Ezekiel 37:1-14

man what a joy what a joy and what a joy it is to be back with you guys and to be able to worship with you thank you so much for your warm and gracious reception brother Gary and choir thank you so much for the music brother Jack Nash my goodness god bless you brother and thank you so much for praying for us I thank the Lord for your pastor and for his family and pray the Lord used them today eleven years ago today I left the pastor it I was pastoring in Mississippi at that time to go on the road full time and for these past 11 years we have traveled full-time and beginning next Sunday we're going to go back to the pastor in North Carolina so we're moving 1,000 miles from home and we're doing it as we speak so I'm not responsible for anything that I say or do today can I get a name in our moving truck left out Thursday and we made our way here leaving Louisiana late Friday and onto here and then following the service we're going to North Carolina to get settled in and begin there next Sunday so thank you so much Church for your prayers now are you glad you here today can you say Amen amen since we're here why don't we have Church is that a deal and why don't we ask the Lord to speak to us I want you to turn in your Bibles to the Book of Ezekiel and I want you to go with me to chapter 37 it is a very familiar passage Ezekiel 37 and I want to stress the Lord to speak to our hearts and to reveal himself to us would you stand as we give honor to the reading of our Lord's word Ezekiel 37 today beginning in verse number 1 Ezekiel 37 and verse 1 the hand of the Lord was upon me and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones and caused me to pass by them round about behold there were very many in the open Valley and lo they were very dry and he said unto me son of man can these bones live and I answered o Lord God thou knowest again he said unto me prophesy upon these bones and say unto them oh ye dry bones here the word of the Lord let's say if the Lord got into these bones built I will cause breath to enter into you and ye shall live and I believe send yous upon you and will bring up flesh upon you and cover you would skin and put breath in you and ye shall live and you shall know that I am the Lord so I prophesied as I was commanded and as I prophesied there was a noise and behold a shaking and the bones came together bone to his bone and when I beheld lo the sinews and the flesh came up upon them and the skin covered them but there was no breath in them now before I continue reading I want to stop there and ask all of us a question who in this room believes that what I'm reading to you today is the Word of God all right who in this room believes that what I've just read to you happened exactly as I just read it to you now what you believe will determine how you behave and if you really deep down in your being believe that we serve a God that can take dead bones and speak to them and bring them back to life then you'll have no problem whatsoever believing that he can do anything that needs to be done in your life in your home or marriage in your family or community in this church yay in this nation so I want to just ask us all a question y'all y'all be seated in just a minute all right so just hang on there I got to stand the rest of the service all right so don't get in the rush don't quit before I do you still awake say Amen if we really believe we serve a God that can do this why then do we live such defeated lives walking around with our head buried in the sand as if our God is dead and as if he can no longer do anything we pray such small prayers and even doubt that God can do what we're asking we must understand this morning and recognize that we're praying to a big God who can do anything and therefore we should be encouraged to pray big prayers and believe God to do it now all my life I've been told as a Baptist what God cannot I've had enough of it I want to start hearing what God 10 dude and I want to start being encouraged to pray big prayers we need to be encouraged not to give up or let up one bit but to get a hold of God and believe that we serve a God that can speak to dead bones and bring them back to life again amen so I just wanted to make sure I was in the right place today amen verse 9 then he said unto me prophesy into the wind prophesy Son of Man and say to the wind thus saith the Lord God come from the four winds o breath and breathe upon these slain that they may live saw I prophesied as he commanded me and the breath came into them and they lived and stood up upon their feet an exceeding great army then he said unto me son of man these bones of the whole house of Israel behold they say our bones are dried our hope is lost we are cut off for our parts therefore prophesy and say unto them thus saith the Lord God behold on my people I will open your graves and I will cause you to come up out of your graves and bring you into the Land of Israel and ye shall know that I am the Lord when I've opened your graves O my people and brought you up out of your graves and shall put my spirit in you and you shall live and I shall place you in your own land then show you know that I the LORD have spoken it and performed it saith the Lord father we need you today to speak to us give us the grace to hear you and to obey you in Jesus name we pray and everyone said amen and you may be seated Ezekiel as you very well know was an unusual and unique prophet of old God we read in this book would communicate his heart to him and his purposes to him and very unique and unusual and what we deem strange ways I don't believe there is any more but killed your way for God to communicate his message