Life Ever Leave You Winded? (that time I ran 10k in church)

Ezekiel 37:1-14 Sermon Outline – PNSJ 9&10:30 a.m. – April 2, 2017

Big Idea: Jesus leads us from brokenness to catching our spiritual breath

X2: When we catch our spiritual breath, God’s love gets unleashed

Story/Context: Ezekiel – OT Prophet – Calling Israel back…

• Why? Israel: God’s chosen people, Abraham, blessing, Egypt, Desert, Promised Land, threats, attacked/exiled… lost the dream… prophets-> Ezekiel
• Vision: dry bones “… hope is lost, cut off, bones are dried up…”

o We are “discouraged, disconnected, dead/facing death”

• Vision: 2 Prophesies: Flesh on bones AND Breath -> resurrection/alive again

God’s desire: every generation come alive – REALLY ALIVE IN HIM -> Catch His breath

How do catch our spiritual breath: Spiritual cardio from spiritual pneumonia??

#1: Every Generation has 3 Companions: Discouragement, disconnection, death

• Not a new problem AND nothing else seems to be able to solve it i.e. “progress”, technology, etc
• Wrestling with these 3 companions is normal: whether it’s any or all…

#2: God’s Answer? Plan? Response? “I will breath my life into you.”

• Of all the ways God chose to illustrate healthy spiritual life: God chose “breath/breathing”
• Take a Breath: by one hour=1000 breaths -> that’s how close/clear God wants it to be w/ you/him
• Don’t need to hear: rules, do’s and don’ts -> Goal is relationship with Jesus…breathing
• CHALLENGE: b/c of 3 companions: Spiritual Pneumonia can set in… poor breathing
• Spiritual Pneumonia: Fear, unworthiness
• Specific kind of Fear: Even confident people may hide from God – listen to lies/fears that say,
• “I can’t hear from God, I can’t pray, if I make an effort, He won’t be there, OR I’ll get weird/afraid to be seen or misunderstood as a follower of Jesus… Can’t Catch our Spiritual Breath
• Unworthiness: God wouldn’t want to bother with me, I’m a mess if He only knew
• Just how worth it are you? How do gospels describe Jesus’ death? “He breathed his last”
• YOU. ARE. WORTH. IT -> God’s breath/life was bought for you at a price/you were fought for

#3: What’s the big deal? Catching your spiritual breath has a critical purpose

• Israel: Original calling? To be a blessing to all nations/ethnic (Given God’s mercy for a mission)
• What happened? They got distracted: Began to say, “We did this.”
• And you may say, “Mike, look around, we live in safe/happy NB – what’s the problem?”
• Scratch below: 3 companions: discouragement, disconnection, death
• We catch our spiritual breath so that we can bless the hopeless, disconnected, shadow of death”
• Jesus-centered, in the community, for the community”- Jesus offer hope, community, resurrection
• Following Jesus is our spiritual breath