Sermon Title: The Lifestyle of the Fearful Follower
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This Week’s Theme: Walking in the Fear of God
This Week’s Word is Fear: It can have at least three meanings. It is an attitude of anxiety or distress, caused by concern over a threat to one’s future. It is also reverence or respect. Finally it is seen as standing in awe of God.
Memory Verse: Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NKJV) Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.
Essence of the Text in a Sentence: The psalmist exposed the character qualities and the benefits of fearing the LORD.
Sermon Objective: I want those in attendance to compare their lives with the Bible’s portrait of a reverent saint and adjust their actions, attitude, and desires with the biblical text.
Sermon Text: Psalm 112
1 Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who delights greatly in His commandments.
2 His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches will be in his house, And his righteousness endures forever.
4 Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
5 A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion.
6 Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
8 His heart is established; He will not be afraid, Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.
9 He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted with honor.
10 The wicked will see it and be grieved; He will gnash his teeth and melt away; The desire of the wicked shall perish.
INTRODUCTION:
TRANSITION:
Sermon Proposition:
A saint’s devotion and duty begins with fearing God
A saint’s devotion and duty begins with fearing God
I. His Position
I. His Position
Psalm 112
HIS STORY
HIS STORY
3 Wealth and riches will be in his house, And his righteousness endures forever.
HIS STEPS
HIS STEPS
4 Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
5 A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion.
9 He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted with honor.
HIS STAMINA
HIS STAMINA
6 Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
8 His heart is established; He will not be afraid, Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.
10 The wicked will see it and be grieved; He will gnash his teeth and melt away; The desire of the wicked shall perish.
HIS SEED
HIS SEED
LINEAGE
2 His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed.
What type of bad news shakes you?
How is your trust in the LORD shown in times of affliction? What do you do?
II. His Practice
II. His Practice
1 Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who delights greatly in His commandments.
REJOICES IN GOD’S WORD
REJOICES IN GOD’S WORD
Ps 145:19; Ps 37:25-26
19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.
25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.
26 He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed.
RESPECTS THE LORD
RESPECTS THE LORD
1 Sam 12:20, 24; Joshua 24:14; Deut. 4:10; Deut 17:19; Ps 111:10; Prov 1:7; Lev 25:17; Ps 112:9
1 Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who delights greatly in His commandments.
20 Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.
Samuel told the children of Israel not to fear the consequences of their evil deeds but rather fear the LORD
24 Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.
He fears the LORD and serves in truth. Joshua told the people at the end of his life to Joshua 24.14
14 “Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord!
Hearing God Word leads to learning to fear Him Deuteronomy 4:10
10 especially concerning the day you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’
Reading God’s Word leads to learning to fear Him Deuteronomy 17:19
19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes,
Reverence towards God expresses itself in the actions, as well as the words of worship.
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.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
True reverence for God leads to obedience towards him.
Reverence affects his interaction among God’s people. Look at Lev 25:17
17 Therefore you shall not oppress one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the Lord your God.
This is why the psalmist said in Ps 112.9
9 He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted with honor.
What is your attitude toward God’s Word?
Do you delight in keeping His statutes and judgments?
Do you delight more in stuff then you do in the Word of God?
How do your attitude and actions show that you fear the LORD?
In what area do you need to improve in respecting God through obedience? What changes will you make?
III. HIS POSTURE
III. HIS POSTURE
Psalm 112:1; Psalm 128:1; Psalm 1:1-2; Ecc 8:12; Psalm 147:11; Isaiah 50:10; 66:2
1 Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who delights greatly in His commandments.
1 Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, Who walks in His ways.
This is exactly what is being communicated in Psalm 1:1-2
1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.
Blessed those who fear the Lord Ecc 8:12
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.
The psalmist understood this truth and said in Psalm 147:11
11 The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy.
My brothers and sisters, Ps34.9 “9 . . Fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.”
I admonish you to Ps2.11 “11 Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling.”
10 “Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness And has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord And rely upon his God.
2 For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the Lord. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.
Are you happy in Christ?
Will others say that you are happy in Christ?
Does the source of your actions, attitude, and character traits line up with this Psalm 112? Defend your answer.
Do you need to repent (turn from) of any sins today?
What steps will you start today to improve your lining up with reverencing God?
CONCLUSION