You're listening to Mountain View Church Audio, Christ-centered teaching from the Wilderness City, Whitehorse, UConn. Here's this week's message.
From my mother's womb, you have chosen me. Your love has called my name. I've been born again to your family. It flows through my veins. I'm no longer a slave to fear. I am a child of God. I'm no longer a slave to fear. I am a child of God.
I am a child of God. Yes, I am.
Have you ever come out of a hard season wondering if life will ever be the same? You made some poor choices. You made some bad decisions, which led to a crisis. Now, thankfully, the crisis has passed, but things still just don't feel right. Inside you, there's something missing. You're trying to move forward, but part of you is still stuck in what was lost. And you wonder, will the pain ever subside? Will I ever stop feeling ashamed for what I've done? Will I ever get my life back?
That's the tension that the people of Judah were going through. They had walked through complete devastation because of their sin. Now the prophet Joel has called them back to God and they've returned, which is a beautiful thing, but they're still lost in their mourning and they're ready to return, ready to be restored. And even though they turned back to God, the question still lingers. Will he receive us? Will he forgive us? Today we'll see that when we repent and return to God, he responds, not with judgment or silence, but with forgiveness and restoration.
I'm Jeremy. I'm the lead pastor at Mountain View Church. If you're new to our community and you'd like to get more connected, please visit mountainview.church slash connect or send us a DM on social media at Mountain View Whitehorse. Today we're continuing in chapter 2 of Joel's prophecy found in the Old Testament. Our focus is on the restoration that's promised to the people of Judah and to us. So please open your Bible or Bible app on your mobile device and let's jump into today's text. I'm Derek. I'll be reading from Joel chapter 2 verses 18 through 27. Then the Lord became jealous for his land and had pity on his people.
The Lord answered and said to his people, Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied, and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations. I will remove the northerner far from you and drive him into a parched and desolate land, his vanguard into the eastern sea and his rear guard into the western sea. The stench and foul smell of him will rise, for he has done great things. Fear not, O land. Be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things.
Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green. The tree bears its fruit. The fig tree and vine give their full yield. Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God. For he has given the early rain for your vindication. He has poured down for your abundant rain, and early and the latter rain as before. The threshing flood shall be full of grain. The vats shall overflow with wine and oil. I will restore to you the years that the swarming locusts have eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter.
My great army, which I sent among you, you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame. Sometimes we imagine God is just waiting to punish us. And even some false teachers try to pitch a view of God that wants us stuck in the guilt and shame of our sin.
Though it's good to acknowledge sin, that's not God's heart. Joel's prophecy shows us something entirely different, that when God's people return and repent, God moves toward mercy. In fact, throughout all of scripture, we see a clear pattern that repentance precedes restoration. God's heart is always ready to redeem us when our hearts are ready to submit to him. Throughout the biblical record and throughout church history, God consistently responds to a humble and contrite heart, which leads to an important understanding of restoration, that it's not something that's earned. Restoration is a gift of grace that begins with our surrender.
We return to God to be restored. We return to be restored. And that restoration that God offers is felt on multiple levels of life. In Joel's prophecy, we see this play out in how God restores Judah or how he will restore Judah in the next stage of their journey. God's restoration is witnessed in four specific ways, and we're going to walk through them today.
First, God restores their provision. Satisfaction will return to Judah. God promises that the people of Judah will be satisfied. He will supply their needs and provide enough that they'll be able to store up for the future. In Joel 2 verse 19, we read, the Lord answered and said to his people, behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied. And I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.
Then in verse 24, Joel writes, the threshing floor shall be full of grain. The vats shall overflow with wine and oil. Jumping ahead to verse 26, Joel reiterates, you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied. For those of you who have been following through this series, back in chapter one of Joel's prophecy, we read that these essential commodities, grain, wine, and oil, were all destroyed. After Judah's return to God, he has promised that they will be now restored. Related to verse 24, the provision will be so complete that they'll be able to fill their storehouses. So God is ensuring that their lives and their future are being sustained. An irrelevant touch point back to the first message in the series, that these commodities were also used in worship for grain and drink offerings and the oil for purification ceremonies.
So God's restoration of grain, wine, and oil brings vitality to their physical lives, but also to their spiritual lives. You see, although we live in a more fulfilled time living under the new covenant of Christ, we should note this connection between the provision of the physical and the spiritual need. All of scripture displays God's primary interest in spiritual restoration above all. And Jesus consistently pointed to the well-being of the soul. Of course, God knows our physical needs, but our greatest area of need will always be spiritual. Coming back to the text, God restores protection. Security will return to Judah.
