May it please Almighty God to
bless us as we meditate in his word this morning. Let us turn
to the book of Joel and the second chapter, and we'll read the first
verse. The book of Joel, the second
chapter, and we'll read the first verse. Blow ye the trumpet in Zion. and sound an alarm in my holy
mountain. Let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble, for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh
at hand. It is interesting to realise
that the Book of Joel was written and we don't know when it was
actually written. There's nothing in the writing
of Joel to indicate what actual period it was written. People
have made various conjectures but none of those conjectures
have any real foundation. So we can rightly and properly
assume that this prophecy of Joel, and we can call it a prophecy
I believe because it speaks about the situation which existed and
those things which should come, that it applies to us today in
our time as much as it did in the time in which it was written. It is a very solemn book and
yet also a very blessed book. And it starts off in the first
chapter where we're told the word of the Lord came to Joel.
It wasn't something that he dreamt or anything like that. It came
to him and he wrote it down. And he says this, hear this,
ye old men, We might think when we're old, we don't need to continually
hear the truth of God, but here it is. Hear this, ye old men,
and give ear all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in
your days, or even in the days of your fathers? And then he
says, tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell
their children, and their children another generation. So we can
see how it is a position that we should not pass over again
with regard to the Word of God. It is there to be spoken about. It's not just to be read and
to be tucked away. But there is a very solemn responsibility
to therefore tell our children and let their children tell their
children and then their children another generation. What it really
means is there should be a continuance of testifying of the truth of
God. Now, it's very clear that Joel
writes here about dark and difficult days. And the world has passed
through many periods like this. I suppose in one sense we can
say there have always been dark and difficult times. Perhaps
more specifically, when Joel wrote this, but we can look around
today, can't we? And we can see that we live in
a world today of really darkness and gloominess, especially with
regards to spiritual things, the things of God. It is evident
that people do not want to know about the things of God. They
are not interested. And that's why perhaps the prophet
was told here to write such words, blow ye the trumpet in Zion. That really means in the church
of God. That the church of God should
be alerted to the true situation. It's very easy, you know, to
come and go. come and go week by week and
assume things are just continuing and really have no real concern
about the souls of so many people that surround us. We should be
very thankful that yesterday we were able to distribute the
Gospel of John and that card to some 2,000 addresses. and then also for the Post Office
to distribute another 5,000 or so of those cards to many addresses
again in our area. And we're thankful indeed for
this ability. But the important and very relevant
thing is that we don't forget what we've done. And we need
to pray continually that this work may be blessed of our God
to the salvation of many souls. We don't want to just have done
it and then pat ourselves on the back and think, well, that
was a good morning's work and we've done that which is right.
Well, it was. But we should be more concerned
about the effect and more concerned that people may indeed read the
Word of God and be eternally blessed. Now we may never know. The Lord knows what he will do. But it is our privilege and our
responsibility to pray for the blessing of God. And likewise,
our market stall. We should be very thankful that
we're able to hold that and that we are privileged to desire to
hold it. And for again, numbers of people
that come young and old and receive Bibles and books and we pray
indeed this may be wonderfully blessed to the salvation of souls. Some who may indeed have come
timidly and yet have received a copy of the Bible that they
may take it home and open it and read it and it may be a word
of eternal blessing to their souls. And so here we have this
word here, blow you the trumpet in Zion and sound an alarm. You know, we need to be alarmed
about the day and age in which we live. We can so easily settle
down to be found at ease, at ease in the Church of God. And yet, what a blessing it is
when the Holy Spirit shows to us the great need there is in
the souls of many to hear and to receive the Word of God. What a mercy it is, because we
go on in this verse to say, let all the inhabitants of the land
tremble. You see, naturally speaking, when things like earthquakes
and sometimes exceedingly heavy rain or hailstorms and perhaps
volcanoes erupting, perhaps tsunamis occurring. People tremble because,
generally speaking, they're only concerned about their natural
life. But what a great blessing it
would be if they tremble because of their fear of passing out
of time into a lost eternity. And so here we're told, blow
ye the trumpet in Zion and sound an alarm in my holy mountain. Now, a trumpet, of course, makes
a good noise, doesn't it? Some of you can play the trumpet,
I know. And you're very aware that if the trumpet is blown
well, it makes a loud noise. a much louder noise than just
a mere voice. So here, the people in this day
and age were to blow the trumpets if there was a need for an alarm. There were silver trumpets which
were made specifically and kept for this situation. And the priests
