Tag: awe

Awe

Posted in attributes of God, mini theologies for missionaries, missions, theologyTagged , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

WHY FAN INTO FLAME A PASSION FOR GOD

When I walked into the sultan’s courtyard it was my first time visiting someone who would be considered a king. We were welcomed by his assistant who led us to a waiting area where we’d get to meet his excellence. Before we stepped up towards the veranda of the sultan’s palace, we removed our shoes. As we entered the room where the sultan sat, we bowed our heads and continually faced his direction. Even though we were in rural and dusty Chad, Africa there was a regality and reverence to the occasion that I will never forget.

It is way too easy to forget that I am consistently in the presence of royalty. God is King. The King’s Spirit resides in His people. My body is more than a sultan’s palace, it is a holy temple. Wherever I go, He goes too. When I think about what drew me to the nations, it was a sense of wanting to spread the fame of God’s name to places and people where He was not yet named or worshiped.

Human’s are hardwired for awe. We can awe people, money, power, and stuff. You can have it all and miss awe. We can become awe forgetful, awe discouraged, awe empty, awe seduced, awe kidnapped, awe numb, and awe weary. 

God is truly the most awesome. To awe is to have a passion for God. A passion for God is not merely a fleeting emotion; it’s a deep-seated, all-consuming devotion that permeates every aspect of a believer’s life. It’s an active, vibrant love for God that expresses itself in various ways. It is a Soli Deo lifestyle that seeks to live unto God alone.

In essence, a passion for God is the heartbeat of a living faith. It’s a spiritual fire that needs tending and spreading, and the benefits of doing so are immeasurable, for your own good, for the good of others, and most importantly, for the glory of God.

Fanning a passion for God into flame is not about striving to earn His love or perform for Him. It’s about experiencing the fullness of life He offers and being an instrument in His hands who passes that awe down to the generation that follows.

BIBLICAL REFLECTION OF AWE

Pioneer mission work is inherently challenging, often characterized by isolation, resistance, and a constant need for resilience. In such demanding contexts, a deep-seated awe of God is not merely a pleasant sentiment but a foundational necessity. It provides perspective, fuels endurance, and empowers effective ministry. This brief theology explores the biblical concept of awe and its practical implications for those pioneering God’s kingdom.

Awe defined: Biblical awe (aka: “fear of the Lord”) isn’t a cowering dread, but a profound reverence, wonder, and respect for God’s infinite majesty, power, holiness, and love. It’s a recognition of God’s utter transcendence and immanence, His absolute otherness, and His intimate presence. This awe transforms the way we understand of ourselves, the world, and the mission. (Psalm 33:8; 66:5; 89:7; Hebrews 12:28)

God’s Transcendence: Awe grasps the vastness of God’s being, His uncreated nature, His eternality, and His sovereign control over all things. This understanding humbles us, reminding us that our plans and efforts are ultimately dependent on Him. For the pioneer, this means trusting God’s overarching plan even when immediate results are unseen or obstacles seem insurmountable. (Psalm 33:8-9; Isaiah 40:12-17; Job 37:22-24; Revelation 15:3-4)

God’s Immanence: While transcendent, God is also intimately involved in His creation and the lives of His people. Awe acknowledges His presence, His unwavering faithfulness, and His active working in and through us. This encourages the pioneer, assuring them that they are never truly alone and that God is at work even in the most barren of lands. (Isaiah 57:15; Acts 17:27-28; Matthew 1:23)

God’s Holiness and Righteousness: Awe recognizes God’s absolute purity and perfection. This prompts repentance, confession, and a desire to live lives that honor Him. For the pioneer, this means a commitment to personal integrity and ethical conduct, understanding that their lives are a testimony. (Leviticus 10:3; 1 Samuel 2:2; Psalm 99:3-5)

God’s Love and Mercy: Perhaps the most profound aspect of biblical awe is the wonder at God’s boundless love and mercy, especially as revealed in the cross of Christ. This love, extended to undeserving humanity, evokes deep gratitude and motivates compassionate service. For the pioneer, this fuels a self-giving love for the unreached, mirroring God’s own heart. (Psalm 103:8-14; John 3:16; Romans 5:8)

Cultivating a deep, abiding awe of God is not an optional extra. It aligns our hearts with God’s, empowers us to overcome adversity, and transforms us into vibrant witnesses of His awesome reality to the unreached peoples of the nations.

