Talk

The Necessity of Awe

Ben Stuart
December, 28, 2022

Ben Stuart reminds the students of Passion 2023 how critical awe is to life with Christ.

Scripture References

35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples,
“Let us go over to the other side.”
36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.
37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.
38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves,
“Quiet! Be still!”
Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40He said to his disciples,
“Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
1They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.
2When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him.
3This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain.
4For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him.
5Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
6When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him.
7He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!”
8For Jesus had said to him,
“Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”
9Then Jesus asked him,
“What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

10And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
11A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside.
12The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.”
13He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
14Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened.
15When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
16Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well.
17Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
18As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him.
19Jesus did not let him, but said,
“Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”
20So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
21When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake.
22Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet.
23He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.”
24So Jesus went with him.

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

25And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.
26She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.
27When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,
28because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”
29Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
30At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked,
“Who touched my clothes?”
31“You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask,
‘Who touched me?’
 ”
32But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.
33Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth.
34He said to her,
“Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
35While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”
36Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him,
“Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
37He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James.
38When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly.
39He went in and said to them,
“Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.”
40But they laughed at him.

After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41He took her by the hand and said to her,

“Talitha koum!”
(which means
“Little girl, I say to you, get up!”
). 42Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

41He took her by the hand and said to her,
“Talitha koum!”
(which means
“Little girl, I say to you, get up!”
).
42Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.
43He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Present Weakness and Resurrection Life

1Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

13It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. 15All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Psalm 89

A

maskil
of Ethan the Ezrahite.

1I will sing of the

Lord
’s great love forever;

with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known

through all generations.

2I will declare that your love stands firm forever,

that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

3You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,

I have sworn to David my servant,

4‘I will establish your line forever

and make your throne firm through all generations.’ ”

5The heavens praise your wonders,

Lord
,

your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.

6For who in the skies above can compare with the

Lord
?

Who is like the

Lord
among the heavenly beings?

7In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;

he is more awesome than all who surround him.

8Who is like you,

Lord
God Almighty?

You,

Lord
, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

9You rule over the surging sea;

when its waves mount up, you still them.

10You crushed Rahab like one of the slain;

with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.

11The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;

you founded the world and all that is in it.

12You created the north and the south;

Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.

13Your arm is endowed with power;

your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.

14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;

love and faithfulness go before you.

15Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,

who walk in the light of your presence,

Lord
.

16They rejoice in your name all day long;

they celebrate your righteousness.

17For you are their glory and strength,

and by your favor you exalt our horn.

18Indeed, our shield belongs to the

Lord
,

our king to the Holy One of Israel.

19Once you spoke in a vision,

to your faithful people you said:

“I have bestowed strength on a warrior;

I have raised up a young man from among the people.

20I have found David my servant;

with my sacred oil I have anointed him.

21My hand will sustain him;

surely my arm will strengthen him.

22The enemy will not get the better of him;

the wicked will not oppress him.

23I will crush his foes before him

and strike down his adversaries.

24My faithful love will be with him,

and through my name his horn will be exalted.

25I will set his hand over the sea,

his right hand over the rivers.

26He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,

my God, the Rock my Savior.’

27And I will appoint him to be my firstborn,

the most exalted of the kings of the earth.

28I will maintain my love to him forever,

and my covenant with him will never fail.

29I will establish his line forever,

his throne as long as the heavens endure.

30“If his sons forsake my law

and do not follow my statutes,

31if they violate my decrees

and fail to keep my commands,

32I will punish their sin with the rod,

their iniquity with flogging;

33but I will not take my love from him,

nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.

34I will not violate my covenant

or alter what my lips have uttered.

35Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—

and I will not lie to David—

36that his line will continue forever

and his throne endure before me like the sun;

37it will be established forever like the moon,

the faithful witness in the sky.”

38But you have rejected, you have spurned,

you have been very angry with your anointed one.

39You have renounced the covenant with your servant

and have defiled his crown in the dust.

40You have broken through all his walls

and reduced his strongholds to ruins.

41All who pass by have plundered him;

he has become the scorn of his neighbors.

42You have exalted the right hand of his foes;

you have made all his enemies rejoice.

43Indeed, you have turned back the edge of his sword

and have not supported him in battle.

44You have put an end to his splendor

and cast his throne to the ground.

45You have cut short the days of his youth;

you have covered him with a mantle of shame.

46How long,

Lord
? Will you hide yourself forever?

How long will your wrath burn like fire?

47Remember how fleeting is my life.

For what futility you have created all humanity!

48Who can live and not see death,

or who can escape the power of the grave?

49Lord, where is your former great love,

which in your faithfulness you swore to David?

50Remember, Lord, how your servant has been mocked,

how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations,

51the taunts with which your enemies,

Lord
, have mocked,

with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.

52Praise be to the

Lord
forever!

Amen and Amen.

Ben Stuart
Ben Stuart
Ben Stuart is the pastor of Passion City Church D.C. Prior to joining Passion City Church, Ben served as the executive director of Breakaway Ministries on the campus of Texas A&M. He also earned a master’s degree in historical theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Donna, live to inspire and equip people to walk with God for a lifetime.