Message
God’s Will/My Will: Fear (of the Lord) – Sinful vs Right Fear
1 John 4:16-18, Pr 9:10, 22:4, Psalm 147:11, Romans 11:33-12:2
‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom… and humility is the fear of the Lord, its rewards are riches, honor, and life… the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him.” (Pr 9:10, 22:4, and Ps 147:11). What characterizes this fear of the Lord? What is it we fear of the Lord? These are good questions. And then another question comes, what about other fears, how do they fit in with the fear of the Lord?
Sunday, we will briefly share together a fear that we have, it can be anything. And then make ‘a call’ about that fear, does that fear fit into God’s desire for you to be fearful about? The answer can be simple – either a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ or a ‘maybe, unsure.’ No further explanation is necessary on Sunday. Simply identify a fear, can be anything, and make ‘a call’ on it. Is it God’s desire for you to fear such and such?
Is it God’s desire for you to fear such and such?
Another text of focus for Sunday is from 1 John 4:16-18, “God is love. Whoever lives in love, lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world, we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love, for perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been made perfect in love.” How might this address our fears and our understanding of the fear of the Lord?
Remember ‘show and tell’ in elementary school? When you had a special time to share before the class something you enjoyed or had, like a hermit crab, or a dog for example. You’d spend time ‘telling’ about it, and then, you would ‘show it.’ What was the most impactful experience? Telling about it, or showing it? I wrote a sermon on Monday that had much ‘tell’ to it (information, tidbits of knowledge, interesting facts, etc). And then Tuesday night, it seemed that God was working it all out in my thoughts and spirit. I awoke Tuesday early am, and wrote more ‘show’ into the message for this week. So Sunday will be both ‘ tell, and show’, about the fear of the Lord.
May God’s will be so intertwined with your will, that it is Christ who lives in you,
Pastor Mark