WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.319 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:07.040 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:08.640 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:20.160 --> 00:00:22.640 So today I'm calling it a devotional. 00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:29.920 And this is a passage that's near and dear to my heart, something that I've gone back to time and time again. 00:00:30.079 --> 00:00:34.159 And if you got your Bibles, would you open up to Ezekiel chapter 37? 00:00:34.320 --> 00:00:35.840 Ezekiel chapter 37. 00:00:36.079 --> 00:00:41.200 If you don't have your Bible, open your phone to Ezekiel chapter 37. 00:00:41.439 --> 00:00:43.840 I don't have notes, I don't have PowerPoint. 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:45.200 You need to follow along. 00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:49.280 And so if you're having to download UVersion right now, go for it. 00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:50.719 That would be fantastic. 00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:53.520 Ezekiel chapter 37. 00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:59.119 Now, I want to begin with just a little bit of a question. 00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:12.239 And as I'm thinking about, you know, where we're at and the season and starting the fall and awakening's 10th birthday coming up, let me ask you this. 00:01:13.599 --> 00:01:16.799 What's your dream for your life? 00:01:18.879 --> 00:01:20.640 Like, isn't it interesting that question? 00:01:20.799 --> 00:01:22.000 What's your dream for your life? 00:01:22.159 --> 00:01:25.680 You'll answer differently at different stages of your life? 00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:31.040 Like, remember back when you're in junior high, what your dream for your life was to be a professional athlete. 00:01:31.120 --> 00:01:32.640 Yes, Ryan, it didn't happen. 00:01:32.879 --> 00:01:33.200 Okay. 00:01:34.159 --> 00:01:43.280 High school, college, all of a sudden, okay, I want to do this career, I want to move here, I want to have this house, I want to work this job. 00:01:43.519 --> 00:01:45.280 What is your dream for your life? 00:01:45.439 --> 00:01:56.560 And then as you get older and you begin to either realize or not realize that dream, like you begin to become some even disillusioned by it. 00:01:56.959 --> 00:02:04.640 Maybe your dream, though, is like, you know, the American dream to be upwardly mobile, the Silicon Valley dream, to have, you know, the next tech startup. 00:02:04.799 --> 00:02:10.159 Maybe it's the dream to be um Instagram famous, to be an influencer, right? 00:02:10.319 --> 00:02:24.879 And just to be a somebody that everybody knows that they follow you, or to have the picture perfect life, the picture perfect family, the picture perfect kids, like everything that's on filtered on Instagram would be a reality of your life. 00:02:25.039 --> 00:02:28.960 Like, what is your dream for your life? 00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:33.599 I want us to wrestle today with just a deeper question. 00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:37.520 Maybe I believe a better question. 00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:41.199 What is God's dream for your life? 00:02:43.120 --> 00:02:49.199 You know, we ask that question, even we ask it of, you know, uh, what's your dream for your marriage? 00:02:49.280 --> 00:02:50.159 What's your dream for your job? 00:02:50.240 --> 00:02:52.159 What's your dream for yada yada yada? 00:02:52.960 --> 00:02:58.879 But we rarely stop to ask, like, what is God's dream for your life? 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:01.280 You know, think about this. 00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:10.560 I just think this is like that great reversal for us of we live our lives asking God to dream or bless our dreams of God. 00:03:10.639 --> 00:03:14.400 Would you somehow, here's my dream, and God, I want you to bless it. 00:03:14.560 --> 00:03:22.080 And what would change in our lives, in your life, in our world if we said, no, no, no, God, what is your dream and I want to pursue it? 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:25.680 Like it's a radical different shift. 00:03:25.759 --> 00:03:30.080 And could it be that God's dream for your life is better than your dream? 00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:32.639 I mean, he created all that there is. 00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:46.240 And be able to get after that. 00:03:46.400 --> 00:03:48.639 Well, Ezekiel chapter 37. 00:03:49.520 --> 00:03:55.360 Ezekiel has a dream from God, a vision, if you will, and a little bit of the context. 00:03:55.520 --> 00:04:02.879 Ezekiel is actually a contemporary of Daniel, uh, not Daniel, but Daniel, uh, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo. 00:04:03.039 --> 00:04:03.919 Uh, remember these? 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:07.120 Uh, Roland spoke on this earlier a couple months ago. 00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:10.080 Uh a little bit of history lesson for you. 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:15.599 Here is Israel or was taken into captivity to Babylon. 00:04:15.759 --> 00:04:24.800 Uh, Ezekiel's part of this group that was ripped from their homeland, exiled, taken into captivity, living in a foreign land. 00:04:25.040 --> 00:04:27.040 And talk about a people, think about this. 00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:41.360 Talk about a people that had no hope of a future, their home destroyed, not even the ability, filling the sense of possibility to dream. 