The Fear of God | No Fear November

About this sermon

When it comes to fear, many people believe that it is all bad. But the reality is that fear can actually be beneficial - if we understand it and fear the right things. In this message, Ed Young takes a look at one of the biggest fears many people deal with - a fear that can challenge our concept of its role in our lives. And as we learn what it means to truly fear God, we discover something that can actually lead us into a life of confidence and purpose. There is one overriding fear I have that keeps me doing what I do. It’s the fear of God. In our culture, it seems like we fear everything but God. We fear the future, we fear rejection, and we fear commitment. Those fears we should keep at arm’s length. But the fear of the Lord is the only fear that should be operative in our lives. Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” What is fear? F-E-A-R. It’s a Foundational Emotion that is Always Reverent. The Scripture tells us there is a beautiful balance between the fear of God and the love of God. You can’t talk about the love of God without talking about the wrath of God. You cannot talk about the mercy of God without talking about the judgment of God. We try to decaffeinate it. We say it’s about respect. It’s about reverence. People say it’s to be in awe of God. All those things are true, yet we have stripped those words of their meaning. We say “That was an awesome touchdown!” or “That chocolate sundae was awesome!” But no one is awesome except God. What is the Fear of God? Here is my working definition of the fear of God. It’s the 24/7, 360-degree awareness that everything we do, say, and think is in front of a holy and just, and magnetic God, who sees everything we do and who judges everything we do. I’m talking to those of us who follow Christ. God sees your life and mine. Our lives are an open book. He judges what we do. I’m not talking about Heaven, I’m not talking about Hell. I’m talking about the Bema Seat of God. I’m talking about how God disciplines those he loves. I would rather scare you into Heaven than lull you into hell. Motivated by the Fear of God: - Spend Time in His Word - Share Your Faith With Others - Give Back Through Tithe The Bible mentions the fear of God twenty-seven times. Do you think it’s important? The fear of God will change your worship. It will change the way you pray. It will change your view of yourself and of God. It’s my prayer that the fear of God and the love of God will cause you to respond to the grace of God and the mercy of God. Fear of God | No Fear November | Pastor Ed Young The Fear of God #FearOfGod #BibleStudy #overcomefear

Topics

• Anxiety & Worry
• Victory Over Fear