Title: Redeeming the Lost Years

Text: Joel 2:18-25

Joel 2:15-25

15 Blow a trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out of his room and the bride out of her {bridal} chamber.17 Let the priests, the LORD'S ministers, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, "Spare Thy people, O LORD, and do not make Thine inheritance a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, 'Where is their God?'" 18 Then the LORD will be zealous for His land, and will have pity on His people. 19 And the LORD will answer and say to His people, "Behold, I am going to send you grain, new wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied {in full} with them; and I will never again make you a reproach among the nations. 20 "But I will remove the northern {army} far from you, and I will drive it into a parched and desolate land, and its vanguard into the eastern sea, and its rear guard into the western sea. And its stench will arise and its foul smell will come up, for it has done great things." 21 Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad, for the LORD has done great things.22 Do not fear, beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness have turned green, for the tree has borne its fruit, the fig tree and the vine have yielded in full. 23 So rejoice, O sons of Zion, and be glad in the LORD your God; for He has given you the early rain for {your} vindication. And He has poured down for you the rain, the early and latter rain as before.24 And the threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with the new wine and oil. 25 "Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the creeping locust, the stripping locust, and the gnawing locust, My great army which I sent among you. 26 "And you shall have plenty to eat and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; then My people will never be put to shame. (NAS)

In most of our lives there are times in which our worth to the kingdom or at least our productivity in spiritual matters can be considered lost or wasted years. Joel talks about just such at period in the life of his nation as "the years the swarming locust has eaten."

His prophecy was in response to a national calamity. A devastating plague of locusts had stripped the land bare. The result was a devastating famine, wide spread poverty and lots of misery. Now, the armies of the north were lurking at the gates ready to swarm down like locusts on an already ravaged nation. Joel was God's man for the time with a word of assurance to the nation.

Verse 25 is a summary statement that looks back at the time of adversity forward to a time of prosperity. A time of restoration, renewal and revival. God promised years of abundance to redeem the years lost to adversity.

Like the nation of Israel, Christians often suffer from lost years. Most of us can probably look back on our own lives and see wasted years. Years when we simply were unconcerned about spiritual matters. Years that could have been productive for the kingdom of God, but were instead like those lost years where Israel was ravaged by locusts.

I. The Cause of Lost Years

1. Years of productivity are lost because of ignorance.

The word ignorance is often used in a derogatory manner but the word simply means uninformed or lacking knowledge. Sometimes we lack knowledge because we haven't heard the truth. But, many of us were uninformed and lacked knowledge of spiritual matters not because we hadn't heard the truth, but because we refused to hear it.

Paul wrote to the Ephesian church in Eph 4:17-18:

17 This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,

18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; (NAS)

Israel was ignorant, because the nation refused to learn from her past, She deliberately chose not to listen to her Lord. They were ignorant because of the hardness of their hearts.

When I look back on my life I see all the years I wasted, unproductive years, because I chose not to hear. My mind was so occupied with worldly things that I deliberately shut out spiritual truth. Christians often lose years of kingdom value because they are running from God, refusing to hear and respond to His call to salvation and to service because of self imposed ignorance.

2. Years are lost because of indecision and fear

Max L. Lucado personifies fear and describes it this way: "His modus operandi is to manipulate you with the mysterious, to taunt you with the unknown. Fear of death, fear of failure, fear of God, fear of tomorrow - his arsenal is vast. His goal? To create cowardly, joyless souls. He doesn't want you to make the journey to the mountain. He figures if he can rattle you enough, you will take your eyes off the peaks and settle for a dull existence in the flatlands."

We lose years because we are afraid to try, afraid to fail, afraid someone will think of us as strange or different or even fanatical. So we convince ourselves we can't fail if we don't try and the truth is when we don't try we fail even more. Our fear paralyzes us into inactivity and unproductiveness.

I think it was Winston Churchill who said we have nothing to fear, but fear itself. The Psalmist said, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me." (Ps 23:4 NAS)

That means we have nothing to fear in serving the Lord, not even death.