00:04:41.839 --> 00:04:44.639 And God gives Ezekiel this dream. 00:04:44.720 --> 00:04:48.160 We pick it up in Ezekiel chapter 37, verse one. 00:04:49.680 --> 00:04:59.600 Begins this way the hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley. 00:04:59.839 --> 00:05:01.199 Okay, that's different. 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:03.519 Not exactly my dream. 00:05:03.759 --> 00:05:04.959 Oh, and it goes on. 00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:06.480 It was full of bones. 00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:07.839 Creepy valley. 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:09.120 Okay, here we go. 00:05:09.360 --> 00:05:10.800 Put me in a valley full of bones. 00:05:10.879 --> 00:05:18.240 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 00:05:18.399 --> 00:05:22.879 Now, I just want to, as we read through this, just give you observations from the text. 00:05:23.199 --> 00:05:31.519 First observation, if you want to take notes, God's hand was on Ezekiel and he placed him in the valley. 00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:36.639 God's hand, notice that, God's hand was on me. 00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:42.800 The Spirit of the Lord set me in the middle of the valley. 00:05:43.759 --> 00:05:54.000 See, I think when we're wrestling, especially with God's dream for our life, we don't understand that there are valleys and wilderness wanderings that are a part of that process. 00:05:54.959 --> 00:06:03.279 We think that when we're in the valley, when we're in the wilderness, that we couldn't possibly be in the middle of God's dream for our life. 00:06:03.680 --> 00:06:06.160 See, think about this. 00:06:07.759 --> 00:06:14.560 Ezekiel was taken by the Spirit of God and he was placed in the valley. 00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:21.120 See, we think of the valley or the wilderness as the place of punishment, the place where God has left us alone. 00:06:21.279 --> 00:06:32.720 And yet, if you follow the ark of scriptures, you follow the different people in the Bible, what you'll find is valleys and wilderness are not the place of punishment, but the place of preparation. 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:43.040 See, could it be that God's dream for your life and what he wants to accomplish in and through you cannot be accomplished without the value you're currently going in? 00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:50.800 And as long as you're wanting to get out, as long as you're trying to just back away from this and resist it, you'll miss out on it. 00:06:52.319 --> 00:06:54.160 Think about this, Joseph. 00:06:54.800 --> 00:06:56.879 Joseph, God placed a dream on his heart. 00:06:56.959 --> 00:07:00.560 He was a young, arrogant, 17-year-old kid. 00:07:01.439 --> 00:07:06.240 And God placed a dream on his heart of how he's going to deliver his family, and he was cocky. 00:07:06.319 --> 00:07:07.920 He mouthed off to his brothers. 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:12.319 His brothers, older brothers didn't like it, and so they sold him into slavery. 00:07:12.639 --> 00:07:22.399 For 13 years, I don't know how long your valley is, for 13 years he was a slave and then a prisoner. 00:07:22.639 --> 00:07:33.120 And all along the way, think about this, he couldn't see how this could possibly be the plan to set him up to fulfill God's dream for his life. 00:07:33.439 --> 00:07:41.680 And yet the text consistently says wherever that Joseph was, whether it was in Potiphar's home or in the prison, God was with him. 00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:43.199 He was with him. 00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:44.480 He was with them. 00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:53.839 And over those 13 years, even imprisonment, was a setup to place them in a position of power to deliver his family from famine. 00:07:54.560 --> 00:07:55.920 13 years. 00:07:56.240 --> 00:08:00.000 See, valleys last longer than we're comfortable with, don't they? 00:08:00.480 --> 00:08:06.560 And we get disillusioned by God because He doesn't answer our dreams the way we want them. 00:08:06.639 --> 00:08:11.519 And he says, No, I am taking you through, I am forming you, I am developing you. 00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:16.560 There's things that can only be accomplished in the wilderness in your life. 00:08:17.040 --> 00:08:18.560 Not to be fair. 00:08:18.879 --> 00:08:23.040 And the reality is, is some of us are in valleys by our own doing. 00:08:23.600 --> 00:08:25.439 We've made choices. 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:27.759 We've disobeyed God. 00:08:27.920 --> 00:08:29.759 We've gone our own way. 00:08:30.319 --> 00:08:35.279 And where we when we call out to Him and repent and say, God, would you forgive me? 00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:39.200 I'm turning towards you, He responds and meets us there. 00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:41.759 Think about David, the great king. 00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:47.519 He was anointed king as a shepherd boy. 00:08:47.919 --> 00:08:49.440 He was overlooked by his dad. 00:08:49.600 --> 00:08:53.919 His older brothers were taller and more kingly looking, apparently. 00:08:55.679 --> 00:08:59.840 He was anointed as a boy, a teenager. 00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:03.840 Fifteen years until he became king. 