The One Thing Christians Are Missing Today

The One Thing Christians Are Missing Today

We live in an age of unprecedented access to Christian information. We have podcasts, devotionals, streaming services, and Bibles on our phones in dozens of translations. We are, by all accounts, the most "resourced" generation of believers in history. And yet, for so many of us, something feels... missing. Our faith, if we are honest, can often feel dry, routine, and transactional. We are busy *doing* things *for* God—going to church, serving, leading small groups, being good people. But we are starved for a genuine, life-altering *encounter* *with* God.

We have a form of godliness, but we deny its power. We have information *about* the fire, but we have lost the *heat*. There is a disconnect between the all-powerful, majestic, universe-creating God of the Bible and the manageable, "buddy-in-the-sky" we often interact with. And before we dive in, if this message is already stirring something in you, hit the subscribe button and stay connected to God's Word daily, because this is not an attack, but an invitation.

This disconnect, this "missing thing," is not a new program, a new book, or a new spiritual discipline. It is the loss of one of the most foundational, essential, and life-changing realities of the Christian faith. It is the loss of AWE. We have forgotten how to be stunned by God. We have lost our wonder. We have traded the *transcendent* for the *transactional*.

We have exchanged the God who is a "consuming fire" Hebrews 12:29 for a God who is a "co-pilot" for our comfortable lives. We treat prayer as a wish list, worship as a concert, and the Bible as a rulebook, but we have forgotten the earth-shattering, knee-buckling, life-reorienting reality of the *majesty* of the King we claim to serve.

This loss of awe is the root of our lukewarmness. It’s the reason our worship feels hollow, our obedience feels like drudgery, and our faith feels small. We are trying to live a supernatural life fueled by a very natural, predictable, and "safe" understanding of God. But the God of the Bible is anything but safe. He is good, but He is not tame. He is love, but He is also holy, holy, holy.

Today, we are going on a journey to recapture this "one thing." We are going to expose the sickness of our familiarity and discover the biblical cure: a fresh encounter with the terrifying, beautiful, and world-changing awe of God.

Number 1: The God We Forgot - Encountering the Consuming Fire

The one thing we are missing is a true, biblical understanding of the Holiness of God. When we say "awe," our modern minds think of a beautiful sunset or a great movie. The biblical word for "awe" is much closer to a different word: fear. Not the cowering fear of a slave before a tyrant, but the heart-stopping, breathless, reverent terror of a creature standing in the presence of an infinitely pure, powerful, and *different* Creator.

Proverbs 9:10 says it is the *beginning* of all wisdom. It's not an optional "advanced-level" feeling; it is the *starting point* of a true relationship with God.

The single greatest picture of this is the prophet Isaiah's vision in Isaiah, chapter 6. Isaiah was a good man. He was a prophet. He was "in church," so to speak. But then, in the year King Uzziah died, he *saw* the Lord. The "seen" king was dead, and he finally saw the *unseen* King. And what did he see? "I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple."

He saw the seraphim, angelic beings so glorious *they* had to cover their own faces and feet, shouting to one another, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."

What was Isaiah's reaction to this? Was it, "Wow, cool!"? Was it, "Hey God, my buddy!"? No. His reaction was one of absolute, unraveling terror. "‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.’" Isaiah 6:5. *This* is the "one thing" we are missing.

This is awe. Awe is the sudden, terrifying, and ultimately cleansing realization that He is God, and we are not. It is the moment our "goodness" is exposed as filthy rags next to His infinite purity. It is the "Woe is me!" that must precede the "Here am I."

We have forgotten this God. We have forgotten the God who told Moses at the burning bush, "Do not come any closer... Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground" Exodus 3:5. We have forgotten the God whose presence descended on Mount Sinai with "thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast," so that "everyone in the camp trembled" Exodus 19:16.

We have forgotten the God who struck Uzzah dead *for trying to help* by steadying the Ark, a symbol of His perfect holiness 2 Samuel 6.

We have over-emphasized God's *immanence* He is near us and completely forgotten His *transcendence* He is infinitely above us. We want the God of the burning bush to be our "warm fuzzy," but we forget that the first command was "Do not come any closer." We are missing the "fear of the Lord," and therefore, we are missing the very *beginning* of wisdom.

