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Robert
Oh, I feel God's presence at this place today. It's different when we come to the factory in deep Ellum. It's different. It's different here today. Hey, I'm so glad that you're here. Can you give me a wave again? If this is your first time ever to social Dallas, can I see your hand? First time ever. So glad that you're here. Welcome. So glad you're here for real. Thank you. Thank you for pulling up. Thank you for finding the venue.
Ashley
Can I tell on you?
Robert
Can I tell on the pastor's on the pastor's wife, she woke up today and headed towards Gillies. Amen. That's how we get down on these streets. We don't even know where we're meeting. And we lead the church. So give yourself a hand for making it.
Ashley
Oh.
Robert
If you're visiting with us, you need to know that every single year, we shape our year with a word. And our word this year is unshakable. We just believe that a shaky world needs an unshakable church. And every single Sunday of this year, we've declared Hebrews chapter 12, verses 28 through 29. And we gonna do it today in Deep Ellum as one big family. Some people gonna do it from memory. Don't be impressed. They've been doing this since January. Okay, so we put it on the screen for those of you who don't know it, but come on, let's read it with loud, uplifted, caffeinated voices. You ready? One, two, three.
Ashley
Do you see what we've got?
Robert
An unshakable kingdom. And do you see how thankful we must be?
Ashley
Not only thankful.
Robert
Deeply reverent. Torching all that needs to burn. And he won't quit until it's all cleansed. God here is fire.
Ashley
Y'all sound good. Y'all sound good. And then today we are ending our series. We've been in a.
Robert
What how many weeks has it been?
Ashley
I don't know. Y'all know?
Robert
I don't know.
Ashley
It's been a long time.
Robert
We've been in a series called Lessons from the Valley. And this is the climactic conclusion of this series. Has this series been a blessing to anybody? Have you been blessed by this series? You can go on our YouTube page, Social Dallas, YouTube. Like Share subscribe all those messages are still there, but this is the final message in that. In this series and maybe the most famous valley. So go with me to Ezekiel 37 today. Ezekiel 37. And I want to look at verses one through ten. Ezekiel 37. We'll start at verse number one and then we'll land at verse number ten. I'll give you some time to find it, especially if you got a paper Bible. Ezekiel is in the Old Testament. Ezekiel, chapter number 37. And we'll start at verse number one. If you're ready to read, say, yeah.
Ashley
If you need some time, say, hold up.
Robert
Whoa, that's a lot of hold ups, Lord. Okay, I'll wait for you. Ezekiel 37. It declares, the Lord took a hold of me and I was carried away by the spirit of the Lord to a a valley filled with bones. He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. Then he asked me, son of man, can these bones become living people again? Oh, Sovereign Lord, I replied, you alone know the answer to that. Then he said to me, speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says. Look, I am going to put breath into you and make you live again. I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord. So I spoke this message just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. Then I watched as muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them. Then he said to me, speak a prophetic message to the winds, Son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, this.
Ashley
Is what the Sovereign Lord says.
Robert
Come, O breath from the four winds. Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again. So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet. A great army. Good stuff.
Ashley
Did you notice in the text he.
Robert
Had to speak the prophetic word not once, but twice. My sister is here. What's up, Ashley? He had to speak it twice. First he prophesied to the bones, then he prophesied to the breath. I want to preach today at the factory in Deep Ellum for three and a half hours. Kidding to the visitors. They're like, is he for real? From this thought, from bones to breath, from bones to breath. Look at your neighbor one last time and say, oh neighbor, don't be afraid to talk to your neighbor. Come on, say neighbor, you're about to go from bones to breath just in case that neighbor was stuck up. Find another neighbor. Find another neighbor. Come on, say other neighbor telling you.
Ashley
You'Re about to transition from breath to bones.
Robert
Or rather, bones to breath. God can do it either way if he wants to. See how. You just gotta keep moving. Just gotta keep moving. Father, thank you for your word. Speak to our hearts today. Oh, God, thank you that you come, that we might have life and life more abundantly. It is the enemy who comes to steal, kill and destroy. That being said, favor your team, America's team, the Dallas Cowboys, to defeat every Steeler from Pittsburgh today. In Jesus name. Everybody said, amen. You may be seated in the presence of the Lord. I felt that from bones to breath Social fam. Several years ago. Several years ago, not long after I graduated from Bible College, a dear friend of mine called me on the phone. His name was Robbie. Robbie Grunwald. Shut Out, Shout out. He called me up and he said, hey, Robert, I need a huge favor, man. Please say yes. Which don't you hate when people do that? Don't tell me to say yes till you ask me what it is. He said, man, I just got hired at this church in Pennsylvania. They just made me the youth director at the church. He's like, I just found out that I've got to do their youth camp, like, in two weeks. It's my first youth camp. He's like, please, bro, do me a favor. Would you come and preach our youth camp? I said, come on, man. You know I got you. Absolutely, I'm there. This is my boy, Robbie. This is my roommate, my sophom of Bible college. Robby and I went to church together. Matter of fact, we went to the same youth camp together.
Ashley
And we were youth camp directors at the same youth camp that we went to. Now, this is important to the story.
Robert
Because I don't know how you experience youth camp, but our youth camp was amazing. We had incredible youth camp at my church I grew up in.
Ashley
And this is my concept and Robbie's.
Robert
Concept of youth camp because we actually went to the beach for youth camp. Yes, we did. We went to the beach. Went to Maui. Can you believe that? Went to the beach. Ye. Yeah. No, I'm lying. Galveston. But it was still a beach.
Ashley
We would go to the Galveston beach.
Robert
This is what we did at youth camp.
Ashley
You know, during the day, you're playing games. Red team, blue team, purple team. And then you go into the ballroom of a hotel that you are staying at. You have service in that ballroom. I got saved Every single week of the youth camp. And this is my concept of youth camp. And this is what I'm thinking.
Robert
When my friend who I went to.
Ashley
Bible college with said, come preach my.
Robert
Youth camp, I flew into Pennsylvania. I'll never forget it.
Ashley
He said, I'll pick you up from the airport. He pulls up in the church van at the airport with the kids in the back of the van. I'll never forget it. I'm in Pennsylvania. I get on the church van. Soon as I get in, this kid comes to the front. Hey, are you our speaker? I was like, yes, back up, Cody. Just go all the way back. It was a scary ride driving in.
