Trinity Baptist Church

Living by Faith in a World Full of Fear

Do You Fear God?

Deuteronomy 10:12-14, 17

 

If you have your Bible this morning, turn to Deuteronomy 10:12.  This is the last in a series of messages on "Living By Faith in a World Full of Fear". For the last six weeks we’ve looked at some of the fears we have to deal with in the world such as the fear of loneliness and commitment.  The fear of death or the unknown is very real for many. 

 

Now what we’ve been dealing with negative fears; things can rob us of joy and contentment and peace and cause chaos in our life.  But today I want to conclude with a message about a positive fear.  In fact, if you have this fear, it is the best thing that you could ever experience and is, in fact, the source of every good thing the other fears would attempt to steal from you.

 

Today, I want to look at what it means to fear God.  Do you fear God?  Would you call yourself a God-fearing person? 

 

In our text today in Deuteronomy 10, Moses is speaking to the children of Israel about how to live.

 

Deuteronomy 10:12-14, 17

 

Now as you know, fear comes in all kinds of forms.  I like the story about the pastor who liked to visit a certain widow in his church because she had a wonderful vegetable garden.  He always tried to go around lunchtime because she liked to cook delicious fresh vegetables for her pastor. 

So he went by one day and he knocked on her door but there was no answer.  He called out Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones.  He didn't hear an answer so he walked around back to the garden and he called out Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones and he heard no answer. 

 

He decided well I guess she doesn't hear me.  So he  thought he would be humorous and leave a card on her door and with a Scripture reference to Revelation 3:20 which says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will eat with him, and he with me." 

 

What he didn't realize is that when he showed up at her house, she was just getting out of the bathtub.  And when he knocked on the door, she unable to answer the door because of that. 

 

Well, Sunday came and on the way out of the service she handed the pastor a little note with Genesis 3:10 scribbled on it.  He grabbed his Bible and opened up to the verse to read, "I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself."

 

There are all kinds of fears and the fear of God is one of them.  But for the child of God, the fear of God isn’t a negative fear.  It’s not about dread and anxiousness. But rather, it is a reverential awe of God.  It means a respect of God for who He is.  So I want us to notice first of all

 

 

 

 

 

I.  The Requirements for Fearing God

 

What is it to fear God?  If I were to try to boil it down to a single sentence, I think I’d say it means we take God seriously.

 

When we stand in awe of God there is a marvel and wonder.  We are dumbfounded.  It is described by Isaiah as seeing the Lord “high and lifted up and His glory filled the temple.” 

 

You remember we were told that when the American army went into Iraq that the our bombs and military forces would create shock and awe.  I don't know if we had shock and awe then but I promise you if you were to stand in the presence of God literally today you would experience shock and awe.   

 

Now in our text Moses not only tells his people that they are to fear God, but he also mentions why. 

 

First of all he says we are to fear God because of

 

 

verse 14

 

We stand in awe of God because everything we see, everything we are belongs to God.  He created it all.  You can look at the beauty of the Rocky Mountains, the majesty of Yellow Stone, the depths of the Grand Canyon or the vastness of the oceans and get a sense of how small you are when compared to the handiwork of God. 

 

 

 

If you look up at the stars at night and ealize that there are millions and millions and millions of stars and there are multiplied galaxies that are beyond our naked eye to see.  You will be in awe that there is a being so great that He can make all of this and that all of this actually belongs to Him. 

 

Even the little things that we think we own are not ours.  Some day in just a few years they will belong to somebody else.  The land that we own now in a few short years will belong to somebody else.  We are only the managers, we are only the stewards.  Everything belongs to God and we ought to stand in awe of God because He owns it all because of His possessions.

 

And secondly we ought to stand in awe of God because of

 

 

verse 15

 

Out of all the nations that God could have chosen to represent Him He chose the tiniest, most insignificant nation on earth, the nation of Israel.  And Moses is reminding them that they were a nation of slaves and yet God set His affection on them.  God set His love on them and God chose them, not because of anything worthy about them, but because it was the sovereign God's choice.   And they ought to stand in awe because of God's purpose.  God had a purpose for them.

