{ASH WEDNESDAY 2017}
Stand in Awe
Let the whole world fear the LORD, and let everyone stand in awe of Him. [Psalm 33:8]
Lent is a season of fasting and renewal. When you fast (stop doing something), but you also replace it with something else—something beneficial to your relationship with Jesus.
For this Lenten season, let us stand in awe and worship our God. We were made to worship God, to glorify God. But as we go through our days, we often add other things to the mix.
[LEVITICUS 10]
Unauthorized fire – Hebrew word “zara” means strange, from outside
[Leviticus 10:3]
“‘Among those who approach me I will be proved holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.” Aaron remained silent. [NIV]
“I must be treated as holy”
Holy is used more often as a prefix to God’s name more than any other attribute in Scripture.
Holy – “Set Apart” – [Exodus 3:14] I AM WHO I AM
[Revelation 22:13] He is the Alpha. The Omega. The First. The Last. The Beginning. The End.
[Revelation 1:8] He was and is and is to come.
[1 Samuel 2:2] Hannah says – “There is none holy like the LORD: for there is none besides you.”
As we see in this story in Leviticus, the closer you are to God – the more careful you need to be about His holiness so not to dishonor God.
The sad thing is not only do some people treat the things of God with contempt, but they also can cause others to follow suit, as possible with this instance with the strange fire.
During this Lenten season, let us ask…
- What are you adding to your offering to God that isn’t meant to be there?
- What is getting in the way of you fully offering yourself to Him? Fully worshiping Him as He deserves?
[Exodus 33:20] We read about Moses asking to see God’s glory…. God’s holiness is so blindingly radiant we cannot see it and live. Moses had to be hidden behind a rock for the glory of God to pass by.
It was this Holy Ground that required man to remove the unclean shoes and hide his face.
[Isaiah 6:1-4]
Only when we encounter God in His holiness is it possible for us to see our own self – “I am a sinful man”
This is something we must all come to recognize. I AM A SINNER!
Today, we don’t tread on the same Holy Ground as Moses. We don’t have the same need for a veil to shield us from the glory. Instead, we have the glory of God within us because of Christ.
[2 Corinthians 4:3-7] If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
Our foreheads are marked tonight by ashes as we are reminded that we are but dust, that we are like fragile clay jars containing the great treasure from God Himself. We are reminded that without Jesus, we are nothing. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Our lives are marked WITH AND FOR CHRIST.
This should lead us to Awe * Worship * Adoration
[Isaiah 40:12-31] God has no equal
God….
- Loves perfectly
- Speaks perfectly
- Creates perfectly
- Acts perfectly
- Chooses perfectly
- Teaches perfectly
- Disciplines perfectly
[Exodus 15:11]
Who is like YOU –
- glorious in holiness,
- awesome in splendor,
- performing great wonders
What is keeping you from falling at his feet?
In Revelation 1:17, John sees Jesus and he immediately falls at His feet.
What’s keeping you from this?
What’s keeping you from the AWE?
A – Always thankful[1 Thessalonians 5:18] CONTINUALLY THANKFUL
W– Worship everywhere– IN ALL THAT YOU DO AND SAY [Colossians 3:17] – this isn’t just singing (everything you do should point to Him)
You should continually be aware of His presence everywhere.
E – Eyes on Him– Eyes on Jesus [Hebrews 12:2] Perfecter of Faith
Consider the ashes on your forehead this evening… here’s a picture of what is coming…
[Revelation 22:3-5] No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and His servants will worship him. And they will see His face, and His name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there–no need for lamps or sun–for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” [Revelation 4]
Tania Gutekunst 