Focus on God
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Acknowledgments
Pastor Burns
lots of shared roots - neighbors, fellow church members, grown up and grown old (matured)
so much ministry has come out of ministry Anderson St. and Pastor William Tucker
and it is an honor to be standing here today
thanks to WMBC for coming/ushers/deacons
Asst. Pastor
1st Lady Caver
thanks Sis. De’Reacie for singing with us
Prayer
Attention Grabber
our thought this morning is “Focus on God”
you know what it means to focus, if I were to ask you to take a picture on your phone, it is highly likely that after holding up your phone, you would tap on it . . .
because when you tap the screen you are letting your phone know that though there are lots of things in the picture . . . I want you to focus on that
because that is the most important part of the picture, so concentrate on that . . .focus on that
you have a lot of things in picture of your life, there are many possibilities to focus on, including sorrows,
trials and tribulations, but the word this morning is that it will serve you best to focus on God
I can assure you that there will be CHALLENGES this week, but God is CHALLENGING us to focus on Him
if this word helps you, sometimes during the week when problems arise . . . as a self reminder, you ought tap your head (like you do your phone) and say, “focus, focus on God”
main scripture verse comes from . . .
21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
Background of this Scripture
this verse was written by Jeremiah, the weeping prophet
Lament in Lamentations means to cry
He wept because the people were hard-headed and would not listen to his warnings from God to repent
He wept because destruction came upon his people and his country as a result of their rebellion against God
He wept because of all the tribulations he personally went through simply because he said what God told him to say
and when you look at his circumstances, you can understand why this man of God would weep
we are going to start back at verse 19 to get insight into his emotional state
19 Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
Jeremiah sees that Judah and it’s capital city Jerusalem have fallen. People killed, homes burned, the temple of God destroyed, all at the hands of the Babylonian army.
so for Jeremiah this is a time of affliction and misery and bitterness. He is grieving.
Jeremiah says woe is me, poor me - I remember how my people refused to obey God, refused to listen to God’s warnings, and on top of that they put me (the one trying to warn them) in a chains, put me in a pit . . .
and now we have been defeated and been transformed from citizens of a once proud nation to captives and prisoners of war . . . and my troubles keep replaying in my mind, my soul is bowed down and humbled . . . woe is me, poor me
let’s talk about “Poor Me”. He has been around since Bible times . . . yet I am sure that you already know him
“poor me” REMEMBERS everything that has gone wrong and won’t stop talking about it
poor me MEDITATES on everything that has gone wrong, and then comes up with other things that will probably go wrong
poor me likes to party - pity parties
and at the party, poor me COMPLAINS about everything that has gone wrong
if you listen to “poor me” he will change your concern to worry, or your worry to depression, and even try to change your depression to suicide
Poor Me never makes things better, yet we find ourselves inviting him over to throw a pity party in our honor
so why do we keep associating with poor me?
it’s because focusing on troubles comes naturally
it’s in our nature to recall our problems and rehash the negative things in our lives
In other words, worry and sadness over troubles is our default setting, and Jeremiah (like us) is doing what comes naturally . . . he is having a pity party with Poor Me
a big problem with pity parties is that they can go on for days, weeks, months, and years.
and for those who have been hanging out with “poor me” and have been partying in pity . . . the word today is, “Focus on God”
21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
Jeremiah told Poor Me, I can’t hang with you anymore
Jeremiah cut the lights on and said the pity party is over
How did he do it, he had to recall something.
in other words, Jeremiah thought about God on purpose
He forced himself to think on God, focus on God
another good reason to go to church . . . force yourself to focus on God
put yourself into an environment where it’s easier to focus on God
Isaiah 263 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee (peace if you focus on God)
I love the song, “I woke up this morning with my mind stayed on Jesus” but for clarification purposes, it really means I woke up this morning and put my mind on Jesus.
because often as soon as I opened my yes, Poor Me was sitting on the edge of the bed, saying, let’s go to the pity party
But the song is that I decided to keep my mind stayed on Jesus, focused on Jesus. . . Hallelu!
