Sermon Tone Analysis

CONNECTED AND CONTENT IN A CHAOTIC WORLD – EZE.L 37:1-14

MT.

CALVARY AND NEW LIGHT MISSION – WED.

AUG. 29, 2007

 

INTRO: WE LIVE IN A WORLD OF DISCONNECT ALTHOUGH WE ARE MORE CONNECTED THAN EVER BEFORE.

TECHNOLOGY HAS PROVIDED FOR US CELL PHONES, FAX MACHINES, EMAIL, SATELLITE RADIO AND DIGITAL TELEVISION, PDA’S AND I-PHONES, BLACKBERRIES.

WE ARE MORE CONNECTED THAN EVER BEFORE AS WE CAN LINK TRAINS, PLANES AND CARS WITH TECH.

TO FORM A GLOBAL VILLAGE.

WE ARE MORE CONNECTED BUT WE MUST DEAL WITH THE OLD INFRASTRURE OF DAYS GONE BY IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND OUR FUTURE.

DISCONNECT MAY RESULT FROM A BREACH OR A BREAK; A CUT OR A CLOG; BREAK IN THE LINE, CUT IN THE LINE, A CLOG IN THE LINE.

THIS PAST MONTH AFTER RETURNING HOME FROM WEEK AWAY; WE DISCOVERED WE HAD NO HOT WATER…THERE WAS A DISCONNECT…BETWEEN GAS AND THE PILOT LIGHT.

THE LIGHT WOULDN’T STAY ON SO THE WATER DIDN’T GET HOT.

AFTER SEVERAL FUTILE ATTEMPTS, I CALLED THE PLUMBER, WHO REPLACED ONE PART, THEN ANOTHER.

AFTER REPLACING THE VALVE, STILL NO LIGHT.

AND THE QUESTION CAME, DID YOU PAY THE GAS BILL?

FINALLY WE DISCOVERED THAT THE INCOMING GAS LINE WAS CLOG, WHICH PREVENTED PROPER GAS FLOW, WHICH PREVENTED THE CONNECTION BETWEEN GAS THE PILOT LIGHT.

THE PGW HAD TO COME OUT, BREAK UP, DIG UP AND REPLACE THE OLD LINE AND GIVE ME A NEW LINE SO THAT CONNECTION BETWEEN GAS AND HEATER COULD TAKE PLACE..AND WE COULD MOVE FROM COLD SHOWERS TO A NICE HOT SHOWER.

DISCONNECT MAYBE THE RESULT OF A BREACH OR A BREAK, A CUT OR A CLOG IN THE SYSTEM OR THE LINE OR IN THE ENVIRONMENT.

MORE SERIOUS THAN A GAS PROBLEM THERE IS A DISCONNECT IN OUR CULTURE AS WELL AS IN OUR CHURCHES.

THE PROBLEM IS THAT DISCONNECT LEADS US TO BEING DISTANCED; DISTANCE THEN FOSTERS DISOBEDIENCE; DISOBEDIENCE LEADS TO DESPAIR; WHICH LEADS TO DISCIPLINE WHICH CAN LEAD TO DEATH.

EXPL: IN THE TEXT WE WITNESS THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN GOD AND THE PEOPLE OF GOD.

ISRAEL HAS STEEPED IN IDOLATRY AND GOD RAISED UP A PROPHET NAMED EZEKIEL..WHO’S NAME MEANS, “STRENGTHENED BY GOD” TO CALL ISRAEL TO REPENTANCE AND RETURN TO YAHWEH.

YOU WILL RECALL THIS BOOK AS OUR FOREFATHER AND MOTHERS SANG THE OLD NEGRO SPIRITUAL…EZEKIEL SAW THE WHEEL WAY UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AIR.

EZEKIEL PRIEST AND PROPHET HAD A STRANGE MINISTRY;

 

HE PROCLAIMED…AND PLAYED OUT

 

GOD’S JUDGMENT ON JERUSALEM

GOD’S JUDGMENT ON THE NATIONS

GOD’S RESTORATION OF THE JEWS

 

HIS MINISTRY WAS VERBAL AND VISUAL TO GET ISRAEL ATTENTION.

