Unequally Yoked - part 6
Before going to our text in 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1, I would like to preface the message by having you open your bibles to several passages and listen to them with me. The first passage the Lord put on my heart while listening to one of the talk radio shows and a caller was saying why she did not like people who are conservative. Her point was that conservatives sees the world as black or white and that we should really see it as shades of gray (actually a mixture of black and white). This passage is found in the book of Revelations 3:14-16;
Revelation 3:14-16. “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”
That is Jesus speaking to His church and talks of accountability and it is, based on how I am receiving this, a black or white situation not a mixture of the two or shades of gray. And that the same Jesus is very much aware of what is going on in His Church, locally and universally.
My preparation for Growth Group and my sermon preparation overlapped a bit and I would like to revisit the Hebrews passage for those of us who were there and at the same time mention to those who were not there, you missed a blessed Growth Group and you should have been there!
Hebrews 10:24-25. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
We talked about ‘the Day that is approaching’ that Day of Judgment and accountability
Usually somewhere in my series when ever I am preaching, the Lord brings before me these three passages of Scripture. Listen to them today because I feel that I need to remind myself of them this day;
Hebrews 13:17. Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.
2 Corinthians 13:5. Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
Matthew 7:21-23. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
My brothers and my sisters, it truly is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
By now you have heard the entire passage from 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1, so today let’s open our bibles to that passage and read together 2 Corinthians 7:1. Let us find that passage and let’s stand together and read it together and I know that we have different versions of the bible but that’s okay.
Here we go;
2 Corinthians 7:1.
Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
You may be seated. My topic is; ‘in the fear of God’
This statement says in the Greek (‘en phobou Theou) and the actual meanings of phobos is flight, fear, dread, or terror.
It is important first of all to get a biblical understanding of this phrase ‘in the fear of God’ therefore listen to these passages of Scripture;
Psalm 2:11. Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling.
Psalm 5:7. 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.
Psalm 111:10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.
Proverbs 1:7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 8:13. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.
New Hope, are you in awe of the Lord? When you think about what God has done in the past, is there an overwhelming feeling of reverence, and admiration? When I mention reverence, do you see this to mean a feeling or attitude of deep respect and self humility? This is what we find over and over in the Old Testament.
But before leaving this point, we also see this in the New Testament. Paul use this term earlier. Listen;
2 Corinthians 5:9-11. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.
Paul’s persuasion is based on his knowledge of the terror or fear of the Lord but the context tells us that Paul has in mind the fact that there is a judgment day with the Lord.
Brothers and Sisters, having these promises of the Lord, promises made in the past that we are enjoying in the present, please do not let it stop there. There are also promises made in the past that we will realize in the future, and one of them is that we, each one of us, has an appointment of accountability with the Lord. So, are we taking advantage of today while we are still able?
Most of the people we meet and deal with do not operate or function with the mind set or heart fixed on the fear of God. We do not function as if death can occur at anytime and most of the people we see and deal with, if ask, would say that they are not ready and really don’t want to talk about it. And the ‘it’ that I am talking about here is dying. Between now and the Day of the Lord, most of us will face death, we know this but we don’t want to deal with it today. But the fear of God is also about reverence, the attitude of deep respect toward God. And if we look at this entire world today, the one quality that is missing is respect. In its place we have two qualities; arrogance and apathy. Arrogance the insolence and pride of an individual, group, or country, that gives one the right to put down, talk about and even murder. We got arrogant children, arrogant sales-people, arrogant drivers, arrogant shoppers, everyone knows their own rights and it all seems to be to take the rights of others. There is no fear of God in our homes, on our jobs and even in our churches. And its cousin is just as bad, ‘apathy’, the absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement. It is the lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting. How many people today, across this country, will go to church, sit through the worship, and return home with absolutely nothing?
I don’t want to stray too far but let me tell you what this passage is saying. Without the fear of God, you or I will see nothing wrong with taking part in any religious service, at any time and anyplace. And thus just like the people at Corinth had to be taught that worship at the idol shines were wrong and sinful, so do we. But if we don’t do this in the fear of God who deserve all of our worship and admiration, then our arrogance or apathy will prevent us from embracing this. And when and where this happens, this can not happen;
Acts 9:31. Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.
There will be no peace in the church. There will be no edification, in the church. And there will be no multiplication, in the church.
The choir sings a song that I want to be ready when Jesus come but church I want to also be ready if the Lord say to me that this day your soul is required of you. A five word phrase makes the difference on how you walk your life and how you consider one another to stir up love and good works. That phase ‘in the fear of God’ should affect everything about you externally and internally.
Let me close this day with the word of God, listen and meditate on these passages of Scripture;
From the book of Job,
Job 28:28. And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding.’ ”
Again from the Psalms
Psalm 19:9. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
Psalm 111:10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.
From Proverbs
Proverbs 1:7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 2:5. Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God.
Proverbs 8:13. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.
Proverbs 9:10. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 10:27. The fear of the Lord prolongs days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.
Proverbs 14:26. In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge.
Proverbs 14:27. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.
Proverbs 15:16. Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, Than great treasure with trouble.
Proverbs 15:33. The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility.
Proverbs 16:6. In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.
Proverbs 19:23. The fear of the Lord leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.
Proverbs 22:4. By humility and the fear of the Lord Are riches and honor and life.
Proverbs 23:17. Do not let your heart envy sinners, But be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day;
From the prophet Isaiah
Isaiah 11:2. 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.
Isaiah 11:3. His delight is in the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;
Isaiah 33:6. Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, And the strength of salvation; The fear of the Lord is His treasure.
May the Lord bless the reading, the hearing and the doing of His Holy Word! Amen