Bone Dry and Empty

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This is a sermon based on Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones (Ez. 37:1-14) and Paul's warning to Timothy that in the "last days" people would have a form of godliness but no power. The message emphasizes the need for the Holy Spirit's presence and how to obtain it.

Written Excerpts:
Ezekiel 37:1-2 ^(NKJV) The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. ²Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. 

2 Timothy 3:5 ^(NKJV) having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

Introduction:

I heard about the little girl who was to quote a Scripture verse for a children’s program in front of a large congregation. The verse she was to recite was, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” She was overtaken with stage fright when it came time for her to say her verse and she blurted out, “Many are cold and a few are frozen.”

Sometimes I wonder if that is what the Lord thinks when He looks in on some of our churches today?

There is a NT verse that goes along well with the theme of this story from Ezekiel and it is found in the Apostle Paul’s second letter to Timothy. He said to the young pastor, Timothy, that in the last days perilous times would come. Men would become lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. He said people would have a form of godliness but deny the power of it.

The title I’ve chosen for the message today is, “Bone dry and empty.” I think that pretty well sums up the condition of the two passages of scripture in Ezekiel and 2 Timothy. God has shown Ezekiel a vision of dead, dry skeletons, and Paul has reminded Timothy of people who have the “form” but there’s nothing in it. They have the “package” but it’s empty!

I want to talk to you today about a common problem that exists among churches and Christians and what the solution is.

I.    Contextual Settings

In order to grasp the full impact or meaning of these references we need to understand the contextual settings. 

Ezekiel

 (The Bible Knowledge Commentary) [In Ezekiel], Chapter 37 vividly illustrates the promise of chapter 36. God had just announced that Israel will be restored to her land in blessing under the leadership of David her king. However, this seemed remote in light of Israel's present condition. She was "dead" as a nation—deprived of her land, her king, and her temple. She had been divided and dispersed for so long that unification and restoration seemed impossible. 

So God causes Ezekiel to witness this unusual vision. It’s as if God is saying, “You think your people are in bad shape? You think it isn’t really possible for the nation to flourish once again? Then, what do you think about this huge valley of skeletons? Do you think they can live again?” Ezekiel knows God well enough to not give a hasty human response, but he replies, “You know Lord!” So God causes him to witness the miraculous revival of life into what must have been hundreds of skeletons – dry bones.

“This is an example of what God can do!”

Timothy

Timothy was a younger man than the Apostle Paul, whom Paul considered to be his “son in the faith.” He was pastor of the church in Ephesus and Paul is writing to give him solid counsel and advice concerning his ministry among the people of Ephesus.

In chapter 3 Paul is describing the conditions that would exist in the last days. (Last Days – the entire period between Christ’s ascension and His second coming.) Even though he had instructed Timothy earlier to be tender and kind to all, now he warns Timothy to avoid close association with those who fit these descriptions. 

Among all of the descriptions Paul provides, he adds the phrase we mentioned earlier, “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” He implies these people have the ceremony and ritual down pat; they have learned the vocabulary; and they know the rules; but they do not have the power of God within them that really makes the difference.

(sermonillustrations.com) Sometime back the Associated Press carried this dispatch: "Glasgow, Ky.--Leslie Puckett, after struggling to start his car, lifted the hood and discovered that someone had stolen the motor." 

This is a sad illustration of the exact problem Paul was expressing to Timothy. There are many people in the church today just like Mr. Puckett’s car. It looks like a car and it feels like a car, but it is only a shell of a car because its source of power is missing. Some people may “look” like Christians and sound like Christians, but there’s no spiritual life or power of God displayed in their lives.

There are many churches that look like a church, feel like a church, and it sound like a church, but the source of power is missing. In some cases, it has been years since anything miraculous has taken place to demonstrate the presence of God in the church.

What is missing? 

In Ezekiel’s vision the skeletons still couldn’t function, even after muscles, tendons, flesh and skin were added. Why? Because there was no breath (wind, spirit) in them.

Why do professing Christians have a form of godliness but no power? They’re missing the breath of God in them. The “breath of God” is the power of the Holy Spirit.

When God breathed the breath of God into Adam, he became a living soul. When God sent the breath of wind into the corpses they came alive into a might army. When the disciples were gathered in the upper room on the day of Pentecost there was a sound as a rushing might wind and the Holy Spirit fell on them and filled them.