What other Scriptures or biblical aspects come to mind when you consider an awe for God? Take a few moments to look up 1-2 of these verses and journal what the Lord highlights for you.

“Awe means that you will look at everything in your life through the lens of God’s Existence and Glory, and you will surrender all your life to His purpose.” — Paul Tripp, Awe

THE IMPORTANCE OF AWE

Nothing but awe of God will sustain someone on the field. If it is not awe of God, then the heart will gravitate towards substitute awes. When awe of self or something else supplants awe of God, God ceases to be King and He is reduced to being your servant. When the mission doesn’t produce vertical awe of God, something is amiss. When an awe of God fuels the pioneer in the mission field several outcomes emerge:

Humility and Dependence: Awe reminds me of my smallness and God’s greatness, fostering a spirit of complete dependence on Him for wisdom, strength, and guidance. This counters self-reliance and burnout.

Courage and Boldness: When God is seen in His awesomeness, fear of humans diminishes. The pioneer, filled with awe for God, can face persecution, opposition, and daunting challenges with supernatural courage. They will even pray for boldness (Acts 4:23-31).

Resilience and Endurance: Awe provides a deep well of motivation that sustains through hardship and discouragement. Knowing the awesome God is with them, pioneers can persevere even when the fruit is slow in coming.

Worship and Joy: Awe naturally leads to worship, even in difficult circumstances. This worship fuels joy, which is a source of strength and a vital witness to others (Matthew 9:8).

Effective Witness: A life lived in awe of God is a contagious and compelling testimony. One’s awe and connections with God can be more effective than words alone.

Spiritual Discernment: Awe cultivates a sensitivity to God’s presence and leading, enabling pioneers to discern His will and walk in obedience amid complex cultural and spiritual landscapes.

PRAYER ACTION

Consider the Scriptures you cling to above. Consider your awe of God. Write a prayer for the kind of person you want to be who fans into flame a passion of God in yourself and others.

BUILDING A PRACTICAL MINI-THEOLOGY OF AWE

Take some time to prayerfully draft your practical mini-theology of “awe” by responding to these questions:

What is awe and/or a passion for God? Why is this needed to go to hard places?

example: God is… We are the kind of people who… It is most like us/me to… We/I will… We/I hold to…

What does it look like to live a Soli Deo lifestyle? How does this kind of lifestyle relate to surrender?

Why not just fan your flame for God, but start mini fires wherever you go? What does it look like to fan into flame a passion for God?

Once you finish share your responses with your mentor. Ask for feedback. Adjust your draft as needed.

Additional Resources for Going Deeper:
Awe, Paul David Tripp
The Pursuit of God, A.W. Tozer
The Heart of Pioneers, Steve Richardson

Hark the Herald, Angels Sing

Posted in christmasTagged , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Have you noticed how many songs on your Christmas playlist mention angels? Like Hark the Herald Angels Sing. That was no sentimental Christmas carol. It’s chocked-full of theology. It’s soaked with Scripture. And it beautifully captures the how and why Jesus came into the world.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing was written by Charles Wesley in 1739. It was one of 6,500 hymns that he wrote! He wrote this carol only 1-year after he became a Christian. If you were like me, i still trying to find and spell Habakkuk. Charles had spiritual roots. As a student at Cambridge, he formed an extracurricular group called the Holy Club. Charles, his brother John and George Whitfield (who put this hymn to music) were all dubbed the Bible Moths. It was after Charles heard the gospel from Moravian missionaries and read Romans 1-9 that he gave his life to Christ. And Hark, the Herald Angels Sing was his first Christmas anthem.

Have you ever been in a situation when you were both in awe and terrified at the same time?

A few months ago, my family enjoyed some rest in Tanzania. I wanted to go fishing in the ocean and take my older girls out for an experience, so we arranged to go on a traditional wooden dhow. The next day before dawn we showed up to what was a beaten down fishing boat. I was a little sad that it wasn’t what we expected, but deep sea fishing still sounded fun. We got into the boat. I didn’t noticed any life-jackets. It was pitch black. We motored more than a two kilometers from shore. The lights from the beach became distant. We gripped tightly to the edge of the boat as it skipped on the sizable waves. Honestly, it wasn’t my best dad moment. If only Sarah knew what we were doing!? When the dawning light peaked above the horizon of the Indian ocean we could see how far we were from land. We were filled with both awe and fear. We did catch dinner. We also spotted a family of humpback whales and we were greeted by a large pod of dolphins, which was a win-win-win.

