The Honour of the Fear of the Lord

Why the World Needs to Fear God

Study Series on the Fear of God

Proverbs 22:4

 

Pastor Craig Ledbetter

DATE: 19 Oct, 2008 AM

PLACE: Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland

www.biblebc.com

 

I.        Introduction

 

A.      The entire year we have been focusing on knee exercises – bowing the knee that is. Learning how to live the yielded life towards God

B.      This month we are looking at another attitude that is vital in bowing the knee – that if the fear of God

C.      We spend too much time worrying about what people think

D.      What does God think, and more importantly, what should our attitude be towards God’s power – He is GOD last time I checked!

E.       Three things we will look at this month:

 

1.       Last week we looked at the Humility in the Fear of the Lord

2.       This morning, The Honour of the Fear of the Lord

3.       Next week, The Horrors of Not Fearing the Lord

 

F.       This morning I want to show you the benefits of fearing God. They are broadly listed in Proverbs 22:4

                                                                                                                                             

1.       Riches

2.       Honour

3.       Life

 

G.      Sounds like the things we all seek for, but never find!

H.      In this day and age, the fear of God is almost completely GONE, and so people instead fear almost everything else: fear of the dark, fear of failure, fear of being fat, fear of ridicule, fear of germs, fear of alien abductions, fear of bugs, fear of rejection, fear of losing your hair, fear of nightmares, fear of Satan and demons, fear of black cats, fear of enemies, fear of ghosts, fear of the future, and even the fear of being hurt in relationships!

I.        Some people worry about Fashion, Friends, Future careers, Foes, Funds, Fun

J.        It’s funny how one single proper fear can fix all those messed up fears… The fear of the Lord!

K.      The benefits of right fear towards God

 

II.      Message

 

A.      Two Kinds of Fear

 

1.       The Fear of Life

 

a.       Fear, or Worry about people, possibilities, about life’s problems

b.       Whether we admit it or not, we fear loads of things, some more than others

c.        But according to God, they are not worth worrying about

d.       What do people naturally fear?

 

1)       People Fear False gods and religions (2Kings 17:38)

 

a)       False gods of death and diseases

b)       False god of war

c)       False god of hell

d)       False gods of education and government

e)       It is very hard to stand up to these because they seem very powerful, and are usually very popular

 

2)       People Fear People (Proverb 29:25)

 

a)       Abraham feared people (Genesis 12:11-13)

b)       Peter feared people (Matthew 26:69-74)

 

3)       People Fear Life’s troubles and calamities (Luke 21:25-28)

 

a)       World disasters

b)       Unexpected things

c)       To the majority, life is scary

d)       Death (Heb 2:15)

e)       To the believer, it causes us to get excited!

 

2.       The Fear of the Lord (Hebrews 10:31)

 

a.       Deuteronomy 13:4

b.       Proverbs 23:17

c.        Acts 9:31

d.       What is the Fear of the Lord? (Hebrews 12:28,29)

 

1)       Simple Definition: "The continual awareness that I am in the presence of a holy, just and Almighty God, and that my every thought, word, and action is open before Him and will be judged by Him."

2)       It simply means to worry about GOD getting upset with you

 

a)       If your friends are upset at you, or your girlfriend, or your boss, then that is nothing to worry or be fearful about

b)       But, if GOD is angry with you, then THAT is something to be worried about

 

3)       People don’t like to think that God gets angry – but He does!

4)       And people don’t WANT to allow Him the right to be very upset with them and how they live – But He does

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

e.        EVERYBODY, no matter where they live, should fear God!

 


B.      Why Fear God?

 

1.       Because the Lord will judge you and me. 2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:10, 12

2.       Because the Lord will expose all my secret sins. Luke 8:17; 12:3

3.       Because, since He is GOD, He has the final say about our lives and how we lived them (Luke 12:4,5)

4.       Because one fear is better, and cancels out the other! I’ll give you ONE guess, which fear is more powerful, and better for you than the other one!

