Charlotte’s Hope Church
How Big is Your God?
Matthew 14
Locations & Times
Hope Church Charlotte
4100 Johnston Oehler Rd, Charlotte, NC 28269, USA
Sunday 10:30 AM
If you want to know who God is, look at Jesus.
If you want to know what it means to be human, look at Jesus.
If you want to know what love is, look at Jesus.
If you want to know what grief is, look at Jesus.
And go on looking until you’re not just a spectator, but your actually part of the drama which has him as the central character.
N.T. Wright
If you want to know what it means to be human, look at Jesus.
If you want to know what love is, look at Jesus.
If you want to know what grief is, look at Jesus.
And go on looking until you’re not just a spectator, but your actually part of the drama which has him as the central character.
N.T. Wright
We have looked so far at…
1. God’s Pattern of Calling us to Him.
2. The High Cost of Staying in the Boat
3. Taking the first step
4. Seeing the Wind - Spiritual Resilience
Today - How Big is Your God?
1. God’s Pattern of Calling us to Him.
2. The High Cost of Staying in the Boat
3. Taking the first step
4. Seeing the Wind - Spiritual Resilience
Today - How Big is Your God?
CHALLENGE: The way we live is in direct correlation to the size of our God.
PROBLEM: Too many serve a God who is small in their eyes. They are not convinced that we are absolutely safe in the hands of a fully competent, all-knowing, ever-present God.
CONSEQUENCE: They live in a constant state of anxiety and fear because everything depends upon them.
PROBLEM: Too many serve a God who is small in their eyes. They are not convinced that we are absolutely safe in the hands of a fully competent, all-knowing, ever-present God.
CONSEQUENCE: They live in a constant state of anxiety and fear because everything depends upon them.
John Ortberg writes, “When human beings shrink God, they offer prayer without faith, work without passion, service without joy, suffering without hope. It results in fear, retreat, loss of vision, and failure to persevere.”
We can change our perspective of God. We can learn to live in a way that reflects a BIG God!!
THE ANSWER IS FOUND IN WORSHIP
THE ANSWER IS FOUND IN WORSHIP
Worship is not about filling God’s UNMET EGO needs. When He created us, He made us so that when we experience something great, we have a NEED TO PRAISE IT. It’s as if our experience is incomplete until we find words to describe it.
WHY I NEED TO WORSHIP
· I need to worship because without it I can forget that I have a Big God beside me and live in fear.
· I need to worship because without it, I can forget His calling and begin to live in a spirit of self-preoccupation.
· I need to worship because without it I lose a sense of wonder and gratitude and plod through life with blinders on.
· I need to worship because my natural tendency is toward self-reliance and stubborn independence.
· I need to worship because without it I can forget that I have a Big God beside me and live in fear.
· I need to worship because without it, I can forget His calling and begin to live in a spirit of self-preoccupation.
· I need to worship because without it I lose a sense of wonder and gratitude and plod through life with blinders on.
· I need to worship because my natural tendency is toward self-reliance and stubborn independence.
LOOK AT THE PATTERN:
1. God reveals himself
2. We reflect on what He has done and respond with worship
3. Our understanding of God grows
1. God reveals himself
2. We reflect on what He has done and respond with worship
3. Our understanding of God grows
WORSHIP IS REFLECTING UPON:
1. What God has DONE
2. What God is DOING
3. What God will Do
1. What God has DONE
2. What God is DOING
3. What God will Do
WE MUST LIVE IN A CONSTANT STATE OF WORSHIP BECAUSE: All around us aremiracles, little theophanies crying out God lives! God cares! God is so Good! God is so Big!!!
Worship that builds our perspective of God is based in the FEAR OF THE LORD. This fear involves reverence and awe, a healthy recognition of who God is.
It also involves a recognition of our own FALLENNESS and ABSOLUTE NEED OF HIM.
It also involves a recognition of our own FALLENNESS and ABSOLUTE NEED OF HIM.
Peter’s view of God grew bigger because he chose to GET OUT OF THE BOAT and get closer to Jesus.
Our view of God expands when we worship Him in the PRESENT REALITY of our circumstances, in the FACE OF OUR FEARS.
Our view of God expands when we worship Him in the PRESENT REALITY of our circumstances, in the FACE OF OUR FEARS.
When human beings get out of the boat, they are NEVER THE SAME
· Their worship is never quite the same.
· Their world is never quite the same.
· Whatever the results, sink or swim, something will have changed..
· Their worship is never quite the same.
· Their world is never quite the same.
· Whatever the results, sink or swim, something will have changed..
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