THE AWE OF GOD

INTRODUCTION

· Are you satisfied with how close you are with God?

· Have you grieved over people (loved ones, family, friends, who have walked away from the faith?

· Barna Research - Barnett did an intensive study between 2000 and 2020 and they discovered in his study that over 40 million Americans had walked away from the faith. Now I'm going to qualify this the first group which was about 20 million are practicing Christians that are now called non-practicing Christians.

· The second group 20 million plus are people that are now professed unbelievers, agnostics, and even atheists. Now this is really alarming and I know it's affected probably everybody.

“Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,” 2 Thessalonians 2:3

What I’m going to share in this message will absolutely protect those we love as well as ourselves from being one of those statistics one of those shipwrecks of the faith.

· The third thing I want to ask is this is there behavior Consistent repetitive behavior in your life that you always later regret.

“Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.”” Exodus 20:20

I. What is Holy Fear?

Unpacking the concept of "holy fear" or reverential awe for God.

“Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Proverbs 1:7

A. The fear of the Lord is not when you are afraid of God.

“All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance. Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.””

Exodus 20:18–20

1. The purpose of Moses leading God’s people out of Egypt was to lead them to a place where they could meet God.

2. When they approached the mountain of God…they trembled in fear (phobia) and ran away.

3. Today we hide from the presence of God because we afraid of God.

Adam and Eve also hid-

B. The fear of the Lord is when you fear being away from the presence of God.

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.” Psalm 139:7–10

When you fear, God, you are not afraid of him, but you were afraid of being without him. He will make sure that everything you do is not separate you from the presence of God. You fear that being without him will be the end of you.

II. God's Tangible Presence

Explain the time we felt the tangible presence of God in our service in Barstow. Where people fell out…

“And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14

A. Holy fear can be broken down into two major categories:

1. to tremble at the presence of God - give an example from the previous story.

2. to tremble at His Word.

To tremble at God’s word means to have a deep reverence,, and respect for the teachings and commands found in his word. It means to recognize the authority and power of God’s word, and to respond with humility and obedience.

Trembling at God’s word also implies the recognition of the consequences of not following his teachings, and his desire to align one’s life with his will.

“A God greatly feared in the council of the holy ones, And awesome above all those who are around Him?” Psalm 89:7

B. Notice it does not state merely “feared” but rather “greatly” feared.

1. You will never find God’s sweet presence in an atmosphere where He and His word are not revered and held in awe.

2. Say some thing about the importance of worship, and how that differs from the word of God.

C. Scripture identifies two types.

1. The first is His omnipresence.

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.” Psalm 139:7–8

“Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.” Psalm 139:12

That leads me to another question: if God is everywhere, then is God in hell? YES

Nothing would be worse than to be where God‘s presence is, and still not feel him. There are a great deal of people in church today. Whoever God’s presence is, but they can’t feel God.

2. The second is identified by Jesus’ statement,

“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” John 14:21 NKJV

The word manifest is the Greek word emphanízo and means “to make apparent . . . to let oneself be intimately known and understood.”

(a) This occurs when God reveals Himself to our mind and senses.

“Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20 NKJV).

He’s obviously not referring to the everywhere-presence of God, because why would He need to make this statement?

He speaks of His manifest presence.

III. The Glory of God - Understanding the breadth and depth of God's glory.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.” Psalm 19:1

A. Mortal flesh cannot stand in the presence of God.

“His radiance is like the sunlight; He has rays flashing from His hand, And there is the hiding of His power.” Habakkuk 3:4

“who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.” 1 Timothy 6:16

“for our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:29

1. Not like a camp fire…more like the sun…

“This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5

“at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me.” Acts 26:13

2. When Paul encounters Jesus he doesn’t see Jesus face, he only sees the light coming from Him.

B. The glory of the Lord is everything that makes God, God.

1. All His characteristics, authority, power, wisdom—literally the immeasurable weight and magnitude of God.

2. Nothing is hidden or held back!

C. the glory of the Lord is revealed in the face of Jesus Christ.

1. Many have claimed to experience a vision of Jesus. That is very possible, but not in His full glory.

2. Paul describes it this way: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV).

(a) His glory is hidden, even as it was veiled by a dark cloud in the Old Testament. Why?

(1) No flesh can look upon His unveiled glory and still live.

(b)The first person Jesus spoke with after His resurrection was Mary Magdalene, yet she thought He was the gardener (John 20:15–16).

(c) The disciples ate a fish breakfast with Jesus along the seashore, but at first they didn’t recognize Him (John 21:9–10).

(d)Two disciples walked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus, “but their eyes were restrained” (Luke 24:16 NKJV).

These all beheld His face because He did not openly display His glory.

There were some who saw the Lord in the Old Testament, but he was not revealed in His glory.

(e) The Lord appeared to Abraham by the terebinth trees of Mamre, but not in His glory (Genesis 18:1–2).

(f) Jacob wrestled with God, but not in His glory (Genesis 32:24–30).

(g)Joshua, when near Jericho, saw the Lord with a drawn sword and demanded to know if He was on Israel’s side.

Upon learning it was the Lord, he fell to his face and worshipped Him.

(h) In contrast, John the apostle saw the Lord, in the Spirit, in all His glory on the island of Patmos.

(i) John compared His countenance to the sun shining in its strength and fell as one dead. How could John look at Him? He was not in his body, but in the spirit.

3. God’s glory creates a weight that draws us deeper and deeper into His presence.

CONCLUSION

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:8

What we need is to ask God to MANIFEST Himself to us.

He won’t do that if He is not made to feel welcome.