Robert
This van to the youth camp.
Ashley
And y'all, we were driving for an hour. We drive two hours.
Robert
We drive for three hours.
Ashley
And all of a sudden, we go.
Robert
On this little road that's kind of off to the side. And we're winding down this road, and.
Ashley
I'm looking around, I'm like, this is odd.
Robert
I don't think there's any hotels in this area.
Ashley
And we get to a wooded area, and we stop. I'll never forget it.
Robert
I'm still scarred.
Ashley
We stop and. And he says the scariest words I've ever heard in my life. We're here. I said, huh?
Robert
We're here.
Ashley
He's like, we're here. All of a sudden, all these kids exit the van. They go to the back. I see them getting tents and start setting up tents. I said, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, Robbie. I said, where in the world is the hotel, man? Where we at? He said, bro, I told you it was a youth camp. I said, robbie, don't play.
Robert
Don't play.
Ashley
You went to the same youth camp I went to. This is not youth camp. We're supposed to be at a beach. We're supposed to be at a hotel. You know, I don't do tents. This ain't you. Youth camping. There's a difference between youth camp and youth camping. How you gonna put me out here in the woods? This looked like a movie where the black dude gets killed first. Why do you have me out here in these streets? He said, man, my bad. I'm sorry. This is the way that you use camp here. He's like, grab your tent. I said, no, no, no, I'm not grabbing my tent. I'm going home. So I'm. He's like, but wait a minute. You're preaching tonight? I said, no, no, I was preaching tonight. You got to figure out something at this Kumbaya camp.
Robert
In the woods.
Ashley
I'm going back home. And I got in the van and I went home. I left them.
Robert
That's not true. I did it.
Ashley
Somebody's like, really?
Robert
No, I stayed. I stayed. I didn't sleep in no. 10, I slept in the van. And I hated every minute of it. I didn't like the environment. But I will say that the camp was powerful. Several young people, their life got changed that week, even though I didn't like where I was. And I remember that moment because I learned a very critical lesson that I believe is pertinent to our text today. And that lesson is this. You don't get to quit your God given assignment just because you don't like the environment of the assignment. You don't get to pick and choose what assignment from God you are going to take just because it's not aesthetically.
Ashley
Pleasing to you when you get there. You don't get to quit on your.
Robert
Assignment just because you don't like the environment of the assignment.
Ashley
Can I take it further? You don't get to walk away from.
Robert
Your purpose just because you don't like.
Ashley
The benefit package of the purpose. I don't know who this is for today, but you need to understand that your calling and your comfort are not mutually exclusive. We live in a culture where everybody.
Robert
Thinks that if God really called me to it, then it should be comfortable, it should be convenient, I should like the way it feels. And I came to tell you that.
Ashley
Is not true at all. That God will often call you to something that does not feel comfortable, that you do not like. And he wants to see, can you be faithful to what I called you to, even if you don't like where I called you to? Because I am more committed to the calling than I am to your comfort and your convenience. I didn't expect to get a whole lot of amens right there. Because we have a comfort crisis in our culture today that is the new cocaine. It is comfort. Everybody is for comfort.
Robert
And people think that if it's God's call on my life, then I ought to like the environment to which he called me to. I love Michael Easter, who wrote a book called the Comfort Crisis. And he says this and I quote, most people today rarely step outside of their comfort zones. We are living in progressively sheltered, sterile, temperature controlled, overfed under challenged, safety netted lives. And often your destiny will be on the other side of your discomfort. And if you are always looking for comfortable environments, you might miss out on your assignment. Here's the question. Can you fulfill your Assignment in a foreign environment. Let me bring it to the text. Can you get your vision in a valley of dry bones? That is what is before us in our text today. In the Book of Ezekiel, let the church say Ezekiel. The Book of Ezekiel is a strange book. The Book of Ezekiel is a bewildering, baffling, apocalyptic, mysterious book, y'all. I'm telling you, the Book of Ezekiel is different. It is completely different than any other book in the Old Testament. Often when I preach, I am trying to elicit hunger for the word of God in you. When I preach, you'll hear me when I preach it. Sometimes I'll say, ooh, read it when you get to the crib.
Ashley
I don't know if I want to.
Robert
Say that about Ezekiel, because Ezekiel is different. Matter of fact, I could take a poll today at the factory and ask people, what is your favorite book in the Old Testament?
Ashley
I'm willing to bet anything not one of y'all will be like Ezekiel. I got my life verse in Ezekiel.
Robert
Ezekiel is different. It is mysterious. Ezekiel is filled with visions from the Lord.
Ashley
Ezekiel was filled with apocalyptic literature. There are things that Ezekiel prophesied that.
Robert
Still hadn't even come to pass today.
Ashley
It is crazy in the Book of Ezekiel. Can I just say it like that? It's weird. It is a weird, weird, weird book in the Bible.
Robert
It's interesting because you have to understand that even Jewish rabbis, whenever they were training young pupils, they would tell them.
Ashley
Don'T read the Book of Ezekiel to.
Robert
The age of 30 because of the deep mysteries that are in the Book of Ezekiel. But I'm going to do the best that I can today and try to break down this text that is found within the Book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel was a young man who was born to be a priest. That was the lineage of his family. But he ends up functioning as a prophet. How in the world does somebody who was born to be a priest end up functioning being a prophet? Because you don't get to pick the environment of your assignment. Here. He is supposed to be functioning as a priest in the temple, but yet there is no temple for him to function in, because the Book of Ezekiel is exilic literature. This is where he is writing to a people who have been taken from their home. They are in exile. They are in Babylon. They have been taken captive. And Ezekiel has been given the assignment to preach and to prophesy to a people who are far from home. They've lost their place of home. They've lost the temple, y'all. It's one thing to be intense out in a camp and at least have the hope of I'm gonna go home like I did. It's a whole nother thing when you get out there in the camp with the tents and God says, hey, this is home now. This is where the children of Israel were. They were in captivity. And God, watch this, strategically put them there. God says, the reason you have been taken captive is because I orchestrated your captivity.
Ashley
Your disobedience to me is what got you in the position that you're in. Who is quiet in this Presbyterian Church today?
