May it please Almighty God to bless us together as we meditate in His holy word this morning. Let's turn to the prophecy of Ezekiel, chapter 37, and we'll read verse 3. The prophecy of Ezekiel, chapter 37, and reading the third verse. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.

Ezekiel tells us, the hand of the Lord was upon him and carried him in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones. And then he tells us, and caused me to pass by them round about, and behold, there were very many in the open valley, and lo, they were very dry. So it's of importance to realize that God ordained that the prophet Ezekiel should have this vision and should write the truth that he was given on that occasion to trace out the reality of those things which existed. And so we have a picture, a picture of a valley, and a picture with many bones, we're told was full of bones, scattered right across the valley. And he was told, it caused me to pass by them, round about, and behold, they were very many in the open valley, and lo, they were very dry.

The evidence was, therefore, that there were all these bones which evidenced they emanated from people and yet there was no life. They were just bones, very dry. And so the question was posed to Ezekiel. And the question was, son of man, can these bones live?

And Ezekiel's response was, oh Lord God, thou knowest. It was a wise response, wasn't it? And naturally speaking, we can understand if he had responded and said, no, there's no possibility of any life. because they're dead and they're very dry and there's no sign of life and there's unlikely to be any sign of life. Well, God then came and spoke to Ezekiel. He'd answered and it would appear, as far as he was concerned, that there was no life and then he was told to prophesy or to preach upon these bones and said to them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. And that really is a wonderful statement because every person really born into this world are dry bones. we're talking of course in a spiritual sense naturally they have bones and they're alive but spiritually using the analogy here they're dry bones and what is that? there's no evidence of spiritual life and so the question was put to Ezekiel can these bones live? can these bones live? And he was honest and said, O Lord God, thou knowest.

Well, today, as we look around the world, surely we see many, many examples of dry bones. By that, there appears to be no spiritual life. There may be natural life, but there's no spiritual life. perhaps such a word may come very personally to each one of us as we look at ourselves and do we see there dry bones do we see there not really evidence of life spiritual life And so perhaps the question might be put to us, can these bones live? We seem perhaps so lifeless, so dead spiritually, and we perhaps have to come And say before God, it's not that you and I have to say before men, oh Lord God, thou knowest. It may be with an exceedingly heavy heart as we look at ourselves and realize that we are dry bones.

There appears to be no evidence of spiritual life. well again you see God knows where we are in our spiritual life what our concerns are and yet you see there's this great question isn't it can these bones live? do we possess the life of God which appears to be non-existent perhaps we don't seem to be alive at all And perhaps the question, can these bones live?

And we answered, oh Lord God, thou knowest. Thou knowest whether you and I possess the wonderful blessing of spiritual life. Well, Ezekiel was directed by God to preach, to preach to what appeared to be dry bones with no spiritual life and he was commanded as to what to preach and what a blessing it is that we have a God still today who commands his preachers as to what to speak and he says here prophesy or we might say preach upon these bones and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Now that's a gracious and wonderful statement because God has given us his word. We can say God's given us the word of life. What a blessing that is, isn't it?

And so God in His great mercy has given to us His Word and therefore Ezekiel was commanded to say, O ye dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord. So if we feel to be dry, if we feel, as it were, there's no life within, What are we to do? Are we to give up? Are we to say there's no hope? No, God graciously has given to us the great truths of the gospel.

And that's a wonderful blessing for you and me today. to know therefore that the Lord has blessed us to hear the Word of the Lord. Let's not pass over that. Hear the Word of the Lord. And we read together in that Gospel of John, the part of that fifth chapter, which is very instructive and very wonderful really that the Lord gives us These words of instruction, these words of direction.

The bit that we read, commenced at verse 19, where the apostle was directed by the Lord Jesus. Jesus answered and said unto them, Very, very nice unto you. The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth a father do, for what things soever he doeth, these also. doeth the Son of God. And then it goes on, for as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them, that means make them spiritually alive, even so the Son of Man quickeneth whom he will.