 

 

 

 

And I’m telling you when you and I realize that as believers in Jesus Christ, God chose us before the foundation of the world was laid, long before we were ever born, long before God spoke the earth in creation, God chose us in Christ to be His own, we will stand in awe of Him.

 

God set His affection on us and loved us enough that He sent His only begotten Son to shed His blood for us, to purchase us on Calvary as a people for Himself.  We ought to stand in awe of that.  That God who made this great universe has a purpose for our little lives. 

 

Then we ought to stand in awe of God because of

 

 

verse 17a

 

When you fear God it means you recognize Him as the only true God. It means you have no other gods before Him.  Do you know what a god is?  Whatever is most important in your life, whatever you give the most time and treasure and talent to is your god.  That is what you worship. 

 

The Bible says that God is a jealous God.  His only position in our life has to be number one.  He has to be pre-eminent.  The writer of Colossians, Paul, said "for this reason Jesus Christ died and rose again, that in all things He might have the preeminence."  That is what it means to fear God.  It means to recognize His position.

 

 

 

And then it means to stand in awe of

 

 

verse 17b

 

We sing the song about an awesome God.  It comes from this passage of Scripture, that the Lord is mighty and awesome. 

 

And in verse 21b he said, "...who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes." 

 

The children of Israel saw God part the Red Sea, they saw God send manna from heaven, they saw God send quail into the wilderness, they saw God make bitter water sweet, they saw God perform miracle after miracle after miracle.  They witnessed the mighty power of God as He destroyed the Egyptian army.  They saw God as He sent the ten plagues upon Egypt.  They saw the power of God.  And they stood in awe.

 

Do you know what kind of God He is?  When He parted the Red Sea there were at least 3-3½ million Israelites and God would have had to make a path for people to march 5,000 abreast, a path 3 miles wide. 

 

For forty years God would have had to make a camping place that was 7500 square miles in size just for them to camp at night, 2/3 the size of Rhode Island.  God would have had to supply food at the cost today, $4 million a day to feed them.  It would require 11 million gallons of water for the bare necessities of washing and drinking. 

It would have taken a freight train of tank cars 1,800 hundred miles long to haul in that much water each day.  Who supplied that vast food and water supply for the people of Israel?  God did.  That is why Moses said you know He is the God of Gods.  He is an awesome and great God.  You should fear Him.  You should stand in awe of His power for you have seen it work.

 

To fear God means to take God seriously.  But let’s move it a little closer to home. 

 

To fear God also means to know God personally. 

 

Is that not amazing?  That the God Whom we’ve been describing would desire a personal relationship with you?  He wants to be your friend!  He’d like to spend time with you and allow you to get to know Him.

 

In fact, Proverbs 1:7 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." 

 

Psalm 85:9 says, "Surely his salvation is near those who fear him; that his glory may dwell in our land."

 

Now the fear of God begins with a personal choice. 

 

Proverbs 1:29 talks about a group of people that God will reject because they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the Lord. 

 

 

 

 

Now whether you fear God or not is up to you.  It is a personal choice.  You must make a personal choice to fear God, to receive Christ as your Savior, to receive the free gift of eternal life, to accept what Jesus did for you on the cross when He paid for your sin and rose again from the dead.  If you fear Him you will receive His free gift.  That is a personal choice.  Fearing God means to come to know Him personally and the only way to do that is to receive that free gift of salvation.

 

Not only does it begin with a personal choice but also it behaves with a perpetual commitment. 

 

It is not one trip down the aisle; it is a lifetime of continuing growth in Christ. 

 

Proverbs 2:1 says, "My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you... then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God."  It is personal growth.  If you continue to walk with God then you truly fear God.

 

And number three, the fear of God bring about a powerful change.

