Rise And Walk With Me
A Christmas Carol • Sermon • Submitted
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· 11 viewsMaking new year's resolutions without God's direction is like the Valley of Dry Bones. But when God breathes life into them, they rise up to be a powerful army.
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A southern preacher divided his church members into five types of bones.
Backbones—The spiritual support of the church that keeps the body standing.
Wishbones—Folks always wishing for better things, but never willing to work and pray for them.
Funnybones—like the bone in the elbow that throws a person into a tizzy when it is hurt. They are touchy, wear their feelings on their sleeves, and are always talking about leaving the church.
Jawbones—The gossiping kind that keep the church in turmoil.
Drybones—Orthodox but dead as fossils.[1]
[1]Tan, Paul Lee: Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and Christian Workers. Garland TX : Bible Communications, 1996, c1979
Today we’re going to look at some dry bones as well: The Valley of Dry Bones in Ezekiel. We’re going to examine the vision God gave Ezekiel in regards to Israel and see how the different stages in the vision are similar to us and our church as we move into the New Year.
The Vision: The Valley of Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37:1-10)
The Vision: The Valley of Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37:1-10)
Why a Valley of Dry Bones?
Why a Valley of Dry Bones?
Specifically due to Israel’s disobedience to God and God’s punishment - exile, Israel felt like dry bones.
3 areas Israel struggled:
Idolatry - worship
Innocent Bloodshed - motive
Immorality - lifestyle
3 phrases of emphasis throughout Ezekiel.
So that they will know that I am the Lord. In response to the first “I” of idolatry.
For my glory. In response to the second “I” of innocent bloodshed.
For the sake of my holy name. In response to the third “I” of Immorality.
The result: The other nations were slandering God’s name.
Generally, any circumstance in which one feels like the life has been sucked out of them due to any number of reasons.
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am pining away; Heal me, O Lord, for my bones are dismayed. And my soul is greatly dismayed; But You, O Lord—how long?
They open wide their mouth at me, As a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me.
What Is The Purpose Of The Vision?
What Is The Purpose Of The Vision?
An illustration of the resurrection of Israel and ours.
To demonstrate that where we are incapable of helping ourselves, God will step in and do it for us.
Where we fail. God comes through.
Where we fall down. God stands tall.
When we forget. God reminds.
When we stumble, He’s there to pick us up.
He will be faithful to His promise, even if we don’t hold up our end of the deal.
That being said, there is great implication here as to what our part should be.
I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.
God still wants to use us in spite of us.
Four stages:
Four stages:
A valley full of dry bones. (vs. 1-2)
Israel felt hopeless. The felt completely cut off from God because of their disobedience. (vs. 11)
Many times we feel like the house of Israel at the end of the year. We feel dried up, our hope is gone, and we are cut off; we feel like God is far away.
We come to the end of the year and begin the new knowing we need to change some things, we need to get some things right, we need to restore some relationships, but where do we start?
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law.
Israel was living life without God’s revelation to guide them (restrain)
Although restraint seems to be a negative term, it really carries with it the thought of self control.
You could equate this even to the blinders on horses.
The specific event alluded to here is the Golden Calf and the giving of the 10 Commandments.
Living life without God’s revelation is like living life without goals. No goals, dead and lifeless, wandering listlessly.
The revelation of God gives us direction in life. God reveals to us what He wants us to do.
He reveals to us how he wants us to live our day to day lives, not in theory, but in practice.
Hear the Word of the Lord (vs 4, 7, 8)
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ ”
A prophetic word - Sermon, teaching
To Hear - means to listen and obey.
Flesh and skin over bones, but no breath (spirit). No Life. No power.
It is a reminder of trying to obey God without the spirit of God.
holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
This could be akin to making goals without God in mind.
Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain.
A prophecy for the ruah to fill the bones. (vs 5-6, 9)
“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from 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 be careful to observe My ordinances.
vs. 5 - ruah - breath, wind, spirit - pneuma
Galatians 5:16-25 - they were trying to obey God apart from the power of the Spirit. They were sliding back into legalism.
Walk by the Spirit
Be led by the Spirit
Exhibit the fruit of the Spirit
Live by the Spirit
This doesn’t mean we chuck the 10 commandments or other moral aspects of God’s law and commandments.
It just means to put our dependence on the Holy Spirit to help us.
Seek the Lord, pray and make goals based upon God’s revelation.
Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord Until He comes to rain righteousness on you.
sow good and right things
reap with kindness
break up your fallow ground
that ground that has been dormant.
it’s time to put it to work.
What have you been holding back from God?
Seek the Lord until…perseverance. keep doing it until he answers.
Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Practical advice on making goals.
A.I.M. to hit them. You get whatever you aim at. If you aim at nothing, you get nothing.
Attainable (specific and realistic)
Immediate (start right away)
Measurable (recorded, get feedback - accountability)
A goal may require some risk. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
They came to life (vs 6, 10)
Allow God to work through you by the power of the Holy Spirit.
When God gives us the goals and direction up comes a vast army
Amazing things can happen when God is your army.
Allow Him to breathe a ruah (breath) of fresh ruah (wind) into your soul.
Allow Him to breathe a ruah (breath) of fresh ruah (wind) into your soul.
Let’s first reflect and repent.
Where have I compromised. Where have the 3 “I’s” crept into our lives. Idolatry, Immorality, Innocent Bloodshed - selfish glory.
Recommit to following Jesus with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Secondly, let’s lay down the good, the bad, and the ugly.
“Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past. “Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.
Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Break up your fallow ground. Hos 10.12
What have you been holding back from God? Give it to Him today.
Which prayers have been “too little?”
Has your spiritual life been dormant?
How about a spiritual gift God’s given you? Has it been dormant?
Pray for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in your life, the church, and our towns. Thy Kingdom Come…The expansion of His kingdom in our areas of influence, both numerically and in depth.
What new thing might God be doing in our midst?
What prize have we lost sight of?
What upward call have we forgotten?
If we let the Lord “ruah” into us, our goals, our lifestyle, and our church planning, we will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to accomplish the goals God has set out for us to do.
Why is this so important? For the same reason it was so important for God to reestablish Israel and gather them back to their land. It was not for our sake, but
So that God gets the glory in our lives
So that His holy name will not be slandered and profaned.
So that the nations will know that He is the Lord.
So that He can show himself holy through us.
When we do this, we can rise and walk with God, a mighty army!