God is Totally Awesome

[0:00] God is totally awesome. Awesome. Awesome. It's a word we use a lot. It's in modern culture, it's a slang word. People use awesome all the time, don't they? Wow, that was awesome.

[0:28] ! When they say that, they mean it was excellent or outstanding or just blew them away. Something that was awesome. Maybe it was their sports team and the great win they had or the meal that they had or the car or a song or some occasion, something that people go to or think of or a person they think about. They're awesome, so they say.

[0:52] But when you think about it, really, God alone is awesome. God alone is awesome. Sure, there are lots of things we could say are great, but God alone is awesome. When we mean awesome in the sense that He is the one that we should stand in awe of.

[1:17] We should stand in awe of God. In awe of Him. Awesome. In this sense, it means inspiring. It means something that's worthy of our admiration and reverence.

[1:30] And our world pretty much misses the point here. Why? Because as the Word tells us of this world, for many in this world, there is no fear of God before their eyes.

[1:48] No fear of God before the eyes of the wicked. It says that in Psalm 36, verse 1. The world has no fear of God in that awesome reverential fear. This world does not fear God.

[2:02] And that is a reproach to this world. Churches are bound too that teach much about the love of God, but will rarely touch on the subject of the fear of God.

[2:15] The fear of God. And it's something that is an important biblical truth. That's somehow lost, it seems. It's somehow missing.

[2:25] We should be filled with awe about our God, our great and awesome, glorious God. In His eternal glory and His marvelous power, the living God is awesome.

[2:40] And God is to be feared. God is to be feared. In Psalm 33, verse 8, it says, Let all the earth fear the Lord.

[2:52] Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

[3:06] God is great and glorious. He's exalted and He's worthy to be exalted, to be reverenced as the Creator of all the heavens and the earth.

[3:16] And everything we can imagine, every good gift comes from His hand. Do we honor God like we should? I think we could do better. I know for myself I could say that.

[3:31] Psalm 33, verses 8 to 9. Let me repeat verse 8 again. Let all the earth fear the Lord. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

[3:46] For He spake and it was done. He commanded and it stood fast. We can stand in awe because what God says is the absolute truth.

[4:00] He spake and it was done. And we should stand in awe. What did He say? Let there be light. You know, and all the other things.

[4:11] And He just had to speak and it was done. We should stand in awe at the creation of God. At the work of creation. In considering preparing this message, I was just sitting in a park.

[4:27] And looking at this lake and some nice nature around me. Some bushes and scenery.

[4:40] And some little ducks waddling by. And I thought, you know, just the wonder of creation. It just should make us stand in awe of God. The handiwork.

[4:52] The creation of our God. Do you believe God? Do you believe the Bible? We should stand in awe of Him. Stand in awe of Him today.

[5:03] And Psalm 119 verse 161. It reads, Princes have persecuted me without a cause, but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.

[5:16] Standeth in awe of thy word. It's interesting to look in a concordance. Stand in awe. Stand in awe. You stand in awe of God. You stand in awe of His word.

[5:29] And there's another verse that tells, as we stand in awe of God, it keeps us from sin. You know, there's very precious references to standing in awe.

[5:40] And so we not only stand in awe of God, we stand in awe of His word. We stand in awe of God because of the great power and authority and integrity of His word.

[5:52] And the psalmist says here in Psalm 119 verse 161, which we know is a psalm all about the word of God. The psalmist says that, Though the pressures of the world come, though persecution comes, the fear of God should give us His power and strength to stay faithful, to stay faithful to His word.

[6:11] So we can thank God for His holy word. His inspired, infallible, inerrant word. In other words, it's without error. And God, through His gospel word, has given us the Bible.

[6:25] I'm quoting here, Blessed by the Spirit, it saves sinners, it lifts the needy, it comforts the troubled, it works conviction of sin, it opens the eyes of the blind.

[6:37] With the word, He equips His people for strengthen the battles against evil and sin and gives direction and guidance in the way everlasting and warnings against the ways of sin and Satan and this world.

[6:52] And our Lord personally brought His gospel word to us. As the word made flesh, He brought the word from His lips. And God's word is here for us in our tongue.

[7:04] God's word. And God's word, of course, to us, it says, Set your hope in God. Let His word be your guide and guard in all your ways and you shall not be put to shame.

[7:16] So the awe of God and the awe of His word go hand in hand. In Psalm 112 verse 1 it says, Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in His commandments.

[7:30] We should fear the Lord and we should delight in His word. It seems like as a people, as the people of God, as people who claim Christian faith, we've lost the awe of God.

