If God is love, then why does He command us to fear Him? The fear of the Lord isn’t about being afraid of God; it’s about revering Him above all else. When we do that, we position ourselves to receive all the benefits that come with putting God first in our lives.
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fear of the Lord leads to life
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not just the beating of the heart to
real-life the true life and I think
about people who are trying to live out
their lives and looking for happiness
thinking but these looking that you’re
looking for this looking for that and
the truth is the source of what they’re
looking for is the very person they keep
shoving away
four decades ago we started in touch
ministries to lead people worldwide into
a growing relationship with Jesus Christ
throughout the years we’ve seen God’s
greatness his love and his blessings in
such awesome ways that we just want
everyone to know him so let’s open God’s
Word and seek Him together next on
InTouch the fear of God the title of
this message the fear of God now when
you hear that you ask yourself the
question will I want to be afraid of God
oh it doesn’t mean something else and
when it’s used in the scripture
naturally we had to be afraid of God if
we’re living in sin he’s a holy God a
righteous God the fear of God now
whether you’re afraid or not depends on
how you live in if you’re living in sin
you have a right to be absolutely afraid
of God he says the soul that sinneth it
shall die
the wages of sin is death it is
appointed unto man once to die and after
this the judgment you’re living in sin
you have a right to be afraid of a holy
God the one true God Jehovah Yahweh
Elohim His Son Jesus Christ the Lord you
have a right to be afraid but is that
what that means
so I want you to turn if you will to the
book of Deuteronomy and there’s one
verse I want you to read because it’s so
straightforward and says what we need to
be reminded of often Deuteronomy chapter
13 and verse 4 says you shall follow the
Lord your God and fear Him and you shall
keep his Commandments listen to his
voice serve him and cling to him now
that’s a big mouthful so let’s read it
again
you shall follow the Lord your God and
fear him and you shall keep his
Commandments listen to his voice serve
Him and cling to him that is his command
so what do we mean by fearing God we
mean simply this to reverence him to
honor him to exalt him to lift him up to
hold him in high regard to worship Him
and to hold him in high esteem to obey
Him to acknowledge him his worthiness to
honor his position is creator and judge
of all mankind when you know Jesus
Christ as your Savior that’s what it
means to fear the Living God so it asks
you this question do you fear God well I
never thought about fearing God I
thought he was the God of love he is the
God of love
well why should I be afraid of your not
being afraid that’s not what we mean we
said to hold him in high regard the
highest esteem to obey Him to exalt him
to yield them surrender to Him do you
have that kind of spirit toward Almighty
God he says we are to fear him and he
says in Psalm 33 verse 8 listen let all
the earth fear the Lord let all the
inhabitants of the earth of the world
stand in awe of him and I think about
the two thieves on the cross for the
Jesus Jesus in the midst one on one side
is casting terrible reflections upon
Jesus and why don’t you get us down and
the other thief asking the question
don’t you even fear God so I would ask
you this if it means to hold him in the
highest esteem to honor him to obey Him
to yield to him to surrender to him to
follow him to worship Him to adore him
do you fear God
or is he just someone you talk about
someone you pray to in case of an
emergency
someone you think about once in awhile
someone you pray to when you get in
trouble when you don’t know what to do
next one you are afraid who is this God
the scripture says we had to fear the
Living God and so with that in mind
let’s think about how the world thinks
about God think about it for a moment he
says we’re to fear him but how does the
world think about him so I want you to
turn to Romans chapter 3 I want you to
notice this is the way the world thinks
in other words we talk about fearing God
well the scripture says in Romans
chapter 3 verse 10 there is none
righteous no not one
there is none who understands there is
none who seeks after God all have turned
aside together they have become useless
there is none who does good there is not
even one their throat is an open grave
with their tongues they keep deceiving
the poisons of the ass for the snakes is
under their lips whose mouth is full of
cursing and bitterness their feet of
swiftest shed blood destruction and
misery are in their path and the path of
peace they have not known there is no
fear of God before their eyes
he has just described in this particular
