The Works of God - His Plan (2)

I don't want to preach Sunday morning's message, but I couldn't help as I was studying this morning for Sunday morning's message in John 4 where Jesus tells the woman of the well, God is Spirit and they that worship Him must worship in Spirit and in truth. To worship God in truth means that we worship Him according to the truth He has revealed about Himself. And the only way we know who God is or what He is like is by His truth, the truth that He has revealed. And so we worship according to this book, but we look into this book to find out who He is, what He's like, what His characteristics are so that we may understand better how to worship Him. And so that's what we've been doing. We've been looking at the what the Bible teaches about God and for some time now actually and we find ourselves in the last major section of our study which has to do with the works of God. Now that obviously could be a whole years study in itself. If you take everything into account including God's work in salvation, but we're just taking kind of a bird's-eye view of four aspects of His work other than salvation. That is His plan, His creation, His preservation, His providence. We got started last week on the plan of God, barely got started. We got a little ways into it, just an inch into it. And that's good because it is such a huge subject. In fact, that's what we're looking at tonight. Last week we looked at a definition of His plan and we saw that basically when the Bible talks about God's plan according to the three verses we looked at last week, we're talking about God's eternal decision rendering certain all things which shall come to pass. God has decided both the course and the outcome of all events. Everything that happens is a part of God's plan. Now whenever we say that we begin to think no wait a second, you mean everything is a part of God's plan? Everything that happens? How can that be? There are a lot of bad things that happen. And so we're backing up a step and what we're doing is looking at the characteristics of His plan. And the first thing we started into last week and really want to spend most of our time on tonight, I expect we will, is the fact that God's plan is all inclusive. It does include everything. Now I do hope to explain how it includes everything tonight because God is not the active cause of everything but God's plan does include everything and there's a big difference in that. We'll get to that as we get into this a little bit further. But we began last week with Ephesians 1 11 and that's a good place to start tonight as well. So look at Ephesians chapter 1 verse 11 where the Bible says in him we were also chosen having been predestined. Now here's the part of the verse that we're really looking for for our study. Having been predestined would simply means God marked out ahead of time to do something according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will. There are lots of words in that verse that have to do with this overarching all-inclusive plan of God. Notice God has chosen and predestined us according to the plan of him. So that means God has a plan and what he has done even in our salvation is a part of that plan. But notice he goes on to say that the plan is the plan of him who works out everything, everything, no exceptions, everything in conformity with the purpose of his will. His purpose that's another way of saying his plan, what God has purposed, what God has planned will be done. His will is another way of saying his plan. So Paul is stressing mightily in this verse the fact that God's plan covers everything. It is all inclusive and everything he's doing he's working according to his plan in order to carry out his purpose which reflects his will. So very, very powerful verse on the plan of God. Now what we started into last week was giving examples of the all-inclusive nature of God's plan. I've got about 16 different things we're going to look at tonight in the Bible that demonstrate just what all God's plan involves, what all it covers, what all it does include and I think that will be sufficient enough to help us understand that it really is all inclusive. It involves everything. Last time we saw that God's plan includes the seasons that God sets the seasons and aren't we glad that his plan included spring this year? God's plan includes the seasons, God's plan includes the boundaries of nations. We saw that last week from Acts chapter 17. Now let's pick it up from there it's where we left off last week. The second thing that God's plan includes we're going to look at tonight and obviously we're not going to touch on everything but I want to give you enough of the scope of things to see that it is all inclusive. The next thing is God's plan includes the rise and fall of rulers of world leaders. Their rise and fall. Look at Romans chapter 13. Romans chapter 13 and I have not put all this on the screen for you. So you will have to write a little bit. If you didn't bring a pen just prick your finger and write in blood and that will be all right. Romans 13 verse 1. Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities. Now here's the part of the verse for our purpose tonight. For there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. There are other passages that talk about this very same thing like in first Peter chapter 2, 1 Timothy chapter 4. But the Bible says here there's no authority except that which God has established. Now God doesn't choose certain parties but God has an overall plan and purpose for this entire world that includes who will be in power at certain times. And so there's no authority except that has been established by God. The authorities that exist and remember Paul is writing this in the early 60s AD when Nero was on the Roman throne. Probably he and Claudius or Caligula rather he and Caligula would rank as the top two bizarre and psychotic Roman emperors of all time. Nero was an absolute wild man and that's who's ruling. That's the authority in the world when Paul writes this. So you know don't think Paul must have been saying this because somebody really nice and good was on the Roman throne. No it's the man who killed Christians who put Christians on pole and covered up poles and covered him with tar and used them to light up his dinner parties. I mean that's the kind of man Nero was. So God had a purpose for him being where he was at that particular time in history. The rise and fall of rulers is all part of the plan of God. Okay now I'm gonna I'm gonna move from one to the next unless you have a question or you want to say something just throw up your hand. Okay and I'll try to spot you and if I don't just interrupt me. That's alright in this class. Okay. Another thing that is a part of God's all-inclusive plan is the duration of our lives. How long we live is a part of God's plan. Let's look at a couple verses there. First of all Job chapter 14. The duration of our lives is all a part of God's plan. Job 14. Now Job is speaking here and he is speaking truth. Not all of Job's friends will speak truth. What has been recorded it was accurately recorded but not all of Job's friends comments are right. But Job is speaking truth in this passage in his observations about God. He begins in verse 1 saying mortals born of woman are a few days in full of trouble and he goes on to talk about how they how God interacts with them. But look at verse 5 a person's days are determined. You have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed. Now that's pretty strong isn't it? Job basically says it in three ways. Our days are determined. That's a that's a very strong word that God has control of that. God has determined how many days we'll live. You have decreed that's another strong word. In fact we'll look at that later in our study the difference between God's decree and God's desire but you have decreed the number of his months. It's not just that God kind of looks ahead and knows what they will be but he's not in control of them. No he's decreed them. It's part of his plan and and then the end of the verse you have set limits he cannot exceed. So in three ways Job makes it very clear that God is in control of exactly how long we live down to the month down to the day. Okay that's pretty strong. Look at another passage that's even stronger than that. Psalm 139. Psalm 139 and verse 16. This is at the end of that section of Psalm 139 that talks about God's forming us in the womb. And David who wrote this Psalm says in verse 14 I praise you because I'm fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. It's a Hebrew idiom or way of saying the womb. Verse 16. Your eyes saw my unformed body. Now notice this next expression. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Okay it's not just that it's all of our days. Now that that has to do with how many of them will have. Obviously if God has written in his book all of our days that obviously determines how many days we have but it also includes all that will transpire in those days. And what the Psalmist is saying what David is saying is all of those days ordained for me. Okay it's not again that God has just just knows about him because he's all wise. He ordained them. He's the one that set them up in eternity past. So he ordained all of our days and they were actually written in his book before one of them came to be. I mean that's that's pretty specific about God being in control of how long I will live and what will take place in every one of my days that I live. See how all inclusive God's plan is? It's amazing. Absolutely amazing. Okay duration of our lives then even down to the day and what will occur in those days is is all a part of God's plan. Alright I'm ready to move. Okay Kenneth. Okay. Great great question. I mean how do we put the fact that God has determined the number of days we're going to live with the fact that that if we do certain treatments or take certain medications or have a certain surgery that that would extend our lives right in our minds it would not in God's. God has already determined that we would take that treatment. God has already determined that we would make those decisions that's all a part of his plan. So he has already factored all that into his plan and so he still knows and has determined everything that would result in exactly how many days we're going to live. You see this is this is something that is really it's the hardest thing for us to grapple with in this whole point. Kenneth's put his finger on probably the most difficult issue and that is how does God's plan and purpose and and sovereign will how is that compatible with human freedom. I mean I have decisions to make about what kind of treatments I'll take or what procedures I will do that could could extend my life or you know let it end sooner. For me yes because I don't know how many days I'm going to live. So what I do in my way of looking at it does extend my life or shorten it but not in God's. See God has already included all of that in his plan and he has it all factored in. How God's plan interacts with our human freedom is is not something that that we can really package