I. Introduction
Today we read a story that is all too familiar. A story that to some of you has become a way of life. Some of you were brought up on this story! There are some here this morning that have not lived the rest of this story out. Some that have strayed. To you, my challenge this morning is to hear the Word of the Lord challenging you to dig a little deeper and to once again fall in love with Jesus Christ.
But then there is a group of us who were not brought up knowing this passage. We were either brought up knowing very little about the Bible or nothing at all. And to us, some of this seems different, maybe even scary. This morning we have been given a second chance, a chance to accept God’s Word and to obey His commandments.
II. What will we do with this Jesus?
I once heard it preached, “What will you do with this Jesus?” The man of God challenged us to decide what we were going to do with what he was preaching about! I think I need to tell you this morning, it doesn’t matter what our friends do with Jesus Christ! It’s not what I did with Jesus that will make a difference in each of your lives. What is going to matter in the end, is what you do decide to do with Jesus.
Some have decided to reject Christ and His message. Some decided to crucify Him, others spat on Him. Today some curse Him and many deny Him. But none of that really maters to those of us in this room this morning!! What matters to us is what we each decide to do with Him.
III. Dis is Dat
I am preaching about a 2000 year old message this morning. Let’s goto the Book of Joel, chapter 2, vs. 27-29.
The prophet of Israel, son of Pethuel, is ringing the bell this morning. He has spoke directly for God in telling us that we need to wake up!
There are two points Joel has mentioned in this passage I would like to bring to your attention this morning.
Understand that this scripture was written in the Old Testament, before Jesus Christ walked the earth and before there was any “talk of the Holy Ghost”. Yet the vision of Joel says, (in vs. 27) that, “I am in the midst of Israel and that I am the Lord your God and none else.” (vs. 28) He states that, “I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh.”
A. The Lord is One.
The first point Joel is making is that there is only One God!!! The Word of God said, “I am the Lord your God and none else.” (vs. 27)
Isaiah says, “Is there a God besides me? Yea, there is no god; I know not any.” (Is 44:8)
(45:22) “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”
(46:9) “Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me.”
(Gen. 17:1) “…I am the Almighty God…”
But look at what Jesus says in the Book of Revelations, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”
Well what right does Jesus have saying He is the Almighty?!?! A term used only for the Almighty God of the Old Testament?!?!? Let’s look only to the Bible this morning for our answer!
Exodus says in chapter 3, vs. 13, “And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I am come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto the, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say unto me, What is His name? What shall I say unto them?
(vs. 14) And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”
Jesus said in the Book of John, “…Before Abraham was, I am.”
There wasn’t a God of the Old Testament and a God of the new!!! There was only One God. They called him things like; The Almighty, The I AM, YHWH and Yeshua in the Old Testament, but in the New, His name was revealed!!!
In other words, Joel is trying to point out to those of us in the New Testament that the “I AM” of the Old is the same!!! There is but one God, and now we know His name to be Jesus.
God’s Promised Spirit
The second thing Joel brought to our attention is that God has promised His Spirit to be poured into us.
Don’t be confused, God is not going to take some kind of pitcher and pour something on us this morning!!! What I am talking about this morning is God’s Spirit actually coming into you. And when that happens there will be a major difference in your life.
So many times I have had people that have never received the Holy Ghost tell me it’s not necessary!!! But I have never had anyone that has received the Holy Ghost tell me that!!! I wonder why!?!? The Bible clearly teaches that we are to receive the Holy Ghost and that when we do, we will speak in another tongue.
I am not saying this morning that you will learn French, or Spanish when you are filled with the Holy Ghost!!! But I am saying that when the Holy Ghost comes on you, you will speak in a language that you have never learned!
Joel said that in the last days God will pour out His Spirit upon all flesh. Peter speaks of this experience in the our scripture text this morning. The same experience Joel spoke of happened in the Book of Acts! And when they received this “out pouring” they spoke in tongues.
As did many others throughout the Book of Acts!! Acts 10:46…”For they heard them speak with tongues.” Acts 19: 6, “….the Holy Ghost came on them and they spake with tongues…”
So why “tongues”? Glad you asked… the Bible says in James 3:8 that, “the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” God is saying that if our tongues are His, than He knows we are His!!!
The Bible also says that tongues are a sign for the unbeliever. The proof is in the pudding!!!
Every person in the Book of Acts that received the Holy Ghost, spoke in tongues. When I received the Holy Ghost I spoke in tongues.
Closing
Stand with me as I attempt to close this message this morning!! I want to say that I have had fun preaching this message this morning!!!
Joel taught very plainly in his Book, that there was only on God and that He would pour His Spirit out on all flesh in the last days. I don’t know of a religious group in America that doesn’t agree that these are the last days, but I don’t hear too many of them preaching that there is One God and that I need the Holy Ghost. I apologize for that this morning. Nonetheless, I challenge you today; you have heard the Word of God. The Word will make you free this morning; free from depression, misery, family problems, a school that doesn’t understand, friends that you can’t count on!!!
We have heard about One God and His Spirit this morning. Now it is time we decided what we will do with this Jesus!!!!