Makes alive. So if perhaps you and I feel like dry bones, with no spiritual life and we're tempted to give up, the Gospel encourages us to hear the Word of the Lord. I say hear the word of the Lord we are to read the word of the Lord and that enters therefore into our hearts and in a spiritual sense we hear the word of the Lord and what a blessing it is to know that this gracious God gives us spiritual life so you and I cannot give ourselves spiritual life we cannot make ourselves alive And the reason we cannot make ourselves alive is quite simple. If you and I could make ourselves alive, you and I would claim the credit for that ourselves. Whereas if we come to our God, if we pray to him earnestly, that he will bless us with that spiritual life so that our bones are not dry, we are spiritually alive, He receives the honour and He receives the glory.

And my friends, the true believer is very happy for that to be the right way. Not to receive glory ourselves. Natural man wants to receive glory ourselves. But we realise how utterly unable we are to give ourselves spiritual life. For what a blessing it is to know that we have a God who is able and who is willing to give spiritual life.

And as we read on in this fifth chapter of John, very, very I say unto you, it's the words of Jesus, the hour is coming and now is when the dead, those dry bones, the dead, Shall hear. Shall hear. It's good news, isn't it? Shall hear. It's not a question the Lord will not speak through his word. Shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live. What a change. What a wonder. There were those who were just like, dry bones and no life, and in answer to that great question, can these bones live?

And Ezekiel says, oh Lord God, thou knowest. And how true that is. God does know. But what a blessing it is, therefore if he gives you and me that desire to seek unto Him, because He is able to do that which you and I cannot do. We have an all-powerful God who will indeed speak to our very souls and encourage us. What a blessing then to understand this. Now, just running on in this fifth chapter, Again we have wonderful encouragement. If we may feel dry, we may feel spiritually dead, what does the Lord tell us? He tells us in verse 39 of this 5th chapter.

Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me. What a blessing it is then, if God gives you and me that desire, that willingness to read the Bible, to not just read it in a legal way, thinking we must read a few verses, but to search the Scriptures, to search the Word of God, to be able to find words which are suitable to us in our spiritual state. And we have many examples in the Word of God to encourage us. And as we read, can these bones live? And maybe a question in your heart, to God, can I be blessed with spiritual life?

Well, the answer was, O Lord, Thou knowest. And here's the encouragement to us today to search the scriptures, because the scriptures give us so many encouraging words. And you can look at the book of Psalms, because the Psalms, especially, mostly written by David, and there in those Psalms, David expresses his heart's desire. We get under the surface and we see there the reality of David's religion. We see his confessions, we see his desires, we see his concerns to praise God. And then as we read that and consider it to understand therefore that God gives us these wonderful favours and these wonderful blessings to recognise how good and kind the Lord is.

And really the result is this. O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. That's why God has given us. His word, the Bible to read, to be encouraged, to be strengthened. We may feel far off, far off. Well, be encouraged. There are many cases of those who were far off. Remember that case, that parable of what we term as the prodigal son, He was far off, wasn't he?

He ran away from his home, ran away from his father. Didn't want anything more to do with religion, we might say. And we're told he wasted his living, wasted his money in riotous living. But there came a day when he ran out of funds. And we're told he began to be in want.

That was the work of the Spirit of God. That produced in his heart that desire after spiritual things, he began to be in want what a mercy my friends today if God comes and touches our heart as we realize where we are perhaps we're filled dry bones feel far off and God touches our heart and encourages us to come to him encourages us to search the scriptures Oh it's a good thing if the Holy Spirit has given you and me a desire, a spiritual desire, to search the Scriptures. Not to satisfy our conscience, because we may have felt guilty that we hadn't been reading the Bible, and therefore we think we should, well that's a good thing, but what a blessing when the Holy Spirit enables us to read the Word, to seek the Bible, to see if you and I can find evidence that we are amongst those that God has loved, that God has called, that God has chosen. That's a wonderful mercy, and that's a wonderful favour. So hear God's word, search the scriptures, and he tells us, for in them You think you have eternal life and they are they which testify of me.

