Fear God

Recap

We heard a wonderful description of ‘Fear of the Lord’. It was excellently conveyed that we worship a God who need to be revered and worshipped. We cannot only look at one aspect of God’s unconditional love, but we need to look at God as powerful because He seeks obedience and righteousness.

every time God appears in human history, the first words from God are always: “Don’t be afraid!” That phase, coming from the mouth of God or from the mouth of God’s messenger, appears more than 300 times in scripture. The first words we will hear every time God appears in our lives are: “Don’t be afraid!”

So today we look at how do we revere God. And NOT BE AFRAID

Reverence, awe, and respect are a form of fear. But that kind of fear is not to be confused with being frightened, intimidated, or dreading some kind of punishment.

And you shall eat before the LORD your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. Deuteronomy 14:23

Underline – Learn to Fear God

Why do we learn?

Isaiah 6:5
So I said:
‘ Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The LORD of hosts.’

Because we are sinful beings, saved by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and we need to work out / learn to fear God. As mentioned earlier week, we serve that which we fear.

For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The LORD will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10: 26 – 31

Two kinds of Fear

1. Healthy fear which draws us to love God (Godly Fear) (Hebrews 12:28-29
   Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.)
2. Unhealthy fear which draws us to sinfulness and deceit.

First, let us look at Unhealthy Fear

What does Unhealthy fear look like:

Have we witnessed people who have a history or background of very strict upbringing. They fear their authorities, they will only work when they are around.

An unhealthy “Fear of the Lord” thinks: – God will get me and ruin me if I do bad. – God has a heavenly taser ready to zap me. – If I do good, God will be good to me

• Their intention is sour. They are deceptive.
• They do not LOVE the person they are associated with.
• They want to get it done but they will do with a half heart.
• As soon as the authority figure moves out, they become indifferent. They may also be vengeful.
• They will only seek benefit of their own. As long as I am getting my work done, I am cool but as soon as the work is over, I will abandon this and move out.
• People who carry unhealthy fear harbour bitterness and do not understand the big picture.

To summarize or explain what I just said, let me give you an example from the old testament and the New Testament.

Exodus 20:18 – 20; 32:1-4

¹⁸ When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance ¹⁹ and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” (God will harm me attitude)

²⁰ Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” (Forgot the real intention of God)

When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods^[a] who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” (Fear only when Moses was around)

² Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” ³ So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. ⁴ He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods,^[b] Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” (Let’s do our way – when we do not have Godly fear)

Fear was for good of the Israelites that they would be away from sinning.

Matthew 25:14 – 28

¹⁴ “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,^[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. ¹⁶ The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. ¹⁷ So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. ¹⁸ But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹ “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

²¹ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

²² “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

²³ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

²⁴ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵ So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

²⁶ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? ²⁷ Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

²⁸ “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. ²⁹ For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ³⁰ And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The servant who was fearful and negligent, however, was swiftly reprimanded by his master, who called him “wicked, lazy, and worthless.” His talent was taken and given to the one with ten talents, and he himself was thrown out of his master’s presence.

One question to ask – wasn’t other servants equally fearful of the master, yet they went ahead and used their talent. Do you think he is justified with the kind of excuse that he gave.

Many times we behave like this servant. We do a lot of things but with the attitude that after all there is no point, God is going to be angry with me, so might as well not get involved in all this. I think we have missed the point here.

Fear is only so that we are kept safe from the enemy and also from any wrong doing.

Illustration: Suppose a child is not eating food. What is our response? We eventually, quote the person’s name whom the child has respect or fear. We want the child o be healthy and hence, we have our way buy calling out to the one the child will listen to. Similarly, the Israelites, and the man with one talent overlooked the heart behind this and were very superficial in obeying God.

The temporary fear or superficial reverence for God leads them to sin and destruction.

Let’s learn how to have the right kind of fear which leads to obedience.This fear is also called Godly Fear.

It’s like this – a father who is feared and loved by his children. They know that the father will punish or will not like the wrong, however, the children are secure in the boundary that He has kept for them. They know that it is for their protection. So there’s fear of the father but at the same time, they know it is for the good. This fear only builds and restores.

Healthy Fear

1. It will lead me in reverence and respect

1 Samuel 12:24
Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.

The more I respect, the more I will be able to see the big picture that God has planned. It’s a cycle, I will grow in honouring Him and as I grow in honouring, I will draw closer to the calling and eventually will be able to please the almighty God, which will again cause me to honour Him.

1. Fearing God gives the assurance and confidence in Him.

Psalm 31:19
Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men!

