Full text of Paul Washer’s sermon titled ‘Mankind in Sin’ which was presented on January 19, 2023 at the Founders “What Is Man? Biblical Anthropology” national conference in Southwest Florida.
Listen to the MP3 Audio here:
TRANSCRIPT:
Paul Washer – Founder of HeartCry Missionary Society
Please open up your Bibles to Ezekiel chapter 37. And as you’re turning there, I would just like to say that it is a great, great privilege for me to be here this evening with you. I wanted to be here all day, and I saw fit to confine myself to my room.
Many, many years ago, the Lord gave me a wonderful gift. He gave me the gift of weakness. And over the years, it has been my best friend. And in the last few years, the Lord has been kind to increase that bounty to make me more weak, weaker. I love running around with everyone, but it wears me out a bit.
Tomorrow, I hope to be here and to spend time with everyone that I can. There is nothing more beautiful than to be with God’s people. Out there sometimes, it is a battle, a tremendous battle. And it is so wonderful to every once in a while drop your sword and look up for a smile.
Today, we’re going to talk. This evening, we’re going to talk about solemn things. But my goal is to drive you to God. Especially if you’re in the ministry, to drive you to God.
Let’s read our text. Ezekiel 37:1-10: ‘The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD, and He set me down in the middle of the valley, and it was full of bones. He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry.
And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord, You know.”
Again, He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.’ Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life, and I will put sinews on you, make your flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin, and put breath in you that you may come alive, and you will know that I am the LORD.’”
So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew, 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 the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may come to life.”’”
So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
Will you pray with me? No. Seriously, will you pray with me? Don’t just bow your head. Don’t just listen. Pray with me. There’s nothing up here for you. There’s no word. Except God help us. Will you pray?
Father, oh Father, I praise You. We praise You. We worship You. We know, O God, that there is none like You in the heavens or the earth or under the earth. You’re absolutely astounding. Your name is wonderful. Father, we come to You. You know us. You know our need. And Christ at Your right hand knows our need. And the Spirit who dwells within us intercedes. He knows us. So help us, Lord. The world is large and dark. It is against us. The nut and bolt of it is against us, O Lord. Against Your people. We need You. We need You to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. And Lord, in that we need You to raise up men, Oh God, prophets, let Your hand be upon them and lead them by the Holy Spirit. Help us this night, Lord. Lord, if donkeys can speak for You and rocks can praise You, then help us. I know You hear me. I know You hear us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
I want to read the first three verses again.
The hand of the Lord was upon me and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and He set me down in the middle of the valley and it was full of bones.
Now here’s the key: He caused me. He uses this word in other places in Ezekiel. It’s very important. He caused me. He made me to pass among them — But He doesn’t stop there — To pass among them round about. There were many on the surface of the valley and lo, they were very dry.
Now, the purpose of this sermon is for you to see — my desire is for you to see the absolute impossibility. The absolute impossibility of the salvation of a man. The absolute impossibility of the extension of Christ’s kingdom.
You see, your problem is never that you recognize some weaknesses. Your problem is that you don’t recognize them enough. Your problem is that you’re not… it’s not that you’re weak. The problem is that you do not know how weak you are and how great the battle and how impossible the task that has been given to us.
And if I could, I would have the Lord grab every minister of Christ by the back of his neck and stick his face in those tombs. And do with Him what He did here with Ezekiel: caused him to move about, round about, everywhere, looking and looking, seeing nothing. For acre after acre after acre, but dry, bone!
The first step to spiritual power is recognizing your impotence and the greatness of God. This is what I want you to see. We have a world to win. Do not think that I’m standing up here this evening saying that all is dark and gloomy and we should circle the wagons and just wait for the second coming. No, we have a world to win. We have nations to save. We have dragons to fight. And it can be done, but it cannot be done in the power of a man. But it can be done in the power of God.
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