Those who have received the Spirit of God
Joel 2:26~32 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the survivors whom the Lord calls. (32) Hymn for scheduled worship: Korean/English Hymnal #357 Am I a Soldier of the Cross (#387 in previous version) The name of the prophet Joel means ‘one to whom the Lord is God.’ God promised the filling of the Holy Spirit to Joel. When the Spirit of God descended upon Joel, God was greatly at work regardless of Joel’s power or ability. God reveals the future and hope to those who have received the Spirit of God, namely the Holy Spirit, and allows them to experience the power of God. Have we received the Spirit of God? How can we enjoy the filling of the Holy Spirit in our lives?
1. God promised the Exodus
God promised the Exodus to the Israelites who were held captives in Egypt. With their own power it was impossible for the feeble Israelites to be released from Egypt, but God displayed the miracle of the ten plagues through Moses who received the Spirit of God and set the Israelites free from the bondage of Egypt. God reveals the future to those who trust in His Word and have received the Spirit of God and accomplishes the mystery that the world is unaware of.
2. God made a promise to those who call on the name of the Lord
God’s desire and plan is world evangelization. God raises those who are filled with the Spirit of God as workers for world evangelization and enables them to conquer all nations with the Gospel. God showed Joel how He would show wonders and His plans for the conquest of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. He also promised that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved and that He will raise those who have this power as the survivors. (Joel 2:32)
3. God made a promise with the conquest of Rome near at hand
God promised that He would raise us as witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. World evangelization is not something that can be done by man’s power. God promised that He would work like wind and fire. The persecution of Stephen became the door of evangelism and all crises became beneficial for the dissemination of the Gospel. God opens the door of missions and promised that we must see Rome also.
- God promised world evangelization to those who have received the Spirit of God. Let us uncover the works of God and the answer of uniqueness within the power that God provides for us. Immanuel Church Sunday Worship 2nd Service / 2012.5.13