CALLED SON OF MAN …HE  DID SOME STRANGE STUFF…TO GET THE PEOPLE’S ATTENTION.

HE ATE A SCROLL

HE WENT TO LIE DOWN ON HIS SIDE FOR 360 DAYS

HE PLAYED AT WAR

HE SHAVED HIS HEAD AND BEARD

HE WARMED HIS FOOD ON COW DUNG

HE RATIONED OUT HIS BREAD AND WATER

HE WASN’T ALLOWED TO WEEP IN THE PASSING OF HIS WIFE.

IN THE TEXT…

 

WE FIND EZEKIEL TAKEN BY THE HAND AND SPIRIT OF GOD INTO THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES.

WHERE THERE IS ICABOD, THERE IS DISCONNECT; WHERE THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED THERE IS DEATH; WHERE THE GLORY HAS BEEN REMOVED THERE IS DESPAIR.

WE FIND ISRAEL IS CAPTIVE; BABYLON HAS COME IN LIKE A FLOOD AND APPLE OF GOD’S EYE HAS BEEN RUINED; ASSYRIA HAS SCATTERED ISRAEL..JUST LIKE ISAIAH AND JEREMIAH PREDICTED.

BUT EZEKIEL GOES A BIT FARTHER AND GIVES US HOPE IN THAT DESPITE…

 

THE RUIN

 

THERE’D BE A RETURN

THERE’D BE A REVIVAL

THERE’D BE A REUNITING

THERE’D BE REJOICING

 

WE FIND THIS PICTURE OF THE JEWS, ALIVE BUT LIVING APART FROM JESUS AS MESSIAH.

THIS IS PICTURE OF

DEATH

DEFEAT

AS WE SEE THE BODIES

BLEACHED AND

UNBURIED

 

THAT ONE DAY THEY WILL WAKE UP…SPIRITUALLY AND SEE AND KNOW THAT YAWH IS GOD.

WE FIND OURSELVES LIVING IN A WORLD OF DRY BONES; DISCONNECTED PEOPLE, LIVING LIVES VOID OF VICTORY, LIVING LIVES VOID OF THE POWER OF GOD.

 

*PROP: THE WORD OF GOD KEEPS US CONNECTED AND CONTENT*

* *

*INTER: WHAT CAN WE DISCOVER ABOUT THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES TO ENCOURAGE OUR HEARTS AND MINDS*

* *

*TS: AS WE LOOK AT THIS FAMILIAR PASSAGE WE WILL COME AWAY CONNECTED AND CONTENT IN CHRIST.

*

 

*I.

THE WORD OF GOD HAS POWER OVER THE “LIFELESS”; OVER THE DEAD V.1-8*

* *

PREACH TO THE BONES – WE LIVE IN A WORLD OF DRY BONES; PEOPLE WHOSE LIVES ARE SCATTERED AND SHATTERED; PEOPLE WHO TRAVEL THROUGH THE VALLEY OF LIFE…CHARACTERIZED BY THE VALLEY OF BACA, THE VALLEY OF WEEPING…OUR DAY IS FULL OF BONES, DRY, VERY DRY BONES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE SPIRITUALLY DEAD, DRY AND DISJOINTED.

PREACH TO THE BROKEN – PROCLAIM THE WORD OF GOD; THIS IS NOT THE NAME IT AND CLAIM IS ACT OF PROPHESY WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO FIND FIVE DOLLARS IN AN OLD PURSE IN THE BACK OF THE CLOSET.

OR SOME WORD OF FAITH THAT IS SO GENERAL AND VAGUE TO GET YOUR MONEY.

PUT PROCLAMATION UNDER THE DIVINE UNCTION OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD.

THIS PREACHING AND PROCLAMATION BRINGS LIFE.

IMP.

JUST LIKE DISOBEDIENCE TO THE WORD BROUGHT DISCONNECT AND DEATH; OBEDIENCE TO THE WORD OF GOD BRINGS LIFE.

