Pulpit Curriculum: Awaken to Repentance
May 19th – May 25th, 2024
Sermon Summary
Today’s sermon opened a new series from the prophetic narrative of Joel, one of the Minor Prophets, on the theme “Awaken”. The book of Joel is a prophetic text that addresses a crisis in Judah—an invasion of locusts that devastates the land. The locust plague serves as a metaphor for a deeper spiritual crisis. Joel calls the people to repentance and emphasizes the importance of communal and intergenerational response to God’s judgments. The sermon challenges us to be attentive to God’s Word – so that we are changed by it and pass it on; recognize the signs of spiritual desolation – given that such dryness affects our relationship with God and others, hindering our worship and service; and cultivate a heart of repentance – as a daily practice of turning toward God, and not only in response to crises.
Verse of the Week
Joel 1:13
13 Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Go in, pass the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God.
Going Deeper
Review: Joel 1: 1-20
1) Why does the prophet Joel emphasize the need to tell future generations about the disaster (v.2-3)?
a) How can we ensure that the lessons we learn from God’s interventions in our lives are passed on to future generations?
2) One of the points the preacher listed that will aid believers in being Attentive to God’s Word is the call to recognize its authority
a) Discuss two persons in Scripture who failed to recognize the authority of God’s Word and what were the resulting consequences.
b) Discuss two persons who recognized and stood on the authority of God’s Word and the resulting consequences.
3) Using the Bible as a guide define your understanding of spiritual desolation.
a) List four signs of spiritual desolation and give references from scripture to support your answer.
4) Using scripture, describe what is a Solemn Assembly.
a) What is the significance of calling a solemn assembly in Joel 1:14?
b) How does this compare to the early Christian practice of fasting and prayer in Acts 13:2-3 or 1 Timothy 2:1-2?
c) How would such an assembly be applied today to (1) individuals and (2) the church?
5) How does the urgency of the “Day of the Lord” in Joel 1:15 challenge us to be watchful and prepared, as Jesus instructs in Matthew 24:42-44?
Assess Your Life
The following questions are intended to help you gain deeper insight into your spiritual condition and identify areas for growth and improvement in your relationship with God. Ask yourself the questions, respond honestly, document your responses in your personal journal, and then prayerfully seek God’s conviction and guidance to move forward to repentance and restoration.
1) Have I taken the time to reflect on and share significant spiritual events and lessons from my life with others, especially with my family and community?
2) Are there areas in my life where I feel like I am experiencing continuous setbacks or losses?
3) Am I seeking comfort or escape in things that distract me from my relationship with God?
4) How consistent am I in my worship and offering to God, even when times are tough?
5) How often do I turn to prayer and fasting in times of personal or communal distress?
6) Do I recognize the signs of spiritual desolation in my life, and am I crying out to God for help?
Application
1) Consider practical ways to document and share testimonies of God’s faithfulness with your family and community.
2) Examine your life for areas where you might be spiritually complacent. List 3 changes that you can make this week to turn towards living in a state of readiness for Christ’s return.
3) Organize a day of prayer and fasting among your family, small group, or other close community.
4) Strengthen your spiritual discipline by committing to pray daily and join the monthly corporate prayer meeting.
I will ask_____ to hold me accountable in this.
Sermon Main Points
As we heed the call to awaken to repentance, believers should:
Be attentive to God’s Word (Joel 1:1-3)
God’s word comes to each of us to meet our needs and speak to us in our own difficulties, but it also comes to us so that as we interact with the truth of what God says, we are changed by it and pass it on.
- Being attentive to God’s word is a call to at least 4 things:
- Recognize the authority of God’s word
- Cultivate a habit of listening
- Pass on the wisdom
- Reflect on God’s faithfulness
Recognize the signs of spiritual desolation (Joel 1:4-12)
Just as the locusts consumed Judah’s land, sin can consume our spiritual lives, leaving us barren and unfruitful. We must examine our spiritual practices, relationships, and attitudes, looking for signs of dryness such as lack of joy, peace, or purpose.
- Spiritual desolation can be seen today in subtle and not so subtle ways:
- Moral erosion – the blurring of lines between right and wrong
- Increase in materialism – obsession with material wealth and consumerism
- Family fragmentation – high divorce rates, single-parent households, and a breakdown of traditional family structures
- Decline of religious engagement
Cultivate a heart of repentance (Joel 1:13-20)
In the face of adversity and calamity, we should cultivate a heart of lamentation, mourning over the brokenness in our lives and the world around us. Nonetheless, we should continuously turn toward God, not just in response to crises, but as a daily practice.
- Cultivating a heart of repentance requires us to:
- Understand the necessity of repentance
- Engage in acts of repentance
- Prepare for the Day of the Lord
Sermon Reflection
What stood out for me in this sermon?
What can I do to remember this?
Quotes
Corporate prayer becomes hard and laborious when the discipline isn’t developed on a personal level. —Derek A. Ward
Cultivating a heart of repentance means continuously turning toward God, not just in response to crises but as a daily practice. —Derek A. Ward
5 Day Study Plan
Use the Inductive Bible Study method to study these scriptures this week and remember to share with someone else.
Follow these steps
1. Observe the text.
(What do you see in the text? Look for answers to questions like: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?)
2. Interpret the text.
(What did God and the human author of the text want the original people reading this text to understand/do? Why?)
3. Apply the text.
(How do I need to change in my thinking, my affections, my attitudes, and/or my actions?)
Day 1 - Deuteronomy 28:38-42
Day 2 - Exodus 10:12-15
Day 3 - Psalm 78:4-8
Day 4 - Matthew 24:42-44
Day 5 - Romans 8:22-23
For best results, this content should be read and prepared privately and then discussed in your small group or with family / friends. We were not created to do life alone - get connected with a small group and grow together.