and his vision to a man than what we've just read here in these verses God takes the man of God in the spirit and brings him back to a location geographically where God had first called him 25 years prior to this episode God caused seem to be brought back to this open Valley a large valley an open valley and in the spirit allows him to see a valley that is full of dry bones dry means they're baked they're bleached these are dry bones and that is very obvious the scene that is unfolding before the man of God's eyes of an army that had been slain in battle they were not given the decency of a proper burial but rather their bodies were allowed to rot and decompose in the open Valley Ezekiel the man of God says that the Lord allows him to pass by in other words a bird's eye view to the north to the south to the east of the West as far as the eye could see Ezekiel saw an open valley full of bones and then God asked a question can these bones live now you must understand ladies and gentlemen that anytime God asked a question to man in the Bible it is not because he needs man to be his counselor it is not because God does not know the answer God asks questions always for our purposes and for our benefit so he asks the man of God can these bones live now it's Sunday morning it's February the 15th and we're all gathered together to worship the Lord and if we're not careful we're tempted to put our sunday-go-to-meeting face on and we're tempted act super spiritual but if you're really being judgement day honest today had you been backed in a corner and asked my god can these bones live I believe you would have answered the same as I not on your life but I want you to know when you factor God out it is impossible but when you look to God all things are possible I like Ezekiel's answer he was an attempt in the counsel of the Lord he wasn't attempting to become God he just simply said Lord you know that's always the right answer can I get an amen from anyone for things very quickly I want to look at as it relates to this vision that Ezekiel the prophet of God received from our Lord firstly I want to talk about the explanation of the vision by that I mean let's just go through it and let's set the stage and see the background and see what's going on the Lord asked him son of man can these bones live Lord he replied you know God now instructs him to preach to the bones prophesy unto the bones how's that Lord prophesy unto the bones excuse me preach to the bones now I don't know about you but had I been Ezekiel I believe I'd have done a double take and I looked around to see who was looking at me can I get an amen preach to bones some Bible teachers tell us that you'll know the will of God because the will of God always makes sense can I tell you nothing can be further from the truth the will of God very seldom makes sense at first in our lives preach the bones does that make sense to you does not make a liquor sense to me it defies human logic it defies human rationale and reasoning and understanding preached to bones others tell us the will of God my friends will never make you look silly God will never called you to get out of your comfort zone or make you do anything that causes you to look foolish by others preaching to bones a boneyard me preach to bones man of God preached to the bones now I've been called to preaching some unique in unusual places but I don't know that I've ever been called upon to preach to dead bones but you know come to think of it on second thought I believe I have well father what am I to say - but let's give Christian if God called you to preach the dead bones what on earth would you say you're gonna download a sermon off the internet for that I'm gonna preach them a sermon series God says you tell them that I'm gonna cause breath to come into them you tell them what I'm telling you to tell him and so Ezekiel I don't know if this is how it happens but Ezekiel cleared off his face looked around and he read but can you see can you see him is anyone in this room away can you see out in an open Valley men of God raring back and he's doing exactly as God instructs him he's preaching to dead bones suddenly we're told as he was prophesying as he was preaching there was a noise and then a shaking now I don't know about you but some of us in the room scare easily my biggest fear I'm gonna go on record and confess our snakes I do not like snakes the only good snake is a dead snake can anyone help me out in the house and I'm telling you I don't care for them if you've got one at your home bless your heart that's all I've got to tell you we'll pray for you but I'm not much on snakes but here is the man of God in open Valley he's preaching to dead bones and while he preaches there's a noise and then there's a shaking and then we're told bone comes together takes part then we're talking about sinews and flesh and skin tendons ligaments dermis epidermis and right before are you getting this right before I don't think you guys are listening to a word I'm saying today amen I'm telling you about a God that told the Prophet to go out to a boneyard and preach and as he preached all of a sudden dead bones start coming back together I know you're hearing the song and go bone connect God I know you're getting it and all of a sudden the bones start coming back together are you listening to this and then there's ligaments and tendons and dermis and epidermis and before his eyes that which was previously dead hopeless it's now brought back together and it's now standing on its feet what resembles a great army but there was no breath in them and now God speaks to the Prophet he says I want you to prophesy to the wind in the