In Awe of God
How do we capture that awe of God
Recognize who God is
Recognize God as Creator
Recognize God as Judge
Recognize who We are
Recognize Ourselves as Sinners
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Intro
Do you ever feel like something has changed in your life?
Where maybe you used to be excited about something, and then, it has just become part of the day in and day out living?
It seems the longer we are engaged in something, the more it becomes part of our life, the more likely that we are less excited over it.
Why does it seem that excitement dissipates with familiarity?
Work
When I used to work at the CME, people would always ask me if that was really exciting, and typically I would answer that it is a job like any other.
But you know what.
When I first started working down there, I remember walking onto the trading floor for the first time and thinking that this place is awesome.
Slide
The wonder and excitement were exhilarating.
People yelling and screaming
Paper flying everywhere
People communicating with hand signals across huge trading rooms.
It was really exciting and awe inspiring…the first month.
Marriage Relationship
Or even think about your relationship with your wife or husband.
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Before you were married, the excitement of talking to them on the phone or seeing them in person.
The getting ready to go on a date.
Putting on cologne and nice cloths.
Looking your best.
Then getting married.
The wedding night and honeymoon and even those first couple of years.
Looking forward to getting home from work and spending the evening together.
Then you get into routine and the excitement and awe seem to fade.
Relationship with God
Even in our relationship with God.
When I first became a Christian, I couldn’t get enough of the Bible.
I wanted to be reading
I wanted to be researching.
I wanted to be talking to others about what I was reading.
Now, I still enjoy being in the word, but that same excitement and awe is not always there.
Now I want you to turn with me to Hebrews 12:28-29 (p. 853).
Slide
Several weeks ago we were talking about worship and we saw that we must worship God in Spirit and truth to be true worshippers and we talked about the ways that manifests itself in our lives.
But as I was studying for those messages, this verse stuck out to me.
Let’s read it.
Hebrews 12:28-29
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our "God is a consuming fire."
If we are truly going to worship God with our lives, it needs to be with reverence and awe.
AWE
Fear mingled with reverence and wonder
(from International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright (c)1996 by Biblesoft)
Awe - a very strong feeling of wonder, reverence, or fear, caused by something grand or powerful. (www.Wordsmyth.com)
I asked myself, am I worshiping with awe? I have a reverence for the Lord, but sometimes, I confess, I don’t have that sense of awe and wonder.
And when we lose a sense of awe of God, the scripture tells us that we fail to worship God acceptably.
Today, I would like for us to return to a sense of being “In Awe of God”
To do that though, I think it is important to ask a couple of questions.
We know that it happens, but
Why does it Happen?
Why?
Why do we lose a sense of awe sometimes?
I think as we become familiar with anything including our own faith in God, it starts to become commonplace.
Now I want us to understand that there is a balance to maintain.
As we grow with the Lord, our understanding and relationship with the Lord will grow and it will become closer and more familiar.
We need to recognize that we can approach our heavenly father with confidence and with closeness, as a child approaches his Daddy (Abba).
But at the same time, we need to approach with a sense of awe and wonder that we have God almighty as our Father.
We need to seek to avoid our faith becoming so common that we look at God as we sometimes look at our own fathers as someone who
pays the bills and
lets us borrow the car.
How?
But how do we do that?
How do we maintain or get back our sense of Awe for God?
Slide
To start with, I think we need to recognize where this problem originates.
I believe it originates in our heads, in our thinking, or lack of thinking.
For instance, in working at the CME, I began to think of it as just a job, a place that I had to go and spend the day at so I could earn a living.
If my thinking would have been, Man what an incredible thing. I get to spend the day right at the center of transactions that keep the finances of the entire world flowing and liquid. Wow, what a job.
In my marriage, if I was thinking each day,
how blessed I am to have a wife
who chose me to spend her life with.
who is there making our house a home.
who is caring for our kids and
helping to raise up kids
who are becoming positive members of society.
who cares for me and about me.
I know I would have a better and more grateful attitude toward her than I sometimes do.
But it all starts in our minds.
And the same is true of our relationship with God.
What is it that our minds need to be focused on so that we can recapture our Awe for God?
Instead of just focusing on God, we need to be focusing on some specific aspects of God and it starts with
Recognize who God is.
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I believe that there are 2 specific things that we need to focus on about Who God is if we are going to again have that sense of excitement and Awe for God.
The first is we need to
Recognize God as Creator
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The Scriptures support this as well. Often when Awe is being talked about, it is in the context of his creation.
Job 25:2
2 "Dominion and awe belong to God;
he establishes order in the heights of heaven.
(from New International Version)
Psalms 33:6-9
6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
he puts the deep into storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the LORD;
let all the people of the world revere him.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
(from New International Version)
One of the reasons we should be awed by God is because of Who He is as creator.
He has
made all of creation
sustains all of creation
and when we stop and think about it, it is absolutely unbelievable and awe inspiring.