The Bible captures a moment of awe and terror: (Read & Reflect)

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

Luke 2:8-15

This was a powerful and unforgettable scene. Can you imagine it? Can you feel it? Can you sense the awe and fright? … Why is it significant that angels worshiped Jesus? What does the Bible say about Jesus and angels? Let’s get a brief look at angels and Jesus in the Bible:

  • Jesus is superior to angels. (Hebrews 1:1-4) —They were messengers; He the Message.
  • Jesus made the angels. (Colossians 1:15-16) —They were created; He the Creator.
  • Jesus was made to be lower than the angels. (Heb 2:9) — heavenly hosts, Heaven’s Son.
  • Jesus is praised by the angels. (Phil. 2:9-11a) —They glorified God; He God’s Glory.

What does this tell you about Jesus? He isn’t an ordinary baby!

Now let’s go back to the text in Luke 2. The town is dark. People have turned into bed for the night. Shepherds were outside of town guarding their herds from predators. What happened that night wasn’t something these shepherds planned for or learned in Shepherd Defense School.

A blinding light appeared. Now, the shepherds probably saw a lot of strange things in their lives. They probably heard stories from shepherds of old around the bonfire, but on this night they would have their own story to tell. The shear presence of something supernatural, would have shook them in their sandals. These shepherds were terrified. No staff was able to protect them from the warrior of light.

An angel appeared. This angel was a messenger—he had some really good news. It was earthshaking, world breaking news. You almost get the sense that this angel had to tell the news, “The promised Savior has come!” Can you think of news more important? Every single word the angel said had past, present, and future significance. The Savior was promised from long ago. This Savior had now come. And this Savior will be good news for all people everywhere—including Sinners. Screwups. Shepherds. Centurions. Sultans, And some insignificant’s like me and you. That’s good news!

There is such an anomaly happening in this text. Angels. And shepherds. Angels came to shepherds. Angels were heavenly beings. Worshipers. Shepherds were culturally low class citizens. God has his way of turning upside-down to right-side up the economy of the world.

One angel become a multitude right before the shepherd’s eyes. What’s a multitude? 🤷🏻‍♂️ Countless. Think of how many stars are in the night sky. That is how many angels there were filling the skies. What were they doing? Were they singing? I tend to think they were singing because there are some messages that just can’t be spoken, they have to be sung. All we have are the lyrics to their angelic cantata.

There are only three times in the Scripture when we see the heavenly host bursting onto the scene. This was their second performance. The first was at the creation of the world when the praised the Creator (Job 38:4,7). The next time will be around the heavenly throne room (Revelation 19:5-7). Do you see that at each of these cosmic moments Jesus is front and center? He is the focus of the angels—of their song. He was the One at creation, He was the One in the manger, and He will be the One they call the Lamb of God, the Prince of Peace, the King of Heaven. And here in Luke 2 the angel choirs sing, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.”

The angels vanished and the shepherds were there alone. Can you imagine the fear and awe on their faces? What’s to say? What’s to do? They got their smartphones out, Instagrammed it (but is was too way early in the morning to get any, “likes!”) No! They latched their sandals, they got their staffs, they ditched their herds, and said, “Let’s go … and see this Savior!”

This Christmas what do we take from Luke 2?

▪️If the multitude of angels worshiped Jesus, then we must also worship Jesus. Give glory to the the Newborn King! Christ, the everlasting Lord. Hail the incarnate Diety! Hail the Son of Righteousness. Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace.

▪️If peace is what the angels promised to those who believe in Jesus, then we can enjoy the peace of Jesus today. The peace that comes from “God and sinners reconciled.” If you only had 8 words to explain the Gospel, you can’t do much better than “God and sinners reconciled through Jesus, our Emmanuel”

▪️If the angel had to tell the shepherds about Jesus, then we also must tell the world about Jesus. Let’s “Join the triumph of the skies” by sharing the good news of great joy. Echoing what Jesus said to his followers, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything [he] have commanded you. And surely [Emmanuel] with you always, to the very end of the age.”