TEXT: DAVID SAID, THEY WORD HAVE I HID IN MY HEART THAT I MIGHT NOT SIN AGAINST THEE

 

MT.

4:4 MAN DOES NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.

MT 13:22 IN THE STORY OF THE SOWER AND THE SOIL, NOW HE WHO RECEIVED THE SEED AMONG THE THORNS IS HE WHO HEARS THE WORD, AND THE CARES OF THIS WORLD AND THE DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES CHOKE THE WORD, AND HE BECOMES UNFAITHFUL.

JOHN 5:24 “WHOEVER HEARS MY WORD AND BELIEVES IN HIM WHO SENT ME HAS ETERNAL LIFE AND WILL NOT BE CONDEMNED; HE HAS CROSSED OVER FROM DEATH TO LIFE.

APP: THERE IS POWER IN THE WORD OF GOD; IT CAN TAKE A SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION AND BRING ABOUT RENEWAL.

ILL; BONES IN THE CHURCH; WISHBONES, JAWBONES, FUNNY BONES, DRY BONES AND BACK BONES

*II.

THE WORD OF GOD HAS POWER OVER THE BREATHLESS; OVER THOSE APPEARING DEAD  V.9-10*

PREACH TO THE WIND – PROPHESY TO THE WIND…COMMAND THE WIND TO BLOW ON TE BODIES

AND WHEN THE WINDS FROM THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE EARTH COME; THEY BECOME NOT ONLY ALIVE, BUT A MIGHTY ARMY.

BODY WITHOUT BREATH IS BREATHLESS – ALIVE BUT NOT ACTIVE; FORM BUT NO FUNCTION.

A BODY WITH BREATH = GREAT ARMY AND POINTS TO THE FUTURE DESTINY OF ISRAEL.

IMP.

DECLARATION OF THE WORD OF GOD - THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT, IT’S FULLNESS AND FORCE… OF GOD AND BE AN UPLIFTING EXPERIENCE.

GOD FILLS US WITH HIS SPIRIT AND WE COME ALIVE TO GOD AND THE THINGS OF GOD.

AND BECAUSE WE NEED HIS BREATH …IT SPEAKS OF OUR LIVES IN TOTAL DEPENDENCE ON GOD.

AND IDOLS…WHICH TO ISRAEL IN TROUBLE, AND GET US IN TROUBLE ARE BREATHLESS, AND WITHOUT LIFE; THEY HAVE EYES, BUT DON’T SEE

THEY HAVE EARS, BUT DON’T HEAR

THEY HAVE HANDS, BUT CAN’T FEEL

THEY HAVE FEET, BUT CAN’T WALK

 

GOD RECREATES LIVE BY GIVING HIS BREATH ~/ W~/ QUICKENS US

 

TEXT: WHEN JESUS APPEARED BEFORE HIS DISCIPLES…HE BREATH ON THEM AND SAID, RECEIVE YE THE HOLY SPIRIT.

APPL: LET HIM BREATH ON ME…LET THE BREATH OF THE LORD BREATH ON ME.

 

FLESHLY LIVING IS FUTILE..CARNALLY MINDED MEANS DEATH..BUT SPIRITUALLY MINDED IS LIFE AND PEACE..

 

WE MUST BE…

BORN OF THE SPIRIT

WALK IN THE SPIRIT OF GOD

LIVE BY THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

 

ILL: FAMILIAR WITH AIR-BONE DISEASE, RECENTLY A MAN WITH TB WAS ON AN AIRLINE FLIGHT THAT CAUSED A MAJOR UPROAR HERE AND ABROAD.

IN S. AMERICA  THE WIND FROM THE MARSHES …COMES CHARGED WITH GERMS OF INTERMITTENT FEVER AND CHOLERA CAN ACCOMPANY THE STILLNESS OF THE ATMOSPHERE.

A STORM IS THE BEST PURIFIER…FOR STILLNESS AND INACTIVITY AND DO NOTHINGNESS WILL FOSTER THE DISEASE OF DOUBT.