4 Stages In Life

I. EXORDIUM:

Do you enjoy the LORD in every stages of life?

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show every stages in life is for the LORD.

IV. TEXT:

Joel 2:16 (Amplified Bible)

2:16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation; assemble the elderly people, gather the children and the nursing infants; let the bridegroom [who is legally exempt from attending] go forth from his chamber and the bride out of her closet. [None is exempt from the humiliation.]

Joel 2:1 (Contemporary English Version)

Make sure that everyone is fit to worship me. Bring adults, children, babies, and even bring newlyweds from their festivities.

V. THESIS:

Praise, worship and thank You very much LORD JESUS for the LORD is my Life in all stages of my life here on earth.

VI. TITLE:

4 stages in life

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. Author: Joel, a prophet of Judah. His name means "Jehovah is GOD"

B. Date written: uncertain

C. Purpose: To warn Judah of GOD's judgement and call them to repentance

D. To whom written: The Southern Kingdom (Judah)

E. Main Theme: National repentance and it's blessings

F. Key words: "the Day of the LORD" Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14.—Thompson Chain - Bible Book Outlines

G. Key verses:

Joel 2:12-13 (Amplified Bible)

2:12 Therefore also now, says the Lord, turn and keep on coming to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [until every hindrance is removed and the broken fellowship is restored].

2:13 Rend your hearts and not your garments and return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in loving-kindness; and He revokes His sentence of evil [when His conditions are met].

VIII. MAIN BODY:

These are four stages in our life that all of us can relate to and have experienced them. I remember my grandma when she was still alive, told me to excuse her not to go to church, since she's already too old and very sickly. If I knew better then, the more I have insisted that she needed the LORD in the church. But I gave to her request, so she was not able to accept the LORD JESUS as her LORD and SAVIOR. If only I listened more to the WORD of GOD back then rather than my grandma, the LORD have saved her soul.

I remember my son, when he was still a baby in the stroller, the more I eagerly brought him to church every Sunday, we never missed a service, his grandma and grandpa don't want him to go with us in church, since he's still a baby, but I never allowed that excuse to not bring my son to church.

A. Adult - We could have excused ourselves not to go to worship services since we're so old or very weak, why bother? Well the more we need the LORD since the LORD is our Strength.

Psalms 28:8 (Amplified Bible)

28:8 The Lord is their [unyielding] Strength, and He is the Stronghold of salvation to [me] His anointed.

Psalms 29:11 (Amplified Bible)

29:11 The Lord will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.

Psalms 43:2 (Amplified Bible)

43:2 For You are the God of my strength [my Stronghold—in Whom I take refuge]; why have You cast me off? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

B. Children - children are blessed more if they are laid hands on.

It is the command of JESUS for little children to come to Him, and where do we think JESUS is now? In the church, of course, in His House, every Sunday, Midweek Services, Dawn watches or whatever services you might have in your church, bring them always.

Luke 18:16 (Amplified Bible)

18:16 But Jesus called them [the parents] to Him, saying, Allow the little children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for to such [as these] belongs the kingdom of God.

Where can we imitate little children's faith if we don't bring them along?

Luke 10:21 (Amplified Bible)

10:21 In that same hour He rejoiced and gloried in the Holy Spirit and said, I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have concealed these things [relating to salvation] from the wise and understanding and learned, and revealed them to babes (the childish, unskilled, and untaught). Yes, Father, for such was Your gracious will and choice and good pleasure.

Mark 9:37 (Amplified Bible)

9:37 Whoever in My name and for My sake accepts and receives and welcomes one such child also accepts and receives and welcomes Me; and whoever so receives Me receives not only Me but Him Who sent Me.

C. Babies - we have reasons or alibi not to bring a baby to church, since we can't focus on the LORD. Focus on the LORD at the same time bring the babies, let them all grow in the knowledge of the LORD. The LORD's Presence is vitamins to them because the LORD is the Sun of righteousness.