would blow the trumpets in Zion and sound an alarm. Well, we
today don't actually have silver trumpets to blow. But my friends,
we do have the great and glorious Word of God, the Bible, to read
and to realise the relevance of it to us today. It's not something which will
ever go out of date. It will never be out of fashion. It is God's Word which is given
to man to read and what a blessing therefore if we today are able
to read the word of God and to take it in and to recognize the
relevance of it. In the first chapter of this
book the prophet tells us in the 14th verse well perhaps let
me read the 13th verse he says, gird yourselves and lament ye
priests how ye ministers of the altar come lie all night in sackcloth
ye ministers of my God for the meat offering and the drink offering
is withholden from the house of your God." It's a very solemn
position which the Prophet speaks of. And it's very true today. Really that is what is happening. You see, there is a withholding
of the blessing of the Lord. People come, people go. Sometimes you would think they'd
never heard the Gospel. Sometimes you think they had
never been listening to anything that was said. And they get outside,
and they go on their way, and they forget what they'd heard. Well, the Lord Jesus speaks of
that solemn situation, doesn't he? But when he speaks about
the parable of the sower, And how simple and how true that
very wonderful account is. It occurs in the Gospels, Matthew,
Mark and Luke. And just referring perhaps to
the account in the Gospel of Matthew, which is the 13th chapter
of the Gospel of Matthew, and this is what the Lord says, Hear
ye therefore the parable of the sower. And why does he say that? Well, he says in the previous
verses, Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears for
they hear. For very I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous
men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have
not seen them, and to hear those things which
ye hear, and have not heard them." Well, you know, it's a solemn
statement, isn't it? And it's true today. Many people
go to chapel all their life, and some never hear the gospel. They hear it with a natural ear. They don't hear it with a spiritual
ear. And so the Lord then really expounds
it in this way. He says, Hear ye therefore the
parable of the sower. When one heareth the word of
the kingdom and understandeth it not, then cometh a wicked
one and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart, this is
he which received seed by the wayside. Well, you might have
to say, that's me. But he that received the seed
into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word and
anon with joy receiveth it. Yet hath he not rooted himself
But dureth for a while, for when tribulation or persecution ariseth
because of the word, by and by he is offended. And you may say
this morning, well, that's me. And then thirdly, he also that
receives seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word and
the care of this world. And the deceitfulness of riches
choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. And then the Lord says finally,
But he that receiveth seed into the good ground, is he that heareth
the word, and understandeth it, which also beareth fruit, and
bringeth forth some and hundredfold some 60 and some 30. Now, if you and I are a true
believer, we will receive the Word into
good ground. But if we're not, we shall be
like one of the other three categories that the Lord describes here. And indeed today, that is true
of the vast number of mankind. But what a blessing, what a wonderful
blessing, if you and I have received the Word of God into our hearts. And our heart has been prepared
by God to receive that seed. so that we are a good ground
hearer. And that means that we come with
a hunger and we come with a thirst to hear the gospel, to hear the
good news of the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, we can
ask ourselves the question, have I come Have I come today with
that desire? Have I come today to hear for
profit with regard to my soul? As I do say, as you well know,
real religion is personal. Don't think of the person sitting
next to you. It's your soul and my soul. And so the prophet goes on to
say, sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the
elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of
the Lord your God and cry unto the Lord. It's right, isn't it? To gather
together. And it is, the Bible describes
it here very clearly as a solemn assembly. Why? Because we are
speaking about the solemn things which concern the eternal state
of our soul. And that must, therefore, surely
be a solemn consideration. Well, you and I have come here
to worship today. And I wonder if that truly has
been our concern, our desire, that you would come and meet
with us and hear our prayers. I wonder, again this morning,
as you've woken up, What were your thoughts this morning when
you woke up? Were they a desire to come and
hear what God the Lord will speak to your soul? Was your prayer
that your heart might be that good ground, ready to receive
the word of God? Or did you just think, well,
it's another Sunday, and I'm going off to chapel, and well,
I wonder what we've got for lunch, and what we're going to do? You
see, it's a very great concern it should be. A solemn assembly. That's what it's called. Well,
the first 14 verses, really, of this second chapter, describe
the sad state of the Church of God. It does have a reference
here to the previous chapter which speaks about the picture
of the locusts coming and destroying the land. And we know today it's
so easy for the things of this world, indeed as this chapter
13 in Matthew's Gospel described the situation when the Lord said,
and with regard to that third type, and when he said, he also