[7:42] We've lost the sense of that. We've lost that dimension. On the one hand, in this world that we live, you have some who pretend to deny that God exists.

[7:55] They act as if they have no God to answer to. I think they're kidding themselves. I think really when you really consider such a viewpoint, it really doesn't stack up at all.

[8:16] And I think deep down, those who claim that they deny that God exists or they have this idea that there is no God, I think when you really start talking to them and digging deep enough, deep down, they do believe.

[8:39] Deep down, everyone, I think, deep down, everyone knows there is a God. They're just denying Him. And so you've got those on one side and then on the other hand, they have those who shape God to suit their own conceptions and preferences.

[8:55] And for them, their God is the big man in the sky. I've had people who profess Christian faith talk to Him or talk about Him like that.

[9:06] The big man in the sky. And Jesus is just alright with me. There's songs like that, isn't there? He's my mate. Jesus is my mate.

[9:18] You know, I could go down the pub and have a beer with Him. Jesus is my mate. And this God, small g, comes running to answer to their call. Those who have this view of God.

[9:29] And His reason for being is to give you a successful life. That's why Jesus came. Jesus came to give you a successful life. As the world defines such a thing.

[9:44] And people have this view of God. They can use His name like a mantra to command Him as it were, in Jesus' name.

[9:57] It acts like a magical charm. As if it summons this God to our beckoning. Summons this God to come running to serve us. summons this God like some obedient genie out of a bottle.

[10:13] Of course, there's times we say in Jesus' name. But we don't use it as some kind of mantra, some kind of, some kind of magical phrase to call on His serving us.

[10:27] We don't call on our God to serve us such as that. It's we that are to serve Him. It's we that are to be the servants, not our God. And so God is so little fear today it seems in so many quarters.

[10:40] And I believe this is why we see today so much going on that shows how far, far away from His will we are. We've lost the awe of God.

[10:54] And I believe this is why we see rebellion in young people today. This is why we see our beer-soaked culture. This is why we see rock music's wickedness.

[11:06] This is why we see confused doctrines abounding. This is why we see women preachers. This is why we see ecumenical mayhem. This is why we see wrecked marriages or no marriages at all.

[11:20] And this is why we see fornication within the church. This is why we see disobedient children because we've lost the awe of God. There is no fear of God before their eyes.

[11:33] Friends, we must seek God. This is why there is a disrespect to parents. This is why there is so much foul language. This is why there are chaotic families because we've lost the awe of God.

[11:49] That precious, precious, valuable gem of truth, the love of God, the fear of God, the awe of God. And as a people, I think we've lost the awe of God and His word.

[12:03] God isn't even in the picture. And people act as if the king of all the earth has left his throne and he's not watching what we're doing. Judges 17 verse 6 it says, In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

[12:26] We can all make excuses about what's right in our own eyes.

[12:38] We can all mount an argument, put a case, and try to excuse our disobedience to God because it's right, right, in our own eyes, but it's not right in his eyes, brothers and sisters.

[12:59] That's what matters. And this is not to condemn anyone, this is speaking to my own heart, that we need to be in awe of God, in awe of God. And so we see this prideful vanity of man as if God is our servant boy, or as if we have no God to answer to at all.

[13:24] Or as if maybe God's not watching, we can get away with some things and then kind of just smooth it all over. And friends, we ought to consider that God is watching us.

[13:40] And Proverbs 3 verse 7 it says, Be not wise in thine own eyes, fear the Lord, and depart from evil. Be not wise in thine own eyes, fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

[13:53] Accounting time, will surely come. And in Romans 14 12 it says, So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

[14:04] You know, I will give account for myself to God. And you will give account of yourself to God. It's between you and him.

[14:15] And so the buck stops with you as to where you're at spiritually today. And friends, this needful call that we see God and know his mercy and find that humility before him such that we stand in awe of him.

[14:36] We realise we're but a speck, we're but a worm, we're but a microbe, as it were, in his sight.

[14:47] You know, I was looking at, and you've probably seen such things yourselves, where you see, you know, a human being in the context of a nation, in the context of a planet, and then you go out into the solar system and further out into the, you know, all the different layers of the universe, and you think, wow, we're just a tiny little speck, every one of us.

