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As we’re driving down I-4 from Tampa to Orlando, I am reminded of our trip down here to Lakeland during the summer of 2008. I know that a lot of people have a lot of unanswered questions about that move of God. I choose not to go there in my thinking because I don’t have the answers either. But here is what I am thinking about. I am thinking about that local church, if like ours, prayed and prayed for revival for what was most likely many years. I have many emotions and feelings for them. I am sure that no matter what the outcome, numerous were changed by God’s powerful presence.

Here’s what I am sitting here pondering. Revival is something that is very difficult to “bring.” As a matter of fact, it’s impossible to bring without the Father’s sovereign move. But as difficult as that is, sustaining such a move is even more difficult. I believe this is why God in many places is holding back His sovereign hand from unleashing revival. Right now, He is still withholding His move because He is in the process of preparing those who will carry His next move.

I think, perhaps, we may be better served by not asking God continually for what He already is agreeing with us that He wants (revival). We would much better be served by presenting ourselves to the man Jesus, who Himself is Revival, and ask him to do whatsoever He wills that we might be those proven, marked, and prepared to carry this man Jesus. It is then that we will see Revival as we are carriers of Him, AND we will be those who can sustain it.

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I wrote this scripture down a few weeks ago when I was reading Romans from the Message Bible. Abraham’s turning point came when he finally realized what God was doing for him (Abraham). How many times do we work really hard without realizing that God is already doing all the hard work on our behalf. Perhaps we would be much better off if we stopped trying to work for God and instead began to realize that God is already working for us. As that passage continues, it says that, “He trusted God to set him right instead of trying to be right on his own.” How profound! We all know it. We can’t be made right on our own. We can’t even do right on our own let alone “be made right” on our own. We all know that. However, how we live our lives proves that we don’t believe it. We may know it; yet we don’t actually believe it.

But here’s where it got really good for Abraham. At some point — this turning point — Abraham began to believe what he already knew. He began to believe not only that God was working on his behalf, but also that God, in this working, made him righteous. No longer did Abraham have to strive to make himself right. Instead, he began to rest in the truth that he couldn’t make himself right and this had to be left completely to God. What peace this brings. In some ways, we can’t understand. How can we be made right without doing a thing? This is the essence of faith — not really understanding but choosing to believe and receive anyway.

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Let’s use the example of an airplane and a runway. For any of us that have flown on an airplane, we wouldn’t be too pleased with our chosen airline, if we boarded the plane, taxied up and down the runway, and then returned to the gate from which we boarded the airplane. We would look at the flight attendants in disbelief and would demand a refund. Now let’s take this and relate it to worship. In the above example, the music is like a runway; worship is the atmosphere. Just like the runway is only a tool that enables the plane to fly, music is only a tool that allows us to “fly” into the atmosphere of God’s presence. True worship isn’t about music. Music is just a tool that assists us in enabling us to worship.

With this in mind, we must remember that music is a very emotional experience. When we hear music and the sounds, tones, and rhythms that go along with it, it evokes an emotional response in humans. We must remember that this emotional experience as well isn’t worship. Rick Warrens makes this clear when he says,

“Today many equate being emotionally moved by music as being moved by the Spirit, but these are not the same. Real worship happens when your spirit responds to God, not to some musical tone.”

So, what is worship if it isn’t just about music and isn’t just emotional? Here is the key: true worship requires a response. The music, and the emotions that come along with it, should stir in our spirits and cause us to respond.

How do we respond? And to whom or to what are we responding? The Bible is filled with instructions on how we should respond in worship. In the coming posts, we’ll explore those responses.

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King David obviously thought there was. He says in 2 Samuel 24:24 —

“But the king said to Araunah, “No. I’ve got to buy it from you for a good price; I’m not going to offer GOD, my God, sacrifices that are no sacrifice.” (MSG)

David wasn’t willing to sacrifice something that didn’t cost something. My challenge to all of us is this. As we think about joining our brothers and sisters in Christ tomorrow morning to worship together, let’s think about what we can bring. True worship requires sacrifice. In the Old Testament, that sacrifice was the blood of an animal. Today, true worship still requires sacrifice. However, a blood sacrifice for our worship has already been given through the gift of Jesus on the cross. However, God asks us to sacrifice something – something that costs us.

What is God asking you to sacrifice in preparation for worship today and in the days and weeks to come?

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Romans 5:20 (MSG) – But sin didn’t, and doesn’t, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace.

I love the way the Message Bible reads sometimes. Grace here in this paraphrase is defined as “aggressive forgiveness.” How amazing – grace is God’s aggressive forgiveness of my sin. When this aggressive forgiveness is compared to sin, it can’t stand. I wrote about this a few moments ago in my journal. This thought crossed my mind: “Does this mean that I will not sin?” No, I remain human, and I will sin again. However, when sin is set in comparison to the aggressive forgiveness that Jesus has for me, it can’t even compare. It’s not that Jesus just forgives. His forgiveness is aggressive meaning that his forgiveness pursues me. His grace chases me down to forgive me of my sin. This grace and my Jesus are amazing.

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