3. Years are lost because of complacency - satisfied with where you are

1 Tim 6:17-18

17 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.

18 {Instruct them} to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, (NAS)

Sometimes we get into a comfort zone and we refuse to get out of that zone. Jesus told a parable in Luke chapter twelve of a man whose land was very productive so he tore down his old barns and built new barns and stored his crops. In verse 19 we get to listen in on this man's thoughts.

19 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years {to come;} take your ease, eat, drink {and} be merry."'

20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This {very} night your soul is required of you; and {now} who will own what you have prepared?'

21 "So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

(Luke 12:19-21 NAS)

Often times we do that on a spiritual level and are satisfied with what we have done outwardly and waste years resting on our laurels doing nothing for God.

4. Years are lost because of self-centeredness

We simply don't attempt anything for God because we don't want to be tested or stretched or put out or inconvenienced.

5. Years are lost because of spiritual immaturity

We haven't grown to the place where we can contribute. We want to be fed by the shepherd, but we don't want to feed the sheep. When Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him, Peter's response was yes you know I love you and three times Jesus said feed my sheep.

6. Years are lost because of sin

Christians are sinners saved by grace. We are not perfect in this world and we fall into sin for a variety of reasons. We lose years of productivity when We have refuse to repent and we do that for lots of unreasonable reasons. We don't want to admit our weakness or our failures to others. Our pride, and stubbornness refuses to allow us to admit it to ourselves. We blame others.

II. There is a cost associated with lost years

Lost years are costly to individual lives

Lost years cost personally in terms of joy and satisfaction.

The Bible says in Eph 2:10: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (NAS)

When we fail to be what Christ wants us to be and fail to do those things he wants us to do It costs in personal spiritual growth. We can't and don't experience the fullness of joy God intends for us to have. It cost others that we might have been able to lead to the Lord, or whom we might have been able to disciple, or mentor, or encourage.

Lost years are costly to the church

It cost the church in terms of participation and witness, effectiveness. God has placed you in the church for a purpose, no one can do the things you can do in the same way you can do them.

Paul's entire teaching on spiritual gifts is that we are gifted for the edification or the building up of the church.

1 Cor 14:26

26 What is {the outcome} then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. (NAS)

1 Cor 14:12

12 So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual {gifts,} seek to abound for the edification of the church. (NAS)

The church is the people so individual lost years mean lost years in effectiveness for the church.

Lost years are costly to the cause of righteousness

The individuals we encounter during those lost years may be gone forever. The witness of the power of Christ may be damaged. At Tuesday night's associational meeting our Mark Elliott our new DOM reminded us of the words of Gandhi who confessed he might have become a Christian if it weren't for Christians.

We are called to be salt & light and when we fail to be salt and light the cause of Christ is hurt. Years of ministry were lost when Jim Baker and Jimmy Swaggert fell into temptation and sin.

We must keep our selves prayed up and confessed up to avoid those lost years that damage God's kingdom on earth.

III. There is a remedy for lost years

That's the bad news. The good news given by Joel was that Lost years can be redeemed. That was Joel's message to Israel - "I will restore to you the years the locust has eaten." Not that they could go back and relieve those years, we can't go back and relive wasted years but by the power of God we can make up for those lost years.

For some that means re-centering life.

2 Cor 5:15

15 and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. (NAS) We must recognize that Christ is the center of life not self. We must seek His will and His glory.

For others that means sincere repentance in order that God might restore their usefulness.

Prov 28:13

13 He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes {them} will find compassion. (NAS)

I Jn 1:9

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (NAS)

For others that means recommitment and rededication of ourselves in service to God.

Deut 4:30-31

30 "When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days, you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice.

31 "For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them. (NAS)

Ezek 34:16 "I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick; (NAS)

In response to Solomon's prayer in 2 Chr 7:14, The Lord said: "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (NKJ)

God restores lost years if we return to Him with all our hearts. Are there lost years in your life that need to be redeemed? Let us be resolved to return to Jesus. (301)