Number 2: The Sickness of Familiarity - When God Becomes "Manageable"

So, how did we get here? How did we lose this foundational, biblical awe? The answer is the sickness of familiarity. We have, in our modern Western culture, "domesticated" God. We have shrunk the infinite, all-powerful Creator of the cosmos down to a manageable, predictable, and "safe" deity who exists to bless our plans and affirm our lifestyles. We have traded the King of Kings for a "buddy" and a "co-pilot."

This is a subtle, but deadly, spiritual error. The Bible *does* teach us that God is our Father Romans 8:15. It teaches that Jesus is our friend John 15:15. This relational intimacy is a glorious, hard-won privilege of the New Covenant, purchased by the blood of Christ. But we have made a grave mistake: we have embraced the *intimacy* of the New Covenant while *discarding* the *majesty* of the God who offered it.

We have grabbed the "friendship" and forgotten that this "friend" is the *Logos*, the Word who was with God and *was* God, the one "through whom all things were made" John 1:1-3.

Our worship songs, our sermons, our books—they all, too often, focus exclusively on the "me and Jesus" relationship, on what He does *for me*. We sing about Him as a "warm blanket" or a "comfortable feeling," but we rarely sing about Him as the "consuming fire" Hebrews 12:29 or the one who has "eyes like blazing fire" and a "voice... like the sound of rushing waters" Revelation 1:14-15. We have emphasized His *immanence* He is near to the total exclusion of His *transcendence* He is other.

The result is a faith that has no *weight*. It's a faith that can be easily discarded when it becomes inconvenient. If God is just your "buddy," you can ignore Him for a week. If God is just your "co-pilot," you can push Him aside and grab the wheel. But if He is the *Holy, Holy, Holy* King who Isaiah saw, the One before whom angels hide their faces, your entire life *reorients* around His sovereign authority.

This sickness of familiarity is the "one thing" that is robbing our faith of its power. We are not truly *in* a relationship with the God of the Bible; we are in a relationship with a "manageable" idol we have created in our own image. We are missing the *real God*, and therefore, we are missing the *real power*. If this message inspires you, don't forget to subscribe for more Bible insights every week.

Number 3: The Antidote to Lukewarmness - Awe as the Fuel for Worship

What is the direct result of this loss of awe? Our worship has become lukewarm. It becomes a routine. It's a "spiritual" experience we add to our week, a box we check. We judge worship by how it makes *us* feel, by the emotional high it gives *us*. We say, "I didn't get much out of that worship today." This statement reveals the sickness: we have made *ourselves* the audience and God the *performer*.

True, biblical worship is the *exact opposite*. God is the audience, and our worship is the *response* to His infinite worth. And the *fuel* for that response is AWE. You cannot be in a state of genuine awe and be lukewarm at the same time. It is a spiritual impossibility. Awe is the antidote to apathy. When you have seen the King, you cannot be "bored."

Look at the worship in heaven. The Apostle John, like Isaiah, was given a glimpse into the throne room in Revelation, chapters 4 and 5. What did he see? He saw a throne, and "in appearance like jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne." He saw "twenty-four other thrones, with twenty-four elders... dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads."

He saw "four living creatures... covered with eyes... Day and night they *never stop* saying: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.'"

What is the *reaction* to this scene? What is the worship? "Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne... the twenty-four elders *fall down* before him who sits on the throne and worship him... They *lay their crowns* before the throne..." Revelation 4:9-11. *This* is worship fueled by awe. It is not casual.

It is not entertainment. It is an *involuntary*, *all-consuming* response to the visible glory and holiness of God. The elders are so overwhelmed by His "worth-ship" that their only logical response is to *fall down* and *cast their crowns*—the symbols of their own authority—at His feet.

*This* is the "one thing" we are missing. We are trying to worship without awe. We are trying to sing the songs without *seeing* the King. We are holding onto our "crowns"—our pride, our plans, our self-sufficiency. Recapturing a true spirit of worship is not about a new song or a better band; it is about *praying* for a fresh revelation of God's holiness.

It is about asking God to give us a "Revelation 4" glimpse of His majesty, so that our worship stops being a *chore* and becomes an *overflow*. Awe is the fuel that turns lukewarm duty into blazing adoration.

Number 4: The Fear That Frees - When Awe Casts Out All Other Fear

Here is a beautiful paradox that most modern Christians miss: We have run from the "fear of the Lord" because we think it's negative, but in doing so, we have opened ourselves up to a thousand *lesser* fears. The "one thing" we are missing—this holy awe of God—is the *only* thing that can truly set us free from the anxieties that plague our lives.

