Reawakening to the Fear of the Lord

Scripture: Exodus l9:16...So, on the third day in the morning, there was
thunder and lightning, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound
of an exceedingly loud shofar. All the people who were in the camp
trembled.
Proverbs 3:7...Be not wise in your own eyes: fear the Lord and depart
from evil.
Proverbs 9:10...The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
Proverbs l0:27...The fear of the Lord prolongs days: but the years of the
wicked shall be shortened.
One of the major problems in our society today is a lack of fear of the
Lord. Unfortunately, there is a critical shortage of fear of the Lord in the
church today. The Bible says, 'There is no fear of God before their
eyes...' Romans 3:l8. However, when we choose to walk in the fear of
the Lord, the Bible says that we will be richly blessed...Psalm
ll2:1-10.
Many of us today do not realize the 'fear of the Lord' appears
in over l44 verses. If so much emphasis is placed on fearing
the Lord, we need to learn what it means and how we go back
to living in it. His great love and goodness is part of His
perfection and beauty that attracts His children to Him.
However, as much of the church needs to hear of His goodness
and love as a foundational truth, we also need to discuss the
'goodness and the severity' of the Lord. Without that, God just
becomes a nice Santa Claus or some magical give me genie
which ends up being no God at all.
Paul writing in the New Testament told believers to be
'perfecting holiness' in the fear of God'...II Corinthians 7:1. In
fact, walking in the 'fear of the Lord' was a main character trait
in the early church...Acts 9:31, Revelation l4:6-7.
Our Lord Jesus also commanded in Matthew l0:28...Do not
fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But,
rather 'fear Him' who is able to destroy both the soul and the
body in hell.
First, we are not to fear man. Secondly, we are to fear God.

Jesus reveals that the 'fear of the Lord' is 'rooted' in knowing
God's ability to punish us, and in knowing the severity of that
punishment...'fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and
body in hell.'
We should be walking with a healthy 'fear' knowing that we
will one day appear before the judgment seat of Christ.
Therefore, we as God's people should adopt the attitude that
Paul commended to the Phillipians when he wrote...'work out your
own salvation with fear and trembling.' Phillipians 2:12-13.
Well, then, what exactly is 'the fear of the Lord'? The fear of the Lord
is a deep reverence for God that causes us to want to please Him at all
costs. Hebrews l2:28-29 says, 'Therefore, since we are receiving a
Kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God
acceptably and reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.'
Abraham proved that he feared God by not withholding even his son
in obedience to God's voice. God responded, 'Now I know that you fear
God'...Genesis 22:l2. To fear the Lord is to hate evil and doing evil...Job
l:l-8. A true Christian is one who behaves himself when no one is
watching him, for he knows God is always watching. The fear of the
Lord is doing good, seeking peace, and pursuing it...Psalm 34:l4. The
Bible says, 'You shall not curse the blind, but shall fear your God..you
shall not do injustice nor go about as a gossiper or talebearer, nor hate
your brother in your heart or seek revenge or 'bear a grudge' against
anyone. Stand up in the presence of the elderly, show respect for the
aged and fear your God...Lev.l9:l8,32. Do not take interest of accept
bribes and rule over others ruthlessly but fear your God...Lev. 25:36,43.
The Bible says, "What does the Lord require of you, but to fear the
Lord your God for your own good?...Deut. l0:12, 13, 6:24.
But, as we look farther in scripture, we see how the Lord will bless
those who fear His Name. Here are just a few:
1) God prepares good things for them...Psalm 3l:19.
2) The angel of the Lord comes to protect them...Psalm 34:7.
3) They lack nothing...Psalm 34:9.
4) They become close confidants of God...Psalm 25:l2-14.
5) God fulfills the desires of them and listens to their prayers...Psalm
l45:l9.
6) God reward them with wisdom...Proverbs l:7, 9:10.
7) The Lord adds length to their lives. Proverbs l0:27.
8) They will secure a fortress for their children...Proverbs l4:26.
9) God keeps them from snares of death...Proverbs l4:27.

l0) Their lives will be untouched by trouble...Proverbs 29:23.
ll) They will get riches and honor and life from God...Proverbs 22:4.
l2) They don't need to fear anyone or anything...
Those who don't fear the Lord will fear other gods, images, magic,
witchcraft, people, governments, radicals, the Second Coming of Christ,
judgment, and hell. Other common ones are...public speaking, flying,
heights, insects, snakes and even death itself. There are many 'fear
nots' also to be found in the Bible. They, however, are only for those
who truly fear God.
'The remarkable thing about fearing God is that, when you fear God,
you fear nothing else, whereas, if you do not fear God, you fear
everything else.' ...Oswald Chambers
' THE DAY WILL COME WHEN THE LORD WILL SEPARATE THOSE
WHO FEAR HIM FROM THOSE WHO DO NOT.'...Where will you
stand?
Blessed Is The Man Who Fears The Lord!
Closing Prayer: We have somehow lost our holy fear of you, Lord. We
have heard so much about your love and grace that we have gotten our
eyes off our awesome God. The tribes of Israel quaked at your Mighty
Presence. They felt the fear and awesomeness of Your Name. We
repent and turn back to Your Mighty Ways in fear and trembling. In
Jesus Name...Amen.