Hebrew Trulock and I want you to prophesy for the wind to come breathe upon these slain that they may live so the man of God does exactly as God instructs him to do and right before his eyes the Spirit of God comes to live within them and now where there was previously death there's life can these bones live well you better believe they can because with God all things are possible and with God did things I'm sorry I'm sorry I know some of you don't want to be accused of being a charismatic but trust me you're in no danger of anyone calling you charismatic can I get an amen and I want you to know right now we serve a God that can speak to dead bones and breathe life into them and bring them back together do you believe that amen now that's the explanation go with me secondly now to the interpretation many times we read obscure passages like this and we're left to scratch our head and we go away in wonderment and amazement what does it mean God what are you trying to say Lord what are you trying to speak to my heart what does this mean but you don't have to search long or hard to find the real meaning and intent of this notice verse 11 then he said unto me son of man these bones are the whole house of Israel what does this represent God clearly tells us in his word it represents the whole house of Israel this was a dark day for Israel this was a hopeless and bleak day for Israel do you understand they had been cut off I want you to understand they were desolate and God was bringing the man of God back to this valley to give him a visual picture are you listening of what the nation of Israel was like like and just as these bones were dead just as it was impossible just as it was hopeless just as there was nothing humanly that could be done to breathe life into these bones God was communicating to the man of God such is the case for the nation of Israel such is the case for your beloved people in my beloved people can these bones live can the nation of Israel live again can God bring life out of death can God bring life into dead bones yes can God breathe life into a dead nation that's cut off and it's in a dark time in her history and in peril and ten God bring her back again you better believe it and God is communicating to the man of God just as I can breathe life into those bones you're sitting here thinking the nation of Israel is over and it's cut off I want you to know it's not over till I say it's over and when you read the Word of God you'll discover that in order for Israel to be cut off and destroyed God would have to be killed and that will never happen and God will keep his promises to his chosen people now not everyone today unfortunately agrees with that and not everyone today believes that the Jews of today have anything to do with the Jews of what we read in the Word of God not everyone agrees today with eschatology and Biblical prophecy in the book of Revelation and that God is going to accomplish and carry out his purposes for his chosen people and his promises for his chosen people and when you get to preach you preach it your way but I'm preaching today can I get an amen and I want you to know God is going to keep his word to his beloved people and his chosen people and I want you to know he is not finished with Israel he is going to accomplish his purpose for Israel and just as these bones came back together and externally there appeared to be life but internally they were devoid of the Spirit of God such as the case for Israel even now as they've returned to their native homeland but internally they are dead but I want you to know just as the story ends with breath coming in and revitalization happening are you hearing that's exactly what God's going to do with his chosen people who believes that do they say thirdly I want to move on now and talk about the applications now I need you to listen to this there is one interpretation this relates to the nation of Israel make no mistake about it but there are numerous applications I'll highlight a few you could think of many more that you could add on your own there is one interpretation make no mistake this relates to the nation Israel how she was in a dark desolate time in her life and God was promising to the man of God I'm gonna bring her back and I'm going to restore her and breathe life into her listen but now there are numerous applications let's talk about a few firstly there's the resurrection of the dead I want you to know as the man of God was preaching there was a noise and there was a shaking and bone came together I want you to understand it reminds me of a time when the Lord Himself is going to descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ they're gonna rise first now I understand that I'm I'm probably going out there on a limb and I'm understanding that I'm in a growing minority of people even among that this these days I want you to know I never ever in my life thought that we'd live to see a day where there's such such hostility towards the return of the Lord and toward the preaching of the rapture of the church and maybe not everyone in this room believes in the rapture and agrees in the rapture I want to go on record and tell you I can love you and I can fellowship with you if you do not believe in the rapture I would expect nothing less the same in return for me because I do believe in the rapture now if you don't believe in the rapture I can love you I just spray the Lord allows me to stand right next to you when the trumpet sounds can I get a witness I'm not writing books trying to push and peddle information on you to convince you you're wrong and change your mind why is there such a move on people's part to want to