Robert
Because we don't like that aspect of God's character, do we? We only like the aspect of his character who's like, oh, come on in. It doesn't matter what you've done. Come get a hug and come get some love. I'm a God of grace. It's okay. Come under my wings as I cover you. Yes, he has grace, but he's also a God of holiness.
Ashley
He's also a God that has a standard. And all of a sudden, the children.
Robert
Of Israel, through years of rebelling against God, find themselves being sold by God into captivity.
Ashley
Oh, that's a scary but safe place to be. I would rather obey God and never have to go into captivity. But if I do get sold into captivity, at least I'm under his hand.
Robert
At least it's his hand that put me there. And this is where the children of Israel are. This is who Ezekiel is prophesying to. If you study the rebellion, you can really, really categorize their rebellion in three categories. It was their idolatry, it was their immorality, and it was their ingratitude. That's what got them in a place of captivity. I'm saying one more time for the people in the back. It was idolatry, it was immorality, and it was their ingratitude. How many know that is a trifecta of apostasy that is still alive today? It's a slippery slope. The enemy would love for you to fall into idolatry, which will ultimately lead to immorality and ultimately lead to ingratitude towards God. Idolatry is whenever you put something above God. It is when you find your fulfillment and your identity in created things rather than the Creator, that idolatry will ultimately lead to immorality. Because whenever you disorientate your worship, all of a sudden you will find yourself in the behavior that follows, whatever you actually worship. So idolatry always leads to immorality, and.
Ashley
Then that immorality always leads to ingratitude.
Robert
Because whenever you live in immoral, you're living for pleasure and you're doing whatever.
Ashley
You want to do, and you are never going to be grateful for what you feel entitled to. This is too heavy. I should have gave y'all some bubblegum.
Robert
And so ultimately, you'll go to this place of ingratitude towards God. And it is a slippery slope that the enemy still uses on people today to get you to elevate things equal to or above God and idolatry, which will lead to your immorality, which will ultimately lead to your ingratitude. And this is what you see all throughout the Book of Ezekiel. And Ezekiel is the prophet who has to speak against the children of God and let them know this is why you've gotten here. No wonder his name means God strengthens. It takes the strength of God to bring hope in a hopeless situation.
Ashley
It takes the strength of God when you're the only one standing for righteousness.
Robert
When people have been unrighteous, it takes.
Ashley
The strength of God to be light in the midst of darkness.
Robert
And this is the prophet Ezekiel. It's interesting because his story opens up with all these visions from God. These visions. I'm telling you, y'all. Don't go to the crib and read Ezekiel, y'all. When you see these visions, you think Ezekiel is smoking on something with these visions that he has read.
Ashley
I'm telling you, it's Ezekiel, chapter one. It opens up with him getting this vision that has all these animals, these four creatures that have four faces, and they got wings, and then they got little hands underneath the wings, y'all. This is weird. Stephen King, M. Night Shyamalan, Stranger Things stuff. This is a vision that Ezekiel is getting. And then all of a sudden, you see a throne, the throne of God. And the glory of God is emanating from the throne. This is the vision that Ezekiel gets, but we see something different. Often the throne of God would be stationary, but that's not what Ezekiel sees. Ezekiel sees the throne of God. And there are wheels on the throne of God. And on the wheel, there's a wheel inside of the wheel. Now we talking about rims. Dog rims are in the Book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel. And then on the wheels are eyes everywhere. Eyeballs on the wheels on the throne of God. And if you read the Book of Ezekiel, from a surface level, it looks like this dude has lost his mind. It looks like he's been smoking something. It looks like the vision makes no sense at all. Why would the throne and the glory of God be on wheels with eyes. But when you dig down deep into the text, you remember that he's in a foreign land. He's in Babylon. He didn't pick the place, but God had him in the place and in a place that he wouldn't have picked for himself. He gets a vision of the throne of God that's sitting on some wheels with eyes. What are those eyes saying? That your God is omnipresent. That your God sees everything. Why is the throne on wheels? Cuz God is trying to let you know that my presence cannot be relegated to one place. I can show up anywhere. I can show up when you're in Babylon. I can show up when you're in Jerusalem. My glory can shine when you got freedom. My glory can shine when you're stuck in captivity. My glory cannot be relegated to one place. My throne is on wheels and it'll show up anywhere. I wish somebody in Social Dallas would testify that the glory will show up at the factory. The glory will show up at Gillies. The glory will show up at Strauss Square when 300 people get baptized in an open heaven and go from death to life. And his glory will show up because it's not relegated to a building. His throne is on wheels. I wish somebody that knew his glory could show up anywhere. Would take at least 10 seconds and give God the best praise that you got. His glory. Look at this guy, got a throne on wheels. Thank God that his presence is not.
Robert
Relegated to one place. He can show up anywhere.
Ashley
He can show up at Target if you'll praise him in Target. He can show up in that cubicle with that co worker that gets on your last nerve. I dare you, just one of those days just to turn up the volume of your worship right there in the cubicle and start giving God praise and watch his glory show up.
Robert
So Ezekiel gets a vision of the glory of God and his throne on wheels. He gets another vision in Ezekiel chapter number three. Gets another vision. And I love this vision because the glory shows up in this vision too. Matter of fact, let's look at it. Ezekiel, chapter three. It says, then the Lord took a hold of me and said, get up.
Ashley
And go out into the valley. Into the who?
Robert
Into the valley. And I will speak to you there. Ooh, let's pause. God speaks in Valleys. If you didn't get anything out of this series, that's something to take hold right there. That God does not just speak on the mountaintop. If you will tune in your ear to what he's Saying, he will speak to you in the valley, and I will speak to you there.
Ashley
So I got up and went there.
Robert
And I saw the glory of the Lord, just as I had seen in my first vision. That's the one with the eyes and the wheels by the Kabar River. And I fell face down on the ground. Oh, I like that. I like when God gives you a vision in the valley, and the vision is of his glory. Ooh, I love Ezekiel, chapter three. Give me the valley. Give me his glory in the valley.
Ashley
I like valleys for the glory.
Robert
Ezekiel 3.
Ashley
I don't like Ezekiel 37, where you put me in the valley, not with.
Robert
Glory, but with dry bones.