very nicely and keep a little box and understand completely but I do know that God's plan does include our freedom and he's big enough to have it all planned but also allow for freedom for us to make decisions. Okay. Barn. Great. Sure. That's a great perspective and that's coming from a doctor who deals with this every day who works in the emergency room. Okay, so he knows and aren't you grateful that we have some doctors who know the Lord and have that in mind that you know this is all in God's hands. I'll do everything I can but it is ultimately all in God's hands and so that's a great perspective. Great perspective. Yes. You know us praying for someone to recover is again. Yeah. Well we should pray boldly. We should pray whatever is the desire of our heart and that prayer and God's response to it is all in that room for freedom within his plan. But when we pray no matter what we pray or about what we're praying, we should always pray with a sense of submission to whatever God decides to do. Whatever his ultimate plan and purpose is, if it's not what we ask, we're not going to let that destroy our faith because we realize God has a much bigger picture than we do. So we pray and the Bible teaches we should pray boldly and we shouldn't pray timidly. We should pray boldly and ask God for what's on our hearts but always with the underlying faith in God's sovereignty and his plan and purpose. So that if what we ask God does not do then we're able to say okay, God I don't understand. It wasn't what I wanted but you're much bigger than I am. You see down the road where I can't see and so I trust you with that answer. So yes, pray boldly, pray diligently, preferently, pray for whatever God's laid upon your heart pray and whatever you feel is the best thing to pray but always do it with a sense of submission to his will. Yes. We are carrying out his will. Yes and again that's it's I want to try to explain this in human illustration and human illustration is not perfect so don't hold me to this. Don't make it walk on all fours. It's kind of like a that's not a good illustration. I'll say it's kind of like a dog on a leash. The dog has a certain amount of freedom. He can run the length of the clothesline and he can do all kinds of things but he's still within a certain parameter and within the parameter of God's will we have certain freedom. We have freedom to make choices but God has circumscribed exactly what's going to happen and so he uses even our freedom and our choices to accomplish his purpose. I'm going to actually come back to the idea of a ruler a little bit later as an illustration in one of the things we'll talk about in a little bit so let me come back to that later. Okay. All right. I would really like to get to the next one but let's take one more question Steve. It would take too long. Let's move on then. Because I have a lot of other things to say and some of these may kind of clear up what we're struggling with here. Okay. So the duration of our lives, okay. We kind of hinted at this one already but God's plan also includes the circumstances of each of our lives. All of the circumstances that happen to us are included in God's plan. Since we're in Psalm 139 just look again at verse 16 and we've already talked about it. Your eyes saw my uniform body all the days ordained for me written in your book before one of them came to be. Again, so it's again not only the length of those days how many we have but all the days were written there in his book that indicates also the events, the circumstances of those days, the unfolding of those days. But there's another passage I want to call your attention to and that's in James chapter 4. James chapter 4. Verses 13 to 15. Now listen, you who say today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city spend a year there carry on business and make money. Okay, I've got my plans and this is what I'm going to do in the next year. I'm going to go to such and such city. I'm going to set up this work and I'm going to make money. I'm going to this is what I've got planned. Verse 14. Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes which basically is saying you haven't written all your days in a book. You're acting like it. You're acting like you know exactly what's going to happen in the next year. But who's written all your days in a book before they ever came to be? God. God has. So because of that look at verse 15. Instead you ought to say if it is the Lord's will we will live and do this or that. Now we so glibly pass over that verse and we kind of take it as a catch-all phrase. Well see you later Lord Wellen. Or I'm going to do this tomorrow Lord Wellen and that's a good expression. But sometimes I think we just think okay we're just supposed to tack that onto everything we say so that people won't think we're too presumptuous. And in reality what James is saying is that this is the way we should live with the understanding that we don't we don't really have control of what's going to happen tomorrow. It's fine to make choices and plans but when you make choices and plans our spirit our attitude the way we function ought to always be God this is submissive to your plan. I realize I can make plans and there's nothing wrong with doing that. The book the book of Proverbs says we should make plans for the future. Nothing wrong with saying I'm going to go into a city and work this job and and you know this is what I'm planning to do. Proverbs 6 go to the ant you slugger. The ant doesn't have any ruler overseer but it gathers in some or what it needs for winter. It makes