Redeeming The Years

First Baptist Church

Jellico, Tennessee.

Sunday Morning January 27, 2002

Bro. Michael Blankenship: Pastor

Joel 2:18-27 “Redeeming The Lost Years”

In most lives there are periods, which, as far as productive labor, happiness in our hearts, or worth to the kingdom of God are lost years. Joel cries out against these lost years in the life of his nation. He calls them, the years that the locust have eaten. Joel’s message was called forth by a national calamity. Locust had stripped the land bear, nothing green was left untouched, all of the crops were destroyed. Famine, poverty, and misery quickly set up house keeping amidst the chaos that ensued. Such a time called for some sure word from the Lord, and Joel would be God’s spokesman during this day. Joel is often referred to as the prophet of consolation. I wonder why we allow our lives to trickle through our hands until the fading twilight hours appear, then suddenly as if awakened from some deep slumber we try and make up for lost time. God says it very plainly through Joel, those days are gone. It ‘s kind of like that old Bobby Vinton song, that says, “those were the days my friend, I thought they would never end….” God does promise to make each day sweeter, and every week better if we will repent of our sins and turn to Him.

1. The Cause of Lost Years

a. Fear and indecison:

B. Complacency

c. Self centeredness.

d. a lack of discernment between what is important, and what can wait.

E. Spiritual immaturity.

F. Worst of all, years are lost because of sin.

2. There is a cost to the Lost years

a. Cost in the life of the lost person.

Because of the indecison, some will loose their imortal souls and spend eternity in a sinners hell.

B, Because of self centeredness: some will miss the joy of large horizons and their world shrinks until it finally hems them in.

C. Because of spiritual immaturity some will stay on the playground rather than the battle ground for Jesus Christ.

III. The cure for Lost Years.

a. Recast your life around a new center: Example, a excellent golf ball has a liquid capsule in its center. a cheap ball will have a rubberized hollow center. The cheap ball may be easily discarded. The excellent ball if it gets lost we look for it. What is at your center will determine your worth