It was the fall of 1988. It was my third year of ministry here at FCC. I had heard a new song called Awesome God on the radio. Before long I played in on a Sunday night in our old chapel and it ignited our worship!! It became a kind of theme for our building program at that time.
Here is the first verse:
When he rolls up his sleeves, he ain’t just puttin’ on the ritz.
Our God is an Awesome God.
There’s thunder in his footsteps and lightning in his fists.
Our God is an Awesome God
The Lord wasn’t jokin’ when he kicked ‘em out of Eden
It wasn’t for no reason that he shed his blood.
His return is very close so you better be believin’,
Our God is an Awesome God!
Now I know that that lyric grates on grammar teachers, but the point is powerful! Very often the chorus is sung without the verse and I’ll print that in a moment.
Rich Mullins had written that song, along with some other powerful praise songs. (Amy Grant recorded his “Sing Your Praise to the Lord” in 1982.) He had an interesting career of writing, recording, performing and doing mission work on Native American reservations. Tragically, he was killed in a traffic accident in September of 1997 at the age of 41. But he left a legacy through his music. The song is just as powerful today as when he wrote it. So here is the chorus and then we will pray:
Our God is an Awesome God
He Reigns in heaven above.
With wisdom, power and love, our God is an Awesome God.
Lord, you are worthy of all our praise. Your power is awesome. Your love is beyond compare. Thank you for your great plan of salvation that we have seen through history- you sent your word and your laws through Moses and later the prophets. You sent your grace and mercy through sending Jesus and his sacrifice on the cross. Then you completed the New Testament through your apostles.
Lord, we thank you that we can know you, despite the lack of faith we see around us in our culture today. But we know that lack of faith doesn’t change your power, your justice and your ultimate judgment of mankind. We see temporal judgments around us as sin and corruption is exposed. We see how your word speaks of a day when you will return and establish justice in the earth in the New Jerusalem and we will reign with you forever.
Lord, thank you for glimpses of your glory and power all around us. Help us to stay true to your word and your truth so that we may share in your power and glory. Lord, you are Awesome! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
By the way, here is the second verse:
When the sky was starless in the void of the night
Our God is an Awesome God
He spoke into the darkness and created the light
Our God is an Awesome God
Judgment and wrath he poured out on Sodom,
Mercy and grace he gave us at the cross.
I hope we have not too quickly forgotten that our God is an Awesome God!