There is the whole counsel of God in the Bible. The reason why Jesus willingly came into the world. The wonderful blessing that God the Father sent him into the world. And he came into the world to do the will of his father. And that wonderful will was to pay the price required to save our souls. The price required to give us that wonderful gift of eternal life.

Well, what a wonderful blessing if that is true for me and for you. And so we're told that as the apostle writes this gospel, how good it is, and we're told, ye sent unto John, and he bear witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man, but these things I say that ye might believe. You see, they were given by God. are not the words of man. This is the word of God. Men can speak. It won't touch our heart. When God speaks, the word enters in, and it's described like this. He was, this is John, was a burning and a shining light, and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. I have greater witness than that of John, for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me."

It's very amazing, isn't it, to think that God the Father sent his only begotten Son. We read that, of course, in the The third chapter, those glorious words, for God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son into the world, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

So the blessing will be, as you and I search the Scriptures, feeding ourselves dry bones, feeding ourselves no spiritual life, to find then this great encouragement to realize that the Lord Jesus is working in us, giving us a desire after spiritual things which we never had at one time.

No, it's God's wonderful love and God's wonderful favor. What a mercy it is to have such a Savior. You know, in the earlier chapter, of this glorious Gospel of John. We read in the first chapter of this Gospel where the Spirit of God directs us. He tells us about Jesus. He came unto his own and his own received him not. Perhaps that's where we were. Perhaps that's where we are tonight, or this morning rather. Yeah, we hear about Jesus, but we're not willing to receive Him as our Lord and Master.

But, as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name, which were born, not of blood, nor of the wood of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." Simple words, aren't they? But what a mercy when God gives you and me the realization of the appropriateness of such truths to our needy soul. We felt just dry bones, and in that situation, there appears no life. We may appear to ourselves to be a lost and ruined sinner. Well, remember these great truths.

As the Apostle tells us, with regard to John the Baptist came as a witness, and he wasn't the light, but was sent to be a witness of the light. That was the true light. which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. But he came unto his own, and his own received him not, but as many as received him. To then gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

So what a wonderful blessing if God has brought us to that position to show us really that there appears to be no hope for us, we're just dry bones, no life, and the question may be, can I live? Is there any hope for me? Is there any life? And what has The Lord say, what does Ezekiel tell us?

O Lord God, Thou knowest. And then the great wonderful blessing to prophesy, to preach. And Ezekiel preached. Ezekiel preached and we might say first of all there was the natural knowledge of things. Yes, natural knowledge of things. He realised And there was the evidence of it with his skin and bones and sinews which came upon him.

We might say that's good and it's a natural understanding of the Word of God and that may be perhaps where we've got to in our spiritual life. We've begun to read the Bible and we've We have some understanding, natural understanding, but the big problem is we don't possess the breath of life. We don't possess that wonderful favor from Almighty God that he gives to us, this wonderful blessing of life.

What a mercy then, again to understand what the Apostle John says, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." When God gives us the gift of spiritual life, yes, and what a change that produces. We're a new creature. What's the effect? Well, again, the Lord tells us, doesn't he, in the third chapter of John, as he spoke to Nicodemus and told him so categorically he must be born again and by the Spirit of God when he comes to us in that way and shines light into our heart so there we were we thought we were lost we thought there was no hope we looked and all we saw was dryness and deadness and then the Lord had given us some Natural understanding, we see the flesh and the bones, and the flesh and the skin, but we still don't possess, we still don't seem to have that wonderful blessing of spiritual life. But what a mercy therefore it is when God comes and tells us, but as many as received him, God gives us a willing spirit to receive him as our Lord and Master.