Ashley
I'm cool with the valley that has glory. Give me chapter three all day. Chapter 37.
Robert
Why in the world would God lead me to a valley full of dry bones? Y'all, it's October. Y'all know Party City had them in the front aisle? I had to. I had to. Why in the world would God watch this, take me and strategically allow His Spirit to lead me to a valley of dry bones? Question. Does the Spirit of God always lead you to places you want to go? You say no, but I am confused, because every time I hear people talking.
Ashley
In church about where the Spirit led them, it's always to these beautiful, palacious places. It's always. It's always like. It's always like a Cabo. It's Cracker Barrel. It's always somewhere beautiful with beaches and biscuits. And God always. The Spirit always leads you to a raise. I mean, anytime you don't like somebody. Oh, I feel like the Spirit is leading me onto something else. The moment somebody at church actually tries to tell you that that's actually not the culture here. Oh, see, I'm leaving. I feel the Spirit leading me to another church. It's one year. You've been on your eighth church this year in Dallas. Cause the Spirit has led you to another church.
Robert
How?
Ashley
How does the Spirit only lead you to places you want to go? Because when I read the Bible, the Spirit leads people to places they do not want to go. The Spirit leads people to environments they would not have picked for themselves. The Spirit leads people to youth camps where they thought they were going to be at a hotel and a beach and they're sitting on a van trying to get killed by a bear. That's where I find God leading people. If God always leads you to places you want to go, you must be better than a whole lot of people in the Bible. You must be better than Jonah. Where The Spirit led him to go preach the gospel to some Ninevites. Yeah, the people that you don't like. Guess what? Your haters need the Gospel, too. And Jonah had to realize that God will lead you to places you don't want to go. And even when he tried to fight it, God said, okay, you don't understand.
Robert
I speak fish.
Ashley
I will make sure you get to the place that you're supposed to go, because my Spirit will lead you into places you wouldn't pick for yourself. You better talk to the Apostle Paul, who wanted to go into Bithynia and wanted to go to Asia. But the Spirit would not let him go to where he wanted to go. Instead, the Spirit led him to Macedonia. And when he got to Macedonia, there was no welcome committee saying, we're so glad you're here. He did not get an honorarium. Matter of fact, they threw him and his partner Silas in a prison after he had been led to a place that he didn't pick for himself. But in that prison, at midnight, when he could have complained, when he could have said, God, I'm sick of this, when he could have said, God, I shouldn't go through this. Instead, he decided to start giving God praise. And God said, that's the sound I'm listening for, right there. I want to see somebody that'll go wherever I tell them to go. And even when they get in a dark place, they still know how to give me praise. And that's why the presence of God got in that jail and broke them free. Does the Spirit only lead you to places you want to go? Do you only get visions that just so happen to fit your own things you like? I just don't find it in the Scripture.
Robert
Peter gets a vision. Acts, chapter 10.
Ashley
He gets a vision of all these unclean animals. And his little kosher self is like.
Robert
Oh, God, no, I can't eat that. That's unclean. And God says, don't you ever call something unclean that I call clean. And the Spirit led his little Jewish behind right to Cornelius House. And he got a revelation that the same Holy Spirit that moved in you is moving in Gentiles, too. Does the Spirit only lead you to places you want? If the Spirit only leads you to places you want to go, you better than Jesus, because the Spirit led him into the wilderness, still had the water coming off of him from the Jordan river of baptism. And the Spirit led him into the wilderness, where for 40 days, he was tempted by the devil. The Bible says that the hand of the Lord came He didn't have a choice and took Ezekiel and dropped him in a valley full of dry bones. Allow me to use my exegetical imagination. Can you see this valley full of bones? It's interesting because God doesn't even just drop him off in the vision. He takes him back and forth throughout the valley as if he says, I want you to see the full carnage of this valley. Here is Ezekiel being led by the spirit of God to a dark valley that is full of bones. You understand? The valley alone would have been offensive to Ezekiel. In that culture, the epitome of dishonor was not to have a proper burial. But this valley of dry bones speaks to the fact that whoever was here did not get buried. They died in that valley and their flesh was eaten by animals. Bones scattered all over the valley. By the way, how many bones are in this valley? This seems to be the slaughtering of a massive army. You understand? The average army would have been at least 20,000 people. In Ezekiel's day, every single human has 206 bones. That is 4 million bones in the valley with no life in it. And God says, I want you to see. It reminds me of us. You ever been driving and get stuck in traffic? And here you are in traffic, annoyed because you were already late. And as you're in traffic, you're like, man, this is ridiculous. Is it a wreck, man? And all of a sudden, you're driving, you're stuck, you're stuck. And all of a sudden, when you get up to where the wreck is, you realize why everybody was driving slow. You was annoyed, they were stopping, and here you are, wow. And you look at a car that has been turned upside down, and all of a sudden you're wondering, what happened. Are they still alive? Ladies and gentlemen, this is the scene of these dry bones. Every bone tells a story. Bones are biographies. They tell a story of a life that once was. Oh, you don't believe me? All your pastor watches is forensic files and csi. Dun dun. It blows my mind. It could be a cold case. And they dig up a shallow grave and they find the bones and the remains. And sure enough, from the bones, they can tell, oh, yeah, this was her. This was him. Bones tell a story. Bones are the aftermath of a place that once had life. I know clearly that God is talking about the children of Israel who have been scattered and feel like they've been cut off. They are the bones. But can we keep it 100? Have you ever felt like your life was a valley of dry bones? That there is a place in your life that once had life, but all of a sudden, the life has become dry bones. Bones are proof that there once was life. Some of you, right now, if you're honest about your marriage, it is a valley of dry bones. No communication. Disconnected and dry. And there used to be life. Oh, come on. It used to be life. Come on. I do the weddings. Nobody stands at an altar and goes, I give this, like three years, but go ahead. It once had life. And all of a sudden, now you sleep on the couch, she sleeps in the bedroom. You've developed a dry bone system of no communication.
Ashley
What's funny is your gram looks like it's popping.
Robert
Welcome to the life we live in today. Because you have curated this image of life and vitality. But in the crib, it's dry bones. Some of you, it is your financial situation that has become a valley of tri bones. There used to be a time you didn't even think about it.
Ashley
You'd be like, man, ship shopper.