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:18.799 Of those fifteen years, a good number of those, he was chased by the king of Israel, who hunted, wanted a man, a fugitive, fleeing, hiding in caves. 00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:32.000 We have psalms that are from David of this time, of the deep formational preparation work that he did in his life. 00:09:32.799 --> 00:09:33.600 Think about this. 00:09:38.799 --> 00:09:44.399 Do you know how many years he was on this planet before he ever started his ministry? 00:09:45.120 --> 00:09:45.759 Help me out. 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:46.799 Anyone know? 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:48.559 30. 00:09:49.360 --> 00:09:51.039 What is that? 00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:53.440 That's not crazy to you? 00:09:53.759 --> 00:10:01.279 God steps into humanity and for 30 years, nothing, seemingly. 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:04.480 What is he doing? 00:10:05.120 --> 00:10:07.440 Well, most likely he's doing the family business. 00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:12.240 He's carpentry, masonry, he's he's working and helping and doing these things. 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:17.919 And even before he steps into his ministry, he has this moment where he gets baptized by John the Baptist, his beautiful picture. 00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:30.879 And as he comes up before he did anything, before he healed anyone, before he preached any sermon, the father says, This is my son, whom I love, whom I'm well pleased. 00:10:31.120 --> 00:10:34.159 Like your identity has nothing to do with your activity. 00:10:34.320 --> 00:10:39.919 Your identity has to do with everything of who you are, your beloved, before you did anything. 00:10:40.080 --> 00:10:43.279 And then he goes into the wilderness for 40 days. 00:10:43.759 --> 00:10:50.480 See, the hand of the Lord was on Ezekiel and he placed him in the valley. 00:10:50.639 --> 00:11:00.720 The valley is not wasted season, it is the season upon which God is working and forming in us to set us up for what he has for us. 00:11:01.200 --> 00:11:03.039 The text goes on to say. 00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:10.720 Then he asked me, Son of Man, can these bones live? 00:11:11.200 --> 00:11:15.840 Now notice this observation number two, and he sees a great many bones. 00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:17.120 And I just want to see this. 00:11:17.279 --> 00:11:18.159 Verse 2. 00:11:18.399 --> 00:11:21.120 They're not even just bones, they're dry bones. 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:22.240 Can you just say that with me? 00:11:22.639 --> 00:11:23.759 Dry bones, right? 00:11:23.840 --> 00:11:24.960 They're just dry. 00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:27.679 Yeah, thank you. 00:11:29.039 --> 00:11:34.159 Maybe Kat or somebody was uh the valley was filled with dry bones. 00:11:34.399 --> 00:11:40.000 You want to live out God's dream for your life, you need a perspective, a perspective shift of the valley you're living in. 00:11:41.759 --> 00:12:04.399 See, when we look at people around us, we see upwardly mobile, we see affluent, we see people on, you know, the other side of social media that seemingly have their filtered lives all figured out, and we think they're fine and they're just going and it's all right and everything's great, and you're just trying to eke through your life and somehow do a little bit better and make it, right? 00:12:05.679 --> 00:12:08.799 And he says, you want to fulfill God's dream for your life. 00:12:08.960 --> 00:12:15.200 Begin to look around you and see that this valley, yes, Silicon Valley, is filled with dry bones. 00:12:17.120 --> 00:12:23.039 This isn't just the valley of technology, the valley of entrepreneurship, the valley of affluence. 00:12:23.120 --> 00:12:36.240 This is the valley of dry bones, and you see all those pursuits are pursuits of people trying to somehow want to be something significant and have meaning and purpose and still searching for it. 00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:53.200 When we planted awakening, um, we were doing these prayer walks, and we went downtown to do a prayer walk, and there's about, I don't know, maybe 10 of us, and we're praying, and you know, our vision at awakening is to awaken this generation to what? 00:12:54.000 --> 00:12:54.799 New life. 00:12:54.960 --> 00:12:56.240 Yeah, new life. 00:12:56.480 --> 00:13:05.039 By the way, Jesus doesn't want to resuscitate your old life, he wants to resurrect you to new life, he doesn't want to make your old life better. 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:11.840 He wants to raise up the dry bones and parts of your life and bring radically new life, transformation. 00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:16.240 And so we're walking downtown praying this over our city. 00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:27.279 And then we see down the street this person that looks so odd, and another person that looks so odd, and they're kind of walking like this and arms out like this. 00:13:27.360 --> 00:13:28.879 Well, they're zombies. 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:34.639 And one zombie comes by, another zombie, 50 zombies, a hundred zombies. 00:13:34.879 --> 00:13:41.919 We're praying for awakening, and we got caught on the very same day that they're doing a zombie convention downtown. 00:13:44.879 --> 00:13:48.879 And we're literally seeing dead people walking. 