Sermons
Ezekiel 37:13, 28
Acts 16:25-34
“Now that we are the people of God, how does our witness reflect in the world around us?
People open up and turn to God when they see and experience a good model of renewal.”
1. Through the Power of Praise
- Who God is
- What God has done
- What God has promised,
2. Through the Power of Prayer
- Spiritual presence
- Spiritual outcomes
- Spectacular reversals
3Through the Power of Proclamation
- Conviction
- Conversion
Ezekiel 36:8-12
"The grace of God is amazing in that it is the only power able to maintain God on the side of His people regardless of their shortcomings or unfaithfulness."
Grace at work
a. Propitious Environment
b. Productive Population
c. Powerful People
d. Prominent Position
Grace of God (Undeserved favour or divine enablement, or God's help)
a. Not for granted
1 Corinthians 15:10
b. Not in vain
2 Corinthians 6:1,2
c. No to ungodliness and worldly passions
Titus 2:11-14
“The only thing that has the potential to undermine the grace of God is our lifestyle.”
(Injustice pollutes the land, while idolatry profane God’s name)
God of all Grace
Will strengthen us for service
Will fill us with confidence
Will grant us corresponding conduct
Will build our character
Will give us the much needed courage
1 Peter 5:10, 11; Matthew 4:21 (katartizo).
Matthew 28:1-6
“God's movement usually bursts forth in inauspicious places, among unlikely people, with powerful promises for a renewed world to emerge.”
Inauspicious Places
Deserted
Disadvantaged
Locked
Endangered
John 20:11-16; Mark 16:4-7; John 20:19, 20; Acts 27:21-25
Unlikely People
Ordinary
Confused
Hopeless
Fearful
Faithless
Mark 16:9-14; John 20:24-29; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; (John 20:14-16; Luke 24:13-16; John 20:19)
Powerful Promises
"Shalom"
"Power"
"New Future"
John 20:19-22; Mark 16:15; 1 Corinthians 15:10, 58 (Genesis 1:1, 2; Ezekiel 37:1-3, 9, 10)1d
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
"Vision of the unseen realities enables us to avoid discouragement in times of troubles and empowers us to press on towards the goal."
1. What we tend to see
Giants, with their imposing size and threats, in the land.
- Past glory
- Present pains
- Future difficulties
Ecclesiastes 7:10; Isaiah 43:16-21; Numbers 13:26-33; Luke 24:13-26; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 2 Corinthians 5:7 NLT; Philippians 3:12-14
2. What we need to see
God's shadow towering over everything.
- His person
- his presence
- His promises
- His purposes (past calling, future reward, and present contribution)
- His principles of power
Acts 7:54-56; Acts 27:18-25, 33-37; 2 Corinthians 4:1, 14, 15; Ephesians 3:14-21; Hebrews 11:27
Ezekiel 37: 11-14
"God is both aware of what is going on in the life of His people and He is actively involved in bringing about a better (Bright) future for them."
John 1:18
“Reason by its own means is incapable of arriving at a knowledge of God. The life of Jesus alone explains God to us in a way we could never understand otherwise.”
Three revelations about God
a. He is Mysterious
“Reason is reasonable only within reason.”(To receive revelation, to judge revelation’s credibility, and to judge revelation’s evidence).
“God is not always comprehensible, clearly definable, and not comfortably familiar.”
“God doesn’t look like Jesus; rather He acts and behaves just like Jesus.”
Heavenly council
Genesis 1:26; Job 1:6-12; Matthew 11:27; Hebrews 1:1-3
Secret counsel
Daniel 4:6; 1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 3:10-13
Salvific plan
Colossians 1:26, 27; 2:2, 3, 7
Zechariah 4:1-7
“The pervasive presence and power of God is the only resource that can enable us to maintain a good attitude while discharging Kingdom activities regardless of circumstances.
NATURALREALITIES
- Resistance
- Reluctance
- Reliance
SPIRITUAL REALITIES
- Resource
- Renewal
"What appears insurmountable from a human point of view is no challenge for God to deal with."
Ezekiel 37: 11-14
"God relies on the presence of His Spirit to contain difficult moments in the life of His people, to open a new perspective for their future, and to restore them in perfect communion with Him."
