June 14, 2015

What if ? part 2

Speaker: David Bird Series: Joel Topic: Revival Passage: Joel 1:1–1:20

We are continuing in our series in the Old Testament book of Joel called “What If…”. What if God’s people were obediently doing everything God asked them to do? Would God send revival and an awakening?

Last week we talked about how revival is an act of God. Humans cannot calendar an awakening or force a revival by creating some formula. When the Spirit of God decides to move He moves. Every revival in the Bible and in Church history has been an inexplicable act of God. However, we also talked about how there is a small human part in revival. Every time the Spirit moves in an extraordinary way, God’s people are found doing what God has told them to do! There is a connection between being a dedicated follower of Jesus, not just a fan of Jesus, and spiritual awakenings.

I want us to think about this phrase “divine interventions”. Many of us as individuals have had moments of divine intervention – things only explained by God’s doing. You may or might not have recognized them but they were there and they will continue to be there as our merciful God continues to draw us closer to Him. Now sometimes divine intervention involves problems and disaster. That’s not the way we prefer for God to intervene but it certainly gets our attention.

Eugene Peterson says, “It is the task of the prophet to stand up at such moments and clarify who God is and how He acts. If the prophet is good, then the catastrophe becomes a lever for prying people from their sins and setting them free for God.”

Today we will discover how the prophet Joel speaks to disaster and how it can bring us closer to God in order to live in a fresh way for the glory of God.

other sermons in this series

Jun 21

2015

What if ? part 3

Speaker: David Bird Passage: Joel 2:28–2:32 Series: Joel

Jun 7

2015

“What If”

Speaker: David Bird Passage: Joel 1:1–1:20 Series: Joel