The Fear of The Lord - Clean

Good morning and welcome to Living Faith Church. I am so excited to be able to worship Jesus Christ with you on this amazing Sunday. If we have never met before, my name is Aaron. My wife Stella and I are honored to be able to serve on the Pastoral team at LFC. Today I want you to ask yourself a question - is there a voice that you should be listening to that you have silenced? - Now - I know all you spouses are all over this. That’s not necessarily what I am talking about - although that may be a good thing.

Psalm 19:1–4 ESV

1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,

The psalmist David opens this passage by declaring that God has woven His Word into the fabric of creation itself.

Every part of the created world—the clouds drifting across the sky, the blazing sun, the moon and stars suspended in their courses—speaks with divine intention. The blue expanse above us, and the vastness beyond what we can see, continually pour forth the Word of God, day after day, night after night.

There is not a single human being who has been untouched by this voice. The heavens preach a constant sermon—wordless yet unmistakable—declaring the glory, power, and wisdom of the Lord.

Have we grown accustomed to the sacred?

“The world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of God and the Church is famishing for want of His presence.” (The Pursuit of God) AW Tozer

We live beneath a sky that shouts His majesty, yet we rarely look up.

“Some people, in order to discover God, read books. But there is a great book: the very appearance of created things. Look above you! Look below you! Read it.” Augustine of Hippo

Creation shouts, but Scripture speaks.

The heavens declare God’s glory, but His Word reveals His nature.

“God has left the unmistakable evidence of His existence and His character in creation and in the pages of the Bible.” Billy Graham

In the first half of Psalm 19, David shows us that God’s voice resounds through the skies; in the second half, he reminds us that His voice also resounds through the Scriptures.

And in Psalm 19:7–9, David identifies six distinct voices of that Word—six tones of divine revelation that continue to call humanity back to holy reverence.

Psalm 19:7–9 NASB95

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.

Voice Hebrew Term What It Reveals Result Modern Approach

Law (Torah) Direction, divine teaching Shows the way Revives the soul The Pentateuch

Testimony (Edut) Witness of truth Confirms God’s reliability Makes wise the simple Witness in court

Precepts (Piqqudim) Detailed instruction Governs daily life Rejoices the heart Moral Code

Commandment (Mitzvah) Moral authority Demands obedience Enlightens the eyes Civil Laws

Fear (Yir’ah) Holy reverence Produces purity Endures forever Respect For The Law

Judgments (Mishpatim) Righteous decrees Defines justice Establishes truth A Court Order

For any person in this room that has felt as if Gods has gone silent, as if God is not speaking - let me remind you that in verse two of this text we are told “The heavens…”

Psalm 19:2 NASB95

2 Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge.

God has not gone silent, yet too many of us have our ears turned to so many things other than God Word.

Isaiah 66:2 NASB95

2 “For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being,” declares the Lord. “But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.

The Danger of Familiarity

What I find so often within the greater body of Christ is a definite awareness to the written Word of God, but a general familiarity toward the Author of it.

We hear Scripture weekly but obey selectively

We read verses for comfort but not correction

Biblical Literacy Reality:

Only 25% of American adults read the Bible weekly.

Only 32% of churchgoers open it daily.(American Bible Society, 2023; Lifeway Research, 2023.)

Amos 8:11 NASB95

11 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord God, “When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the Lord.

This prophetic utterance was fulfilled when the Word went silent after 420 B.C. The Word was restored at the coming of Christ - but I wonder how many are still in a spiritual famine as our ears become so familiar to the voice of God, yet oh so irreverent to the breath of voice.

Jeremiah 6:10 NASB95

10 To whom shall I speak and give warning that they may hear? Behold, their ears are closed And they cannot listen. Behold, the word of the Lord has become a reproach to them; They have no delight in it.

Every moral collapse begins with a theological deafness. Before sin is committed, God’s Word was ignored.

The Bible and biblical concepts informed early American law and government — for example, the structure of courts and references to Hebrew legal traditions in the Constitution’s development. (https://www.bibleodyssey.org/articles/the-bible-and-the-us-constitution/?utm_source=chatgpt.com#google_vignette)

From 1620 to about 1865 the Bible “held a prominent place in the context of textbooks and teaching in our educational system.” (https://warrenapologetics.org/bookstore/the-history-of-the-bible-in-american-education?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

In 1963 we began to remove the Bible from public schools after the- Abington School District v. Schempp, law suite where unitarian universalist Edward Schempp sued Abington School district for requiring students to open their day with Scripture and prayer instead of allowing his kids to read from the Quran.