God responds to Judah's repentance by removing the threat that's been looming over them and promising them a future. In Joel 2 verse 20, we read, I will remove the northerner far from you, his vanguard into the eastern sea and his rear guard into the western sea. Then in verse 21, fear not, O land, for the Lord has done great things. The northerner could be a military enemy or the personified swarm of locusts, depending on one's interpretation of the text. Either way, the northern enemy represents devastation. And God promises to Judah that he is pushing those enemies far away.
In verse 25, God says, I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten. Judah's land is secure, and they will now experience a season of peace and prosperity and rest. There will be restoration of time that was lost. And it's important to note that sin always has a cost. You see, Judah's sin cost them their security initially. They open themselves to all sorts of harm. But now that they've returned to God, he is reassuring them that all isn't lost. They have time for better seasons of growth and prosperity. There's still time. You see, we have an enemy who devours our sense of security, even in our modern time now. When we give in to sinful desires,
They lead us down destructive paths and we lose more than we ever realized. It's not that we look back and we realize so much time was lost. Thankfully, God is patient and responds to our repentance by redeeming often what was lost. There's always time. And I get it, there's always consequences to our rebellion. But even after the damage is done, God still offers that restoration. There are still seasons of life that will be lived. There's still good days ahead when we return to the path God has laid out for us. Let's move on. God restores celebration. Joy will return to Judah.
God turns their repentance into rejoicing and turns their mourning into praise. In verse 23, Joel writes, In this text, we see God's desire for Judah to enter into a season of thankful celebration. There's a clear encouragement to move from this mourning over sin, which was needed for that time, But the movement now is to grateful worship. Truth be told, repentance often begins in sorrow. After we acknowledge our sin and walk through that shame and some of the consequences, it's hard and it's supposed to be, but it doesn't have to end there. In fact, it can end in great joy. We can and should celebrate our restoration and forgiveness and redemption. This is part of what makes that restoration process so beautiful. When God restores us, he revives our hearts. And maybe you felt this after a season of rebellion, when God welcomes you back and you're almost scared a little bit to celebrate or to be happy again.
But this deep response of praise for his grace and mercy, it's a good thing. It's something he's designed in us and we should move toward it. Now, our final movement here for Judah is God restores reputation. Dignity will return to Judah. God lifts our disgrace and reminds us of who we are in him. Like a good father, he embraces the child who returns in repentance. He shows his love by restoring that dignity, reminding us that as a child, we belong to him. If we go back to Joel in verses 26 and 27, we read, and my people shall never again be put to shame. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else.
And my people shall never again be put to shame. That's an amazing verse. It's crazy powerful. But note the repetition. It's extremely important. God is making a point that the shame will not be defining for the people of Judah. Truth be told, they had experienced loss and humiliation and judgment because of their sin. That is the reality.
but they still belong to God. So in his mercy, he pronounces not once but twice, my people shall never again be put to shame. Also worth noting, there's a shift from addressing Judah, which we've talked about throughout the series, and now using the name Israel. After all, Joel's message was originally directed to the southern kingdom of Judah. The northern kingdom, which kept the name Israel, wasn't part of Joel's immediate calling or prophecy. But here's what makes verse 27 so significant. When Joel uses the name Israel, he's not just referencing geography or politics. He's pointing to covenant.
Israel is the name God gave to Jacob back in Genesis when he established a people set apart to himself. So when Joel says, you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, the lens is widening. So we're no longer just talking about Judah. This is about all 12 tribes, all of God's people. The prophecy has widened. This statement shifts the focus from national identity to covenant identity. This isn't a political or nationalistic statement, by the way. It's a declaration of God's promises that will extend long after generations of rebellion and division. God's desire is for his people to be restored and unified. This, of course, is related to old covenant theology. But this prophecy also prepares the way for the new covenant, moving from Israel to all people.
Under the new covenant, restoration is no longer tied to bloodlines or tribal lineage, but to faith in God's son, Jesus Christ. This is the deeper and more fulfilled level of restoration that's offered to all people, including you in this very moment, past the return of land and crops into the return of right relationship between us and God. This is where our identity as children of God is fully restored in Jesus. The shame of sin tells us that we're damaged goods, that we're unworthy and forgotten. That's what sin always does. But if that were the case, God would have never sent his son to take our sin on the cross. You see, through Christ's sacrifice, we are forgiven and our disgrace is removed. We may not have any sort of birthright to God's chosen people, Israel, but it doesn't matter. Through Jesus, we can be adopted into his family, receiving God as our father and the Holy Spirit as our guide. This is confirmed in the New Testament letter written by Paul to the Roman church, quoting an Old Testament prophecy from Hosea.
It reads, What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory? Even us, whom he has called not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles, speaking of non-Jewish people. As indeed he says in Hosea, Those who are not my people, I will call my people. And her who was not beloved, I will call beloved. And in the very place where it was said to them, you are not my people, there they will be called sons of the living God. Then in Paul's letter to the Galatian church, outlining the movement from bloodlines to faith alone, we read, but now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. For in Christ Jesus, you are all sons of God through faith.
