A Call to Repentance Part II

Joel 2:12-17

Just wanted to share some good news with you this morning. received a text from Sis. Forteneley about her husband Frank and his surgery. Frank's back surgery November 16 went perfect the doctor said. The nurses wanted him to give motivational speeches to all of the other patients who don't want to get up and walk! He's already ahead of the curve on recovering. It's still a long recovery for the new bone they put in to fuse to his other bones. Steve gave him the coolest walker he bought for his mom that she wouldn't use. He loves it! He's already off the narcotics for the pain. This is such great news to hear. I don’t about you, but I looked forward to my emails on Friday. I’m glad i can pray for my church family and others all week.

Also Day of Thanks, what did you think about that. You read the message they sent in your email. Let me share a few numbers we made a total of 320 boxes and guess how may we had as a church. 110 and those boxes fed 532 people. That is awesome! and of the 320 boxes we fed over 1,000 people throughout the city. Excuse my grammar but ain’t God Good!!! opportunities like that brings two scriptures to mind. one that is is more blessed to give than to receive!! and second and idle mind is a devils workshop. when you busy doing good you don’t have to worry about the things you can’t control.

Last week we realized that change is needed. We also realized that it can be hard especially when your in an environment that does not promote good change. We realized that changing for God is always a good thing. We go back to our theme verse which we find in Exodus 34:6-7 “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin,

I want us to remember one thing today its’ “ The Lord our God is Merciful and Gracious”

As we conclude 2023 year with this holiday season I want us recite this every morning when you get up. We need to be assured and comforted through our God according to our God.

We surely have allowed the devil to get his way in our lives. We want to make sure that we recognize when god is calling us to repentance and how we should also help to encourage others along the way. That we can set the way for others in how we live out our lives. How we recognize when things are not right. God is saying to us believers, Don’t be ashamed to ask me for help, because it sets a pattern for others.

Joel is a book that is relevant to us right now. Let me share a true story with you that provides a setting of the book of Joel, in 1915  a locust swarm hit modern day Syria and Isreal. The swarm could not come at a worst time. The allies had blocked the ports refusing to allow food to be imported into the ports. The various crops were destroyed and the famine was severe. For years the country was left in tatters. When your entire economy is based on agriculture, an invasion of locust is the worst thing that can happen. The Farmers and people of the land where left picking up the pieces left by the destruction of the locust.

This was the backdrop in judah and what Joel is describing to us. Chapter 1:5-11 describes the destruction. This was not a “natural disaster”, this was a supernatural disaster. God allowed the plague known as the great manifestation day of the Lord. so let’s pickup back in chapter 2. Joel.2.12-17 I’m reading from the New Living Translation

12) That is why the Lord says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. 13 Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. 14 Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve, sending you a blessing instead of this curse. Perhaps you will be able to offer grain and wine to the Lord your God as before. 15 Blow the ram’s horn in Jerusalem! Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting. 16 Gather all the people— the elders, the children, and even the babies. Call the bridegroom from his quarters and the bride from her private room. 17 Let the priests, who minister in the Lord’s presence, stand and weep between the entry room to the Temple and the altar. Let them pray, “Spare your people, Lord! Don’t let your special possession become an object of mockery. Don’t let them become a joke for unbelieving foreigners who say, ‘Has the God of Israel left them?’” When Joel says that is why He is referring to verse 11 and how that “ the Day of the Lord” is awesome ,terrible things.

“ The Day of The Lord” is a common theme in the minor prophets. It’s a day of both judgment and Salvation. Depending on the condition of a person heart. When we are right with the Lord, the day of the lord is the day we hope for. We want the lord to come. The day we stand before the lord and pray he says those words “well done thy good and faithful servant.” Words that I hope we all can hear. But when we are not right with God, it is a day of fear. A day when God chose to use His strength and might against us. Verse 11 says the day of the lord can be awesome our terrible

Question: What needs to happen to us in order for god to see true repentance in us?

For our church’s to be relevant consistently and not conveniently

This call to repentance reminds me of what happened in the United States after 911. There was a call by many to repent, turn back to the Lord. Many people saw this as a judgment or wake up call and churches were filled for about a month. America had been attacked and people cried out to God for a time.

So Joel asked the people of Judah to return to God with fasting, weeping, and mourning. If they choose to see their behavior with new eyes, to see reality truly, the people will realize how twisted and evil things have become. This would lead them to mourn, weep, and fast.

In the biblical context, fasting is described as a means of opening oneself to the work of God, expressing grief over sin, and relying on God for all forms of sustenance. This act usually requires abstinence from food and involves prayer and seeking guidance from God. Call for fasting means that eating is not as important as getting right with God.

Weeping and mourning, on the other hand, are terms associated with funerals. The term weeping describes an expression of sorrow, a reaction to the experience of loss. something of value that means allot to you. ( Talk about the nugget of your mom and dad’s wedding ring)

Likewise, the term mourning refers to grief over someone’s death, which usually requires putting on a sackcloth (2 Samuel 3:31). These terms are used here as symbols of humility. They serve as a sign of a critical decision being made. The point is that if God’s people would humble themselves before Him and seek His face, He would pardon their sins completely (2 Chronicles 7:14).

For those who would learn God’s ways, humility is the first thing, humility is the second, humility is the third.

