I Will Pour out my Spirit – Joel 2:12-14, 28-29
In a moment that is marked by celebrity, clout, and influencers, we can come to believe that the work of God is reserved for the few, the special, the called. But the prophet Joel outlines that a day is coming in which God’s Spirit will be poured out on all people. Joel says God’s invitation is for everyday ordinary people to join him in the renewal of our world.
A 2022 report done by the Mental Health Million Project at Sapien labs found that people between the ages of 18-24 became fixated with one or more celebrities at 12 times the rate of their parents’ generation.
The first shall be last and the last first (Matthew 20:16)
Blessed are the meek and poor (Matthew 5)
Go and tell no one that I have healed you - Various scriptures
“Are you ready to rough it? We’re not staying in the best inns, you know.” -Luke 9:58 (MSG)
An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.” - Luke 9:46-48
God’s invitation is for everyday ordinary people to join him in the renewal of our world.
Prophet Defined: The prophets are messengers sent by God to call the People of God back to covenantal or relational faithfulness.
Covenant Defined: The Old Testament Covenant was an agreement between God and Israel. When a covenant is broken, the relationship is broken, and there is fallout from the broken relationship.
Good News: God does not just leave the people in their brokenness. He works to restore his relationship with them, the covenant through the prophets. He helps them learn to live in his new kingdom.
A few things about the book of Joel-
There is no explicit indication of when it was written. People believe it was written during the time period of Ezra-Nehemiah after Israel’s return from exile during and after Jerusalem's destruction.
Joel is also different because he refers to many of the other prophets.
Joel never accuses Israel of a particular sin.
Joel teaches us that as everyday ordinary people we join God in the renewal of our world by:
Changing our lives, not just our clothes
Coming back to our God
Receiving the Spirit
Change your life, not just your clothes
“Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Go in, pass the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God!” - Joel 1:13
“A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” - Galatians 6:7-9
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.” -Joel 2:12-13
“Come back to me and really mean it! Come fasting and weeping, sorry for your sins!” 13–14 Change your life, not just your clothes.” -Joel 2:12-13 MSG
Come back to God again and again
“It is the task of the prophet to stand up in such moments of catastrophe and clarify who God is and how he acts.” - Eugene Peterson
“Come back to me and really mean it! Come fasting and weeping, sorry for your sins!” 13–14 Change your life, not just your clothes. Come back to God, your God. And here’s why: God is kind and merciful. He takes a deep breath, puts up with a lot, This most patient God, extravagant in love, always ready to cancel catastrophe. Who knows? Maybe he’ll do it now, maybe he’ll turn around and show pity. Maybe, when all’s said and done, there’ll be blessings full and robust for your God!” -Joel 2:12-14 (MSG)
In Exodus 34, Moses encountered the God of Israel and wrote– “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” –Exodus 34:6.
In Psalm 108, David, Israel’s most famous king, declares– “I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.” –Psalm 108:3–4.
The apostle John writes- “God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.” –1 John 4:8-9.
Receive the Spirit
“And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants” - Joel 2:28-29
Spiritual Practice
Suggestion 1: Some of us really need to work on changing our lives, not just our clothes.
Suggestion 2: Some of us need to work on really knowing who God is.
Suggestion 3: Some of us need to be open and receptive to the leading of the Spirit.
