Thesis
Drawing from Ezekiel 37's valley of dry bones and Ephesians 2, Pastor Bill Bush argues that every human being is spiritually dead in sin, yet God — through His Word and His Spirit — breathes new life into dead souls. That salvation, received by faith alone, is not the finish line but the starting point. Those who have been saved are called to be sent: to give, serve, and share the hope of Jesus so that God's life-giving mission flows not just to them but through them into the world.
Key points
- 1
God leads Ezekiel into a valley of hopelessly dry bones to illustrate the spiritual deadness of His people — and of all humanity.
- 2
God commands Ezekiel to preach His Word to the dead bones, showing that the proclamation of God's Word is the instrument He uses to bring the spiritually dead to life.
- 3
True life comes only when the Holy Spirit breathes into a person — hearing the Word alone is not enough; the Spirit must illuminate it and bring genuine new birth.
- 4
The already-fulfillment of this prophecy was God restoring the nation of Israel from exile, pointing forward to the ultimate hope — the death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah.
- 5
Every person is spiritually dead in sin, but God — rich in mercy — raises us to new life by grace through faith in Christ, not by our own works.
- 6
Believing in Jesus means more than intellectual agreement — it means fully embracing and surrendering to Him as the only hope for salvation.
- 7
Those who have been saved are God's masterpiece, created anew to join His mission — saved people are meant to be sent people, serving and sharing the hope of Jesus.
Outline
Introduction to the Prophets and Ezekiel
Pastor Bill situates Ezekiel within the sermon series on the prophets, noting that while Jeremiah was the weeping prophet, Ezekiel had no hesitation delivering hard messages. Ezekiel prophesied to the Jewish exiles in Babylon and eventually shifted from messages of judgment to messages of hope in chapter 33 onward.
The Already-Not-Yet Framework
Pastor Bill introduces the 'already–not yet' interpretive lens for Old Testament prophecy, explaining that prophetic passages had an immediate fulfillment for Israel and a larger fulfillment pointing to Jesus — the ultimate Prophet, Priest, and King.
The Valley of Dry Bones — Ezekiel 37:1-10
God takes Ezekiel to a valley of bleached, scattered bones representing total hopelessness. He commands Ezekiel to preach God's Word to the bones, after which they reform into bodies — but they remain without the Spirit's breath and are not truly alive until God's Spirit animates them.
The Already Fulfillment — Israel Restored
God explains the prophecy directly: the bones represent exiled Israel. Pastor Bill traces the historical fulfillment — Israel's return from Babylon, the birth of Jesus through Israel, and the modern re-establishment of the nation in 1948 — as evidence of God's faithfulness and the credibility of Scripture.
The Not-Yet Fulfillment — Ephesians 2
Turning to Ephesians 2, Pastor Bill shows that all people are spiritually dead in sin and following the spirit of this world, but God's mercy raises them to new life through faith — a faith that means fully embracing Jesus, not merely intellectual agreement.
Saved to Be Sent
Pastor Bill argues that the reason many Christians feel spiritually dry is that they go to church but refuse to be the church. Using the imagery of a great army and a military drill sergeant, he urges believers to join the mission — giving, serving, and sharing faith — because God brings hope through us, not just to us.
Call to Salvation and Response
Pastor Bill closes by calling anyone who has never surrendered to Jesus to do so, leading the congregation in a prayer of faith. He distinguishes genuine salvation from mere religious activity, emphasizing that service must flow from the life God gives, not a desire to earn His favor.
Memorable moments
God brings his hope to us, but also through us
We all love truth, don't we? Until it punches us in the throat
nine times out of 10, when I am dealing with someone who's been saved for a long time that just can't get unstuck in life, nine times out of 10 is because they just go to church, but they refuse to ever be the church
God did not save us to go to church. He saved us to be the church
we serve in the mission from his love, because we have his power, his grace, his love that drives it
That's the Holy Spirit. That's the four winds wanting to breathe life into you right now
Application
Pastor Bill's call to action moves in two directions. First, if you have never truly surrendered to Jesus — not just agreed with facts about Him, but embraced Him as your only hope — now is the moment to do that. Let the Holy Spirit breathe life into you. Second, if you are already a believer but feel stuck, dry, or like faith isn't working, the honest question is whether you have been going to church without being the church. God saves us for a mission: to give generously, serve faithfully, and share the hope of Jesus with people around us. That mission is not a burden; it is the very thing God designed to bring life and fruitfulness. A simple next step is to show up for the volunteer sneak peek tour, ask where you fit, and take one step toward being sent.
