You're listening to Mountain View Church Audio, Christ-centered teaching from the Wilderness City, Whitehorse, UConn. Here's this week's message.
My fears are drowned in perfect love So I could stand and see I am
I'm no longer a slave. I'm a child.
Do you ever feel like you're doing all the right things, but there's something still missing? You read your Bible, you show up to church, you try to love your neighbor, try to stay strong in your faith. But if you're honest, it's not working. It feels like there's something missing. Here's the truth. You were never meant to follow God in your own strength. You need his Holy Spirit in you, giving you direction, conviction, and encouragement.
I'm Jeremy. I'm the lead pastor of Mountain View Church. If this is your first time watching or listening, visit mountainview.church slash connect or drop us a DM on social at Mountain View White Horse. We're continuing our study of the prophet Joel and his call to Judah to return, restore, and renew the relationship with God. And today we're exploring God's powerful promise that his spirit will be poured out. Hi, my name's Adrian, and today I'm reading from Joel chapter 2, verses 28 through 32.
And I will show wonders in heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 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.
Joel's prophecy came at a time when Judah was recovering from disaster. They had rebelled against God and experienced judgment. Joel was a prophet to the southern kingdom named Judah. This passage follows a national call to repentance and a promise of physical restoration. Following Judah's repentance and return, the restoration had begun. And in that moment, God makes a wild promise. We read, and it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh. In those days, I will pour out my spirit.
There is a lot to unpack in this declaration. This prophecy is a preview of the new covenant when God would send the Messiah and transform how he relates to his people. Under the old covenant, the spirit was only given to the select few, prophets, kings, priests, and for specific purposes. In this passage, Joel is pointing to a radical shift that would one day come when God's spirit would be poured out on people from all walks of life and in a far greater capacity. Now, fast forward 850 years and the Messiah would be revealed in Jesus, God's one and only son.
Following Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension, the initial fulfillment of Joel's prophecy happened at Pentecost, recorded in Acts chapter 2. According to Luke, the first century physician and researcher, the Holy Spirit fell on God's people like a rushing wind and tongues of fire. Peter stood up and explained what was happening, pointing back to Joel's prophecy. He stated, But maybe you're wondering, why then? What had changed? Well, Jesus had been crucified as the final sacrifice for humanity's sin. And God had raised him from the dead, conquering sin and death, which opened up the way to eternal life. And soon after, Jesus ascended to heaven with the promise that he would return and that the Father would send a helper, the Holy Spirit.
And just as he promised during Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out. Ordinary people began to speak with boldness, prophesying and praising God in languages they'd never learned. This was a confirmation as Joel's prophecy was being fulfilled before their very eyes. Moreover, this moment marked the beginning of the church age. The new covenant established through the death and resurrection of Jesus was now being empowered and sealed by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all who believed. Which, by the way, has lasted for 2,000 years, leading us to this very moment.
We're currently living through the ongoing fulfillment of Joel's prophecy, where people all over the world are experiencing spiritual rebirth taught by Jesus in John chapter 3. In a real sense, Joel was pointing to right now, to this era, when God's spirit wouldn't just come upon individuals for a certain time, but would dwell within all who believe. This promise reflects a much larger movement in the redemptive story spoken about in all the Old Testament prophets. As a small example, look at what the prophet Ezekiel declared. He said, and I will give you a new heart and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. God is restoring a relationship that humanity could never fix on our own. This is a spiritual renewal and it's the heartbeat of the new covenant where the spirit of God now lives within the people of God. So what was once reserved for prophets, priests, or kings has been poured out on ordinary believers.
Everyday people coming to know Christ. And this is a radical and transformative moment, and it's available to every nation, race, and language, anyone and everyone. And yet, many people who state their belief in God are still missing the promise. They try to follow God in their own strength and eventually burn out. In a way, they live like spiritual orphans, hoping to be accepted by God, but never actually walking in the Spirit as sons and daughters of God.
The obvious next question is, how do we access God's Spirit? Not by human effort, that's for sure, and not by our own merit. We can't earn the Holy Spirit through good works or use spiritual deals to bargain with God. It does not work that way. Remember that the Spirit wasn't poured out in his fullness until Jesus gave his life, rose again, and ascended to the Father. Only then did the Father send the Spirit to live within us. The Holy Spirit would be God's seal that we belong to him, secured by the blood of Christ and confirmed by his resurrection.