How does this work? When you have a *proper* fear of God an all-consuming awe of His power, sovereignty, and holiness, all *other* fears are put in their proper perspective. They become *tiny* in comparison. When you are terrified of the Lion of Judah, you are not frightened by the yapping puppies of the world. The fear of God is the fear that *liberates* you from all other fears.

The perfect, most powerful example of this is in Daniel 3, with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They are commanded by Nebuchadnezzar, the most powerful man on earth, to bow to his golden statue. The threat is clear: "If you do not worship... you will be thrown *immediately* into a blazing furnace." This is the ultimate "fear" tactic. It's the fear of man, fear of pain, fear of death.

And what is their response? It is the response of three men who have *no awe* for the king because they are *completely consumed* with awe for their God. They say, "King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves... If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve *is able* to deliver us... But even if he does not, we want you to know... we will *not* serve your gods."

This is the "fear that frees." Their awe of God's *sovereignty* "He is able" was greater than their fear of the *furnace*. And even more, their awe of God's *holiness* "He is worthy" was greater than their desire for *survival* "But even if he does not...". They were not afraid of the king who could *kill the body* because they were in awe of the God who *holds eternity*.

We are missing this. We are terrified of what our boss thinks. We are afraid of the economy. We fear the medical report. We are anxious about our reputation. We are ruled by the fear of man. Why? Because our awe of God is too small. When you recapture a vision of the high, exalted King of Isaiah 6, your tyrannical boss suddenly looks very, very small.

When you understand the power of the God who commands the armies of heaven, the stock market's dip loses its grip on your heart. The "one thing" we're missing—the fear of the Lord—is the *only* antidote to the anxiety of the world. If this message inspires you, don't forget to subscribe for more Bible insights every week.

Number 5: The Motivation for Purity - Awe as the Guardrail of Holiness

Why do we sin? Why do we, as Christians who love God, still choose the thing that we know hurts Him and us? Often, it's because our *awe* of God is smaller than our *desire* for the sin. We sin because, in that moment, the "pleasure" of the sin seems more real or more powerful than the "majesty" of the God we are offending.

We have tried to motivate ourselves to holiness through *guilt*, *duty*, or *rule-following*. We "try hard" not to sin. But this is a joyless, exhausting, and ultimately failed strategy. It's a "white-knuckle" Christianity. The biblical motivation for holiness is not, "I *have* to obey"; it is, "I *get* to obey." And the engine for that "get to" is AWE.

When you are in awe of someone, you *desperately* want to please them. You *dread* disappointing them. Think of the person you respect most in the world. You watch your words around them. You want to be your best self. This isn't because you are *afraid* they will strike you, but because you are in *awe* of their character. Now, multiply that by infinity. *That* is the fear of the Lord.

Psalm 19 is a perfect picture of this. David starts the Psalm by looking at the *glory* of God: "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." He is in a state of *awe* at the majesty of God's creation. And where does his mind *immediately* go next? To God's *Word*. "The *law* of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul.

The *statutes* of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple." He then concludes by praying, "May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be *pleasing in your sight*, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."

Do you see the connection? His *awe* of God's glory v. 1-6 led him to an *affection* for God's law v. 7-10, which led him to a *desire* for personal holiness v. 14. He didn't see God's law as a burden; he saw it as a *beautiful* reflection of the *glorious* God he was in awe of.

When you are in awe of God, sin loses its appeal. It stops being a "forbidden pleasure" and starts being a *grotesque offense* against the One you adore. You don't avoid sin because you're afraid of "getting in trouble." You avoid sin because you are so in love with the beauty and holiness of the King that you cannot *bear* the thought of bringing filth into His throne room. This "one thing," this awe, is the *only* sustainable motivation for a life of joyful, passionate purity.

Number 6: The Practical Path - How to Recapture Your Wonder

At this point, you may be saying, "I'm in. I feel this. My faith is dry, my awe is gone. But what do I *do*? I can't just 'make' myself feel awe." You are right. You can't. Awe is a *response* to a *revelation*. You cannot manufacture the feeling, but you *can* intentionally pursue the revelation.

You can put yourself in the "path of the storm" of God's glory. If we are missing awe, it is because we are living lives that are perfectly designed to *prevent* it. We are too loud, too busy, too distracted, too full of *ourselves*.

