Answering God’s Call for Revival

Joel 1:1-20

Introduction

• The name “Joel” means “Jehovah is God”; very little is known about him in the Bible
• His prophecy was occasioned by a calamity that had struck the land, a locust plague
• He sees it as a warning from God, which is consistent with the way that God communicates to His people throughout the Old Testament

Outline of the Book

1. The land is laid waste
2. A plea to cry out to the Lord
3. The coming of the “Day of the Lord”
4. A call to repentance
5. The Lord’s promise if there is repentance
6. A call to courage and gladness
7. The Lord’s reassurance

Lessons from the Book

1. The value of natural calamities
   1. They can serve to turn men from God
   2. God certainly used them to reach out to His people in the Old Testament
   3. But not all the calamities come from God, some came from Satan
   4. Whatever the cause (from God, Satan, or purely coincidental), they should be times of reflection concerning our life and our relationship to God (Job 1:20-22)
2. The nature of true repentance
   1. It must be with all our heart
   2. It must be inward, not outward
3. The nature of God
   1. He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness
   2. He relents from doing harm when we repent
4. The “day of the Lord” can be averted
   1. This often refers to God’s judgement upon a nation (Isaiah 13:1-13)
   2. But such judgements can be averted
   3. This does not pertain to the ‘ultimate’ day of the Lord at the end of time, but to the ‘preliminary’ judgements that God often brings upon a nation

Sermon Outline

1. Consider Our Circumstances Carefully (v1 – v12)
   
   Reflection
   Think about the entirety of your life right now.  Are you in a good place, in good company?  Think of the following aspects:
   1. Social (relationships)
   2. Physical (health)
   3. Mental & Emotional
   4. Environmental (location)

      Are you in any situation right now which seems problematic, or which doesn’t seem to have any foreseeable resolution?
      Are you making sure that you are looking at the entirety of your life, and not hiding anything from yourself, or from others?
      How are you coping with these circumstances in your life?

2. Choose Our Response Wisely (v13 – v20)
   1. Turn Away From Sin (v13)
   2. Turn To God Together (v14, v19 – v20)
   3. Turn Back God’s Judgement (v15 – v18)