In His Steps 5

Never Walk Alone, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlBKx8hlFp4

Psalm 73:1–3 MSG

1 No doubt about it! God is good— good to good people, good to the good-hearted. 2 But I nearly missed it, missed seeing his goodness. 3 I was looking the other way, looking up to the people

Psalm 73:21–28 MSG

21 When I was beleaguered and bitter, totally consumed by envy, 22 I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox in your very presence. 23 I’m still in your presence, but you’ve taken my hand. 24 You wisely and tenderly lead me, and then you bless me. 25 You’re all I want in heaven! You’re all I want on earth! 26 When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, God is rock-firm and faithful. 27 Look! Those who left you are falling apart! Deserters, they’ll never be heard from again. 28 But I’m in the very presence of God— oh, how refreshing it is! I’ve made Lord God my home. God, I’m telling the world what you do!

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In His Steps

One day, a telemarketer called a home and a little voice answered the phone, "Hello?" "Hello! May I ask who I am speaking with today?" In a hushed whisper, the little voice said, "Billy."

"How old are you, Billy?" the telemarketer asked. Still whispering, Billy said, "I'm four."

Realizing that he would not get too far with little Billy, the telemarketer asked: "Is your mother home?" "My mom is home, but she's busy," said Billy.

The telemarketer replied: "Well, alright, how about your father?" "He's busy as well," said Billy.

Starting to get a little perplexed, the telemarketer said, "Is there anyone else at your house?" "The police," whispered Billy. "The police?! May I speak with one of them?" the telemarketer asked. “They're busy," Billy replied.

The telemarketer kept going: "Are there any other grown-ups around?" Billy answered: "The firemen, but they're also busy."

Finally, the telemarketer could not take it any longer, so he said, "Billy, do you mean to tell me that your mother, your father, the police, and the firemen are all at your house, but they are all too busy to answer the phone? What on earth are they all doing?” To which Billy replied: "Looking for me."

It is safe to say that little Billy is going to be in trouble when they finally find him hiding all alone!

Hiding all alone. That's a bad place to be, isn't it? Like Billy, we have all done it, not just at four years old but throughout our lives. We have wrestled with secret sins and found ourselves hiding all alone with them.

At times, fear and anxiousness have driven us to exile so that we are hiding all alone in a sea of what-ifs. Rejection and hate have forced us into a lonely place where we are hiding all alone. Having experienced times of hiding all alone, we can agree with God's assessment in Genesis, "It is not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18).

Our earliest parents knew something about hiding all alone. After having sinned by rebelling against God and his words, Adam and Eve found a place to hide. They fled from the presence of God so they could be alone in their shame: "They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden" (Genesis 3:8).

God, however, knows that it is not good for his people to be hiding all alone. So, God entered into an epic game of hide-and-seek that is the story of salvation. God sought out his human creatures like a loving parent looking for a lost child: "The LORD God called to the man and said to him, 'Where are you?”” (Genesis 3:9).

God continued to seek his people as he made promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

God sought his people as he rescued them out of Egypt and brought them safely through the waters of the Red Sea.

God ensured that his people were not all alone as he led his people through the wilderness and into the Promised Land.

God assured his people of his presence as he spoke through the prophets like when he said through Jeremiah: "I will be their God, and they shall be my people. . . . For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more" (Jeremiah 31:33-34).

Again, through the prophet Joel, God declares that He will be with them and provide for all their needs, and that “never again will my people be shamed.”

Joel provides another promise. The day is coming when Israel will not be alone as a nation either. A day is coming when God’s Spirit will be poured out on all peoples. Please stand for the reading or our text this morning.

Joel 2:28–32 NIV

28 “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. 30 I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. 32 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls.

The Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God! Amen. You may be seated.

I. Traveling With Others (Genesis 2:18; Joel 2:28-32)

The Children of Israel had been set apart for God and His purposes. Yet, there were many times they longed to be like the other nations. “We want a king, like other nations,” they cried. As heart rending as that must have been for God, He provided them a king. God understood that earthly kings would bring them heartbreaks they would avoid by following Him alone. But He also knew the human heart would not give in so, He gave them a king and all the things God said they would struggle with under a human king, came to pass.