00:13:49.679 --> 00:13:52.000 And if we just had, I just love that picture. 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:53.519 I'm like, God, you're so ironic. 00:13:53.679 --> 00:13:54.960 This is amazing. 00:13:55.200 --> 00:13:56.159 How cool is that? 00:13:56.320 --> 00:13:59.360 We're praying for awakening and zombies are coming our way. 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:26.399 And if we just had this understanding that you don't walk past just people who've got it all figured about figured out, you walk past and you see dry bones, you see aching hearts, you see something inside that is missing and longing and hoping to be fulfilled that can only be fulfilled by Jesus Himself. 00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:28.960 The valley is filled with dry bones. 00:14:29.039 --> 00:14:36.080 And what would happen, think about this, if you began to see those at your workplace and realize there's dry bones. 00:14:37.440 --> 00:14:56.399 Those in your neighborhood and you realize, no, no, no, all of that activity, yeah, it's it's dead people walking, they're they're moving, but it's dead inside, and they need an awakening and dry bones, those in your family at your gym, at your university, at your school. 00:14:58.159 --> 00:15:10.399 See, God's dream for your life is that you would begin to see the world as he sees it, to be begin to respond to those in their deepest need, that they would experience new life in him. 00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:13.759 That we would begin to go, okay, you know what? 00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:21.759 I've been placed in this valley and I'm going through things, and you're actually with me and preparing and working in this. 00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:30.480 And as I look around and I see right around me, there's dry bones, and you've called me here for this reason. 00:15:31.919 --> 00:15:38.799 And then notice he asked a question, verse three, said, Son of man, can these bones live? 00:15:38.960 --> 00:15:43.360 And I said, Sovereign Lord, you alone know. 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:51.200 Verse three, observation three, God asked Ezekiel a question that chat that confronts his assumptions. 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:54.960 God asked Ezekiel a question that confronts his assumptions. 00:15:55.120 --> 00:16:01.600 Because by the way, if we were, you know, if you saw a bunch of dry bones and asked you, can these live, what would your answer be? 00:16:02.639 --> 00:16:04.240 Oh, come on, be real. 00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:06.720 Some of you are like, I'm too spiritual to say no. 00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:07.919 I am. 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:10.399 Like, no, you'd be like, no. 00:16:11.039 --> 00:16:12.480 Are you kidding me? 00:16:12.799 --> 00:16:18.000 But the person who asked you determines your determines your response, because if I ask you, can these bones live? 00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:18.960 You're like, no. 00:16:19.519 --> 00:16:23.840 God asks you, you're like, oh, maybe, right? 00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:28.559 God asks Ezekiel a question that challenges his assumptions. 00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:31.759 All I see is dry bones. 00:16:31.840 --> 00:16:33.840 They're not even bones, they're not wet bones. 00:16:33.919 --> 00:16:35.039 I don't know what it is, yeah. 00:16:35.279 --> 00:16:38.960 But dry bones, like they're old decaying bones. 00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:40.480 Can they live? 00:16:44.399 --> 00:16:45.919 Can your marriage live? 00:16:48.639 --> 00:16:50.480 Can the prodigal return? 00:16:55.759 --> 00:16:58.559 Can that depression and that anxiety? 00:17:03.519 --> 00:17:08.799 See, God asks Ezekiel a question that challenges his assumptions. 00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:17.039 And friends, we actually need to be challenged because we look at the world through our frame, through our lens, through our ability, and so we respond accordingly. 00:17:17.759 --> 00:17:25.839 And we look at our coworkers and go, like, no, they would never need Jesus, or our friends and neighbors, and go, no, they would never respond to Jesus. 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:30.720 Or, you know what, my marriage, I'm not even going to try because it's already good as gone. 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:32.160 She's the worst. 00:17:32.480 --> 00:17:34.000 He's the worst. 00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:43.920 My kids, they've just gone so far off the deep end, or that addiction has taken them over, or their health is just crumbling. 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:50.079 And we need our assumptions challenged because we have a God bigger than that. 00:17:50.240 --> 00:17:51.759 I love Ezekiel's response. 00:17:51.920 --> 00:17:53.039 Notice his response. 00:17:53.200 --> 00:17:59.200 He said, Sovereign Lord, only you know. 00:18:01.119 --> 00:18:02.480 Sovereign Lord. 00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:03.440 Sovereign. 00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:06.559 Like you alone are in control. 00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:10.480 You have all power and all dominion, all authority. 00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:14.880 There is nothing outside of your control and your ability. 