They had studied Isaiah and Ezekiel, and in Ezekiel they found the prophecy of the dry bones in chapter 37, bones of men and horses that had been long dead, years, even centuries dead. And it is important, critical to understanding for us to know that the Hebrew word ruach means not only breath, but wind, and also Spirit. One word means all of these ideas: breath, wind, Spirit.
Ezekiel was given the vision by the Spirit of the Lord. The Lord asked Ezekiel – or was it another, for the Lord addressed him as “son of man”? The Lord asked the "son of man" if these bones could live, and Ezekiel wisely deferred to the Lord, saying, “only you know.”
The Lord said for Ezekiel to speak the words of the Lord to them, these words: “I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”
Or should we translate it as: “I will make Spirit enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put Spirit in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”?
Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 104:24-35; Acts 2:1-21; John 15:26-27; 16:4-15
The son of man did as he was told and the bones came together, skeletons were reformed, the muscles and tendons formed on them, and then the skin came over them. But they were not yet alive.
And so the Lord told the son of man to prophesy to the four winds and speak these words, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’”
The son of man said these words, and the bodies came back to life and stood up as a great army. The Lord spoke again:
“Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.
Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.
I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’”
The men in the upper room that day of the First Fruits had studied this passage. And they remembered what their leader, the Rabbi Jesus, had told them a little over a month earlier:
“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.”
Jesus, their leader who had often called himself the “Son of man”, had told them about this Spirit of God the night before he was executed, the Friday before he came back from death, three nights before his own bones and muscles and skin and body had received new breath from God! In the month in which he came back and talked with them, he had spoken often of this Spirit to come. But he had gone to heaven a week and a half ago, telling them to remain in Jerusalem until they received power from God.
And they had recently read the prophecy from the prophet Joel:
In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
That was what was on the mind of those 120 men and women that morning, as they studied scripture, smelled the wonderful cooking smells, heard the people and animals in the street outside, and quietly prayed. It was particularly on the mind of Simon, the fishing boat captain that Jesus had named "Peter". "Rock".
And then it happened.
There was a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind – or should we say, a mighty Spirit? Tongues of fire appeared in the room, separated over each of their heads, lighting up the room as something wild happened, they felt a power rush into each of them as the Spirit of God possessed them, and they began to praise God in many different languages, "Praise God, Praise God, Praise God!"
The noise attracted people in the streets around, thousands came running and heard God being praised in their native languages, some were wondering what it meant, some comedian said they were drunk and then Peter stood up, Peter walked out in front of the crowd, Peter, with the other Eleven disciples behind him, nodding in agreement with every word the strong fishing boat captain said. Yes! In a voice used to commanding a boat in a storm, Peter shouted down the crowd:
“Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
“‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
And then Peter spoke to the crowd about Jesus.
But God had already spoken. God had already created new life with God’s words. God had already breathed new life into the people of Jerusalem because Jesus, the Son of man, had taught for three years and the Holy Spirit, the Holy Breath of God had come upon the hundred and twenty followers of Jesus who were there that day...
I was watching a dandelion in my yard over the last month.
I watched it put out leaves, I watched it bud and then put out a flower. And then, I saw it put up its head of seeds and then the Holy wind of God came and the seeds blew away, scattering across the yard and beyond to who knows where. Perhaps to your yard.
And I thought, that is the way a good church should be.
A seed is planted. The church grows, gaining energy as people develop and learn to contribute to the church by time, talents, presence, treasure and witness. The church begins to bud and flower as new ministries develop, as more people become more committed to the mission of God – and then the Holy Spirit, the Holy Breath of God comes and people begin to fly away from the church as church seeds, some to lead other churches, some to plant new churches, some to start ministries in the community, some to lead other people to the knowledge of Christ.
Tuesday evening, Jim Berner, the state Methodist treasurer and pensions man was here. He told us a few things.
