Fear Of Man Will Stop You From Living A Surrendered Life

I. EXORDIUM:

Do you fear man enough to be useless before GOD?

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show that fear of man will push you to do ridiculous things like hide your talent/gift/callings that will make you wicked and lazy servant of GOD.

IV. TEXT:

1 Kings 18:14 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

And now you say, ‘Go and tell your master, “Elijah is here.”’ Sir, if I do that, Ahab will certainly kill me.”

V. THESIS:

Fear of man will push you to do ridiculous things like hide your talent/gift/callings that will make you wicked and lazy servant of GOD.

VI. TITLE:

Fear Of Man Will Stop You From Living a Surrendered Life

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. 1 Kings - second in a series of three double books: 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, and 1 & 2 Chronicles, originally they were single books Samuel, Kings and Chronicles, the Septuagint translators made the division

The Septuagint translators were the ones who made the divisions, and they did so more or less for the convenience of the reader.—Source:

J. Vernon McGee's Thru The Bible

B. Traditional writer: Prophet Jeremiah

C. Common expression: "as David his father" occurred 9 times

VIII. MAIN BODY:

A. Command from the prophet Elijah was doubted.

"And now you say, ‘Go and tell your master, “Elijah is here.”’"

Obadiah doubted the command of prophet Elijah even if it's from GOD's Words. It came from GOD's will.

2. We are protected by the LORD GOD.

Psalms 105:15 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

“Do not touch my chosen people, and do not hurt my prophets.”

1 Chronicles 16:22 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

“Do not touch my chosen people, and do not hurt my prophets.”

Luke 11:49 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

This is what God in his wisdom said about you: ‘I will send prophets and apostles to them, but they will kill some and persecute the others.’

Ephesians 2:20 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.

1 Corinthians 14:32 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

Remember that people who prophesy are in control of their spirit and can take turns.

1 Kings 18:13 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

Has no one told you, my lord, about the time when Jezebel was trying to kill the Lord’s prophets? I hid 100 of them in two caves and supplied them with food and water.

Although men of GOD like apostles and prophets are sent by GOD to be killed and persecuted because they carry GOD's message, we are not fear it. We can't trust ourselves by saying our accomplishments by ourselves it's always the LORD JESUS CHRIST in us. Maybe if Obadiah was not so afraid of Jezebel, he might have been the successor of prophet Elijah but instead Elisha replaced him. Obadiah boasted of his actions to hide the prophets instead of the prophets doing what they were supposed to do, declaring GOD's Words, they were influenced by Obadiah's fear of men, therefore it's like a gift or talent that was buried underground and was not useful to GOD. If the 100 prophets were not hidden in a cave, they could have benefited from the spirit of the prophets which are subjected to them while they prophesy and they have enjoyed GOD's protection for them, but instead the cave hid them, it's like they were buried to the ground and their talent/gifts/office were useless to GOD. They became wicked and lazy like Jezebel and Obadiah themselves.

Matthew 25:24-25 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

“Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate.

I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’

Matthew 25:26-27 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

“But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate,

why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

B. What we fear will not happen

”’ Sir, if I do that, Ahab will certainly kill me.”

We are not to fear any man but GOD, we are not to fear a creature but the CREATOR Himself. If CHRISTians fear men, we are to appear as hypocrites because we know deep in our hearts that only GOD can send anyone He likes to hell.

Proverbs 29:25 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)

Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety.

Isaiah 51:12 (New Living Translation, Second Edition)