We bow down, we bow down. Remember that wonderful occasion in the Old Testament when Elijah was offering up a sacrifice. The servants of Baal had offered up a sacrifice and there'd be no evidence of their God hearing their prayers, just silence. And then when Elijah prayed, God sent down fire from heaven and consumed the sacrifice and the altar and the water totally.

And what was the effect on all those people who were watching to see who was gonna be the God? He made this very clear statement. He is the God. They knew which was the true God. The God of Elijah was the true God. Oh my friends, what a blessing perhaps if God brings you and me to a condition where we feel dry and dead and hopeless. We want to know about who is. the true God we don't want to follow a false God do we? we want to follow a true God well what a mercy it is when God comes like this and speaks to us very powerfully and directs us remember to his word remember what I've said search the scriptures search the scriptures God tells you to search the scriptures you do it you do it you don't have to sound the trumpet and tell everybody because it would be perhaps in secret between your soul and God but as you search the scriptures may your spiritual eyes be opened and the light shines the light the glorious gospel and something's happened your eyes have been opened you never actually saw the gospel before but now you see it and you rejoice in it and you bless God for it and indeed you praise God for it and you desire to bring honor and glory to his great and holy name.

Well, Ezekiel was commanded to prophesy, and he did. And the Lord God unto the bones, behold, I will cause breath to enter in. and ye shall live. And so he came, went, and granted that wonderful blessing. And he was told, prophesy unto the wind. Prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, thus saith the Lord God, come thou from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain that they may live.

So I prophesied, I preached, as he commanded me and the breath came into them and they lived and stood up upon their feet an exceeding great army well what a mercy if God gives you that desire to come and true desire these blessings and these wonderful favours so you can truly rejoice in what God has done and we read there about the wind blowing well when God spoke to or John spoke rather through the word that God had given him and he spoke to Nicodemus and the words that he were given was this that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit marvel not that I said unto you, ye must be born again." How important that is for all of us to realise that we must be born again. We must possess that new birth.

And then he describes how it happens. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof. But canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth. It's a good illustration, isn't it? You and I can feel the wind, can't we? We can feel it against us, and then it's gone.

And that's what the Lord says. It's like that. And whither it goeth, so is every one that is born of the Spirit. That means the Spirit of God comes and blows into our heart. and shows us the truth of God. Shows us our need of a Saviour. Shows us that we cannot save ourselves from all our sin, from all our iniquity. No, there's a great mountain of it. We can't rid ourselves of it. How can we free ourselves from it?

Well, the Apostle Peter tells us. the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin, all our sins, those sins which have stood between us and our God, those sins which have been there and have caused a great barrier as we've attempted to come to our God. Here's the glorious remedy that Lord Jesus Christ came into this world, as the Apostle said, to save sinners of whom I am chief. You'll be happy to stand alongside the Apostle Paul and confirm that great truth and recognise that as Paul the Apostle thought he was the chief sinner, you will feel in that same position, that you're the chief sinner. that Jesus came into this world to seek and to save that which was lost. That's the gospel. That's the glory of it.

So this morning, as we have these words here, and you may think about them, and he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? You may feel, oh, I don't know. Lord, I feel dead. Oh, Lord God, thou knowest. And he does. but he also knows how he will redeem us and how he will free us.

So my friends, be encouraged. Search the scriptures, search the scriptures, read the Bible and find there glorious accounts of those people who thought perhaps they were lost. Jesus saved them. Jesus delivered them. Jesus came to them where they were.

Well, this morning, can we not come and praise and glorify God for the great work, the great plan of salvation? And thank God that way back, hundreds of years, thousands of years, when the Lord appeared to the prophet Ezekiel, he was directed to write such an account that might be an encouragement to you and me today as the Word of God is preached and as the Spirit of God comes into our hearts and blesses us with that great and wonderful gift of eternal life. There's no greater blessing of eternal life because it is what it says, forever and ever. So may we seek after it, may we pray for it, may we search for it, and may we receive it for his eternal glory. Amen.