The Joy of Fearing God (Part 2)

Outcomes of fearing God (See Isaiah 40: 18-31)

There’s a sort of quick fix Christianity about today––Fast feel good theology.  Some people look for an experience of God in meetings and moods. This falls very short of experiencing God in his revealed greatness.

In part one we discussed the joy of fearing God. A healthy fear of God is our response to thinking about his presence, character, word and work.

True fear of God affects us as we discover him in history, nature and Jesus.

In History (Discovering God in the Bible) 

He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. 23 He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. 24 No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. (Isa 40:22-24)

God is involved powerfully in the actions and destiny of rulers. Psalm 2  speaks of the kings of the earth challenging God. Hear God’s response: The one enthroned in heaven laughs and scoffs at them––and they are terrified 

In Nature (Discovering God in the physical worlds)

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?.......... (26) Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. (Isa 40:12)  The Lord knows them all.

 There are roughly 100 billion galaxies, each with about 100 billion stars.

God determines the number of stars and calls them each by name. (Ps 147:4)

God in Jesus: We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

When the disciple Thomas, who doubted, understood who Jesus was he said correctly: ‘My Lord and my God’ Thomas responded out of respectful awe/fear.

We exist to enjoy God and everything he has made. When we receive Jesus we enter a close relationship. We are joint heirs with him of everything he receives. (Romans 8) The thought that we can know and experience God like that is & awe-inspiring, yet true.

In the first part of this series we considered what it was to fear God. My main aim now is for us to think about the gifts and outcomes that come to us when we truly fear God. Now hear this: God enjoys us enjoying him.

The gifts. God has placed a basic fear (respect) of himself in the soul of every Christian. Two points: First,  God says he will give singleness of heart & action to his people so that they will always fear him. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good (Jer 32:39)

It took the nation of Israel 70 years of exile in Babylon before thy realised that.

Second point: He promises to inspire us to fear him. As we respond to God with respectful awe/fear we become aware of his gifts to us. Here’s a small example of what we receive by fearing God.

From the Psalms: (25:14, 34:9-10, 103:11,17) Notice the relationship.

- The Lord confides In those who fear him & makes his covenant known to them.

- Those who fear him lack nothing & no good thing.

- As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him.

- From everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him.

From the Proverbs: (8:13, 10:27, 19:23)

- To fear the Lord is to hate evil. New life brings new values.

-  The fear of the Lord adds length to life. How’s forever sound?

- The fear of the Lord leads to life. – We discover what we had wasn’t life.

From Isaiah: He will be the sure fountain for your times, a rich store of salvation of wisdom & of knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure. (33:6)

The treasure is Jesus: All that he has is available to his people: Rescue, Refreshment, Wisdom, and Knowledge. Then there is the great retirement plan: An everlasting and indestructible retirement home in heaven.

Outcomes from fearing God. True fear of God actually produces a great love of life and many happy days. Fear of God isn’t just an emotional feeling that hits us at times then fades away. True fear of God is a motivating life affirming value. It grows within us as we grow towards spiritual mature––We begin to see what the Lord is really like

We really do receive life changing gifts that come from a proper fear of God.

We may not have the overwhelming appearances of Old Testament prophets or New Testament apostles. We may not have the rich history of God interacting with the Jews. But we have Jesus. And he has a plan: We are in it, and every detail of it will be achieved––For the world and for the universe.

As we live in awe of him our lives will produce outcomes that build for eternity.

Hear the writer to the Hebrews:

 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptable with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. (Heb 12:28)

The Joy of fearing God (1 of 2)

Fear does terrible things to us. It can create anxiety over the future.  It can prevent us from doing things.  And It can reduce our ability to enjoy life. I want us to think about a different kind of fear: Fear of God.

Fear of God is different to being afraid of God. True fear of God is awe and deep respect. This causes us to enjoy and glorify God and motivates us to actions.

Fear of God is the solution to worry over the future. Why? Because we can be sure that God supervises everything that happens to us. (Psalm 34:7)

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, & he delivers them. 