[15:14] It's just a tiny, insignificant, and just here for a few short years and then gone, and how insignificant we are, yet how wonderful God is, that he is so awesome that he loves you, he loves me, each one here today, you are precious, as Roy was saying, everyone is a precious, precious soul, and we can know his mercy, not get prideful and vain about it, but stand in awe of him, stand in awe of him, fear the Lord and depart from evil, a counting time will come, where is the awe of God, one day we'll stand with nothing in our hands, nothing to bring, we'll stand empty handed, we'll stand with nothing, and we'll stand before his throne, and we'll answer to him, and when we get it in that perspective, what humility should we have, even now, it's a good thing, and to regain that healthy sense of the awe of God,

[16:27] God is totally awesome, totally awesome, and we should regain that healthy fear, that respect, that adoration, that submission, to be in awe of his wisdom, to be in awe of his power, in awe of his might, in awe of his mercy, in awe of his glory, in awe of his kindness, that he should deign to visit with such as we, and he has created us for his praise, he's made us as instruments of his glory, to serve him, and to spend this time we have wisely, standing in awe of him, in Psalm 147, 11, it says, the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, he takes pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy, and standing in awe of him, that we can please God, it's where we just say, well, nothing in my hands

[17:29] I breathe, I just cling to you Lord, you're my all, you're my everything, I stand in awe of you, you've made it all possible, I hope in your mercy, how do we develop a healthy sense of the fear of God, ask the Lord for it, ask God to give you that fear, in Psalm 86, 11, it reads, teach me thy way, oh Lord, I will walk in thy truth, unite my heart to fear thy name, teach me thy way, oh Lord, seek his face, ask him to teach you, learn of him, he says learn of me, seek out his words, seek his face, this is the heart that fears God, it walks a different way, I will walk in thy truth, it walks a different way, it walks in his ways, he gives us a new direction, a new destination, fear God and depart from evil, now sometimes brothers and sisters, we can fear men so much, about what will others say, what will others say about me, or think about me, and we get such a preoccupation with what are they going to think, and you know, when we spend that time in front of the mirror and I look more handsome every day as I look in that mirror and have these vain thoughts, and I think about how nice everyone's going to think I look today and how smart, no,

[19:12] I'm worried about you, I'm worried about, you're not going to like the colour of my tie today, and you're not going to like what I'm preaching to you about, you're going to disagree with my theology, you're going to find some fault here, there or everywhere, it's too hot, it's too cold, it's whatever it be, we can fear men, we can worry about what people think, and forget what really counts, is what does he think, what does the Lord think about me, what does the Lord want of me, what does God want of my life, do I truly fear God, or am I just worried about what everybody else thinks, am I wearing the latest fashion, am I, you know, whatever it be, we're all worried about what people think so much, yet we think so little about what does God think, what does God think, you know, if only we could have that sense of what does God think, and what would please God in my life, the decisions that I make in my life, what would be pleasing unto him, what would give glory to him, how can I have a better sense of his might and rule and his goodness over me, and his ultimate power over my life, in Matthew 10, 28, the Lord

[20:29] Jesus says, and fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell, he is the one we should fear, because he has the ultimate say so, and it's good for us to dwell on God's mighty power and dominion, friends today, think of the greatness of our God, God is sovereign, he's sovereign, in other words, he has total control, he's the one that has the ultimate power over the affairs of men, God is sovereign, here's what someone said, God is sovereign over pagan kings and presidents, God is sovereign over our families, our friends, and the people we witness to and to us, God is absolute, his dominion is total and complete, from the macro of creation, of galaxies and universes, to the micro of the number of hairs on our head, from the macro decisions of claiming

[21:36] Christ, to Peter Mary, of what Koreans to choose, to the micro of what colours of socks to buy, God is there, he cares about even the very hairs on your head, he's got less to count every day for me, he cares about the very hairs on your head, and he cares about you to that intimate detail, that's amazing isn't it, that God has got the whole universe to run, but he counts the hairs on my head, wow, he's awesome, isn't he, isn't he totally awesome, he is, and it's good to dwell on him, of who he is as the creator of the universe, he is great and greatly to be praised, and he is master and sovereign of the universe, and of you and me, so we ought to develop that healthy sense of that wonder, of the witness of God's creation, when you walk around and you see, sometimes we just blithely pass all of these witnesses of his creation,

[22:39] I was just thinking as I was sitting in that little park, and I just stopped for a moment and smelled the roses, well it wasn't a rose, but it was a nice looking flower, and it was just this beautiful looking flower, and I thought, wow, that is just so awesome, well it reflects his awesomeness, that he's created that beautiful flower, to bud and spring out in the colours and the shapes, and the complexity, and the intricacy of that flower, that it reflects the awesome, creative power of our God, and sometimes we just go about life without, just open your eyes and see, God's wonderful, creative, majestic power, it's all around us, the witness of God's creation, the huge expanse of it is all around us, and we realise what fools people are who deny his creation, how can you be, have you got a brain in your head, to see the creation, you've got to acknowledge there's a creator, there's just no getting around it, in Psalm 8, the Psalm of

