SERMON OUTLINE

The Majesty of God Luke 5.1-11

The Most Important Thing

-A greater knowledge and awe of the Glory and Majesty of God. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding”. Proverbs 9.10.

-See the world through “God colored glasses”.

-An impossible task. Look to the Holy Spirit today.

Moses, Isaiah, Peter

Moses: Exodus 3.1-6. The eternal existence of God. God’s involvement and concern for His people. Expected participation. Plagues, Red Sea, Mt Sinai. Exodus 19.16-19; 20.18-20. God’s Glory. Exodus 33.19-23; 34.5-10

Isaiah: Isaiah 6.1-8. Vision, conviction of sin, atonement, service.

Peter: Luke 5.1-11. Conviction of sin and Commission to catch men for the Kingdom of God.

Six Areas of Focus

-God is more desirous to reveal His Glory and Majesty to you than you are to receive it.

1) Prayer: Ask God for a revelation of His Glory and Majesty and be willing to seek it.

2) Scripture: Expect regular and continued growth in the knowledge and awe of the Glory and Majesty of God. 2 Corinthians 3.18.

3) Attributes and Character of God: All-mighty; All-knowing; All-present; Self-sustaining; Eternal. God is Holy; God is Love; God is Merciful and Gracious; God is One in Three and Three in One; Creator; Sustainer; Sovereign; Unchanging.

4) Person of Christ: 2 Corinthians 4.6

5) Cross of Christ: A manifestation of the Glory of God.

6) Creation: Psalm 19.1

Conclusion

Let us recognize our need for a greater knowledge and awe of the Glory and Majesty of God and then pray for it and pursue it.

SERMON NOTES

The Majesty of God Luke 5.1-11

-I am not going to return to our series on being very careful how we live from Ephesians 4 to 6 until after Easter. Next week is Communion Sunday and we will begin our monthly look at the Beatitudes. Then on March 21^st we celebrate Believer’s baptism. Then we are going to focus on the glory of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on Palm Sunday and Easter. So we will not get back to Ephesians 5 until after Easter.

-As I was thinking and praying about what to preach on this week I asked myself, “What is the most important thing that the congregation needs to hear on Sunday?” Some things that came to mind were the unrelenting grasp of God’s love on us; the Sovereign power of God over all our circumstances; and our great need to always be turning to God for direction and strength. But the most important need that I have, and I believe that we all have, is for a greater knowledge and awe of the Glory and Majesty of God.

-A greater knowledge and awe of the Glory and Majesty of God may not have been your choice of greatest need. Perhaps you would have chosen something much more practical, like something in the area of finances or relationships or overcoming an addiction. But I would propose to you this morning that our knowledge and awe of the Glory and Majesty of God is the most important thing we need in our lives. Our knowledge and awe of the Glory and Majesty of God directs our choices, our pursuits, our goals, our lifestyle, our worldview, our relationships – really every area of our life. Proverbs 9.10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding”.

-We have all heard the saying about seeing the world through “rose colored glasses”. The greater our knowledge and awe of the Glory and Majesty of God, the more we will see the world around us through “God colored glasses”. We will see the world as it should be seen and we will live in the world as a Christian should live in it because we are aware of the Glory and Majesty of God.

-Now I have been given an impossible task this morning. I was driving to Hamilton on Tuesday praying and thinking about what to preach on Sunday and came to the conclusion that I should preach on the Glory and Majesty of God. My response was, “Lord I can’t present the Glory and Majesty of God in the way it deserves to be presented. I can’t do this”. And the truth is I can’t. This morning I am much aware of my dependence on the Spirit of God to communicate to you the knowledge and awe of the Majesty and the Glory of God. So open your mind and heart to the ministry of the Spirit this morning.

–Scripture describes many encounters with the Glory and Majesty of God and how it changed the lives of those involved. Let’s look at a three of those encounters.

–Moses: Moses first met with the Glory and Majesty of God at the burning bush. Exodus 3.1-6 [Read]

-Moses saw a bush that was on fire but was not burned up and then heard God speak to him from the bush. God told Moses not to come any closer to the bush but to take off his shoes because he was standing on holy ground. As God introduced Himself to Moses, Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.

-In this meeting with the Glory and Majesty of God at the burning bush Moses realized with a deeper impact the eternal existence of God. He was also reminded of God’s ongoing involvement and concern with His people. As the title of Francis Schaffer’s book stated, “God is there and He is not Silent”. Moses also came to understand that God expected him to be involved in His purposes for His people.

-Whenever we come face to face with the Glory and Majesty of God we come to understand in greater measure both the character and purposes of God, and become aware of the part that God expects us to play in His purposes. We will fear God as He should be feared, and we will worship Him and serve Him as He should be worshipped and served. An encounter with the Glory and Majesty of God humbles us, lifts God to His proper place in our perspective, and gives us courage to go forth in His name in a godless world.

-Moses saw the Glory and Majesty of God when God powerfully delivered His people from the Egyptians through the ten plagues, in the opening of the Red Sea, and in God’s provision for over a million people in the dessert.

-We read of a great encounter of Moses with the Glory and Majesty of God at Mt Sinai in Exodus 19 and 20. Exodus 19.16-19; 20.18-20 [Read]

-The power and the Sovereignty of God was manifested in thunder and lightning, in thick clouds and smoke, in violent trembling, and in the ever increasing sound of a trumpet, culminating in the voice of God speaking to the people. The people trembled with such fear that they stayed at a distance and asked God to stop speaking directly to them. Moses responded by encouraging the people to fear God and not to sin.

