Sermon Outline
First United Methodist Church of Sanford
“The Hope of Christmas: Resurrecting old, dry bones”
Nov 30, 2014
Scripture
Ezekiel 37:1-14
The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the
LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back
and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley,
bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I
said, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know." 4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to
these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 This is
what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and
you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you
and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then
you will know that I am the LORD.'" 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And
as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came
together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and
skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me,
"Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the
Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into
these slain, that they may live.'" 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and
breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet-- a vast army. 11
Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.
They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' 12
Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O
my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will
bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am
the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my
Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will
know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.'"
Core Idea, challenge and summary
Core Idea: The hope of Christmas is about Jesus resurrecting our spiritually
dead lives so we can experience life to the full.
Challenge: To help awaken spiritually dead people so they can know Christ,
have a genuine life purpose and experience life to the full.
Summary: Many people are spiritually dead and don’t even know it. They go
through life doing what’s expected of them with no clear idea of why they do it.
They simply ‘check the box’: Graduate from high school (check), go to college
(check), get married (check), have children (check), get a job (check). Once they
have a family and get a job, they often get into a mindless routine: Get up, go to
work, come home, watch t.v., eat supper, go back to bed and get up the next
morning to repeat it. When this routine is interrupted, it’s often with tragedy,
1
Sermon Outline
First United Methodist Church of Sanford
“The Hope of Christmas: Resurrecting old, dry bones”
Nov 30, 2014
tribulation and suffering. Families struggle to pay their monthly bills and keep a
roof over their heads while other families deal with sudden death or lingering yet
fatal illness. After a while, people begin to ask, “What’s the point?!! Why are we
doing this?!! What’s our purpose in life?!!”
There’s no meaning or purpose in the spiritually dead existence. With no higher
purpose to give their lives meaning, people simply do whatever feels right or
enjoyable at the moment. They indulge in drug abuse, promiscuous sex,
unnecessarily dangerous activities, quick money making schemes or they are
simply mean to other people because it makes them feel better. These attempts
to escape from a spiritually dead existence often result in failed relationships,
disappointments and depression. People continue to ask, “Why am I here? Why
do I even exist? Is there a purpose for my life?”
Spiritually dead people are like the dry bones in Ezekiel’s vision. In this vision,
the dry bones represented the Israelites after they separated themselves from
God by continuously disobeying Him. Since God is the originator and sustainer of
life, they became like dry bones. Likewise, whenever we attempt to live life
without God and His directions, we become like dry bones.
God, however, has the power to bring the dry bones back to life. As people
realize that there is a God, the dead bones begin to rattle and shake as they
reconnect with each other. The flesh begins to grow back over the bones as the
spiritually dead people begin to recognize that God’s way is the right way for
people to live. At some point, the breath of God enters the recreated flesh and
the spiritually dead people become totally alive. At this point, they receive God’s
forgiveness through faith in Christ and surrender to the loving authority of God.
They reconnected to the originator and sustainer of life and have become fully
alive.
The people who were spiritually dead but are now alive no longer live a life of
drudgery. They no longer go through the motions of life and simply ‘check the
block’. Their lives now have a higher purpose and this higher purpose gives their
lives meaning. The higher purpose is to spread God’s love and proclaim God’s
kingdom. Every activity in their lives is done with this purpose in mind. They ask,
“How can I do my job in a way that demonstrates God’s love and proclaims
God’s kingdom? How can I do my duties as a spouse or parent in a way that
demonstrates God’s love and proclaims God’s kingdom? How can I pursue
higher education in a way that demonstrates God’s love and proclaims God’s
kingdom? How can I conduct my life in a way that demonstrates God’s love and
proclaims God’s kingdom?” God will use both the good and bad times in their
lives to spread His love and proclaim His kingdom. This provides them with a
love, joy and peace that are beyond understanding. No matter what, they can
2
Sermon Outline
First United Methodist Church of Sanford
“The Hope of Christmas: Resurrecting old, dry bones”
Nov 30, 2014
enjoy life because they’re being used by God for a higher purpose. That’s living
life to the full.
This is what the hope of Christmas is all about. The hope of Christmas is about
Jesus resurrecting our spiritually dead lives so we can experience life to the full.
This hope was made possible through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
He became the one necessary sacrifice to atone (pay for) our sins. With our sins
paid for, we can receive God’s forgiveness and have a restored loving
relationship with God. Our dead bones grow flesh and God breaths His breath
into us. As people in a loving relationship with God through faith in Jesus,
embark on our new purpose in life: to spread God’s love and proclaim God’s
kingdom. As explained earlier, this new propose fills our lives with meaning and
provides us with love, peace and joy.
This Christmas, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior and Lord, let’s remember
the old, dry bones; let’s remember how God can bring life to any pile f dry bones.
Let us then give thanks to God and pray for our family and friends who are still
like the dry bones.
Sermon
I.
Introduction: My new glasses
A. I just got new glasses. I’ve had them about two weeks.
B. For 5-6 years, prior to getting my new glasses, my eyes were getting
worse but I didn’t realize how bad they were getting.

While watching t.v., I found myself standing right in front of the t.v
to read the show descriptions while changing the channels. I
thought that was no big deal.

I started to squint or adjust the distance to read small print, but that
didn’t cause me any alarm.

My wife, Donna, kept telling me I needed glasses but I wouldn’t
listen to her.
C. I didn’t realize how bad they were getting until I finally acquired new
glasses

Now, everything is bigger, brighter and more clear
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Sermon Outline
First United Methodist Church of Sanford
“The Hope of Christmas: Resurrecting old, dry bones”
Nov 30, 2014

I can see long distance and read signs way ahead of me while
driving

I can easily read small print

It’s a whole new world to me.
D. I did not know how poor my eye sight was until I started wearing glasses.
Likewise, many people are spiritually dead but don’t realize it.
II. Many people are spiritually dead but don’t realize it,
A. They go through life doing what’s expected of them with no clear idea of
why they do it.