[23:48] David it says, O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth, who has set thy glory above the heavens, out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength, because of thine enemies that they might instill the enemy and the avenger, when I consider thy heavens the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained, what is man, that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man, that thou visitest him, for thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour, thou hast made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands, and hast put all things under his feet, all sheep and ox and yea, and the beasts of the field, the fowl of the air, the fish of the sea, whatsoever passes through the paths of the seas, O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth, as we stand in awe of the mighty

[24:53] God, he made all things, and he, by him, all things consist, they hold together because of his word, and he's made man and he's redeemed us by his blood, Colossians 1, giving thanks unto the father who's made us meet or fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of his dear son, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature, for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers, all things were created by him and for him, and he is before all things, and by him all things consist, shouldn't we stand in awe of him, stand in awe of him, who made us, who saves us, who sustains us, he breathes life into us, and he decides when the breath will stop breathing, he's awesome, awesome, and he gives us the privilege of knowing him now in relationship as sons and daughters of his very kingdom as we worship him,

[26:27] Revelation 15, 4, they cry out, who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name, for thou only art holy, for all nations shall come and worship before thee, for thy judgments are made manifest, who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name, like David cried out in 1 Chronicles 29, 11, thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty, for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine, thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all, stand in awe of him, in other words, he's not just some cosmic body Jesus, some man in the sky, God is totally awesome, the creator of heaven and the earth, has given us his holy word, has come and intervened personally with his divine intervention in Christ, he's worthy to render due worship, he's worthy of his name, let's not come to him as some cosmic buddy, some mate, as much as he is a friend of sinners, thank God, but he's not our mate to cosy up to, he's not our servant to come at our bidding, let's not come as

[28:05] Cain came with some flippant offering, but a sacrifice of praise like Abel, let's come like Abel, truly reverent and giving of our hearts of our substance, changed by the spirit of the living God, let's serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, like it says in Hebrews 12 verse 28 and 29, it says, wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby!

[28:36] we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, for our God is a consuming fire, we ought to stand in awe of him, one day he's coming with fire flaming out of his eyes, and we should stand in awe of God, the Holy Spirit of God is the spirit of godly fear, says in Isaiah 11 it says, the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and light, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord, so there's a sense where the Holy Spirit is the spirit of the fear of the Lord, so that's a precious truth too isn't it, to think how our God has, he prompts in us that awe, that reverence, that love of him, it says in Psalm 22, you that fear the Lord, praise him, when we fear God we'll praise him, we'll want to praise him, we'll want to stand in awe of the great, glorious, awesome, holy God of the word of

[29:43] God, and friends I just urge you today, it's a simple message really, that if we just stop and think about him, as we go through our busy lives, this hectic pace at times where there's so much call on our time for so many things, but stop and smell the roses as it were, see the creation, that it shouts his glory, it shouts his creative power, consider the glory of God that it came in the person of Christ, and his face shone as it were, with the glory, the glorious expression of God enwrapped in human skin, and then laid out on a piece of wood for you and me, that's glorious, that's awesome, there's nothing more awesome than that, we cannot fathom his greatness, and ask the Lord to stir that in you, teach me thy way

[30:44] O Lord, unite my heart to fear thy name, ask him for that new sense of wonder of his great majesty, he's awe-inspiring, and God is pleased with those who fear him, says Psalm 147, to wrap up it says, the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those who hope in his mercy, the Lord takes pleasure in them that fear him, you know friends, just to leave you with one last challenge this day, that I urge you today, to fear God, stand in awe of him, and maybe it's time to repent of our lack of the fear of God, where you've treated God too flippantly, where God is just some lucky charm, it's like, you get that sometimes, where some people, they turn to God when things are tough, and then when things are okay, they just forget about him until it's convenient, it's not convenient, he's a bit of an inconvenience at other times, but rather let's stand in awe of

[31:50] God, let's live a life with that hard attitude today, let's pray, Lord we thank you today for your word, help us Lord to have that renewed love of you and your word to stand in awe of you Lord God, to stand in awe of your truth, help us Lord to stand in awe as we read your word to treat it with love and reverence and obedience Lord help us to stand in awe of you as we praise you, as we live lives that are glorifying to you, that our lives will bring you pleasure Lord as we fear you, as we love you with that reverence and worship and honour that you are the one who is glorified, help us Lord to be light shining in this darkened place, that you might be glorified, help us to choose wisely those paths that will glorify you, in Jesus name, Amen.

[32:44] Amen.