The Greatness of God

How to set this up?

Introduction to Greatness: Tastes Great, Less Filling; they’re great! I feel great (after 2 weeks of the flu). Greatness was something that happened to me, or something I enjoyed.

Greatness is Accomplishment. great game, grades, college, promotion, built

Doing great in school. Getting a college or master’s degree: great job.

God’s Greatness in his accomplishments, but God’s are only for us. Greatness is not just a word that describes God, but it describes what God does for us.

Stuart Hine wrote a great hymn that we’re going to sing in a few minutes: How great Thou Art. Like many songs, if we stop and pay attention to the words we sing, they teach us something and deepen our worship.

God’s greatness seen in his deeds. When we sing that song together, and anytime we sing of the greatness of God,

I want us to think of 3 ways God has demonstrated his greatness:

victories; miracles; what else? what if you have one of those days, weeks, years when God doesn’t seem so great;

Creation. Salvation. Future Inheritance

even when we don’t see the deeds, when God seems silent, we can still sing and celebrate God’s greatness

was reading from the gospel of John about the crucifixion of Christ to a houseful of guests, and those visitors were in the very act of repenting. In Ukraine (as I know first hand!), this act of repenting is done very much out loud. So the Hines heard people calling out to God, saying how unbelievable it was that Christ would die for their own sins, and praising Him for His love and mercy. They just couldn't barge in and disrupt this obvious work of the Holy Spirit, so they stayed outside and listened. Stuart wrote down the phrases he heard the Repenters use, and (even though this was all in Russian), it became the third verse that we know today: "And when I think that God, His Son not sparing, Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in."[

Verse

Verse 4 was inspired by the grief and sorrow of the refugees, who had been separated from family. There is hope for a future reunion in Heaven.

One man to whom they were ministering told them an amazing story: he had been separated from his wife at the very end of the war, and had not seen her since. At the time they were separated, his wife was a Christian, but he was not, but he had since been converted. His deep desire was to find his wife so they could at last share their faith together. But he told the Hines that he did not think he would ever see his wife on earth again. Instead he was longing for the day when they would meet in heaven, and could share in the Life Eternal there. These words again inspired Hine, and they became the basis for his fourth and final verse to 'How Great Thou Art': "When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation to take me home, what joy shall fill my heart. Then we shall bow in humble adoration and there proclaim, My God How Great Thou Art!"[8]

The Greatness God in Creation

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Romans 1:20 NIV

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

...the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made…

Stuart Hine, British missionary in Eastern Europe. Rode a bicycle, distributed Bibles and preached. The first and second verses inspired by his time in the Carpathian Mountains.

Nature deficiency; pray, not just nice to see, refreshing, but a demonstration of God’s greatness; the God who spoke the world into existence, can demonstrate his greatness in our lives

Nature deficiency

not just nice for us to see, refreshing, but a demonstration of God’s greatness; the God who spoke the world into existence, can demonstrate his greatness in our lives

The Greatness of Christ’s Redemption

1 Peter 1:18–19 NIV

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

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...it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ…

Verse 3 inspired by his experiences in sharing the good news ; villagers were amazed at God’s love, received the Gospel with joy.

Verse 3 inspired by his experiences in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. He remembered how the villagers were amazed at God’s love for them, and they received the Gospel with joy.

reading about the crucifixion to house guests, were in the act of repenting. very loud, in Russian; (found out later through interpreter); wrote down words that repenters used;

"And when I think that God, His Son not sparing, Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in."[

How amazed are we? How desperately do we want to share? Not feeling loved? Accepted? Unimportant?

In Ukraine (as I know first hand!), this act of repenting is done very much out loud. So the Hines heard people calling out to God, saying how unbelievable it was that Christ would die for their own sins, and praising Him for His love and mercy. They just couldn't barge in and disrupt this obvious work of the Holy Spirit, so they stayed outside and listened. Stuart wrote down the phrases he heard the Repenters use, and (even though this was all in Russian), it became the third verse that we know today:

The Greatness of Our Future Inheritance

...he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you…

Verse 4 was inspired by the grief and sorrow of the refugees, who had been separated from family. There is hope for a future reunion in Heaven.

The fourth verse was added after the Second World War. exiled Polish community in Britain, who were anxious to return home, displaced Russians were being held,

exiled Polish community in Britain, who were anxious to return home,

provided part of the inspiration for Hine's final verse.[13] Hine and David Griffiths visited a camp in Sussex, England, in 1948 where displaced Russians were being held, but where

only two were professing Christians.[28] The testimony of one of these refugees and his anticipation of the second coming of Christ inspired Hine to write the fourth stanza of his English version of the hymn.[28] According to Ireland:

One man to whom they were ministering told them an amazing story: he had been separated from his wife at the very end of the war, and had not seen her since. At the time they were separated, his wife was a Christian, but he was not, but he had since been converted. His deep desire was to find his wife so they could at last share their faith together.

But he told the Hines that he did not think he would ever see his wife on earth again, longing for the day when they would meet in heaven, and could share in the Life Eternal there. These words again inspired Hine, and they became the basis for his fourth and final verse to 'How Great Thou Art':

"When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation to take me home, what joy shall fill my heart. Then we shall bow in humble adoration and there proclaim, My God How Great Thou Art!"[8]

More than what we see in this life;

Closing

Feel like God isn’t there? Isn’t active? Look at creation. Remember that God speaks to us through the wonderful world He has made.

Feel like God doesn’t care? Think about what God has done for us in Christ?

Feel like God has nothing in store for us?