Fear of Man (Saul) Oct 6
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Christianity Today, 1956–1957, Volume 1, Numbers 1–25 Fear of Man Ejected by Fear of God
Only fear of God will cast out fear of man
I remember going with my dad to buy a new car. We were going to all the different car lots and I knew what I wanted, I was just looking for the best deal I could find.
We went to one dealership that was pretty motivated to get me into that vehicle I wanted. We were talking with the salesperson who had us sit down in his office. I remember him standing in the doorway to his office where he proceeded to tell a pretty vulgar joke with one of his other sales person friends.
When he stepped in to talk to us, my dad stood up and said to him, “we won’t be buying a car from you today.” I don’t appreciate that joke you told and we are going to leave now.
I was blown away. I didn’t like the joke but I never considered getting up and leaving. I didn’t know my father to be very confrontative like that but thinking back, it was a pretty awesome move to see him make.
How many of us see, put up with, deal with, things that are displeasing to God and don’t do anything about it because we are afraid of what others might think?
Or worse yet, how many of us will sin because we are too nervous to stand up for what we believe in? Where we take part in something or don’t take part in something because we are afraid of what others might think?
We are starting a new series today called..... It is based on which says; “fear of man will prove to be a snare.
Fear of man. Fear of man. What is that?
Have you ever struggled with peer pressure? That is a teenager word but it is just as relavant today as it was when you were four years old.
Ever held your tongue from telling a truth so that others wouldn’t notice you?
Have you ever stepped back from a situation because you didn’t really want the blow back?
We replace God’s position in our lives with people. There is a book that I read that really made me think about this called, “when people are big and God is small.” by Edward T Welch. The whole premise of the book deals with the sin of putting people above where God belongs.
Where we put people’s opinions, or feelings, or whatever above who God is and what God wants. It’s very powerful because if we really start examining ourselves it doesn’t take long before we realize that there are area’s in our lives where we put people above God.
That makes God number one in your life and any time you or I put peoples feelings over what God wants us to do we make people bigger than God and that makes other people your idol.
Man, we got there fast didn’t we?
Let me ask you some questions this morning.
Are you always trying to make sure that you are fitting in?
If you dealt with peer pressure as a youngster it is probably still there in one form or another.
Always trying to make sure that you are fitting in? If you dealt with peer pressure as a youngster it is probably still there in one form or another.
Do you find it hard to say “no” because you want to be available and maybe just maybe get a little self worth because of all that you do?
Do you ever second guess decisions because you are concerned about what others might think?
Are you easily embarrassed?
Do you ever lie? Even the little white lies that don’t hurt anyone because you don’t want someone to be disappointed or give you a hard time?
Do others make you angry or depressed? Do you let people ruin your day?
Are you avoiding other people?
Do you partake in certain activities because you want others to notice you or your achievements?
Is how you feel about yourself directly tied to how others feel about you?
Sometimes our lives are dominated about what others think about us instead of how we are supposed to honor God. We honor people’s opinions over God’s commands.
Ever been too timid to share your faith?
The fear of man is a major theme in the bible and our lives. Welch writes that: “The most radical treatment for fear of man is fear the Lord. God needs to be bigger to you than people are.” p 19
:“The most radical treatment for fear of man is fear the Lord. God needs to be bigger to you than people are.” p 19
Fear of man will prove to be a snare
Fear of man will prove to be a snare
We fear people bc they can expose and humiliate us
We fear people bc they can reject ridicule or despise us
We fear people bc they can attack, oppress or threaten us,
Many times We give other people the power and right to tell us what to feel, think, and do.
We give other people the power and right to tell us what to feel, think, and do.
I bet a few of you have done this. We can be singing with all our heart when we are by ourselves, driving but if someone sees us we stop, we are embarrassed. Completely anonymous, will never see again. Isn’t it strange, the power that people hold over us?
I want to look at a couple of people from history through this series that might be able to help us to recognize how dangerous the fear of man can be.