 

Proverbs 14:2 says, "He whose walk is upright fears the LORD , but he whose ways are devious despises him." 

 

If you truly fear God and you truly know God, it has brought about a powerful change in your life and the things you once hated now you love.  And the things you once loved you now hate because God has changed your life.  And if your experience has not changed your life, then you need to change your experience because you didn't have the real kind. 

To fear God means to take God seriously, it means to know God personally, and then it means to obey God completely.

 

Ecclesiastes 12:13 says, "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." It means in our daily walk we are to obey the principles of God. 

 

It means to obey God in our worship. 

 

Look over a couple of pages to Deuteronomy 14.  In verse 22 he talks about the tithe.  Notice what he says. 

 

Verse 22-23

 

Did you know that the purpose of the tithe is to teach you how to worship?  Tithing is a part of worship because you are presenting yourself to God in worship.  Worship is a sacrifice of yourself. 

 

In the Old Testament they never came to worship without an offering.  It was unheard of to come to the temple without a sacrifice.  Listen:  You and I should never come to worship without something to give to the Lord.  Those who fear the Lord would never dream of coming into His presence without something to offer Him. 

 

One of the reasons God required the tithe was so His people would understand the need to fear God. 

 

In fact, I’m convinced one of the primary reasons many people don't tithe is because they don't fear God. 

The Word of God is very clear in His Word that those who don't tithe can expect to receive certain judgments upon them, just as those that do tithe can expect to receive certain blessings upon them. 

 

To come to church without a tithe or offering is to dare God to be true to His Word.  It’s as if we are saying, “Bring it on God.”  It’s a way of saying, “We don’t need God’s blessing in our life.  We are fine without Him.  There is no need to tithe.  And we demonstrate there is no fear of God in our life. 

 

A preacher made an appeal to his congregation one night for people to come forward and give money to build a building.  And the people were coming down and they were laying their gifts on the altar to build the building.  And a little cripple girl, on crutches, made her way down the altar and all she had was a little ring.  It wasn't much but her mother had given it to her and it meant a lot to her.  She laid the ring on the altar. 

 

After the service an usher came to her and said the pastor wants to see you.  She made her way back to the pastor's study.  He said, “Honey come in and sit down.”

 

She sat down in front of the big desk in the pastor's office and he said, “I saw what you did tonight. It was such a beautiful gesture.  But honey, we want to give you this ring back because the people gave so generously we have more than enough money to build our building.”  She looked at him with a stern face and she said, “Pastor I didn't give this ring to you; I gave this ring to God.  I can't take it back.”

 

 

My friend, tithing is worship.  It’s not giving to the church or to the preacher.  It is our way of telling God how much we love Him and how we want to be obedient to Him and that we stand in awe of Him. 

 

And if we fear God we will obey God in our worship.

 

If we obey God, we will obey God in our witness.

 

Paul said in II Corinthians 5:11, "We know the fear of God, so we try to get men to put their trust in Christ." 

 

Paul was saying, “The reason I witness, the reason I travel from city to city, the reason I build churches,  the reason I am a missionary is because I fear God and I know that judgment is coming and hell is real. 

 

Where there is a healthy fear of God and His Word there will be an active, ongoing effort to sin the lost.  Where God is feared, there you will find a soul-winning church.  Where there is a fear of God you will find obedient Christians actively sharing their faith with others.

 

To fear God means we take God seriously, we know God personally, and finally, if you fear God, you will love God supremely. 

 

Psalm 118:4 says, "Let those who fear the LORD say: "His love endures forever." 

 

Do you remember what Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-40?  "Jesus replied,"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'

This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." 

 

Some things just go together.  Biscuits and gravy are like that, amen?  Pancakes and syrup are like that.  Chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes!    

