THE FEAR OF GOD

INTRODUCTION:  Ps. 103:17-18.

1.  The burden of my lesson today is how we should understand and follow the Bible’s command to fear God. 

2. Some number of years ago we went up into the CN Tower in Toronto. It was fascinating to stand on a glass floor and look 1815 feet down through it to the ground below.

1) Sheila and I stood on the glass floor. It was a little more difficult getting Shannon and Jimmy to do so. Jimmy never did. There were still 30 stories to go to get all the way to the top of that tower.

2) Shannon, Sheila and I went up to the very top; Jimmy did not. When we arrived, we were 146 stories above ground in what was then the tallest man made structure in the world.

3. Sheila and I also visited the Grand Canyon. There were places where no fence or railing existed, and you could feel the fear of looking 6000 feet down to the bottom, where over 50 people have fallen to their deaths.

I. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FEAR GOD??

1.  When the Bible tells us to fear God–as it does multiple times–does it mean the kind of fear that some of us had at the CN Tower, or does it mean the kind of fear we had at the Grand Canyon?

1) For most of my Christian life, people have told me it’s like the CN Tower; a thrill of reverence, but there’s no real reason to be afraid.

2) But, in the first few pages of the Bible, Adam says to God, “I heard the sound of Thee in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” Genesis 3:10 (NASB77)

3) Moses see a bush that’s on fire, but is not being consumed. He hears God’s voice speaking to him from out of the bush. The Bible says, Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Exodus 3:6 (NASB77)

4) The people gather at Mt. Sinai. God comes down, and the mountain is covered in smoke. The ground is rumbling under their feet. The Bible says: 18 And all the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance.  Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, lest we die.”  Exodus 20:18-19 (NASB77)

5) Job flat out says, 11 “Will not His majesty terrify you, And the dread of Him fall on you? Job 13:11 (NASB77) AND

20 “Only two things do not do to me, Then I will not hide from Thy face: 21 Remove Thy hand from me, And let not the dread of Thee terrify me. Job 13:20-21 (NASB77

6) Isaiah is praying in the temple, and God appears to Him in His glory. Isaiah says:  “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” Isaiah 6:5 (NASB77)

 2. You may be thinking, Well, some people actually did feel fear, but God is good, merciful and gracious, and He would not want us to feel that way!

1) Indeed, in the New Testament, God’s people are told to: contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. Jude 1:3 (NASB77

2) We are commanded to Fight the good fight of faith 1 Tim. 6:121 (NASB77)

3) And, Paul says of Christians: 6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight— 8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 (NASB77)

4) All of these things take courage. So, the thought is that we are no longer to fear God, but instead, we are to be courageous.

1- But, I once heard a person argue that the opposite of courage is not really fear, but rather, conformity. People who are courageous are also non-conformists.

(1) They do not conform to the world’s ways, thoughts, and goals

(2) They conform instead only to the Lord.

1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 (NASB77)

 2- Is it possible for courageous people to also be people of fear? Not only is it possible, I would insist that it is so. Moses, Job, and Isaiah were great men of courage. But, listen to Isaiah’s advice:

13 “It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread. Isaiah 8:13 (NASB77)

3- And, just to make sure that we don’t think that this is just an OT, NT thing, listen to the advice of our Lord:  28 “And do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28 (NASB77)

 

II. FEAR OF GOD IS MORE THAN JUST AWE AND REVERENCE.

1. When the Bible talks about fearing God, it’s not just talking about a sense of awe. It’s talking about fear.

ILLUSTRATION: In the old days, people of faith were said to walk in the fear of God and to serve the Lord with fear. Whenever God appeared to people in Bible times, the results were an overwhelming sense of terror and dismay, a terrible sensation of sinfulness and guilt. The self- assurance of modern Christians, and the shocking disrespect shown for the Person of God are evidence of a deep blindness of heart.

2. When the Bible talks about the fear of God, it’s talking about the fear that we feel at the Grand Canyon, in which there is a realistic danger. And yet, it is such a beautiful thing, such an awesome grandeur, that you are drawn to it.

1) The fear of God is not a fear that drives you away; it is a fear that draws you in.

2) We don’t like that fact that God is scary, but the Bible pictures Jesus as both the Lion and the Lamb.

 

III. FEAR OF GOD IS HEALTHY AND RESTRAINING.

1. Why does the Bible tell us to fear God?

1) In the case of the people of Israel, it was to prevent them from sinning.