Robert
Come on. DoorDash. Bring it, Chipotle.
Ashley
$85.
Robert
Come on, bring it. And now, all of a sudden, one phone call from your boss, one change in the organization. Now you're looking at every penny, and you don't know how you're going to pay your next bill. And it is a valley of try both. Maybe it's a relationship. Maybe it's just you. Can we talk about it? Have you ever felt like you were personally in a valley of dry bones?
Ashley
Have you ever felt disconnected from you? Psychologists actually have a term called disassociation.
Robert
It's where you feel disconnected from your.
Ashley
Own thoughts and your own feelings, and.
Robert
You don't even recognize you anymore. And disassociation generally comes after trauma. It's the way we handle trauma. We just disconnect.
Ashley
And some of you, you feel like.
Robert
You'Re in a shy valley with no hope. It's a valley of despair. This is where Ezekiel is. And it is in this place that God led him to. That God. Then, after he makes him assess the situation, watch this. Ask him a question.
Ashley
Now that you've seen the dry bones.
Robert
God says, I got a question for you. Can I be honest? I got annoyed when I heard the question.
Ashley
Because if I'm in a valley of dry bones and God's going to speak.
Robert
To me, God, give me an answer. Don't ask me 21 questions when I'm.
Ashley
In a dry place, okay? When I'm in a dry place. God, if you're going to speak to me, I need a word of encouragement. Say something like, these bones may endure for a night, but joy is coming in the morning. Give me a word of encouragement. Why in the world in a dry place would God asked Ezekiel a question? This ain't the place for questions. And yet God comes to him in a dry place, in a place of disconnection and ask him a very critical question.
Robert
Son of man, can these bones live again?
Ashley
God will ask you a question right at the moment of a dry place. He will ask you the right question. People think God has all the answers. I am convinced that God has all the questions. God will ask you the right question at the right moment. And understand when he's asking you a question, it's not because he's trying to get information. Don't forget, he's got eyes on wheels. He knows everything. He knows the end from the beginning. God never asks you a question to get information, but he will ask you a question so that you can get a revelation of where you are. He wants to know, do you realize that nobody can fix this situation but me? Do you realize that nobody can bring life to this but me? Have you finally reached the end of yourself where you realize your friends can't fix it, your money can't fix it, your connections can't fix it? I am the only one that can bring life into this thing that is dead. And I want to know, do you know? I'm the only one that can fix it. God wants to know, do you know he's the only one that can bring life into the thing that is dry. Some of y'all can't cry out to God yet because it hadn't got dry enough. You're in a valley of corpses. So you're like, oh, I'm good. I'm good. It's not that bad yet. You're in a valley that has bones that aren't dry. They're still a little moist. So you're like, oh, it's fine, it's fine. But can I tell you, keep on living. Life will bring you to a place where you realize nobody can fix this. No doctor can do it, no friend can do it. No family member can't do it. I can't survive this one through Grandmama's prayers. I gotta find some prayers of my own on this one right here. I can't survive this attack on the preacher's word. I'm gonna have to get in the word of God myself.
Robert
God will make sure.
Ashley
You reach a place where you're desperate enough to cry out to him, where you don't have a backup plan. You don't have anything but to respond the way Ezekiel responded. Son of man, can these bones live again? Look at Ezekiel's response.
Robert
I want to meet Ezekiel in heaven and give him a high five for the dopest response to a God question in all of the Bible. Because Ezekiel doesn't say no. They can't. No, they can't. God, this is too much devastation. This marriage can't come back together. I can't be free from this. This is who I am. He doesn't say no, which is proof that not all hope is lost. I'm hoping that somebody hadn't responded to the question of God by no way life can come to this. He doesn't say no.
Ashley
He also doesn't say yes, which blessed.
Robert
Me, too, because I've been raised in church. And boy, church people will spit out some Christianese to you real quick.
Ashley
Oh, I'm telling you, some of us.
Robert
If we were in that valley, we're like, of course it can live again. You're the alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. There is no God like you, Yahweh. There's not a doubt in my mind that you can bring these bones back together. I trust you. Boop. Yes, I do. And many of us, we hide behind spiritual language because we want to deal with the real issue that we're facing. We hide behind spiritual language and we put up this fake front because we think faith is to not feel.
Ashley
So I'm fine. Yeah, I'm good.
Robert
Are you sure?
Ashley
It seems like you're in a valley. No, not a valley. God's gonna turn it for his glory. My story for his glory. I'm fine. Are you sure? God is good. I know he good. Are you good? Ezekiel doesn't give a Christianese answer.
Robert
Look at what he says.
Ashley
He doesn't even say Lord.
Robert
You know, he says, oh, Sovereign Lord, Sovereign Lord. You know, Sovereign, y'all. I got stuck on that Sovereign because.
Ashley
By saying sovereign, Ezekiel was confessing that this looks bad. I don't know how this can become back together again. I don't know how you gonna connect the femur to the patella. I don't know how that skull over there is going to get connected to this vertebrae over here. I don't know how you going to fix it. But there's one thing I know. You are Sovereign. You rule and you reign. This situation might be out of control, but, God, I know your character. You are not out of control. Heaven is your throne. The earth is your footstool. I wish somebody would thank God for his sovereignty, that he rules, that he reigns, that God has never had a panic attack, that God knows who he is. He is sovereign, and I want to testify that it is his sovereignty. Some nights, that has been my sanity, because God. I don't understand it. I don't know why they walked away. I don't know how they could stab me in the back. I don't know why I'm going through this, but I know one thing. You are sovereign. You are in control. You are God. And I am not so sovereign, Lord. You know, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know how this comes back together. I don't know how you're gonna make a way and provide the resources for a building. I don't know how we can meet the needs of a city that's dealing with all kinds of social issues that.
Robert
Make me scratch my head.
Ashley
I don't.
Robert
I don't know. There's one thing I know, oh, Sovereign Lord, you are in control. And you know, you know. And when he said that, God goes, I can work with that honesty. Here's what I want you to do. Watch it. Ezekiel, I want you to stand over those bones and declare the word of the Lord. Ezekiel, don't get on Instagram and get.
