Sermons from the book of Joel by Rev Mike Jones [Revised August 18, 2020]
Joel 02:12-14 REVOKING THE SENTENCE OF EVIL
Joel 2:15-19 WHERE IS THEIR GOD?
Joel 02:12-14 REVOKING THE SENTENCE OF EVIL
Joel 2:13 in Amp Bible- Rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in loving kindness, and He revokes His sentence of evil (when His conditions are met).
George Barna in a nationwide survey taken in Feb 0f 2000 found the following.
60% believe the Bible is totally accurate in all it teaches
yet of those who testified that they had trusted Jesus Christ as Savior and were on their way to Heaven:
53% said the Holy Spirit does not exist
47% said Satan is a principle of evil
31% said a person can earn their way into heaven
30% said Jesus did not have a physical resurrection
24% said Jesus committed Sins while a man
Yet 68% said the Bible states that God helps those who help themselves- making man the center of the Universe and God his helper!
Here are some ways to “Rend our Heart and Return unto the Lord”:
1) Pray for Strength of Soul as well as help for Body: (Psalms 138:3) In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.
2) Cull your Companions: (Psalms 139:21 22) Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
3) Consider your Actions: (Psalms 141:3 4)
A) Words: Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
B) Desires: Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.
4) Do not Forsake Your Faith: (Psalms 142:3) When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path.
Joel 2:15-19 WHERE IS THEIR GOD?
I am sick to death of playing Church! I am sick of not being able to tell Christians from sinners without a “program”. I’m sick of never ending church programs with never seen results. I’m sick of people saying they:
Believe in Heaven; yet settle in this world
Believe in Hell; yet seem to fear it little
Love the Lord Jesus; yet work little or none for Him
Hate the Devil; yet run with his crowd
Know the time is short; yet live as if it were long
I’m tired of people:
Attending church one day; and worldly parties the next
Praising the Lord one day; and gossiping about the Lord’s children the next
Sleeping in Church; but hollering everywhere else
Why are things this way? Why do “Many Throng Him; but few Touch Him”
I. We have lost our PURITY: “Because iniquity shall abound the love of many will wax cold” [Jesus said Love not the world neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him].
We used to stand against Sin but now we sit silent [Is it because it was easy to talk of other’s sins but hard to face our own or those of our family?].(It is easy to talk about how bad “Indians” are when the nearest “Indian” is 500 miles away). Ten Commandments are still in the Bible. Little foxes spoil the vine and we break God’s laws without even thinking about it. And Lukewarm Christians steal from God (Will a man rob God?) and forget they make God sick.
II. We have lost our POWER: We have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof. We preach a dynamite Gospel but live a firecracker life.
People are not Saved: Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. (Isaiah 59:1-2). (Revival begins in the front pews)
The Devil is not Defeated: Where is David’s sling, the little boy’s fish dinner feeding 5000, Moses taking up a serpent, Daniel surviving the Lion’s den, Hebrew boys walking in fiery furnaces, Joshua seeing Jericho’s walls fall…
III. We have lost our PERCEPTION (Vision): Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house (Ezekiel 12:2).
No Vision of Hell and the people who will spend eternity there.
No Vision of Heaven but only longing for earthly things
No Vision of their part in God’s work- She “did what she could”
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).