Fear of God puts us in the right state of heart and mind to grow in the best way.

( Prov 1:7) ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge’

 (Prov 9:10) ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’

Wisdom is knowledge correctly applied.

Let’s explore this a bit!

We experience the fear of God as we live our lives in awe of him. 

-  Awe is an emotion in which dread, honour, devotion and wonder are mingled.

-  Awe is a submissive and admiring fear inspired by good authority.

-  Awe is fearful respect inspired by a supernatural person––a God.

Jesus is the perfect example of what it is to truly fear God. 

The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him––the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord––And he will delight in the fear of the Lord. (Isa 11: 2-3)

In his humanity Jesus sees God from our perspective and he responds by living in joyful, respectful and loving awe/fear of God

Some people have no fear of God ‘There is no fear of God before their eyes’  (Romans 3:18) These people either don’t believe God exists or they don’t care, or they think if God does exist he isn’t interested in them.

Should we be afraid of God? Adam ignored God then he was afraid and hid from him. (Gen 3:10) We should be afraid of God if we ignore his instructions.

Back to the positive fear of God––‘respectful awe’ 

Bible commentator John Murray says: ‘The fear of God is the soul of Godliness’

He explains, ‘The fear of God in which Godliness lives is the fear which powerfully produces adoration and love.  It’s the fear which is made up of awe, respect, honour, and worship, and all of these on the highest level of activity.

 It’s the reflex in our consciousness of the supreme majesty & holiness of God.’ 

True fear of God keeps us on the right path as we journey through life. True fear of God is more than just a feeling or an attitude, it’s a feeling and attitude that changes our lives in the most wonderful ways.

I must bring in a warning at this point: If we don’t  understand the grace of God and his acceptance of us through Jesus we can easily fall into a performance or religious relationship. That’s when doing becomes more important than being.

If we live like that we will see God as a hard taskmaster who distributes punishment and occasional rewards. Our rule for life will be ‘perform or perish.

 True fear of God produces trust in God.

We can’t separate trust in God from fear of God.  We will trust him only to the extent that we genuinely live in awe of him: The eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love (Ps 33:18)

We may not see God doing miracles as he did in the old days, but we can read about them and be amazed: Let all the earth fear the Lord.....For he spoke, and it came to be, he commanded and it stood firm.  The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.  But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. (Ps 33:8-11)

How to develop a healthy fear of God

We need to recognise his presence and encounter God through the world the Scriptures and his involvement in our lives These responses should awaken in us the awe, respect, humility  and worship that is our right response to our God.

This God of ultimate power not only reveals himself in the world and word.

God appeared in space and time in the person of Jesus Christ. In Jesus we see God in a man. In Jesus we see true fear of God in a person. We also see the joyful relationship with the creator that comes from truly fearing him.

The Voice of God and Human Thoughts

David; writer of psalms, shepherd, soldier, great King of Israel, major sinner and prophet learnt about God by observing the natural world, believing the bible and applying both to his life.

In the Psalm 19 David talks about the outward word of God (Bible) and the inward thought about God that comes from looking at the natural world

This is still the main way God reveals himself to us.

Outward Word: Through the bible

Inward thought: Thinking about what God has done and is doing.

David as shepherd or soldier  perhaps feeling a bit lost or lonely looks into the night sky and his thoughts bring him to say  "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." (1).

Declare: Announce, give a report, bring news, Make a loud statement. 

Glory: Reveals what God is like - Expression of his active presence.

Proclaim: Shout out, illuminate, Inescapable announcement––God did this!

The heavens speak of the existence, intelligence and power of God. The skies, infinity of space proclaim the work of God––both complex and beautiful

God is not hiding and he is not silent

The voice of God is heard throughout the cosmos, in all languages. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth (2-4)

The apostle Paul in the New Testament uses the natural world as part of his proclamation of the gospel  (Acts 14:15b-17 and Romans 1:19-22)

(4-6) David contemplates the sun and sees through its blinding heat that the power behind it is God. He and millions of others have looked at the universe from a great distance and still been amazed. Try it!.

