The Twelve: God has spoken!
The Book of Joel - The Day of the Lord is Coming!
This is an outline-ish summary of yesterday’s sermon on the Book of Joel. For the complete sermon, visit our website: www.fellowshipjoplin.org and click on “Sermons.”
Always Remember: The Centrality of Christ
Colossians 1:18 – ...that in everything he might be preeminent
This includes the Minor Prophets (which aren’t “minor,” just shorter).
1:28 – Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
Mark Dever says:
• The Old Testament is the riddle to which Jesus Christ is the answer.
The overall message of of Joel - is this:
The Day of the Lord is Coming!
Romans 14:11 Philippians 2:10-11
The Minor Prophets do emphasize three things:
1. The Sovereignty of God
Nothing is more central to their thinking God is the sovereign Lord of history
Nothing happens that is not the result of His direct determination.
• They never doubt for a second that the almighty God is in charge.
2. The Holiness of God
Make no mistake - sin is an insult to God’s holiness. Sin offends a holy God.
3. The Love of God
A question that comes up often.
• How can a good God allow evil to exist?
We’ll never fully understand it, but Joel can help us with part of the problem and help us to think in the right direction.
• You definitely want a God that is sovereign and in charge.
Joel - means “Jehovah is God”
Five things we see as we walk through Joel
1. The Sovereignty of God in Suffering (Joel 1:1-20)
Joel wants to make sure that everyone sees the locus invasion for what it is: A DISASTER!
He calls on the Elders to mourn, appeals to the drunkards who aren’t going to have any wine, pities the farmers who won’t experience the joy of the harvest, and calls on the priests to lead a national day of mourning.
We should learn from Joel’s approach to suffering
• Wrong question/ right question:
We quite often ask the wrong question Why did this happen to me? My family? Etc.
Why do bad things happen to good people? This question has a fundamental flaw - you’re not a good person!
If you’re saved, it’s not because of what you did. It’s because of what He did.
Instead of asking “why did this happen? Why didn’t God give me... etc.”
You should be asking, “why am I still alive? Why do I have clean clothes? Why do I have a car that gets me here?
Don’t we deserve to experience more pain and misery?
Why did God save me, a vile, wretched sinner? That’s the question we should be asking.
• This “Problem of Evil” really is only a problem for those who don’t truly understand the evil in their own hearts.
That’s the problem of evil.
Why would God strike these innocent people? (First - they’re not innocent!)
Jesus had the same question come to Him, he answered: Luke 13:2-5
• Our problem is that we forget how sinful we are.
We forget - and it takes a huge disaster to wake us up from our laziness our complacency and our sin.
The delay in God’s judgment (the periods of grace) and the previews (what we see in Scripture and in our own world) are for our good, that we might repent.
2. The need for True Repentance (Joel 2:1-17)
The day of the Lord is a phrase used to designate a future time of catastrophic judgment.
• It points to the more intense final judgment.
The Day of the Lord is coming - a cruel day with fierce anger.
Matthew 24:29-31 ...all the tribes of the earth will mourn....
This points to the day when Jesus himself will judge everything.
• The goal is to lead us to repentance
The kindness of God is meant to lead us to repentance. His grace in not bringing this judgment on us immediately, when we deserve it The emphasis is on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7).
It’s a lot easier to rend your garments than to rend your heart. God wants you to be broken over your sin.
Hosea 6:1-7:16 - They said the right words - but their hearts weren’t in it.
True Repentance looks like this:
Repentance isn’t just a one-time thing.
Arthur Pink says: The Christian who has stopped repenting has stopped growing.
1. Confession of specific sins
Search your heart for specifics. Agree with God that it is sin. Turn away from it.
2. Contrition - genuine sorrow for sin (Psalm 51:17). Your sin should bother you. Greatly.
3. Conversion - A change of mind that’s so comprehensive that the entire direction of your heart is changed.
• True repentance will lead you to salvation
It will turn you around so comprehensively you’ll be saved!
Now to the heart of the book:
3. Restoration (Joel 2:18-27)
Where there is true repentance, there can be restoration.
God will bring it back.
Joel is quoting God directly 2:12 – return to me with all your heart....
We need to know why we’re here and what we’re supposed to do.