That's why when you accept Christ and experience spiritual rebirth, you can say with confidence, I am not alone. I am not powerless and I am not forgotten. You see, through faith in Jesus, we receive the Holy Spirit. So if you've never surrendered your life to Christ, let's just pause and I would suggest to you that today is that day. Right now, wherever you're at, you can repent of your sin, believe that Jesus died for your sin and that God raised him from the dead and you can receive God's Holy Spirit. And if you've been striving to follow God without accepting his son,
This might sound harsh, but you've been living powerless. Nothing right now, though, is stopping you from pausing this video or podcast or pulling over if you're listening to the radio in the car and surrendering your life to Christ right here, right now. With that being said, I'm going to move on, but I'm going to assume at this point that you've made that commitment before we get to the next fulfillment. The ultimate fulfillment will come on the day of the Lord when God brings full justice, final restoration, and final resurrection foretold in Revelation 21. Joel's prophecy points to Pentecost, then through our time and into the future, to the return of Christ. This is often referred to as the end times and the eternal restoration of all things. Joel describes cosmic signs of blood and fire and smoke, all apocalyptic signs tied to that final day of the Lord. Read verse 31, which states, the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
The quote, day of the Lord, is both a warning and a promise, depending on one's position in Jesus Christ. For those who reject Christ, it will be a day of judgment. But for those who call on his name, it will be a day of eternal salvation and final restoration. Which is why Joel ends this section with such hope. He writes, and it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. And this is where Joel's prophecy collides with eternity. And the New Testament apostles confirmed it.
Peter preached about it in Acts 2. Paul wrote about it in Romans 10. And John saw its fulfillment recorded in Revelation 21. When the heavens and earth are made new, sin is removed and God dwells with his people forever. We read, and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.
One day, we'll move from living in God's spirit to living with God face-to-face for all eternity. And that's the ultimate fulfillment of Joel's prophecy. The complete healing of all creation, the final judgment of evil, and the entrance into the full presence of God with his people. No more separation and no more struggle, just eternal life with God forever and ever and ever. How great will that day be? And yet, as far as I can tell, at least in this moment here, sitting in this studio,
That day hasn't arrived. So, right now, we're still walking through the struggle, but we can also walk in the power of God's Spirit. And maybe you're wondering, what does living in the Spirit actually look like in my day-to-day life? Well, here's a few scriptural pointers. First, walk in step with the Spirit, as explained in Galatians 5. This means allowing Him to guide your thoughts, your time, your decisions. Pause and pray before making decisions, especially before reacting to difficult situations and circumstances.
Number two, speak in boldness of the Spirit, outlined in Acts 4. Although we don't live in the time of the Pentecost, the boldness to share the gospel has remained and continues throughout the world. When opportunities arise to speak about your faith in Christ or to encourage someone in their faith journey, lean into the Spirit's leading to overcome any fear or anxiety that might be there. Number three, serve in strength of the Spirit, outlined in 1 Peter 4. With the seal of the Holy Spirit, we also receive gifts of the Spirit to be used to serve one another. Whether you're setting up chairs at church, leading a Bible study, or simply helping out a neighbor, rely on the Spirit's strength to make a kingdom impact on this world. And some of you are even called into leadership to speak, lead, administer, different things like that. That too should be done in the full reliance of the Spirit.
Lastly, number four, live in mind of the Spirit, outlined in Romans 8. Living in the Spirit means setting our minds on heaven and spiritual outcomes above physical ones. To live in the Spirit means submitting your deepest thoughts to Christ, meditating on God's Word, and rejecting the enemy's lies. A Spirit-led mind seeks out and leans on God's perspective above our human perspectives. Now, I want to say it as we close that God's Spirit is still being poured out.
Joel's prophecy unveils a movement that continues to this very day. From the moment of Pentecost until now, God has been pouring out His Spirit on all who believe. Not just for emotional highs or theological debates. Leave all that aside. He's doing it for daily life. And so may we walk in the Spirit, speak in the Spirit, serve in the Spirit, and think in step with God's Holy Spirit. You don't need to chase signs and wonders, and you don't need to manufacture spiritual energy. You just need to surrender to Jesus.