It is only the Holy Spirit that give us the power to go along with the form of godliness.

II.  How can we have this wind of the Holy Spirit or the power that goes with the form?

Now that we have discussed the passages in Ezekiel and 2^nd Timothy, I want to discuss how we can possess this power of the Spirit that is referred to in each of these passages.

1. We must be genuinely born again. 

We receive the Spirit of Christ when Christ comes into our hearts and lives. 

Romans 8:9 ^(NKJV) But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

There definitely needs to be new spiritual life in us that is more than simply reforming our ways and turning over a new leaf (I’m not doing as many bad things as I used to).

2 Cor. 5:17 If any man be in Christ he is a new creature…

2. We must surrender self-will and let His Spirit fill us.

Romans 12:1 – Present yourselves a living sacrifice.

1 Thes. 5:23 – …sanctify you entirely (through & through)

Lk. 24:49 – Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."

There is a greater work that God’s Spirit can do in our hearts after we are born again. All of these references mentioned were written or stated to Christians. 

(sermonillustrations.com) D.L. Moody was to have a campaign in England. An elderly pastor protested, "Why do we need this 'Mr. Moody'? He's uneducated, inexperienced, etc. Who does he think he is anyway? Does he think he has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit?" A younger, wiser pastor rose and responded, "No, but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on Mr. Moody."

3. We must practice ongoing obedience.

1 Thessalonians 5:19 ^(NKJV) Do not quench the Spirit.

“quench” – put out, extinguish; as in a fire.

Ephesians 4:30 ^(NKJV) And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

“grieve” – make sorry, cause distress

What is the main cause of sorrow for the Holy Spirit? or what causes His fire to be extinguished? I believe it is disobedience. 

If we truly want to see what God the Holy Spirit can do through us as individuals and through us as a church, we must refrain from “putting out fire” and we must refrain from grieving the Holy Spirit.

4. We must engage in earnest prayer.

Over and over the Bible exhorts God’s people to pray and to fast and pray. Earnest prayer is the key to the Spirit’s power.

The Apostle James said, “We have not because we ask not.” Jesus said, “Ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.” He also said, “…How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask.”

(W. Duewel, Touch the World Through Prayer)  [After describing the power of God’s Spirit he felt in his ministry, Charles Finney went on to say,] Sometimes I would find myself in a great measure empty of this power. I would go and visit, and find that I made no saving impression. I would exhort and pray with the same results. I would then set apart a day for private fasting and prayer...after humbling myself and crying out for help, the power would return upon me with all its freshness. This has been the experience of my life." (sermonillustrations.com)

James 5:16-18 ^(NKJV) Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. ¹⁷Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. ¹⁸And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

“prayed earnestly” – lit. prayed in his praying. He prayed with passion. I believe it is similar to the earnest prayer of Jacob when he wrestled with the angel. “I’ll not let you go unless you bless me.”

Passionate Prayer is the source of the power. 

I love Christian music and I love to attend a good gospel music concert. Music stirs the soul and raises the spirit. There’s no question about that. But concerts do not bring the power of the Holy Spirit upon a church. Prayer does. Yet, you can get many times more people to come out for a concert than you can for a prayer meeting.

Getting together for times of fellowship and enjoying a good meal is important and certainly valuable, but I don’t believe fellowship meals bring the Holy Spirit’s power upon the church. Prayer does.

Conclusion:

Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit came, He would not glorify himself, but He would glorify Christ. So, I believe that is exactly what will happen when the church gets full of the Holy Spirit – we will glorify Christ like never before. Churches and individuals that are filled with the Spirit of God will radiate the presence of Christ. 

When people were in the presence of Christ, they were keenly aware of their own unworthiness and sinfulness, but they were “mysteriously” drawn to Him because of His love and compassion. They instantly knew they weren’t like Him, but they wanted to be like Him and felt compelled to come to Him for all they needed.

This is the way it ought to be with us. When people come into a church there ought to be an overwhelming sense that God is in this place. There ought to be conviction of the Holy Spirit, but in addition to that, there ought to be a love and compassion that draws them to Christ. 

There have been numerous times in my life that I have been privileged to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in an unusual way. I don’t know about you but my heart is hungry for a greater fullness and a greater presence of the Holy Spirit of God!

As we close the service let’s stand and sing the closing song as a genuine prayer from our hearts: Come, Holy Spirit