20 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.” Exodus 20:20 (NASB77)

 1- What sorts of rules would we break if we can do it without fear of penalty or punishment?

2- One fellow said, “My dad used to say, ‘If one of you kids gets picked up for shoplifting, you can just save that one free phone call from the police, because I’m not coming to get you out.’ So, he said, I didn’t shoplift, because I knew I would have to deal with my dad.”

3- The fear of God is a healthy, restraining fear and force in your life.

17 But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, 18 To those who keep His covenant, And who remember His precepts to do them. Psalms 103:17-18 (NASB77)

4- Fear of God leads us to do what He says. The person who does not fear God thinks, I know that this isn’t really right, but I know that God will forgive me. The moment you use God’s grace to excuse your sin, you are no longer really following the God of the Bible.

2) Fear of God leads us to mercy.

1- We have to ask a question: If God is so “fear-inspiring,” why would I ever want to draw near to Him.

2- The Psalmist says that God: pardons all your iniquities; Who heals all your diseases; 4 Who redeems your life from the pit; Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; 5 Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle. Psalms 103:3-5 (NASB77)

3- This may not be what you would expect from a God who inspires fear and who could strike you dead as He has done to many people in the past.

4- But when you come to Him humbly, you will find that He showers you with benefits and forgives all your sins.

ILLUSTRATION: A Christian in the 600’s by the name of Marterius, said: “Let us ponder how we who are mortal beings, continually bespotted with the mud of sins, have been held worthy to stand before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”

(1) No wonder the Psalmist says, Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name (Psalm 103:1).

(2) I am not surprised that he reflects upon the Lord’s concern for people: 

8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. 9 He will not always strive with us; Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Psalms 103:8-12 (NASB77)

(3) This Psalm keeps repeating the word mercy!The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. He crowns you with mercy and loving-kindness.

4) Who is this mercy for?  So great is His lovingkindness (mercy) toward those who fear Him (Ps. 103:11).

(5) If you fear God, there’s a “waterfall of mercy” pouring down from God all over you!!

(6) When you realize that God heals all that junk in your soul, you just have to rise up to say, Bless the Lord, O my soul. And forget none of His benefits.

-1- Suddenly you realize that all those good things in your life are from God.

-2- Some day, one we do not know and when we least expect it, Jesus Christ will return. Every knee will bow to Him in awe and reverence and-YES-in fear!!. And your heart will lift up and you will say, bless the Lord, O my soul.

1. If I have a healty and proper fear of God, then you won’t find me being flippant about worship assemblies.

IV.  SOME PRACTICAL LESSONS.

 

 

1) I won’t let games, family, friends, vacations, jobs, or anything else, keep me from meeting with the saints and worshipping my Lord.

2) Someone may say, “yes, but there are a lot of things that are more fun than coming here to sing a few songs, pray, and listen to some man talk.”

1- You’re probably right!

2- But, I want you to hear me now. Listen carefully! God is NOT in the entertainment business; God is in the salvation of souls business.

2. If I have a healthy and proper fear of God, then you won’t find me making excuses for not talking to my friends, and particularly, my family about Jesus Christ and their salvation.

1) If I told you some of the things I’ve been told in my preaching career concerning reasons why some have not (and probably will not) become Christians, you would be flabbergasted.

2) Some don’t want to push too hard for fear of driving them away. Some don’t want to overpersuade others. Some don’t want to ….. (you name it). How can a person who is convinced of the truth be overpersuaded??????

3. If I have a healthy and proper fear of God, then I would watch how I dressed, how I act in public, who I choose as my friends, etc. In short, I would NOT be conformed to this world, but rather, I would be transformed by the renewing of my mind toward God!

 

CONCLUSION

13 “You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him, and swear by His name. Deuteronomy 6:13 (NASB77)24 “So the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God for our good always and for our survival, as it is today. Deuteronomy 6:24 (NASB77)

6 “Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. Deuteronomy 8:6 (NASB77)

Abraham explaining his lie to Abimelech

11 And Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place; and they will kill me because of my wife. Genesis 20:11 (NASB77)

The plight of the Israelites

34 To this day they do according to the earlier customs: they do not fear the LORD, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances or the law, or the commandments which the LORD commanded the sons of Jacob, whom He named Israel; 2 Kings 17:34 (NASB77)

19 Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, lest we die.” Exodus 20:18-19 (NASB77)

 

 1. The burden of my lesson tonight is how we should understand and follow the Bible’s command to fear God.