The Fear of the Lord

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Acts 5:1–11 NKJV
1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. 2 And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” 5 Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. 6 And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him. 7 Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?” She said, “Yes, for so much.” 9 Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. 11 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.
Ananis and Saphira attempted to deceive the church. They claimed they were giving the full proceeds from the sale when they weren’t. They didn’t have to give the full proceeds if they didn’t want to. But they lied and claimed they were doing so.
The swift judgement from God taught the church a valuable lesson - God is not to be messed with!
Look at the last verse again...
Acts 5:11 NKJV
11 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.
Fear is often a negative word.
But the kind of fear this verse is talking about is healthy - it’s called the fear of God! The Bible speaks about it numerous times...
Psalm 111:10 NKJV
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.
Consider what the Bible says about Jesus...
“who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power...”
(Hebrews 1:3 NKJV)
This enture universe is upheld by the uterrance of Jesus.
To put this statement into perspective, let us consider the size of the observable universe.
The universe that is visible from Earth is a sphere with a radius of about 46 billion light years.
When you consider that a light year is about six trillion miles, it become fairly evident that the size of our observable universe is beyond anything our human minds can even imagine.
Nevertheless, the surface area of the observable universe is about 26,590 billion light years. Its volume is about 407,720 billion light years.
That’s about 2,446,320,000,000,000 trillion miles.
Now, our Lord Jesus upholds all of that with a single utterance! Truly He is an All-Powerful and Almighty God!
When we consider how powerful Jesus is, there will be reverence in our heart, and that reverence is called the fear of the Lord.
Fearing God is simply having the reverence and respect for God that we should. It is humbling ourselves before Him, and honouring Him above all else
When we consider how powerful Jesus is, there will be a humilty in our hearts, and that humility is called the fear of the Lord.
Proverbs 22:4 NIV
4 Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life.
To fear God is simply to humble yourself before HIm, and to honour Him above all else.
2 Corinthians 5:10–11 CJB
10 for we must all appear before the Messiah’s court of judgment, where everyone will receive the good or bad consequences of what he did while he was in the body. 11 So it is with the fear of the Lord before us that we try to persuade people. Moreover, God knows us as we really are; and I hope that in your consciences you too know us as we really are.
It is impossible to live the Christian life without having the fear of God.

Fearing God enables us to worship God properly

Psalm 5:7 NKJV
7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.

Fearing God enables us to live holy

2 Corinthians 7:1 NKJV
1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Fearing God is the key to overcoming peer pressure

Matthew 10:28 NKJV
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Fearing God allows God to have a close relationship with you

Psalm 25:14 NKJV
14 The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.
The Hebrew word for secret here refers to a close relationship of confidence. Those who fear God, will enjoy His friendship.

Fearing God is key the key to obeying God

When Abraham was 100 years old, he had a son called Isaac. Twenty-five years earlier, God had promised Abraham a son through whom he would become a great nation. Isaac was the miraculous fulfilment of this promise (both Abraham and Sarah were well advanced in years, and beyond the age of having children.). So Isaac was a very special child.
However, on one occasion, God commanded Abraham to offer Isaac to Him as a burnt offering. This meant that Isaac was to be killed, and then set on fire to be burned before the Lord.
Abraham was obedient, and just as he was about to kill Isaac; the angel of the Lord stopped him by saying:
Genesis 22:12 NKJV
12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
Abraham’s obedience was proof that he feared God.
The king of Egypt became fearful of the Hebrews because they were becoming stronger and stronger
Exodus 1:15–17 NKJV
15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; 16 and he said, “When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” 17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive.

Fearing God affects the way we treat people

Ephesians 5:21 NKJV
21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.
Mark 9:42 NKJV
42 “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.
James 3:9–10 NKJV
9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
Romans 13:1–2 NKJV
1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.
Romans 13:5–7 NKJV
5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

The wrong way to fear God vs the correct way

There is wrong way to fear God, and a correct way.
The wrong type of fear is when you are afraid of approach Him
Romans 8:15 NKJV
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
The right type of fear runs to Him, not away from Him.
When God came down on Mount Sinai and spoke the 10 commandments to the people, we read...
Exodus 20:18–20 NKJV
18 Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. 19 Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” 20 And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.”
Notice: “Do not fear”. That’s the wrong kind of fear, the kind that wants to run away from God. But then it continues, “for God has come… that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin”. That’s the right kind of fear - it is knowing how powerful God is and having the good sense not to sin against Him!
Final thought...

Jesus walked in the fear of God

Even Jesus walking in the fear of God.
Jesus had reverential fear for His Father:
Hebrews 5:7 NKJV
7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear,
Isaiah 11:2 NKJV
2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
As it is the Holy Spirit who reveals God to us, we need to Holy Spirit to impart the fear of God to our hearts.

Summary

The fear of the Lord is humbling ourselves before God and honouring Him before all else
The fear of the Lord
enables us to worship God properly
enables us to live holy
is the key to overcoming peer pressure
allows God to have a close relationship with us
is key the key to obeying God
affects the way we treat people
The fear of the Lord is not being afraid to approach God. It is knowing His powerful He is and having the good sense not to sin against Him!
Jesus Himself walked in the fear of God
The Holy Spirit enables us to fear God
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