What About You?

Sermon

Joel 2:13

What about you?

Introduction: We learn here that this is Joel son of Pethuel. He wrote to the people of Judah, the Southern Kingdom, and God’s people everywhere. He was writing for the purpose to warn Judah of God’s impending judgment because of its sins and to urge the people to turn back to God.

So we see here in chapter 2, that God had told the people to turn to him while there was still time. Time was running out and destruction would soon be upon them. Time is also running out for us. Because we don’t know when our lives will end, we should turn to the Lord now, while we can. Don’t let anything hold you back from turning to God.

Tearing one’s clothes often showed deep remorse. But God didn’t want an outward display of remorse without true inward repentance (I Samuel 16:7; Matthew 23:1-36). Be sure your attitude toward God is correct, not just your outward actions.

I want to look at the part of this scripture that says: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

You see what your Lord God is, so the question is:

“What about you?”

· So what I’m asking is what are you willing to do?

· Not even just that, what are you willing to be like? Jesus was gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness. And when he got mad at you, he said that he would bring no harm to you.

· So the question is again: “What about you?”

Ø Turn to (Isaiah 53:5-12) we can see what the Lord has done, what about us.

Ø Love John 13: 34-35 15: 13

Ø Loving your enemies Matthew 5:44

Ø What comes out of your giving in? Matthew 5:3-12

Ø What else did the Lord do? Luke 2:40

Romans 12:1-13 Focus verse # 1 & 2

1. God’s sovereignty does not absolve man of his personal responsibility

a. One truth clearly taught in Scripture is that God is sovereign in His thoughts, plans, and executions. Paul in Romans 9-11 elaborated this, especially as he deals with God’s relationship with Israel and the Gentiles. In His sovereignty it is impossible for God to be unjust toward anyone.

b. A second related and parallel truth is that man is responsible for all that God has given him, as shown in the Parable of the Pounds (Luke 19:11-27) and the Parable of the Talents (Matt. 25:14-30). It is true that God by His grace affects a work of regeneration is us (1 Peter 1:3; Rom. 55:10; 2 Cor. 5:18). But as a new creature in Christ, a believer becomes personally responsible for his actions and the impression that he makes on the world around him. In other words, the believer must make his own decision and be held accountable for them. In Romans 12, Paul stresses that the Believer’s main responsibility is to live a holy life.

2. We must consecrate our bodies to Christ

a. When we become Christians, we must recognize that we do not automatically get rid of our corruptible mortal bodies (Rom. 6:12; 1 Cor. 15:53, 54; 2Ccor. 4:11; 5:4). This transformation will not occur until the final resurrection (Rom. 8:23).

b. It is the indwelling Spirit of the crucified and resurrected Christ (Rom. 6:6; Gal. 2:20) who gives us the power to voluntarily refrain from sin (Rom. 6:14). And, thus, only as a Christian am I in a position to present my body unto the Lord instead of unto sin.

i. This act of consecration discussed in Romans 12:1 takes two forms. The verb is in the infinitive aorist which indicates one act of sunder of the body. A daily, moment by moment denial of our body to be used for unrighteousness can only be achieved by this once-and-for-all presentation of ourselves unto God as being alive from the dead. In the phase “now yield your member servants to righteousness…” (Rom. 6:19), the verb is the aorist imperative meaning, “to present,” indicating a once-and-for-all presentation or voluntary crucifixion with Christ (Gal. 2:20).

ii. The second form this consecration of our bodies takes after our initial dedication to Christ is called “a living sacrifice” (Rom. 12:1). The participial adjective, “living” means something that is the result of our present will and which is done constantly without ever becoming dead or losing its vibrancy. A “sacrifice” is something that we give up in order to please God. Such a sacrifice does not mean the privation of the legitimate need of our body within the realm of prescribed Christians conduct. This unselfish yielding must not only be living, conscious and constant, but also holy, separated from sin and attached to God. It must also be well pleasing or acceptable unto God and it must have a calculated or reasoned out purpose and public usefulness. That is what “service” is. Our sacrifice must also be “reasonable, logical, well-planned and calculated.” God will not accept as service that which has selfish motives and neglects out duty toward our family and society.