Let's Go: "Fearing God"

Let's Go: “Fearing God”

Mark 4:35-41

I. What are you afraid of?

1 Peter 5:7 ESV

casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Psalm 65:5–8 ESV

By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,

O God of our salvation,

the hope of all the ends of the earth

and of the farthest seas;

the one who by his strength established the mountains,

being girded with might;

who stills the roaring of the seas,

the roaring of their waves,

the tumult of the peoples,

so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.

II. What is fear of God?

“The real wonderful moments of joy in this world are not the moments of self-satisfaction, but self-forgetfulness. Standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon and contemplating your own greatness is pathological. At such moments we are made for a magnificent joy that comes from outside ourselves. And each of these rare and precious moments in life—beside the Canyon, before the Alps, under the stars—is an echo of a far greater excellence, namely, the glory of God. That is why the Bible says, ‘The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork’” -John Piper

Psalm 33:8 ESV

Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!

Proverbs 3:7 ESV

Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

Proverbs 1:7 ESV

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 19:23 ESV

The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.

“The person who fears God seeks to live all of life to the glory of God... All the activities of life should be pursued with the aim of glorifying God.” - Jerry Bridges

“Children, Fear God; that is to say, have an holy awe upon your minds to avoid that which is evil, and a strict care to embrace and do that which is good.” -William Penn

“The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.” -Oswald Chambers

Psalm 25:14 ESV

The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.

“True worship is a mixture of awe and intimacy.” - JD Greear

III. How do we grow in awe and intimacy?

1. Confess and repent of sin

Proverbs 3:7 ESV

Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

2. Live in the Word and prayer

Psalm 119:18 ESV

Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.

3. Community with other believers

Hebrews 10:25 ESV

not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Faith Sheet:

1. How do you relate to the disciples in the storm on the boat?

2. How does the passage make you think of Jesus?

3. What are things you fear? How do they affect your life?

4. What is fear of the Lord?

5. What steps can you take to fear God more?

6. How do fear of God and intimacy with him go together?