Ashley
An opinion poll about the condition of the bones. Don't give facts or stats about the bones. Here's what I want you to do. Don't give your opinion about the bones. Ezekiel, declare what I tell you to declare. Declare the word of God over those dry bones. Who am I preaching to today? Somebody is facing a situation that seems hopeless. It seems dark. It seems like it's a valley of dry bones. And God told me to tell you, you better squirt your shoulders and start declaring the word of God over that. You better declare the word of God over that marriage. And said, the two have become one flesh. I come against every demonic assignment that's trying to destroy this marriage. You better speak the word of God over your child and declare that children are an inheritance from the Lord. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior, so shall my children. 3. I call them back to you. God. Speak the word of God over that dead situation. Speak it over that dead finances. And said, he is Jehovah Jireh, my provider. My daddy owns the cattle on a thousand heels. My job wasn't my source. It was my resource. You are my source. God. Speak life. Speak life. Speak the word of the Lord over.
Robert
Those dead, dry bones.
Ashley
Can I give you a warning? That when you start speaking life to.
Robert
Bones, be prepared to look ridiculous. Be prepared for people to look at you like you have lost your mind.
Ashley
Because they don't understand. How in the world are you speaking to something that is so dry, that is so damp? It is obvious to them that no life is there. But I dare you to just start declaring the word of the Lord like Ezekiel did. Because watch what happened when he started declaring the word of God. All of us. Sudden, there was a rattle as he started speaking, then the rattle came. Oh, God. Some of y'all are waiting to hear the rattle before you start declaring the word of the Lord. It don't work that way, baby. You better start declaring the word of God. And as you start speaking it, stuff will start shaking, stuff will start shifting, stuff will start moving in order. But you gotta speak it before.
Robert
He.
Ashley
Starts declaring the word of the Lord.
Robert
And a rattle, a rattle, a rattle happen. Rattling bones start coming up. Don't forget. It's not like these bones were strategically laid as perfect skeletons on the ground. It's chaos everywhere. But all of a sudden, as he's declaring the word of the Lord, bones start coming together, things start getting connected.
Ashley
The toe bones found the foot bone, and the foot bone finds the leg bone, and the leg bone found the backbone, and the backbone found the shoulder. All of a sudden, here come a skull connected to a third. Stuff started moving. I bet he was ducking as he was declaring. Cuz sometimes it looks crazy when stuff is coming together, but keep speaking, God, I feel your presence. Keep speaking the Word. It's coming together. Keep trusting him. He's moving things. You see stuff coming together. And all of a sudden as bones are flying and Deku is ducking and declaring, oh, who's that for? Every once in a while you gotta duck and declare. I gotta duck what's coming at me and still declare the word of the Lord. He's ducking and declaring and all of a sudden, them bones, them bones, them bones, them bones, y'all. It's October. Party city. Had them. I had, I had to. I had to. Any other month I had, I had to. All of a sudden, all of this.
Robert
Became that.
Ashley
How does this become that?
Robert
Declaring the word of the Lord? Not your opinion, not what you feel. The declaration of God's word brought that which was chaotic into order. This is the system of God. That when you come under his Word, it turns chaos into structure. That the word of God is a transforming agent. That when you come under it, stuff goes from chaotic to structure. That's what happened in Genesis. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was without form and void and darkness. Chaos covered the face of the deep. The spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, and as he spoke, the chaos turned into cosmos. Hear me. Today, some of you are trying to live your lives out outside of God's word and still have structure and peace. And it doesn't work. You're trying to bring order and structure to your finances. And you won't trust them with the tithe. You won't live a life of generosity. But you want structure in your finances. You want structure and order in your spiritual life. But you have other gods before him. The idolatry, which is what got the children of Israel in the place that they were. The idolatry of your career, the idolatry of your kids. Hear me. Anything can be an idol. Idols aren't just evil things. Idols can be good things. That you've made the ultimate thing and you've put it above God. And God says, I will share my glory with no one. God says, come under my word so that there can be order and structure. I wish that was the final step. But he prophesied twice. First prophetic word was to the structure, to the order. Come under the word of God. The second prophetic word is to the breath. Because what good is structure and order with no life of the spirit? What good is structure and order without a spirit filled life? Ladies and gentlemen. Gentlemen, this was the Pharisees.
Ashley
They had the first five books of the Old Testament memorized. They had all the word structure and.
Robert
Order, but still dead.
Ashley
This is how some of people's lives are, especially in Texas, in Dallas, the buckle of this Bible belt, the stronghold of religion.
Robert
Here's what the enemy would love you to. Just go through the routine of religion and still be dead. Come to church worshiping as dead as this skeleton.
Ashley
Come to church doing all the perfunctory things, a form of godliness, but you've denied the power thereof. Y'all. You, you can be a skeleton and be doing devotions every day in the Word, posting it on your page.
Robert
But there's no life, there's no vibrancy. There's no new real relationship with God.
Ashley
That's why you got to open up your mouth and say, God, I'm not just coming under your word, but Lord, I'm prophesying again. I need fresh wind. I need fresh spirit. Holy Spirit, fill me again today. Come On. I wish you would get up on your feet even right now. Make that your prayer. Holy Spirit. Filled. Fill me again. Fill me fresh. I don't want to just go through the routine. I need a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit. When that wind started filling those bodies, that is the Hebrew word, ruach. That's the same wind that filled Adam and put the breath of lives on the inside of him. That is the same mighty rushing wind that filled some believers in an upper room. And all of a sudden, they started speaking in tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. You don't just need the bones. You need the breath of the Holy Spirit.
Robert
From bones to breath, the order and the word is not enough. Holy Spirit, if you don't breathe fresh into me, I'm gonna ask every head be bowed and eyes be closed today, Holy Spirit, fill us again. Fill us again. When he prophesied to the wind, it went from bones to breath to an army. God is raising up an unshakable army. This army cannot be stuck to religion and forms of godliness. We cannot have structure and systems and no fresh wind of the spirit. We need that second word that says, fill me again. Father, we declare over this house today an army that is filled with your spirit. Father, that means we have to be uncomfortable sometimes not knowing what the next step is. But we trust your spirit to order our steps. Holy Spirit, wherever you lead, wherever you guide, we'll follow. We'll follow, follow you. Fill us fresh. Fill us fresh. Fill us fresh. Come on. Would you just make that your prayer right now? Come on. Even right where you're standing, would you ask the Holy Spirit to fill you fresh again? Fresh wind. Come on. If you got a prayer language, just begin to open up your mouth and start praying in that prayer language right now if you want to receive a prayer language. I believe even right now, God will feel you, feel you.