So Jeremiah thought about God on purpose, Jeremiah forced himself to think of something that would give him hope
worry comes naturally and unconsciously and without effort, but hope has to be cultivated and nurtured
if you have ever planted a garden or even grass, weeds just come up without any effort on your part (didn’t need seeds, fertilizer, or water) . . . that’s how worry works
but that plant you are trying to grow has to be cultivated and nurtured and cared for . . . that’s how hope works . . . you have to cultivate your hope
if you don’t make yourself recall reasons to have hope, worry will not go away
in other words, there has to be a purposeful shift and redirect
Worried about troubles? Then redirect your focus from Poor Me to a Rich God
depressed about circumstances in your life? Shift your focus from feeling down to looking up
can’t sleep at night? Shift your focus from the problems to the problem solver
Focus on God
and that’s what Jeremiah did, and he went from the despair in verses 19 and 20, to hope in verse 21 by shifting his focus
and verse 22 begins to tell us what about God he focused on
22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
Focus on his mercy and his love
The good thing about focusing on God is that things begin to clear up, you begin to see what’s really happening
Because after Jeremiah focuses on God, the thing that gives him hope is that he stops seeing misery and starts seeing mercy . . . . compassion, loving kindness
He realizes that things should have been, could have been much worse
Jeremiah sees that despite the people’s unfaithfulness since the book of Exodus (about 1000 years of doing evil), God is still merciful and compassionate
Though he had every right, God did not totally annihilate them
God has left a few of them still there . . . just a remnant – but it is a remnant
that’s where the “we are not consumed” part of the verse means
in other words, they should have been completely wiped out, but because of God’s mercy and compassion they have a remnant . . . and a promise of restoration
I know there is some misery surrounding you, but be like Jeremiah and focus on God’s mercy and compassion!
and if you focus on that you will see that though you have suffered loss, but didn’t lose everything (there is a remnant)
might have been through a foreclosure – but you still have a shelter over your head
might be suffering through Sickness – but you still a portion of health and strength
might have lost relationships, but still have one or two that are stronger than ever
even in misery, you can see mercy, if you focus on God
even when you have suffered loss, you can see a remnant if you focus on God
you will see that that situation didn’t take all my money, didn’t take all your health, all your relationships, all your freedom, all your strength, it didn’t take your life . . . God has given you a remnant
misery is part of the picture, but focus on the mercy
so tap head and say, “so focus on God, focus”
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
When you focus on God you will see that God’s mercies continue . . . they are new every morning
in other words, yesterday could have been your last, but God had mercy on you
yesterday could have been your last day seeing, hearing, talking, walking . . .
let me put it this way. God has given sight to some of you everyday for over 20 years
God has given you some of you the ability to hear every day, for over 40 years
shelter for 50 years
food for 65 years
and if you put it all together, God has given many of you food, shelter, clothing, seeing, hearing, talking, walking every day for 10 years, 20 years, 30 year . . .
That’s faithfulness, and when you recall that, when you focus on that, then no matter what you are going through, it should give you hope!
God is steadfast, dependable, reliable, trustworthy, God is a rock in a weary land
So every time you see the sunrise, you should be encouraged that God is faithful That’s why somebody sung, “when I rose this morning, I didn’t have no doubt
“When I saw the bright sun shine, I didn’t have
because I was reminded of God’s faithfulness
Focus on God and remember that God is faithful!
We do it with everything else!
We trust that the chair is faithful, and sit in it yet again
We trust that the light switch is faithful, and flip is yet again
We trust that the house key is faithful and put it in the lock yet again . . . without a thought
So Remember that God is faithful and trust in Him yet again! and again! and again!
cause If He did it before, he will do it again . . .
Revelation calls Him Faithful and True
Tap your head, focus on God: focus on his mercy and his faithfulness
24 The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
now Jeremiah recalls that “The Lord is My portion”
Each tribe and family of ancient Israel had been given a portion of the promised land, a share of the land as their personal inheritance, land that would belong to that family and be passed down through generations.