They simply ‘check the box’:
 Graduate from high school (check)
 Go to college (check)
 Get married (check)
 Have children (check)
 Get a job (check).

Once they have a family and get a job, they often get into a
mindless routine:
 Get up, go to work, come home, watch t.v., eat supper, go
back to bed and get up the next morning to repeat it.
 When this routine is interrupted, it’s often with tragedy,
tribulation and suffering. Families struggle to pay their
monthly bills and keep a roof over their heads while other
families deal with sudden death or lingering yet fatal illness.

After a while, people begin to ask, “What’s the point?!! Why are we
doing this?!! What’s our purpose in life?!!”
B. There’s no meaning or purpose in the spiritually dead existence.

With no higher purpose to give their lives meaning, people simply
do whatever feels right or enjoyable at the moment.
 They indulge in drug abuse
4
Sermon Outline
First United Methodist Church of Sanford
“The Hope of Christmas: Resurrecting old, dry bones”
Nov 30, 2014
 Have promiscuous sex
 Take part in unnecessarily dangerous activities
 Enter into quick money making schemes
 They are simply mean to other people because it makes
them feel better.
 They live by the philosophy: “Eat, drink and be merry for
tomorrow we die”

These attempts to escape from a spiritually dead existence often
result in failed relationships, disappointments and depression.

People continue to ask, “Why am I here? Why do I even exist? Is
there a purpose for my life?”
C. Spiritually dead people are like the old, dry bones in Ezekiel’s vision
III.
Ezekiel’s vision (Ezekiel 37:1-14) and spiritually dead people
A. Social/historical background

The Northern Kingdom of Israel has been gone for over 100 years
since being invaded by the Assyrian Empire

The Southern Kingdom of Judah was a vassal state under the
Babylonian Empire

Ezekiel had prophesied that Babylonian was going to ransack
Jerusalem, demolish the wall and destroy the temple.

All these calamities were a consequence of the Israelites
committing idolatry, shedding innocent blood, oppressing the poor
and taking advantage of widows and orphans, In other words, they
were a result of sinning.
B. In this vision, the dry bones represented the Israelites after they
separated themselves from God by continuously disobeying Him.

Since God is the originator and sustainer of life, they became like
dry bones
5
Sermon Outline
First United Methodist Church of Sanford
“The Hope of Christmas: Resurrecting old, dry bones”
Nov 30, 2014

Likewise, whenever we attempt to live life without God and His
directions, we become like dry bones.
IV.

Spiritually dead people are like the dry bones in Ezekiel’s vision.

God, however, has the power to bring the dry bones back to life.
God bringing life back to dry, dead bones (spiritually dead people)
A. As spiritually dead people realize there is a God

The bones begin to rattle and shake

The bones begin to move and reconnect with each other
B. As spiritually dead people begin to realize that God’s way is the right way
for all people

Flesh begins to grow back over the bones

At this point, the bones look like living people but they’re not quite
alive. They still need God’s breath
C. At some point, the breath of God enters the recreated flesh and the
spiritually dead people become totally alive.

At this point, they receive God’s forgiveness through faith in Christ
and surrender to the loving authority of God.

They reconnected to the originator and sustainer of life and have
become fully alive – they become spiritually alive.
V.
Spiritually alive people -- The people who were spiritually dead but are now alive
no longer live a life of drudgery.
A. They no longer go through the motions of life and simply ‘check the block’.
B. Their lives now have a higher purpose and this higher purpose gives their
lives meaning.

The higher purpose is to spread God’s love and proclaim God’s
kingdom.

Every activity in their lives is done with this purpose in mind. They
ask the following questions:
6
Sermon Outline
First United Methodist Church of Sanford
“The Hope of Christmas: Resurrecting old, dry bones”
Nov 30, 2014
 “How can I do my job in a way that demonstrates God’s love
and proclaims God’s kingdom?”
 “How can I do my duties as a spouse or parent in a way that
demonstrates God’s love and proclaims God’s kingdom?”
 “How can I pursue higher education in a way that
demonstrates God’s love and proclaims God’s kingdom?”
 “How can I conduct my life in a way that demonstrates
God’s love and proclaims God’s kingdom?”
C. No matter what, they experience love, joy and peace in their lives

God will use both the good and bad times in their lives to spread
His love and proclaim His kingdom.

This provides them with a love, joy and peace that are beyond
understanding.

No matter what, they can enjoy life because they’re being used by
God for a higher purpose.

VI.
This is living life to the full.
This is what the hope of Christmas is all about – The resurrection of the dry
bones demonstrate the hope of Christmas
A. The hope of Christmas is about Jesus resurrecting our spiritually dead
lives so we can experience life to the full.
B. This hope was made possible through the life, death and resurrection of
Jesus.

He became the one necessary sacrifice to atone (pay for) our sins.

With our sins paid for, we can receive God’s forgiveness and have
a restored loving relationship with God. -- Our dead bones grow
flesh and God breaths His breath into us.

As people in a loving relationship with God through faith in Jesus,
embark on our new purpose in life: to spread God’s love and
proclaim God’s kingdom.
7
Sermon Outline
First United Methodist Church of Sanford
“The Hope of Christmas: Resurrecting old, dry bones”
Nov 30, 2014

As explained earlier, this new propose fills our lives with meaning
and provides us with love, peace and joy.
C. This Christmas, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior and Lord, let’s
remember the old, dry bones

Let’s remember how God can bring life to any pile f dry bones.

Let us then give thanks to God and pray for our family and friends
who are still like the dry bones.
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