As discussed earlier, we respond to the reverence, knowing that I am secure in this God. He is an all-consuming fire. He will never go wrong, and I can trust Him because He is all powerful and I revere Him.

1. Fearing God because I know Him (knowledge).

Proverbs 14:26-27
In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence,
And His children will have a place of refuge.
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from the snares of death.

Fear of God is the beginning of knowledge.

He calls us ‘Children’. Children means, I should know my father. I respect His authority over my life. I trust His decisions completely. I will work with Him closely and know what He intends for me. It should lead to faith. Unrighteous fear which comes from not knowing God, will not allow us to move ahead. Knowing Him gives us the freedom and also the reverence. We are always in awe of His work and will not take Him for granted.

1. Revere God because He is not man

Matthew 10:28
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Many times we fear man. We skip a lot of God given opportunities because we fear losing our job, losing resources, losing family, losing our calling. We fear the future but we have overlooked God’s power in restoring the future. We neglect the eternal perspective for the earthly gains. But in this verse it is very clear that Fear the one who is able to make an eternal impact and also earthly. As we revere God, we will put everything in order that He wants me to go and I will not compromise or be tempted with things that are earthly.

1. Leads me to repentance and NOT remorse

Job 42:5-6
“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes.”

Proverbs 8:13
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate.

What is the outcome of those who fear Him?

We will repent and allow God to dwell in us. We will not be slaves to sin anymore, we will revere God and stop all wrongdoing. We will pause and question ourselves, I don’t think God will approve of such kind of behaviour.

Disrespect, misbehaviour, disharmony, gossip, cheating, sexual immorality will not prevail if we have the right kind of fear. Sin will vanish. Fear of the Lord keeps us Holy, away from any kind of evil desires.

Example: In convents, there are so many disciplinary guidelines. We may also feel, is it required but because of that we have disciplined adults coming out of such institutions. If you ask them as to why do they still follow certain rules, they will say, it has become their life style.

What Follows from a heart of Reverence

1. God looks at those who fear Him

Ecclesiastes 8:12
Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him.

Isaiah 66:2
For all those things My hand has made,
And all those things exist,”
Says the LORD.
“But on this one will I look:
On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
And who trembles at My word.

Assurance that God is watching over us and I will not be put to shame. It will indeed be well with those who revere and honour God. Fear leads us to fruitfulness and peace.

1. Leads me to be away from sinfulness (enables us to be like Jesus)

¹⁷ So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. ¹⁸ They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. ¹⁹ Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.²⁰ That, however, is not the way of life you learned ²¹ when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. ²² You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³ to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4: 17 – 24

For we are not a slave to sin and shame. We have been redeemed. Fear of God is the beginning of all knowledge and wisdom. He will not allow me to fall in the hands of sin.

1. One of the obstacles:

Undermining use of this terminology in the modern world.

We use it to claim justice for ourselves and cajole ourselves stating that God will bring justice to the wrongdoers, but we fail to understand that there are many instances where we have been those wrong doers. So God is not carrying a different plumbline to measure our wrong versus others wrong.

Beware before we pass judgement. We will be caught in our own words.

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ² For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

⁶ “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. Matthew 7: 1 – 6

Let’s revere this impartial and all knowing God. Mend our ways because we respect His authority. He is an all consuming God. He is powerful. He is Almighty, He is glorious.

Even as I speak here, there are thousands of angels worshipping Him. He is a holy God and we need to understand that He is to be revered and feared for who He is. I think love has it’s place but Fear of God is a must. Get to know Him and we will never turn away from His awesomeness and majesty.

Description of God:

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. Revelation 1:12-15

“As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. Daniel 7:9

Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. … Exodus 33:18-23

Conclusion:

Fear is a gift. It is also one of the deepest, life-preserving instincts within you. Without fear, you won’t live very long. But fear is a complex, multi-faced phenomenon.  Some fears help you stay alive, while others deform and imprison you. There are things in life that you need to fear. It’s a choice that we make. Fear God or fear the circumstances.

There’s a line in John Murray’s book, Principles of Conduct, where he asked the question, “Is it right to be afraid of God?” His answer was, “It is the height of folly not to be afraid of God if there is a reason to be afraid of God.” Here, we are not talking about the fear of being afraid, but the “holy tremor” fear and that sense in a worship service where God has come down, and you are no longer aware of one another—you are not thinking about a shopping list, or what you are going to have for dinner, and so on. You are consumed by the presence of this majestic God. That is what I look for in both corporate worship and my personal life.

Sandra worships at the Renewed Hope Community. The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel, Church in Karanjade because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.