that receives seed among the thorns, here is the word, and
the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke
the word. and it becometh unprofitable. In the Western world today, that's
probably one of the greatest situations, the greatest problems
which we have to contend with. Well, what a blessing then if
the Lord is gracious to us and awakens us. So, as I've said,
the first 14 verses really addresses the condition And especially
as we come down to near the end of that. And this is what it
says in verse 11. And the Lord shall utter his
voice before his army, for his camp is very great, for he is
strong and executes his word. For the day of the Lord is great
and very terrible, and who can abide it? How little we realize
How great and terrible is Almighty God. God is holy. God is just. My friends, God
notes our every thought, our every word, our every deed. The Lord is great and very terrible. This is not my word. This is
God's word. Do you and I realise it? Does
it influence us every day? Not just when we turn up at chapel,
but when we're at school or college or university or work. Does it
influence our lives? And the Prophet says, Therefore
also now, saith the Lord, not tomorrow, Also therefore now
saith the Lord, turn ye even to me, with all your heart, and
with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning, and rend your
heart, and not your garments. What does that mean? It means
this. It's between your and my soul and God. It's that which
is within us. It's that which God sees. It's
not an outward rending of the garments to impress people. It's that which is between our
soul and God. And what a blessing, therefore,
if that is true in our lives. If we can look back in our lives
and remember occasions when this was so. And perhaps we need it
again and again, that we may rend our heart because of the
evil that's there, the sin which does so easily beset us, and
yet not rejoice in it, and not wallow in it, and yet come and
seek the Lord, as the prophet says, and turn unto the Lord
your God. Turn unto the Lord your God. How blessed that is. If the Holy
Spirit puts in our heart a desire to turn to him, that means to
turn away from the poor things of time, but to turn unto the
Lord who controls all things, the eternal God, who controls
our eternal soul. Rend your hearts, knot your garments,
and turn unto the Lord your God, for, and this is the gospel,
for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness,
and repenteth him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will return
and repent? Who knoweth when he'll return?
And give us therefore a heart to repent of our ways. The things we've done, the way
we've thought, our words, giving us reason to truly repent before
our God. Every born again sinner must
repent. It's not something that you and
I can evade or pass over. What a blessing if the Lord has
given us that heart to repent of all our sins, of all our shortcomings,
of all the many evil thoughts. Who knoweth that he will return
and repent and leave a blessing behind him, even a meat offering
and a drink offering unto the Lord our God.' And then the Prophet
repeats this statement below the trumpet in Zion. Again you see It is to be blown
to the Church of God, those who profess to be the Church of God. It's good to hear God speaking
to us in such a way as this. Blow the trumpet in Zion. Sanctify a fast. Call a solemn assembly. Gather the people. sanctify the
congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and those
that suck the breasts, let the bridegroom go forth out of his
chamber and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests,
the ministers of the Lord, again, I'm not reading the same verse,
it's a different verse. Let the priests, the ministers
of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar and let them
say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to
reproach, that the heathen should rule over them. Wherefore should
they say among the people, where is their God? Well, we need to
be able to walk out our religion. Religion isn't something you
and I put on when we enter the chapel doors. Our religion should
be with us every day of the week. And we should be concerned every
day of the week how we think and what we do and what we say. And not just go on blindly in
this sad and evil day in which we live. And so the Lord comes
on and speaks to us and he says this, Will the Lord be jealous for
his land and pity his people? Well, what a blessing, my friends,
if he comes and he pities us. Because if he pities us, not
only will he enable us to repent of our sins, that's essential,
but also, my friends, to direct us to the Lord Jesus Christ as
our great and wonderful saviour. And what a change that will make
in our lives. We'll have to say, and we'll
love to say, whereas I was blind, but now I see. What do you see? You see the great and glorious
truth of the gospel. And it is indeed good news, because
it sets before us forgiveness. It sets before us salvation. It directs us to what the Lord
Jesus Christ has done. What a blessing, what a mercy,
and the apostle tells us, Yea, the Lord will answer and say
unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn and wine and oil,
and you shall be satisfied therewith. And I will no more make you a
reproach among the heathen, but I will remove far off from you
the northern army and will drive him into a land barren and desolate,
with his face toward the East Sea and his hind apart toward
the utmost sea. and his stink shall come up,
and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great
things. Well, there is then the great
view here that directs us to the Saviour. And the Lord then
speaks in this way, Fear not, O land, perhaps we are fearful. The Lord hath cast us aside.