He told us that the average age of the 300 pastors on the medical plan is 62. He told us that another 300 who are over 65 use the Medicare supplement. And he told us that 60 pastors will be retiring next June. One in ten of our total group of pastors. About 150 pastors will likely be retiring over the next three years, a quarter of our pastors. The baby boom generation is retiring.
When I came here five years ago, I asked you to do a simple thing. I asked you to praise God, just like the Psalmist wrote:
I will sing to the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
It is what happened on the Day of Pentecost, the day of First Fruits when everyone was praising God.
And some of you have praised God. Some of you have developed the habit of praising God in public. And those of you that praise God have developed a reputation among your friends, family, and neighbors of knowing something about God. And that has caused you to see certain things.
You’ve seen people look at you strangely, wondering if you've lost your mind!
But you’ve seen people ask you to pray for and with them. (Always pray right then and there – otherwise you’ll forget! Also, when you pray with someone, it touches their heart and brings them - and you - closer to God right then. )
You’ve heard people ask you questions about God – some of which you could answer, and some of which you couldn’t answer, but all of those conversations brought your friends, neighbors, and family - and you! - closer to God.
You’ve become closer friends with those who have talked with you about God and Christ.
And some of you have been rewarded with seeing members of your family, your friends, or your neighbors declare their belief in Christ’s saving grace, become baptized believers, or start attending church again.
If you’ve been baptized, confirmed, or joined this church over the last five years while I’ve been here, will you stand?
If you’ve praised God outside the church and seen people ask you to pray for them, will you stand?
If you’ve had deep conversations about God or Christ or the church because you’ve praised God, will you stand?
Praising God works. It worked at Pentecost and it worked for the early church on a daily basis – See Acts 2:42-47 – and it still works today. If you’d like to lead people to Christ – the first step is very simple. Just praise God to your friends, neighbors, and family.
Now our culture doesn’t buy this. Our culture assumes that God is an opinion, not a person. Our culture would have us believe that the key to spreading the Gospel is a huge amount of advertising – in newspapers, on the television, on the radio, online. And a certain amount of advertising is useful – but within limits, thinking carefully about where the people are that we are most looking for.
Our culture assumes that God is an opinion, not a person. So religion must be a matter of psychology, right?
But the strength of Christianity, the reason it works, is that it describes reality better than any other system of beliefs, better than any other religion, even better than science. And remember – my training was in physics, in business, and in mathematics. It was only later that I realize that truth lies in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Son of man!
Truth lies in God the Father who created the Universe. In God the Son who died upon the cross and was resurrected. In God the Holy Spirit who is there to advise us, to walk with us, and to give us life-giving POWER when God wants it.
As you have learned to listen to the Holy Spirit, as you have learned to praise God, as you have learned to read Holy Scripture and let the Scripture run your life instead of letting the culture run your life – your life has come together.
- You may not have extra cash – but you have become rich.
- You may not have perfect health, but you deal with the world in a healthy manner.
- You may not be ethically and morally perfect – but you now see many of your flaws and are repairing your soul, which is the temple in which the Holy Spirit resides.
And the key to all of this is not “believing in God’s existence”. That is only a first little baby step.
The key is following Christ, the key is reading and acting upon Scripture, the key is listening to the gentle words and nudging of the Holy Spirit and responding as the Spirit leads you.
The world has changed. It began to change when Christ rose from the dead, and it has continued to change as people, ordinary people, connected through Christ to the power of God, learned to read scripture and listen to the Holy Spirit, and then did what the Spirit asked in the power of the Spirit.
Go back to the dandelion church...
Here you sit. You came here today thinking about your life. In your life, there is something that isn’t right. Your life is just a bit out of sorts, a bit off. It’s better than it used to be, but still, there is this nagging feeling that the life you’re living isn’t the life God might have for you.
I’ve just told you that in one year, there will be about 60 openings for pastors in West Virginia. Everybody starts part-time. Everybody starts with small churches of 15 to 25 people. Everybody starts with churches that are only about the size of a large Bible Study.