Ruach Elohim Attributes
- Good
- Great
- Grace
A Ruach Elohim Activities
- Chaos
Genesis 1:2; Genesis 50:19-20; Exodus 15:8-10; Deuteronomy 32:11; Ezekiel 37:1-3
2. Creation
Genesis 2:7; Genesis 41:38; Isaiah 11:2; Zechariah 4:6; Ephesians 3:20; Ezekiel 37:4, 9
3. Change
Genesis 8:1; Nehemiah 9:20; Isaiah 63:15-19; Ezekiel 36:22-32
Ruach Elohim Outcomes
- Extension of God in this world
- Faithful
- Hope filled
- Loving
2. Empowered to do the impossible
- Leaders
- People
- Institutions
John 15:1-8
“A legitimately good life that has benefits in the present and into the afterlife requires the fruit of the spirit. Love, Joy, Peace, forbearance, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We are unable to synthesize and maintain these fruits in the absence of God. Our best lives cannot be lived apart from God, our best selves can never be apart from God. God is INDISPENSABLE.”
AMOS 3:7 NLT
God is not only watching closely the tides of human life, but He is intimately involved in the affairs of man. Good things we foresee concerning the year 2022 are not a product of wishful thinking, rather a hope anchored in God's revealed plan.
Important reminders
- God is ultimately in charge
- God is active, not passive, in the world to change it for the better
- God is purposeful and practical
- God works through human agency
- God's people can contribute to creating positive change, at least in their sphere of influence.
Important revelations
- God will redeem the situation to restore society to normalcy
- God is refocusing His people’s attention first and foremost on Him
- God is purposeful and practical
- Young shoots springing out of a vast land
- Beautiful flowers carpeting an open field
- Old trees renewing themselves- though ever slowly
Important responsibilities
- Watch out
- Walk together
- Work together
- Worship truthfully
Ezekiel 37: 11-14
The only reason we can remain hopeful in a hopeless world and among helpless people is our perpective of God.
A Bleak Past
a. Cause: Sinful conduct (violence & idolatry)
Ezekiel 36:16-18
b. Consequence: Serious devatation (influential people, talented people, & public treasury)
Ezekiel 36:19, 20; 2 Kings 24:10-17; 2 Kings 25:22-26
A Bright Future
a. Two divine promises: revival & renewal (life, service, commitment, & society:physical suffering, communal identity, and faith).
b. Four salient Factors:
God's glory
Ezekiel 36:21,22,23
God's grace
Ezekiel 36:8-12
God's dynamism
Ezekiel 36:24-28
God's Spirit (Ruach Elohim)
Ezekiel 37:4-8
A Bold Move
a. Proclamation
Ezekiel 37:4-8
b. Prayer
Ezekeil 37:9-10
Luke 2:34-35
“The story of Jesus' power to turn public shame, on that Good Friday, into powerful triumph has often overshadowed that of power in the hands of Pilate. The sad reality is that, as with some of us, power in the hands of Pilate failed to accomplish its purpose.”
A Strange amalgam of people
A disconnected bunch of religious leaders
An unruly crowd
An unreliable friend
A disturbed spouse
A man in a position of power
A Scan of a scourged Saviour
Innocent Man
Man of men
Perfect Man
More than a man
A wrong man in position of power
Failure to discern the source and purpose of power
- All forms of power given by God (affluence & influence)
- All forms of power should serve the greater good (righteousness & justice)
Failure to take responsibility
- Weak before religious leaders
- Weak before the crowd
Failure of character
- Lack of courage of convictions
- Desire to compromise with wrong
- Inability to disobey conscience through fear of personal loss.
Luke 1:78,79
"We all want peace because we know it to be the standard of life. The good news is, though the path of peace proves elusive, we can rediscover it."
1. Peace proves to be elusive.
"No Justice, No Peace." Black Lives Matter Slogan
Justice and Peace are indissoluble.
Justice: right relations, harmony, and fairness.
Peace: Absence of tension, presence of justice, and power of worship.
- War without
- War within
- War with Him
2 Chronicles 15:1- 6 NLT; Mark 5:1-5; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Romans 3:23 (NLT)
2. Peace without the Prince of Peace is a fallacy.
The big lie: "people can engineer their ppeace."
The brutal truth: "There is no peace without the Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 3:1-8; Jeremiah 6:13, 14 NLT; Ezekiel 13:4-12, 16; Galatians 1:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:3
3. Peace is a place we can all be guided to.
- A gift from God
- A gift available to everyone
- A gift to be shared by all.
Luke 1:79; Luke 2:13, 14; Luke 24:36; John 14:27; 2 Thessalonians 3:16; James 1:17; Romans 12:18; Hebrews 12:14; Romans 14:17-19 NLT; Colossians 3:14, 15
Ezekiel 37: 1-14
Fact: God works within His purposes.
Purpose has a secondary role: Deny a role in the role of purpose, to Lack of purpose.
