Help God! (S.O.S.)

Introduction

Illustration: A grizzly bear terrorized a man for days in Alaska. The Coast Guard saw his SOS

Down to his last rounds of ammunition, with bruises and a leg injury, the man was rescued by a helicopter crew that just happened by..

For several nights in a row, the man had fended off the tenacious advances of a grizzly bear that had attacked him a few days earlier.

Sleep-deprived...

Alone in the wilderness of Alaska

Not really alone

There was no way to phone for help. But then help found him.

On the tin roof of a shack, SOS and “help me” had been scrawled. The shack’s door had been ripped off.

“Is he waving with one hand or two hands?”

The answer: two hands.

Well that’s usually a sign of distress

“We don’t really come across people in the middle of nowhere”

“He was kind of struggling.

When we came around, he was on his hands and knees waving a white flag..”

Unusual for a person to have several encounters with the same bear.

the man’s situation hd become increasingly dire.

Transition To Body

Joel encourages Israel to send out an SOS to God

Body

Sincere Repentance Precedes Restoration (2:12-17)

V12- the look of sincere repentance

V13-14 the motivation of sincere repentance

V15–15- the urgency of sincere repentance

V16-17- the appeal of sincere repentance

appeal to the LORD God’s character & reputation

The LORD’S Matchless Response (2:18-27 )

The LORDS Restoration Process

v18- has pity on his people

v19- answers & satisfies his people

v20- removes enemies

v21-22 The land is glad & rejoices for the LORD restores

v23- The LORDS people is glad & rejoices for the LORD provides rain (provision)

v24-25- restores the years

v26- keeps his people from shame

The Holy Spirit’s Universal Availability (To The Elect) (2:28-32)

Isaiah 44:3 ESV

3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.

Sons & daughters shall prophesy

Your old men shall dream dreams

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“They told us to follow our dreams.

Then said they were unrealistic because passions don’t pay bills

But what they didn’t know is that dreamers make their own victory”

Young men shall see visions

Even on the male & female servants

Transition To Close

Joel 2:32 ESV

32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.

John 1:11–13 ESV

11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Illustration: Erica Campbell & Lecrae 2014

I confess S.O.S

I need ya daily

Can't lie say the pain don't phase me

My God who gone help these babies?

Dysfunctional, but I'm functioning

I'm just wondering

If yo signs and wonders

Might wonder in

And get me out the hole that I stumbled in

Well, I'm out here tryin'

And Lord knows I cried help (help)

You know I'm tired

Need a helping hand to get me out the fire.

The hymn we sang earlier...

At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the Light And the burden of my heart rolled away, rolled away It was there by Faith, I received my sight And now I am happy all the day

Close- In these last days

Jesus is the Way, and The Truth, and The Life

John 14:6 ESV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

If you love me...

John 14:15–17 ESV

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

You Did Not Choose Me...

John 15:16 ESV

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.