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free. There is no male and female for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. If this is true, then the invitation is open to you wherever you are, right here, right now. No matter your past or your family background or any of your failures, Jesus has made a way for you to be right with God.
He lived a perfect life that we could never live. He died the death that we deserved for our sin. And he rose again to offer us new life. You see, God sent Jesus to conquer sin and death for us. Through his sacrifice, your sin can be forgiven, your shame removed, and your identity completely restored to be a child of God. All he asks is that you respond in faith. Believe in him. Repent of your sin and follow him. The door is open to become a child of God and receive his spirit to guide you if you want it.
If you have never received God's son Jesus in faith, let today be the day. Believe in him, repent of your sin, be restored by his grace and receive the gift of eternal life. Pause this video and take time to pray and talk to God right now. But remember, return to God and experience restoration. The truth is that restoration won't just happen by accident. Yes, God is the one who restores, but he's calling you to return, to actively move toward him.
Maybe that seems too big of a concept in this moment. I get it. Sometimes it's hard. I don't know where you've been. Maybe you've been on a really hard road. And yet, if so, just ask yourself, what's just one area of my life that needs restoration? Think about that one thing. Think about where you've experienced loss or shame or guilt. And then just that one thing, bring it to God in prayer to start the conversation, to start the restoration process. And you'll find that he'll reveal the next steps you need to take. Whatever step that is,
I would just encourage you to take it today. Don't delay. God is ready to restore you. You might feel like putting it off. I get that. And you might feel really distant from God, but that's simply not true. He's right there. God's mercy is never out of reach. And the moment you return, the moment you bring your heart back to him, the restoration begins. The shame will start to lift and the healing will begin and you'll start to feel hope again.
You see, God didn't give up on Judah and he hasn't given up on you. He is still calling people back into relationship. He's still redeeming broken stories. He's still lifting up the downcast and he still removes shame. And so if you are wondering, can God really restore me? Am I able to return to him? The answer is yes. Yes, he can restore you. Yes, he can heal your broken heart. And if you would like that to happen today, wherever you are, just take a moment and would you pray this prayer with me and reach out to God? Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for being a God who restores.
Thank you for not leaving me in my brokenness or shame. Thank you for pursuing me and forgiving me. Today I want to return to you. I believe that you sent your son Jesus to pay for my sin on the cross. I believe that you raised him from the dead, conquering sin and death. I receive your grace and I choose to follow you. Please restore what has been lost and heal what has been broken inside of me. From this day forward, remind me that I am yours.
I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen. Thank you, thank you, thank you for joining us today. If you have a prayer request, if you would like to connect and know more or get involved in our faith community, I would invite you to do that. You just need to go to mountainview.church slash connect or you can find us on any social media platform by just searching at Mountain View White Horse. And if this message has impacted you, I would ask you to consider subscribing on our YouTube channel and turning on those notifications so that you never miss a message. And we can keep going in this journey, not just in this series, but messages to come.
Now we have a couple of updates for our parents. First, we're hosting child dedications next Sunday, August 10th. If you would like to dedicate your child, please contact me directly at jeremy at mountainview.church. That's jeremy at mountainview.church. Or if you're in a physical gathering, you can simply go sign up at the welcome desk. Next, a reminder that all of our children's programming is available online, and you can watch the video lessons or download the activities at mountainview.church slash base camp.
Base Camp being the name of our children's program. Once again, mountainview.church slash base camp. And a last reminder to any teenagers out there that we have a youth program for junior high or senior high on Sunday evenings. First and third is junior high, second and fourth is senior high. Simply go to mountainview.church slash youth for more info. And last but not least, let's jump into today's discussion and prayer focus. Gather around with some people or maybe leave a comment in the field below or just think about it to yourself. Today's discussion question is, what area of your life do you need God to restore? What area of your life do you need God to restore today or this week?
After you think about that or talk about that or put some comments in the field below, spend some time in prayer. Pray specifically for God to bring restoration to our community or to your community, wherever you're at, your city, your town, your village. Pray for God to bring restoration to our or your community. Then plan on coming back next week. We're going to finish up chapter two of Joel's prophecy. He declares that God will pour out his spirit on all people. We'll explore how that prophecy was fulfilled and what it means for us today. So if you've ever wondered about the role of the Holy Spirit in the ancient world or in our modern time, be sure to come back next week. We'll see you then.
If you prayed to receive Jesus today or would like to connect with our church community, visit mountainview.church and click the connect link. If this podcast and radio ministry has been a blessing to you, please consider partnering with us or making a tax-deductible donation at mountainview.church. Thanks for listening to Mountain View Church Audio. Join us next week for more Christ-centered teaching from the Wilderness City of Whitehorse UConn.