Creekside Church, Sunday, April 6, 2025
The Day
Locations & Times
Creekside Church
660 Conservation Dr, Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z4, Canada
Sunday 8:25 AM
Sunday 9:45 AM
Sunday 11:15 AM
Today’s Topic: The "Day of the Lord."
Major themes: judgment, salvation, wrath, and mercy.
This requires care, nuance, reflection, and prayer.
Why It’s Hard: These ideas are difficult to get right— can distort God’s story or character.
Develop this idea today for you to wrestle with.
----------
Foundational Story: The Exodus
To understand the "Day of the Lord," we start with a foundational story—the Exodus.
Have you ever been rescued? Think about that feeling.
Exodus Overview: The Exodus is God’s rescue operation for Israel from Egypt.
God says, “I have heard the cries of my people” (Exodus 3:7)—imagine Him hearing their pain.
After 400 years of slavery, they cry out, and God acts.
The Rescue: He sends horrible plagues, ending with the death of Egypt’s firstborn, then drowns their army in the sea.
Exodus 14:13-14: Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Can you imagine the relief?
Celebration: They sing! Exodus 15:1: “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously…”—Passover begins.
This is first "Day of the Lord" Imagery in the Bible.
This is God triumphing over his enemies.
It’s a moment of judgment (on Egypt) and salvation (for Israel)—wrath and rescue collide.
*Wrath here means dealing with injustice and evil, sweeping it away.
----------
Israel’s Failure and Amos’ Warning
From the Exodus, Israel becomes a nation—but turns into another Egypt.
God Speaks Through Amos: He sends Amos to the Northern Tribes (Israel).
Charges Against Them:
Oppressing the poor: Amos 2:6-7 – “They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals…”
Idolatry: Amos 5:26 – “You shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star-god…”
Corruption: Amos 5:12 – “You afflict the righteous, you take a bribe…”
Luxury at others’ expense: Amos 6:4-6 – “Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory… but are not grieved…”
Ignoring warnings: Amos 7:12-13 – “Amaziah said… ‘prophesy no more at Bethel…’”
Hypocritical religion: Amos 5:21-22 – “I hate… your feasts… I will not accept your offerings…”
Pride: Amos 6:1, 13 – “Woe to those at ease… who say, ‘Have we not… captured Karnaim?’”
Amos’ "Day of the Lord": Because of this, Amos warns a "Day of the Lord" is coming.
It’s not one day—it’s a concept of God’s intervention.
Amos 5:18-24: “Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord!... It is darkness… Let justice roll down…”
Surprisingly, don’t long for it—it’s judgment on them for evil, idolatry, and injustice.
Consequence: Assyrians drag the Northern Tribes into exile (722 BC).
----------
Another "Day" Foretold: Babylonian exile for the Southern Tribes (587 BC).
Zephaniah 1:14-18: “The great day of the Lord is near… a day of wrath… darkness…”
Ezekiel 7:10-12: “Behold, the day!... wrath is upon all their multitude…”
----------
Cosmic words, natural outcomes.
Example: Isaiah 13—fall of Babylon (539 BC).
Jesus uses language from Isaiah 13 in Matthew 24:29 to speak of the fall of the Temple (AD 70).
Isaiah 13
9 See, the day of the Lord is coming
—a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—
to make the land desolate
and destroy the sinners within it.
10 The stars of heaven and their constellations
will not show their light.
The rising sun will be darkened
and the moon will not give its light.
Neither includes stars falling. But natural consequences of enemy armies invading.
----------
The Ultimate "Day of the Lord", of judgement and renewal is foretold in Revelation and spoken of in other New Testament letters like 1 Thessalonians and 2 Peter.
This ultimate day can be looked forward to by Christians because in Jesus the judgement and renewal of that have come forward in is cross and resurrection.
John 12:31-32: “Now is the judgment of this world… I will draw all people…”—cross as judgment and salvation.
Matthew 27:45, 51: “Darkness… the earth shook…”—Day of the Lord language
Jesus’ Victory: He triumphs over the real, foundational enemies of humans, sin and death.
He pulls forward the ultimate judgment, takes it Himself, and offers us salvation.
Our Hope: All can look forward to His appearing—dancing like Hebrews at the Red Sea.
----------
Telling the Whole Story
Whatever we do, tell the full story—not just “escape wrath.”
It’s escape evil enmeshed in your soul, holding the world hostage and
participate in God’s renewal of the world. Return to being image bearers.
God loves us and desires a world that looks like his love.
Psalm 8
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
5 You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
8 the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Psalm 9
15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;
their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
16 The Lord is known by his acts of justice;
the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.
17 The wicked go down to the realm of the dead,
all the nations that forget God.
18 But God will never forget the needy;
the hope of the afflicted will never perish.