00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:18.400 And so if you're asking me this question, I don't know. 00:18:19.839 --> 00:18:20.880 But you know. 00:18:22.240 --> 00:18:24.079 In fact, here's what he's saying. 00:18:25.039 --> 00:18:26.559 It's too big for me. 00:18:29.519 --> 00:18:31.200 But it's not too big for you. 00:18:33.119 --> 00:18:34.880 That's too big for me. 00:18:36.480 --> 00:18:39.200 But it's not too big for you. 00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:45.119 My marriage and the issues and what's going on is too big for me. 00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:47.200 But it's not too big for you. 00:18:47.359 --> 00:18:59.759 My prayers for my kid who walked away, or my friend who's caught in addiction, or that depression that has me so entangled in anxiety that's rapping. 00:18:59.920 --> 00:19:06.000 It's too big for me, but it's not too big for you. 00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:09.759 You alone know. 00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:17.599 Observation number one God's hand was on Ezekiel and he placed him in the valley. 00:19:17.759 --> 00:19:22.160 Number two, the valley's filled with dry bones, our perspective shift. 00:19:22.799 --> 00:19:27.279 Then God asks Ezekiel a question that confronts his assumption. 00:19:27.839 --> 00:19:29.759 And where we begin to go, no, no, no. 00:19:29.839 --> 00:19:33.519 It's not not about my ability, and even not about what I see. 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:36.640 You are sovereign God. 00:19:37.440 --> 00:19:50.799 You're in control, and you're bigger than this circumstance, you're bigger than this problem, you're bigger than this valley, you're bigger than all the things in me, and you alone know. 00:19:52.559 --> 00:19:54.960 And then notice what happens next, verse 4. 00:19:55.119 --> 00:20:05.119 Then he said to me, Prophesy or preach to these bones and say to them, Dry bones, because that's how you just preach. 00:20:05.920 --> 00:20:09.119 Hear the word of the Lord. 00:20:09.680 --> 00:20:18.319 This is what the sovereign Lord says to these bones, I will make breath enter you, and you will come in, come to life. 00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:21.599 Observation number four. 00:20:21.920 --> 00:20:26.240 God commands Ezekiel to speak life to that which is dead. 00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:29.039 Can you imagine? 00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:33.119 This dream, this vision Ezekiel's having. 00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:34.400 He's brought, I mean, this is weird. 00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:37.119 He's brought to this valley that's filled with dry bones. 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:39.920 And preaching's already hard getting up in front of people. 00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:42.880 It's hard when you have like a crowd that's like quiet. 00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:44.640 You're not quiet on me, are you? 00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:45.200 No. 00:20:48.799 --> 00:20:49.119 See? 00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:50.880 See, it's hard. 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:55.200 Think about God's asking him to preach to dry bones. 00:20:55.279 --> 00:20:56.960 Literally, a dead crowd. 00:20:57.200 --> 00:20:58.960 I know, terrible joke. 00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:00.160 I get it. 00:21:07.200 --> 00:21:09.519 Yeah, dad jokes don't ever stop. 00:21:09.680 --> 00:21:10.799 They're the best. 00:21:12.640 --> 00:21:14.559 And God, I love this. 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:15.680 This is so powerful. 00:21:15.839 --> 00:21:16.480 Don't miss this. 00:21:16.720 --> 00:21:23.279 God commands Ezekiel to speak life to that which is dead. 00:21:24.559 --> 00:21:29.839 And it's not just his word, his opinion, Ezekiel's ideas. 00:21:30.160 --> 00:21:31.680 It's God's word. 00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:39.039 See, we think about a prophet, and most of the times when we think about a prophet, we think about them as foretelling the future. 00:21:39.119 --> 00:21:44.319 And certainly that is part of what a prophet does, but it's not not, it's only about 10%. 00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:52.880 90% of the role of a prophet is to proclaim forth the word of God to the people of God. 00:21:53.200 --> 00:21:56.000 It's to proclaim forth the word of God to a person of God. 00:21:56.160 --> 00:22:07.200 It's this is the word of God, not my ideas, not my thoughts, not my My thinking, but this is what God's word says in a time and way that brings and draws people to the ways of God. 00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:09.759 That's the rule what a prophet does. 00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:15.440 And notice he speaks the word of God and he speaks life to that which is dead. 00:22:15.680 --> 00:22:23.599 I just wonder what the influence of the church today would be if we just started speaking life to that which is dead. 00:22:24.559 --> 00:22:32.480 How different the reputation of Jesus would be today if we just began to speak life to that which is dead. 00:22:33.359 --> 00:22:47.839 You know, my counselor, my wife and I, our marriage counselor, were talking the other day, and she was talking about encouragement, and we're talking about our kids and other people, and she said, you know, encouragement is like the sun to plants. 00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:58.559 See, plants just naturally grow towards the sun, and people just naturally grow towards encouragement. 