Part 4 Defining the Fear of God Fearing God is responding to Gods revelation of Himself in a way that is appropriate especially but not only the revelation that God is Judge Fearing God in the Church Age ID: 645579
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Slide1
The Grace of Fearing God
Part 4Slide2
Defining the Fear of God
Fearing God is responding to God’s revelation of Himself, in a way that is appropriate…
especially, but not only, the revelation that God is Judge. Slide3
Fearing God in the Church Age
Fearing the Lord motivates us to excel in obedience.
Fearing the Lord guards our hearts from falling away.
Fearing the Lord doesn’t mean we dread death and judgment.
Fearing the Lord liberates us to love his commands and look forward to judgment. Slide4
Growing in the Fear of God
Sinclair Ferguson: “Indefinable mixture of reverence, fear, pleasure, joy and awe which fills our hearts when we realize who God is and what he has done.”
John Murray: Fearing God “…is the reflex in our consciousness to the transcendent majesty and holiness of God”
John Murray: “The controlling sense of the majesty and holiness of God and the profound reverence which this apprehension elicits constitutes the essence of the fear of God”
Jerry Bridges: “A mixture of fear, veneration, wonder and admiration, all directed toward God Himself!” Slide5
How do I grow in fearing God?
Meditate on His attributes.
God is omnipotent.
Psalm 33:6–9 By the word of the
Lord
the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deeps in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the
Lord
; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. 9 For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. Slide6
How do I grow in fearing God?
Meditate on His attributes.
God is holy.
Isaiah 6:1–5 In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. 2 Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the
Lord
of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. 5 Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the
Lord
of hosts.” Slide7
How do I grow in fearing God?
Meditate on His attributes.
God is wise.
Romans 11:33–35 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For
who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor
? 35 Or
who has first given to Him
that it might be paid back to him again
? Slide8
How do I grow in fearing God?
Meditate on His sovereignty.
Ephesians 1:11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,
Daniel 4:34–35 “But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation. 35 “All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’Slide9
How do I grow in fearing God?
Meditate on His sovereignty.
Psalm 135:6–7 Whatever the
Lord
pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps. 7 He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; Who makes lightnings for the rain, Who brings forth the wind from His treasuries.
Matthew 10:29–31 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Slide10
How do I grow in fearing God?
Meditate on His sovereignty.
Proverbs 21:1 The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the
Lord
; He turns it wherever He wishes.
Proverbs 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the
Lord
.
Job 12:23–24 “He makes the nations great, then destroys them; He enlarges the nations, then leads them away. 24 “He deprives of intelligence the chiefs of the earth’s people And makes them wander in a pathless waste. Slide11
How do I grow in fearing God?
Meditate on His presence.
Jeremiah 23:23–24 “Am I a God who is near,” declares the
Lord
, “And not a God far off? 24 “Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?” declares the
Lord
. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the
Lord
.
Psalm 139:7–10 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in
Sheol
, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. Slide12
How do I grow in fearing God?
Meditate on His presence.
Deuteronomy 31:8 “The
Lord
is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the
Lord
are in every place, Watching the evil and the good. Slide13
How do I grow in fearing God?
Meditate on His presence.
Psalm 139:1–4 O
Lord
, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. 3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O
Lord
, You know it all.
Psalm 44:20–21 If we had forgotten the name of our God Or extended our hands to a strange god, 21 Would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart. Slide14
How do I grow in fearing God?
Meditate on His presence.
Hebrews 4:13–16 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. 14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Slide15
How do I grow in fearing God?
Meditate on His independence and our dependence.
Acts 17:25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things;
Job 41:11 “Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine. Slide16
How do I grow in fearing God?
Meditate on His independence and our dependence.
Hebrews 1:3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Colossians 1:17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold togetherSlide17
How do I grow in fearing God?
Meditate on His independence and our dependence.
Psalm 139:16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.
Job 12:10 In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind? Slide18
How do I grow in fearing God?
Meditate on His independence and our dependence.
Psalm 104:27–29 They all wait for You To give them their food in due season. 28 You give to them, they gather it up; You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good. 29 You hide Your face, they are dismayed; You take away their spirit, they expire And return to their dust.
Matthew 5:45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Matthew 6:11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread. Slide19
How do I grow in fearing God?
Meditate on His independence and our dependence.
Deuteronomy 8:17–18 “Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’ 18 “But you shall remember the
Lord
your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothingSlide20
How do I grow in fearing God?
Pray to fear God.
Psalm 86:11 Teach me Your way, O
Lord
; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.
Jeremiah 32:39–41 and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. 40 “I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me. 41 “I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul. Slide21
How do I grow in fearing God?
Read to fear God.
Psalm 19:9 (NASB95) — 9 The fear of the
Lord
is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the
Lord
are true; they are righteous altogether.
Deuteronomy 31:11–13 (NASB95) — 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the
Lord
your God at the place which He will choose, you shall read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing. 12 “Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn and fear the
Lord
your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law. 13 “Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the
Lord
your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.” Slide22
How do I grow in fearing God?
Remember to fear God.
Exodus 34:6–8 (NASB95) — 6 Then the
Lord
passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The
Lord
, the
Lord
God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; 7 who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” 8 Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship.