"F-A-S-T" Way To Build Confidence Before God!

F – FEAR of the Lord

A – ASK w/ Faith

S – SUBMIT to God’s Way

T – TRUST God’s Promises

INTRODUCTION:

In BODYBUILDING, there are many PRINCIPLES to BUILD MUSCLE. It is not just STRENGTH! "It is BETTER to be SMART than just to be STRONG." It is how we EXECUTE the PROPER POSITIONS. We also need to FOLLOW PROGRAMS and ROUTINE. And be STRICT in the FOOD we EAT!!!

BODYBUILDING is CHARACTER BUILDING!!!"TRAIN HARD and SMART for BIGGER RESULT!!!"

SCRIPTURE: 1 John 3:21-24, KJV:

“Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, bec. we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His Commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in Him, and he in Him. And hereby we know that He abodeth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.”

*Vs. 21, Using NLT: “If our CONSCIENCE is CLEAR, we can come to God w/ BOLD CONFIDENCE.”

I. FEAR of the LORD:

Hebrews 10:31, KJV: “It is a FEARFUL [Terrible] thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

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Definition of FEAR:

To be afraid or frightened of.

Extreme reverence or awe, as toward a supreme power.

2 Types of FEAR:

TERRIFIED: Demons TREMBLE in the Name and Presence of the Lord.

Sinners – They feel GUILTY of their sins. Why? Their CONSCIENCE CONDEMN then.

In John 3:19-20,

This is the CONDEMNATION, “That light is come into the world, & men LOVED DARKNESS rather than light, because their DEEDS WERE EVIL. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. [They stay away from the light for FEAR THEIR SINS WILL BE EXPOSED & they will BE PUNISHED. NLT].”

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They thought that God is a PUNISHING God. That’s why they need the GOOD NEWS!

That God is not MAD at them. That God LOVED them even before they were born.

That Jesus DIED for the PUNISHMENT of their sins.

2. AWE: Amazed, Marvel, Wonder.

“FEAR of the Lord is when you recognize that He is the CREATOR of the entire LIMITLESS UNIVERSE.”

HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD?

ü He holds EVERYTHING together under His CONTROL.

ü His ORIGINAL Purpose and Plan of creating human will NEVER CHANGE.

ü He already declared His WILL in the END from the BEGINNING. (TO PUT ALL THINGS UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST)

ü His WISDOM is SUPREME that Satan can never comprehend.

ü God is Holy and hates sin not HUMAN!

“No matter how the devil had done against MANKIND, it doesn’t change the Will of God. He is just waiting for those who will FEAR His SUPREME, SUPERB and SOVEREIGN POWER. I mean, to TRUST and OBEY Him and Be STILL and know that He is a GREAT, AMAZING, AWESOME, MARVELLOUS, WONDERFUL God. That He is GOOD ALL the time, a LOVING God. This is the FEAR of the LORD.”

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“That God RAISED Him to the HIGHEST POSITION and is now SEATED at the RIGHT HAND of God. That ALL AUTHORITY is given to Him.”

-----And this is the GOOD NEWS that MAKES the UNBELIEVER to have a FEAR of the LORD.

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Proverbs 15:33, NLT, “FEAR of the Lord TEACHES a person to BE WISE; HUMILITY precedes HONOR.”

Proverbs 9:10, NLT, “FEAR of the LORD is the beginning of WISDOM. Knowledge of the Holy One results in UNDERSTANDING.”

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FEAR of the Lord gives WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING, KNOWLEDGE of the HOLY and LOVING God.

By FAITH in the BLOOD of Jesus gives us CONFIDENCE before God.

In Hebrews 10:19-20, “Having therefore, brethren, BOLDNESS to ENTER into the HOLIEST by the BLOOD of Jesus, By a NEW and LIVING WAY, which He hath CONSECRATED for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; And having an HIGH PRIEST over the house of God; Let us DRAW NEAR with a TRUE HEART in FULL ASSURANCE of FAITH, having our HEARTS SPRINKLED from an EVIL CONSCIENCE…”

“If your CONSCIENCE is CLEAR, you will become CONFIDENT to ASK God in PRAYER w/ FAITH. Why? Because you don’t feel CONDEMNED of yourself anymore.”

Vs. 22, Using NLT: “We will RECEIVE whatever we REQUEST [Ask, KJV] bec. we OBEY Him [Commandment, KJV] and do the things that PLEASE Him.”

II. ASK with FAITH:

Hebrews 11:6, KJV: “W/o FAITH it is IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE Him: for he that cometh to God MUST BELIEVE that He is, & that He is a REWARDER of them that DILIGENTLY [Sincerely] SEEK Him.”

ü FEAR of the Lord gives us CONFIDENCE in PRAYER.