chapter that’s the way the world is no
fear of God in their eyes that means in
their understanding as they view life
and as they view the world no fear of
God no honoring God and thank God is a
problem to them because he gets in their
way
holy God does not tolerate sin holy God
is not gonna make you living in sin feel
comfortable I’ll really enjoy yourself
for the moment you may have some brief
moments of happiness of joy but very
brief because holy God hey
it’s sin he doesn’t hate the sinner but
he hates sin he hates sin because of
what sin does to his children you may
think sin is having a good time
God sees sin as a detriment to his will
and purpose and plan for your life so I
want you to understand what it means to
fear the Living God because one day
every knee will bow and every tongue
will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
to the glory of God and people who are
living in sin think well why why do I
want God in my life to keep you from
dying and being eternally separated from
God and never being able to become the
person God wanted you to be and because
you’re gonna miss heaven you don’t fear
God you’re gonna miss heaven you don’t
know you don’t fear God and you die in
that state you’re going to hell when you
turn your back on God you are turning
your back on your only hope the one who
loves you cares for you and wants the
best for you but he will not make you
follow him not make you love him not
make you obey Him the fear of God is a
holy thought and so when you think about
that and you think about what he says in
his word it’s appointed unto man once to
die and after after this the judgment
so you don’t want God in your life let
me ask you a question
no matter what you believe you cannot
avoid the judgment of holy God who loves
you but is willing to give you in the
free will if you choose not to love him
if you choose to die without him will
let you have what you want
against his loving will how foolish the
Bible says that God is holy and we’re to
walk holy before him you see there’s no
such thing as holiness yes there is I
didn’t say sinless
I didn’t say perfect but holy we’re
still growing so when you find
Christiaan that makes a mistake here
there have sins against God and ask God
to forgive them they’re not perfect the
only perfect person died on the cross
rose again see that the father’s right
hand to make intercession but you and me
God is holy therefore words of fearing
we’re to fear him in the right way so I
want us to talk about while we should
fear Him here’s what God’s Word says we
read a few moments ago the reason we
should fear him is because as he says in
Deuteronomy because he requires it of us
and you remember what he said he said it
so clearly you shall follow the Lord
your God and fear him you shall keep his
Commandments listen to his voice serve
Him and cling to him
that’s God’s command for every single
one of us so the question is why should
we fear God because he commands it and
secondly because the scripture says it’s
the beginning of knowledge look if you
will in proverbs chapter 1 verse 7 the
fear of the Lord is the beginning of
knowledge there are lot of people who
think they’re smart and listen carefully
you can have 25 degrees in 25 different
subjects you can be an authority above
all other authorities you may be
knowledgeable about many things but if
you do not fear God you are ignorant
about the most important thing in life
and that is your relationship to holy
God and who he is God says it’s the
beginning of knowledge true genuine
knowledge you may know some facts about
many things but what life’s all about is
learning who God is it’s the beginning
of knowledge he says in proverbs chapter
9 verse 10 the fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom you want to be a
wise person going to school won’t make
you wise you can have all kind of
degrees that won’t make you wise the
scripture says the beginning of wisdom
starts with fearing God
wisdom knowing what to do when to do it
how to do it not what to believe what
not to believe a wise person is someone
in his life God is dwelling through
whose life God is living out the life
that he’s intended for that person to be
God is a God of wisdom
and if I should ask you do you want to
be a wise person well sure I do
well where do you start you start with
Almighty God he’s a god of wisdom and he
gives his wisdom to those who willin to
ask for it
willing to surrender their life to Him
willing to yield to him and this is why
often Thomas people who appear not to
have had much education and yet when you
sit down and talk with them you think
dear God where do they learn that and
this and this and this and this and this
because God gives wisdom to those who
seek wisdom from God and I think about a
few people that I’ve met in life most
all of them have been grandmothers whose
wisdom made me feel like a child whose
years of obeying God yielding to him and
watching him work a godly grandmother is
one of the most powerful persons on the
face of this earth a godly grandmother
who’s lived her life gone through all
kinds of difficulty hardship trouble and
trusting God still smiling and praying
and thanking God for who he is the fear
of God is the beginning of wisdom
then of course he says in proverbs 16
verse 6 by the fear of the Lord one
keeps himself away from evil listen to
that the fear of the Lord is keeping
yourself away from evil when you and I
fear God we don’t want sin in our life
oh that may be something here in
something there but
you deal with it you repent of it you
deal with it because God living within
you is going to give you a desire for
righteousness that is right living godly
living and when the scripture says that
wisdom fearing God keeps us from sin
what’s his purpose from keeping us from
sin keeping us from wrecking our life
ruining our life the wisdom of God is to
help us in every single area of our life
and if you have a big question in mind
for example you trying to make a
decision in your life important decision
if you’re smart at all you want
not just the wisdom of man but you want
the wisdom of holy God who sees the
beginning and the end all at the same
time who knows all the intricacies of
everything that you’re going to face at
the same time the wisdom of God fearing
God not being afraid but trusting him
then the scripture says in proverbs 3
verse 7 and 8 he says this listen do not
be wise in your own eyes fear the Lord
and turn away from evil now watch this
if you fear him you will turn away from
evil it will be healing to your body and
refreshment to your bones that is when
you honor God and fear him he says it
does something to you health healing of
your body and refreshment to your bones
one of the wisest things you can do for
yourself physically physically the part
you know is to fear God to obey Him to
honor him put in this body of what is
pleasing to him put on this body what is
pleasing to him and don’t misuse this
body in a way this is displeasing to him
when you know Jesus Christ as your
Savior your body is the temple of the
Living God temple of a God who says
we’re to fear him and so to mistreat
your body is to mistreat the house of
God and I think about people who drink
in carousing misuse their body and all
toys and thinking you know what it’s not
hurting me it is hurting you
and when you honor God with your body
what does he say he says he’ll bring
healing to your body and refreshment to
your bones think about this God loves
you enough to give you a physical body
in which he himself dwells and he dwells
in your body and all of the speak
through you to love through you to care
through you fifty for you to enjoy life
and what does he say he brings healing
to your body and refreshment to your
bones it doesn’t mean that if you obey
God you can live to be a hundred it
doesn’t guarantee in a number of years
but what he guarantees is this when you
know Jesus Christ as your Savior it
guarantees the body indwelt by the
Living God who will have the best for
you now watch this verse proverbs 14 26
in the fear of the Lord there is strong
confidence my goodness is that true in
the fear of the Lord those strong
confidence when you are depending upon
God living a godly life there’s a sense
of confidence confidence boldness what
is it it’s because God within you is
living his life in you and 3 he’s the
one within you facing what you’re facing
assuring you that you will be able to
get through it
confidence boldness assurance the fear
of God the reason you feel that is
because you have God within you and
because you’re a believer and having God
within you when you face the situation
you’re not facing it by yourself you’re
facing it with him because he’s dwelling
within you you face every single thing
in life in the presence of holy God who
loves you and who wants the best for you
so to fear God is the wisest way to live
then he says listen to this Psalm 145
verse 9
tene he will fulfill the desires of
those who fear Him
he will hear their cry and will save
them now listen when you’re living the
kind of life that God wants you to live
and you are following him and you’re
obeying him he says those desires of
your heart God will answer watch this
people
people see God as as if he’s this
spiritual monster somewhere just waiting
for somebody to sin he’s an awesome God
who loves us and when he says he
fulfills the desires of those who fear
Him you say well I have some desires
that maybe don’t fit God then you’re not
fearing him so it’s not that you’re
gonna have this that this kind of desire
that if you fear him you’ll desire what
he wants you to desire he says he will
give us the desires of our heart trust
in the Lord
he’ll give us the desires of our heart
and I think many people who are faced in
situations in circumstances in their