The problem is that we often don’t think about it because we live here and this too becomes common place.
So I want to take a couple minutes to again refocus on this place that God has made and created for our benefit.
The Universe
The vastness of the universe
The Body
The intracicies of design of the human body
We have 30 to 100 trillion cells in our body that work independently, yet must work in coordination with the other cells.
It’s self healing properties
It’s reproduction properties
Beauty of Creation
The beauty of Creation
So often in our world, we need to give up beauty and creativity for functionality.
Not so with our world. Our world not only functions orderly, but the beauty of what God has created is amazing.
If we can keep our minds focused on the awesomeness of who God is as Creator and recognize the awesomeness of His creation on a daily basis, then I think we will go a long way toward having an awe inspiring view of God.
Each day,, we should seek to view the Lord’s creation in a way that recognizes this awesomeness.
But we need to not only be awed by God as Creator.
We need to realize and recognize and be awed as we
Recognize God as Judge
Slide
Hebrews 12:28-29
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our "God is a consuming fire."
God is a consuming fire and He will judge the world in regards to His Holiness.
Wait Scott, I have received Jesus Christ as my Savior, so I am not going to be judged, am I.
You will not be judged in regards to your salvation. That is a gift of God.
But each one of us are going to face the judgment seat of Christ for what we do in terms of our rewards in heaven.
2 Corinthians 5:10
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
(from New International Version)
That is for everyone of us. And because God is a judge, we should stand in Awe of Him because of his judgment and authority over us.
Just as we enter a courtroom with respect for the power and authority there and if we don’t we may be held in contempt and judged accordingly for those actions, we should always stand in awe of God as the one who will judge all of our actions and attitudes.
And as a Christian, even more so, we should stand in awe of God our judge.
In addition to recognizing who God is as Creator and Judge, which will help us stand in proper reverence and awe of God, there is one more thing that I think is necessary for us to understand and focus on for us to stand in Awe of God.
And that is that we need to
Recognize who We Are
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I think it is incumbent that we have a proper view of ourselves for us to be able to have a proper view of God.
Paul had a proper view of who He was and it gave him a proper, awe inspiring view of God.
Listen to what he says in
1 Timothy 1:15-17
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
(from New International Version)
Paul recognized himself as a sinner.
We need to
Recognize ourselves as Sinners
Slide
I had this come home to me this week and it really produced an awe in God for me that I had needed restored.
I had the opportunity this week to help out a family in need.
They needed a ride to a shelter and I was happy to be able to help them out.
I had a dinner engagement that evening at my house and I felt I really needed to be there as we were going to be talking about an upcoming ministry time.
Well, it was taking longer than I expected at the shelter and then eventually this family came out and due to various reasons were not able to stay at this shelter.
So here I am.
I have a family with no car
No place to stay
All of there stuff in my car
And I am thinking about being late for my dinner and can I let this family stay at the church with no place to sleep, and nothing to do, but it will be the easiest thing for me, because I can’t just leave them in my car while I have dinner.
And at that moment I was struck, I believe by the Spirit of God, telling me you are just like the priest and the Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Let me refresh you on that story.
Luke 10:30-35
30 In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ’Look after him,’ he said, ’and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
(from New International Version)
Now being compared to the priest and the Levite in this story is not all that good.
Now I am sure that if we would have talked to them, there would have been good reason for them to continue on without helping.
But in reality, it is not good reason at all, it just acts to show us our own sinfulness and selfish priorities.
Here I am, a pastor, who has given his life to helping people come into relationship with the Lord and ministering to them, realizing my own sinfulness in a new way.
But it was in that moment that I had a new appreciation and awe for the Lord.
Because it made me realize even more how truly great God’s love is for me and that He would even desire to use a broken vessel such as myself, to minister to other people.
I am not worthy of such a privilege, and yet God has mercy on me and uses me anyway.
Let me read those verses of Paul to Timothy again.
1 Timothy 1:15-17
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
A proper view of our own sinfulness, helps us to continue to be awed by God.
Conclusion
Are you standing in Awe of God?
Maybe you have lost that Awe of God and have been going through the motions of being a Christian and haven’t been feeling the awe of God that we should be feeling.
This next week, here is what I want you to do.
open your eyes to God’s creation and really see the things around you.
Notice the sky. Notice the Sun.
Notice the amount of people driving on our highways at all hours of the day and recognize God is the creator of each and everyone of them and knows every hair on their head.
Think about God, great and mighty judge that all mankind will stand before.
Be awed that we will stand in the presence of the greatest authority in the universe, greater than the Supreme Court, with the Son Himself as our mediator.
Recognize your own sinfulness and the fact that God loves you anyway and still desires to use you, even though you don’t deserve the privilege of being used in such an awesome way.
I am going to pray and I want to pray specifically for those who may be feeling a little unconnected from the Lord that over these next weeks and months, that you might be awed anew by the Lord, God Almighty, our Savior and Judge.
