On Pentecost (May 19th, 2024), Rev. Matt Sapp discusses the power of the Holy Spirit to breathe new life into people, using biblical references and real-life stories to illustrate the concept of being called back to life.

References & Credits

• The Vietnam pilot mentioned in the sermon is Barry McClenahan. The source material for his story is from an article on Baptist News Global entitled "A message for seminary graduates: What it means to be chosen"
• The Elizabeth from New York story is an old pastor’s story, a parable.
• The poem by T. S. Eliot is "The Hollow Men"
• The artwork for this episode and the associated worship guide are by Lesley Ann Hix-Tommey.

Chapters
00:00 Call to Worship
00:22 The Animating Force
06:32 Elizabeth from New York
11:14 Barry McClinahan: a helicopter pilot in Vietnam
12:42 The spirit of God
15:13 The Benediction

Ezekiel 37:1-14
The hand of the Lord was on 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. 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. He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "Sovereign Lord, you alone know." Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 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.'" 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. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. 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, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.'" So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army. Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: 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. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 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.'"

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