Flourishing Restored

Joel

At the end of The Lord of the Rings series, after the destruction of the ring, Samwise Gamgee wakes up to see that the wizard Gandalf is alive. And he asks, “Is everything sad going to come untrue?” In their struggle against the forces of darkness, the heroes of Middle Earth had experienced great loss and brokenness; death and destruction; conflict and betrayal. There was seemingly no path to restoration. Yet, in Samwise’s question, there was a hope of restoration. There was a hope that all that had been destroyed would be remade anew. This hope reflects the promise in Revelation 21:5 in which the Lord Jesus promises, “Behold, I am making all things new.” 

In our passage for this Sunday, there is a great promise of restoration. In the first chapter and a half of Joel, there has been great destruction of the land. The swarming locust and the devastating drought have left scares upon the land that is seemingly indelible. Yet in Joel 2:18-27, there is a promise that the Lord will not only restore the land but even more, he will bring great abundance to the land. There is a promise that all the devastation will be undone and once again the people will know the blessing of the Lord’s presence among them. To come prepared for the sermon take time this week to read and to meditate upon Joel 2:18-27, Psalm 148, Ecclesiastes 7:13, Isaiah 61:1-4, Jeremiah 31:9, Hosea 6:1-3, Romans 1:16-18, Revelation 21:1-5, and this article on the Hope of Restoration. 

As we gather to worship our loving Father this Lord’s Day, we will join our hearts in song, singing the Hymn of Praise “All You That Fear Jehovah’s Name.” the Acclamation of Praise “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” and the Hymn of Response “Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me” Let us come to worship this Sunday prepared to hear God’s Word, to receive it in faith, to love and treasure it in our hearts, and to practice it in our lives that we may continue to glorify and enjoy Him!

Sermon Information

Text: Joel 2:18-27 

Title: Flourishing Restored 

Outline:

1. You Must Trust in God’s Initiative to Restore (vv. 18-20)
2. You Must Rejoice in God’s Faithfulness to Restore (vv. 21-23)
3. You Must Be Satisfied in God’s Grace to Restore (vv. 24-27)

Sunday's Bulletin

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