Revive Us Again?

Concordia Lutheran Church

The Second Week of Advent, December 7, 2008

Revive Us, Again?

Psalm 85:1-13

† In the Name of the Lord †

For you is the grace, mercy and peace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ!

An Advent prayer for Revival

But do we realize what revival is, and isn’t?

In today’s chanted psalm, we find the source of our sermon’s title, “Will you not REVIVE US AGAIN? Or as I shortened it, a desperate plea from a spokesman for God’s people, to their God, “Revive Us Again!”

In my lifetime, I have heard many calls for revival, on the radio, on television, in books claiming that a proper return to holiness will see God bless us with revival. These times are not unlike how the Pharisees taught the people of Israel prior to Jesus’ birth. Then, they over-focused on obeying God’s law, and the lack of understanding of the covenant and confessing their sins before God, as they presented sacrifices. They did this convinced that if they were only good enough, the Messiah would come.

I have heard that a crusade would spark the revival, whether it was led by Billy Graham, or Greg Laurie. I have read of the great revivals of Wesley and Whitehead, of Campbell, Moody, Billy Sunday, and those that started at Azusa Street and in Wales. Great stories of the effects of God’s grace go forth, and are incredible. I love the individual testimonies, as people share how God delivered them from drugs, or crime, or incredibly despair. One favorite is the claims of the Welsh Revival, where after a visit from Smith Wigglesworth, the mines would post notices that those employees who had stolen things, did not have to return them, and could rest in God’s forgiveness. The owners of the mines posted these, because the amount returned to them the morning after a “revival service” overtaxed their storage buildings! Yet, too often, 30 to 50 years later, the experts can only study the event.

I would claim that revival is more than a movement towards holiness, or a crusade. For us, it is a daily need to die to ourselves, and too live in Christ. It is a daily need to realize what it means to be delivered, and saved through the work of Jesus on the cross. It is a daily need to realize that we walk in the presence of God, as His belov-ed!

In order to understand what we pray for, we have to understand the promise of revival found in the past, the prayer for revival in the present, and the position of God’s people.

The Promise of the Past v 1-3

How many times!

Faithfulness without measure!

Oh that we would know that today!

It is a significant picture of God’s character, and of His love, that the writer of this Psalm doesn’t just start with the plea for revival. Instead, there is this odd recounting of the history of revival. Unlike the stories I love so much, the picture is described from God’s actions, more than our response,

Lord, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. 2 You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. 3 You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger.

There are those, who would claim that the God of the Old Testament is a God of wrath, of threats and punishments, of unrealistic rules and standards of life. When I occasionally talk to them, I ask them about psalms like this, and about the God who always heard His people cry. About the God who observed His people forget about Him, as they did what was right in their own eyes, and even as they were in rebellion, He was preparing the priest or the judge, or the prophet or king, who would be the tool through whom God would liberate and save His people from oppression and sin.

My dear people, my dear saints, God’s mercy precedes any sin, any rebellion, and is always calling to us. From before the foundation of the world, He has been waiting on His people to hear His cry to our hearts. A cry that the people of Israel heard, that was favorable, a phrase that describes God’s delight in relating to them! A cry the people of Israel heard, that restored that which was valuable and that they lost, as they were dominated by sin. A cry that meant their iniquity was forgiven, as God lifted from them the distorted and twisted religions that they turned to instead of rejoicing in His presence! A cry proclaiming that God covered all their sin, and sent aside His wrath, and His anger. That He had indeed, revived them. He had restored them to life.

O that we would hear this cry of life, breathed into us each and every day.

The Prayer of the Present

The shock of an Indignant God

The in-dignity is not based just a emotional reaction.

There is a cry in the psalm, by its writer for His people, in his day. A prayer that is very present in my ministry for you, and your families, and for the parents and children of our school, and the people in our community, and myself. A cry that God would act with love in the lives of the people God has named His, rather than act in view of their lives.

4 Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us! 5 Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations? 6 Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? 7 Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation. 8 Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.

While I have always heard scripture describing God’s emotions, I guess indignant was one I never thought an all powerful, all knowing, ever-present God would have. The word in Hebrew means a violent and even vicious reaction to something, in this case our sin. In English indignant means to be so hurt, so frustrated, that react without any dignity, This is God we are talking about, indignant? Ready to set his anger not just against us, but against generations because of the evil of this day?