life and wondering why it’s not working
out why is it why isn’t that working out
why don’t I have what I need why where
is God no this what are you fearing him
are you living the kind of life that
opens the door for God to answer your
prayer then Psalm 34 verse 7 the angel
of the lord encamps round about those
who fear him listen to that the angel of
the lord encamps around about those who
fear him
when you and I fear God we have his
awesome divine protection now I would
just make a suggestion to you you going
through some difficult time well maybe
you just happy as you can be this
morning I want to give you a suggestion
that will encourage your heart every
single time you read it read Psalm 91
the whole song now if you have a Living
Bible translation that’s the clearest to
understand Psalm 91 people don’t
understand the awesome power
God and how willing he is to show
himself he said he encamps around about
us he protects us he gives us the
desires of our heart and then for
example in proverbs 19 23 the fear of
the Lord leads to life not just the
beating of the heart to real life the
true life and I think about people who
are trying to live out their lives and
looking for happiness leaking of a piece
looking but you’re looking for this look
into that and the truth is the source of
what they’re looking for is the very
person they keep shoving away the fear
of the Lord the fear of the Lord is the
source of every blessing imaginable
because you’re honoring him you’re
listening to him you’re obeying him
you’re looking to him you’re expecting
from him you’re surrendering to him to
disobey God is foolish did this obey God
is expensive and the disobey God is a
big disappointment and to disobey God is
futile and to obey Him to fear him is
awesome listen to this verse proverbs 10
27 the fear of the Lord
prolongs life well how long I don’t know
the answer that I’ll tell you this watch
this a person who lives 40 years 50
years trusting God following him lives
more life than a person who physically
lives the seventh day without yard you
may be down here but if you’re without
God you’re not living you’re sort of
dwelling here but your dwelling here
facing an awesome judgment of God who’s
giving you the opportunity who is
willing to save you willing to help you
willing to God you will it protect you
and all these things we’ve just read the
verses that’s much more willing to do so
much for you if you will trust
surrender your life to him and let me
say this to parents if you don’t don’t
expect your children to you want your
children do you want the best for your
children are you listening grandmother
granddaddy father mother you want the
best for your children surrender your
life to God fear Him and live before
your children eight godly life that is
the most powerful thing you can do for
your family the most powerful and think
about this fearing God is an element in
your salvation nobody is ever saved who
does not first yield themselves to holy
God and so we are saved with the grace
of God through the blood of Jesus of the
Cross and from that moment on hes
indwelling us he has the best life for
us we may mess up at times he forgives
us he doesn’t change listen God doesn’t
have a change in mind about us he knows
us perfectly and I would simply say to
you the wisest decision you’ll ever make
is to fear the Living God to honor him
obey Him he could salt him in your life
lift him up worship Him and to trust him
for your salvation and the moments you
willing to believe what he said he’s
willing to change your life for God so
loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son Jesus that whosoever
believes in Him confesses their sins
renders their life to him will have
everlasting life and I would simply say
to you fearing God is an awesome thing
fearing God is an awesome blessing
fearing God is an awesome promise and
all the things we’ve said there’s so
much more and simply ask you a question
the eutherian is he first in your life
before you go to bed at night do you
talk to him when you wake up in the
morning do you talk to him when you get
in your automobile to go to work do you
talk to him when you’re working among
people who do not trust him do not all
love him do not believe in him do you
talk to him about them do you fear the
Living God have you surrendered your
life to him
most important decision you’ll ever make
and that’s my prayer for you
in Jesus name father thank you for your
love your forgiveness your kindness and
the multitude of blessings that you have
in store for us teachers all how to fear
you let us not forget what we’ve heard
and enable us to trust you when
everything around us looks like it’s
going wrong but we have you living on
the inside of us fearing you can make us
fearless of anything and everybody else
and we praise you for that in Jesus name
Amen
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