Having A Correct Attitude About

HAVING A CORRECT ATTITUDE ABOUT

THE FEAR OF THE LORD.

DEUTERONOMY 10: 12-22.

1. A BIBLICAL APPRAOCH IS THE CORRECT WAY.

A. There are times when Fear can be very beneficial.

B. There are also times when Fear can also be very harmful.

Definition: The fear of God is an awesome respect or reverence growing out of the greatness and power of God.

1. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE A DREAD OF GOD.

2. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THAT THEY DON’T NEED GOD.

3. THERE ARE THE AVERAGE PEOPLE.

4. THERE ARE THOSE WHO HAVE A HEALTHY UNDERSTANDING.

11. SO HOW DOES “THE FEAR OF THE LORD” SHOW ITSELF?

IN PERSONAL HOLINESS.

IN OBEDIENCE.

IN FAITHFULNESS AND SERVICE

IN JUSTICE AND COMPASSION

IN WORSHIP

IN SALVATION

3. THE FEAR OF THE LORD’S HELPS US IN OUR CHRISTIAN LIVES.

A. THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS ACTUALLY A COMMAND.

Psalm 33:8. "Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him."

B. IT HELPS US TO DEAL WITH SIN.

Proverbs 16:6. "By the fear of the Lord one avoids evil.”

C. IT HELPS US GET THROUGH HARD TIMES.

Job was asked, "Is not the fear of God your confidence?"

D. The fear of God affects life itself!

Proverbs 10:27. "The fear of the Lord prolongs life;

E. The fear of God is essential for leaders.

F. The fear of God results in answered prayer.

Psalm 145:19, "He fulfils the desire of all who fear Him."

HAVING A CORRECT ATTITUDE ABOUT

THE FEAR OF THE LORD.

DEUTERONOMY 10: 12-22.

The concept of the Fear of the LORD is found all throughout scripture. In the Old Testament there are at least 150+ verses that encourage those who are willing to listen how important this attitude is in our relationship with God. I often wonder if maybe today Christians look at the God of the O.T in a different way because the God of the O.T. is seem as a God to be feared, while the God of the New Testament is looked on in the light of his unending mercy. Here is the thing. In understanding the “Fear of the Lord” we must begin by looking at what our attitude is about God. The phrase fear of the Lord denotes that we the Children of the Lord should have an attitude of AWE and Reverence for God. If we have the right attitude it will serves as the beginning of true wisdom. In Isaiah chapter 6 when the prophet saw the Lord for who God really was, Isaiah saw that he was exposed for he who really was. The comparison was shockingly painful. When the seraphs call out to each other, they didn’t call out that God is a loving which He is, nor did they call out that God is mighty which He is. The seraphs used one word to describe God and that word is holy which means that God stands apart from all the rest of creation and that there is nothing in creation that can be compares with him. But “holy” also carries with it the meaning “perfect”. God is perfect in power, in righteousness, in wisdom, in purity, in love, in knowledge and wisdom. And it is precisely these traits which make God separate from all the rest of creation. Because God is who God is we need to think about what our attitude is when we enter into his presence. The Bible shows us that the only way to approach God is with reverence, respect and awe.

1. A BIBLICAL APPRAOCH IS THE CORRECT WAY.

Deut. 10:12-13 And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?

A. There are times when Fear can be very beneficial.

We all know that fear serves as an important alarm system, warning or preparing us for impending danger. If you were walking down the road and you saw a skunk just ahead of you, it is very likely that your senses would kick in and you would react in such a way so that you wouldn’t get sprayed.

B. There are also times when Fear can also be very harmful.

Fear can and sometimes can also paralyse us, causing us to freeze when maybe we should run. Fear can sometimes work this way a person or an animal. Pat was telling me about a cat that they had difficulty with trying to get the cat to stop jumping on top of the stove when the stove was on. The cat had no fear of the hot stove. They tried everything but nothing seem to work until one day the cat happen to jump on top of the stove while it was hot and it very quickly jumped off because it had learned that the stove was hot. We sometimes don’t respond the way we should when we encounter situation that can be harmful to us. Sometimes we think that because we are a Christians that we can enter into dangerous situations just because we are mature enough; while all the time the Holy Spirit has been trying to get us to stop.