So that family would always have a foundation. It was their sure thing. Land to live on and live off of.
but now they had lost that land, lost their home, their inheritance, and their foundation, their sure thing . .
But Jeremiah recalls to mind that the Lord is his TRUE portion
Jeremiah is saying we lost much, but in reality, the Lord is my home, inheritance, foundation, my sure thing, my portion, MY PROVISION . . . an
the enemy took a lot, but couldn’t take everything
the enemy took my resources, but couldn’t touch my source . . . and MY SOURCE, THE SOURCE, the Lord God
Some of us need to remember and focus on that fact that the Lord is our portion
For when the Lord is your portion, you can lose a job, and still have income
you can lose a friend, and still have companionship
lose a house, and still have shelter
lose something you were counting on, but still have help
for Psalms 73 says that God is a portion forever
A forever portion
A portion that won’t run out
a river that won’t run dry
A well that is never empty
Every other portion is temporary anyway
tap your head and say, “Focus . . . God is my portion . . . and . . .
therefore will I hope in him
Jeremiah says my hope will not be in the land, in the people,
I am going to put my hope in God
don’t put your hope in the wrong things: job, education, family, friends, connections, your intelligence, savings . . . put your hope in the Lord
for the Lord is your portion!
Focus on God’s mercy
Focus on God’s faithfulness
and Focus on the fact that the God is your portion
25 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.
when I remember that God is merciful and faithful and is my portion . . . in other words when I remember that I have a sure thing, I can wait
hope and quietly wait for God to do his thing
wait with patience
wait without complaining
wait without panicking
wait without making rash decisions
wait without doing anything foolish
wait with expectation
Jeremiah says it’s a good idea to wait for the Lord to come through yet again . . . That’s a plan that will work.
Isaiah had this same revelaieon from God - they that wait upon the lord shall renew their strength
God is trying to mature us to a point where we are able to react correctly/properly to life and life’s problems,
despite what happens in life, we don’t have to live a life of discouragement and sorrow
Jeremiah would testify that even is the harshest of times, you can have joy in sorrow and hope for tomorrow
you just have to focus on God
recall his mercy
recall his faithfulness
recall he is your portion
and then just wait on his salvation . . . wait for him to come through . . . make a way . . . turn it around
Because problems will come . . . that’s guaranteed
but for God’s people, God will solve them . . . that’s also guaranteed
so for Christians, the big problem with problems is often how we deal with problems . . .because the problem will be solved, but what will we be focused on while going through it?
It is not your situation that determines your mood, it’s what you are focused on
it is not your circumstance that controls your hope, peace, or joy . . . it is what or who you are focused on
That’s why some rich are sad, and some poor are happy
Healthy are depressed, and some sick are at peace
When I taught school, my main challenge as a teacher was not the intelligence of the students, nor how to explain complex the complexity of the material, but how could I get the students to focus
Kids naturally want to play with their pencils, goof with their classmates, talk, pass notes, daydream, sleep
I knew that if I could get their focus, the material would be no problem
that’s why they tell teachers to use “Attention Grabbers” . . . trying to get students to focus on them and their words
if we as christians would just focus on God and his word . . . we could get pass the challenging materials in our lives
Some of us know a lot of scriptures but are not focused on any of them.
and have the nerve to want a “Fresh words” (nothing wrong with that) . . . but how about focusing on the word you already have!
½ of a verse from Psalms 23, “the Lord is my shepherd” will take us a long way if we just focus!
if God be for us, who can be against us . . . will take you along way
no weapon formed against me shall prosper . . .
my God shall supply all my needs . . . . if we just focus
Jesus
so have hope, Did not God solve our biggest problem? - sin
he showed us mercy - we didn’t deserve to be saved
and was faithful in sending his son, our messiah
and he was our portion like never before, he was the sacrifice for our sins
and yes he died, and yes there was a wait of three days, but he did rise again
and now we are waiting for him to come back
so as we wait patiently we don’t have to worry but can spend our main energies and time will be on building His kingdom, ministry, completing our God given missions, instead of pity parties
focus on God