change our mind because we believe in the rapture you say well the word rapture is nowhere found in the Bible you're gonna have to dig a little deeper for a better argument than that friend because the word Bible is not in the Bible and if your only argument for not believing in the rapture is the words not in the Bible then why do you keep calling that a Bible can I get a name in from anyone in the house I want you to know there's going to come a day when we're gonna hear the toot and we're going to scoot who knows what I'm talking about and Jesus is going to return in the air for his church and just as he brought like how to death to these dead bones there is going to come a time through the shout of the Lord Jesus Christ there's going to be a resurrection power and we're going to be with him it is a picture of the resurrection of the dead it is a picture of regeneration of the lost we were all dead in our trespasses and sin the Baptist Church could not bring us to life a preacher could not breathe life into us but I'm thankful for the resurrection power that is in the word of the Living God through his words spoken to our heart we were quickened we were made alive and listen life was brought out of death does anyone believe that today say Amen don't you ever give up on your lost loved ones I'm telling you today don't you ever give up on your husband or wife don't you ever give up on your son or daughter or grandchildren your niece and nephew aunts uncles grandparents neighbors don't you ever give up on that person don't you ever curse them and say they'll never change don't you ever make such a declaration is there no good they've always been that way I want you to know their mother was that way and their mother before them and they'll always be that way I want you to know what God all things are possible and with God he can bring life out of death and I want you to know he can resurrect anyone who hears his word and turns to him aren't you grateful God reached down and save your soul aren't you glad God did not give up on you and what he's done for you he can do for others who believes that today say Amen it is a picture of revival in the church who believes our churches need revival who believes this church needs revival if you don't if you're not willing to admit you need revival you'll never have revival because as long as you see yourself as self sufficient and content and increased with goods and in need of nothing you'll never in desperation cry out to God to say God do something on my behalf do it work in my home in marriage and family I want you to know we serve a God that can bring life out of death he can take dead bones and breathe life into them and bring them back and such is the case for our churches across our land we need life is anyone listening to what I'm saying we need to read this discovery of the holy spirit of who God is we need real genuine authentic revival we need an awakening and I want you to know God kindig he's the only one who tended quit giving it and saying it's over you're not God neither am i it's not over til he says it's over amen let me give you one other application very quickly it is a picture listen of the renewal and of the revitalization of a nation see in the essence that's what God's talking about here are you getting this I don't understand all this mealy-mouthed down in the dumps I just don't get it I'm sorry and I don't mean to be rude and I don't mean to be ugly but I just don't understand all this negativity that's going on in our churches we curse the darkness it's as if we've given up on our nation it's as if we've given up on God it's as if we've said it's over are you listening we sit there and watch the news best thing you can do is turn that stuff off the sky is falling the sky is falling the sky is falling now I'm not ignoring reality that it's bad as if any of us in this room can fix 18 trillion in debt as if any of us in this room are smart enough and sophisticated enough to fix this we've got to reach the end of ourself to look to the reality that only God can fix this but you're the ones that said you believed we serve a god that can breathe life into dead bones and bring them back on their feet again and what you believe determines how you behave and what I want to know is if we really believe this story and if we really believe that God is able to do this then you please tell me why in the world we're wringing our hands and agony and despair and depression and giving up on our nation as if to say it's too hard of a feet or an accomplishment for God to turn it around is God going to bring revival to our nation I'm not sure but I want to be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem what about you and it doesn't take any sophistication or intellect whatsoever to stand up and curse the darkness and talk about how evil we are in deplorable we are in wicked we are and how we're going under I want you to know we serve a God that can speak the word and through the Word of God can bring life out of death and in the immediate application of this passage what you'll discover is God was showing the man of God the situation for Israel and how she was cut off and in despair and without hope and he was wanting to get across to the man of God can these bones live Lord you know God was saying I want you to know I can bring life out of death and I want you to know I can revive a nation that's too far gone ooh I'm gonna preach it till you get it so if you're not getting it you may as well shout on credit can I get a witness make me think you're getting it Amen we want to sit there and be negative and wring our hands and brother Jer do you see what's going on