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 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 looking
burpies 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 shelling
away MECs on InTouch the fear of God the
title of this message the fear of God
now when you hear that you ask yourself
a question what I might to be afraid of
God oh it doesn’t mean something else
and when the Jews 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 of 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 opponent of the man once to die
and after this the judgment you 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 and so for
example in psalm 119 120 says my flesh
trembles for fear of you and I am afraid
of your judgments 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 four 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
the youth dear God well I never thought
about fearing God I thought he was a God
of love he is a 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
him surrender to him do you have a
chemist period till 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 of 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
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 when 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 swiftness 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 the
problem to them because he gets
they’re way holy God does not tolerate
sin holy God is not going to make you
living in sin feel comfortable I’ll
really enjoy yourself for the moment you
may have some brief moments of happiness
a joy but very brief because holy God
hates 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 feel
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 over what 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 going to miss heaven you don’t
fear God you’re going to miss heaven you
know you don’t fear God and you die in
that state you go into 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 but
answer your question no matter what you
believe you cannot avoid the judgment of
holy God who loves you but is willing to
give you enough 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 said Allah
knows no such thing as holiness yes
there is
I didn’t say sinless I didn’t say
perfect but holy we still grew in so
when you find some Christian that makes
a mistake here there of sins against God
and as God to forgive them they’re not
perfect the only perfect person that on
the cross rose again seated at the
Father’s right hand to make intercession
for you and me God is holy therefore
words of hearing which appear 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 Clinton that’s God’s command for
every single one of us so the question
is why should we fear government 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 a lot of
people who think they are smart now
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
it’s 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 it 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 or 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 Tomasz 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 his 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 this is the debt
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 hearing 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 some reckon 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 II trying to make a decision
in your life important decision if
you’re smart at all you want not just a
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 in Devon 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 through him he says it does
something to health healing of your body
and refreshment of the 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 what is pleasing to him
put on this body what is pleasing to him
and don’t misuse this body in a way this
display
into him when you know Jesus Christ as
your Savior your body is the temple of
the Living God temple of a God who says
would to fear him and so to mistreat
your body is to mistreat the house of
God being obedient to God affects you 24
hours a day whether you think about it
or not
and I think about people who drink in
carousing misuse their body and all kind
of noise 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 speaker you to
love through you to care for you you
trusted 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 a 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
and 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 unity 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
you when you face a situation you’re not
facing it by yourself you’re facing it
with him because he’s drilling within
you you’ve faced 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 19 he will fulfil 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’re 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 monstrous on my just waiting
to somebody sinned 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
going to have discs 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 facing
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 what where
is God know this well 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 not fear God we have
his awesome divine protection now I’ll
just make a suggestion to you
you go into some difficult time or maybe
you just have itching 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 of 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 linking the peace like in the
joy looking for this looking with 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 that this obey God is expensive
and to 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 the person who
physically lives 270 without yard you
may be down here but if you’re without
God you’re not living you’re sort of
dwelling here but you’re drilling here
facing an awesome judgment of God who’s
giving you the opportunity who is
willing to save you wouldn’t the help
you willing to God you will 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 them and
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 a 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
he’s 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 moment 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
surrenders their life to him will have
everlasting
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 you fearing is he first in your life
before you go to bed at night but 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 that
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 with a
multitude of blessings that you have in
so for us teaches 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 had 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 if you’ve been blessed by today’s
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