Reviving the Church: Connecting and Breathing Life

Devotional

Day 1: God is Sanctifying His Church

Description: Despite the failings of some church leaders, God is using this time to sanctify and cleanse His church, preparing it to be a glorious, spotless bride. This period of spiritual harvest is an opportunity for us to refocus on God and His promises. God is actively working to purify His church, removing impurities and preparing it for a greater purpose. This sanctification process is not just about individual holiness but about the collective purity and readiness of the church as a whole. It is a call to return to the core of our faith, to seek God earnestly, and to allow His refining fire to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

In these challenging times, it is easy to become disheartened by the shortcomings of church leaders and the apparent disarray within the body of Christ. However, we must remember that God is sovereign and is using these circumstances to bring about a deeper level of sanctification. This is a time for introspection, repentance, and a renewed commitment to living out our faith with integrity and passion. As we align ourselves with God's sanctifying work, we become part of the glorious, spotless bride that He is preparing for His return. [01:22]

Ephesians 5:25-27 (ESV): "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you sense God is calling you to deeper sanctification? How can you actively participate in His refining process today?

Day 2: The Importance of Connection

Description: Ezekiel's vision shows that the bones came together before receiving the breath of life. This underscores the need for unity within the body of Christ. We must connect across our differences—denominational, racial, or socio-economic—to form a unified body that can truly live. Unity is not just a nice idea; it is essential for the vitality and effectiveness of the church. When we come together, despite our differences, we create a space where God's Spirit can move powerfully.

The American church often feels dry and disconnected, much like the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel's vision. However, just as the bones came together before receiving life, we too must prioritize connection and unity. This means reaching out to those who are different from us, building bridges across divides, and fostering a sense of community that reflects the heart of Christ. Jesus prayed for this unity in John 17, emphasizing that we are one body in Christ, despite our diverse backgrounds. As we strive for unity, we create an environment where God's life-giving breath can bring transformation and revival. [15:48]

1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (ESV): "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit."

Reflection: Who in your church or community can you reach out to this week to build a stronger connection? How can you contribute to the unity of the body of Christ?

Day 3: Breathing in God's Spirit

Description: The breath of God, or "Ruach," is essential for life. This breath is not just God's omnipresence but His manifest presence, which brings transformation and revival. We need to breathe in God's Spirit and breathe out His life into our communities. The American church often settles for God's omnipresence, missing out on the life-changing power of His manifest presence. It is one thing to acknowledge that God is everywhere, but it is another to experience His tangible presence in a way that transforms lives and communities.

God's manifest presence brings a depth of intimacy and power that goes beyond mere knowledge of His existence. It is the difference between knowing about God and truly knowing Him. As we seek to breathe in God's Spirit, we open ourselves up to His transformative work in our lives. This involves spending time in His presence, seeking His face, and allowing His Spirit to fill us afresh. As we are filled with His Spirit, we are empowered to breathe out His life into our communities, bringing hope, healing, and revival. [28:58]

Ezekiel 37:9-10 (ESV): "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."

Reflection: How can you intentionally seek God's manifest presence in your daily life? What practices can you incorporate to ensure you are breathing in His Spirit regularly?

Day 4: Human Solutions Are Insufficient

Description: The story of Humpty Dumpty illustrates that human solutions, whether political or social, cannot fix our brokenness. Only the Lamb of God can restore us. We must rely on God's power rather than human efforts to heal and transform. In a world that often looks to human wisdom and solutions to address deep-seated issues, it is crucial to remember that true restoration and healing come from God alone. Our brokenness is beyond the reach of human ingenuity and requires divine intervention.

Political and social efforts, while important, are limited in their ability to address the root causes of our brokenness. The story of Humpty Dumpty serves as a reminder that no matter how hard we try, human solutions will always fall short. Only the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, can bring true and lasting restoration. As the church, we must point people to Jesus, the only one who can heal our deepest wounds and bring about genuine transformation. This involves moving beyond mere talk about God to experiencing and sharing His life-giving power. [13:05]

Jeremiah 17:5-7 (ESV): "Thus says the Lord: 'Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.'"

Reflection: In what areas of your life have you been relying on human solutions instead of God's power? How can you shift your focus to trust in God's ability to restore and heal?

Day 5: Living Out Our Faith

Description: The church must move beyond just talking about God to experiencing and sharing His life-giving breath. We must connect and breathe to become an exceedingly great army that transforms our communities. This involves not just hearing the Word but doing it, both inside and outside the church. It is easy to fall into the trap of merely discussing spiritual truths without allowing them to impact our daily lives. However, true faith is lived out in action and service.