Does He really feel such pain, from our sin?

Does He really feel such pain, from our sin?

Yeah.

Now that I am a father, I am beginning to understand that pain, as “terrible two” William starts to tease us and at times deliberately ignore and disobey. I am not telling you parents anything new, but imagine God. Except for God, it is not just the terrible two’s, or the teen years. It’s not just our frustration with our parents for not understanding us during those years, or as they grow older. It seems the our very nature, that causes such indignation. That is how God feels, with each of our sins, never mind the weight of all sin.

Indignant the psalmist describes God, and then asks God to put pain aside, and be what only God can be. The one who steadfastly loves. The word is cHesed, and is a mix of pure loyalty, pure mercy, above the call of duty love in every situation. A self chosen obligation to love despite the pain, despite the hurt, despite the humiliation and indignation. To Love, with only the power and purity that God has. Love enough to bring back to life the ones who chose sin and the death that comes with it. Love enough to pay that price, as He has always paid it, for His people. Love enough to pay the cost of death. Love enough, as you will head Deacon Don Harrell talk about on Wednesday night, to be patient with us, that all should come to repentance.

The Position of the People

Listen – Saints He Loves

You were brought to life

Titus 3:4-6

Listen to part of the plea again,

8 Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.

That word, saints, in the psalms, is based not in our own purity, but is the passive form of cHesed. It means we are the one’s that are so loved, that we are the ones that God has poured His love upon, that we are the ones for whom Christ was sent to die.

The psalmist needs to hear it, I need to hear it, we need to hear it. Let us hear it continually, let us hear what God has said. Let us hear the promise of salvation that we may rejoice with all that we are. Let us hear that God is speaking that we are at peace.

That’s what the gospel is, it is hearing of the love of God, in the words that we have come to know, like John 3:16, and like the promise John shared in the gospel, and in passages that are perhaps less well known, yet so clear.

Titus 3:4-7 (ESV) 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of (revival) and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Hear that – we are the heirs with the hope of eternal life.

We have been revived, in our new birth, as the waters of baptism cascaded over us, as God cleansed us from all sin, and breathed His Spirit into us. No wonder Luther said begin and end every day, realizing you are the baptized. That you are the people of God, that you are the saints, the very ones who God has poured His love upon. From death to life revived. From our faithlessness He faithfully brought the Righteousness of Christ, that we may know Him, and dwell in His peace.

A piece that passes all understanding, for it is God’s, which He has lovingly blessed us with, even as Jesus guards our hearts and minds unto eternity!

Amen?

Amen?

Concordia Lutheran Church

The Second Week of Advent, December 7, 2008

Revive Us, Again?

Psalm 85:1-13

† In the Name of the Lord †

A Prayer for Revival

Not just a ______________ movement!

Not just a ______________

The Promise of the Past

Look at all the ways the Psalmist said God revived/restored/forgave and delighted in His people!

The Prayer for our Present

Will you Again?

An Indignant God

cHesed!

The Position of His People

We are the Saints, the cHesid

Let’s hear it again and again, and again!

Titus 3:4-7 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of (revival) and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Concordia Lutheran Church

The Second Week of Advent, December 7, 2008

Revive Us, Again?

Psalm 85:1-13

† In the Name of the Lord †

A Prayer for Revival

Not just a ______________ movement!

Not just a ______________

The Promise of the Past

Look at all the ways the Psalmist said God revived/restored/forgave and delighted in His people!

The Prayer for our Present

Will you Again?

An Indignant God

cHesed!

The Position of His People

We are the Saints, the cHesid

Let’s hear it again and again, and again!

Titus 3:4-7 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of (revival) and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

ConnectionsPrayers 12/07/2008

Let us pray for…

Margaret Lingo and her family, who recently lost their beloved husband and father, Lee Lingo.

Rosetta Young, Pat Bloch’s aunt (her Mom’s sister), passed away Nov. 17. Please pray for her family and for Pat’s Mom.

Te Sammons wants to express her thanks to all of you for your prayers for her sister, Mary Schmidt. Her surgery was successful. A large cyst was totally removed, and a biopsy will reveal if cancer is found. Please continue to pray for a full recovery. Praise God for His goodness.

