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Holy, Holy, Holy: The Demands of the Holy (part 8)

"Opportunities abound to be captivated by the great and unsearchable things of God; wonders without number." Dwight continues,


My first principle is that of wonder. I would say that a proper response to the Holy is radical amazement. We need to think of this world as the LORD’s doing and it needs to be constantly marvelous in our eyes. A sense of wonder at the gift of life is something we all need to cultivate. Opportunities abound to be captivated by the great and unsearchable things of God; wonders without number. Notice Exodus 15:11 says, “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?" It does not say worked wonders in the past tense but rather, is working wonders. He is still doing it. That's why three times a day the observant Jew prays, "We thank thee O LORD for thy miracles which are daily with us and for thy continual marvels." Twice a day as part of the sh’ma a devout Jew prays, "He is the LORD of wonders, who in his goodness renews the creation every day, continually." We need to stand in a holy sense of wonder at God’s innumerable marvels.

Next, our response to the Holy should be one of worship.

When you worship God, know before whom you stand. When you lift your hands, dance, pray, sing, study and give—grasp whom it is that you are addressing in worship. This is not something common or ordinary, it is something holy. Worship needs to be sincere and with intensity. Leader's need to lift their voice unto the LORD, not to the crowds. We all need to bow down before him, worshipping at his footstool. Why the footstool? Because it is the lowly place. You bow when you come into the royal presence (that is the idea of worship); you make yourself low so that you can make him high.

  • Humility recognizes the good, and that all good comes from God, from nowhere else.

  • Humility is recognizing that nothing of spiritual consequence is self-generated.

  • Humility sees that ultimately, God is all that matters.

  • Our humility is the deepest response to his holiness. In other words, we need to respond to his holiness with humility.

Of myself nothing of significance can be accomplished; but because the holy God is for me I can endure, I can overcome, I can succeed. We need to purge ourselves of pride, of iniquity, of self-centeredness and rebellion, because they disparage the holiness of God. They profane him. We need to exalt him in our acts and words of worship. Biblically speaking, praise is proclamation, a declaring of who God is and what he has done. The emphasis is exclusively on him. How we do it (in high church liturgy or in low church activities) does not matter, as long as it is done with humility, intensity, sincerity, and a recognition of before whom you stand.


* This is an audio transcript, listen to the original message here.


 

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This study is from a professionally produced transcription of the audio recording. It was edited for readability by the team at JC Studies.


Dwight A. Pryor (1945-2011) was a gifted Bible teacher of exceptional clarity and depth who earned the friendship and admiration of both Christian and Jewish scholars—in the United States and Israel—as well as the respect and appreciation of followers of Jesus around the world. His expertise in the language, literature, and culture of Israel during the life and time of Jesus and the early church yield insights that nourish every area of faith and practice.


Dwight founded JC Studies in 1984 to edify the people of God. Click here to explore over fifty of his audio and video seminars.

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