00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:01.279 What if we were a community? 00:23:01.440 --> 00:23:07.200 Think about this that showed up on Sunday, that got outside of ourselves and just said, oh, I wonder what people think of me. 00:23:07.279 --> 00:23:08.799 I wonder if anybody will say hi to me. 00:23:08.880 --> 00:23:10.640 And we began to ask, who could I encourage? 00:23:10.720 --> 00:23:12.000 Who could I speak life? 00:23:12.160 --> 00:23:18.880 Well, as I'm worshiping and I'm just thinking about that person over there, I saw them, and and God just wanted me to just say he loves you. 00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:21.519 And wow, that's out of my norm, but I'm gonna go do it. 00:23:21.599 --> 00:23:27.359 And think about what would happen just in this room alone if we just started to encourage one another. 00:23:27.519 --> 00:23:31.839 And what happens is we gravitate and grow towards encouragement. 00:23:32.079 --> 00:23:38.000 And so often we've been trained, I've been trained, that you need to be corrected to grow. 00:23:39.680 --> 00:23:42.400 What if we just spoke life to that which is dead? 00:23:43.519 --> 00:23:50.480 I mean, all over social media, there's all the dead, all the stuff, all the things, and there's all the all the everybody's opinion. 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:53.839 What if we just began to look at that? 00:23:54.000 --> 00:23:57.200 Sovereign Lord, only you know, and I'm just gonna speak life to it. 00:23:57.359 --> 00:23:59.200 I'm gonna encourage you. 00:24:00.559 --> 00:24:09.599 A friend of ours was teaching the other day, and it was so convicting because it's easy to think about encouragement and go, well, that's just not my skill. 00:24:10.480 --> 00:24:14.799 Sarcasm is my spiritual gift, um, encouragement isn't. 00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:24.960 And and he said, encouragement is a skill to be developed, and you can grow in it. 00:24:25.680 --> 00:24:30.319 I was like, ooh, that means we all can grow in it. 00:24:32.400 --> 00:24:42.559 The other day with my son, uh he wasn't doing super hot in school, and he had a lot of things to kind of make up, right? 00:24:43.920 --> 00:24:50.640 And so we had some of those tough conversations, and he just began to do the work, do the work. 00:24:51.039 --> 00:24:54.480 And he knocked it out and he said, Hey dad, I got it all done. 00:24:54.559 --> 00:24:56.559 Uh and these these projects. 00:24:56.799 --> 00:25:07.039 I said, Oh, that's great, son, but and my counselor also says that anytime you add a butt to it, it negates whatever you said first, you know. 00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:10.960 But even in this context, and wouldn't have worked either. 00:25:14.319 --> 00:25:16.079 And I began, but what about this? 00:25:16.240 --> 00:25:16.720 What about that? 00:25:16.880 --> 00:25:17.680 What about this? 00:25:17.920 --> 00:25:19.440 And my son said this. 00:25:19.920 --> 00:25:21.359 So insightful. 00:25:22.480 --> 00:25:25.359 Dad, can't you just say good job? 00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:32.319 Friends, can't we just say good job? 00:25:35.279 --> 00:25:46.000 So convicting to me of the areas I need to grow in to speak life to that which is dead, to speak life to friends and co-workers and my kids. 00:25:46.720 --> 00:25:48.319 Can't we just say good job? 00:25:48.480 --> 00:25:50.000 Look at what you're doing. 00:25:50.319 --> 00:25:52.400 Don't we need encouragement? 00:25:52.960 --> 00:25:54.640 Like now more than ever before. 00:25:54.799 --> 00:25:57.599 Aren't we all dry, like weary, dry bones? 00:25:57.680 --> 00:26:03.279 You're like, you're preaching to me, like I'm the dry bones, I'm not Ezekiel, I'm the bones, right? 00:26:03.759 --> 00:26:04.960 Aren't we all walking in? 00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:10.480 Maybe it's just me, but aren't we all walking in like, man, I'm just dying for some encouragement? 00:26:11.119 --> 00:26:17.920 And wouldn't it be amazing if this community, we just began to speak life to one another? 00:26:20.079 --> 00:26:23.759 God commanded Ezekiel to speak life to that which is dead. 00:26:24.079 --> 00:26:25.839 Text goes on to say. 00:26:27.119 --> 00:26:28.880 So I prophesied. 00:26:29.119 --> 00:26:32.559 So I preached as I was commanded, verse 7. 00:26:32.799 --> 00:26:38.160 And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 00:26:38.240 --> 00:26:45.039 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared, and the skin covered them, and there was no breath, but there was no breath in them. 00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:48.000 That's just weird sounding, isn't it? 00:26:49.200 --> 00:26:50.240 But think about this. 00:26:50.480 --> 00:26:53.119 Ezekiel, he's in the middle of the valley. 00:26:54.000 --> 00:26:56.400 He's got this vision, this dream. 00:26:57.039 --> 00:26:59.200 Seeing this valley of dry bones. 00:26:59.440 --> 00:27:01.759 God asks, can these bones live? 00:27:02.000 --> 00:27:04.000 Ezekiel says, Only you know. 00:27:04.799 --> 00:27:06.720 He says, Well, I want you to preach to him. 00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:08.960 I want you to speak life to him. 00:27:09.279 --> 00:27:15.920 And notice this Ezekiel obeyed the odd command of God. 00:27:17.680 --> 00:27:20.480 You want me to preach to these bones. 00:27:20.799 --> 00:27:22.559 You want me to begin. 