(An audio recording of the sermon will be uploaded here after the Sunday service.)
Last Sunday, we were able to invite our denomination’s leader, Pastor Ochiai, to come to IBF. In our denomination there is a sense that a new season is beginning. I wonder if you have felt that too. I’m thankful for Pastor Ochiai’s many encouragements.
My wife and I took time off last week and went to Barcelona, Spain. Barcelona is known as the city of Gaudi, and the famous church called Sagrada Familia which Antoni Gaudi designed is in its central area. The church has four towers symbolizing the Gospel writers Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; and in their center is the tallest tower dedicated to Jesus Christ. Construction of the tower of Jesus will finish in 2026. Which is exactly 100 years after the death of Gaudi. Through this church, the message of Jesus and of the gospel is shared with the world. It’s wonderful.
Also, I unexpectedly met Japanese Christians in Barcelona and had fellowship with them. There is a group of Japanese in Barcelona who meet regularly to study the Bible and have fellowship. Thanks to their leader, I was able to attend Sunday service at a local church. Though we came from different countries, I was really happy to meet people there who study the Bible, gather in church, and encourage one another in the faith. We are called to believe in the good news of Jesus, to have a heart for sharing it with others, and to build a solid foundation for our lives.
Today, we will read again from the book of Joel. We will focus on chapter 3. The theme for today is the same as last month: the day of the Lord. What I wish for us to think about is how we should live as believers in light of the end times. As I mentioned before, the day of the Lord in the book of Joel is a day of judgment for both the people of God as well as the people of all nations. But that is not all; God also promises to bless those who repent. Also in the book of Joel is a vision of the Holy Spirit being poured out on all peoples. Though it is a day of harsh judgment, it is also a day of abundant blessing for those who repent.
Chapter 3 verses 1 and 2 say, “In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel, because they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.” Here, we see that the day of the Lord is when Judah and Jerusalem’s fortunes will be restored. God will gather up and give righteous judgment on the nations who have persecuted his people. The name Jehoshaphat means “the Lord has judged.” The Valley of Jehoshaphat is thought to refer to the Kidron Valley between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. God’s judgment will be passed upon the nations here.
The main reason mentioned here for judgment is the sin of human trafficking. The cities of Tyre and Sidon mentioned in verse 4 were port cities of the Mediterranean Sea. There, many poor people of Judah were sold as slaves. The Lord prophesied against the people of Tyre and Sidon that they would face his judgment and be treated the way they had treated others. Let us read verses 6 to 8 next: “’You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, that you might send them far from their homeland. See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them, and I will return on your own heads what you have done. I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, a nation far away.’ The Lord has spoken.” What they had done to others, it would be done to them.
Verses 12 to 15 say, “Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side. Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow—so great is their wickedness! Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine.” The Lord will judge all nations. The day of the Lord is revealed as judgment on a global scale.
Brothers and sisters, look at the state of the world today. Dictators are having free rein in Europe, Africa, Asia, and many other places. We hear sad news almost every day. In Japan, too, there was a time when many were people drafted into war and their freedom was taken away. Believers were persecuted, subjected to violence, and many lost their lives. Here, Joel warns, “Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side.”
Verses 17 and 18 say, “Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her. In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house and will water the valley of acacias.” On the day of the Lord, God promises to not only judge all peoples but also bring the restoration of Jerusalem. The true God will bring to reality a Jerusalem where he dwells. Let’s now compare verse 20 with Revelation 21:1-4. The Old Testament prophecy is made clearer in the New Testament.
Joel 3:20 says, “Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem through all generations.”
Revelation 21:1-4 says, “Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
This shows the New Jerusalem, not the current earthly Jerusalem. The apostle Peter says that this world will be consumed by fire or, as another translation puts it, refined by fire. The new heavens, the new earth, and the holy city of New Jerusalem will come one day. As believers we await New Jerusalem with faith and hope. 2 Peter chapter 3 verses 10 and 13 say, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare” and “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”
Again, we wait for the day of the Lord, when our Lord Jesus will return. He is the one who will carry out righteous judgment. For some people, the return of Jesus will be a fearful day. But for us who believe in him, we have hope and anticipate his return. For those who have the promise of eternal life, the day of the Lord is a day of hope.
At the entrance of the Sagrada Familia church (officially named the Expiatory Church of the Holy Family), which Gaudi began constructing with great passion, there are carvings of the birth of Jesus. And at the exit of the church, there are carvings of the story of the Cross. Inside the church, there are four main pillars that support the structure, representing Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. So, the church is full of message of the good news of Jesus. Unfortunately, Gaudi had an accident where he stumbled while walking on the road and was hit by a tram, causing him to die 3 days later at the age of 73. But the gospel he believed remains unchanged. Martin Luther said that people were created to share eternity with God. We who believe in Jesus have the promise of eternal life, so let us eagerly await his return on the day of the Lord.
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