Augustine of Hippo

Judah was invited to choose a new perspective on what was in their true self-interest. Rather than seeing their true self-interest as seeking to exploit others for their own gain, and follow their own desires and appetites, they would see that this was self-destructive, displeasing to God, harmful to others, and harmful to the well-being of the community. This new perspective would cause a change of heart, resulting in genuine repentance.

Can God’s people avoid their fate? Joel seems to think so. He instructs them to put on sackcloth, fast, and cry out to the Lord (1:13-14). A few weeks ago we got the opportunity to see what repentance looked like. As in Nehemiah 9 verse 1 they were fasting in sackcloth and pouring dirt on their head (sackcloth was a garb of spiritual mourning) Notice a similar description that Nehemiah gave of the people as Now the difference between the people in Nehemiah and here in Joel is the people here in Joel refuse to listen and obey. Now this series has been able to see the good side of God but we now have to see when God must chasten His people for Obedience.

2:11 Placing Yahweh at the head of the locust army connects the natural disaster with divine judgment.Thats what makes it a supernatural disaster. The Lord Himself urged the people to repent with genuine sincerity (cf. with all your heart and rend your heart and not your garments) accompanied by fasting and weeping and mourning. Repentance is the desired outcome of the Lord’s judgmentsCompare Mal 3:2. Internal spiritual brokenness is more important than the outward act of tearing one’s clothes, which was a sign of mourning (see Gen 37:29). This phrase is central to descriptions of Yahweh, highlighting His grace, mercy, patience, and loving-kindness as the attributes by which He defines Himself (Exod 34:6). This phrase is prominent in OT prayers that appeal to Yahweh’s character to justify mercy when Israel deserved punishment (Num 14:18; Neh 9:17; Pss 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; Jonah 4:2). The prophets often use the phrase when they are appealing to God to relent from disaster.

A recognition of the nation’s relationship to the Lord our God and of His gracious nature should have motivated His people to repent. The expression “the Lord your God” was well known to Israel (this phrase occurs 263 times in Deut.) and testified to the covenantal relationship between God and the nation. The words gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love (ḥeseḏ, “loyal love”) recall Exodus 34:6 (cf. Neh. 9:17; Pss. 103:8; 145:8; Jonah 4:2), Even if sinful Israel repented, she could not presume on God’s mercy as if it were something under their control which He had to grant automatically. They could only hope that He would turn and have pity (cf. Mal. 3:7) by averting the disaster (cf. Joel 2:20) and restoring their crops (cf. v. 25). Agricultural blessing would mark a reversal of the curse that had come on them (in the form of the locusts; cf. Deut. 28:38–42)

Closing

‌Closing

Blessed are those who mourn.” Matthew 5:4

1‌ .Spiritual mourning follows naturally from becoming poor in spirit. Swinging on the first ring of being poor in spirit will lead you to this blessed mourning. When you see you do not have what it takes, you will mourn over your sins, and you will mourn over your lack of righteousness. It becomes second nature to you.

Mourning which is according to God’s will is an anguished heart that passionately seeks what it thirsts for, and when it fails to attain it, pursues it diligently and follows behind it lamenting bitterly.

John Climacus

Lamenting is a prayer expressing sorrow, pain or confusion. because the kingdom of heaven is at stake.

‌‌2. Spiritual mourning is a matter of the heart

King Saul led his army into battle and then took plunder for himself and his men. He cheated, deceived, and stole, and then he lied to cover it up. But later the prophet Samuel confronted him with the truth, and Saul had nowhere to hide.

‌Saul confessed, but then added, “I have sinned, yet honor me now before the elders of my people” (1 Samuel 15:30). He appeared sorry, but the truth is that he would have continued what he was doing if he could. But his focus has shifted to limiting the damage. There was no change of heart. Sounds familiar. a question is asked are you remorseful for a change in heart or are you remorseful because you got caught?

3‌ .Spiritual mourning is the key to tackling habitual sins

A true Christian does not live in the cycle of sinning, saying sorry to God, and then repeating the same behavior. God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance, not to presumption. A presumptuous person is content to sin and assume forgiveness, but he or she does not truly mourn and does not change.

It is not the person who claims to be a Christian and to know God who is presumptuous, but the person whose claim is contradicted by his conduct. He is a liar (4)

John Stott

4. Spiritual mourning is infused with hope

Judas grieved over his sin in betraying Jesus, but his grief led him to despair, not hope. Satan brings you to despair of self, but never to hope in Christ.

Repentance leads us back to godliness, but the devil will leave you hopelessly. The Holy Spirit brings you to despair in self—24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom. 7:24), and hope in Christ—“Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57).

‌Psalms 30:1-12- “I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health. You brought me up from the grave, O Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death. Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. When I was prosperous, I said, “Nothing can stop me now!”, Your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain. Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered. I cried out to you, O Lord. I begged the Lord for mercy, saying, “What will you gain if I die if I sink into the grave? Can my dust praise you? Can it tell of your faithfulness? Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me. Help me, O Lord.” You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!”

so let’s sum this up:

Joel shared with God’s people. Instead of responding to God‘s judgment with prescribe rituals(tearing garments) God wanted the people of Judah to come to him with broken hearts, admitting their guilt and helplessness. The people needed to commit themselves to God, examine themselves, and ask God to change them. Since God is known for his mercy and compassion, it makes sense to surrender our lives to him. He can change our pain into peace, Our hurt into healing, our trauma into testimonies, why because He is Merciful, compassionate slow to anger and has the best unfailing love forever. So what are you waiting for?

Remember this “ The Lord our God is Merciful and Gracious”