1. THE
AWESTRUCK
LIFE

2. Awestruck
To be “awestruck” is to be filled with admiration and respect at someone or something. It is the response to something so terrible, so great, so powerful, so beautiful or so good that it leaves the one who encounters it overwhelmed with elation, reverence, or fear.

3. The Bible presents: The Drama of God’s Glory
what the Triune God has freely and mercifully done, is doing and will do to bring all of creation to its fullest potential and so to the “praise of his glory”.
This drama is written and directed by the Triune God, three persons, one God. Lacking nothing and compelled by nothing other than his own “good pleasure” He brought everything into existence from nothing. And he brought it into existence to externalize his perfections in it. That is he brought to expression in creation his power and goodness and, in particular, he invited his image bearers, humanity, to know the joy that he has known within the Godhead for eternity through their relationship with him and each other in a place designed for their blessing and flourishing.
It is an account of his mercy because his creatures rebelled, foolishly and contemptuously struck out on their own to fashion a world of their making with neither the power or wisdom to create what they needed. They unplugged from God and thought they could exist without the life support of communion with him. However, God being slow to anger and rich in mercy, continues his plan toward its blessed conclusion in the face of their rebellion and so to reclaim and restore his creation to the fullest of its potential within the limits of what his character will allow.
The members of the Godhead play various roles. God the architect. Jesus implements the plan, most dramatically in the incarnation. The Spirit assists and effects the work of the Father and the Son as they work together as one to bring about their shared purpose for creation. And, they will so work that they will sustain and guide everything until it reaches the goal for which it has been created.

4. God’s Story Explains our Story
It tells us who’s in charge:
It tells us who we are:
It tells us what’s wrong:
and how to fix it:
It tells us what really matters:
It tells us where we and everything are headed:
the Triune God.
Image-bearers.
rebellion vs God.
surrender to God’s love.
God and his
purposes.
vindication or judgment.

6. The Drama of God’s glory Opens (OT)
“The Lord… the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding
in love and faithfulness…. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished (Ex 34).
Adam
“seed”
Moses
“people”
Isaiah
“suffer, serve”
Jeremiah
“heart”
David
“king”
Abraham
“Seed”
For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. (2 Cor 1:20)

7. “his departure… to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem”
The Climax of the Drama
“his departure… to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem”
“as he was praying… the Holy Spirit descended”
“Horn of Salvation”
“to seek and to save the lost”
“who is this man that even
the wind and waves obey him?

8. The Drama Unfolds
6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
“grow…. Increase… multiply…”
“Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria… ends of the earth”

9. Kingdom Initiated at Christ’s coming
Kingdom Consummated at Christ’s Return
Kingdom fully Realized: “the Resurrection”
Overlap of the Ages: the Already/Not Yet Kingdom
Present Evil Age: Last Days
Jesus: “You have tasted now( )the life you will fully know in the future( ). Now is a time of growth, cross-bearing and witness as you look forward to the realization of everything you long for!!

10. The Drama’s Final Act: Revelation 22:1-6
I saw Heaven and earth new-created. Gone the first Heaven, gone the first earth, gone the sea.
I saw Holy Jerusalem, new-created, descending resplendent out of Heaven, as ready for God as a bride for her husband.
I heard a voice thunder from the Throne: “Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making his home with men and women! They’re his people, he’s their God. He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good—tears gone, crying gone, pain gone—all the first order of things gone.” The Enthroned continued, “Look! I’m making everything new. Write it all down—each word dependable and accurate.”
Then he said, “It’s happened. I’m A to Z. I’m the Beginning, I’m the Conclusion. From Water-of-Life Well I give freely to the thirsty. Conquerors inherit all this. I’ll be God to them, they’ll be sons and daughters to me. But for the rest—the feckless and faithless, degenerates and murderers, sex peddlers and sorcerers, idolaters and all liars—for them it’s Lake Fire and Brimstone. Second death!”

11. God’s Story Explains our Story
the Triune God.
It tells us who’s in charge:
It tells us who we are:
It tells us what’s wrong:
and how to fix it:
It tells us what really matters:
It tells us where we and everything are headed:
Image-bearers.
rebellion vs God.
surrender to Love: Jesus!.
the Triune God
and his mission in and through his People to the Nations.
vindication (fullness of life forever)
or (inescapable, never-ending judgment).

12. The Awestruck Life
The awestruck life reflects on God’s great goodness as revealed in the Scriptures. Then cries out to him for help to truly see him and for help to never lose sight of God’s holiness and his mercy and loving favor displayed in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.