If religious exercises are held to be an impermissible activity in schools, religion is placed in an artificial and state-created disadvantage.... And a refusal to permit religious exercises thus is seen, not as the realization of state neutrality, but rather as the establishment of a religion of secularism, or at least, as governmental support of the beliefs of those who think that religious exercises should be conducted only in private. - Justice Stewart's opinion (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abington_School_District_v._Schempp?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

Youth incarceration rate has increased from 193 per 100,000 to 541 per 100,000

Prior to 1963 1.5% of couples divorced before their 5th anniversary. By the 1990’s that rate had increased to 11%. ‘

Moses used Gods Word to bring the nation of Israel back and centered.

Every revival king of Judah used Gods Word to recenter the nation and bring reformation.

The Word That Cleanses

Does it not speak to us that the cleansing agent of Gods word - is not the commands, the law, or the precepts - but rather it is The Fear of The Lord!

Its not the knowledge of the law - but rather the effect that the word of God produces in our life when we revere it! And Jesus witnessed this.

John 15:3 NASB95

3 “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

The Word of God doesn’t just inform — it transforms.

Reverence for the Word produces repentance, which produces renewal.

The reason there is no Revival without the Fear of the Lord is because without the fear of the Lord there is reverence for the Word of the Lord! Without the Word, we are not Clean!

Ephesians 5:26 NASB95

26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

The Word Endures Forever

What we need today is a revival of Gods Word - a revival of truth- a revival of honor for the Word of the Lord.

We lack the fear of the Lord when we go days on end without reading - Deuteronomy 17:18–19 , Colossians 3:16

We lack the fear of the Lord when we read His Word, yet willingly live contrary - Psalm 50:16–17, Proverbs 28:9, Romans 2:13

We lack the fear of the Lord when we know the truth and ignore the truth - Jeremiah 5:22–23, 2 Chronicles 36:15–16, Romans 1:21, 25

Psalm 19:9 NASB95

9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.

Practicing the Fear of the Lord Through the Word

1. Read Daily — Give God Your First 15

Joshua 1:8 NASB95

8 “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.

“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.”

Start your day in His Word before the world starts talking.

Daily reading trains the heart to hear God’s voice first and most clearly.

2. Meditate Deeply — Don’t Just Read, Listen

Psalm 1:2 NASB95

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.”

Meditation is not speed reading—it’s slow listening.

Ask: “What does this reveal about God’s character, and how will it shape mine?”

3. Journal Honestly — Record What God Said Today

Habakkuk 2:2 NASB95

2 Then the Lord answered me and said, “Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run.

“Then the Lord answered me and said, ‘Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run.’”

Writing slows your soul long enough to hear His whisper.

Journaling helps truth become testimony.

4. Apply Practically — One Step of Obedience

James 1:22 NASB95

22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.

“But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”

End every reading with a decision.

The fear of the Lord grows strongest in the soil of obedience.

5. Memorize Scripture — Hide It in Your Heart

Psalm 119:11 NASB95

11 Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.

“Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.”

Reverence is retained by what you remember.

Memorization builds a sanctuary of truth in your mind.

6. Pray the Word — Turn Scripture Into Dialogue

John 15:7 NASB95

7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

Prayer and Scripture are meant to talk to each other.

When you pray His Word, you align your desires with His will.

7. Share It — Speak God’s Word to Others

Deuteronomy 6:6–7 NASB95

6 “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.

Speaking truth strengthens it in your own spirit.

The Word multiplies when it’s shared.

8. Guard What You Consume — Keep His Word First

Proverbs 4:23 NASB95

23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.

“Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.”

Reverence requires room.

Protect the space where God’s Word is meant to dwell.

Summary: Fear of the Lord Daily Practice

Read it.

Reflect on it.

Record it.

Respond to it.

Retain it.

Recite it.

Relay it.

Revere it.

Salvation Response

Maybe you do not have a personal relationship with God; maybe you are still carrying the anxiety, guilt, and pressure that sin induces in your life. Maybe you are stressed out by trying to navigate life all on your own. Can I assure you; today all of that can end, and you can walk out of this room with hope in your heart? The Bible tells us:

Romans 10:9 NASB95

9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

Many people have told me, I don’t want to become a Christian because I can’t keep up that goodie lifestyle. But this verse says nothing about your lifestyle. God is more interested with your heart. If He can get to your heart, He will deal with your actions later.

Romans 6:23 NASB95

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We know that sin leads to death – you’ve felt the sting, and pain of sin. The good news is this, Paul calls God’s gift of life a “free gift”. I want to pray with you right now to receive this gift. If you would say, I want God’s forgiveness, I want to accept this gift of life, I want Jesus to live in my heart, raise your hand so I know who I am praying for.

KEEP YOUR HANDS RAISED HIGH - I HAVE A PRAYER PARTNER COMING TO PRAY WITH YOU

“Heavenly Father, I trust You to save me through Your Son, Jesus. Forgive me for all of my sins. Make me brand new. Because You died for me, I want to live for You. Fill me with Your Spirit, so I could follow You. Jesus, You’re now my Lord and the Savior of my life. Take my life. It is Yours. In Jesus’ name, I pray.”