia. In fact, one lizard. I want to introduce you to is this lizard over here? Many of you maybe not have never seen the lizard like this. This lizard inhabits the Outback. It's in the red sensor. We call it. The the sand is just read in the center of Estrella and yet this lizard is able to survive in dry places by looking at this lizard. What do you think? This lizard is called? Custom horns on it, actually called little devil, little devil. Hopefully, the lizard that statement is given to the fact that it looks like a little devil, but it can also survive in the hottest climates in the world. In fact, this skin of this lizard is made up of a web of drinking straws. In fact, this lizard because it is an Scott really sip water, but it doesn't drink from its mouth. It drinks from its feet. In fact, you can go on YouTube and you can see this lizard put its feet in some damp sand and you can see the water starting to hydrate. The lizard going through all its body and then by the end, the water reaches, the tip of its gone and it's fully hydrated and drinks from his feets. And if God can create a lizard that can live in dry places and if God can bring water, even in desert places, God can bring life to your situation. God can bring hope to your situation even though you may be in a desert Place. God can bring life right there where you are. In fact, in Isaiah, chapter 41, verse 18. The Bible says this, I will make rivers flow on Barren. Height, and the Springs with in The Valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water and the pot ground into Springs. How many of you are? Thankful that God can bring a life sauce into a desert place. We serve a God that can bring hope out of hopelessness. He can bring at times. When we have fear. He can bring Faith and so is ezekiel's, Dad. Things are looking hopeless. But he wants to remind is Ezekiel that when things are hopeless. I want you to know that it was never New Year that got you out of that situation. It's so hopeless because I want to show you my power. I want to show you my grace and so is Ezekiel there in verse 7. Says this. 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. Oh, I wonder sometimes when we use God's word, things begin to shift, things begin to move a difference. Begins to take shape and take place in our lives. I'm so glad for the word of God that can bring life to dead things. And you may have a challenge right now, where you'll wondering God. How can this situation change God? How can you bring life and resurrect the situation? And God wants you to know there is power in his word. Amen. That wind is d, q began to prophesy things began to shift, things began to change, and I'm so thankful that God's word still has power today. I'm sure he was a little squeamish as he began to preach to those dead bones, you know, drink over the towel felt when the church was empty. It felt like God. We can't see anything in church. No one is here. But yet he's worth still has power. Amen. That God's word still has the ability to move things. Even though things may be empty, Gods can still move through the power of his word. And so, there was a rattling that took place. I want you to know that there is a noise happening in your family right now because you're saying God, we want to make the word of God as Center in our family. There's a movement happening. They might be a movement happening. Even in your worst place. They could be a movement happening in your community because people have come together and said, God, we want your words have power in our lives. This annoys taking place. I pray that you've heard rattling taking place in your life. It may not be fully formed yet, but there's movement happening. And so the bones come together. Even though things have broken, you may know the nursery. Rhyme Humpty Dumpty. What sat on the wall? Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, all the king's horses, All the King's Men couldn't put Humpty together again, and do people come put things together. Guess who can God can even though the king's horses and King's Men come fix the situation. God can and so the burns began to come together and there was a fully formed, human as flesh wrapped around those bones in the sinews return. Put the structure back in place, you know, I don't want to invest in my lot, my life in a structure that God hasn't put together. That's why I'm so blessed to serve as Southern Adventist University because God has put that place together. God has blessed it and it's unlike any other university because we realize that God has put Southern Adventist University together to transform lives were eternity. Amen. That God wants us to become more like him as we seek to prepare our students and ourselves to serve the world. I'm so glad that God has put out church together. I'm so glad that God has put the Seventh Day Adventist Church together, because what he saying is, I prepared, you are structured. You don't mess with the structure. Stick to my plan. I put it together so that we can prepare a people for my soon return. Amen. I'm so glad for College Dale Church. I loved the programs here at the church. The structure that is in placed. There is a number of small groups happening. There is a wonderful children's ministry youth ministry. Amen. How many of you blessed by that? There is a