We deserve to be cast aside. We don't deserve the Lord's mercy.
And yet here we have a gracious and wonderful word. Fear not,
O land, be glad and rejoice. What's the reason? The reason
is very simple. The reason is very wonderful.
This is what it is. For the Lord will do great things. Well, has the Lord done great
things for us? Do we believe he will do great
things for us? And my friends, those great things
are to reveal the Lord Jesus Christ to our souls as our Saviour. There cannot really be a greater
blessing than that, because it means that the Lord has given
to us the great and wonderful gift of eternal life. What a mercy then as the prophet
goes on. Be glad then you children of
Zion and rejoice in the Lord your God. And he goes on and
says, for he has given you the former rain moderately and he
will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain and
the latter rain in the first month. That means he will pour
forth the blessing to our souls we can't go through it all, there's
not time but just very briefly, this is what it says I will restore to you the years of the locusts
that have eaten the canker worm and the caterpillar and the palmer
worm my great army which I sent among you well Perhaps as we
look into our hearts we can see how there's been many wasted
hours and days and weeks and years perhaps in our life when
we have not been found serving God, we've been found serving
the devil. And yet here is the glorious
promise, and I will restore to you to me the years perhaps
have been years in our life which have been wasted valuable years
especially you know when you and I are young you may say well
why do you say that? well I'll tell you why I say
that because when you and I are young we can remember things
far better our memory retains things Far better. When we get older, our memory
becomes less. And so what a blessing it is
if God grants that when we're young, we remember and understand
the great truths of the Gospel. When we have the evidence that
Lord God has given us spiritual life, it's a wonderful blessing. But if not, perhaps today we're
hungering and thirsting after spiritual blessings. Here's a
word to encourage, and I will restore to you the years that
the locusts have eaten, etc. Well, the trumpet's blowing,
my friends. The trumpet's blowing into our
ears. to hear the great and glorious
truth of the gospel. And what a mercy if our ears
are open to receive the sound of the trumpet. But our ears
aren't stopped up, but they're open. And so he goes on, and
ye shall eat in plenty. Isn't that wonderful? Unworthy
sinners received by God. Blessed by God, eating in plenty. You see how kind and gracious
God is. You shall eat in plenty and be
satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God that hath
dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never be
ashamed. Oh, this is good news, isn't
it? Blow ye the trumpet in Zion. Tell the people the good news
of the gospel. To think of that. Yes, we shall
eat in plenty. Our souls shall be fed. The gospel
becomes a reality. Christ becomes precious. We rejoice
in what he's done, in what he said. The Bible, it becomes a
new book. It's an open book. It's not a
closed book. We love to read it. It's food
for our souls. And then he says, and ye shall
know that I am in the midst of Israel and that I am the Lord
your God and none else, none other, can save our souls. No one else
can save us of none else. And my people shall never be
ashamed. It's repeated. And my people
shall never be ashamed. Isn't that wonderful? So never
be ashamed of what God has done and what God does and what God
will do. Well, my friends, may we rejoice
then this morning in such a truth as this. And there's just one
last thought. Finally, the last verse. Blow you the trumpet. The last verse in this second
chapter. And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call
on the name of the Lord shall be delivered. You see, whosoever
That includes you. That includes me. Whosoever shall
call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered. If we then
pray to our God, call upon his name from our very heart, through
the work of the Blessed Spirit, we shall be delivered. Deliverance. What a joyful sound that is.
Whosoever shall call In the name of the Lord shall be delivered. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
shall be deliverance. The church of God where the gospel
is preached to hear the good news of the gospel. Deliverance. to go on our way rejoicing, for
in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the
Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call. What
a blessing it is for you and me today, my friends, if the
trumpet sounded and we hear it. And we are therefore amongst
the remnant whom the Lord shed.