The Fear of the Lord
1 Amens
The fear of the Lord!
America in his early twenties. He was a also Divine and a preacher and one day in
Northampton in his own church and it was met with little reaction if any but this history altering day was totally different.
Mount
Zion , to the heavenly
Jerusalem , the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Ephesus ,
Smyrna ,
Pergamum , Thyatira,
Sardis ,
Philadelphia and
Laodicea .”
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Prov. 1:7
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom"
Matt 10:28
"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."
Tonight I'm going to preach a message most of you have never heard before.
Living between the years of 1703- 1758, was an incredible man who had a colossal intellect. He entered university at the age of 12 and was made president of Yale the most prestigious college in
This man was none other than Jonathan Edwards. He was among the dullest of orators you ever heard. He used to hold his candle in one hand and his notes in the other and just read his points from his page with out any sign of zeal or enthusiasm.
He preached this very sermon for the first time in
This particular day he mounted the pulpit as he was accustomed to do with his notes in one hand and his candle in the other. And he began his sermon starting with the text from Deut 32:35 “Their foot shall slide in due time...”
His voice began to fill the room as he expounded on a subject long forgotten in our modern soothsayer pulpits. The topic at hand was the wrath and vengeance of God against a sinful people.
It wasn’t long into his sermon before people started to feel al little uncomfortable and started shuffling in their seats. They couldn’t sit still and began to grunt and moan a little at the thought of an almighty God taking His vengeance against sinners.
A short while into his sermon people began falling form their seats, fainting at the thought that they will have to face a living God on judgment day to account for all their sins, wether done in thought, word or action. Others stood up and ran for the pillars of the church clutching at them for dear life, screaming at the top of their voices. Others shook in their seat and trembled, wailed and wept at the reality that has just hit them. This very reality is as true today as it was way back in 1741, and that truth is the eternal truth that God is a God of love, charity, mercy and grace as much as He is a God of fierce anger and wrath at sinners who refuse to obey Him and His word. Sinners who refuse to repent.
The truth is we can never completely understand His capacity to love unless we have first grasped the magnitude of His wrath and judgment.
This is why the Old Testament came before the New. Because that’s the 1st lesson we need to learn. He's a fierce God and than He's a merciful saviour. Not the other way around. It seems all we do is speak about His sweetness and His love, and so we should, but we will have a handicapped view of His grace if we don’t know what we’re saved from.
Heb 12:14-29
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.
You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned." The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling with fear."
But you have come to
See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire."
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If you know Him, than your saved and you’ll undoubtedly have a healthy fear of Him. It’s impossible to meet Him and not be trembling with fear.
This is a shock to some of you. As I said you have never heard preaching on this before and if you don’t understand this eternal truth than half the bible is useless to you. I'm sure ministers who never preach about the magnitude of His fury find it real hard to reconcile the passages that reveal His awesomeness and wrath, with their ‘candy cane’ image of the Judge of all the Earth.
And can I also say that this is also the reason you never breakthrough to the realms you have desired for so long. You want to experience more of God, you want your healing or your deliverance fro sin yet if you only held Him in the esteem He deserves and paid Hi the homage He’s due and ultimately feared Him, than He would come and meet with you and speak with you and fill you again with Pentecostal power.
I know this offends some of you but guess what; I fear Him far too much to be moved by your erroneous and petty opinions, you've never met Him. This makes you a cloud without rain, a tree without fruit and twice dead. Marching around fearlessly trying to get people to follow your sinful ways, it’s you who is in danger of the blackest of darkness forever... Unless you turn, turn, turn.
“Answer them: As I live, says the Lord GOD, I swear I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, but rather in the wicked man's conversion, that he may live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! Why should you die...?” Ez 33:11
A serious lack of preaching on the fear of God is certainly why, the preachers in days gone by had power we can only dream of. They preached about the God who is a consuming fire. And it bought purity to nations through the awe of God. What needs to be mentioned is that at the time Jonathon Edwards preached this sermon on sinners in the hands of an angry God a great awakening broke out throughout that entire nation and tens of thousands were swept into the kingdom through a sincere fear of Him who can destroy the body and soul in eternal hell.
Fear God and live, treat Him as a trifle thing and die in your helplessness.
This is the first effect of every revival. The people become gripped by… Not joy, peace, pleasure BUT BY FEAR AND AWE at His majesty…
Hebredian revival: a whole bunch of young people were just out enjoying a dance one night and some inconsiderate, holier than thou, little punk starts praying for a great outpouring in his community and suddenly the fire from heaven fell in that dance and eyewitnesses reported that the young people fled as though fleeing from a plague. And they ran to the church, gripped by the fear of God!
Robert Murray McCheyne:
A number of years after his death and a minister came to visit his church. And the caretaker agreed to show him around the grounds. As they were walking around the church they were discussing about the late beloved pastor of Dundee McCheyne, and the visitor was particularly anxious to discover the reason for the young mans success as a preacher. 'What do you think' he said to the caretaker, 'is the secret of McCheyne’s great ministry? What was the secret of the power in the pulpit?' The caretaker looked at the minister, he said nothing for a moment but he just conducted the minister into the vestry. Now he said, 'kneel down by the chair' and the somewhat amused minister knelt by the chair. And in a most solemn tone the caretaker said: 'Now then... Start to weep. Raise your eyes to heaven and cry to God. Ohh God bless me! Ohh God use me! OHH GOD I cannot go up to yonder pulpit until I know I have the might anointing of the Spirit resting upon me.' And looking into the face of that visiting preacher with tear filled eyes the caretaker said: 'That dear friend is the secret of the ministry of Robert Murray McCheyne; He was a man of prayer. God poured down such a magnificent revival blessing on his church in the 1830’s that people were also gripped by the awesomeness of this God who seems so far at times yet is so near. One young member of the church cried out one day: “I think that even hell would be a relief from an angry God.”
