The Heart of Worship 01 - Awe-Full Worship

Reading: Psalm 99; Hebrews 12:22-29
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:28-29 (NIV)

I.   Our God is an Awesome God

     A.  God is not Domesticated

           1.  God is “wild” (read from Lewis)

           2.  He comes as He is, not as we wish.

                 a.  God isn’t a puppy who comes wagging his tale whenever we call His Name.

                 b.  Neither is He a chameleon, changing His appearance to suite our mood

                 c.  God is God. When He shows up things shake.

           3.  Our God is a consuming fire (v.29)

                 a.  God is dangerous.

                 b.  God forgives, but also punishes (Ps 99:8)

                 c.  Don’t play with fire!

     B.  God’s deeds inspire Awe

           1.  God’s activity takes our breath away

                 a.  Look at the lengths to which He goes to gather, sustain and protect His people!

                 b.  Look at what He did to rescue Israel from bondage in Egypt!

                 c.  Look at what He did to rescue us from our bondage to sin.

           2.  God will shake up everything on Earth and in Heaven.

                 a.  Everything!

                 b.  Unless we depend on Him, we’re on shaky ground!

                 c.  The greatest thing in all the Earth turns to Jello in His hands.

           3.  But His Kingdom can’t be shaken (?!)

                 a.  This Kingdom that seems so shaky

                 b.  This Kingdom which seems so impotent, so tentative, so ineffective.

                 c.  It’s His Kingdom.

     C.  People Tremble in His presence

           1.  Whole nations tremble (or ought to)

                 a.  “The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble” (v.1)

                 b.  God’s in charge now, move asside.

           2.  Great Heroes of the Bible trembled

                 a.  Moses: The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” Heb.12:21

                 b.  Isaiah: “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” Is. 6:5

                 c.  Daniel: I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. Dan. 10:8

                 d.  John: When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Rev. 1:17a

II.  Authentic worship is Reverent

     A.  Hallowed be Your Name

           1.  You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God,

                 a.  What’s the deal about a name?

                 b.  Even God’s name is sacred and so requires reverence and respect.

                 c.  It isn’t appropriate to speak light of dignitaries in their presence—God?

           2.  We are to hallow God always. How much more in worship.

                 a.  Don’t by-pass God’s holiness to get to His love.

                 b.  Celebrate His holiness: Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy. v.3

                 c.  We lift God up (exalt) in worship (we don’t lasso Him and drag Him down)

     B.  Worship means to ascribe Worth

           1.  What is God worthy of from you?

                 a.  Seriously.

                 b.  Is He worth all you are?

                 c.  Is He worth reverence and awe?

           2.  How can we praise Him in a manner worthy of Him?

                 a.  Is Ho-Hum enough? Or mere ritual? Or empty singing?

                 b.  We can’t. Unless He helps us.

                 c.  He is worthy of our best and our whole heart, soul, mind and strength.

     C.  The heart of reverence is Humility

           1.  We recognize that God is superior to us in every imaginable way.

                 a.  We’ve got no “one ups” on God.

                 b.  We are nothing in comparison to Him.

           2.  God is due our reverence, our respect, our admiration and our service.

                 a.  Who God is requires these of us.

                 b.  Don’t short-change God

III. Authentic worship is Awe–Full

     A.  God’s presence is Majestic

           1.  Read Rev. 1:12-16

           2.  Remember Isaiah 6?

     B.  God’s power is awe Inspiring

           1.  He has the power to create out of nothing.

                 a.  He did! (Remember “get your own dirt!”)

                 b.  And he sustains and protects it always.

           2.  He has the power of life and death.

                 a.  He created life, our life.

                 b.  He provides for all creatures great and small

                 c.  We will live until we accomplish all that God has for us to accomplish.

           3.  He has the power to give us eternal life

                 a.  The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work within us.(Eph1:19-20)

                 b.  What kind of power is that!

                 c.  God’s power is awe-inspiring

     C.  God’s love is Wonderful

           1.  How can God’s love be so big?!

                 a.  Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made, were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry. Nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky. (F.M. Lehman)

           2.  I wonder why He loves us.

                 a.  He didn’t have to.

                 b.  He has good reason not to.

           3.  God’s love is so wide and long and high and deep, we need his power to grasp it.

                 a.  Eph.3:18

                 b.  Since God loves us so much, worship Him with reverence and awe.

The Bottom Line:

R#336 O Worship the King v.1