Walking in the fear of the Lord

Acts 9:31 NKJV

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.

We must walk in the fear of the Lord

We must live our lives in the fear of God

What is the fear of God

Deuteronomy 5:22–29 (NKJV)

22 “These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly, in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and He added no more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.

23 “So it was, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, that you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders.

24 And you said: ‘Surely the Lord our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God speaks with man; yet he still lives.

25 Now therefore, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore, then we shall die.

26 For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?

27 You go near and hear all that the Lord our God may say, and tell us all that the Lord our God says to you, and we will hear and do it.’

28 “Then the Lord heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me: ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken.

29 Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!

The people of Israel when they heards the words of God in the Mountain from God’s voice

They were fearful and responded to Moses saying “tell us all that the Lord our God says to you, and we will hear and do it.’

God responded saying they are right and yearned to see his people with this kind of Heart that fears him and lawys keep all his commandment

God describes to us what it means to Fear the Lord

The hearts that fears the Lord is the heart that always hears the words of the Lord and obey it.

Key word is “always” hears and obey the word of the Lord

When someone does not have the fear of the Lord he will not hear nor obey the commandments of the Lord.

Whenever you think of fearing the Lord, think of always hearing and obey the word of the Lord.

Why Should we Fear God

1. God Ought to be feared because he is God

Psalm 89:6–13 (NKJV)

6 For who in the heavens can be compared to the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the Lord?

7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.

8 O Lord God of hosts, Who is mighty like You, O Lord? Your faithfulness also surrounds You.

9 You rule the raging of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them.

10 You have broken Rahab in pieces, as one who is slain; You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.

11 The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and all its fullness, You have founded them.

12 The north and the south, You have created them; Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name.

13 You have a mighty arm; Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand.

God is to be feared because there is no one who has any power or might than he has.

When one weild a certain power and authority, he automatically because of the power and authority he weild he deserves to be feared. His word mus be heard and obeyed

Example, police officers. If an officer tell you to raise your hands and come out of your car, you will be obedient, but if a stranger comes and tells you to do the same you will not oblige nor pay attention. Becuase of the power and authority the police officer wields, you automatically fear him and do what he says.

Romans 13:7 “7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.”

God who has the power over your life, who is able to take, not only that he is able to destroy your soul in hell. Is he not to be feared,

Should you not pay attention when he speaks and obey what he says

Matthew 10:28 NKJV

28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Jere 5:20-23

Jeremiah 5:20–23 NKJV

20 “Declare this in the house of Jacob And proclaim it in Judah, saying, 21 ‘Hear this now, O foolish people, Without understanding, Who have eyes and see not, And who have ears and hear not: 22 Do you not fear Me?’ says the Lord. ‘Will you not tremble at My presence, Who have placed the sand as the bound of the sea, By a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass beyond it? And though its waves toss to and fro, Yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot pass over it. 23 But this people has a defiant and rebellious heart; They have revolted and departed.

One of the reason for the lack of the fear of God in some peoples life is the lack of the knowledge of God’s power/ might and authority.

Pharoah as an example

Exodus 5:1–2 (NKJV)

1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’ ”

2 And Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.”

After so many plagues demonstrating his power, still Pharoah was stubborn and did not fear God.

Exodus 9:29–30 (NKJV)

29 So Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the Lord; the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, that you may know that the earth is the Lord’s.

30 But as for you and your servants, I know that you will not yet fear the Lord God.”

It is when God finally smote him where he really felt it, when his firstborn son was dead then he feared God.

The difference between how Pharoah came to fear God and How the people of Israel came to fear God.

Israel feard God because to heard his voice, they heard his words, they saw his glory. They what he was able to do against their enemies.

Pharoah feared God when he saw what God was able to do against him.

One way or another people will fear God, because he ought to be feared. God deserved to be repsected, his word to be obeyed.

Isaiah 45:23 NKJV

23 I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath.

2. The fear of God will turn you away from Evil and will deliver you from death

Proverbs 16:6 (NKJV)

6 In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.

Proverbs 14:26–27 (NKJV)

26 In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge.

27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.

Proverbs 19:23 NKJV

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.

The fear of the Lord will turn one away from evil, away from sin, when one fears the Lord one will shun evil

By turning way from evil one will turn away from the snares of death

The fear of the Lord turn one away from death into life.

This is the reason God yearned with the desire to see his people fearing him all the days of their lives when he said. Deut 5:29 “29 Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!”

the love of God and the fear of the Lord

proverbs 8:13

Proverbs 8:13 NKJV

The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.

genesis 22:12

Genesis 22:12 NKJV

And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

Everyone in the holy scriptures who did not fear God perished

Belshazzar King of Babylon

Daniel 5:6 “6 Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other.”

Daniel 5:25–28 (NKJV)

25 “And this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN

26 This is the interpretation of each word. Mene: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it;

27 Tekel: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting;

28 Peres: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”

That day he died

The sons of Eliha- Hophni and Phinehas

1 Samuel 2:12 NKJV

12 Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the Lord.

It is very dangerous thing to live in the house of God and not fear him.

Those who feared the Lord always escaped death and prospered

The hebrew midwives

Exodus 1:15–21 NKJV

15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; 16 and he said, “When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” 17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive. 18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?” 19 And the midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.” 20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. 21 And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them.

These midwives because they feared God refused to do evil in the sight of God even if it was the command of the King knowing full well they were risking their life.

They did not perish, rather they were blessed, God provided for them.

Shadrach Mesach and Abdenego

They refused to bow down to idol made up by the King risking their lives not fearing the fire but fearing God

God delivered them from the fire and they were promoted in the KIngdom

Pretending to fear God in public because of fear of man

The people of Judah pretend to fear God in public because of the King but in secret they did evil in the sight of God.

Those who fear God will live and prosper

Proverbs 22:4 NKJV

4 By humility and the fear of the Lord Are riches and honor and life.

Ecclesiastes 8:11–13 (NKJV)

11 Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him.

13 But it will not be well with the wicked; nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God.

It will always be well with those who fear God and are reverent before him.

“ Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”

Because sometimes God remain silent in the face of an evil work, it does not mean he should not be feared.

Isaiah 57:11 (NKJV)

11 “And of whom have you been afraid, or feared, That you have lied And not remembered Me, Nor taken it to your heart? Is it not because I have held My peace from of old That you do not fear Me?

Sometimes people thing that because God is silent when they do evil, he is not to be feared.

Don’t mistake the longsuffering and forbearance of God, for God’s approval of your deeds.

Don’t envy sinner who seem to prosper in their evil ways, for their portion will only be destruction.

Proverbs 23:17 (NKJV)

17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, But be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day;

Malachi 3:4–6 NKJV

4 “Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem Will be pleasant to the Lord, As in the days of old, As in former years. 5 And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness Against sorcerers, Against adulterers, Against perjurers, Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, And against those who turn away an alien— Because they do not fear Me,” Says the Lord of hosts. 6 “For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

Those who do evil because they do not fear God, God will Judge but let him not find you and me among their number

Let us continually fear God.

Concluding prayer

Jeremiah 32:37–41 (NKJV)

37 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries where I have driven them in My anger, in My fury, and in great wrath; I will bring them back to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely.

38 They shall be My people, and I will be their God;

39 then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them.

40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me.

41 Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul.’