God has made the way. Don't live like an orphan when you've been adopted into the family of God. Yield to his spirit. Be filled and sealed. And to that end, let's pray. Dear God, thank you for the promise and presence of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for the cross, the empty tomb, and the outpouring of your spirit that empowers me to live for you. I confess that I often try to do life in my own strength. Forgive me and help me to walk in step with you, to speak with boldness, to serve with your strength, and to set my mind on the things above.
Help me be a person who lives out Joel's prophecy, spirit-filled, spirit-led, and on mission for you. For your glory and in the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen. Thank you so much for being here with us today. If you would like to take the next step in your faith journey or send us a prayer request, simply visit mountainview.church slash connect or follow us on social at Mountain View White Horse.
Hey, Mountain View. Just a heads up that we are on for senior youth tonight from 6 till 8 p.m. here at the church. It's going to be a lot of fun, and I hope to see you there. My name is Dayton, and what I really liked about Fusion was the illusionist and his tricks that he was doing, which is pretty cool. And what really inspired me was like 800 other people worshiping God in the same room. And thank you for sponsoring us and letting us go to Fusion. Hi. The Fusion 2025 trip. What a trip. What a thrill to be with all youth and to see that number of youth all in one place.
engaged in something that they were clearly, you know, very passionate about. And it was for me, I'd never been exposed to anything like that. But what an impact. Tremendous, tremendous experience. And if I got a portion of what the kids got out of it, then it was a win all the way around. Thanks for the opportunity. My favorite part about Fusion was spending time with friends and getting to know them better. My favorite session was on how to get the most out of your Bible studies. And just thank you to everyone for praying and donating. And thank you to the chaperones for donating their time and energy to take us to Alaska. My name's Ben, and I'm thankful to have been one of the chaperones on this year's Fusion trip. It was a meaningful time for everyone, and I'm glad I was able to go. I think the most impactful moment for me was seeing...
the hundreds of youth so excited to worship and learn about Jesus all together. And then another impactful moment was the leader sessions on prayer and how to incorporate prayer into youth group. Hey Mountain View, just want to take a second and extend my sincere gratitude to all of you for making the Fusion Alaska trip possible for our students. It is such an impactful trip for them to be surrounded by like-minded youth and really refocus and recenter on Jesus. So thank you so much for making that possible for them.
Now, fall is just around the corner, which means ministry will be ramping up. If you live in the Whitehorse area, please consider volunteering to serve on one of our ministry teams. From hospitality to facilities, technology to music, children to youth, loads of opportunities. There's a place for everyone. Visit mountainview.church slash serve for any information or to complete one of those volunteer applications. We would love to have you on one of our ministry teams.
Now, for parents out there with children, I'd encourage you to check out our Basecamp children's program if you already haven't. It's hosted in-house every Sunday, or it's available online with video lessons and activities at mountainview.church slash basecamp. And if you have teenagers, consider signing them up for our youth program, junior high on the first and third Sundays at 6 to 8 p.m., and senior high on second and fourth Sundays. To find out more, visit mountainview.church slash youth. And last but not least, it's time for this week's discussion and prayer focus. Gather together, however you might be watching or listening, to discuss this week's message, or drop a comment in the feed below to engage online.
Our discussion question today is, where do you need to rely more on the Spirit this week? In your walk, your words, your service, or your thoughts? Where do you need to rely more on the Spirit this week? In your walk, your words, your service, or your thoughts? After you've hashed that out, spend some time together in prayer. Pray for a deeper reliance on the Holy Spirit in our walk, words, service, and thoughts. Pray for a deeper reliance on the Holy Spirit in our walk, words, service, and thoughts.
Please come back next week as we begin chapter three, the final chapter of Joel's prophecy. We'll unpack God's final judgment and the best part, his ultimate victory. If you've ever wondered what God will do about the injustice in the world, where would it all go? When will it all end? We're going to tackle it next Sunday. Hope to see you there.
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 Econ.