Luke 2:8-11
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

To reclaim something, you have to know what you are looking for, and where you were when you lost it.

Wonder
- Something strange and surprising; astonishment, or admiration:
- The emotion excited by what is strange and surprising; a feeling of surprised or puzzled interest, sometimes tinged with admiration:
- miraculous deed or event; remarkable phenomenon.

It’s the sense of something so big, grand and unique that it causes a sense of longing, amazement and curiosity that encourages your heart to pursue.

We tend to lose our sense of wonder as we grow older primarily due to increased familiarity with the world around us, where every day experiences become routine, leading to a decreased perception of and awe, essentially, the more we see something, the less special it seems, causing us to lose that initial curiosity and amazement.

Anticipation creates excitement, but the revealing of it produces wonder.

Ephesians 3:17-19
7 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Hebrews 12:28-29
28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

You and I have been taught conditioned the word FEAR as harmful.

These fears left unchecked could keep you from experiencing Life.

What do you fear the Most?

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The beginning of Gods wisdom.

The Fear of The Lord can silence all other Fears.

“The fear of God is the death of every other fear; like a mighty lion, it chases all other fears before it.”- Charles Spurgeon

Psalm 27:1-2
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold[a] of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

The Fear God is the aim of man.

Ecclestiacs 12:13 ESV

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

What it is not….
Don’t confuse the spirit of fear with the Fear of the Lord.

Exodus 20:20
Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.”

a. Someone who is Scared of God has something to Hide.

b. Fear of God is not being scared of God and withdrawing from Him.

What it is…

1-Holy Fear Connects us to the vast wisdom Wisdom of God

Psalm 25:12 amp
Who is the man who fears the Lord? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. (with awe-inspired reverence and worships Him with submissive wonder])

2-Godly Fear is our treasure.
Isaiah 33:6
and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.

3- Holy Fear Produces intimacy.
Psalm 25:14
The friendship[a] of the Lord is for those who fear him,
and he makes known to them his covenant.

4- Holy Fear ushers in the Presence of God.
John 14:21
21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

Discussion Questions:
1- What is your favorite Family Christmas Tradition? How did it start? Why is it important to you?

2- How would you define wonder? When was the first time you felt a sense of wonder or awe?

3- How have we been conditioned to treat fears? What is one thing you have been fearful of? How have you overcome it? How has our treatment of fears conditioned how we are called to fear God?

4- How would you describe the Fear of God? What are some misconceptions of this fear?

5- What are some ways that you can experience His wonder once again?