There is power in the word of God to change us

Ezek. 37:1-14

The commandment to become like Christ in this life only happens in and through the word of God.

The power to be like Christ and to do like Christ is in the word of God.

The principle of worship, ministry, evangelism, fellowship, and discipleship makes us like Christ through the word of God.

The word of God is the fuel for being transformed into the image of Jesus.

There is power in the word of God to save sinners and change sinners into saints.

It is through the word of God that He brings us out of darkness into the marvelous light of salvation.

It is through the word of God that people who are spiritually dying will be revived through the power of God’s word.

Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”  

The penetrating power of the word of God is how we are changed into the image of Christ.

Many of us are still the same person we were when the Lord saved us and have not grown spiritually.  Because we have not heard and applied God’s word to our lives.

Israel is spiritually dead because she has not heard the word of God and has not applied the word of God to their lives.

God is concerned about the spiritual deadness of Israel, as he is concerned about the lack of spiritual maturity in us.

The same remedy for Israel’s spiritual deadness is our remedy for spiritual maturity of being like Christ.
 
  1. We must admit we are not like Christ- vs. 1-3
  2. Requires hearing the word of God- vs. 4-8
  3. Requires the Holy Spirit to breathe on us- vs. 9-10
  4. Believing God and you can do it- vs. 11-14

Israel was spiritually dead because they were not spiritually connected to God

We are not like Christ as much as we could be because we are not connected to God spiritually.

All that God did for Israel, we too need to become like Christ.
 
  1. We must admit we are not like Christ- vs. 1-3

“The hand of the LORD was upon me and carried me out into the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones.”

  1. To become like Christ, we have to know that we are not like Christ.
  • This requires humility and honesty with yourself.
  1. Sometimes God allows certain events in our lives to show us where we are in regard to being Christlike.
  2. God showed Ezekiel Israel’s spiritual condition through a vision.
To become like Christ, we have to be real with ourselves and admit we have not arrived yet.

 
  1. Requires hearing the word of God- vs. 4-8

“Again, he said unto me prophesy upon these bones and say unto them, O ye dry bones hear the word of the LORD."

  1. Becoming like Christ only happens when we hear the word of God.
  2. Hearing is more than physically hearing with the ear.
  • Hearing with the heart is what is needed.
  • Hearing is to understand what is being said by God.
  • Hearing is to obey the word of God.
  1. Our help for our condition is in obeying the instructions from the LORD.
Oh, ye dry bones hear the word of the LORD!

If we are going to become like God, it requires obeying!
  1. God says by obeying my word I will put you back together- 5-8.
    1. I will put spirit back into your body. I will lay tendons upon you, bring flesh upon you, and cover you with skin.
    2. And ye shall know that I am the LORD.
“So, I prophesied as I was commanded and as I prophesied there was a noise and behold a shaking and the bones came together bone to his bones.”
  • While Ezekiel was preaching, God was working.
 
  1. Requires the Holy Ghost to breathe upon us- vs. 9-10

“Then said he unto me prophesy unto to the wind, prophesy, son of man and say to the wind thus saith the Lord God; come from the four winds, O breath and breathe upon these slain that they may live.”

  1. Even though Israel was fully physically formed, but still dead.
  2. Prophesy to the wind in ask the Holy Ghost to breathe upon Israel.
  3. To become like Christ, we need the word of God and the Spirit of God.
  • The power of the word of God is executed through the Holy Spirit.
  • The Spirit will not work without the word of God
 
  1. Believing God and you can do it- vs. 11-14

“Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold they say, our bones are dried and our hope is lost we are cutoff for our parts.”

  1. To become like Christ, even though you have the word of God and the Spirit of God, FAITH must have a seat at the table.
  2. Faith is believing God will do whatever he said he would do.
  • Many of us are not changing into the image of Christ because of a lack of faith in God’s power.
  1. Israel’s problem is in their thinking, and that’s our problem too.
    1. Our bones are dried- notice they did not say drying. They think they are too far gone.
    2. Our hope is lost- they have no faith.
    3. We are cut off- cut off from God and His promises.
  2. The remedy for their lack of faith is to prophesy, which is to tell them what God says.

God says, I will never leave you or forsake you.

God says He will complete the good work He started in us.

God says call on me and I will answer!

Jeremiah 33:3, “Call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end. Amen. (Eph. 3:20)