Bible Text: Ezekiel 37 | Preacher: Pastor Steve | Series: Abiding in the Holy Spirit
We Live because the Lord gives us Ruach
Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed a man’s body from the dust of the ground and breathed into it the breath of life. And the man became a living person.
The Ruach of God is Life
Psalms 51:11-12 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit (RUACH) from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit (RUACH).
God’s Ruach releases God’s Grace
Ezekiel 36:26-27 And I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit (ruach) in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart.  And I will put my Spirit (ruach) in you so you will obey my laws and do whatever I command.
Ezekiel 37:1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit (ruach) of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.
Ezekiel 37:2 He led me around among the old, dry bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground
Ezekiel 37:3-6 He asked me, Son of man, can these bones live? He answers, O Sovereign Lord, you alone know. Then he said to me, Prophesy to these bones…This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Look! I am going to breathe (ruach)into you and make you live again! I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath (ruach) into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
Because of God’s Ruach Ha-Kodesh:
We are transformed
We know the Lord
We live
Nothing happens until God’s Ruach is in us!
Ezekiel 37:7-8 So I spoke these words, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as they had been before. Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath (ruach) in them.
The Ruach of God Transforms Death to Life
Ezekiel 37:9-10
Then he said to me, Speak to the winds and say: This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe(ruach) into these dead bodies so that they may live again. So I spoke as he commanded me, and the wind (ruach) entered the bodies, and they began to breathe . They all came to life and stood up on their feet — a great army of them.
God Ruach is the fullness and freshness of Lord!
We cannot live without the Ruach of God!
God’s Ruach declares that He is God alone!
Ezekiel 37:11-14 Then he said to me, Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, We have become old, dry bones — all hope is gone. Now give them this message from the Sovereign LORD: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again.
Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the LORD. I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I am the LORD. You will see that I have done everything just as I promised. I, the LORD, have spoken!
God’s Ruach Sanctifies
Romans 8:11 The Spirit (pneuma)of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as he raised Christ from the dead, he will give life to your mortal body by this same Spirit (pneuma) living within you.
What the Spirit of God does by living in us is to sanctify us!
2 Corinthians 3:17 Now, the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, he gives freedom.
Titus 2:13-14 …looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
Psalm 104:29-30You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the earth.
John 20:19-23 That evening, on the first day of the week, the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them!  Peace be with you, he said. As he spoke, he held out his hands for them to see, and he showed them his side. They were filled with joy when they saw their Lord! He spoke to them again and said, Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.
Then he breathed on them and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit.