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Fear God
By Keith D. Wallace
Heb 10:31 and Ps 111:10
Hope you brought you running shoes; we’re going on a Bible marathon
A. Fear of God not a popular
subject
1. Love of God (1 John 4:8) is
the topic today
2. Message of modern “come as you are” churches
a. No standards, no holiness, no change, no fear
b. They fear offending people—cardinal sin today because of political correctness—can’t say anything offensive
Imus – people just wouldn’t let it go
3. Christians are no better
a. Ps 119:165 – toughen up!
b. Feminization of men has caused
many problems
B. What is the fear of God?
1. Many say “reverential respect”
a. If you fear God then you will have a reverential respect for Him
b. That is not what we’re
talking about now
2. A man who is faced with the holiness and righteousness of God, should be afraid!
a. God created all things
b. God gives life to all things and can take it at any time
c. God has shown His holiness and righteousness
d. This should cause fear to come
upon people to consider how great and mighty God is and how weak and
insignificant we are!
3. Jews were commanded to fear God in the Old Testament: Mosaic Law
a. Lev 19:14, 19:32, 25:17, 25:36
and 25:43
4. We have seen the judgment of God on those who did not fear Him
a.
b. Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
II. FEAR OF GOD IN
A. America was founded by
Christian men and Christian principles
1. Ps 33:12 Blessed
is the nation whose God is the LORD;
2. Education used to be based on the Bible
a. New England Primer in 1690 was
1st text book published in
b. Harvard was an evangelical Christian college with strict rules for student conduct and lifestyle
c. Martin Luther said “I am
much afraid that schools will prove to be the great gates of hell unless they
diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures, engraving them in the hearts
of youth.”
3. Our gov’t used to be led by
prayer and Biblical law
4. Chaplains used to preach the gospel
a. Stories of Chaplains leading thousands of men to Christ in the Civil War
b. Now they are not allowed to
even pray in Jesus’ name
5. Our commerce used to respect
Christian values—even the lost didn’t work on Sundays because the Bible was
so ingrained in people
6. People used to use caution and
discretion in language
7. People used to use caution with behavior
a. Sinfulness used to be shameful
(1) No gay pride marches
(2) No abortion rights
demonstrations
8. Not just Christians but the
lost too because of the influence of the Bible and the fear of God brought about
by it
B. We are becoming less Christian
because the same who preach tolerance are intolerant of the Bible
1. They get rid of
a. Christian and Bible-based education
b. Prayer in nearly all venues
c. Shame by promoting pride in self and sin
d. The influence which creates a
fear in God
C. America has no fear of God
1. If we did the problem of Islam and terrorism would be solved
a. A man who fears God will not fear men and a man who fears men does not fear God
b. That’s what is wrong with the war on terror
c. Ex 15:3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.
d. Fight to the death and kill
the enemy—forget this spreading democracy nonsense—kill them before they
kill us!
2. Don’t get political—fear
of God would solve a lot of this country’s problems—but we fear man and so
here we are
D.
1. There is hope—when
III. PEOPLE WHO FEARED GOD
A. The widow – 2 Kin 4:1-7
1. Husband feared the Lord
2. Elisha knew this man
3. Because his fear of the Lord,
his family was kept together and provided for
B. Job – Job 1:1
1. This is the description of a
man who has impeccable character
2. Ch 1 – Job lost oxen, asses, sheep, camels, servants and children
a. 1:20-22 – a man who fears
God reacts
3. Ch 2 – Job is stricken with boils
a. vs 9 his wife opens her mouth
b. vs 10 – a man who fears God
reacts
C. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
– Dan 3:12-18
1. These men threatened with
death in a furnace. This would bring
fear to most!
2. They feared God and not man and did what was right
a. Result – vs 9 God was
glorified in a heathen nation because of 3 men who feared God
D. The Ninevites – Jonah 1:2
1. God said
2. Jon 3:3-10
Jonah finally preached to them and they responded and feared God and He
spared them!
E. The Thief – Luke 23:39-43
1. Man who made many mistakes but when it came down to it he feared the Lord and made the right decision
IV. THE FEAR OF GOD IN THE LOST MAN – Rom 3:9-18
A. Why do lost people act the way
they do? – No fear!
1. Matthew Henry “No man is wise who does not fear the Lord; no man acts wisely except as influenced by that fear.”
a. Lost people act like fools
because they are
2. Lost people want to get rid of the fear of God because it makes them to know their actions are wrong
a. Evolution
(1) No God à No rules à No sin à No punishment à No fear
b. Prayer
c. 10 Commandments (aka God’s Laws)
d. Tracts and witnessing
e. Bible teaching
f. Bible reading (distractions)
3. They can ignore it and remove
influences but God is still there and they will answer to Him
4. When a lost man hears things like…
a. Rom 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
b. Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
c. Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death;
d. Jude 7
Even as
e. Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
f. Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
g. Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Then he should react the way Felix did in Acts 24:25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled…
a. Paul’s preaching put the fear of God in Felix
(1) Like Felix, many will push it away and ignore it
(2) Some will act on it
5. Matthew Henry “No man is wise who does not fear the Lord; no man acts wisely except as influenced by that fear. This fear will lead to repentance, to faith in Christ…”
V. WHAT ABOUT THE SAVED?
A. Matthew Henry “No man is wise
who does not fear the Lord; no man acts wisely except as influenced by that
fear. This fear will lead to
repentance, to faith in Christ, to watchfulness and obedience.”
B. Fearing God is not just for the
lost
C. John 3:36 He
that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the
Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
1. Christians do not fear eternal
punishment in Hell
2. Christians are still commanded to fear God
a. 1 Pet 2:17
b. Rev 14:6-7
(1) Everlasting Gospel = gospel
for all dispensations
3. Rom 8:1
a. This condemnation is not Hell
b. Last phrase indicates that Christians can suffer condemnation in the flesh because of not fearing God
(1) 1 Cor 11:32 – the world’s condemnation is Hell; Christians aren’t condemned to Hell
c. Rom 8:13
(1) live after the flesh shall die
(a) 1 Cor 5:1,5
(2) mortify deeds of body—FEAR GOD—shall live
d. Rom 8:6
(1) carnal mind = death
(2) spiritual mind—WHICH FEARS
GOD—shall live
D. Motives for Christians to fear
God
1. God’s Holiness
a. Rev 15:4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
b. 1 Pet 1:15-16 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
c. Rev 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
d. Rev 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true
e. We are to be holy as God
is—fearing God will lead to holiness
2. God’s Goodness
a. 1 Sam 12:24 Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.
(1) “That’s Old Testament” – yeah? So it doesn’t apply to you?
b. Rom 11:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness…
c. Think of all God has given you—Salvation is enough!
(1) His goodness came to you when you were lost
(2) How much more now that
you’re a child of God?
3. Coming Judgment
a. 2 Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
b. 1 Cor 3:11-15
(1) Christians will be judged
(2) Everything built on the foundation will be put to the fire
(3) Results will be rewards or loss
c. Worldly pleasures rule too many Christians instead of God
d. Get to heaven and see Jesus and the scars
(1) Get to heaven and meet the martyrs
e. Have nothing to show for your Christian life—not even a broken nail
(1) All you did was watch TV, go fishing or hunting
(2) Never giving to missions, praying, witnessing
f. Martyrs gave lives—left
behind husbands, wives, kids just because they wanted to read/teach/preach the
Bible because they feared God more than man!
Heb 11:36-38
4. Fear is a motivator
a. Fear car wrecks – auto ins
b. Fear sickness – health ins
c. Fear cancer or heart attacks – vitamins & exercise
d. Fear the poor house – save money, invest
e. Fear house burning down – fire ins
f. Fear God? Live for Him!!!!
VI. CONCLUSION
A. Ps 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom:
1. Bible says Greeks seek after
wisdom—fearing God is the first step toward wisdom
2. Eccl 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
a. Our duty is to fear God
b. If we don’t fulfill our
earthly duties we risk a lot—we risk even more with heavenly duties
3. 1 Pet 2:17 “…fear
God…”
4. FDR said “let me assert my belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself…”
a. Let’s not be foolish Christians
b. Let’s be Christians who fulfill our duty and seek after wisdom by fearing the only thing worth fearing—God!
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