We know more about the cosmos than David did. Do we get it?

David does not stop at ‘Star gazing’, he acknowledges that God has also spoken through the written word––The scriptures are of great value to him.

The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. (7-8)

David didn’t just read the bible he applied it to his life. As he did this he found his soul revived, his mind developed, his heart warmed, his eyes opened and his life was enriched.

Israel’s great king learnt through his experience that God's word (bible) was perfect, trustworthy, right for his life, illuminating––giving him understanding and warning him of danger He learnt from his bible, to fear the Lord and to know the Lord and he wanted more of God, his thirst for fellowship and relationship with God was overwhelming. That's what a taste of the glory of God can do.

David felt from observing the universe and applying God's word that there was still a gap, an emptiness. He knew he was an unworthy person in need of help. He admitted his need of protection, acceptance and cleansing from sin. Who can discern their own errors?  Forgive my hidden faults.  (12)

David speaks directly to the only one who can help, the one who will love and accept him even in spite of his hidden faults. He knows God will forgive, heal, help and accept him.

What should we do with the voice of God if we hear it in the natural world and the written word?

We could respond as David did: May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

On the Beach

Daytime Dreaming

Two Worlds in Conflict

Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, the kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation,(of rules, rituals and good morals) nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’  because the kingdom of God is within you. (Luke 17:20-21)

What does it mean: The kingdom of God is within you?

The Pharisees were very religious people. They tried hard to live in ways that in their opinion should be acceptable to God. They observed ceremonies and rituals. They applied strong moral discipline. They believed they were just the sort of people to be well received in the kingdom of God, or so they thought!

Sadly, everything the Pharisees did to appeal to God was external––Of the physical world, not of the kingdom of God. So Jesus says to them: The kingdom of God is within you.

The Pharisees were just like people these days who believe the kingdom of God can be found through observing religious ceremonies or conducting certain rituals and/or through living a morally good life. (as they see it)  Jesus taught that anyone who chooses to live that way will never find the kingdom of God or qualify to enter it. The Pharisees were seeking their reality in the wrong world. They were citizens of the physical world when they should have learned how to become citizens of the spiritual world––The kingdom of God where Jesus rules.

Being a citizen of the kingdom of God

 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)

According to the Bible there is a difference between the followers of Jesus and other people. this isn’t always noticeable at first look. Followers of Jesus have an extra dimension to life. They have access to a hidden resource––An invisible reality, which other people don’t have. The apostle Paul mentioned this earlier in this letter, Christ in you, the hope of glory.  This extra something is an invisible dimension within us. It’s the wonder of the Christian life.  It’s also the source of our motivation, strength and joy. If you haven’t discovered this yet  you haven’t  begun to live as you can and should. We truly have access to a new world: If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come ˆ(2 Corinthians 5:17)

Summing up: Followers of Jesus are to continually remember who they are, who we will he when Jesus returns. That’s the true basis for living an authentic Christian life.

How then should we live?  It’s simple really.

Set your hearts and minds on things above...where Christ is..not on earthly things. Jesus has freed us  from everything that keeps us away from God. We are now free to experience the enjoyment of God’s presence. That’s the world we are made for. Hear the apostle: Your life is now hidden with Christ in God  (3b) The new creation has already begun for the authentic Christian.  We can begin right now to enjoy the life of the age to come. Then when the new age comes we will be with Jesus and his people to fully enjoy the new world forever.

How do you respond to that?

Balance of Love

Two people sat

 One on each side of the balances of life.

 One was filled with love.

 One was filled with hate

The hater scowled

 The lover smiled.

One reached out to touch the other

 The other reached out to touch the one.

Four eyes met in juxtaposed action

 Hatred was disclosed as fear

 Love was disclosed as compassion

 Hatred drained away

 Loved filled the cavity

The balance was

 Complete.