Sermon Central
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The Truth About Judgment Series
Contributed by Vance Elzinga on Jun 22, 2007 (message contributor)
Summary: How is seeing God as judge good and life-giving, and what does it mean for us to "rend our hearts"?
20070506a – Joel – The Truth About Judgment
Opener
Humorous story of piled-up disappointments (good news/bad news, etc)
You
Been mowed down ever? Disappointments piled up? Where’s abundance?
How do you feel with that kind of storm hits?
God
Joel’s people wave after wave of ‘locust plagues.’
• Bw/day consumption; 40,000 people in 1 year, by swarm in 1 day
• Leave stuff behind, too
That’s nothing… Day of the Lord
Still, it is not about God mowing us down, rather…
Wants his people to be alive to God!
1. judgment – seat of Christ, its real.
a. Giving an account…
b. Its for them, too (Joel) not just enemies…
c. Being under grace…
2. abundance – outpouring, more than acquittal, abundance
a. don’t cut it off here, like, “no, I’m okay” (well enough)
b. like, ‘thanks for the lift’… or a little help in not drowning
i. use illust of near drowning, fear, need! (here?)
3. repent, return, receive (need all for abundance)
a. repent – really, now…
i. sin we want to hang onto…
ii. outward ‘rending’ – easily done and frequently hypocritical
iii. maybe haven’t been real with anyone, but get real with God now
iv. examples…
v. keep part of my heart
vi. John Owen, when sin never less quiet than when it is quiet.
vii. “okay, I’m sorry” – lumber penance story (lead into return)
b. return
i. not just our full-time professional forgiver (jog description)
ii. created to glorify God, return to that purpose!
iii. In Christ, not just of Christ
iv. Vs indifference, doing motions…
c. receive
i. Be completely filled with the Spirit of God!
ii. Life is more than not death!
iii. Adopted! Heir!
You
(Response card)
Invitation – push it HARD and say so.
IBM opportunity – CP/M snub, so Bill Gates (didn’t know what he was missing)
We – Imagine a ‘church’!
• real and repentant about sin – rending hearts
• turned toward Jesus, passionately
• not just acquitted, but abundant (God’s power not ours)
• alive to God (careful insinuations)
• loving as Jesus loves! (John 13.34-35)