Getting God Right

0:00 Real Life presents the Jack Hibbs podcast with intention and boldness to proclaim truth, equip the saints, and impact our culture. You ever stop to think about the awe of God? He's awesome is where we get that from. We ought to be in awe of Him because He can take care of our lives. He doesn't give up. He doesn't quit. Today, if this podcast lifts you up and encourages you to live a more fulfilled life in Christ, then make sure you leave us one of those five-star ratings. To us, that's like saying amen or yes. Then that rating will encourage others to listen.

0:42 Now open your hearts to what God's Word has to say to you. Here is Jack Hibbs. Getting God right is this, is being in awe of God. Can you write that down? The number one place that we begin, we talk about wisdom, we talk about knowledge, we talk about knowing God and the fear of God. Where do we begin? Verses one through seven is being in awe of God. We have to nurture that. And we get to do that, by the way, if we apply ourselves. And getting God right is becoming a rarity in the world in which you and I live in. A lot of misunderstandings about God, getting God right. A lot of people relegate God down to feelings or emotions.

1:24 And that's not who God is. A lot of people think that they can make up theology. Can't do that either. God has revealed to us his word, the Bible. Number one, mark it down this way. It's found in verses one through four. And that is getting God right and being in awe of God is for you and I to consider who he is, obviously. Where do we start? Is that we get to know God. We've got to know God. The Proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel. And here it comes. To know wisdom and instruction and to perceive the words of understanding. All of these things are given to us by God. Watch this. Verse 3, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity.

2:04 All the things that our world says they care about. Have you noticed that? We want justice. We want equity. No, no, actually you don't. You're using the same words, but you're using a different dictionary. God is the one who will determine equity, justice, understanding. Listen, this is God's universe. We're only visiting. We're not here for a long time. God's eternal. And there's going to be a day when... He sets his plans in order and redeems and reclaims. But how do I become? That would be a good question is, how do I become more in awe of God?

2:45 Start with this. Genesis chapter 1, verse 1. We all know it, but do we meditate on it? In the beginning, that is of the physical universe, all things physical, God created. God bless you. Thank you for coming today. Have a great Sunday. That's enough. In the beginning, God created. Listen, you get past Genesis 1-1, the rest of the Bible's downhill. He created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, let there be light and there was light.

3:25 By the way, this is fun. The light that God created over the physical universe predates the creation of the sun. Why? God is light. Awesome. Remarkable. Considering the awe of God, we're going to go through some things. You guys okay? You ready for this? Job chapter 28. You can't talk about the awe of God without going to the book of Job. And for good reason. You know, poor Job. You know, we say poor Job and none of us would want to go through what he went through, but we want to be as close to God Of course, God used the man Job because he could.

4:09 He was usable to teach Satan a lesson. Every time I think about the book of Job, I have to ask myself, how willing am I to be a true witness for God in anything? If God were to ask us this morning, do you love me? We would all stand up and say, yes, we love you. And then God says, okay, great. I'm so happy to hear that because you know what I did with Job? Yes, I know. I read the book. I'm going to do the same thing with you. Yeah, I don't know about it. Really? Can you ask the first question all over again? Don't you think that's how Peter felt when Jesus said, do you love me, Peter?

4:50 Yes. Feed my sheep. Do you love me, Peter? Yes. More than these fish? Yes. Do you love me, Peter? Yes. Feed my sheep. And then Peter said, Lord, why do you keep asking me this? You know that I phileo you. I Philadelphia you. Peter was busted. Peter was confessing, my love for you is about as best as I have for my brother. That's about as big as it is. Peter's confession should be our confession. Lord, I love you. but I need to love you more. Amen? How does that happen? Be in awe of God. God alone understands the way of wisdom.

5:32 He knows where it can be found. For he looks throughout the whole earth and sees everything under the heavens. He, that's God, decided how hard the winds should blow and how much rain should fall. Think of that. He made the laws for the rain and laid out a path for the lightning. Then he saw wisdom and evaluated it. He set it in a place and examined it thoroughly. And this is what he says to all humanity. The fear of the Lord is true worship. To forsake evil is real understanding. Those things go hand in hand, you know.

6:15 And the next passage, we'll jump to the next one. It's Job 37. Watch this. Pay attention to this, Job. Stop and consider the wonderful miracles of God. Do you know how God controls the storm and causes the lightning to flash from his clouds? I love when God talks like that. In other words, none of it's an accident. None of it's an accident. Do you understand how he moves the clouds with wonderful perfection and skill translation? If God wants to move water so that it rains in Colorado or the Sierra Nevada or Chino Hills, how does God do it?