00:27:23.039 --> 00:27:25.440 I don't even know if this is a good use of my gift. 00:27:26.880 --> 00:27:29.039 I think there's a better use of my gift. 00:27:31.440 --> 00:27:34.480 Give me some people to talk to, God. 00:27:36.079 --> 00:27:38.240 I'm in obscurity over here. 00:27:39.839 --> 00:27:41.440 Nobody notices this. 00:27:41.920 --> 00:27:43.039 It's hidden. 00:27:44.640 --> 00:27:50.799 But Ezekiel says he prophesied, he preached, he obeyed the odd command of God. 00:27:50.880 --> 00:27:51.680 I like how C.S. 00:27:51.759 --> 00:27:52.720 Lewis says it. 00:27:52.880 --> 00:28:01.680 He says that obedience is the key that unlocks every door. 00:28:03.200 --> 00:28:11.920 And so often, much of the areas of our life that we're struggling with, that we're wondering, where is the power that God is working in my life? 00:28:12.079 --> 00:28:13.039 Where's those things? 00:28:13.200 --> 00:28:16.880 It's that obedience, God, whatever you show me, I'll do. 00:28:17.279 --> 00:28:19.039 And your word, I want to obey. 00:28:19.200 --> 00:28:26.400 Instead of asking, you know, pick and choosing what to obey out of this, I'm gonna say, no, your word to my life. 00:28:26.640 --> 00:28:28.319 I'm gonna obey. 00:28:30.799 --> 00:28:40.079 This that spirit prompting when the spirit says something to you, and you're like, get this nudge to like maybe share your faith, and you're like, no, I'm scared. 00:28:40.240 --> 00:28:41.359 I don't want to do that. 00:28:41.599 --> 00:28:42.559 It's obeying it. 00:28:42.640 --> 00:28:48.400 You want to see God work, you obey those little promptings, and as you obey him, you see him show up powerfully. 00:28:51.519 --> 00:29:04.880 You ever have that like you're in a Starbucks or something like that, or Pete's or coffee or somewhere, and you get this or at work and you get this prompting, like you're supposed to encourage someone or say something, and you're like, no, that's weird. 00:29:05.920 --> 00:29:08.160 I get those, and I have the exact same feeling. 00:29:08.240 --> 00:29:10.880 I'm a pastor, and I'm like, I don't want to do that. 00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:11.920 Like, really? 00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:14.160 Even pastors, yes, even pastors. 00:29:15.599 --> 00:29:21.599 Years ago, I was running in my neighborhood, and I have this same route I run. 00:29:22.319 --> 00:29:32.160 And as I was running, I seen this dad and his kids playing in the front yard, and I go by, and I just got this internal prompting, like, hey, you should stop and talk to him. 00:29:33.759 --> 00:29:37.759 And I was like, no, that's weird. 00:29:38.400 --> 00:29:40.160 I'm literally on a run, okay? 00:29:40.240 --> 00:29:47.680 I'm not like sweaty, all of this sort of stuff, and and I go by once, and my route hasn't where I pass a couple times by this house. 00:29:47.759 --> 00:29:50.160 And the next time, like, no, you really need to talk to him. 00:29:50.240 --> 00:29:50.960 He's still outside. 00:29:51.119 --> 00:29:53.440 I'm like, no, I don't want to do it. 00:29:53.519 --> 00:29:54.240 And I'm like, God, hello. 00:29:54.880 --> 00:29:58.720 You said my body's a temple, I'm taking care of my temple, I'm obeying this over here. 00:29:59.759 --> 00:30:07.839 And I get further away, and I just sense that, like, man, I'm gonna miss out on what God's doing. 00:30:08.559 --> 00:30:12.480 And so I run back, and he's no longer in his front yard. 00:30:12.720 --> 00:30:15.279 And so I'm like, okay, well, he's not there. 00:30:16.079 --> 00:30:17.839 Oh wow, next time, God. 00:30:18.160 --> 00:30:22.720 And then I have this like a little still small small voice that says, Well, you could knock on the door. 00:30:23.440 --> 00:30:27.680 I could, but that's weird. 00:30:28.000 --> 00:30:29.759 I don't want to do that. 00:30:31.440 --> 00:30:31.759 Okay. 00:30:34.319 --> 00:30:38.559 He opens the door, and I'm like, um, hey, this is weird. 00:30:38.720 --> 00:30:40.480 That was my opening line. 00:30:40.720 --> 00:30:42.079 But I've been running past your home. 00:30:42.240 --> 00:30:43.279 It's like, no, I've been noticing that. 00:30:43.359 --> 00:30:44.079 Yeah, you lost some weight. 00:30:44.160 --> 00:30:45.599 I'm like, well, yeah, thank you. 00:30:45.839 --> 00:30:57.440 Um, and I'm like, I'm a Christian, I'm a pastor, and I run by, and I just felt like God was telling me to just tell you that Jesus loves you. 00:30:58.000 --> 00:31:00.000 And I know it's kind of weird, and it's like strange. 00:31:00.079 --> 00:31:02.240 He's like, well, I don't think it's that strange. 00:31:02.480 --> 00:31:09.440 Like, if you really believe in Jesus and this, I'm and why wouldn't you tell everybody if that's what you really believe? 00:31:09.599 --> 00:31:11.440 I'm like, yeah, no, that's what I meant to say. 00:31:11.599 --> 00:31:12.160 That was good. 00:31:12.319 --> 00:31:13.200 That was good. 00:31:14.480 --> 00:31:16.240 We developed a friendship. 00:31:16.480 --> 00:31:17.599 He was into volleyball. 00:31:17.680 --> 00:31:19.200 We started playing volleyball. 00:31:19.440 --> 00:31:27.759 Now, here's the thing: this isn't a story that has the nice neat bow of like, and he came to know Jesus, and his name was Chris Nye, and now he's a pastor, right? 00:31:27.839 --> 00:31:29.359 That's not the story. 00:31:31.599 --> 00:31:34.799 I don't, he moved, I don't know where he's at. 00:31:35.440 --> 00:31:38.000 All I know is I was obedient in that moment. 00:31:38.720 --> 00:32:00.480 All I know is I stepped in and said, Okay, God, this is weird, and I don't want to do it, but somehow you showed up, and I got to be one point of your light and your love, and I'm trusting you and what you're gonna do and bringing dry bones to life, and I just was obedient, and I'm so grateful, and it was scary at the same time. 00:32:01.200 --> 00:32:02.400 What's the odd command? 