do you know what's going on across the land while I never thought we'd live to see a day Oh and on and on and I want to look you in the eye and I want to tell you unashamedly that you think and we think it's all falling apart can I tell you something it's all coming together God's on his throne are you listening to what I'm saying the heart of the King is in the hand of the Lord and he turns it with us ever he will and the point is we as people of God need to get ahold of God and believe God that God can speak the word and bring life out of death and can revive our nation these are horrible days yes but I'll tell you this they could be the greatest days we've ever experienced in our life because if there's ever been need for the light to shine it's right now but you believe that yes or no if there's ever been need for a real awakening I want you to understand for holy God to move on the hearts and lives of people it's right now if there's ever been a day for us to be instruments God could use to bring revival it's right now enough of playing patty-cake enough of these little games enough of rearranging furniture here me very well these are nowadays where we stand firm and flat-footed on the Word of God and rather than being politically correct want to be biblically correct and stand up and say this is what God says and we serve a God that can bring life out of death amen I'll have to eat men myself I guess amen if I got to do the preaching in the amen and we'll be here till tonight can anyone help me out I'm a the application's fourthly finally let me give you a final thought and that's the conclusions we learn from this vision there are at least four things I pull out of these verses that we learn in conclusion some of you this morning are faced with in possibilities in your own life they tell us the three things people worry about the most in the American culture family money health over 70% of marriages that end in divorce in our nation list is the number one reason money Jesus spoke more of money than he did heaven or hell combined so perhaps the three things that keep you up late at night and caused you the most peril and stress and worry money family health some of us in this room are faced with real calamity real trouble real burden real problems and you look around and perhaps in your own life and in your own marriage and in your own family and in your own circumstances you see an open Valley full of dry bones and you think it's impossible it'll never turn around but we learn from this passage differently can I get an amen what is it going to take in your life and in my life listen to see did things come back to life let me give you four concluding thoughts and we're finished firstly it's going to take faith man Lee Beesley many years ago used to say the following faith is saying something is so when it is not so in order that it may become so because God said so faith is taking God at His Word faith is believing God son a man can moans Leah intellectualism could not make them live religion could not make them live economics could not make them live is anyone listening all of our ribs all of our smarts could not make them live what did the man of God answer Lord you know why don't instead of us cursing the darkness and saying it's impossible why don't we just say you know what whether it can live or not that's above my pay grade but what I know is I what I you know I can't go to seminary and learn whether or not dead bones can live I'm not smart enough to figure that out but I know God and what I do know is he has the final say and what I do know is he can bring life out of death and I don't care who says it can't happen God says it can and faith has taken him at his word and faith is believing him and without faith it is impossible to please God for he that comes to God must believe that he is and here's a reward er of those who diligently seek Him secondly it's going to take obedience the second principle it's going to take obedience obedience preach to the boss what do you do preach to them what do you do preach to them brother Jerry it doesn't make a lick of sense God did not call you to make sense out of it when God says preach see that's the problem that's the problem right there church are you still awake say Amen let me highlight the problem right here among us as Baptist if God were to speak to us today if God were to speak to us today and say preach the bones here's what we do now don't you dare shut me down while I'm preaching good but you know I'm telling the truth here's what we do well now you know we got to have a meeting about it and so church we're going to call us into business conference and what do you say we do well you know preacher we've never been much on preaching to bones around here before and I don't know where in the world we're going to get the money I mean we're already under budget and I'm just telling you I don't know we're in the work you know the economy's tanking and I just don't know where we're gonna get the money and whenever anyone stands up and says where we're gonna get the money it is a good indication you're never gonna get it from them that's not your source can I get a witness hello amen so we got to have a meeting is that how we would do it yes or no I'm asking you is that how we would do so we're gonna have I mean I'll tell you what we do let's appoint an exploratory committee they can look index they can explore the feasibility of whether or not we at this church should preach to bones and so they'd have meetings and we'd be called to pray let's pray for the exploratory committee and then the community yes or no yes and so then we'd have a meetin after they've