Living out our faith means embodying the teachings of Jesus in our interactions, decisions, and priorities. It involves being the hands and feet of Christ in a world that desperately needs His love and grace. As we connect with one another and breathe in God's Spirit, we are empowered to go out and make a difference in our communities. This transformation is not just for our benefit but for the sake of those around us. We are called to be a light in the darkness, a beacon of hope, and a testament to the life-changing power of the gospel. [38:29]

James 1:22-25 (ESV): "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."

Reflection: What is one specific way you can live out your faith in your community this week? How can you move from merely hearing the Word to actively doing it?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Today, we took a break from our series "Equipped" to address the unique and challenging times we are living in. Despite the failings of some church leaders, we are in a period of great spiritual harvest. God is sanctifying His church, preparing it to be a glorious, spotless bride. We turned to Ezekiel 37, where the prophet is taken to a valley of dry bones and asked, "Can these bones live?" This question is pertinent to our current spiritual state, especially within the American church, which often feels dry and disconnected.

Ezekiel's vision shows that the bones came together before receiving the breath of life. This highlights the importance of connection within the body of Christ. We must connect across our differences—whether they be denominational, racial, or socio-economic—to form a unified body. Jesus prayed for this unity in John 17, emphasizing that we are one body in Christ, despite our diverse backgrounds.

The second charge is to breathe. The breath of God, or "Ruach," is essential for life. This breath is not just God's omnipresence but His manifest presence, which brings transformation and revival. The American church often settles for God's omnipresence, missing out on the life-changing power of His manifest presence. We need to breathe in God's Spirit and breathe out His life into our communities.

The story of Humpty Dumpty was used to illustrate that human solutions, whether political or social, cannot fix our brokenness. Only the Lamb of God can restore us. The church must move beyond just talking about God to experiencing and sharing His life-giving breath. We must connect and breathe to become an exceedingly great army that transforms our communities.

###

Key Takeaways

1. economic—to form a unified body that can truly live. [15:48]
3. Breathing in God's Spirit: The breath of God, or "Ruach," is essential for life. This breath is not just God's omnipresence but His manifest presence, which brings transformation and revival. We need to breathe in God's Spirit and breathe out His life into our communities.

4. Human Solutions Are Insufficient: The story of Humpty Dumpty illustrates that human solutions, whether political or social, cannot fix our brokenness. Only the Lamb of God can restore us. We must rely on God's power rather than human efforts to heal and transform.

5. Living Out Our Faith: The church must move beyond just talking about God to experiencing and sharing His life-giving breath. We must connect and breathe to become an exceedingly great army that transforms our communities. This involves not just hearing the Word but doing it, both inside and outside the church.

### [15:48]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:22] - God is Sanctifying His Church
[02:44] - Turning to Ezekiel 37
[04:04] - The Valley of Dry Bones
[05:11] - The Breath of God
[06:30] - Prophesying to the Breath
[08:17] - Acknowledging Pastoral Support
[09:53] - The Humpty Dumpty Analogy
[11:35] - Human Solutions Are Insufficient
[13:05] - The Lamb of God as the Solution
[14:32] - Observations from Ezekiel 37
[15:48] - The Importance of Connection
[17:20] - Unity in Diversity
[20:42] - Overcoming Disconnection
[22:43] - A Multi-Ethnic God
[24:58] - Racism and the Image of God
[26:23] - Erasing the Sin Line, Not the Color Line
[28:58] - Breathing in God's Spirit
[31:01] - The Need for God's Manifest Presence
[33:06] - Beyond Omnipresence
[35:51] - The Breath of Life
[38:29] - Living Out Our Faith
[40:33] - Transforming Our Communities
[43:08] - Experiencing God's Manifest Presence
[45:04] - A Call to Connect and Breathe

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

In Ezekiel 37, what does the prophet see in the valley, and what question does God ask him? ([04:04])
According to the sermon, what is the significance of the bones coming together before receiving the breath of life? ([06:30])
What does Jesus pray for in John 17, and how does it relate to the theme of unity discussed in the sermon? ([15:48])
How does the story of Humpty Dumpty illustrate the insufficiency of human solutions to spiritual problems? ([11:35])

Interpretation Questions

What does it mean for God to sanctify His church, and how is this process relevant to the current state of the American church? ([01:22])
How does the concept of "Ruach" or the breath of God differ from His omnipresence, and why is this distinction important for the church today? ([28:58])
In what ways does the sermon suggest that the church can move beyond just talking about God to experiencing and sharing His life-giving breath? ([33:06])
How does the unity of diverse members within the body of Christ contribute to the church's ability to transform communities? ([20:42])