plans and so we're supposed to learn from that. We are to make plans for the future. That's not what James is saying. James is saying whenever you plan for your tomorrow or your next year always do so with the spirit and attitude if this is God's will that will happen. And if it's not I will trust his plan. It's better than mine. He knows more than I do and so we can trust him. That's the thing but the idea is if it's the Lord's will we will live and we will do this or that. So whether we live tomorrow or next year and whether we do this or that tomorrow is all in God's plan and his will. So the circumstances of our lives are included. Here's something else. And the reason I want to mention all of these things is because I really want to highlight God's plan is all inclusive and sometimes it's difficult to see these things or accept them but did you know that even the manner of our death is in God's plan? It really is. One example of it is John chapter 21. John chapter 21 where Jesus is talking to Peter after the resurrection. You remember on the shore when Jesus instituted the first men's fellowship breakfast? Cook breakfast for the guys on the shore and and Jesus is talking to Peter about do you love me go feed my lambs he says that three times and then look at verse 18. Still speaking to Peter he says very truly I tell you when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted but when you are old you will stretch out your hands and someone else will dress you and lead you to where you do not want to go. By the way that becomes a life verse for most people over 80 right? Seriously that's where we're going that's where we're headed right? Most of us if if we live beyond the extent of good health when you're old you will stretch out your hands someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go. Now why was Jesus saying that verse 19 tells us? Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Now we know from church history how he died. Peter died according to tradition in church history. Peter died by being crucified. Someone literally led him where he would not choose to go and stretch out his hands. Now there's more included in that but but the Bible says he was Jesus was referring to the way in which he would die. And it came true. I mean that's a part of God's plan for Peter is exactly how he would die. You may recall that tradition says Peter did not want to be crucified like he's Lord so he asked to be crucified upside down and that's what Fox's book of martyrs and church tradition tell us. And and and Peter starts looking at John in verse 20 and says Lord verse 21 when Peter saw me ask Lord what about him? You know Jesus has just told Peter what his future is going to be like and so Peter wants no about John. Okay what about John tell me his future. It's exactly what Jesus said. It's none of his business. He didn't say it quite that way Audrey but it was it was that clear. He he said in verse 22 Jesus answered if I want him to remain alive until I return what is that to you? You must follow me. Now basically Jesus said two things to Peter. If if I want him to remain alive until I return in other words I'm in control of his future too. If I want him to be alive until I return then that's what will happen. Okay I'm in control of how long you die or how long you live and how you will die and I'm also in control of how long John will live and how John will die but then he reminds Peter what is that to you? That's none of your business. You concentrate on following me he says you must follow me and so that's a good lesson by the way. Don't get too nosy about either your future or anybody else's future trying to figure out what it's going to be. That's in God's hands. That's in God's hands and he will take care of it. How long we live and even how we will die. So, manner of our death is amazingly in God's hands. The good acts of men, the good actions of men are in God's hands. I want to show you two verses one of them which has to do with unbelievers in Isaiah chapter 44. Even the good acts of an unbelieving king were all a part of God's plan. In Isaiah 44 verse 28, the Lord is talking about the restoration of Jerusalem after the captivity and he's talking about how great he is in his plan and purpose for his or verse 28 who says of Cyrus, he is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please. He will say of Jerusalem, let it be rebuilt and of the temple let its foundations be laid. Now, here's an amazing thought. Cyrus is a pagan idolator king of Persia, the Meeds and Persians who conquered the Babylonians. Israel has been or Judah, the nation of Judah which is the only part of Israel left, has been in captivity for 70 years when Cyrus comes to the throne. They've been in Babylon for 70 years. Remember God had already prophesied they would be in captivity 70 years and then they would come back to their land. So God in his plan has already arranged for a ruler to ascend to world power and overtake, overcome the Babylonians, raise his kingdom up. But this world ruler had a policy that was unlike Babylon's policy. By the way, it didn't just apply to the Jews. It applied to all the people under his rule and that is that he would allow them to return to their homelands, rebuild their temples and their worship centers, practice their own religion. He was not nearly as severe on conquered peoples as Nebuchadnezzar and the other Babylonian rulers were. In God's perfect plan, he had arranged for that man to be born just when he was born to grow up where he did, just how he did with the kind of principles