One of the most tragic stories of people pleasing comes from King Saul. Saul was the first king of Israel. After Joshua died, God sent Judges to the land. The book of Judges tells us all about it. God was using His Judges to speak God’s will. This is Samson, and Samuel.
Then the people demanded from God a king (like the other nations), they wanted to be like everyone else and God gave them what they wanted, even though it wasn’t God’s best. Sometimes God gives you what you want even though it isn’t what you want.
So Saul is made King. He isn’t all that great of a King. Read more about him in 1 Samuel.
But let’s turn to where God gives Saul a command.
2 Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. 3 Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”
Saul gets an army together and goes to fight Amalek and his armies because of the way that the Amalekites treated God’s people when they came out of Egypt. This is the army that they fought when Moses had his hands held up.
God didn’t forget. They may have thought that they got away with it but they didn’t. God instructs Saul to devote them to destruction.
7 And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction.
7
What did God tell Saul to do? To destroy everything. Everything, and it is tough to hear.
The New American Commentary: 1, 2 Samuel 1. The Lord Rejects Saul (15:1–35)
This kind of warfare, called ḥerem, was practiced only against peoples who had come under the Lord’s severest judgment
This was called Harem, the same word used for Jericho. Soldiers were not supposed to profit from harem. It was utter destruction from a just God.
But saul commited.
Direct disobedience. God told Saul to do this and Saul doesn’t do it. God told Samuel that Saul didn’t obey. Let’s read on.
13 And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed be you to the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” 14 And Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?” 15 Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction.” 16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak.”
17 And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. 18 And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?” 20 And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. 21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” 22 And Samuel said,
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has also rejected you from being king.”
1 Samuel 15:13-
Saul is caught. Worse than divination? Worse than idolatry? Now he has nothing to do but beg for mercy.
Any time we put anything above God, that is called idol worship. We remember that from the 10 commandments don’t we? Do you remember the first commandment? I will help you. tells us the first commandment. “You shall have no other gods before me”.
That means that for the Christian, we must put God as number one in our life and any time you or I put other peoples feelings over what God commands us to do we make people bigger than God and that makes other people your idol.
Any time we follow
This is tough to hear and some of you might not even believe me on this, but it is the truth.
24 Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me that I may bow before the Lord.”
24 Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.
1 samuel
And there it is. Saul says, I feared the people and obeyed their voice.
This is so serious. God does not take lightly when we disobey him.
26 And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27 As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore. 28 And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.
English Standard Version Chapter 15
And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27 As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore. 28 And Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.
There are serious consequences to putting other people over God. Today I want us to try to think of those areas where we do exactly that.
Ask yourself the question: Am I trying to make the lives of my friends and families more comfortable by not addressing the blatant sin in their lives? Are you making people big and God small? Are you putting others over the Savior of the world?
John spoke of people like this as he talked about those who did believe but would not confess Jesus.
42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
There is a consequence to putting people above God. There is something that happens when we decide to put God in the back seat instead of the forefront.
I fear that when we fail to put God first in those difficult situations, when we fail to put God on top that we miss out on something. Something happens.
Let’s finish up this section of Scripture as we see that for Saul, the pronouncement is immediate: 1 sam 15 26-28
English Standard Version Chapter 15
And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27 As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore. 28 And Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.
All because Saul cared more about what the people thought than what God thought. That is why this happened. Not because God is mean, not because God is unreasonable, but because God gave Saul a direct order and Saul cared more about what people thought than what God thought
Guys, think about this today. Think about the idols that are in our lives when it comes to pleasing people.
I wish I could tell you that everything is fine. God is happy with you just coming to church and never doing anything else with that relationship. that you are good to go but that wouldn’t be right.
There are idols in our lives that need to be addressed and when you make something bigger than God in your life, sometimes God removes those things.
Have you made a person, or a group of people an idol in your life?
are you
People pleasing, co dependency, peer pressure. All names that point to fear of man.
And we do fear men because sometimes the consequences can be hard. Yeah, you could be hurt if you tell the truth. Maybe you miss out on that promotion because you decided to put God’s statues above what others want to hear.
