Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 53:43 — 49.2MB)
Subscribe: RSS
Romans 3:9-18
We invite you to worship with us each Sunday morning at 9:30. If someone were to ask you what is the fundamental reason that would fully explain why America is the way she is today, what answer would you give? The answer is simple in that we have lost our fear of God. Most people see God today as a ‘nice ole Guy’ who’s going to let anyone who at least tried to be good into heaven. The fear of God is unquestionably the most basic and central concept, not just in the religion of The Bible, but in all religions. In the Judeo/Christian religion the fear of God is what elicits true worship, reverence, and obedience. Let’s consider how we lost that true fear of God. We have forgotten:
- THE CONCEPT OF THE FEAR OF GOD! The fear of God is first seen in recorded human history in Gen. 3: 8-11. Here Adam wasn’t just afraid, he was also poor or as we learned a few weeks ago –“one who is destitute standing in front of One demanding an answer.” That truth in itself rubs us the wrong way, because we don’t like to be told we are poor and inferior. It is completely opposite the current post modern, existentialist, self-focused culture in which we live. Christians have fallen victim to it as well. One way to keep things in perspective is to remember that one day all Christians have a non-negotiable, non-cancelable appointment with God Almighty to give account of himself to God (Rom. 14:12). Read Job 28:1-28 where he explains that wisdom is the same thing as the fear of God. The word he uses for “fear” means dreadful, trembling resulting from apprehension of danger and a sense of one’s own weakness before a Holy God! Because we have forgotten the concept of the fear of God we’ve also forgotten
- THE AFFECT OF THE FEAR OF GOD ON MAN! In Gen. 28:10-17 the word “fear” is the same word used in Job. Notice the affect of that fear was worship! In Ex. 3:1-6 the same word for “fear” is used. There Moses wasn’t just afraid, he was shamefully afraid and hid his face. The result was that Moses acted in obedience, even though it meant he had to return to Egypt and tell Pharaoh to release his entire work force to Moses! Read Isa. 6:1-4. When Isaiah was confronted with God’s holiness, he responded, in our language, “I’m a dead man, no one sees God and lives.” In verses 6, 7 we see God’s redeeming grace. When applied to Isaiah is resulted in Isaiah becoming a “missionary or sent one” to Israel. We have forgotten the concept and affect of the fear of God because we have also forgotten
- THE SOURCE OF THE FEAR OF GOD! What word comes to mind in answer to this question? What is God’s directing attribute, or what word describes God more than any other word? If you thought of anything other than HOLINESS, the sad truth is you don’t know God as God! We must understand and remember that more than anything else God is a thrice holy God in all that He is. When we accept His gift of salvation, He shares that holiness with us so we can know Him as The True and Living God! Holiness is the way we respond to God and His divine sovereignty. So the question in all this becomes “what is the ultimate source of your life in all its parts?” A Christian must understand that all of life must begin and end in God. We must get on our knees before our God and beg Him to cause us to fear Him as we should, so our life responds to Him in worship, obedience, and missions.
If we can further help you understand this call us at (574) 643-9419.