• Go back to The First Commandment.
Exodus 20:2-3 .
--> Just because you’re not worshiping a clearly defined pagan god like Baal doesn’t mean you’re not committing idolatry.
Fundamentally, the Gospel is about: Who God is and what He has done.
The gospel is present in the First Commandent!
I am the Lord your God - who He is
Who brought you out of slavery - what He has done
He is God. He has delivered them.
• He’s done that for us as well.
We have all been blessed by God. Even if we don’t know it. Even if we don’t acknowledge it.
Even after the devastation of the locust plague in 1915 - things came back. God restored the plants.
• Restoration is possible.
We must understand and acknowledge that it is God who does the restoring.
Joel 2:25-27 God can and will restore us. He can and will do more than we could ever ask or imagine.
True repentance and restoration go together.
4. Prophecies, Fulfillment, & the NT (Joel 2:28-32)
The NT interprets the old. This points us to the first ever sermon of the Christian era (Acts 2). Here for the first time in Joel, we see spiritual blessing, not just physical. This is a pretty big deal. God’s Spirit is going to be poured out. Read through the Old Testament and you’ll find that while some were given the Spirit, it wasn’t very common. In the church age, however, everyone is given the Spirit and is a minister of God. We have different tasks and different gifts - but everyone has a job to do.
• Every believer is indwelt by the Spirit of God now!
How amazing it that? This part of the prophecy was fulfilled at Pentecost.
What happened when people were filled with the Spirit in Acts?
They proclaimed Christ! The Gospel!!
• Repentance is the first visible evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence and activity.
5. The Valley of Decision (Joel 3:1-21)
Remember: Joel is a warning of judgment. It points to Acts 17:30-31. There’s not a countdown timer to God’s judgment. There’s not a Two-Minute warning.
• The Day of the Lord is coming.
The parable of the Ten Virgins, The parable of the Talents, and the Sheep and Goats of Matthew 25 show the sudden appearance of the Master to call them to account.
• The sudden appearance of the Master catches people by surprise.
It’s God’s kindness and patience that allows people to live when they deserve instant judgment and death.
• The things God does in our lives is for our good and His glory.
1 Peter 4:12-19 - It’s all about trusting God in the midst of whatever circumstances He has us in.
• Joel had warned Israel. Now he warns the pagans.
The idea of God’s wrath isn’t a popular one (tragically) We like “God is love” but “God’s wrath?” Umm... yeah - let’s not talk about that... But, remember that iur redemption had a cost - that cost was high - it was His life.
• God is the one who delivers. (all the time)
God is good – all the time
In this passage, we see men getting ready to do battle with God. Okay - good luck with that.
Psalm 2:2-5 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.
This points to the final judgment. The day of the Lord. When He judges all the people.
The valley of decision in verse 14 isn’t the place where we’re called to make a decision. It’s where God hands down HIS decision. That decision is destruction for all. All but His people.
• Your only hope is Christ.
The Sovereignty of God is written all over Joel.
And here, we see: The Love of God
• His sovereignty in our situations weaves everything together for our good.
Is God in control? YES!
Of every detail? YES!
The good and the bad? YES!
Joni Erickson Tada: says “My spinal cord injury was a terrible accident... I could ask, “Was my diving accident God’s fault?”
But, my pain and discomfort are not His ultimate focus ...this constantly reminds me of what I am being delivered from, exposing sin for the poison it is. In short, One form of evil (suffering) is turned on its head to defeat another form of evil (our sin) all to the praise of God’s wisdom and glory!
Questions for Reflection
• Do you understand that God is Sovereign?
God really is in charge and that is such a beautiful, glorious truth that we should never forget it.
• Are you asking the right question?
Be in wonder and awe and amazement at your own salvation!
• Have you trusted in Christ?
But the Lord is a refuge to those who have turned to Him.
Do you see the “built-ins?”
• An urgent plea for Sanctification (Holiness)
You should constantly strive for holiness. Make seeking Christ’s righteousness a priority.
• An urgent plea for Evangelism
We must be about sharing the message of Christ with others NOW!
(because the Day of the Lord and the Valley of Decision are imminent)
Soli Deo Gloria!
Rob
<><
No comments:
Post a Comment