It was the human sin of pride, that caused Israel to split into two factions with two different kings. This split prevented them from worshiping God in the way prescribed by God. Some of the kings tried to accommodate God in their own ways, but God did not respond as they were out of compliance with His instructions.

When the people and their kings were out of step with God, they lost His hand of protection upon them and they and their land suffered greatly for it. In the book of Joel, they are in one of these periods of time. Joel is God’s voice to encouragement to make things right and so God can fix the nation, and restore the damaged land.

However, God does not just speak to what He will do in their day, but continues to share what He has planned for the future. One of the things God shares is that there will be a day when Israel will not be alone as a nation, but will be surrounded by many nations all of one heart for God. Look with me at...

A. The Future Day of the Lord (Joel 2:28-32)

One of the things that is sometimes difficult in scripture reading is understanding timelines of future events. In one passage of scripture, we sometimes can identify some things in that passage that seem to fit and be a fulfillment of the promise, yet another verse in the same passage is not yet fulfilled. When reading these passages, some will say that it is a partial fulfillment with more to come. Others will say that it is not a fulfillment, just a similar event, but the true fulfillment will come when all of the passage is fulfilled at the same time.

Today’s passage is one of these types of passages. It begins with “I will pour out my Spirit on all people...”. Some say this is talking about Pentecost. Others say we are seeing evidence that it is now occurring. Others say this will take place upon Jesus return. And even others will say it began with Pentecost and is continuing all the way through to Jesus return.

But then we come to the next section of this passage which states, “I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth blood and fire and billows of smoke...”. Some will point to this and say that this passage could not mean Pentecost because these things did not happen. Others will tell you that since this is a progressive movement that began with Pentecost and continues to Jesus return, this even could yet happen. It just is not time yet, while others will say this is evidence that the entire things occurs with Jesus return.

Now, can you see why Bible reading intimidates some people? :-) I am not going to step into those debates this morning. My view, when the time is right, we will know. For now, there are two important things here that are relevant to our subject today. Those subjects are “companionship” and “salvation.” So, let us begin with the first.

1. One day, Israel will be joined by people of other nations. (Joel 2:28-29)

This nation that is so unique but who so often drifted to take on the practices of other nations, will one day be joined by others in serving God.

Joel 2:28–29 NIV

28 “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

It is true that this did begin at Pentecost. However, Israel is still unique and separate to some degree. Today, the nation as a whole is not a Christian nation (they believe in God, but deny Christ; Christians are Christ followers), even though they still are God’s chosen people. However, when God returns, this will change. Israel will still be special and unique. Their nation has suffered all these years because of her distinction as God’s people. For this reason alone, serving God or not serving God, they are a prime target for Satan and his followers. They hate the Jews strictly because God chose them.

But when Jesus returns, Israel will recognize Him as the Messiah and even though Israel will have special blessings and recognition, Israel and all peoples will worship the Lord. They will all serve the Lord (God and Christ). There will be a unity there that never existed before. And God’s Spirit will be poured out on all.

I should clarify that there were times when Israel was and is, glad to be God’s chosen. However, there are times when they long to be accepted by others as being the same. We can all understand that longing. We live in a world where people try to be different, to stand out in a crowd. We want to be seen as special and draw attention to ourselves. Then there are ways where we wish to be the same. People are always pushing to have the same pay, the same benefits, the same status. The people of Israel are people just like us and they fall prey to the same sins we all fall prey to. Or perhaps I say we fall prey to the same sins they do.

But one day, that will be over. We all will be one. There will be unity and companionship as we all worship and serve the same God.

Just as Israel will be joined by people of other nations, so the people of other nations will have the same opportunities for salvation.

2. God’s salvation is offered to all peoples, including Israel. (Joel 2:32)

Verse 31 is clearly talking about Jesus ultimate return.

Joel 2:31 NIV

31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

The dreadful day of the Lord is judgement day. However, when Christ returns, those living, whether Jew and non-Jew alike, if they cry out for God’s salvation, it will be granted.

Joel is encouraging Israel not to wait for this day to surrender, but to surrender in their current moment. They do, at least for that moment.