Collegiate Ministry. There is a ministry here in the church that deals with those that may be grieving and a Prayer Ministry of probably missed the number of them, but there is structure. God has put it together in this community for a Time such as this but guess what? Not only is a structure needed. The holy spirit is needed. And that's the second part of what is Ezekiel is talking about. This structure is in place, but the structure has no life without the Holy Spirit. We need the holy spirit in our lives for a difference to take place. You know, you can have a wedding. But some people don't have a marriage. You need the Holy Spirit. Some people can have a job, but they don't have a calling you need the Holy Spirit. There is a shift that takes place when the Holy Spirit is involve. Some people have a house, but they don't have a home. You need the Holy Spirit, we can have the structure, but we need the power of the spirit to give life to that structure. A man and I pray that we will experience that power and that's what is Ezekiel. He talks about in the next verse verses, 9, and 10. And he said to me, don't just prophesy to the bones with the word. He said, prophesy to the breath. That's the second part of Revival Revival requires the word but it also requires the breadth the word he to describe this breath is Rua. Hey, that's that hot. It's describing the Holy Spirit as well. That ruler prophesy son of man and say to the breath, thus says, the Lord God go from work from the full Windsor breath and breathe on the slave that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me and breath came in to them and they lived and stood on their feet upon their feet and an exceedingly, there was an exceedingly, great Army.

Al denomination is based on the centrality of scripture. But we need the Holy Spirit to empower Us. In fact, Ellen White describe this point that when it comes to the glory of God and the law of God brings happiness, the law of God brings blessing. I love the lore of God, but she once said that we can preach the lore of God until it's become as dry as the hills of gilboa. Yes, we have the structure in the lower. But we need the holy spirit. Amen. It's when the Lord and the righteousness of Jesus come together. That's when there is life. We need the spirit to fill our lives with what we need, the breath and we cannot give anyone any hope. If there is no life within us to be able to impart the hope that they need. And so he is Ezekiel says, life came into these bodies and there was a great Army and I believe God wants to put a great Army together in these days. Amen. People that are filled with the Holy Spirit, making a difference, wherever they go to the. Holy spirit is needed for life.

We need to pray for the Holy Spirit. Some of us don't be too concerned. If you're if you're saying God I'm praying but there's no difference being made. God says you're the only. The only thing I'm requiring you to do is pray and leave the results to me. There may be someone sick. God heals. He just asked us to pray. God will do the healing. God says, hey if there's someone that you wished changed a little bit, it's not your job to change them. It's my holy spirit, that will change them. I'm just asking you to pray for them. I'm asking you to say, God working their lives, allow the Holy Spirit to give them life. The holy spirit is the one that makes a difference. And you might be saying, God, I want to experience your Holy Spirit, but I'm just searching and I'm in such a dry Place spiritually in my life. How can you? Holy Spirit, come into my situation? Well, I told you I'm going to have a number of Australian pictures. He, I know this is kind of like a morbid picture. I thought these fish were alive, but I look closer than not alive yet, but I just want to share the story to provide context here. There was a town in Estrella. Could you not? This is a real story going Google. Check it out. It's a, it's an official news headline. There was a town in Australia, in a desert place. It was Far From Any kind of ocean far from any kind of large body of water, but one day in this town. Fish fell from the sky. Kid, you not fish fell from the sky and this is someone's backyard with fish landed in the, in their bucket of water. Fish landed in that most of the fish were alive. This one doesn't look too alive here, but they landed in that bucket of water. And fish, literally people couldn't believe their eyes. It was literally fish fulling everywhere on the streets. In the back on the patios fish falling from the sky. In fact with a professional CID. They said that there was the ability for a wind to come to a body of water at a distance from this town and the wind picked up fish 60 to 70 thousand feet in the air and they lived in this town. If God can bring fish to a town in the desert out of the sky. Do you think God can bring blessing to your life, where you are? If God can bring fish to this town God, cause a species of men. Do you think God can bring people to this church. God will bring people. God will bring his Spirit even to dry places. And I believe there is a wind that is moving. There are things that a shifting and if we are open to the wind God will move things in our lives. We just have to be ready to receive it. We have to be ready to receive what God has in store for us.

