Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
RECAP:
They where devoted and commited to the church. What are you showing people around you when you commit or devote to something…
· There is no other that I desire more
· This is the only way
· My life revolves around it
· This is truth and life.
As a church if we are to do anything for God we are going to have to be a people who break commitmentphobia. EVERYONE IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE COMMITED> (listen to last weeks message)
EVERYONE IN AWE:
43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
Awe – Fear and Excitement mixed with humility. It is a sence of amazement, respect, and Godly fear. You look at what God is doing and you are blown away because He is doing so much.
The sence of awe is gone –
Think about the way in which God is viewed today. Visit any church worship on Sunday morning and you will likely find a congregation comfortably relating to a deity who fits nicely within their precise doctrinal positions, lends almighty support to their social crusades, or who is exactly what they desire in spiritual experiences. But there will be an absence of awe! This group has dared approach the Almighty God yet they feel no awe; no sweaty palms, no shaky knees. The atmosphere is totally different from that found in the Scriptures (Rv 1:17; Hb 12:28-29).
· “Reverence and awe have been replaced by a yawn of familiarity. The consuming fire has been domesticated into a candle flame”
Is it possible that such has happened in your life? In this church? This is what our series seeks to explore and answer.
What destroys Awe?
Exodus 20:18 Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off.
20:19 -Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”
· Individualistic Ideas
o No person ever rises above his/her idea of God.
o The greatest factor in religion is not what one confesses to believe but what one’s heart believes God to be.
o The Children of Isreal Had a problem with only following God when He was doing “powerful” things that met there individual problems. He delivered them, he saved them out of egypt, He destroyed the enemy, He did all these things for them.
§ When God becomes a servent to the individual then we loose awe. No master is in awe of his servent. When we loose sight that God is not our individual servent we destroy awe.
o But when it came to them being scared by Him and it caused them to fear for their lives they could not rise above their idea of God.
§ When it came to the fact that God was greater then them and could destroy their lives and that they where not worthy of being close to Him they did not like the feeling of being worthy.
· Leads to Impatience. (32:1)
o They sent Moses to meet with God and while He waited they got impatient so they wanted something immedietly.
o We are living in a culture that can not wait on God for anything… They spend all their time demanding God to do something now.
o They think He should be on their timing and not them on His timing.
· Impatience led to Idolatry.(32:1)
o Exodus 32:1 – They saw he delayed and they said to make an Idol.
o They rejected a God they where in awe of and created a God that was what they wanted. Strong like a bull.
o I doltry is widdling away the parts you do not like about God
o To be honest, many have accepted a concept of the God of the Bible and whittled it down to a manageable proportion; they re-fashion God to fit their expectations and to serve their desires. God thus becomes the Patron of a specific political party; the Specter for one overruling cause; the Censor for one specific belief. And so modern man has “exchanged” the glory of the incorruptible God for a god which will be convenient. The result — biblical awe is lost.
§ Widdling makes wood
ú Smaller
ú Prettier
ú Created
How do we return to awe?
· Learn to observe.
o As Einstein observed, those who will pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe will truly live. They will see what others miss. They will feel what others cannot. Life will be for them both exquisite and mysterious when they learn to say, “Awe.”
§ Learn to observe. Do not have andividulaistic Idea of God… Learn to see past just yourself and observe what God is doing. How He is revealing Himself. Learn to stop and looj and be in awe.
· Be patient and let signs catch up with you… Everyone was in awe before signs and wonders not by signs and wonders. (vs. 43)
o They where in awe by the right things.
o They where in awe by there devotion and commitment and relationship with God and the church.
o Every person before trys to have devotion follow desire instead of letting devotion lead to great desire.
o They where all so commited to God and the church that awe was in them. Excitement and fear. It was the hardest thing they had ever done but it was the only right thing they had ever experienced. Everything in them wanted to run but Everything in them wanted to hold on.
o Mr 16:17 – And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
§ Signs and wonders follow those who believe in God. Those who already in awe of God see signs and wonders wherever they go.
o We have many who follow signs and it leads them to idolatry if they start having awe in signs.
· Worship – Do not let anything become common
o I’m reminded of the little girl who rode a train with her mother. Looking out the window, she exclaimed, “Look! A horse!” And a moment later, “Look! Houses!” She gave every indication of keeping this up, so her embarrassed mother apologized to the man next to her. “I’m sorry my daughter is going on like this,” she said. “She still thinks everything is wonderful.
o When do we stop thinking everything is wonderful? When we grow up? Does growing older also mean growing jaded
o Few things are commonplace in themselves — it’s our reaction to them that grows dull over the years.
§ Heb 10:29 – Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
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Pastor, you know how to make a point& not just with yur whittlin’ tool! Basically, I think you hit the nail on the head( 2 many wood metaphors) with what’s wrong with Christianity today. We Christians have taken the supernatural out of our relationship with God and just seek to make it natural. When trying to explain the resurrection of Christ to Julia before Easter, you could tell it was a bit much for a 3 year old. She kept asking “well how could that be, that Jesus could rise from the dead.” All I knew to answer was that is because he is God. & Julia was good with that! A 3yr. old knows how to be in AWE!
That’s how everyday we should live, in awe of who God is and what he has saved for…thank-you, for my reality check! Thank-you for that perfect worship song “I Stand in Awe” altho I literally could not stand, but was taken to my knees.