Ashley
Anybody laying hands on you.
Robert
He wants to feel you fresh again. Come on. Just begin to open up your mouth and ask the Holy Spirit, fill me fresh. Fill me fresh. Feel me fresh. Fill me fresh. Feel me fresh. Feel me fresh, Feel me fresh. Fill me fresh. Fill me fresh today, God. Feel me fresh. Come on. If you need the wind to fill a dry place. Fill us up, Lord. Fill us up again.
Ashley
Come on.
Robert
Make this your prayer.
Ashley
Dry bones, we prophesy. Disconnected things come together today, God. We prophesy to the bones and we prophesy to the wind, God, that dead things come back to life. God, raise up an army. Raise up an army that is Filled with your spirit. Come on.
Robby
Fill me up. Fill me up, God. Fill me up, God. Fill me up. Fill me up.
Robert
Fill us up, Father. From bones to breath to an army. From bones to breath to an army. From bones to breath to an army. God, thank you that you speak even in a valley. God, we trust you. We trust you today, Jesus. Thank you, Father. Thank you, Father. Come on. I want to do this if. If there's a dead situation in your life that you need order and structure and the wind of the Holy Spirit to come to you, I just want you to get out of your seat and come find a place up here at the front. I'm just believing that as you move, bones are moving together. I'm believing that as you take a step of faith, God is moving on your behalf. Come on, don't worry about what anybody else thinks. If there's a situation that is dry.
Ashley
If there's a situation that is dead. Come on, we sang it earlier. This is a house of miracles. Get as close to this altar as you can and we're just going to cry out to God.
Robert
Thank you, Jesus.
Ashley
Come on. If you got to walk down from the balcony and come to the front. Come to the front, Holy Spirit, fill us, God. We speak to dead things, we speak to dry things. Come on, get as close as you can. Get as close as you can. If there's a dry thing, if there's a death thing, I want you to get as close to the front as you can. Thank you, Jesus.
Robby
Come alive in the name of Jesus. Come alive, come alive in the name of Jesus. This is the house this is the house of everything in king of Jesus Everything in the name of Jesus. This is a house of king miracle.
Ashley
Come on, open up your mouth and declare it.
Robby
This is a house Come alive in the name of Jesus. Come alive in the name of Jesus. This is the house of Mir. Of Jesus Everything in the name of Jes. This is the house of miracles. I still believe your moving I still believe your feet God, I believe you're working all things are good. I fix my eyes on heaven God, I receive your vision God, I believe your word all things to God I still believe I still believe your wor all things are God I receive your vision I believe you're wor things of.
Ashley
Your Come on, say Come alive.
Robby
Come alive in the name of Jesus Come alive in the name of Jesus this is a house of miracle we bring everything to the feet of Jesus Everything in the name of Jesus this is a house.
Robert
We sing Come alive.
Robby
In the Name of Jesus. Come alive in the name of Jesus. This is a house of miracle and we bring everything to the feet of Jesus. Everything in the name of Jesus. This is the house of miracles. Come alive, come alive.
Ashley
Come on.
Robert
As you worship, things are coming together. Things are coming together.
Ashley
As you worship.
Robert
Things are coming together.
Ashley
The bones are coming together.
Robert
Breath is coming into those bones as.
Ashley
You worship, as you cry out to him. It's coming together.
Robert
Gonna come all of a sudden. It's gonna come all of a sudden.
Robby
It's going to come all of a sudden. It's going to come all of a sudden. It's gonna come all of a sudden.
Robert
Thank you, Jesus, Father, thank you that you're taking us from bones to breath. God, I'm praying for my brother and my sister who needs the strength to speak your word over the dead things. God, I pray that we would have the strength to keep declaring till we hear a rattle. God, we trust you. You are sovereign. The situation might seem like it's out of control, but you are not out of control. You are in control. Oh, sovereign Lord, you know. You know. Only you know. Sovereign Lord, we will continue to prophesy and drive alleys believing that you're not only connecting the bones, there's a fresh wind of your spirit breathing life. Thank you for your presence, Jesus. Thank you for strength to hope again or in the valley. But we have not lost our hope because we haven't lost you. You are our hope, Jesus, and you're with us in the valley. You never leave us, never forsake us. We stand on your word. I want to do one more thing, just with heads bowed and eyes closed. Today we say something that we've said for a long time at social and that's, you can always come home. Never want to have a service where we don't give somebody an opportunity to respond to Jesus. Maybe you've been trying to bring order and structure to your life outside of Jesus, and you wonder why it keeps falling and keeps failing. Because there's a God who loves you, who sent his only son to die on a cross for you. And to come under his word is to see your life go from the chaos to the cosmos to structure in order doesn't mean everything will be perfect. We live in a fallen world, but it does mean that your soul has been saved and redeemed. So with heads bowed and eyes closed today, if you're here today, I don't care if it's just one person, man, you'd be worth it. You say, hey, I'VE never surrendered my life to this Savior. But today, today I need to give that I am to him. If that's you, I just want to give you that opportunity. Would you lift up your hand high enough and long enough to where I could see it, just to say, hey, that's for me. I'm coming home. Today, I'm giving Jesus my life. Yeah, I see hands all over this place. Thank you, man. Thank you for responding. When you hear him calling, hear me, that's something that doesn't stop when this service ends. So whenever he calls you, whenever he speaks, he just wants you to respond to obey. Doesn't matter what it looks like. What if Ezekiel would have said, it's ridiculous to speak to these dry bones? It doesn't make sense. He would have missed seeing the miracle in the valley. Anybody else just respond to this Savior who loves you so much and saying, today's the day I need to give him my life. Let me see your hand. Thank you, Lord. Can we pray this prayer as one big family? We're all going to say it, but especially those of you who responded. Would you say this from your heart? Say, jesus, I need you. I cannot do life without you. You are my life. So today I'm responding to your Word. And your word says that if anyone call on the name of Jesus, they will be saved. So, Jesus, I believe that you lived the life that I was supposed to live, and you died the death that I was supposed to die. You took my place. So my response is to give you everything. Forgive me of my sin. Make me brand new from this moment forward, I'm walking with you from bones to breath to an army in Jesus name. Come on, somebody say Amen. Would you give Jesus the best praise that you got?