19 Arise, Lord, do not let mortals triumph;
let the nations be judged in your presence.
20 Strike them with terror, Lord;
let the nations know they are only mortal.
Major themes: judgment, salvation, wrath, and mercy.
This requires care, nuance, reflection, and prayer.
Why It’s Hard: These ideas are difficult to get right— can distort God’s story or character.
Develop this idea today for you to wrestle with.
----------
Foundational Story: The Exodus
To understand the "Day of the Lord," we start with a foundational story—the Exodus.
Have you ever been rescued? Think about that feeling.
Exodus Overview: The Exodus is God’s rescue operation for Israel from Egypt.
God says, “I have heard the cries of my people” (Exodus 3:7)—imagine Him hearing their pain.
After 400 years of slavery, they cry out, and God acts.
The Rescue: He sends horrible plagues, ending with the death of Egypt’s firstborn, then drowns their army in the sea.
Exodus 14:13-14: Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Can you imagine the relief?
Celebration: They sing! Exodus 15:1: “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously…”—Passover begins.
This is first "Day of the Lord" Imagery in the Bible.
This is God triumphing over his enemies.
It’s a moment of judgment (on Egypt) and salvation (for Israel)—wrath and rescue collide.
*Wrath here means dealing with injustice and evil, sweeping it away.
----------
Israel’s Failure and Amos’ Warning
From the Exodus, Israel becomes a nation—but turns into another Egypt.
God Speaks Through Amos: He sends Amos to the Northern Tribes (Israel).
Charges Against Them:
Oppressing the poor: Amos 2:6-7 – “They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals…”
Idolatry: Amos 5:26 – “You shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star-god…”
Corruption: Amos 5:12 – “You afflict the righteous, you take a bribe…”
Luxury at others’ expense: Amos 6:4-6 – “Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory… but are not grieved…”
Ignoring warnings: Amos 7:12-13 – “Amaziah said… ‘prophesy no more at Bethel…’”
Hypocritical religion: Amos 5:21-22 – “I hate… your feasts… I will not accept your offerings…”
Pride: Amos 6:1, 13 – “Woe to those at ease… who say, ‘Have we not… captured Karnaim?’”
Amos’ "Day of the Lord": Because of this, Amos warns a "Day of the Lord" is coming.
It’s not one day—it’s a concept of God’s intervention.
Amos 5:18-24: “Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord!... It is darkness… Let justice roll down…”
Surprisingly, don’t long for it—it’s judgment on them for evil, idolatry, and injustice.
Consequence: Assyrians drag the Northern Tribes into exile (722 BC).
----------
Another "Day" Foretold: Babylonian exile for the Southern Tribes (587 BC).
Zephaniah 1:14-18: “The great day of the Lord is near… a day of wrath… darkness…”
Ezekiel 7:10-12: “Behold, the day!... wrath is upon all their multitude…”
----------
Cosmic words, natural outcomes.
Example: Isaiah 13—fall of Babylon (539 BC).
Jesus uses language from Isaiah 13 in Matthew 24:29 to speak of the fall of the Temple (AD 70).
Isaiah 13
9 See, the day of the Lord is coming
—a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—
to make the land desolate
and destroy the sinners within it.
10 The stars of heaven and their constellations
will not show their light.
The rising sun will be darkened
and the moon will not give its light.
Neither includes stars falling. But natural consequences of enemy armies invading.
----------
The Ultimate "Day of the Lord", of judgement and renewal is foretold in Revelation and spoken of in other New Testament letters like 1 Thessalonians and 2 Peter.
This ultimate day can be looked forward to by Christians because in Jesus the judgement and renewal of that have come forward in is cross and resurrection.
John 12:31-32: “Now is the judgment of this world… I will draw all people…”—cross as judgment and salvation.
Matthew 27:45, 51: “Darkness… the earth shook…”—Day of the Lord language
Jesus’ Victory: He triumphs over the real, foundational enemies of humans, sin and death.
He pulls forward the ultimate judgment, takes it Himself, and offers us salvation.
Our Hope: All can look forward to His appearing—dancing like Hebrews at the Red Sea.
----------
Telling the Whole Story
Whatever we do, tell the full story—not just “escape wrath.”
It’s escape evil enmeshed in your soul, holding the world hostage and
participate in God’s renewal of the world. Return to being image bearers.
God loves us and desires a world that looks like his love.
Psalm 8
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
5 You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
8 the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Psalm 9
15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;
their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
16 The Lord is known by his acts of justice;
the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.
17 The wicked go down to the realm of the dead,
all the nations that forget God.
18 But God will never forget the needy;
the hope of the afflicted will never perish.
19 Arise, Lord, do not let mortals triumph;
let the nations be judged in your presence.
20 Strike them with terror, Lord;
let the nations know they are only mortal.