OPENING STATEMENT:  WHAT YOU SEE SHOULD NOT AFFECT WHAT YOU SAY BUT WHAT YOU SAY SHOULD AFFECT WHAT YOU SEE. IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT YOU SAY MATTERS MORE THAN WHAT YOU SEE!

OPENING SCRIPTURE: THE TONGUE CAN BRING DEATH OR LIFE;  those who love to talk will reap the consequences (Proverbs 18:21 NLT)

• Your words have the ability to bring life or death.
• God has already given us the Word of Life – Jesus.
• GOD IS LOOKING OUT FOR THE WORD TO BE SPOKEN OUT OF OUR MOUTHS.

God asked Jeremiah this question: What do you see?. “I see an almond tree” and the Lord replied to him “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it”

THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES (EZEKIEL 37: 1-14 ESV)

1ST THING: GOD ASKED EZEKIEL THIS QUESTION: WHAT DO YOU SEE?

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; IT WAS FULL OF BONES (DEATH). ² And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry.

• I believe the Ezekiel’s vision was in the Kidron Valley
• Kidron valley is also known as the valley of decision
• LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION: Which decision will lead you to a place of peace?
• The bottom line is peace is a condition of the heart and a place that you occupy!

2ND THING: GOD ASKED EZEKIEL THIS QUESTION: WHAT DO YOU SAY?

³ And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” ⁴ Then he said to me, “PROPHESY OVER THESE BONES, AND SAY TO THEM, O DRY BONES, HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD.

• Those bones came to life just like Ezekiel prophesied!

Verse 14: THEN YOU SHALL KNOW THAT I, THE LORD, HAVE SPOKEN IT AND PERFORMED IT,” says the Lord.

SO HERE’S THE MORAL OF THIS STORY FOR US TODAY:

• We all experience valleys in life. Valleys are periods of time where we are tested, challenged. What you say matters more than what you see! Speak Life!

1. SPEAK LIFE WHEN YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY DEATH

• In John 11, we have account where someone by the name of Lazarus is dead and has been in a tomb for 4 days. There is a stench of death!
• Jesus walked up to the tomb and spoke: “Lazarus Come forth!”
• “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live,and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26 ESV)
• Do you believe this? Even believing is a decision

2. SPEAK LIFE WHEN YOU ARE IN TROUBLE

• Here’s the thing God is aware of: We live in world that is not perfect. There will always be trouble.
• “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have TROUBLE. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)
• You can look at your life and see trouble, experience trouble. But what you say matters more than what you see or even experience.
• Sight and experience are always subject to change when you speak life!

3. SPEAK LIFE WHEN YOU HAVE AN OBSTACLE

• An obstacle is anything that stands between where you are and where you need to go

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have FAITH in God. ²³ For assuredly, I say to you, whoever SAYS TO THIS MOUNTAIN, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he SAYS will be done, he will have whatever he SAYS. (Mark 11:22-23 NKJ)

• Now this is not name it and claim it. It is not blab it and grab it! This is faith speaking!

CONCLUSION

• I want to leave you with this: Jeremiah saw destruction, Ezekiel saw death. But God challenged them not to focus of what they saw but instead speak life.
• I want to challenge you in the same manner: In spite of what you see, would you speak life!