Our sermon passage this morning is Ezekiel chapter 37, which can be found on page 724 of the Pew Bibles. Ezekiel chapter 37. 725. And I'll be reading verses starting at verse 1 through verse 14. Before I read, would you once again join me in seeking the Lord in prayer. Lord, thank you for your word. Thank you for what you accomplish through preaching the proclamation of Your Word. Thank You that You have preserved it for us, so that we may know what is Your will. More importantly, that we may know what You have accomplished for us, who Jesus is for us. So I pray, Lord, that Your Spirit would help us to give our attention to the Word, that we would be able to put away the distractions in our mind, and listen to You, listen to Your Word, and be blessed by the truth of it, how it applies to our lives, so that we may be more like our Lord and Savior. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. Ezekiel chapter 37, starting at verse 1. The hand of the Lord was upon me, this is Ezekiel speaking, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the middle of the valley. It was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley. And behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, you know. Then he said to me, prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones, Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you 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 sound, and behold, a rattling, And the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, thus says the Lord God. Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them. And they lived, and stood on their feet an exceedingly great army. Then He said to me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost. We are clean, cut off. Therefore prophesy and say to them, Thus says the Lord God. Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people, and I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord when I open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my spirit within you and you shall live. And I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. I have spoken and I will do it. declares the Lord. Can these bones live? That's the last question you are expecting God to ask you when he brings you out to a valley of bones. Technically, Ezekiel shouldn't even be there. Ezekiel was a priest. You'll remember in the first five books of Moses, the priest is supposed to stay away from things that reek of death, things that would contaminate the priest. And what could reek of death more than a valley of bones? Then the author adds another helpful note, dry bones. This isn't a vision of people who are downcast or barely clinging to life. This is devastation. The sun has bleached these bones, and the birds have come and picked away at whatever little remnants of life was left on these bones. This is an army-sized pile of bones, and they're not even buried. Which, you remember, in the ancient world, burial is a big deal. A lot of the patriarchal narratives about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, a lot of those chapters deal with finding a place to bury their dead. But no bones, excuse me, no burial here. just judgment, and a question, son of man, can these bones live? And Ezekiel responds, you know God, which if Ezekiel was on a game show, his teammates would be clapping for him and saying, great answer, Ezekiel. That's the best answer he could give. He can't say, yes, Lord, the bones of these rebels, these people who have thrown your covenant and laws to the side, they deserve to live. These are not the bones of the innocent. These are not victims, but these are people who God has described as having stubborn hearts and hard foreheads. Chapter three. He's looking at bones of people who have received God's judgment. And my grandmother used to say, if you have a hard head, that means you have a soft tail. If you're unfamiliar with that phrase, simply what it means is after repeated warnings, turn away from sin, turn away from evil, stop worshiping false gods. The house of Israel had showed themselves ripe for judgment. These are the bones of a bride who has forsaken her husband. These are the bones of those who would practice abominations right in God's temple. You get that in chapter 8. Ezekiel is brought to God's house and they're practicing worship for false gods, turning their back to the temple to bow down to the sun. This is bold sin. There's a story that floats around in my family of a friend who came over to watch the Sixers game with my family. He brought food and beverages. That's a nice thing to do. But when they found out he was rooting against the Sixers, they kicked him out and kept his food. They are entering into a temple that promised that God is with them. Not floating in a crowd, but there with them. and they are rooting for another god. So the surprise of the original question, can these bones live, is surpassed by the command that Ezekiel is given by the Lord. Preach to them. Now here's this valley of dry bones, hardened hearts, bold sinners. Preach to them, Ezekiel. We're waiting for Ezekiel to say, but Lord, isn't that what I've been doing? I've been preaching to them throughout, for us, throughout this whole book. They're not listening. The household of Israel is responding to Ezekiel's preaching just like bones would. Bones don't have ears. They can't respond to Ezekiel's preaching. Surely Ezekiel feels as if there has to be some other solution. And if Ezekiel does feel that way, he would not be the only one. Even today in the church, when we are drowning in fears or worries, or perhaps feel enslaved to certain sins, there's a temptation to think that we need something better than preaching. I need solutions, not sermons. Don't preach at me. I need something that's actually going to work. Son of man, can these bones live? Well, what kind of God must our Lord be to make these bones live? What kind of message must be proclaimed that would matter to dry bones? It is the message that God is willing to pardon sinners, and that He has the power to raise the dead. Friends, this is why preaching exists. Because God is willing to offer forgiveness of sins and to resurrect the dead, to bring them into life. And so, obeying His Lord, Ezekiel begins to preach, and to his utter amazement, He starts hearing a rattling. Some of you have learned about which bones connect to each other through a song about Ezekiel. And so these bones are connecting, and he's seeing flesh begin to cover what was once dry, but all of a sudden he would hear that screeching halt. It comes to an end. Here it is in verse 8. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them. And skin had covered them, but there was no breath in them. Would that be a comforting message? Hey, listen, I can't bring you out of those graves, but I can make your skin look nice. I can't give life to the dead, but I can at least make sure the bones don't get separated. Ezekiel was not commanded to preach in such a way that would just make, you know, dry bones less grotesque than they were originally, but that they would live and know their Lord. So we're presented with a question. Well, what's missing from Ezekiel's preaching? Does Ezekiel not have a good three-point outline? Is he missing an introduction that's just captivating? What is needed to make his preaching effectual? And that's the question that our Shorter Catechism is focusing on. 89, Westminster Shorter Catechism, question 89. How is the Word made effectual to salvation? The answer, the Spirit of God maketh the reading but especially the preaching of the Word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort through faith unto salvation. The bones will remain lifeless unless the Spirit makes Ezekiel's preaching effective, or in other words, life-giving. And this is where a bit of Hebrew vocabulary helps us see the Spirit's work. If you look at verse 1 and 14, you'll see that the Spirit is named or explicitly mentioned in our translation. The Spirit is doing all the work in this passage. Particularly because in chapter 36, God says that what would bring life to Israel is that He would put His Spirit in them, that his spirit would cause them to obey, to forsake their sin and rebellion and follow the Lord. And so the Hebrew word is ruach, meaning spirit or breath. It's the word under spirit in our passage and under breath. Well, what's my point? Am I just trying to prove to you that I passed my Hebrew 3 class? No, I do have a point. I think our passage could be read, and I would suggest should be read, in a way that emphasizes that this isn't just a random breath that's reviving an out-of-breath Israel. This is the Spirit of God. God is giving them life. So I think verses 9 and 10 could be read this way. He said to me, prophesied to the Spirit. Prophesy, son of man, say to the Spirit, this is what the Lord God says. Spirit, come from the four winds and breathe into these slain, so that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me. The Spirit entered them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, a vast army." You know, in the early chapters of Genesis, we see God form dust. And from that does create man, and he breathes life into this man to produce new creation. But this is different. This is darker. These are sinners, rebels, those who have no true love for God. And so not only does he form his bones, but he puts the spirit in them so that they could be dedicated, loyal to their Lord. Kind of like an army. Ezekiel gives us the vision of these bones being filled with the Spirit and then the interpretation of the vision. So we read earlier from verses 1-10 the vision. In verse 11-14 we hear exactly what Israel has been saying. Verse 11, our bones are dried up, our hope is lost, we are clean, cut off. But what does the Lord promise then? I will open your graves and raise you from your graves." This, friends, is why preaching exists. God, through the preached Word and through the power of His Spirit, brings sinners out of their graves into new life. It's not just a random breath or wind from the east that turns Israel into a pure and devoted bride, or turns these idolaters into an army, but it is the spirit of the living God. What makes Ezekiel's preaching effective is the wrong question. Who makes Ezekiel's preaching effective? The same person who brings sinners to life today, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit that Jesus said needed to be sent for the success of the gospel. And so when we get to the New Testament, Jesus, a better priest, a better son of man, commands the Holy Spirit to fill sinners so they may leave their graves and be freed from the curse of Adam. Jesus, who suffers punishment for idolaters and unfaithful people, and not only defeats death by His resurrection, but invites the faithful, those who believe in Him, to share in His resurrection. This Jesus says that the Holy Spirit is essential. He tells His disciples in Luke's Gospel that the forgiveness of sins must be preached in His name, but wait for the Spirit. Wait for the promise of the Father. In the end of John's gospel, we get what strikes us almost as a little bit of an echo of Ezekiel 37. In Ezekiel 37, he has to call out, command to the Spirit. But here, Jesus says, receive the Spirit and breathe onto his disciples. It's an imputation, a transfer of the Spirit into His Apostles, so that they could go forth and preach the Gospel. Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld. Jesus, before He commissions His Apostles to preach the message of forgiveness, tells them you need the Spirit. Well, earlier I referenced struggles about seeing perhaps the usefulness of preaching. Maybe you're experiencing a time where each day feels like an absolute struggle just to get out of bed. Or you feel as if there are sins in your life that are reaching for a shovel and trying to throw you back into the grave. How does preaching minister to you? What is the good of preaching when you are experiencing such difficulties? Perhaps you are asking the question, can these bones live? Well, this describes you and your experience with preaching. I'd like to encourage you to act on a few encouragements for the year 2021. I have three points, three encouragements. The first is, do not look to the minister's eloquence or training or way with words to make the word come alive to you. He simply can't do that. And this is not a theology of preaching to downplay the physical components. There is a voice, there is a man in the pulpit. But the good of preaching, friends, is the God who is behind it. Preaching is effective. Preaching changes people because God changes people. And so was your 2020 marked with prayer before you would hear the preached word? Holy Spirit, open my eyes. Make my heart a fertile soil to receive the word and to grow. And if that was not your practice in 2020, Should you not make it your practice in this year? As our Shorter Catechism question shows us, the elders will proclaim and teach in the pulpit, in Sunday school, and in youth group, but it's the Spirit who will do the convincing, the comforting, and building up. And should we not seek the person of the Holy Spirit in prayer for His ministry? These are things that we would need to pray for. Sometimes, when I want to remember things, I put it into a routine, something that I'm always already going to do so I don't forget it. When you get in your car, when you've packed up the family successfully to come to church, first, thank God that you got everybody in the car, and then, you know, as you're on your way over there, pray for the Spirit. Lord, we are getting ready to hear your Word. Would you let the Spirit work in my life, in the lives of my children? the second encouragement. And while you're praying for the Spirit's ministry, pray for the Spirit's work in the heart of your pastor, and the other elders, and the deacons, that the Spirit would be working in their lives. There's this story by Spurgeon, which of course there's a story by Spurgeon, but it's about a minister and prayer. Listen to this. A certain preacher whose sermons converted men by scores. OK, so here we go. A real successful preacher received a revelation from heaven that not one of his conversions was owing to his talents or eloquence, but all to the prayers of an illiterate lay brother who sat on the pulpit steps pleading all the time for the success of the sermon. Now clearly, Spurgeon is after self-sufficient pastors. One who would say, I have a way with words, I'm very eloquent, I don't need to depend on the Holy Spirit. But when I read this story, I remember thinking to myself, yeah, shame on this minister for not seeking the Spirit. But shame on the congregation if only one man was found praying for the success of the Word. And when you read through the epistles, this is something you will continually see Paul asking for prayer about. Finally, brothers, pray for us. Okay, Paul will pray for you. About what? That the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored as happened among you. Friends, pray for the success of the word. And my final encouragement about listening to preaching the year 2021 is for the younger folk, my peers. I can't begin to express to you what I take to be a great privilege that you have to be hearing the word preached. Some of you are familiar with truth that I didn't learn until I was in my late or excuse me, my early 20s. And I'm sure if you talk to anyone who in their teens and 20s was not hearing the word preached, that they would assure you, yes, you are blessed. If you've ever thought about a tangible expression of God's love for you, look no further than by Lord's Day, by Lord's Day, He has placed you here to hear Him calling out to you, offering you His comfort, wanting to see you be united to Him in faith. But with that great privilege, as you know, there's a danger. You remember in Ezekiel that when he preached, there was bones connecting and skin appearing, but there was no life. And this is the risk that you could find yourself in, being satisfied with bones simply connecting. being able to articulate doctrines, or having an awareness or understanding of things, but having no life in the Spirit. How would you know that you are having life in the Spirit? And this is one of the things that I think is relevant, particularly here in America. In America, we associate the Spirit with the charismatic. But in our passage, the promise of the spirit was not tongues or visions, but obedience, walking in the law of the Lord, a standing for the Lord, like an army, obedient and loyal to him alone. And so pray for the spirit to bless you as you listen to the preach word. That you would, this is not to downplay learning, that you would come to understand that you would grow in knowledge, but that the spirit would cause you to live and to walk in a way that pleases the Lord. Friends, I pray in 2021, you continue to do family worship, continue to attend the service and give yourself to the sacraments, give yourself to Christ and to his people. But in all of that, do not forget the Holy Spirit. Would you join me in prayer? Lord, I thank you that you have sent your son to deliver us from our sins. That you have brought us out of death. Our sin and the sin of Adam has laid a grave for us. But You have brought us out of it by Your resurrection. And You invite us to share in it by union with You. I pray, Lord, that we would be a people in prayer, seeking the Spirit to illuminate the preaching and teaching of the Word. That the Word would grow and produce fruit in our hearts for Your glory, for the benefit of one another, and so as to be salt and light in the area where you have placed us. Thank you, Jesus, for sending the Spirit. Thank you that wherever His presence is, you are there. Holy Spirit, we pray that you would continue to take what belongs to Christ and apply it to us. That we would experience conviction and then you would move us to the comfort knowing that Jesus is ours, that we belong to Him. Pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.