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you felt spiritually dry or disconnected. How can you seek God's breath of life in your current situation? ([05:11])
The sermon emphasizes the importance of connecting across denominational, racial, and socio-economic differences. What practical steps can you take to foster unity within your church community? ([17:20])
How can you actively seek and recognize God's manifest presence in your daily life, rather than settling for His omnipresence? ([31:01])
The story of Humpty Dumpty highlights the failure of human solutions. Are there areas in your life where you are relying on human efforts rather than God's power? How can you shift your focus to God's solutions? ([11:35])
The sermon calls for the church to "breathe in" God's Spirit and "breathe out" His life into the community. What are some specific ways you can share your faith and God's love with those around you this week? ([38:29])
Consider the idea of being part of an "exceedingly great army" that transforms communities. What role do you see yourself playing in this vision, and how can you start taking action? ([40:33])
How can you ensure that your actions inside the church align with your behavior outside the church, especially in terms of living out the fruit of the Spirit? ([38:29])

Sermon Clips

1. "Is it not possible that God is turning our attention back to himself, turning our eyes back to him, that he is sanctifying and cleansing his church, that he might present it to himself a glorious church without spot or blemish, that it's his moment, his time, his promise to cover the earth with his glory as the water covers the seas, and that we get to be a part of this day and time, the gates of hell may try to prevail but will ultimately fail because God is building his church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." [01:22] (58 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "Because the solution will not be found in an elephant or a donkey, but in the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Not disregarding the importance of getting involved in decision-making for our day and time. I'm just simply stating the fact that in this nursery rhyme, all the king's horses and all the king's men were just as Humpty Dumpty as Humpty Dumpty ever was. And that those who tried to fix what was broken were just as broken as the ones who were broken that they were trying to fix." [11:35] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "And unfortunately, if we don't turn to him, especially the American church, we're going to end up in a valley of dry, dead bones. Disconnected, dislocated, dry and dead in our season of time. Can these bones live? Oh Lord God, you know." [13:05] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "And the problem that is happening in the American church today is that there is a whole lot of disconnection going on. It is the picture of what happens in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 5. If we can put it up here on the screen, 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 5. It's the verse that talks about the hand cannot say or the foot cannot say to the hand that I don't need you. When the hand and the foot are part of the body." [17:20] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "And yet the body does not resurrect to life. Until some different bones begin to connect together and show the world what it really is to be part of the kingdom of God. Because you see, our world is waging war, cultural war, color warfare, cultures raging against cultures, racism, anti-Semitism. Our culture, our world today is waging war because of culture or color when in the kingdom of God, God loves every culture, every ethnicity." [22:43] (62 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "I think about what happens when we are converted, we become born again, and we experience Jesus Christ who comes to live on the inside of us. Isn't it powerful? Isn't it powerful that no matter what color we are on the outside, a multi-ethnic God comes to live on the inside because we are all created in his image, which means he is black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, whatever. He is a multi-ethnic God." [24:58] (48 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "The greatest need in the body of Christ today is to nathach, the ruach of God, to breathe the breath of God. I can't speak for you. I need too much. I can't speak for you, but I'm hoping you need the breath of God. Your kids and your grandkids need the breath. Young leaders in the balcony or all across the congregation today are listening online. You're facing too many Humpty Dumpty messes. In this Humpty Dumpty world, need more than the omnipresence of God. You need the manifest presence of God working in you and through you all the days of this lifetime until you graduate to the King of Kings, Bethesda, the breath of God." [33:06] (107 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "Everything that God breathes into has life from that beginning. It's the beginning point where a lump of clay was in God's presence. And all of a sudden, God began to breathe in and breathe out. Breathe in and breathe out. Opened his eyes and began to breathe in and breathe out. Breathe in and breathe out. And humankind came literally alive by the breath of almighty God." [35:51] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "I don't know about you, but I don't want this church to settle for just talking about winning the lost on the inside. I want us to win some people. For Christ outside the walls of this church as a pastor, you'll never have to worry about that being modeled before you because I won't preach about winning lost people for Christ and not do it myself. I won't encourage you to bring people to church, to Bethesda community church and not bring people myself." [38:29] (49 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "I'm not worried about the size of the crowd. What I'm worried about is the transformation of our community. Shouldn't that be what we're worried about as a people of God? That our neighborhoods and our communities and our cities are being transformed by the breath of God. Somebody right now in this place, you're just going to be a part of it. You're just breathing in, in the spiritual realm. Right now, the light switch is coming on in your soul." [40:33] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | )

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