Mat 10:24-31; Fear God and You Will Not Fear Anything Else.Wednesday January 15, 2025
Hook: Should I fear God? Christ? Should I love them?
Main Idea: Fear God and you will not fear anything else.
If you do not fear God, you will fear everything else.
Mat 10:24-27
Fear men or God? Can’t do both.
Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom click in (Pro 9:10). Wisdom guards the way of righteousness (guardrails); Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly.
The disciples are going to fear. They are headed into the villages of Israel proclaiming Jesus as Messiah and the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The people know about these things and have set opinions about them.
We are going to fear for the same reason.
Vindication: Faith in God’s integrity (righteousness and justice).
The persecutors are not going to get away with it.
At the last judgment the true disciples of the Lord will be vindicated.
Their duty is not just the negative, do not fear, but the positive to proclaim in the face of opposition.
Theology Corner: Great White Throne Judgment.
Rev 20:11-15. The ultimate triumph of God’s will and the consummate display of His glory. It is also the absolute seal of human accountability.
Men kill the body but cannot kill the soul. God destroys both in Gehenna.
Hell is real. Mat 25:41-46.
Theology Corner: The Judgment Seat of Christ. The perfect judgment of every believer’s deeds.
2Co 5:1-11, this revelation is Paul’s cap upon our desire to please God. The death of the body is in view, but the soul moves on from mortal to life.
Mat 10:28-31
The one who has the power to destroy in hell is God. There is no suggestion in the biblical literature that the devil has the power of judgment.
The one who fears the Father is liberated from fear of people - no little liberation.
The tender-minded message that the Father of Jesus Christ is not to be feared but loved is a pious fraud.
Do not fear God and fear everything else.
“Let us fear therefore, that we may not fear” … “Fear not then, O Martyr, the sword of thy executioner; fear only thine own tongue, lest thou do execution upon thine own self, and slay, not the body, but thy soul.” [Augustine]
If you fear men, your witness will be the first thing to go.
Man is dichotomous (body and soul). Also trichotomous (body, soul, spirit) is taught in Bible.
The fear of the Lord coexists with the Lord’s love and faithfulness.
God loves you and is for you (sparrows); Psa 50:11; 104:16-17
God loves the animal world. You are more valuable.
Sparrows = providence.
What does it mean to fear God?
The right idea of God’s Person that causes the believer to take very seriously his obedience, reverence, and worship of God.
We use all kinds of words rather than fear because we become uncomfortable with the concept. It is fear while it is also being loved and not abandoned ever.
G.K. Chesterton quote. Orthodoxy, “Mysticism keeps men sane. As long as you have mystery, you have health; when you destroy mystery you create morbidity.”
Not an OT thing.
Luk 23:40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
Act 10:2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household
Rom 3:18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes."
2Co 5:11 Therefore knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men,
2Co 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Eph 5:21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
1Pe 2:17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.
Rev 19:5 And a voice came from the throne, saying, "Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great."
Application: Fear God. Do not compromise it.
Fear God’s power and will. Accept God’s love and presence.
Do one at the appropriate time and the other at the appropriate time.
Do not choose one or the other. Do both and live in the mystery.
Speak all Christ has told you without fear. |