<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Advent HOPE Sabbath School

Douglas Na'a

Hear the Word of the Lord

I'm very happy to be here with you this evening and also this weekend.

I hope and I pray that the Lord will have a tremendous blessing upon each and every 1 of us this weekend.

And as we study God's word, that not only will the things of God's word be clarified more and more in our hearts but we will draw closer and closer to Christ.

I know there's a word, there was a prayer that was offered before but let's just have another quick word of prayer.

Father, You must increase and we must decrease.

You know in Selected Messages page 121, the servant of the Lord tells us that A revival of true godliness is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs.

I want to expound a little bit tomorrow morning on this quote right here.

A revival of true godliness is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs.

I believe with all my heart that if there's ever a need in our hearts, if there's ever a need in our churches today, it is a need for revival.

And I'm not talking about the kind of revival that you see where the people come up and you lay their hands on their forehead and then they start falling over.

I'm not talking that kind of revival, but the Spirit of Prophecy makes it clear that this is a revival of true godliness.

A revival that leads us to reflect the character of Christ.

And I believe that 1 of the greatest revivals that we ever see in the scriptures, 1 of the greatest revivals that we see in God's Holy Word is found in Ezekiel 37.

So if you have your Bibles with you, tune with me to Ezekiel chapter 37.

We'll have a quick study this evening on the book of Ezekiel chapter 37.

This passage of scripture fascinates me so much.

It's the greatest, it's a revival of true godliness right here.

And the Bible says here in Ezekiel chapter 37 and verse 1.

The Bible says, 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.

The Bible tells us that Ezekiel was smack dab in the middle valley, from the north to the south to the east and to the west.

All he could see was white bleached bones.

Absolutely no hope of revival whatsoever.

Now notice what the Bible says here in verse 2.

And caused me to pass by them round about, and behold, there were very many in the open valley and lo what happened folks they were very dry here we see a double emphasis on what it means to be absolutely dead these were just ordinary bones these were extremely dry bones in other words what God was trying to teach Ezekiel, Ezekiel, there's no hope of life whatsoever.

These are not just ordinary bones, but these are very dry bones.

Then the Bible goes on to say in verse 3, And he said unto me, he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live?

And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.

Jump down to verse 11 of that very same chapter.

You see, God was trying to teach a message to the children of Israel that had fallen so far into apostasy, and God was using a metaphorical language to try to describe something that relates to the spirituality of the children of Israel.

Verse 11, Then he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones, son of man, these bones are what folks?

In other words, this was the spiritual condition of God's church.

I think that 1 of the most greatest discouragements that Ezekiel must have seen in his lifetime is this 1 right here.

As he stood in the midst of the valley of dry bones, all he could see was spiritual lethargy.

You know the Bible tells us in 1 John chapter 5, come with me real quickly, keep your finger on Ezekiel chapter 37, 1 John chapter 5, 1 John chapter 5 verse 12.

Why is it that there was no life in these valley of dry bones?

The Bible says here, he that hath the Son hath what?

And he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

The Bible simply says here, the reason why there was such spiritual lethargy, the reason why there was a valley of dry bones, because Jesus was in the center of their hearts and their minds.

When Jesus is not the center in your life, then your life is a value of dry bones.

When Christ is not the center of your school, then your school is a valley of dry bones.

If Christ is not the center of your finances, then your finances are a valley of dry bones.

If Jesus isn't the center of our message, If Christ is not the center of this church, of this movement, then this movement is a valley of dry bones.

So the greatest of all our needs is a revival of true godliness that is centered around Christ.

So Ezekiel is surrounded with a valley of dry bones.

This represents the spiritual condition of God's church.

And this will represent your condition if you haven't centered your life around Christ.

If Christ is not the center of your heart, then your life is a valley of dry bones.

So what does God bring for a solution to this revival?

Notice what the Bible says here in verse 3 and verse 4.

And He said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live?

And I answered him, and O Lord, God, thou knowest.

Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto these bones." What was Ezekiel to say to these bones?

It is very interesting here in the Valley of Dry Bones.

God's ultimate solution to someone who is living on a valley of dry bones is to hear the Word of the Lord.

In other words, the solution to a revival, dear friends, begins by preaching and studying God's Word.

This is the essence, this is the foundation of what a true revival, what envelops a true revival from a false revival.

Listen, if you're not spending time in God's Word, If there's ever a time that our hearts and our minds need to be fortified with the Word of God, it is today.

This is the essence of a revival of true godliness, 1 that is based on God's Word.

Ezekiel, if there's a need for God's church to be revived, it begins by preaching and studying God's Word.

It is only the Word of the Lord, it is only the Scriptures, God's Holy Word, that can bring about a true revival.

How many of you believe that this evening?

Back to Menu

Hear the Word of the Lord

Transcript

Sponsor

Recorded

Related

The Greatest of All Our Needs

33m

Then the Fire of the Lord Fell

42m

The Seed of Revival

27m

Finding the Book of the Law

54m

Our Greatest Need

42m

Experiencing Righteousness Through Faith in Christ

3. How the First Angel’s Message Prepares for the Second Advent

54m

Seminars

Your Problem Solved

1h 2m

Born Again - Part 1

1h 9m

Revival Now!

10. Adopt Christ’s Lifestyle

1h

The True Medical Missionary

56m

The Kings

The Kings: Josiah

39m

Finishing the Work

38m

Sound Doctrine