This final passage of Joel 2, clearly speaks to an event that is yet to come. It is true that Pentecost fits part of it. It even speaks to some things that are happening in the past few years, yet the entirety of it is yet to come.

So, let us look at...

B. Our Current Day of the Lord (Matthew 24; Luke 21)

Do not take me to mean we are in the end. However, I do believe we are in the “last days” and experiencing the “birth pangs” as Jesus called them in Matthew.

Matthew 24:4–8 NIV

4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

Birth pains can continue for weeks and in the scriptures, weeks can represent years. We do not know when the end will come and if anyone tells you differently, he has just set himself above Christ and should watch out!

Matthew 24:36 NIV

36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

However, when these things do take place, we are to begin to prepare ourselves.

Matthew 24:33–34 NIV

33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

When a woman begins having labor, even if it is just lightly in the beginning, she knows that child’s birth is imminent. So, it is with the events described in Matthew 24 and Luke 21.

In fact, Isaiah, Joel, and Jesus in Matthew 24 all describe the same event which Joel talks about in Joel 2:30-31.

Joel 2:30–31 NIV

30 I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

Isn’t it amazing to think that we are living in the days that Joel was talking about in this latter part of chapter 2. A day when God’s Spirit will be poured out on all people. I believe we will see that day. I believe there are aspects of that taking place even now. Just this week I heard about another revival breaking out. This time in El Paso along the border. I have friends that are pastors there and I typically get a regular newsletter from them about their church plant there. I have not heard from them recently and my hope is because they are in the midst of this revival, because I promise you there is no more exciting place to be than in a state of revival.

God sought out Judah through the prophet of Joel to call them to be saved. To call them to be ready for that day which we call judgement day. But there is news for us!

1. God is seeking us out today! (2 Corinthians 5:17-19; Revelation 21:3-4)

Finally, and greatest of all, God has sought us out in Christ Jesus. God has sent the Savior into this world to undo the curse of sin and to make all things new.

2 Corinthians 5:17–19 NIV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

Through his death on the cross and by the power of his resurrection, Jesus has established us in the newness of life that can be found only in him. This epic game of hide-and-seek culminates when God says,

Revelation 21:3–4 (ESV)

3 ...“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

The entire narrative of Scripture is about God in love and mercy seeking out his people, calling them out from where they are hiding all alone. Joel’s ministry to Judah is just one example of this.

Once we accept His love...

2. God invites us to walk with Him and others. (Hebrews 10:22-25)

Having found us in our hiding places and having brought us out by his love and mercy, Jesus bids us to come and walk in his steps. Jesus invites us to walk in his steps not only with him but also with other followers of Jesus. In this way, we are never all alone. God knows that it is not good for us to be alone, so he has drawn near to us through Christ Jesus and through our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. There are many blessings in traveling with others in the steps of Jesus:

There is great power in having someone else to walk with you in the steps of Jesus. Two are better than one when it comes to journeying with Jesus.

The generosity of others and the opportunities for you to engage in acts of generosity are tangible experiences in the endless generosity of Jesus.

Walking in his steps means walking in the way of love and mercy where we find endless streams of forgiveness that are new each morning. This love and mercy are not only for us but also for us to share with one another.

Having been called out of hiding, God empowers us to help call others out of hiding as well. Following in the footprints of Jesus and his radical love, we walk in his steps of love for enemies and prodigal sons and daughters.

Hebrews 10:22–25 NIV

22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Conclusion

God knows it's not good for you to be all alone. By the grace of God in Christ Jesus, you are never all alone:

Romans 6:4 NIV

4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

As we walk in his steps and in the newness of life that we have in Jesus, we walk with him and with one another. It is not good to be all alone. And, thanks be to God, we get to travel not only with our Savior Jesus but also with one another!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, you know it is not good for us to be all alone. By the power of the Holy Spirit, call us out of our hiding places. Call us out when we hide in shame, regret, fear, or anger. Call us out of our hiding places and into the newness of life that you have prepared for us through the cross and the empty tomb. Lord, teach us to rejoice in one another and celebrate how we are never alone in the body of Christ. Amen.

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