Maybe it is even dangerous to tell the truth. Jesus said in.
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Don’t forget that the God we believe in is more powerful than any person. More powerful than any corporation, more powerful than any leader, more powerful than any political party. God is first. We need to keep him there.
Christianity Today, 1956–1957, Volume 1, Numbers 1–25 Fear of Man Ejected by Fear of God
Only fear of God will cast out fear of man. This is not a terrifying or servile fear of God but a reverential fear. It finds its source in the realization of God’s power and righteousness. Wisdom and true religion are the fruits of reverential fear. It leads to Christ and commitment to His care and providence.
Have you ever stepped back from a situation because you didn’t really want the blow back?
People pleasing, co dependency, peer pressure. All names that point to fear of man
We replace God with people.
Do you?
Ever struggled with peer pressure as a teen? Always trying to make sure that you are fitting in? If you dealt with peer pressure as a youngster it is probably still there in one form or another.
Do you find it hard to say “no” because you want to be available and maybe just maybe get a little self worth because of all that you do?
Do you ever second guess decisions because you are concerned about what others might think?
Are you easily embarrassed?
Do you ever lie? Even the little white lies that don’t hurt anyone because you don’t want someone to be disappointed or give you a hard time?
Do others make you angry or depressed? Do you let people ruin your day?
Are you avoiding other people?
Do you partake in certain activities because you want others to notice you or your achievements?
Is how you feel about yourself directly tied to how others feel about you?
Sometimes our lives are dominated about what others think about us instead of how we are supposed to honor God. We honor people’s opinions over God’s commands.
And once we put God as first in our lives, it actually gets easier because we dont’ think about the consequences any more. We aren’t led by the what-ifs? We are trusting in a God that loves us and wants the best thing for us.
too timid to share your fath
“The most radical treatment for fear of man is fear the Lord. God needs to be bigger to you than people are.” p 19
The fear of man is a major theme in the bible and our lives.
Fear of man will prove to be a snare
We fear people bc they can expose and humiliate us
We fear people bc they can reject ridicule or despise us
We fear people bc they can attack, oppress or threaten us,
Jesus said in the garden. Lord if this cup can pass from me, if there is any way God, but not my will but your will be done.
We give other people the power and right to tell us what to feel, think, and do.
We can be singing with all our heart when we are by ourselves, driving but if someone sees us we stop, we are embarrassed. Completely anonymous, will never see again.
I want to take just a few minutes this morning for us to engage in this idea of making sure that we are putting God first in our lives.
king Saul 1 sam 15 (afraid of the people)
Loved the praise of men rather than God.
Are there any idols in your life? Is there anything you are putting above God?
42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
It is God’s desire that you put those things away. That you put Him above those things?
42-43
The clear proclamation of the gospel does not make us look good, does not make us popular.
What are the things in your life that you are putting in front of God? Is it your friends? You hanging out with people who hurt your relationship with God? Or is it that you are too afraid to tell them what you believe because you are afraid you will be ridiculed?
Don’t stop being friends with those people. But don’t put their feelings above the truth about their eternities. They need to hear the gospel.
peters failure fear of man
The gospel is really never gonna make you popular with people. But God desires for you to do your part in sharing it with others.
don’t fear the man who can kill the body but the soul
What are the areas in your life where God takes a back seat? He doesn’t want to be there.
I hope and pray that God is speaking to you about this today. Is there an area that you need to give up? I am going to ask you to come up front while we sing this last song if you want God to be first in your life, and you want to give up whatever is getting in the way of putting him first.
If you want me to pray for you I would love that. I don’t need to know what area you are struggling with but I would love to pray with you, to stand with you.
Don’t let the fear of man keep you from receiving God’s blessing today. I believe that if you stand up for him today, releasing your cares about whatever other people think of you that God will begin that work in you to give up on those areas of your life where you have made people bigger than God
Josiah
Paul
The early church being scattered.