The Benefits of Holy Fear

Today we bring the series on the Awe of God to a close with an important look at what life… in awe… can look like.

Specifically, what life looks like when we finally live by the truth that He is God, and I or we are not!

This series has been all about remembering how awesome our God is.

The video does a great job of reminding us of God’s might, power, authority, and love. He is someone we need to respect, honor, revere, and yes… fear.

We need to fear the Lord… but not in a scared sense, but in a respectful and reverent sense.

So far we have talked about areas or ways that we as believers need to fear the the Lord.

Our fear of the Lord MUST show up in every area of our lives. If it doesn’t, then I would suggest we do not truly fear Him.

If we are holding back in any area, then we haven’t truly given God… all that we are. And that one area of our life becomes a risk of compromise or corruption.

But when we have fully surrendered to the Lord, we open ourselves up to His leading, to His way, and to His power while also closing ourselves off to the influence of the world.

Jesus said it best, church, in Matthew 6. No person can serve two masters. A person can try to do this, but ultimately they will end up loving one and despising the other. Why? Because they are going in different directions.

So at the end of the day, we will either honor the Lord, or honor the world. We will either live for our Savior, or live for our self.

AND… there are markers… there is “fruit” that will display the direction we have chosen to go with our life.

We face a growing problem in our western culture… and this problem is not one of the world, but one of the church.

People… are drifting in the faith. People are trading the fear of the Lord for what is convenient and comfortable.

It is no secret that we are a consumer nation. We “consume” and pursue what we like. We no longer produce, we consume. Just ask China who is feeding our consumeristic mentality.

And this mentality is creeping into the church. We treat God like He is here to serve us, our wants, our pleasures, our dreams, our will, etc.

We do this with our schedules - we make time for everything under the sun and our faith is what takes the hit when our schedules get too tight.

Sports, fundraisers, community events, etc. all seem to take a higher priority than worshipping the Lord.

Churches across the area, including HWC, have a hard time finding volunteers because no one has the time to serve. We have time to do everything else… but we don’t have time to give toward the ministry.

And I get it… we cannot say yes to everything. But why is it easier for us to say no to the things of God instead of the things of the world?

Because we are serving the wrong master. Our fear of God is failing. And we are seeing the results nation wide as chaos is on the rise.

Today is not a day of head bashing or toe stomping. We are going to talk about the fear of the Lord and the benefits that come when we serve God and God alone.

Now when I say this word benefits… we need to be careful not to receive this message in a transactional sense.

Let me explain.

Let’s talk tithes for a moment… I’ve heard messages given when the preacher makes the claim that if you give 10% of your income and the Lord doesn’t bless you in six months, we will give all of your tithe back!

But this message misses the point entirely. We don’t give to get blessed by God, we give BECAUSE we are blessed by God! And if we desire to remain in His blessing, we continue to obey His commands!

So in the area of our fear of the Lord, we don’t fear Him to get something from Him… that’s not fear, that’s consumerism.

However, how many know that when we have a healthy fear of the Lord, there will be evidence of that fear AND blessings that come with that choice of lifestyle?

Let me make something very clear: God does not owe us ANYTHING. He has given us… EVERYTHING through the gift of His Son Jesus Christ. So before we approach the Lord with the mind of a consumer, let’s approach Him in humility and appreciation for what He has done already!

So what “fruit” or evidence can a person who walks in the fear of the Lord expect in their lives?

The answers might surprise you AND I hope they drives us to become more fearful of the Lord. Because it not only impacts you… but will impact those around you.

The Fear of the Lord Causes FUNDAMENTAL Life Change.

First, let’s consider this word, fundamental.

Fundamental means “forming a necessary base or core; of central importance”

What we hold on to as fundamental or what serves as fundamental truth in our life… is what our life is built upon and determines how we live on a daily basis.

Another word we might consider here is foundation. The foundational truths we hold onto is what our life is built upon.

These truths are CENTRAL in ALL that we do. So who or what is central in our lives matters greatly.

IF the fear of the Lord is central to our way of life… it will show up in EVERY AREA of our lives. AND THIS IS A GOOD THING! Because the fear of the Lord leads to amazing blessing in our lives!

We don’t fear Him for the blessing, we fear Him because He is God and He is Worthy of such fear, awe, respect, severance, etc.

