Holy Fear = Awe of God = Tremble at His Presence & His Word

• Our Holy Fear grows proportionately to our comprehension of God’s greatness.

Psalm 145:3 NLT

Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.

1 Timothy 6:16 NLT

He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen.

• His Glory is unsearchable; has no boundaries, no limitations, incomparable, unapproachable.

Hebrews 12:29 NKJV

For our God is a consuming fire.

1 John 1:5b NKJV

…God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

Acts 26:13 NKJV

at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me.

Isaiah 6:3b NLT

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!”

Exodus 33:18 NKJV

And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”

Glory = Greek ḵâḇôḏ = rarely, splendor, abundance, reputation, majesty; the weight of something.

Exodus 33:19 NLT

The LORD replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.

• The glory of the Lord is everything that makes God, God. His characteristics, authority, power , wisdom — literally the immeasurable weight and magnitude of God. Nothing is hidden or held back.

Psalm 86:5 NLT

O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.

Psalm 31:19 NLT

How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.

Psalm 33:5 NLT

He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the LORD fills the earth.

Matthew 19:16-17 NLT

Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

“Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”

Romans 3:10-18 NLT

As the Scriptures say,

“No one is righteous— not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips from their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”  “They rush to commit murder. Destruction and misery always follow them. They don’t know where to find peace.” “They have no fear of God at all.”

• Our concept of who God is has been primarily molded by fallen humanity… our parents, our family, cultural influences, broken relationships.

• We must let God remove any filters that life put before us (parents, family, church) so we can see God for who He truly is.

Exodus 34:5-7 NLT

Then the LORD came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh. The LORD passed in front of Moses, calling out,

“Yahweh! The LORD! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected— even children in the third and fourth generations.”

7 Characteristics That Proclaim His Goodness

#1) GRACE

Grace = Greek charis =  is an undeserving favor, a divine gift.

Ephesians 2:8 NLT
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

2 Corinthians 12:8-9 NLT

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

#2) MERCY

• Grace extends God’s goodness by receiving what we don’t deserve. Mercy extends God’s goodness by not receiving what we deserve.

Hebrews 4:16 ESV

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

#3) PATIENCE

2 Peter 3:9 ESV

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

1 Corinthians 13:4a ESV

Love is patient and kind;… 

#4) LOVE

1 John 4:8 ESV

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Psalm 36:7 NLT

How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.

#5) TRUTH

Matthew 24:35 Voice

My words are always true and always here with you. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

John 8:31-32 NKJV

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

#6) FORGIVENESS

1 John 1:9 NLT

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Psalm 103:12-14 NLT

He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.

#7) JUST

Amos 5:24 ESV

But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Isaiah 30:18 NIV

Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

Three Things That Immediately Changed in Moses

#1) WE WORSHIP DIFFERENTLY

Exodus 34:8 ESV

And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.

• Our worship towards God is based on our concept of who He is.

Psalm 145:3 ESV

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.

Revelation 4:11 ESV

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

#2) WE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR WEAKNESSES

Exodus 34:9 NLT

And he said, “O Lord, if it is true that I have found favor with you, then please travel with us. Yes, this is a stubborn and rebellious people, but please forgive our iniquity and our sins. Claim us as your own special possession.”

#3) WE TESTIFY INVOLUNTARILY

Exodus 34:29 NLT

When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the LORD.

John 17:22-23 NLT

“I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.

Romans 8:10 NLT

And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.

John 13:35 NLT

Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

CONCLUSION:

Our concept of who God is must be based on His Word and not in our own life-altered concepts. We serve a graceful, merciful, patient, loving, truthful, forgiving, and just God.