So how do we recapture it? Three simple, practical, biblical steps.
1. Get Outside. No, really. Go outside. Look up. God's "general revelation" is the most accessible source of awe on the planet. As Psalm 19 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God." David, in Psalm 8, does this. He stops, looks at the night sky, and is shattered by awe: "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them?" Psalm 8:3-4. Go for a walk. Look at a mountain.

Stare at the ocean. Study the intricate design of a leaf. And don't just "see" nature; *ask* "Who made this?" Let the grandeur of the *creation* lead you to the *majesty* of the *Creator*.

2. Get Silent. This is the hardest one. Our world is addicted to noise. We have headphones, podcasts, and streaming services to ensure we never have to endure one second of silence. But God's voice, the voice that inspires awe, is rarely in the "earthquake, wind, and fire." It is a "gentle whisper" 1 Kings 19:11-13. You *cannot* be in awe of God while your mind is saturated with the noise of the world. You must *turn it off*. You must practice the command of Psalm 46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God."

Find 10 minutes. Go to a quiet room. Leave your phone. And just *be still*. In the silence, the "Woe is me" of Isaiah often rises, and the "Holy, holy, holy" is finally heard.

3. Get in the Word Differently. Stop reading the Bible as a self-help book. Stop coming to it *only* to find "5 steps to a better life." This shrinks God down to a life coach. Read the Bible to find *God*. Read it as the revelation of a *Person*. When you read about the Exodus, don't just see a history lesson; see the *power* of a covenant-keeping God.

When you read the Gospels, don't just see a good teacher; see the *Logos* who put on flesh and dwelt among us. When you read Revelation, don't just see strange symbols; see the *King* on the throne. Ask the Holy Spirit one simple prayer before you read: "Lord, show me *You*."

Number 7: Our Eternal Destiny - A Future Filled with Awe

This "one thing" we are missing is not just the secret to a powerful Christian life *now*; it is the very *substance* of our eternal life *to come*. What will we *be doing* for all of eternity? The Bible makes it clear: we will be in a state of ever-increasing, never-ending *awe* at the glory of God.

The entire goal of history is to bring us to the place described in Revelation 21 and 22. It is the New Jerusalem, a city where God *dwells* with His people. And the most shocking truth about this city? "I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb *are* its temple" Revelation 21:22. The need for a *separate* "holy place" like in Isaiah's vision is gone, because *everything* is flooded with His immediate presence.

And then this verse: "The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp" Revelation 21:23. Our eternal environment *is* the unfiltered, undiluted, unveiled *glory of God*. The "awe" we get a tiny glimpse of now—the "Woe is me" of Isaiah, the "casting crowns" of the elders—will be our very atmosphere.

This is our hope. This life is a *training ground* for awe. We are, as C.S. Lewis might say, "learning the language" of heaven. Every time we *choose* to be still, every time we *marvel* at creation, every time we *bow* in worship, we are practicing for our eternal destiny. We are strengthening our "awe muscle" in a "dim mirror" 1 Corinthians 13:12, preparing for the day when we will see Him "face to face."

The "one thing" we are missing is not just a missing feeling. It is a missing *destination*. We have forgotten that our entire purpose is to be *Worshippers* of the Most High God, and worship *runs* on the fuel of awe. Recapturing it now is the only way to prepare for what we will be doing forever.

Conclusion

We have come on a journey to find the "one thing" we are missing. And we have found it. It is the loss of AWE. It is the forgetting of the Holiness of God that made Isaiah cry, "Woe is me!"

We saw how this "one thing" was lost: through the Sickness of Familiarity, where we shrunk the consuming fire into a manageable friend. We saw the antidote: Awe as the Fuel for Worship, the only thing that can cure our lukewarmness and make us *fall down* in adoration.

We saw the glorious paradox: that this "holy fear" is the Fear That Frees us from all lesser anxieties, the courage of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. We saw that it is the Motivation for Purity, making obedience a joy, not a drudgery.

We learned the Practical Path to get it back: Get outside, get silent, and get in the Word to *see Him*. And finally, we saw that this is our Eternal Destiny—to live forever in the unfiltered, ever-unfolding glory and awe of the King.

This is the invitation. Stop living a small, dry, transactional faith. Ask God for the one thing that will change everything. Ask Him to break your "manageable" idol and show you His *glory*. Ask Him to shatter your apathy with His *majesty*. Ask Him, "Lord, let me *see* You as You are." It is a dangerous prayer. It is the prayer that ruined Isaiah for his old life. And it is the only prayer that will truly begin your *new* one.

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