6:55 God, listen, God brings water up from the ocean, right? He separates fresh water from salt. He raises it up and he puts it into a cloud. And then he sends wind and he moves the cloud, right? Think about it. And an airplane can fly through the cloud. No problem. And then at the finger snap of God, the condensation takes place to such a level that the cloud can dump millions of tons of water that you can weigh. It can even be a flood. How do you float something over somewhere and then create a flood? You ever stop to think about the awe of God? He's awesome is where we get that from.

7:37 If God wants it to rain in the desert, he just floats the rain over and then drops it. That's our God. All of a sudden, he ought to be, listen, we ought to be in awe of him because he can take care of our lives. Even when we as his children get in trouble, I think about, you say, well, that's great. I don't really care about God floating in a cloud over the desert. I can't make my mortgage payment. Friend, listen, if God can take care of your sins on the cross and float a cloud of water over the desert, turn to God, give it all to him, and he will begin to do a work where that's no longer a problem. And I don't know what that means for you.

8:18 But he'll work with you. He doesn't give up. He doesn't quit. Verse 17, when you are sweltering in your clothes and the south or Santa Ana winds blow and everything is still, he makes the skies reflect the heat like a bronze mirror. Did you know that is a scientific fact right there? Atheist, agnostic, doubters, take a picture of verse 18. That is literally a meteorological scientific fact. How did Job know that? Well, God's the one speaking here, so he knows it. So teach the rest of us what to say to God. We are too ignorant to make our own arguments.

9:01 Should God be notified that we want to speak? Can people even speak when they are confused? Verse 21, we cannot look at the sun for it shines brightly in the sky when the wind clears away the clouds. Verse 22, so also golden splendor comes from the mountain of God, who is clothed in dazzling splendor. We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty, but even though he is just and righteous, he does not destroy us. No wonder people everywhere fear him. All who are wise show him reverence. And all God's people said, amen.

9:41 Job 38. This is my favorite. When the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind, this is what he said. Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? You imagine, Lord, speak to me. Lord, speak to me. Who are you speaking to me in such ignorant words? Doesn't make you feel about that big. Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer. Wow. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me. I like verse 4, because when people tell me that the earth is 400 trillion billion quadzillion years old, here's what I ask them.

10:28 How do you know? Were you there? It's a big guess, you know. All the sciences applied. By the way, side note, you can't get the sciences to agree on the age of the earth. Did you know that? The astrophysicists say that the universe is much younger than what we thought, and the geophysicists say, no, it's much older. It's got to be older. Some people argue that the earth is older than everything else because the earth is so complex. No other body that's observable has complex life like we do. So if you're going to have an evolutionary theory, it's got to be super old.

11:09 Older than Jupiter, older than Venus. No, no, you can't have that. This group begins to argue with that group. And the Christians in the middle, we never got degrees in physics. We just said, you know what? God said he did it. And Job, you weren't there, so how do you know? Wow. So where were you when I laid the foundations there? Tell me if you know so much. You determined its dimensions? Or who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line? What supports its foundations? And who laid its cornerstone? As the morning stars sang, that's a reference to angels, together, and all the angels shouted for joy. Who kept the sea inside its boundaries as it burst from the womb?

11:54 And as I clothed it with clouds and wrapped it in thick darkness, for I locked it behind barred gates, watch this, limiting its shores. Think of that. the vast ocean, and you can go down to Newport or Huntington and stand at the beach right there, and God says, waves, you can go that far. Great ocean, you can go that far, but you can't go past there. You stay right there. We take these things for granted. Verse 11, and said, thus far and no further will you come. Here, your proud waves must stop. Have you ever commanded the morning to appear and cause the dawn to rise in the east?

12:36 Have you made daylight spread to the ends of the earth? Oh, wow. You guys, this is a book that's over 3,000 years old. Listen to this science. Okay. To bring an end to the night's wickedness? As the light approaches, the earth takes shape like clay pressed beneath a seal. It is robed in brilliant colors. The light disturbs the wicked and stops the arm that is raised in violence. Have you explored the springs from which the seas come? Have you explored their depths? Do you know where the gates of death are located?