Just so you think Estrella isn't too weird.

You might think all you guys live in a strange place where I want you to know this. A total reportedly fell from the sky, after a severe hail storm in Mississippi in 1894. Okay, things happen. He to God will shift things and move things in our lives. In unexpected ways. God is bringing a wind that we need. He's bringing the breath of life. And in fact, in Ezekiel chapter, 37, 13 and 14 assists this then you shall know that I am the Lord. Look at how many times the word I is used in connection to God, then you shall know that I am the Lord when I have opened your Graves or my people and brought you up from the grave. I will put my spirit in you and you shall live. You shall live. Amen. There's a situation in your life. And God is saying that situation. May look hopeless, that situation may look dead. But he's going to bring it back to life again. You shall live. And I will place you in your own land, then shall then, you shall know that I, the Lord has spoken it and performed. It says the Lord. God sometimes puts us in difficult situations so that we know it was him and not us. It was him, that change the situation. Look at how many times he says. I I'm going to be the one that changes it. I'm going to be the one that moves that I'm going to be the one that brings it life. I'm going to be with the one that raises it up from the grave. God is going to move. God is going to move but it's going to be based on his wood and it's going to be based on the Holy Spirit, if there is a situation in your life that you'll need in God to move in right now. God is saying Allow the word of God to have its effect on your life, on its effect on the situation and allow my Holy Spirit to bring life to that situation. In fact, there's a couple of questions here that would like us to ponder. How would you describe your life currently? How would you describe it? Is? It dry bones right now or are you Standing Tall? How would you describe it? Question 2. What areas of your life? Do you need God to raise from the dead? Is there a situation in your family right now that you just need a miracle things? Look hopeless in your family situation. Maybe it's for your children. Maybe it's for your spouse. And God is saying, I want to change that situation. Just give it over to me. Is it in your finances? Is it in your personal health or is it in your personal relationship with God? What areas do you need God to raise through his word and through his spirit? And finally, who has God placed in your life to help to raise each other's Spirits, you know, God will often place you in a community not just so that you can be a blessing to others but that others can be a blessing to you. There's some wonderful life group. So all this small groups here in church that you can be a part of God wants to surround you with a Praying community. God wants to surround you with people that will lift you up. There is some church members, he that you can approach and you can say, if you're new here, God I need prayer right now. I'm in a situation. That's that's hopeless and there's no power within us, but there is power in God and we have a church family. He that believes in the power of prayer and of God and God can make a difference in your life. I pray that you take advantage of that as we conclude. There is a wonderful book and quote, in selected messages that says this, a Revival of true godliness Among Us is the greatest and most urgent of all needs. That's what we need, a Revival in our lives, to seek. This should be our first work. If you're wondering what you want to do next. What is your next step? The first word should be seeking a Revival within our lives, then it goes on. It says this, there must be Earnest effort to obtain the blessing of the Lord, not because God is not willing to bestow his blessing upon us. But because we are unprepared to receive it. God wants to pour a blessing in our lives, but he's not going to give us anything. We're not ready. You might be praying for something right now and gods just saying you're not ready for it yet. You're not ready for it's not time yet. So God prepare me for Tammy to receive what you have in store for me. And then it concludes by saying this. How heavenly father is more willing to give his holy spirit to them. That ask him then out Earthly parents to give good gifts to their children. Can we say Amen to that that God is willing to give us his holy spirit more than your parents want to give you a Christmas present this morning. We can still say Amen to those Christmas presents. And if you are a son or a daughter, maybe you're looking forward to a present that your parents are going to give you but God wants to give us a greater present than any human can give us and it is his holy spirit. That is his desire to give it to you. So I pray during this giving season. During this time of giving that I'll greatest gift that we can receive is the Holy Spirit and the greatest gift that we can pray for our church or someone else is the gift of the Holy Spirit. May we pray that prayer and God will promise to give us that gift when we ask it in Jesus name?