Ashley
Oh, come on.
Robert
Praise him like there's an army in this place today.
Social Dallas Podcast: "From Bones to Breath I Robert Madu I Social Dallas"
Release Date: October 7, 2024
Host/Author: Social Dallas Church
Description: Pastor Robert and Taylor Madu aim to introduce Dallas and the global community to the grace and transformative truth of Jesus, fostering a diverse and unshakable church community.
[00:00 – 00:46]
The episode begins with Pastor Robert expressing a profound sense of God's presence at the Factory in Deep Ellum. He warmly welcomes both regular attendees and newcomers, emphasizing the inclusive nature of Social Dallas.
Robert [00:00]: "Oh, I feel God's presence at this place today. It's different when we come to the factory in Deep Ellum."
He engages the audience by acknowledging first-time visitors and thanking them for their presence and effort to join the service.
[00:46 – 02:07]
Social Dallas adopts an annual theme to guide their spiritual journey, choosing the word "unshakable" to respond to a "shaky world." This year, they focus on Hebrews 12:28-29, which they recite collectively with enthusiasm.
Robert [00:46]: "Our word this year is unshakable. We just believe that a shaky world needs an unshakable church."
The scripture serves as a foundation for their discussions, reinforcing the church's commitment to stability amidst chaos.
[02:07 – 03:01]
Pastor Robert and Ashley announce the culmination of their series titled "Lessons from the Valley." They invite listeners to engage with their content on YouTube while preparing to delve into the pivotal Ezekiel 37:1-10.
Ashley [02:05]: "This is the final message in that series and maybe the most famous valley."
[03:01 – 05:10]
Robert reads and interprets Ezekiel 37:1-10, describing the prophet Ezekiel's vision of a valley filled with dry bones and God's promise to breathe life into them.
Robert [03:04]: "Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, 'Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord...'"
This passage symbolizes renewal and restoration, illustrating God's power to revive seemingly hopeless situations.
[05:10 – 11:59]
Both Robert and Ashley share personal stories from their time at youth camps, highlighting unexpected challenges and the importance of perseverance in fulfilling God's call.
Ashley [08:53]: "You don't get to quit your God-given assignment just because you don't like the environment of the assignment."
Robert recounts being unexpectedly sent to a youth camp in Pennsylvania, facing unfavorable conditions, yet remaining steadfast in his mission despite discomfort.
[11:59 – 19:38]
The hosts delve into the complexities of the Book of Ezekiel, discussing its apocalyptic and visionary nature. They emphasize themes of idolatry, immorality, and ingratitude that led to Israel's captivity.
Robert [16:28]: "It was idolatry, it was immorality, and it was their ingratitude."
They draw parallels between ancient apostasy and modern-day spiritual struggles, warning against placing idols above God.
[19:38 – 24:40]
Robert and Ashley explore Ezekiel's profound visions, particularly the imagery of God's throne on wheels with eyes, symbolizing divine omnipresence and mobility.
Ashley [18:39]: "The Book of Ezekiel is different. It is mysterious."
They interpret these visions as a testament to God's ability to manifest His glory anywhere, encouraging listeners to invoke God's presence beyond traditional settings.
[24:40 – 43:43]
The discussion shifts to applying the vision of dry bones to personal and communal struggles. They relate Ezekiel's experience to feelings of hopelessness in various aspects of life, such as relationships and finances.
Ashley [33:28]: "Have you ever felt like your life was a valley of dry bones?"
The hosts urge listeners to recognize and confront personal valleys, understanding that God can breathe life into these stagnant areas.
[43:43 – 60:48]
Emphasizing action, Robert and Ashley encourage listeners to declare God's word over their dead situations, fostering a transformation "from bones to breath to an army." They stress the necessity of both structure through God's word and life through the Holy Spirit.
Robert [50:55]: "But there's no life, there's no vibrancy. There's no new real relationship with God."
They lead listeners through a call to prayer, inviting the Holy Spirit to infuse fresh life and empower them to overcome challenges.
[60:48 – 67:30]
The episode culminates in a powerful worship session where attendees declare prayers for revival and transformation. Robby joins in, amplifying the communal plea for God to energize and heal their lives.
Ashley [57:47]: "Come on, open up your mouth and declare it."
Participants are invited to physically move towards the altar, symbolizing their step of faith and desire for God's intervention in their lives.
Robert [67:30]: "Praise him like there's an army in this place today."
Perseverance in God's Call: Listeners are reminded not to abandon their divine assignments despite uncomfortable or challenging environments.
God's Omnipresence: The vision of God's throne on wheels signifies His ability to be present and active anywhere, not confined to specific places.
Transformation Through Declaration: Speaking God's word over dead or stagnant situations can initiate miraculous change and restoration.
Holy Spirit's Role: Beyond structure and order provided by God's word, the Holy Spirit is essential for infusing life and vibrancy into believers' lives.
Community and Worship: Engaging collectively in worship and prayer strengthens the global church's mission and fosters individual and communal renewal.
Robert [00:46]: "Our word this year is unshakable. We just believe that a shaky world needs an unshakable church."
Ashley [08:53]: "You don't get to quit your God-given assignment just because you don't like the environment of the assignment."
Robert [16:28]: "It was idolatry, it was immorality, and it was their ingratitude."
Ashley [33:28]: "Have you ever felt like your life was a valley of dry bones?"
Ashley [43:50]: "Do you realize that nobody can fix this situation but me?"
Robert [50:55]: "But there's no life, there's no vibrancy. There's no new real relationship with God."
Robby [57:45]: "Come alive in the name of Jesus. This is the house of miracles."
Robert [67:30]: "Praise him like there's an army in this place today."
This episode of the Social Dallas Podcast serves as a profound exploration of Ezekiel 37, intertwining biblical exegesis with personal testimonies and communal worship. Pastor Robert and Ashley Madu effectively communicate the transformative power of God's word and the Holy Spirit, encouraging listeners to embrace their divine calling and seek God's intervention in every aspect of their lives.