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.
ü The FEAR of the Lord will give us the DESIRE to DILIGENTLY SEEK Him in EARNEST.
ü If the CONSCIENCE is CLEAR, we have the CONFIDENCE to ASK God in PRAYER.
ü Those feel CONDEMNED of themselves have no CONFIDENCE to PRAY.
ü Some thought that they can CHANGE the DISCISION of God through PRAYER in PETITION. They have no CONFIDENCE in God’s Will.
ü If you want to WITNESS that EVERYTHING you ASK in PRAYER:
PRAY according to His WILL.
PRAY according to His WORD.
PRAY according to His PURPOSE
PRAY according to His PLAN.
PRAY according to His PROMISES.
“The Bible REVEALS the WILL of God, the WORD of God,
the PURPOSE and PLAN of God, and of course, His PROMISES.”
“FAITH and FAITHFULNESS goes together”
FAITHFULNESS towards God requires WORSHIPPPING and SERVING
In verse 23, Using NLT, And this is his commandment:
We must BELIEVE in the NAME of His Son, Jesus Christ. (Phil. 2 – Above every other name.)
LOVE ONE ANOTHER just as He commanded us. (John 13:34 – NEW COMMANDMENT)
John 14:13-14, KJV, “And WHATSOEVER ye shall ASK in MY NAME, that will I do, that the Father MAY BE GLORIFIED in the Son. If ye shall ASK ANYTHING in MY NAME, I WILL DO IT.
“Now, if you FEAR the Lord you will ASK ANYTHING that gives GLORY to the Lord.
What gives Glory to Him is our LOVE for ONE ANOTHER. You will begin to
ASK the Lord for BLESSING so you will become BLESSING to others.”
Vs. 24, Using NLT: “Those who OBEY God’s COMMANDMENTS live in FELLOWSHIP (communion) with Him, and He with them.”
III. SUBMIT to God’s WAY
1 John 2:4-7, If someone says, "I belong to God," but DOESN’T OBEY God’s commandments, that person is a LIAR and does not live in the TRUTH. But those who obey God’s word really do love him. That is the way to know whether or not we live in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ did. Dear friends, I am not writing a NEW COMMANDMENT, for it is an old one you have always had, right from the beginning. This commandment – TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER -- is the same message you heard before.
Those people who say they are Christians, yet, they still live in darkness, they KEEP on SINNING) don’t know who God really is. Why? Because they heard another Gospel.
The Gospel of the KINGDOM of God gives PEOPLE the FEAR of the Lord, the FASTEST WAY.
Speaking of KINGDOM: In other words, God’s Government. God is in CONTROL!
ü Everything HAPPENS according to the Will of God.
ü It is GOVERNED by God’s LAW and God’s WAY, it is the Word of God.
ü It is the AUTHORITY of God in the entire LIMITLESS UNIVERSE.
ü It is to be established by the PEOPLE of God APPLYING the Word of God to EVERY AREA of LIFE.
ü The KINGDOM of God will be established through the PROCLAMATION of the Gospel.
The Gospel is to tell people that they are ADOPTED as Child of God through FAITH in Christ.
The Gospel is to bring people to the RELATIONSHIP w/ God.
The Gospel is to SHOW that God is JUST in JUDGEMENT and a LOVING FATHER.
The Gospel is to TELL PEOPLE that they are FREED from JUDGMENT.
Did you know that many believed a gospel but they still feel ASHAME and GUILTY for their sins? They Feel
CONDEMNED of themselves. Because the gospel they heard gives NEGATIVE FEAR of the Lord.
1 John 1:3-7, KJV, “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have FELLOWSHIP WITH US: and TRULY our FELLOWSHIP IS WITH THE FATHER, and WITH HIS SON Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your JOY MAY BE FULL.This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the TRUTH: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have FELLOWSHIP ONE WITH ANOTHER and the BLOOD of Jesus Christ His Son CLEANSETH us from all sin.”
“The PURPOSE of the Gospel is to TRANSFORM us into Christ-likeness.
The Gospel is not just FORGIVENESS of sins we committed but a
RESTORATION of RELATIONSHIP to the Father.”
The Gospel gives an enRICHED, transformed life.
R – RESTORED.
I –INSPIRED.
C – COMFORTED.
H – HEALED.
E – NCOURAGED
D – ELIVERED
ASKING involves SACRIFICE.!
ü If you ASK SOMETHING, you must be WILLING to OBEY.
ü He will not give you something that is BEYOND your ABILITY.
ü If you ASK GREAT things, Be ready for the PAINFUL PREPARATION.
ü CONFIDENCE before God DEVELOPS the ABILITY to WAIT. (Waiting is the HARDEST THING).
The Holy Spirit TEACHES us to wait and HELP us DEVELOP the CONFIDENCE before God.
Vs. 24, KJV, “And he that KEEPETH HIS COMMANDMENTS DWELLETH [have Fellowship] IN HIM, and He in him. And hereby WE KNOW that HE ABIDETH IN US, BY THE SPIRIT WHICH HE HATH GIVEN US.”
IV.TRUST God’s Promises
ü Jesus PROMISED to SEND the Holy Spirit as a HELPER and to TEACH us in ALL THINGS.
ü The Holy Spirit is the GREATEST GIFT God has given to those who OBEY His COMMANDMENT and BELIEVE in His Son Jesus Christ.
“Sometimes we are ASHAMED to TELL others the GOOD NEWS about Jesus”
Why? LACK OF CONFIDENCE! LACK of KNOWLEDGE of the Word of God.
The Holy Spirit TEACHES us the Word of God.
“God PROMISED in John 1:12 that those who ACCEPTED and BELIEVED in the WORD who became HUMAN have the RIGHT to be called a CHILD of God and an HEIR of God’s RICHES.” Galatians 3:26.
“Never conclude the Word of God with ONE VERSE.
You should consider the WHOLE COUNSEL of God. From the Creation of the World until REASON or the VERY PURPOSE and PLAN of God in creating HUMANITY.”
And the Word of God makes us CONFIDENT that God loves the whole world, no longer counting peoples sin as it is found in 2 Cor. 5.19.
CONCLUSION:
1 Chronicles 29:11-12, “Thine, O LORD, is the GREATNESS, and the POWER, and the GLORY, and the VICTORY, and the MAJESTY: for ALL that is in the Heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the KINGDOM, O LORD, and thou art EXALTED as HEAD ABOVE ALL. Both RICHES and HONOUR come of thee, and thou REIGNEST OVER ALL; and in thine HAND [Fearful, Heb.10:31] is POWER and MIGHT; and in thine HAND IT IS TO MAKE GREAT, and TO GIVE STRENGTH UNTO ALL.”