and ruling policy that he would develop ascend to power just when he did and be in the right place at the right time when 70 years of captivity were up so that he would issue a decree for Israel to be allowed to go back to their land and rebuild their temple. But you think about it, everything that had to occur to bring Cyrus to that point was also a part of God's plan so that he would have just the right way of thinking, the right way of policy making and so forth. And he actually calls him my shepherd. He will accomplish all that I please. So the good actions of men, even if they are pagan idolaters, fit into God's purpose and plan. God has purposed and planned what they will do. But it's also true of believers and this is a passage you're familiar with Ephesians 210. For we are his workmanship, we are God's handy work. The NIV says, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. Now the last part of the verse says, which God prepared in advance for us to do. In other words, it's part of God's eternal plan that we would do these good works. So the good works, the good actions of people are a part of God's plan regardless of whether it's a pagan king or a believer. God has all that included in his plan. Now here's the one and we may take the remaining 10 minutes on this one. Here's the one that really throws us sometimes. The evil actions of men are also a part of God's plan. Now this is where it gets a little sticky. So follow with me. If you're asleep, let me know so I can throw him to let you wake up. Because you need to get this, you know, to understand it. Two examples. The first one is in Genesis chapter 50. Genesis chapter 50. Joseph is talking to his brothers. You remember the story of how Joseph was hated by his brothers, sold into slavery into Egypt. They wanted to kill him, but one of the brothers couldn't go quite that far and got him out of the pit and sold him to some Midianite traders who were on their way to Egypt. And so he sold into slavery. You remember how God amazingly works through 13 years of slavery and imprisonment and all of this is just amazing demonstration of God's providence at work and his life raises him to the second most powerful position in Egypt for the expressed purpose of being there to run the food program when his family in Israel or in Canaan runs out of food and is about starve and they come to Egypt looking for help and who would be in charge of the food distribution but their brother. Okay, the story of Joseph is one of the greatest stories of God's providence of his working all things together for good. Right now their father has died and the brothers still feel like Joseph's probably going to really do something bad to them to pay them back for what they did to him and now that daddy is gone he'll probably do it. They probably didn't do it before now because he didn't want to hurt dad but now that dad is gone he's really going to get us and this is this is clear in verses 15 through 19 where they're thinking okay now dad's gone he's gonna he's gonna really let us have it. So they come in in verse 18, throw themselves down before him and say we're slaves they're trying to head off you know what they feel like Joseph's gonna do verse 19 but Joseph said to them don't be afraid and I in the place of God verse 20 this is the Romans 828 of the Old Testament you intended to harm me but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done the saving of many lives. You know what Joseph is saying? You did bad things you wanted to kill me you threw me into a pit you sold me to Midianite traders who took me to a foreign land when I was 17 years old I spent 13 years as a slave and in prison you did bad stuff to me but God intended it for good. All along God intended it and you know we can see how that was a part of God's purpose and plan because we're looking at it from the end and looking back. I'll guarantee you there were days serving in Potiphar's household where Joseph didn't see it and there were days in jail and prison when he's been falsely accused and thrown in jail when he didn't see it. It's only looking back that you can see sometimes glimpses of God's purpose and plan and Joseph sees it and so he says you were doing bad things but God all along had intended it it was a part of his plan it was a part of his purpose he intended it so that I would be here to deliver my family and ultimately provide a place for the nation of Israel young and fragile as it was to flourish and grow into a great nation. That was all part of God's plan and he used the bad actions of Joseph's brothers to accomplish it. One other example and that is in Acts chapter 4 and this is the clearest example of all, Acts chapter 4 where Peter is talking to the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council after they've been arrested Peter and John have been arrested. Peter says in Acts chapter 4 verse 27 this is after they've been released they go back and tell the people what's happened they're praying it's actually a part of their prayer. Verse 25 you spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant our father David why do the nations rage and the people plot in vain the kings of the earth rise up the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one now look at verse 27 indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed they did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen everything that happened to Jesus by Pilate by Herod by the soldiers they did what your power and will that's another word for God's plan what your plan had decided beforehand