had meetings to hear their report and their report would be will we just don't believe we can do that okay well let's let's let's all vote we're not going to preach the bones and we miss out on seeing did things come back to life because we talked ourselves out of it you remember when God told them to march around the wall seven times he said don't you say a word do not say a word why because God knew they would talk themselves out of it does that make a lickers we're gonna tear the wall down by marching around it and then on the last day mark seven times and blow the trumpet and shout now that's a good plan god amen and somewhere along the line we've got to be reminded that the wisdom of man is the foolishness of God and the more talking we do the more we get ourselves into trouble because we get focused on the flesh and the impossibilities rather than the God who's behind the impossibilities and not most of the time but all of the time we will talk ourself out of it and we'll miss out on seeing walls come down and dead bones come to life because we've got to talk better yet you want to see life come out of death when God tells you to do something do it don't you sit down and add up all the pros and cons and pluses and minuses and assets and it doesn't listen it doesn't make any sense that you take a dollar and give a dime to God and he'll make 90 cents go further than a hundred cents that defies all human logic and rationale that's why 80 percent of Baptists do not do it hello somebody Amen brothers you're good preaching that's why 80 percent a Baptists do not do it because you talk yourself out of it because you sit down and you figure it all up and you add it up and it doesn't make sense and it doesn't and you know what it'll never work out on paper you've just got to give a dime on every dollar to God and trust him and know that if he's big enough to get you out of hell and get you into heaven he is big enough to take ninety cents and stretch it and go further than a hundred cents and if you don't believe it trying and see what he'll do amen and until you've tried it you sit there and roll your eyes all you want to now I'm not the pastor of this church so I can't say this here but when I used to pastor here's what I always said if you're not at either if you're robbing God you start tithing today you do it for 13 Sundays and if at the end of 13 Sundays you can stand before the church and say that it doesn't work we'll refund you 100 sending your money and never one taker in all the years I pastored can I get a name in you want to know why because God says try me try me try me try me try me try me put me to the test put me hey when god says i double-dog dare you you better rear back in trust him amen what's it going to take to see life come out of death obedience when God says do something do it thirdly we're almost done it's going to take the Word of God What did he say do you speak the word prophesy the word preach the word preach the word enough of my ideas and your ideas and political parties and persuasions preach the Word of God preach the Word of God preach the Word of God amen preach the Word of God I don't mean to be ugly I don't mean to be ugly but if all we needed was another cute little clever talk to bring revival we'd ahead revival already in this nation because we've had a bunch of that can I get an amen from anyone I'm telling you whatever happened to just opening the Bible letting God speak letting God be true and every man a liar thank God you have a pastor with integrity who stands on the Word of God thank God for him amen amen preach the Word of God preach the Word of God stand on the Word of God stand on the Word of God life out of death when you speak the Word of God forth and finally and we're finished it's going to take the Holy Spirit now that's where we Baptist get nervous why are we Baptist so afraid of the Holy Spirit I've never been able to figure it out or understand I do not understand why he said look I want you to prophesy to the wind prophesied of the Spirit that it would come and breathe and these slain and he did and the spirit did and they were alive all is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down why are we so afraid of the Holy Spirit would you like me to be honest with all of us and give us the answer it's because we are afraid of losing control and the thing about that that is so rather humorous to me is how little in control we really are and yet we boast and brag that I'm in control for years I have preached that revival always has happened with younger people historically if you study revival you will discover that every revival every awakening everyone started with younger people many times on college campuses where younger people would rise early together to pray and cry out to God for an awakening every revival has happened with younger people now I have preached that for years revival typically happens with younger people and suddenly months ago as I was preaching that it was as if the Spirit of the Lord smoked my heart and I stopped and asked this question why does it always happen with younger people and why does it very rarely happen with older people because I'm no longer in the younger category did you agree that it would do us a lot of good to get the answer to that question and the Lord whispered to my heart and here's what he said to me he said because Jerry when you were younger you were willing to do anything no strings attached you signed the bottom of a blank sheet of paper you wanted me to fill in the blanks and as you start getting older you start getting attachments well you got land and a house and stuff stuff stuff stuff we got a whole