I want to look at a passage in Psalms that shows us what kind of fundamental life changes the come with a healthy holy fear of the Lord.

Psalm 112:1–9 NIV

1 Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. 2 Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever. 4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous. 5 Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. 6 Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. 7 They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. 8 Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. 9 They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honor.

That is some amazing truth! And it all starts with what? FEAR OF THE LORD. Verse 1 says BLESSED are those who fear… and who find delight in God’s commands.

THAT IS THE KEY, church. That is the central importance, the fundamental value that MUST be in place for the rest to become a reality. If God is not central to your life, then do not expect God to bless you in this way.

Look at the list quickly with me and see how the fear of the Lord impacts all that we are.

Your kids - Scripture says they will be mighty in the land. Other translations say they will successful everywhere!

Who wants the best for your kids today? Do we understand that begins by leading them and demonstrating to them what it means to fear the Lord?

Our children are watching… and we pass on to them more than we know. Generational curses are real… sin trends are real. We can either lead them in the ways of the Word, or the ways of the world. YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO IMPACT THE GENERATIONS TO COME.

Has anyone ever heard of a man named Max Jukes?

In 1874 a sociologist names Richard Dugdale visited 13 county jails in upstate New York. He discovered 6 persons under 4 different family names that were all blood relatives. This sparked curiosity and led him into a deep dive of the family line. It led back to an early Dutch settler names Max Jukes, who was born somewhere between 1720 and 1740. After years of diligent research, the sociologist identified 540 descendants of Jukes.

76 were convicted criminals

18 were brothel keepers

120 were prostitutes

Over 200 of them were poverty stricken.

There were generational sins that led to an abundance of dysfunctional behavior.

Now, has anyone heard of Jonathan Edwards?

He was born during the same time periods. He was a revivalist who authored numerous books and inspired many to take the gospel to the nations of the world. He was married to Sarah Pierpont in 1727. This couple greatly feared the Lord. The read the Bible and prayed together every night. They had 11 children and Jonathan prayed blessings over them each day. He stated, “Every house should be a little church.” What came of his known 1,394 descendants?

13 were college or university presidents

65 were college or university professors

3 were US Senators

30 were judges

100 were lawyers

60 were physicians

75 were Army and Navy officers

60 were authors of prominence

1 was the vice president of the US (Aaron Burr)

Two completely different families that had different central or fundamental values. My point is: YOUR VALUES TODAY WILL IMPACT GENERATIONS TOMORROW. Maybe you grew up in a home that didn’t fear the Lord. Maybe you didn’t have a dad or mom that prayed for you or took you to church or who served the Lord. You have the opportunity to break that cycle.

A healthy fear of God will not only impact you… but it will impact the generations that come from you!

Another area I want to point out from this passage comes from verses 7-8

Psalm 112:7–8 NIV

7 They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. 8 Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.

When I read this… one word comes to mind: STABILITY. Those who fear the Lord are stable, grounded in their faith, and secure in their trust of the Lord.

Why is this the case? Because they know God and they know what He is able to do! His Word… has become the foundation of life… AND IT SHOWS!!!

The Scriptures tell us that those who fear God are not afraid of bad news, they are not swayed by the wind, they are not afraid of what might come, and they know the battle has already been won!

Now consider this: This life of no fear isn’t something they have to coach themselves in, it is a simple and natural response to fearing God above all else! It becomes a life discipline because of what their life is built upon.

Jesus, at the end of His Sermon on the Mount, spoke of this in Matthew 7.

IF we hear His words AND apply them to our lives - NO STORM can break our foundation. His Word BECOMES our foundation.

IF we hear His words and do not apply them, His Word has NOT become our foundation. We will NOT live in the security and hope of His promises!

No one desires to be blown about by the storms of this life… and unfortunately, there is not a lot we can do to stop the storms from coming.

BUT… we can shore up our foundation. Storms are all but a guarantee... Are we building our lives on a foundation that can weather the storm… or have we settled for a foundation of sand that will fail under the pressure?

We could spend the rest of the day breaking down Psalms 112 while talking about the blessings that come in fearing the Lord, but I think you get the idea.

When the fear of God is a fundamental or foundational part of who we are… it will impact EVERY part of who we are. The fear of God changes us fundamentally as we make the choice to place God above all else.

Secondly...

The Fear of the Lord Brings Wisdom.

