------------------------------------------------
Dead Start - Garrett Lee
Ezekiel 37:1-10
The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. 2 He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. 3 Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?”
“O Sovereign Lord,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.”
4 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! 6 I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
7 So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. 8 Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’”
10 So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.
Sometimes we find ourselves at a dead end, where we don't know what else we can do.
Sometimes an area of our life is dead - a situation or circumstance that has no more hope.
When we hit a dead end in our lives, sometimes that's when God starts.
God can bring something dead to life.
Let's take a closer look at the passage...
vs. 1 - set me down in the midst of the valley
There is a purpose for whatever valley we are in.
Instead of asking "why" we need to ask "what" is it that You want me to do?
vs. 2 - they were very dry
Sometimes God wants to use not just dead situations but situations beyond dead, beyond hopeless. The bigger the mess, the greater the miracle, the greater the message that points to glorify God.
vs. 3 - Son of man
God reminded Ezekiel of his humanity.
It is really about how powerful God is.
vs. 3 - O Lord God, You know
Ezekiel was very wise because he did nt try to be smarter than God.
If we want God to move, we need to lay down our intellectual pride and commit the situation to God.
How Does God Bring Something from Death to Life
1. SPEAKING
vs. 7 - So, I prophesied
The first use of words in the Bible is not for communication but for creation. (Genesis 1:3) God wants us to speak into the situations in our life.
Mark 11:23 - whoever says to the mountain... He will have whatever he says.
There is tremendous power in the spoken Word.
2. STRUCTURE
vs. 7 - bones came together, bone to bone
God starts with the structure.
Before our miracle happens...
We need to start to picture and see the form of what God is reviving in our lives.
We need to start to plan.
We need to start to prepare for it so that we can contain the miracle.
3. STRENGTH
vs. 8 - sinews and the flesh
We can move and have strength because of sinews and flesh.
God wants us to do something - miracles don't happen when we are passive.
Isaiah 40:31 - those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
4. SENSITIVITY
vs. 8 - the skin covered them over
Skin enables us to feel.
We need to bring a new sensitivity to the situation around us.
Are we desensitized in the area where we want God to move?
To feel means we need to be ready to be hurt or disappointed again.
"skin in the game" - means that you have something lose
If you want to see a miracle, we need to come to a place where we have something to lose.
5. SPIRIT (Of God)
vs. 10 - breath came into them
Breath / Wind = Ruah (Hebrew) = Spirit
The Spirit of God must come into our situations.
