Revival Realized
The Power of Focus: NOW!
Psalm 27:4-9

† I.H.S. †

May the grace of God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ so mesmerize us, that His presence in our lives consumes and transforms all our thoughts!

Desire – but how do we?

There is no doubt in my mind, that the people of Concordia know what it means to joyfully adore God. I’ve seen you do it.

I’ve even seen it in the hardest of times, when God’s joy overwhelms everything else we encounter in life.

And that is one of the marks of revival, this joy that lifts us up, that incredible joy that comes as we realize that God is here, that God is at work.

He is at work here! 

In each of our lives, whether we are here in the courtyard, or watching it live right now, or watching it a year from now on YouTube, God is at work in our lives.

One of the challenges we face in realizing this revival is focus, and Psalm 27 is going to help us stay focused on the fact…

The Lord is with you! 

At He is at work!

That is why the Psalmist wrote,

The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.

This is the attitude we have, when we realize God is at work, a  work we name revival – bringing life into the church. When we see that, we want more, we can’t help it, we want to see God at work in our lives, and the lives of those around us.

So how do we stay focused upon this work of God? Where do we look for it?

Well let’s keep looking at the psalmist, who knew this revival.

⁵ For he will conceal me there when troubles come; He will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. ⁶ Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music.

David’s joy comes in the midst of troubles,

He tells us he realizes that not only is he in God’s presence during these times, but the reason why he does. He realizes that God is protecting him, that God has him, right in the midst of his holiness, for that is what it means to be in the sanctuary. 

The Apostle Paul taught this to the church when he wrote,

Focus on His Call

¹  You have been raised to life with Christ, so set your hearts on the things that are in heaven, where Christ sits on his throne at the right side of God. ²  Keep your minds fixed on things there, not on things here on earth. ³  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴  Your real life is Christ and when he appears, then you too will appear with him and share his glory!
Colossians 3:1-4 (TEV)

Paul and David agree – even as we live in this world, our real reality is found in the presence of God, that is where we belong, and Jesus will make sure we get there. Remember that, rejoice in it, whether in the midst of COVID, fires, heatwaves, earthquakes, even as we mourn, or get anxious because of the world.

You can shout for joy, and sing and praise God with music….

For He has promised that everything will work out for you, and nothing can separate us from God!

Focus on His Promise

How do we do that?  The psalmist helps us there as well!

Even in the midst of the Old Testament, here is the realization, we can hear God say, Come and Talk with Me!

Come and talk of your struggles, come and talk of the heartache, and pain. Come and talk of your dreams, asking God to bless them, to fine tune, them, even correct them, and our thoughts, come and talk to Him, here, even when we struggle with sin, or feel so ashamed that we can’t imagine Him calling to us.

The Lord God, creator of all, says, Tom, come and talk with me.  Bob, come and talk with me. Debbie and Cyndee, come… come and talk with me.

And our heart learns …. to respond… Lord, I am coming!

And revival has been realized!

This is so mind-blowing

To realize God wants us to come to Him, to talk to Him, as a child should talk to a Father,

That time with God is so powerful, so incredible, so reviving and resuscitating that we can’t imagine life without it. This is what our last words from the psalmist testifies to…as He pleads with God!

⁹ Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation!

I don’t think this is really a fear, as much as it is a realization, hearing Him, hearing the invitation to come and talk with Him, knowing He will listen, knowing He will act brings such life to our lives, we have to ask, is this going to end….

And hear God’s answer.

And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age!”
Matthew 28:20 (NLT2)

Assured of this, there is revival… and we realize it…

Let’s pray,

Holy Spirit, come open up our hearts, show us how you are reviving our lives, our church and the community in which we live. Re-kindle in our lives the joy of Your salvation!  And may the revival You are helping us realize, change the world!