 

a.       Genesis 15:1

b.       Luke 2:9,10

c.        Luke 12:32

d.       Revelation 1:17

 

5.       Because the fear of the Lord causes smart people to run to Jesus for salvation!

6.       So, it is obvious that we should simply Fear God instead of anything else

 

a.       We should Fear going against His word – clear instructions should never be disobeyed (i.e., like in a machine shop)

b.       We should Fear going against His will – Jonah

c.        We should Fear going against His warnings – Adam and Eve

d.       We should Fear missing out on God’s blessings (Hebrews 4:1)

 

C.      The Peril of Wrong Fear

 

1.       People who fear things in life, and people, and troubles, live dangerously

2.       Some people live like they have no fears at all – but they lie

3.       Wrong Fears Can Trap You (Proverbs 29:25)

 

a.       Abraham, for fear of man, denied his wife – and was trapped watching another man take her into his home!

b.       Peter out of the fear of man denied his Master and was trapped watching helplessly as they led away and beat Jesus

c.        Many a man has denied his God and his own faith, just because of fear

d.       And then you are trapped by those people you are afraid of

 

4.       Wrong Fears Can Limit You

 

a.       Fear of failure is big enough to stop most people from attempting great things for God

b.       Many a man has missed God’s will because of being afraid of rejection

c.        It’s like the young man who wouldn’t go up to a young lady to ask her out on a date because he was so sure she would say, “Drop dead!”

d.       My motto is, pray, and get the peace of God, and then see what happens!

 

5.       Wrong Fears Can Damn You (Revelation 21:8)

6.       Wrong fears are a tool of the devil to control and destroy you!

 

D.      The Blessings of JUST Fearing God

 

1.       They are broadly listed in Proverbs 22:4

 

a.       Riches – more than just physical riches

b.       Honour – more than just the praises of man

c.        Life – more than just a long life

 

2.       Let’s look at the benefits:

 

a.       It will make you smart (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10)

b.       It will simplify your life (Proverbs 15:16)

c.        It will save your soul (Acts 13:26, 38-41; Acts 10:1,2, 34,35)

d.       It will remove all other fears (Psalm 27:1-4)

e.        It will break your sinful habits (Proverbs 3:7; 16:6)

f.        It will lengthen your life (Proverbs 10:27)

g.        It will cause God to protect you (Psalm 34:7,8)

h.       It will unlock God’s provision for you (Psalm 34:9,10), and will satisfy you (Proverbs 19:23)

i.         It will help you worship God right (Psalm 5:7)

j.         It will honour you (Proverbs 31:30)

k.       It will bless your home and family (Psalm 128:1-6)

l.         It will strengthen your confidence (Proverbs 14:26; Heb 4:16)

m.     It will get you out of trouble with God (Psalm 103:11)

n.       It will please the Lord (Psalm 147:11)

 

III.   Conclusion

 

A.      There is not another truth that is connected with so many promises in God's Word as the fear of God.

 

1.       But we should not fear Him only for the promises.

2.       Our relationship with Him is not a trading transaction, but a fellowship of love whose aim is to know Him through the door that is called Jesus Christ. It is He that prepared everything that was required for our entrance to the throne. Without Jesus, we would only have righteous judgment against us

3.       In other words, if you would just worry about obeying God, then He will take care of the rest (Proverbs 16:7)!

 

B.      What are the Two Kinds of Fear that People Experience?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

1.       The Fear of Life - worries about people, possibilities, and life’s problems

2.       The Fear of the Lord (Hebrews 10:31)

 

C.      What is the Fear of the Lord?To worry about GOD getting upset with you

D.      Why Fear God?

 

1.       Because the Lord will judge you and me.

2.       Because the Lord will expose all my secret sins.

3.       Because, since He is GOD, He has the final say about our lives and how we lived them (Luke 12:4,5)

4.       Because the fear of the Lord causes smart people to run to Jesus for salvation!

5.       Because one fear is better, and cancels out the other! I’ll give you ONE guess, which fear is more powerful, and better for you than the other one!

 

E.       What Happens When People have the Wrong Fear? The devil uses that fear to control, limit, and dame you!

F.       There are almost Unlimited Blessings of JUST Fearing God - They are broadly listed in Proverbs 22:4

 

1.       Riches – more than just physical riches

2.       Honour – more than just the praises of man

3.       Life – more than just a long life

 

G.      What do you and I constantly need to do? Draw nigh to God, and ask God to teach us how to properly fear Him

 

1.       First as God Almighty

2.       Then as God your Saviour

3.       Then forever as God your only joy and life