truckload of stuff being moved right now half of which I'm scratching my head and asking why do we even have it does anyone know what I'm talking about if we died our kids would have a garage sale get rid of it for as little as they could yes or no stuff jump attachments well I got a deer lease I got a four-wheeler jetski I got a boat I got a vacation home I've got kids and grandkids I've got family I've got stuff I've got hobbies I'm attached I still know right intellectually I believe right but I when it comes to my heart and will I have attachments and whereas years ago I was willing to lay it all on the altar and so I got on my knees and I said Lord I want to practice what I preach and I want to desperately have revival in my own life and in my own home and I want my kids to see real revival and not hear stories and read stories out of books of how God used to move are you listening to what I'm telling you and Lord I want to be an instrument you'd be willing to use to bring revival and I want to lay it all at your feet just like I did when I was a youngster all again I want to sign up I want to re-enlist I want to sign the bottom of a blank sheet of paper you fill in the blanks I want to let go no strings attached you do what you want have your way have your way I don't want to become another old stale crusty has been that looks in the rearview mirror talking about the good old days and for me this doesn't mean this is what will happen to you but for me God said okay sell your house up reach of Emily say goodbye and move a thousand miles and I can hear in this room in your mind the Battle of what could possibly happen if God told all of us to do it and God may not want you to move across the street much less a thousand miles but if you're unwilling then quit coming in here talking about you want revival because until the Spirit of God has the freedom to do whatever he wants to do in our life and you know what listen can I be honest it's easy to talk and I'm confessing to you it's another thing to just follow through it preaches good from the pulpit I'm till I'm admitting that to you as a preacher but God constantly has to put me in check and say you obey what I'm telling you when the Spirit of God is in control the man of God or woman of God is never out of control because the fruit of the Spirit is self-control and you can trust the Holy Spirit but you'll never see dead bones come back to life without the Holy Spirit you and I are not smart enough to make that happen and we're not smart enough to turn this church this nation or our family around but God can do it with one word but he's looking for vessels who will believe him who will obey Him who will stand on the word who will be yielded to the spirit who believes this today now I've got a question we're gonna pray we're done it's over you in your own life perhaps are faced with real real real difficulties I mean to you it would be as if you're glancing out of the valley and it's full of dead bones I can't tell you the people that come to me after church and with tears rolling down their face share with me the things in their lives that are seemingly impossible preacher I've got a grandson in prison I've got a I've got a child that's on meth preacher I've I've got a marriage that's feeling for the Giri I just don't know how we're gonna make on and on and on but we all said at the beginning of the service that we believe that this is the Word of God and that that happened what we read just as God said so I'm asking you today I'm asking you this morning in the name of Jesus do you really deep down in your heart believe that we have a God that can do anything do you really deep down in the core of your being but we believe that we serve a God that can take dead bones and bring them back to life and he can do the same in your home and your marriage with your children and your family in this church and community and in this nation do you really believe it I'm asking you do you really believe it then if you do get a word from him stand on it do what he tells you stand on the Word of God yield to the Holy Spirit and allow them to use you as an instrument to bring can I get an amen from anyone Amen we were having an old friend several years ago at church my little boy went in his room between the Sunday morning and Sunday evening service and at that time he had one of those trifold velcro wallet do you know what I'm talking about you and that little boy was so proud of it and he came out and that wallet was that thick and I said Luke what are you doing and he said well I I was putting my money in my wallet and I think he had about a hundred and forty-three dollars most of which was dollar bills that he had gotten from birthday money and different things and he crammed it in his wallet couldn't even get it to close do you see the picture and I said what are you doing and he said daddy they said this morning that tonight at church were taking an offering and I said Luke are you giving all your money and he said well dad I don't know if I'm giving all of my money but I know this you've got to be willing to give it all in case you God tells you to and I don't know what God's gonna call you or me to do but I know we've got to be willing to give it all in case he tells us to he wants our heart he wants us amen

Channel: Second Baptist Church Warner Robins

Views: 9,661

Rating: 4.4666667 out of 5

Keywords: Pastor Jim Perdue, Jim Perdue, mysecondfamily, secondfamilytv, warner robins, second baptist church, baptist, Georgia, SBCWR, Moody Rd., Dr. Jim Perdue, church, secondfamily.tv, sbcwr.org

Id: 77KYR-e0CmU

Length: 44min 34sec (2674 seconds)

Published: Tue Feb 17 2015