okay this is is clear this is not God as it unfolds thinking on the on the fly and and just think okay I got to respond to this I got to do this oh I didn't know that was going to happen oh what am I going to do here that's not that's not God's plan God's plan has been decided beforehand and now it is working out in human history and it included even the evil actions of the Gentile and Jewish leaders now we don't have much time so I want to make sure I get to this so that I don't leave us hanging on this thought you mean God's plan includes evil actions of people let me let me explain it this way God is not the moral or initiating cause of people's evil actions God does not commit evil and he doesn't tempt people to do evil James 1 13 says that very plainly God cannot be tempted with evil and he does not tempt anyone to do evil so God is not the cause of evil he did not initiate the evil he did not cause people to make evil choices and commit evil deeds God is not the cause of that but the fact that it happened was all a part of God's purpose and plan again recognizing these people would have freedom to make choices and some choices would be bad evil choices but God is going to use all of that to accomplish his ultimate purpose and plan okay you see how that fits into God's plan God didn't cause Herod and Pyle and others to do evil things or if that's the case then God himself is worse than them God is evil and certainly that's not true so God didn't cause evil God did not initiate evil but given the freedom to make either bad or good choices God worked out those bad choices as a part of his plan to accomplish ultimately what his plan and purpose was let me give you an illustration it's about all we'll have time for tonight and that's Hitler okay Hitler is probably exhibit of a exhibit of people who get been out of shape about God because how could God allow things like that to happen if God is really God why didn't he stop evil like that now please be careful with what I'm gonna say you have to understand and listen carefully God did not cause Hitler to do what he did in killing six million Jews God did not cause that God did not put in his heart to do it that was a part of his fallen sinful humanity tooled and prepared by Satan to do what Satan wanted him to do but God used even that terrible evil to prepare a world to be sympathetic to the Jewish race and provide them a homeland in 1948 in the British mandate in Palestine in the bigger purpose and plan of God there has to be a people of Israel in that land in order for the events of the tribulation in the last days to take place so God is moving toward a bigger plan God did not cause Hitler to do that but giving him freedom to make choices and Hitler making terrible evil wicked satanic choices that all is used by God to fulfill his ultimate plan for his people Israel to give them a homeland and then to provide for the events of prophecy to to eventually work out so it's kind of like Cyrus God allows and it fits within his overall big plan and purpose God allows a wicked ruler to come onto the world stage at just the right time and even though he does wicked things God will somehow work all things together for good God is not in heaven scratching his head saying I don't know how we're going to deal with this one now he knows exactly what's going to happen to his people and how the world stage will shift world powers world opinion will shift in order to accomplish what his purpose is and that is to put his people in their land okay now that's just an example God didn't cause the evil God didn't initiate the evil but the evil that even men do can somehow be a part of God's bigger purpose and God will will bring good out of it to accomplish his purpose okay so don't ever think and this is people who get people who turn their back on God many times struggle with this how could God do evil or allow evil remember that God does not cause evil Bible's clear he does not tempt anyone to do evil but God does work all things together for good according to his purpose Romans 828 says that's his plan that's his plan okay Steve it's already too after it's got to be quick brother yeah exactly and that's exactly what it acts for what Peter was saying the the most horrible event in human history it was a part of God's plan to save us it all fit into his plan it all fit into his purpose and and that's what we're saying is that God will take both the good acts and the evil acts of people and it will all somehow work together for good to accomplish his ultimate plan in purpose okay now we still got a lot of other things to look at that are a part of God's all inclusive plan but I think it's worth taking some time on this to understand that nothing is nothing is exempt from God's plan everything that happens is a part of his plan okay he has a way of working it all together to bring about his purpose and that's the way we need to see the flow of human history and even the flow of our lives and the events of our lives all right five after the kids are going to be restless downstairs so let's pray for the thank you that you are such a great God that you're in control ultimately of all things that take place and all things ultimately will move toward your conclusion for human history and fulfill your purpose and plan of you through you and to you are all things they end up being brought to a conclusion in your purpose and plan and so father we worship you we fall at your feet and submit in humble adoration and awe at the greatness of our God thank you for who you are in Jesus name we adore you amen