HAVE YOU LOST YOUR AWE OF GOD?

And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”  But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them. Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Luke 2:47‭-‬52 NKJV

I recently watched the show "America's Got Talent" and was totally amazed by some of the acts that were on the program.  In fact,  like many American's I still can't figure how any of what they did or how they did it.

It is interesting - the scriptures tell us that "all who heard Him (Jesus) were atonished/ amazed at His understanding and answers.

If you were to study out the scriptures of where people were amazed or astonished about Jesus you would find that it is 41 times in New Testament.

In this passage - Jesus became separated from his parents as he stayed in the temple and sat with the Jewish leaders of whom were all "amazed" at his undertanding.

Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.

As I write this I'm asking the question - "When is the last time I have been in awe and in amazement of who Jesus is.  That feeling of being speechless and dumbstruck of who and what Jesus has done and what He is doing right now in my life.

Life tends to dull our senses and we get "used" to what once was awe inspiring and majestic.

I remember first moving to the state of Washington and living in the city of Bremerton - a city surrounded by three sides of water with the backdrop of the Olympic Mountains behind it.

When I first arrived and drove around the city - I couldn't keep my eyes off the beauty of the water and the mountains.  It was absolutely gorgeous.

But after living there for a while - I got used to the scenery and my commute to work every day became monotonous and boring.  I was no longer amazed by its grandeur and beauty.

In the life of Jesus - people were initially amazed and astounded by the miracles that Jesus did but after a while they were no longer moved by who He was or what He was doing.

He was just another man.

As they became familiar with Him - He just became another man and they didn't see His Him for who He truly was.
People today will acknowledge that there is a God and even say that they believe in Jesus but they no longer allow Him to change their lives and are no longer in wonder and amazement of who He is.

The outcomes that happened a long time ago and don’t impress us at all any more.

When we want to be amazed or astonished we can watch a movie, a TV show and even the news and see things that just a few years ago were not possible.

-People regularly go into outer space to work.
-We can have light when ever we want it with a flip of a switch.
-We can see people that are healed after horrible accidents and illnesses.

So how in the world can the story of Jesus Christ, Emmanuel- God with us ever get the attention of mankind again?

Folks, it has to start with US. If we are not astonished and amazed by what God did….
If we are not ecstatic over what was done my the actions of Jesus Christ for you and me….

Then No one else that hears the story will consider it to be anything more that JUST A STORY!

Real Amazement comes for the realization that not a one of us can qualify to enter into to the presence of God and nothing we do short of recognizing the actions of Jesus can even fix us.

But there is always the worry that it is some sort of magic trick. Some sort of catch.

That some how we have been fooled and we sit back and look for the flaws in the plan the loop holes in the awards program.

And when we do, we are giving up on faith. We are failing to trust God.

We start to unconsciously believe that our relationship with God allows us to make all the choices. Over time we get to focus what we will and won’t do based on our personal preferences.

When we think we are mature in our faith, when we think this is our church, when we decide your needs and desires are most important then we are no longer impressed with Jesus.

When we are not amazed at what he has already done and is doing in our lives then we start to live earthly …selfish lives.

We stop sharing the Good news.

We stop having visitors.

We stop going to any “special trouble: to glorify God.

In the Gospels the biggest things that amazes me are the numbers of people that Jesus touched, healed, and blessed.

What happened to the ones that were walking on their own two legs for the first time, or the ones that could see after years of darkness?  The Bible indicates to us that they were "amazed."

What has happened to you?

Have you lost your amazement?

Have you lost the astonishment of being in the presence of God?

If you answer yes, then you need to remember that God did not change - you did.

My prayer to you today is that you come back to that place of amazement with God - that His wonder would fill your soul and that you would stand in awe of who God is and what he has done in your life.