How many could use a good dose of God’s wisdom today?

We live in an age of information… and the problem we have is we do not know what information to believe?

The world is throwing so much data our way… telling us what to think… trying to write the narrative.

The world’s wisdom is broken, flawed, limited, and corrupt. It serves the agenda of the one presenting it.

God’s wisdom… is NOTHING like the wisdom of the world!

So what does the fear of God have to do with the wisdom of the Lord?

Psalms 111:10 says this:

Psalm 111:10 NIV

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

Proverbs echos this truth saying this:

Proverbs 9:10 NIV

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

So why would the fear of the Lord be the beginning of wisdom? Simple. Because in that fear, we trust what HE says. In that fear, we place HIS understanding above our understanding. In that fear, we place HIS WORD above any other “word.”

IF a person feels like they are lacking in the wisdom of the Lord, before you go asking God for more understanding, check first your level of fear toward the Lord.

Maybe the problem is… God is speaking… but you won’t have it. Maybe the problem is God is directing, but you’ve already established your direction. Maybe the reality is you want God to affirm your plans and your ways instead of submitting to what the Lord has for you.

The acceptance of His wisdom requires that we reject first any other “wisdom.”

Remember… no one can serve two masters. The same applies to wisdom. One will triumph over the other.

At the end of the day, we have to make a choice regarding the direction we will go. Will we choose God’s wisdom… or man’s understanding? Will we trust in the Lord, let go of our understanding, acknowledge Him in everything… so that He can make our paths straight?

God’s wisdom is not hard to find… so long as we understand where to begin.

It begins with a humble and reverent heart. It begins NOT by TELLING God what we want… it begins by TRUSTING God with all that we are.

The world is becoming a crazier place to live with each passing moment. The need for God’s infinite wisdom grows… with each passing moment.

Our ability or understanding of how to navigate these last days needs to come from the Lord. We need to fully trust in Him as things continue to become more chaotic.

Why? Because God has called us to be responsive… to be active, not passive, in these last days. And with that calling must come a dependency upon the Lord to help get us through.

If we go with the understanding of the world, chances are we will conform and get lost in the chaos.

BUT… if we allow for God to transform us through the renewing of our minds (wisdom), then we can know and live in the will of our heavenly Father.

Closing

These benefits we have briefly looked at are good, but there is one more that must be mentioned… and is the most important of them all.

When a believer displays a healthy fear of the Lord, it demonstrates that God comes first no matter what. It means… that person is fully committed in their walk with Christ… and with that commitment comes a deeper relationship and understanding of who God is.

Some of us may not fear Him… because we do not fully know Him. Some of us neglect doing what His Word tells us, because we do not know His Word.

Some of us may not seek His wisdom, because we settle for the less-than wisdom of the world. Some of us are longing for happiness, even at the expense of our holiness.

So this brings me back to a Scripture we talked about in a previous message that serves as our closing truth and point of application.

What is the key to having a healthy fear of God? How do we keep our priorities in check? How do we have not two, but just one master in our lives? How do we remember that He is God, and I or we are not?

Simple. Follow Jesus’ Words in Matthew 6:33

Matthew 6:33 NIV

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

When Jesus says “all these things will be given to you as well” He is speaking of ALL that we need in life: what to eat, what to wear, what to drink, where to go, what to do, etc. The answer to ANY worry is… Jesus. So long as He remains number one, everything that follows is under His care.

So… how is your level of fear regarding the Lord? How is your level of awe, your level of reverence, your level of worship?

Do you want what is best for your life? Do you want what is best for your children, your marriage, your career, your future, your life?

Then seek God, FIRST. Listen to what God says, FIRST. Then and ONLY then will you begin to reap the benefits of a God-fearing lifestyle.

PRAYER

So our prayer today is simple. We don’t call out for wisdom, we don’t call out for provision, we don’t call out for riches or compassion or goodness or security. These are ALL good things that come when we simply call out for… Jesus.

Too often we come to the Lord saying, “I want this” or “I want that” when in reality we need to be praying, “Lord, I want YOU. I NEED You.” He is all that we want. He is all that we have ever needed.

Will we draw close to Him today?

Prayer point one - Repentance. If we do not have a healthy fear or reverence for God, ask for His forgiveness and guidance today.

Prayer point two - pray for the Lord to help us to go to the next level in our relationship with Him.