Perhaps one or two of those small churches is what God has in mind for you. Perhaps you are a dandelion seed that is ready to be blown away by God’s Holy Breath. Perhaps those churches are where you can really learn about God’s plan for you, where you can really let the Holy Spirit guide you, where you can share with other people some of the wisdom you’ve gathered about God and Christ and the Holy Spirit over the last decade or so. We always learn more by teaching and leading than by sitting in the class or following.
If you have the will, don’t worry about the training and education. We have the training and education programs which will teach you what you need.
If you have the will, don’t worry about the time. When I was a half-time pastor, I taught high school math full-time, taught two evening college courses, took a full-time graduate school course load online, helped Saundra raise three teens at home, helped with a business, and led two churches which were 40 minutes from our house. It can be done.
If you have the will, don’t worry. God will be with you to make it happen.
That last point is most important. The culture tells you that you will be alone.The culture tells you you won't have the money. Christ says that He will be with you always, that God feeds even sparrows, and that the Holy Spirit will teach you all truth. God’s will is that you know God and bring the Gospel to others.
About two thousand years ago, Christianity began when Jesus came back from the dead. Fifty days later, the Holy Spirit arrived on Pentecost and the church exploded. Did you know that 3000 people were baptized on that single day in Jerusalem?
Today, about 2/3rds of the people in this state don’t have a church home. Will you be the person to reach some of them, will you be the person who brings the Good News, will you be the messenger of God to your friends, neighbors, family…or a stranger? You can make an eternal difference to someone’s soul.
Which will you follow?
The way of the culture – or the way of Christ?
The key is following Christ, the key is reading and acting upon Scripture, the key is listening to the gentle words and nudging of the Holy Spirit and responding as the Spirit leads you.
The world has changed. It began to change when Christ rose from the dead, and it has continued to change as people, ordinary people, connected through Christ to the power of God, learned to read scripture and listen to the Holy Spirit, and then did what the Spirit asked in the power of the Spirit.
Go back to the dandelion church...
Here you sit. You came here today thinking about your life. In your life, there is something that isn’t right. Your life is just a bit out of sorts, a bit off. It’s better than it used to be, but still, there is this nagging feeling that the life you’re living isn’t the life God might have for you.
I’ve just told you that in one year, there will be about 60 openings for pastors in West Virginia. Everybody starts part-time. Everybody starts with small churches of 15 to 25 people. Everybody starts with churches that are only about the size of a large Bible Study.
Perhaps one or two of those small churches is what God has in mind for you. Perhaps you are a dandelion seed that is ready to be blown away by God’s Holy Breath. Perhaps those churches are where you can really learn about God’s plan for you, where you can really let the Holy Spirit guide you, where you can share with other people some of the wisdom you’ve gathered about God and Christ and the Holy Spirit over the last decade or so. We always learn more by teaching and leading than by sitting in the class or following.
If you have the will, don’t worry about the training and education. We have the training and education programs which will teach you what you need.
If you have the will, don’t worry about the time. When I was a half-time pastor, I taught high school math full-time, taught two evening college courses, took a full-time graduate school course load online, helped Saundra raise three teens at home, helped with a business, and led two churches which were 40 minutes from our house. It can be done.
If you have the will, don’t worry. God will be with you to make it happen.
That last point is most important. The culture tells you that you will be alone.The culture tells you you won't have the money. Christ says that He will be with you always, that God feeds even sparrows, and that the Holy Spirit will teach you all truth. God’s will is that you know God and bring the Gospel to others.
About two thousand years ago, Christianity began when Jesus came back from the dead. Fifty days later, the Holy Spirit arrived on Pentecost and the church exploded. Did you know that 3000 people were baptized on that single day in Jerusalem?
Today, about 2/3rds of the people in this state don’t have a church home. Will you be the person to reach some of them, will you be the person who brings the Good News, will you be the messenger of God to your friends, neighbors, family…or a stranger? You can make an eternal difference to someone’s soul.
Which will you follow?
The way of the culture – or the way of Christ?
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