Our Awesome God

I. Introduction: In 1 Corinthians 14:15 Paul wrote, “I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.” At Northwood we have learned many new songs, among them “I Stand In Awe of You,” and “Our God Is an Awesome God.” I have noticed a theme in these songs that we should consider to improve our understanding.

[!NOTE] Primary Scripture Reading: Psalm 66

II. What does it mean to be in awe of God?

A. Webster: Awe: “a mixed feeling of reverence, fear, and wonder caused by something majestic, sublime, etc.

B. Stand in awe: “to respect and fear”

C. I am glad that we do not insist on standing up when singing this. Standing in awe has nothing to do with standing up physically but being attentive and impressed with the God we adore.

D. The Bible uses the phrase “fear of the Lord” more often to describe awe

E. Awe and fear of God unite fear and love in a unique way in our lives

F. Fear – respect for his power, authority, and judgment Love – adoration, admiration, and desire to join with Him

G. We cannot help but be in awe of God: there is none like Him; He created us; He is merciful to us; He embodies holiness; He is perfection.

III. Psalm 66: How awe of God should be reflected in our lives

A. Praise to Him

B. Honor His name, v.2

C. God is so awesome and our respect for Him should be such that we would even exalt His holy name.

D. Psalm 99:2-3 – He is above all and His name must be exalted Matthew 6:9 – The name of God must be sacred to us As the sound of a loved one’s name is special and touches our heart, so should the name of God should evoke love for Him and desire for Him

E. Exodus 20:7 – casual use of His name does not show honor or respect

F. We must not profane His name with foul language or false promises If we are Christians, His name is our name, and we should honor it

G. Enthusiastic praise for Him, v. 2, 4

H. When we are in awe of God our praise should be hard to contain, desiring full release in selfless devotion to Him.

I. We may express our adoration in different ways but it should never detract from honoring Him; we are not here to satisfy ourselves. We must not set the cruise control when we assemble together but actively participate in worship

J. Malachi 1:13 – some considered worship a weariness

K. Did you feel dread when you realized it was Sunday? Is “praising God” just a catchphrase for you or do you sense the privilege and opportunity to give yourself to God?

IV. Praise for His deeds

A. Psalm 105:1-5 – remember His works for they are great and wonderful

B. Praise for conquering our enemies, v. 3-7

C. The Psalmist remembered God delivering Israel from Egypt with power We can praise God for His plan of salvation that unfolded over thousands of years and the great sacrifice of Jesus to make salvation a reality for us. Just as Israel could praise God for delivering them from Egyptian slavery, so we can thank God for delivering us from the power of sin and the wasted life that it brings to give us a new life with eternal life to follow We must praise God because we are “more than conquerors”

D. Preserving us, v. 8-9

E. After delivering us, God preserves us in Him.

F. John 10:27-29 – Jesus protects His sheep As long as we hear and follow, we enjoy His protection

G. If we cease to hear and follow Jesus we will not inherit eternal life.

H. Hebrews 10:26-27 – if we rebel, we cannot have our sins cleansed2 Peter 2:20-21 – Better to not know God than to rebel

I. We are in awe of His power to protect and fear His wrath if we rebel

J. Refining us, v. 10-15

K. Our troubles aren’t enemies: they should perfect us and bring us to God Spurgeon: “The day may come when, as in this case, we shall make hymns out of our griefs, and sing all the more sweetly because our mouths have been purified with bitter draughts.” Silver can only be purified when it is subject to great heat that burns off the impurities; the result is beautiful but the process is painful.

L. God puts some burdens on us to strengthen us

M. We cannot grow stronger physically or spiritually without heavy loads1 Corinthians 10:12-13 – God will control the weight; never too heavy Sometimes a person can push you so hard you find strength and stamina that you never knew you had and would not know it otherwise God allows our enemies to prevail for a time to test our faithfulness

N. From fire and flood to deliverance

O. Flood and fire wreak havoc and leave destruction in their path. The child of God must endure great pressure and devastating forces because God will deliver Him and bring Him to a better place James 1:2-3 – enduring suffering perfects us

V. Evangelistic praise, v.16-20

A. When we are in awe of God we want to tell others about Him

B. The Psalmist wanted to tell of God’s deeds and how God preserved Him God has done wonderful things in our lives: strengthens us in weakness, teaches us a better way of life, cleanses our sins, and removes our guilt Like the Psalmist, we must desire to tell others so that God can change the life of others: I want you to have what I have.