SCRIPTURE: Psalms 100:1-3

INTRODUCTION:

In our relationship to God, there is no attitude more important than reverence.

It is our attempt at self-rule that has gotten us into trouble.

(Genesis 3:1-6) Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

(2) And the woman said unto the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

(3) But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it lest ye die.

(4) And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

(5) For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

(6) And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

The spirit of PRIDE and INDEPENDENCE is at the heart of sin.

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imagination, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Before God can rule in our hearts, we must relinquish our self-rule.

Do you remember what Pharaoh said about God in (Exodus 5:2)"WHO IS THE LORD, THAT I SHOULD OBEY HIS VOICE?"

And Jesus said "NEVERTHELESS NOT MY WILL, BUT YOURS, BE DONE (Luke 22:42).

We must gratefully acknowledge God’s sovereignty over us.

We must see God only as our Creator, but also our Sustainer and Ruler.

We must HUMBLY, CONFIDENTLY, and CONTENTEDLY let God be God.

NOW LETTING GOD BE GOD INVOLVES THREE ATTRIBUTES OF THE HEART

I. HUMILITY

A. First IN THE AGE OBSESSED WITH SELF.

The worship of God often becomes little more than the worship of our own desires.

(II Timothy 4:3-4) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lust shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

(4) And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Rather than humbly worship God as creatures made in His image, we try to make God over in our own image.

We demand that our worship and service to God be according to our own wisdom and preferences.

We try to set the terms for our relationship with God, rather than gratefully accept His terms . B. Second we demand God to be whatever we wish Him to be

In addition, to solve our problems in the manner we prescribe but God does not exist for our pragmatic purposes.

We must stop seeing God as existing merely to solve our problems,

As if He were at our beck and call. He is more than a 911 God. The question is not what God can do for me, but it is what God can do in my life yielded to Him we must be willing to take orders, not just give them.

(Oswald Chambers) "Beware of the inclination to dictate to God what consequences you would allow as a condition of your obedience to Him"

II. CONFIDENCE

A. First WE NEED TO REST OUR COMPLETE TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN THE FACT OF GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY OVER HIS CREATION.

Too often, we worry, fret, and labor trying to govern the course of events that concern us.

We agonize over trying to control things that are in the realm of God’s control.

However, those who seat themselves upon God’s throne and try to control what happens in the world soon realize that the task is for a human being as stressful as it is impossible.

God admonished Job for having worked himself up into a demanding state of mind, questing God’s management of the universe.

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: ‘Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding" (Job 38:1-4)

Job was humbled at this reminder that he had not been letting God be God.

Then Job answered the Lord and said: I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of yours can be withheld from you. . . .I have uttered what I sis not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know, and heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes sees You. Therefore, I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. (Job 42:1-6)

How liberating it is to "relax" and let God take care of running the universe!

B. Second GOD GIVES US GRACE TO ACCEPT WITH SERENITY THE THINGS THAT CANNOT BE CHANGED.

Courage to Change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

C. Third THE REVERENT SEEKER RESTS IN THE CONFIDENCE THAT GOD CAN BE COUNTED ON.

Believe it or not but God can be counted on to supervise the world without our advise and to bring to pass His purpose without our assistance.

III. CONTENTMENT

A. First WE MUST GROW TO THE POINT WHERE GOD IS:

Our center, the absolute ground of our personal experience is significance. " I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

The complete source of our adequacy.

(II Corinthians 3:4-5) And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:

(5) Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

The one thing we truly have to have, the Only thing we cannot do without; . (Philippians 1:21) For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

B. Second When we come to understand His sufficiency, and when we unreservedly trust Him to fill our deepest needs, we can live with a peace that is otherwise unattainable.

CONCLUSION:

A. First The great act of faith is when a man decides that he is not God.

Before thee in humility, with thee in faith, in thee in peace

B. Second To seek God in truth and reality is to seek Him in Reverence.

It is God’s prerogative, not ours, to set the terms of our relationship with Him, and that relationship will not be what we long for it to be until we let God be God.

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves (Psalms 100:3).