Joel 2:12-17
Fleeing Opportunities
This is the last weekend of the year 2020, meaning this is the last
Sunday morning that I will preach. As we approach a new year, I am
sometimes asked, "What word does God have for us as we finish the old
and welcome the new?" It is a good question, and one that I hope to
answer this morning.
Before I do, let me say that whatever God says won’t be new. It
won’t be new for because two conditions have not changed.
1. There has been no new word from God. The Bible has not been
amended, revised, or updated. It still ends where it ended
in 2019, 2000, 1000, and even the year 100 AD.
2. Our condition has not changed. Man is no more a sinner or any
less a sinner as 2020 ends than he was when 2020 began. A
sinner is much like a pig. You can wash a pig. Put a suit
and tie on a pig. Spray perfume on a pig, but a pig is still
a pig. We can educate sinners. Dress sinners in fine
cloths. Even give sinners a Bible, but a sinner will still
be sinner until Jesus comes and completely recreates him.
Because of these two conditions, the message will not be new;
however, perhaps the message will be better received because of two
newer circumstances.
1. The degree of sin in our land has greatly increased. I am
speaking to American Christians. We have been blessed to
live in a country with some minuscule amount of
righteousness.
a. We have never been a holy nation, a perfect nation, or
deserving of the title Christian nation; but we did have
knowledge of right and wrong, and it was reasonably
widespread in its acceptance.
b. It has changed so much of late, that many people are
thinking that means Jesus will soon return.
(1) Jesus may return soon. I hope so.
(2) But we need to understand that were America is
descending to is where most of the world has been
living at.
(3) Where is that?
(a) worshipping of false gods
(b) denying the one true God
(c) living with and accepting perversion
(d) being oppressed financially, spiritually, and
politically
(4) Granted, that is a terrible place for America to go,
but it is where much of the remainder of the world
has always lived.
c. America dropping to such a low degree does not mean Jesus
must return.
(1) It may.
(2) America is very influential and as we fall, the
remainder of the world will like sink further into
sin and together, we may hasten the Lord’s return.
(3) But not necessarily.
2. The rate of descent into sin.
a. That is new.
b. Sin started picking up sin back in the late 50’s and 60’s
and today we are in a free fall.
Hopefully, these circumstances will increase the audience who will
listen to the message, but the message will not be new. In fact, I
am preaching it from an Old Testament book. I could have selected
almost any book to preach it from, but I selected Joel. Let’s read
what Joel said and then I will preach his message.
Joel has several points in his message. I will preach only three.
I. God’s Judgment Is at Hand
A. Joel used a common phrase to describe God’s judgment.
1. The phrase is "the day of the Lord."
2. Anytime you see the phrase, "the day of the Lord," in the
Bible, it is a reference to God’s judgment.
a. It may be a reference to God’s end-time judgment.
b. It may be a reference to God next judgment, like it
was being used by Joel.
c. It may be a reference to both.
3. Joel used the term four times:
\\#Joel 1:15, 2:1, 2:11, 3:14\\
B. Joel told Israel that "the day of the Lord" was "at hand."
1. That means the day of the Lord was so close, they could
have reached out and touched it.
2. However, even though it had not quite gotten to them yet;
like with most storms, if they had been paying attention,
there were clues that the storm was getting close.
a. For a storm, wind, rain, lightning and thunder in the
distance are usually signs it is at hand.
b. For the day of the Lord, Joel listed several
indicators that the day of the Lord was almost upon
them.
(1) \\#1:4\\ The fields had been eaten by a series of
insects.
(2) \\#1:10-11\\ What the bugs didn’t eat, had just
dried up and perished.
(3) \\#1:17\\ The seed that was left had rotten in
the ground, and the barns had broken down.
(4) \\#1:18\\ The wild beasts were groaning.
(5) \\#2:2-11\\ Some type of army was moving across
Israel. Whether it was literal or symbolic,
insect or human it is hard to tell but it was
real.
3. These were not the judgments.
4. The day of the Lord was "at hand," meaning close enough to
touch; but it had not actually arrived yet.
5. These were the warnings that God’s judgment was at hand.
C. Have you been watching, paying attention, to the warnings God
has been sending America?
1. There have been many.
2. Let me give you some of the Big Five.
a. Removing prayer, the Bible, and the Ten Commandments
out of the school.
(1) That wasn’t the judgment.
(2) That was the sign that a judgment is coming.
b. Regulating church ministries (for the health and
welfare of the people)
c. Rewriting history, probably all of history but
especially American history
d. Legalization of abortion
e. Acceptance of perversion and the redefining of
marriage
3. Remember, none of these are judgments.
a. These are the decisions America has made, each one
an indication that judgment is coming, getting
closer; but none of them a judgment from God.
b. This is what the people are doing. It’s bad.
c. But wait until you see what God does.
d. What God does is the judgment.
D. What will be the judgment? What will the next day of the Lord
look like?
1. Of course, no one knows for sure; but it is like the past
judgments, it will consist of several things.
a. The attack and defeat of the sinning nation.
b. As a result, the people will be oppressed.
c. As a result, poverty for those that remain.
d. As a result, sickness and disease.