Mac McJunkin, now home after his first radiation treatment. Please pray for strength to endure future treatments.

Pam Hughes, Don Harrell’s sister. Please continue to pray for full healing and complete recovery. She presently is recovering from a major bout with pneumonia, as well as the cancer.

Mary & Lowden Harrell, was in a car accident a few weeks ago. Please continue to pray for healing.

Alexa Weiner, 10-year old daughter of friends of the Harrell’s, diagnosed with inoperable tumor. She will be starting chemotherapy and will also be trying a host of other remedies in the hopes that they find something that will heal her of this devastating illness.

David Marius, Lou Marius’ son, has been looking for employment in the last month. Please pray that God lead him to where he will prosper both in faith and finance.

Katie Newton, suffering fibromyalgia, is now also currently battling other symptoms (seizure, infection, weakness). Please pray for relief and healing.

Warren Osswald, pray new treatment (medicine) works. Please continue to pray for healing from CDIP.

Joan Mason, mother of a friend of Mary Harrell’s, with lung cancer that has metastasized.

Michael Deutsch, friend of Pat Baker, Mary Harrell’s mother, diagnosed with stage 4 bone cancer.

Cherrie Gonzalez’s father. Please pray for God’s will upon him. Please pray also for Cherrie’s family; that they may have the peace and strength they need to go through this phase in their lives.

Becky Tuthill, niece of Nancy Martinusen, has been diagnosed with cancer. Becky has 3 teenaged children. Please pray for healing.

The family of Clark Butts (friends of the Martinusen’s) As Clark entered glory Friday night. His family was already in mourning as Clark’s sister preceded him by a week.

Jessica Butchart, who after the birth of her daughter has been hospitalized with severe infections, and requires surgery. (she is a former member of the parker’s church in Anza

ConnectionsPrayers 12/07/2008

Let us pray for…

Margaret Lingo and her family, who recently lost their beloved husband and father, Lee Lingo.

Rosetta Young, Pat Bloch’s aunt (her Mom’s sister), passed away Nov. 17. Please pray for her family and for Pat’s Mom.

Te Sammons wants to express her thanks to all of you for your prayers for her sister, Mary Schmidt. Her surgery was successful. A large cyst was totally removed, and a biopsy will reveal if cancer is found. Please continue to pray for a full recovery. Praise God for His goodness.

Mac McJunkin, now home after his first radiation treatment. Please pray for strength to endure future treatments.

Pam Hughes, Don Harrell’s sister. Please continue to pray for full healing and complete recovery. She presently is recovering from a major bout with pneumonia, as well as the cancer.

Mary & Lowden Harrell, was in a car accident a few weeks ago. Please continue to pray for healing.

Alexa Weiner, 10-year old daughter of friends of the Harrell’s, diagnosed with inoperable tumor. She will be starting chemotherapy and will also be trying a host of other remedies in the hopes that they find something that will heal her of this devastating illness.

David Marius, Lou Marius’ son, has been looking for employment in the last month. Please pray that God lead him to where he will prosper both in faith and finance.

Katie Newton, suffering fibromyalgia, is now also currently battling other symptoms (seizure, infection, weakness). Please pray for relief and healing.

Warren Osswald, pray new treatment (medicine) works. Please continue to pray for healing from CDIP.

Joan Mason, mother of a friend of Mary Harrell’s, with lung cancer that has metastasized.

Michael Deutsch, friend of Pat Baker, Mary Harrell’s mother, diagnosed with stage 4 bone cancer.

Cherrie Gonzalez’s father. Please pray for God’s will upon him. Please pray also for Cherrie’s family; that they may have the peace and strength they need to go through this phase in their lives.

Becky Tuthill, niece of Nancy Martinusen, has been diagnosed with cancer. Becky has 3 teenaged children. Please pray for healing.

The family of Clark Butts (friends of the Martinusen’s) As Clark entered glory Friday night. His family was already in mourning as Clark’s sister preceded him by a week.

Jessica Butchart, who after the birth of her daughter has been hospitalized with severe infections, and requires surgery. (she is a former member of the parker’s church in Anza