Title: Our God is an Awesome God!
Text: Multi-texted
Introduction: Two outs, bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, three balls, two strikes on the hitter, losing by 3 runs. The batter approaches the plate. (What is the coach doing? Wringing his hands, pacing, sweat is coursing off his brow. CAN WE PULL THIS LAST MINUTE VICTORY OFF?
Ever feel that way about your life with God?
‒ My life is in shambles.
‒ My family has gone to the dogs.
‒ I can’t see how I’m going to pass that final.
‒ I don’t know about my future.
‒ We can almost visualize God in heaven in the throne room.
‒ Wringing His hands.
‒ Pacing back and forth.
‒ Sweat coursing off His brow.
‒ Asking the question: WILL THEY EVER PULL OUT A VICTORY FOR ME?
**We are going to learn together today that NOTHING could be further from the truth than the above scenario.
**Why? BECAUSE OUR GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD! SAY THAT WITH ME LIKE YOU MEAN IT!
Regardless of how one attempts to describe God, his efforts become woefully inadequate. That is because our God is an awesome God!
1. Why is God awesome?
A. He is CREATOR and SUSTAINOR.
1. (Psalms 33:6-9 NKJV) "By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. {7} He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. {8} Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. {9} For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast."
1. Did you hear that? GOD created.
2. If there ever was a big bang, GOD caused it!
3. Life from nothing came from God
4. Let’s proclaim it from every corner of the earth!
2. Not only did He create, but it works because He sustains it!
1. Talking about Jesus, the Hebrew writer proclaims in (Hebrews 1:3 NCV) "The Son reflects the glory of God and shows exactly what God is like. He holds everything together with his powerful word. When the Son made people clean from their sins, he sat down at the right side of God, the Great One in heaven."
2. Let all who say that there is no God understand that they could not have the air they breathe, or the gravity that holds themselves to this world, or even the ability to think, if it were not for the power of God’s glory!!
B. Not only is He Creator and Sustainor, but He KNOWS THE END FROM THE BEGINNING
1. God is never surprised! (Isaiah 48:12 NCV) ""People of Jacob, listen to me. People of Israel, I have called you to be my people. I am God; I am the beginning and the end."
1. God IS the beginning and the end.
2. (Isaiah 46:9-10 NCV) "Remember what happened long ago. Remember that I am God, and there is no other God. I am God, and there is no one like me. {10} From the beginning I told you what would happen in the end. A long time ago I told you things that have not yet happened. When I plan something, it happens. What I want to do, I will do."
C. God is Awesome because He has Provided SALVATION for MANKIND
1. (John 3:16 NCV) ""God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life."
2. (John 1:11-12 NCV) "He came to the world that was his own, but his own people did not accept him. {12} But to all who did accept him and believe in him he gave the right to become children of God."
3. (John 10:10 NCV) "A thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I came to give life--life in all its fullness."
4. (Mark 16:15-16 NCV) "Jesus said to his followers, "Go everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone. {16} Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved, but anyone who does not believe will be punished."
2. What does knowing the “awesomeness” of God do for me?
A. Knowing that God is awesome takes the pressure off of me.
1. Eternity does not hinge on my performance.
1. God’s glory is not dependant upon me!
2. Yes, we must be vessels of glory for Him, but He is not dependant upon it.
2. When we begin to understand the power and majesty of our God and that He is the potter, we are the clay, We begin to realize:
1. ...how little we need to do...
2. ...and how much we need to yield,
3. ...how much we need to trust and...
4. ...how much we need to humbly obey!
B. Knowing God is awesome and that I can trust Him leads me to trust that even when I blow it (and for me that’s awesome), he is there to bend down and pick up the broken pieces and HEAL!
1. (Deuteronomy 33:26-27 NIV) ""There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. {27} The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, ’Destroy him!’"
1. THERE IS NOONE LIKE THE GOD OF JESHURUN
1. Trust Him to lead you, take care of you and love you like you’ve never been loved before.
Conclusion: God is so awesome, remember the baseball scenario at the beginning of the lesson.
‒ Wouldn’t it be awesome if the coach could tell the batter with confidence and truth that he was about to hit the grand slam that won the game!
‒ God has told us that very thing if we would but trust Him.
‒ (Romans 8:37-39 NCV) "But in all these things we have full victory through God who showed his love for us. {38} Yes, I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, {39} nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
‒ I can hear someone say now, “Man if you give people that kind of assurance, they will abuse God’s love and sin so that grace may abound.”
‒ Some will, but that doesn’t take away this fact.
‒ If my brethren would be fully convinced that heaven was theirs, and that salvation was coming, and really realize the love of God, they will work themselves silly for HIM.
Let’s get excited and work for this awesome God like never before!!
**It’s kind of like the ice skater that is told, just before she steps on the ice, “The scores have been tabulated, the judges have already declared you a winner. You can fall on your face if you want to, but you have won!”
‒ HOW IS SHE GOING TO SKATE?