 

Well, two of those things that just go together are the fear of God and the love of God.  If you fear God, you love God.  You see if you fear God then you know God.  If you know God, you love God.  The more you know God the more you love God.  The more you love God then the more you are going to obey God.  Jesus said if you love me keep my commandments.  Those are the requirements for fearing God.  Now quickly, let me share with you

 

Ii.  The Results of Fearing God

 

What will happen if you fear God? What should you expect because you’ve learned to fear God? 

 

Deuteronomy 10:13

 

Moses said I am telling you this for your own good.  Folks, I am telling you whatever I am telling you today for your own good, to bless you.  Here is what will happen if you fear God. 

 

Learn to fear God and you can expect

 

 

Psalms 112:1-3

 

That’s the psalmist’s way of saying God will take care of you.  He will bless you.  God will prosper you if you fear God.

 

If you fear God there will be

 

 

Psalm 34:9

 

I thought about that man in deep financial distress, his job was gone, his savings were exhausted.  Things got so bad he had to sell his house, move he and his family out into a tent. His son had to quit college and come home.  His daughter was walking four miles to school.  His wife had to give up her medical care.  And he said, I tell you, if things get any worse, I am going to have to sell my Cadillac!

 

If you fear God, you lack nothing.  In fact you will avoid a lot of the dumb mistakes people make. You will avoid all the hassles that people get into.  God will provide for you if you fear Him.

 

If you fear God there will be

 

 

Psalm 34:7

 

What a promise that is. People are so insecure today. They’re worried about crime; they’re worried about terrorism; they’re worried about financial failure.  Everywhere you look there is insecurity. 

 

 

 

God promises protection for those who fear Him.  He said, I will send the angels to camp around you.

 

One of the most unique men who ever lived, and a man whose biography I was rereading again this week because it touches my heart every time I read it, is John Payton, a missionary to the New Hebrides. He tells a story about some angelic care that he received in his lifetime. He said that one night wild natives surrounded his house, frantically dancing and jumping up and down in the jungle, desiring to kill John and his wife. Well, they got on their knees realizing there was no way they could protect themselves against these wild cannibals and they prayed. Soon after that the attackers all vanished into the jungle, they were gone. According to Payton's biographer, a year later the chief of the tribe became a Christian, and John asked him at that time, "What happened that night about a year ago when your natives surrounded our little lean-to there on the sand and near the beach and all of a sudden they left?" And this is what the chief said, "Well, because of all those men you had with you, we left."

 

John said, "There were no men, just myself and my wife." The chief said that they had seen men standing guard, hundreds of big men in shining clothes, with swords in their hands, totally circling his home.

 

My friend if you fear God you will have protection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you fear God you will have

 

 

Proverbs 1:26

 

So many people do not have peace.  They would give any amount of money just to have an hour of peace.  Listen:  Scripture says the Lord will be your confidence.   Our security is not in Washington, D.C. Our security is in the Lord Jesus Christ and fearing Him.  And if you fear Him you don't have to fear anybody else!

 

If you fear God there will be

 

 

Proverbs 3:5-6

 

Everybody is looking for purpose.  They think there will be purpose in the next deal, purpose in the next job, purpose in the next promotion, purpose in the next house they buy, purpose in the next sale, purpose in the next marriage, purpose in the next relationship, purpose when they get out of high school, purpose when they get out of college, purpose when they start their career. 

 

But purpose is not found by looking for purpose, purpose is a by-product of fearing God and making Him first in your life.  There is where you will find God's purpose for your life.

 

 

 

 

And fearing God brings

 

 

Proverbs 3:7-8

 

Did you know that studies show that people who go to church regularly live six to seven years longer than people who don't go to church regularly? 

 

I personally think it’s because of all the extra sleep they get!  But that shouldn’t surprise us!  That is a promise of God's Word. 

 

You know what I think?  I think God is looking for some folks to bless!  He is looking for those who will fear Him so that He might bring to their life goodness and mercy and grace and peace and raise them up as a testimony of His awesome power. 

 

Psalm 34:1-11

 

Let's bow our heads and pray.