Reverence For God

TEXT:  Hab 2:20Heb 12:28-29

INTRODUCTION:

A.      LOST OUR ABILITY TO BE AWED.

          1.       DEFIANCE AND IRREVERENCE IN VOGUE.

          2.       WE ARE HARD TO IMPRESS.

                   a.       Travel takes us to place previously inaccessible.  Grand Canyon.

                   b.       Celebrities on TV in our living rooms.

                   c.       I've seen the Spruce Goose.

B.      NEED TO RECAPTURE THAT ABILITY, ESPECIALLY OF GOD.

I.      WHAT ARE REVERENCE AND AWE?

A.      REVERENCE, aidos (ahee-doce');  perhaps from 1 (as a negative particle) and

          1492 (through the idea of downcast eyes); bashfulness, i.e. (towards men),

          modesty or (towards God) awe:   KJV-- reverence, shamefacedness.

          - In the OT...occurs as the tr of 2 Heb. words, yare and shahah.  The root idea of

          the former is "fear."  So the group of ideas there would be "fear,"

          "awe, "reverence."  The root idea of the second is "falling down," as

          prostration of the body. It is used to express the bearing toward another who

          is considered superior.  "Reverend" yare of the name of God. ( ISBE )

          -  In the NT ... occurs as the tr of 3 words, the first, the idea is "modesty"

          ( Heb. 12:28;  1 Tim. 2:9 ).  In the second, "fear"....  In the third the idea is that of

          self-valuation of inferiority," and so sets forth an attitude toward another of

          doing him honor. ( ISBE )

B.      AWE, eulabeia (yoo-lab'-i-ah);  properly, caution, i.e. (religiously) reverence

          (piety); by implication, dread (concretely): KJV-- fear (-ed).

C.      UNDERSTOOD IN EXAMPLES:

          1.       Abraham( Gen 17:3;  18:22-33 ).

          2.       Israelites( Exod 20:18-19 ).

          3.       Isaiah( Isa. 6:5 ).

          4.       The publican( Luke 18:13 ).

          5.       Heaven( Rev. 4:8-11 ).

          6.       David in contemplation( Psa. 8:3-4 ).

II.     WHY?( Rev. 4:11 ).

A.      HE IS THE CREATOR( Rev. 4:11 ).

          1.       He made us( Acts 17:24-29 )

          2.       He blesses us( James 1:17-18 ).

B.      HIS NATURE.  GOD IS INFINITE:

          1.       In knowledge( 1 John 3:20;  Psa. 139:1-2 ).

          2.       In his presence( 1 Kings 8:27;  Jer. 23:23-24 ).

          3.       In his power( Job 42:2;  Jer. 32:17;  Dan. 4:35 ).

C.      HIS CHARACTER

          1.       In righteousness( Deut. 32:4;  Psa. 89:14 ).

          2.       In justice( Psa. 45:6-7 ).Willing for Jesus to die to satisfy justice.

          3.       In love( 1 John 4:8, 9-10 ).

          4.       In holiness( Rev. 15:3-4 ).

          5.       In goodness( Psa. 145:9 ).

D.      HIS JUDGMENTS( Acts 17:30-31;  Heb. 10:31;  Matt. 10:28 ).

III.    REVERENCE IN WORSHIP?( Neh. 8 )

A.      THE PEOPLE TOOK THE INITIATIVE( vs. 1 ).

          1.       Their minds were ready( 2 Tim. 2:15 ).

          2.       Their bodies were ready( 1 Tim. 2:9-10;  see 1 Cor. 14:23 ).

                   - What would you wear to see the king?

          3.       Their hearts were ready( Hab 2:20 ).

B.      DIDN'T MIND THE LENGTH - SPENT TIME WITH IT( vs. 3;  Psa. 119:97 ).

C.      REVERENCE - THIS IS GOD'S LAW( vs. 5-6 ).

          1.       The people stood...

                   1.       They understood the nature of God( Heb. 12:28 ).

                   2.       They understood the source of the Law( 2 Thess. 2:13 ).

          2.       What do we do sometimes?

                   1.  Take a nap.      2.  Fidget.    3.  Fool with kids. 4.  Cut up and distract.

                   5.  Kibitz               6.  Talk with a neighbor.           7.  Bear it.

          3.       Encouraging reaction( vs. 6 ).

          4.       They stood in their place, listening came before comfort( vs. 7 ).

D.      THEY RESPONDED BY OBEYING( vs. 16-17 ).

IV.   REVERENCE IN OUR DAILY LIVES.

A.      REVERENCE IN WORSHIP IS NOT ENOUGH( Matt. 15:8-9 ).

B.      HOW MUST WE LIVE?( 1 Pet. 1:17 )

          1.       Careful, attentive to God, respecting his law( Eph. 5:15-16 ).

          2.       Forgetting is disrespectful( Ecc. 11:9 - 12:1 ).

          3.       The essence of reverence is hearkening( Ecc. 12:13-14 ).

C.      WHAT IS OUR PURPOSE IN THIS LIFE?

          1.       We must reflect his goodness( 1 Pet. 2:9 ).

          2.       We live to bring glory to him( Matt. 5:16 ).

          3.       We must do nothing that detracts from that glory( 1 Pet. 2:11-12 ).

D.      SOME APPLICATIONS:

          1.       Speech( Eph. 4:29;  5:3-5 ).

          2.       Goals and purposes( 1 John 2:15-17;  Rom. 12:2 -- 1 Pet. 1:13 ).

          3.       Entertainment and recreation sometimes show a disregard for God( Phil.4:8 ).

          4.       Family relationships, jobs, etc.

          5.       Trendy religion often trivializes our beliefs, i.e. T-shirts, bumper stickers,

                             funny preachers, poor judgment in clothing.

E.      IT COMES DOWN TO THIS( Ecc. 12:13-14 ).

CONCLUSION:

A.      WHAT IS YOUR DISPOSITION TOWARDS GOD?

B.      HOW DO YOU SHOW IT?

          1.      Are you respectful and humble in worship?

          2.      Are you careful in your daily life to reflect his good?

          3.      Do you pray?

          4.      Have you obeyed his Son?