EXODUS 14:23-31; 2 CORINTHIANS 4:16-18
"The successive stages of Israel's emancipation from Egyptian captivity to the shore of freedom point to one truth: our God cannot be defeated."
- Real Danger
- Pharaoh with a lots of troops
- Dangerous waters
- Lack of alternatives
- Panicked community members
“There is light in the middle of darkness surrounding our situation.”
“The early Saints didn’t get out in self-confidence, rather in God’s confidence.”
2 Corinthians 4:8-12; 1 Peter 5:8,9
- Root of God’s Invincibility
- His mastery
- His means
- His might
“The trouble with most rebels is that they rebel against the wrong things.”
“God has the power to defeat oppressors, and to deliver the oppressed.”
Psalm 59:5; Psalm 80:7-9 (NLT); 1 Corinthians 2:7,8; Colossians 2:15
- Right Response
- Don’t be afraid
- Stand still
- Watch Him work
- Keep quiet
- Believe Him
- Worship Him
“When faced with battles you are not calibrated for, don’t fight, don’t flee, but witness God’s mastery, means, and might.”
Exodus 14:10, 30, 31; 2 Chronicles 20:12; Psalm 121:1,2; Romans 8:21; 2 Corinthians 4:16
You know what to get but between you and your need stands an opposition, a battle, somepne is denying you access, there is hostility.
Exodus 14:13-14
“There are battles that God wants you to fight but some battles God wants to fight himself, he wants you to step back and let him fight for you! Not that he could not give you power but those battles belong to him. Learn to know when to step up and when to step back!”
Elder Michel Bakome
JOB 42:1-6; 2 CORINTHIANS 4:16-18
"The surest way to avoid false conclusions caused by our limited understanding of life is to seek for a face-to-face experienc with the incredible God."
1. The Greatest Maestro
- Inspirational ability
- Orchestrating ability
Genesis 26:1, 2, 3, 12; Genesis 31:16; Exodus 1:12; Deuteronomy 8:18; Romans 8:28 NASB
2. The Most Mysterious Ways
-
- Preparation
- Providence
- Provision
Isaiah 55:8, 9; Acts 28:14b; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Corinthians 4:6
3. The Surest Mission
- His character
- His capacity
Exodus 3:7-10; Exodus 4:10, 11; Jeremiah 1:19; Luke 22:35; Ephesians 3:20
Selfishness is an internal reality/ struggle that manifests outwardly but cannot be accurately diagnosed purely based on what is seen. Said differently it is a condition that requires honest introspection to resolve.
1. The Barrier - Selfishness
Concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself : seeking or concentrating on one's own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others.
There is a choice to be made and the choice made is driven by what is beneficial to oneself versus others.
1 Corinthians 13:3; Jeremiah 17:10
2. The resistance - Our dual nature
Competing world views: Society and the secular world are driven by selfishness and encourage it. Gods Kingdom is driven by selflessness and requires it.
- Upbringing
- Lack Mentality
- Insecurity & Pride
Proverbs 1:8-9; Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NLT); Luke 10:31-33
3. Desire/need - Short term vs Long term
A case for selflessness: Selfishness provides terrestrial, individual & immediate gain versus selflessness that provides divine, terrestrial, individual, corporate, immediate & eternal, gain.
Hebrews 6:10; Matthew 6:19-21
4. Effort - Un-learning
Behaviour and mentality cannot change without exposure to new revelation.
Revelation cannot in itself change behaviour and mentality without its acceptance and assimilation.
- Engage the word of God in a meaningful way
- Engage in Prayer in a meaningful way
Exodus 14:1-3
“The response of God's people to the deeds of God, determines their future with God.”
Hebrews 11:24-28
"Faith in the Invisible God renders one fearless in the face frightening foes."
1. The wrath of Pharaoh
(The destruction of good things in their infancy)
- Blunting tool
- Deterrent device
2. The critical decision
- Shrink from duty
- Strech the sphere of Kingdom activity
3. The Invisible God
"the only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision." - Helen A. Keller
N.B. Vision leads to interpretationn, integration, and participation.
- His knowledge
Daniel 11:32 (NKJV); Jeremiah 9:23; John 17:3
- His nature
(two realms: of the natural, and of the supernatural - His works and His words)
Isaiah 45:15; 1 Timothy 1:17; 1 Timothy 6:14-16; 1 John 4:12
- His image
- Elohim
- El Shaddai
- Yahweh
- Light, Love, and Life
Exodus 3:1, 13-4:18; 6:3 NLT; Mark 4:41; Colossians 1:15; John 1:18