2. Of course, we are thinking this day of the Lord might be
different.
a. We are thinking that this time, Jesus might come
remove the church and the rest of the world will go
into the Tribulation.
b. If that is the case, there may not be a conquering
nation, but there will be conqueror, the anti-Christ.
c. If that happens, it will be a far worse "day of the
Lord" than any other!
3. Friend, the truth is God has not begun His judgment yet!
a. It is at hand.
b. You can reach out and touch it, but if you think what
mankind is doing to God is bad, just wait until you
see what God does to mankind!
E. God’s judgment is at hand.
II. God’s Hope Is Available
Joel 2:14 Who knoweth if he will return and
repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even
a meat offering and a drink offering unto the
LORD your God?
A. That verse offers God’s hope.
B. Notice two things:
1. As long as there is God and life, there is hope.
a. Without hope, there is nothing but defeat,
disillusionment, and death; but as long as there
is life, God offers you hope.
b. Have you ever wondered why the devil keeps pounding
on his victims until they are dead?
(1) He has to.
(2) As long as there is hope, there is a chance the
person will repent and turn to God.
c. The devil pounds people so far into the ground that
they have to look straight up to see daylight, then
he pounds them some more.
d. If he did not, they might repent, trust God, and
start to climb out of that hole.
2. But this hope is small.
a. At least it starts small.
b. Joel was saying, "If we repent, God may leave us
enough to offer a meat and drink sacrifice."
c. That’s not much.
(1) A meat offering is not an animal offering but a
meal offering.
(2) It was made with a handful of flour.
(3) A drink offering is enough fruit to squeeze out
a cup of juice to offer to God.
d. But the implication is that if we don’t repent, we
won’t even have that!
e. This hope is not like the hope God offered to
Abraham.
(1) Every place where the sole of your foot treads,
I will give you.
(2) Nope. Not nearly that big of a hope.
(3) That hope has long since passed.
f. Neither is it as big as the hope God gave to Moses.
(1) Not a man shall be able to stand before you all
the days of your life.
(2) It is not nearly that big.
g. Or the hope God gave to Joshua at the River Jordan.
(1) As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
(2) All God was offering at that moment to Joel and
his readers was a possibility that they would
be able to offer one meat and one drink
offering.
(3) I’m not even certain that this was national
offer. It could have been just an individual
offer of hope. If you repent, I may leave you
an offering.
h. Why such a little hope?
(1) Probably because these people had been making
the decisions they wanted and following the
gods they had chosen.
(2) People keep trying to explain America.
(a) They make statements like the election was
stole, if the people had known what the
news blocked out, a sleeping giant is
about to rise up.
(b) I hope they are right, but many seem to be
overlooking the more obvious.
(c) It is possible that America has made the
decisions it wanted and is following the
gods it has chosen.
III. God’s Commands Are before Us
A. Joel was telling the people what they needed to do WITH the
day of the Lord being at hand.
B. You think what you will, but I believe what Joel Israel in
that day is the message that God has for us in this one.
1. \\#13\\ Rend your heart.
Joel 2:13 And rend your heart, and not your
garments….
a. Interestingly, the action God wants from us first is
an emotional.
b. Listen, the emotion God is going for is not fear but
sorrow.
(1) Fear is a waste.
(2) Sorry can be a wonder.
c. God wants us to be truly broken, sorrowful, regretful
for the wrongs we have been doing.
Joel 2:12 …turn ye even to me with all your
heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and
with mourning:
Joel 2:17 Let the priests, the ministers of the
LORD, weep between the porch and the altar…
d. Believe it or not, there can be no true repentance
unless or heart is in it.
e. \\#2Cor 7:10\\ Paul called it godly sorrow.
f. Someone asks, "How do you know if you are truly sorry
or not?"
g. If you are truly sorry to God for what you have done,
the next action will be automatic.
2. We will turn to the Lord.
a. That means we repent. We will change our actions.
b. Notice that Joel reemphasized this turning several
times.
(1) \\#12-13\\ "turn"
(2) \\#14\\ "repent"
3. This should be done en masse and at God’s house.
Joel 2:16 Gather the people, sanctify the
congregation, assemble the elders, gather the
children, and those that suck the breasts: let
the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the
bride out of her closet.
a. This is not the first time Joel has said this.
Joel 1:14 Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn
assembly, gather the elders and all the
inhabitants of the land into the house of the
LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD,
b. Even the New Testament commands it of us.
Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but
exhorting one another: and so much the more, as
ye see the day approaching.
(1) What day approaching?
(2) The day of the Lord.
c. You think what you will, but the place God has called
His people to meet at is not at the Capitol or in
front of a staged event.
d. It’s at His house.
e. And you can pray from your house if you want, but that
isn’t in the message God had Joel preach to the
people as the day of the Lord was at hand.
4. And after those things had been done, from that point
forward, there should be fasting and mourning.
Joel 2:12 …turn ye even to me with all your
heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and
with mourning:
a. God is not calling for a one-off event.
b. God is calling for a permanent, powerful change in the
hearts of the people.
What happens if we don’t do that? The same thing that happened to
the people to whom Joel preached. The day of the Lord came. An
enemy nation attacked and defeated them, leaving them oppressed, in
poverty and sickness.
That is the message Joel preached to Israel. It is a very old
message, and it is not a pretty picture; but I believe it is the
message our church and our nation needs to hear as we close out 2020.
The only question, "What will you do with it?"
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