-One day Moses asked God to show him His Glory and God showed Him a partial revelation of His Glory. Exodus 33.19-23; 34.5-10 [Read]

-When Moses came down the mountain after this encounter with the Glory and Majesty of God his face was radiant with light and he had to cover it with a veil

-Moses became a mighty leader of God’s people and the meekest man on the face of the earth as a result of regularly seeing the Glory and Majesty of God.

-As we read these incidents over and over again for ourselves we too can, by the work of the Holy Spirit, get a renewed knowledge and sense of awe of the Glory and Majesty of God that will change us and our behaviors. The reality of the Glory and Majesty of God will turn our faces away from the idols we so easily worship, to worship of the One True God.

–Isaiah: Isaiah also saw the Glory and Majesty of God. Isaiah 6.1-8 [Read]

-Isaiah saw in a vision the Glory and the Majesty of God on His throne with the angels of heaven worshipping Him, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His Glory”.

-Isaiah saw a vision of the Holy Glory of God, the King, the Lord Almighty seated on his throne. This vision convicted Isaiah of sin, especially the sin of unclean lips. In his vision Isaiah saw one of the angels take a red hot coal in his hand and touch it to his lips and proclaim his guilt taken away and his sin atoned for. Isaiah now humbled and forgiven, with a new knowledge and awe of the Glory and Majesty of God, heard the call of God for service and volunteered. God sent him as a prophet of God to speak the word of God from a purified heart and purified lips and a vision of the Majesty and Glory of God.

-None of us is fit for God’s service until we have been humbled and convicted of our sin and have been forgiven of our sin by the blood of Jesus Christ. Until we have seen the King, the Lord Almighty and are awed by the Glory and Majesty of God we will not abandon ourselves to God without complaint and without restraint. Our greatest need is for a fresh vision of the Glory and Majesty of God.

–Peter: There was a day when for the first time Peter saw the Glory and Majesty of God in Jesus Christ. Luke 5.1-11 [Read]

-Like Isaiah, Peter’s perception of the Glory and Majesty of God in the great catch of fish convicted Peter that he was a sinner. Peter asked Jesus, who represented the Glory and Majesty of God to go away from him.

-When you meet with the Glory and Majesty of the Holy Almighty Lord, your first reaction must be a conviction of your sinful condition and the understanding that apart from the Grace of God you are doomed for destruction before the glorious Holiness of God. From this revelation of the Glory and Majesty of God and the conviction of sin came a commission to catch men for the Kingdom of God.

-Now how can we come to a greater knowledge and awe of the Glory and Majesty of God? Let me suggest 6 areas of focus. Before we look at these six areas of focus I want to say to you that God has a greater desire to reveal His Glory and Majesty to you than you have to receive it. If you ask God to reveal His Glory and Majesty to you and truly want to see it and be responsive to it, then God will do it.

1) In prayer ask God for a fuller revelation of His Glory and Majesty. Do not pray if you are not willing to make the effort to spend time reading and meditating for a greater knowledge and awe of the Glory and Majesty of God.

2) The first and surest way to a greater knowledge and awe of the Glory and Majesty of God is through prayerful reading and meditating on the revelation of the Glory and Majesty of God in Scripture. Moses saw the Glory and Majesty of God in a bush, in the plagues, at Mt Sinai, and by being in the presence of God. Isaiah saw a vision of the Glory and Majesty of God on His throne. Peter met the Glory and Majesty God in the miracles of Jesus Christ. But what about you and me? Can we expect the same kind of visions and revelations and miracle encounters as Moses and Isaiah and Peter? I would say no. But by the Holy Spirit we can come to the same knowledge and awe of the Glory and Majesty of God as they did. For us the process will be longer and incremental but will continue to grow if we are faithful to meditate on Scripture.

-We all have to see the Glory and Majesty of God so that we might be changed into His image. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3.18, “We who with unveiled faces all contemplate the Lord’s Glory are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit”.

3) Through meditation on the Attributes and the Character of God. God is All-mighty; All-knowing; All-present; Self-sustaining; Eternal. God is Holy; God is Love; God is Merciful and Gracious; God is One in Three and Three in One; Creator; Sustainer; Sovereign; Unchanging. Think much on God’s attributes and character. Engage your mind on God and think often about Him.

4) Through meditation on the Person of Christ. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4.6, “God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ”. In your reading of Scripture always try to be regularly reading from one of the Gospels so that you always have Jesus before your mind so that the Holy Spirit might show you the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ as you pray and read. Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father”. (John 14.9)

5) Through meditation on the cross of Christ. The cross of Christ is a profound manifestation of the Glory and Majesty of God. In the cross is revealed the full character of God for all to see. Think often about the cross.

6) Through meditation on the creation of God. Costa gave us a great example on how considering the creation of God can enlarge our knowledge and awe of the Glory and Majesty of God. When I went to prayer on Monday in the office after Costa’s talk I thought of how puny the Devil was in comparison to the Mighty God who created the Universe. Meditation on the complexity and beauty of creation can lead us to a fuller knowledge and awe of the Glory and Majesty of God. “The heavens declare the Glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” (Psalm 19.1)

-Let’s recognize that our greatest need is to grow in the knowledge and awe of the Glory and Majesty of God so that we might have God’s perspective on our lives and on our world. Then let us pray for more knowledge and awe of God’s Glory and Majesty. Then let us pursue the knowledge and awe of the Glory and Majesty of God through all the avenues that God has freely given to us, Prayer, His Word, His Son, His Works, and His Creation. This pursuit will bring us into conformity to the image of Jesus Christ, which is God’s intention for all of us.