13:17 Have you seen the gutters of, or the gates of utter gloom? Do you realize the extent of the earth? Tell me about it if you know. Verse 19, where does light come from? And where does darkness go? Isn't that neat? Darkness, by the way, never puts an end to light, ever, in any realm. In all of physics, darkness never puts light out. That's why you can have, listen, imagine if you had a little candle that was burning darkness, black. Imagine the flame being black. It would not quench the light. But if you have a little candle that's light, it invades the darkness. That's awesome.

13:59 verse 20, can you take each to its home? Do you know how to get there? But of course you know all this. For you were born before it was all created, and you are so very experienced. Have you visited the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of hail? I have reserved them as weapons for the day of trouble or the time of trouble. Where is the path to the source of light? Where is the home of the east wind? Who created a channel for the torrents of rain? Who laid out the path for lightning? Who makes the rain to fall on barren land and in the desert where no one lives?

14:43 Who sends rain to satisfy the parched ground and make the tender grass spring up? Does the rain have a father? Who gives birth to the dew? Who is the mother of the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens? Verse 30. For the water turns to ice as hard as rock and the surface of the water freezes. God says he does all this stuff. Final thing with Job, I think, for the rest of the day is Job 40, verses 3 and 4. Then Job answered the Lord and said, behold, I'm vile. What shall I answer you? I lay my head or hand over my mouth.

15:25 But God had told him, I'm going to ask you questions and you're going to answer me. And Job says, I can't do that. That's an awe of God. Friends, we need to break out of our cyber world and we need to get to the rim of the Grand Canyon again. Take a vacation, take a trip. Climb a mountain, climb a tree. Go down to the shores of the sea, crack open the book of Job and give God thanks. You realize that, the respect and the awe of his greatness. The other thing is this, in being in awe of God, is verses five to six, and that is remembering who we are. We need to remember it. Who we are. The Bible tells us that we are just dust. Which, by the way, again, figure that one out.

16:07 We didn't find out until thousands and thousands of years later, through scientific discovery, that we are dust. Humans are made out of dust. Isn't that something? We're rearranged in that dirt clod that's outside your window at home. But we're made of the same stuff. Have you ever noticed, you guys, you ever thought this through? Get ready. I told my granddaughter this and she goes, quote, that's deep. Have you noticed? Evolutionists will say, look, everything is evolved because when everything is embryonic, it all looks the same. Have you seen an embryonic dolphin? Have you seen an embryonic monkey? Have you seen an embryonic human?

16:49 Have you seen an embryonic elephant? They all look the same. The evolutionist who says there's no God looks at that and says, we're all the same. We've all come from the same... Excuse me. That doesn't prove your point. It proves my point. My point is, he's the same architect. He's the same designer. He starts out this way, but just because that thing is really little doesn't mean it turns in from an elephant to a human. It doesn't go from a lizard to me. It's the signature of God. In fact, every Ford car that comes out of Ford, they may be different looking cars, but they got the Ford logo.

17:34 Listen, God's work has got his fingerprint on it. It can be a bird or it can be a whale or it can be you. God's the design architect. And he brings it forth. Remember who we are. We are created in the image of God, but we are fallen creatures, and we need to get back to him. That's why Jesus came, to bring us back to him. The Bible says in Proverbs 1, verses 5 and 6, a wise man will hear and increase learning. I hope you want to learn something new every day. I hope that describes you. If not, change that today. Learn something new every day. And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel.

18:17 Don't listen to your own counsel. You know when you get together with you, yourself, or me, myself, and I, and we have a meeting, we always wind up concluding that this is what I want to do. And the majority wins, which is always in my favor. Watch out for that. Talk to other godly people. Of course, the ultimate answer, after you seek counsel, is taking it before the Lord. That verse 6 goes on to say, to understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles.

18:59 So how do I become this person? Regarding the awe of God, that's where we begin, because the wisdom and the knowledge comes from a God, a God who is one who we are awestruck by by. Your instructions come from your creator. He knows exactly what to do with your life. You and I do not. Father, we praise you. We give you all the thanks and all the glory and all the appreciation because you and you alone are mighty and wonderful. Wisdom cries out and says, Lord, have your way. Thy will be done. Lord, that we leave this building deeper in love with you than when we came in.

19:43 And may those who experience our life, believer or unbeliever, know that we've been with the Most High God. This Jack Hibbs podcast, as well as all the broadcast outreach opportunities, are listener supported. Will you consider partnering with us through a special gift? Go to jackhibbs.com to learn more and stay connected.