Scriptural Text:
Ezekiel 5:8-10; 11:14-17; Optional reading: Ezekiel 6:1-5
- Optional
Introduction: 1 Samuel 3:4-10
- Ezekiel
37:1-4 The Observation & Interrogation
- Ezekiel
37:5-7 The Declaration (Matthew 27: 50-54)
- Ezekiel
37:8-10 The Revitalization (Matthew 16:24-27; 18:10:11)
Tuesday
Revive Thy Church O’ Lord, Beginning With Me
What
Death Does & What Death Should Do!
Scriptural
Lesson Text: Ezekiel 24:15-23
Main
Points:
- To
disobey God is just as dastardly as not acknowledging and respecting the
death of a loved one.
- We
long for the spirit & soulless bodies of the dead, while God delivered
His Son with Spirit and Soul to die for us.
- We
physically pay our respects to the deceased, but how do or how will you
respond to God for the loss and giving up of His Son?
In an
illustration designed to reveal to Israel, their despicable behavior, God
caused the wife of Ezekiel, the desire of his eye, to die. Through the process
Ezekiel was commanded not to mourn, weep, or adorn himself in sackcloth and
ashes. In antiquitous Israeli times of death, customarily, headdress and shoes
were removed. Men often would walk
around barefoot and with shaven heads. In a display of mourning they would
adorn themselves in black clothing with dust and ashes atop the head. In
absolute pain and despair they would strike their chest and sometimes rent/tear
their clothes. On some occasions, professional mourners would be hired to
display exaggerated emotional tantrums, designed to help buffer the family’s
pain. In some cases a veil would cover the face and would be a silencing of the
lips.
However, in the
case of Ezekiel, he had lost the most precious physical entity in his life, but
was instructed not to mourn. He was informed to maintain the turban on his
head, leave his shoes on his feet, refuse to eat food, refuse to be silenced, shed
no tears, all the while showing no signs of sadness or mourning for his wife.
This was God’s way of placing in the face of Israel the ridiculousness of their
disobedience to Him. They were instructed at the death of their children, not
to acknowledge, respect, or prepare for burial.
Death can throw
a stumbling-block in the course of God’s child but, Job dealt with it in great
faith (Job 13:15). In the physical case we long and desire to have one last
chance with the spirit and soulless body of our loved one, though Jesus gave up
His Son for us (John 3:16). We have learned to pay respect to the family
members of the deceased, but what about your response to God, who lost His Son
because of our sin condition?
Wednesday
Revive
Thy Church O’ Lord, Beginning With Me
A Message for The Thug Sick in 2006
Ezekiel
10:1-19 Glory Departure
Hebrews
3:8-10 The description of a hard nation
Jeremiah
1:5 The Makeup
Ezekiel
43: Glory Return
1
Samuel 3:2-10 Do Not Mistake The Call
The
Street Mentality of Today (Ice Cube): When brothers get tribal it’s all
about survival, nobody liable. I can’t take the pressure so I pulled a 44 out
the dresser. Every hoods the same, every hoods the same. This is West Coast N_
_ _ A thinking, Smoke some weed. When I think of Ice Cube I think West Coast to
the fullest. I got my 9 on ya liver. Big bank got spent on my outfit. I am like
new money, watch the bees in the house come get the honey. Roll it up smoke it
up, my own momma can’t keep me from lokin up. In one ear and out the other the
neighborhood left me here without my brother. I am a product of this urban
decay, dying for tomorrow but living for today. Laugh now and cry later. I am
doing movies now, but I will lay you down South Central style.
Stop snitching,
you can have whatever you want, in the hood it’s do’s & don’ts. So when it
gets hot in the kitchen, stop snitchen. Get the point, but these points are
hollow. If you scared go to church, you knew the job was dangerous when you
took it.
If you’re
scared go to church, if you from the gutter do your dirt, if your down put in
work, and if you are crazy, go bizirk. Mess with me there will be agony, in
these streets it will be tragedy. It’s West Coast, East Coast, Southside,
Worldwide, Northside, lets ride, lets do it until the devil and God collide.
Pray to the game lord. I hope you know Jesus, because if you don’t you will see
us. I got chrome & paint, smoking that dank in my chrome & paint. Wake
up with a hangover, roll over and do the same thing all over. 24-7 I got what
you need.
Thursday
Revive
Thy Church O’ Lord, Beginning With Me
Step Into Revival
Two Blind
Men
Matthew 9:27-31--And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed
him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us. 28And
when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith
unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
29Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your
faith be it unto you. 30And their eyes were opened; and
Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it. 31But
they, when
they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.
Two More Blind Men
Matthew
20:29-34 And as they departed
from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. 30And,
behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus
passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. 31And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold
their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou
son of David. 32And Jesus stood still, and called them,
and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? 33They
say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. 34So
Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their
eyes received sight, and they followed him.
Peters
Mother
Mark 1:29-31 And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue,
they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they
tell him of her. 31And he came and took her by the hand,
and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered
unto them. (Lydia Acts 16:15, She constrained
us…)
A Leper
Mark 1:40-45 And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling
down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 41And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and
touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. 42And
as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was
cleansed. 43And he straitly charged him, and forthwith
sent him away; 44And saith unto him, See thou say
nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for
thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. 45But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze
abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus
could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and
they came to him from every quarter.
A Deaf &
Dumb Man
Mark
7:31-37 And again, departing from the
coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of
the coasts of Decapolis. 32And they bring unto him one
that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put
his hand upon him. 33And he took him aside from the
multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his
tongue; 34And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith
unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. 35And straightway
his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake
plain. 36And he charged them that they should tell no
man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published
it; 37And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the
deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
The Demon
Possessed Gadarene
Luke 8:35 Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus,
and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the
feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were
afraid.
The Crippled
Man
Acts 3:5-9 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive
something of them. 6Then Peter said, Silver and gold
have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth rise up and walk. 7And he took him by the right
hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received
strength. 8And he leaping up stood,
and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. all the people saw him walking and praising God: (The Eunuch went on is way rejoicing Acts 8:39).
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The 11 Steps
of Revival: The Revived