And every revival before and since was distinctly marked with an overwhelming fear of God.
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When you fear Him everything changes:
- Values
- Conscience
- Prayer
- Validation
So often we just assume: “He's too loving to judge,” but that’s not love. I don’t care what your puny little pop psychology or humanistic philosophy says you are to tremble at His presence like John the beloved. In Revelation 1:10-17 “On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone ‘like a son of man, ’dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.”
If He doesn't judge the guilty, than that’s not love at all, its careless indifference and irresponsible tolerance: The most distant thing from love.
He will destroy sin and all those who indulge in it!!!
He must, or He isn’t love at all.
God's wrath is the most furious, fearsome, frightening thing in the entire universe. If the fire of His anger burns hot He melts entire galaxies like wax. Mountains liquefy at his presence.
Jer 5:22 "Should you not fear me?" declares the Lord. "Should you not tremble in my presence?"
Exodus 20:18-20
God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning"
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I remember when I was without the knowledge of the gospel and God’s saving grace. I was so scarred of Him... So terrified of His fury against the sin in my life and because of my distance to Him and no knowledge of His forgiveness I spent many sleepless nights trembling and shaking in my bed hoping that He wouldn’t come and get me and make me pay for all the evil in my life.
This fear of Him kept me utterly clean of so many things. I never took drugs though I had every opportunity to do so. I never got drunk though I had every opportunity to do so. I remember I was at one of my dad’s parties and all the relies were giving me beer and I was joyfully accepting it, and I had hardly gotten through any of it when suddenly the voice of God spoke to my heart and said: “That’s enough for you. Don’t drink another drop!” I looked at the half empty bottle in my hand and suddenly felt repulsed by it and just tipped it out and threw it in the bin.
I feared Him so deeply and reverently. I thank Him for what at the time seemed like a curse was in fact the greatest blessing. I had received a revelation of His frightful judgment that made me run from sin and want no part of it.
‘OH GOD: TEACH ME TO FEAR YOU AGAIN LIKE I ONCE DID!’
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Lack of the fear of God is the reason we:
· Think sin
· Speak sin
· Act sin
This is why every week you come along to youth; hear how sin kills and God gives life. Sermons that show you how stupid you are if you desire the fruit of death over God and you even desire to change, you have great intentions, but There’s No Fruit!!!
Fear is what you lack… Not inspiration, not counselling, not more bible, worship, sermons, prayer… You need God to scare the HELL OUT OF YOU!!!
Every time you sin intentionally or willfully try and imagine your own body engulfed in the inextinguishable flames of hell than ask yourself is it worth it.
Is it worth tempting His wrath and pushing the boundaries of His grace for just a moment of pleasure???
Hebrews 10:26 “For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?”
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You see the bible doesn’t just teach that us that sinfulness results in death, nor does it say that all the death is simular in its extremity, no, no, no. The bible teaches in so many places that God’s judgment has levels of severity. It teaches there is a death and torment in eternal hell that belongs to those who never acknowledged Him as Lord. Than it goes further and teaches that if you, in addition to that, cause one of the little ones to stumble, you would have been better to have a rock tied around your neck and thrown in to the sea. And to those who have thought themselves worthy enough to trample the Son of God underfoot Hebrews says are in for a much worse punishment than the ones who simply did not have faith. I want to inform you about this tonight:
God’s wrath comes in all shapes and extremities. He is a God to be feared and to be trembled at; He’s the great I Am and the One who lives forevermore, He is Just, fair and impartial and because He is ready to Judge between the living and the dead and His judgments are final and eternal; than the One who comes as a substitute in the place of a person about to be judged guilty and punished, this substitute or Redeemer must be subjected to every level of fury from this Judge in order to be able to free us from every level of wrath.
WHAT WONDEROUS LOVE IS THIS???
He didn’t just endure the agonies of a physical crucifixion. He endured the most fiercest, violent, ferocious punishment God could ever offer… So you and I could be saved. The very triune Godhead was broken.
It’s this very wrath that keeps the Son of God and the Spirit of God interceding before the throne of grace for you. It’s not a conflict of interests it’s the love that has conquered death and sin so you could be free from it. 2/3rds of the eternal Godhead are working for you so you can turn from your wickedness and sin to escape the judgment to come.
There is a way out… And there is only one way out!
Repent, Repent, And Repent. Turn from your wickedness and be ye saved.
John the Baptists came preaching and he only had one sermon… Repent and be saved.
Jesus Christ came preaching and Matt 4:17 tells us His first sermon was: “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Peter on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2:38 “Repent and let every one of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the Holy Spirit.”
Comments:
Craig C. Ireland
craig@impactcc.com.au
Blessings.
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