00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:04.240 What are those things for you? 00:32:04.319 --> 00:32:08.160 If you go, like, okay, God, I don't know about this, but I'm gonna just, man, God loves you. 00:32:08.319 --> 00:32:09.599 I'm gonna pay for your coffee. 00:32:09.759 --> 00:32:13.119 Obedience is the key that opens every door. 00:32:13.599 --> 00:32:16.400 Ezekiel obeyed the odd command of God. 00:32:16.559 --> 00:32:32.079 And then I want you to notice is that the bones, and this is just a small little point, and we're landing the plane here, is the bones took on flesh, but they didn't take on life. 00:32:32.559 --> 00:32:39.599 And I love this picture because this is so helpful and it takes the pressure off of me, and it takes the pressure off of you. 00:32:39.920 --> 00:32:42.559 Transformation is a process, isn't it? 00:32:44.640 --> 00:32:55.200 Like he preaches, and you see something come together, and now it looks like a body, it's not dry bones, but it isn't living yet. 00:32:55.599 --> 00:32:57.279 And it's this process. 00:32:58.400 --> 00:33:07.839 And I think in our Google world, instant access, like if my Amazon package doesn't come within 24 hours, it's the worst. 00:33:09.279 --> 00:33:14.000 We think transformation should happen instantly overnight, right? 00:33:16.079 --> 00:33:31.200 The reality is you're in process, you're in the valley, you're walking with him, and he's working through you in your life, and as you're yielded to him, it takes time and formation, and transformation doesn't happen overnight. 00:33:31.279 --> 00:33:34.640 It isn't, it isn't even instapot, gang. 00:33:36.000 --> 00:33:37.279 It's crock pot. 00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:39.599 It takes time. 00:33:44.960 --> 00:33:57.519 And I love the last person, is then he said, Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son, and say to it, This is what the sovereign Lord says, Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into the slain that they may live. 00:33:57.680 --> 00:34:00.160 So I prophesied, why not keep going? 00:34:00.640 --> 00:34:07.359 As he commanded me, and breath entered them, and they came to life and stood upon their feet a vast army. 00:34:08.639 --> 00:34:14.320 And where Ezekiel only saw dry bones, God saw an army. 00:34:15.280 --> 00:34:22.239 He saw dead, useless wasteland, and God said, No, I can use that. 00:34:24.159 --> 00:34:25.440 I can use you. 00:34:27.360 --> 00:34:31.440 See, there's so many things in your life, isn't it true, where you're going like, no, it's dead. 00:34:32.639 --> 00:34:33.519 Useless. 00:34:35.679 --> 00:34:37.119 And God's going, oh. 00:34:37.920 --> 00:34:42.000 When you surrender that to me, when you surrender yourself to me, I want to use you. 00:34:43.199 --> 00:34:44.800 The church, we are the church. 00:34:44.960 --> 00:34:54.400 We're to be an army of healers, bringing life and hope to those in need. 00:34:56.079 --> 00:35:01.760 See, God is fundamentally in the business of bringing and making dead things come to life. 00:35:03.039 --> 00:35:06.159 I just want to leave you as we close and we worship together. 00:35:08.480 --> 00:35:11.519 Um just a couple questions. 00:35:12.960 --> 00:35:14.079 First question. 00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:19.840 Did you walk in dry and weary and tired? 00:35:21.280 --> 00:35:23.360 You were you're in the valley. 00:35:25.280 --> 00:35:27.519 Would you just come to Jesus in this moment? 00:35:27.760 --> 00:35:32.480 He wants to meet you, he wants to speak to you, he wants to breathe life into you. 00:35:32.639 --> 00:35:38.719 Would you just bring him the things that are in you, not what ought to be in you, and just present it to him? 00:35:41.039 --> 00:35:45.119 And at the beginning, we talked about God's dream for life. 00:35:47.920 --> 00:35:53.360 Would you begin to say, okay, do you is his dream better than your dream? 00:35:54.239 --> 00:35:55.840 And begin to wrestle with that. 00:35:56.079 --> 00:36:00.079 God, I I want to believe that your dream is better than my dream. 00:36:00.159 --> 00:36:03.599 But the reality is, is I still hold on to my dream. 00:36:03.840 --> 00:36:07.599 And you're calling me into purpose and significance in life. 00:36:07.840 --> 00:36:10.320 You are the resurrection and the life. 00:36:10.400 --> 00:36:17.679 You don't want to resuscitate my old life, but you want to make me new and bring life around me. 00:36:18.320 --> 00:36:24.880 And so, would you just wrestle with your dream versus God's dream? 00:36:25.360 --> 00:36:30.079 Do you really believe it's better that his ways are good? 00:36:30.639 --> 00:36:32.159 Jesus, thank you for this time. 00:36:32.320 --> 00:36:34.079 Thank you for your grace. 00:36:35.679 --> 00:36:36.960 Thank you for your word. 00:36:38.880 --> 00:36:48.480 God, would you speak to us and would you bring about new life in us? 00:36:48.960 --> 00:36:53.360 The areas that we need your tender touch, your healing touch. 00:36:54.800 --> 00:37:00.000 Where we need to believe for the impossible, not because of our ability, but because of yours. 00:37:06.000 --> 00:37:12.880 Would you make us a people who breathe life, speak life, and hope to those around us. 00:37:13.039 --> 00:37:14.639 In Jesus' name. 00:37:15.039 --> 00:37:15.679 Amen. 00:37:18.480 --> 00:37:20.800 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:37:20.960 --> 00:37:25.360 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:37:25.519 --> 00:37:27.599 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:37:27.760 --> 00:37:33.760 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.com slash card.