The Benefits of Fearing the Lord (Part 3)
July 9/10, 2005
Don Jaques
MAIN IDEA: Those who fear the Lord are blessed with God’s provision.
AIM: Those who hear this message will be motivated to live in the fear of the Lord because of the many promises God makes to those who will do so.
INTRO:
God instructs us to fear him for our own good. In the last couple messages in this series we’ve seen from scripture that God promises so much to those who would learn to fear Him.
1. WISDOM
2. INTIMACY WITH GOD
3. PROTECTION
4. PROVISION:
SUCCESS:
2Chr. 26:3 ¶ Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem.
2Chr. 26:4 He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done.
2Chr. 26:5 He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.
King Uzziah, made king at the age of 16, received instruction in the fear of the Lord, and was encouraged to always seek the Lord’s wisdom and ways before making decisions. This practice led to his success. He had a long term as king (over 50 years!) and the nation followed the Lord during his reign.
Note the last sentence of verse 5 – “as long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.” Unfortunately Uzziah ended his life in shame due to his pride and the judgment God brought upon him – but what we learn here is that it didn’t need to be that way! Had he kept fearing the Lord he could have enjoyed success to the end of his days.
This description of Uzziah’s success because of his fear of the Lord and seeking God’s wisdom before making decisions reminds me of another great hero of the faith: Joseph.
Joseph was the second youngest of 12 brothers, and he was favored by his parents, and because of this his brothers grew to hate him and in sold him into slavery after one particularly painful episode with Joseph. We pick up the story of his life in Gen. 39…
Gen. 39:1-5 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.
The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.
But as the story progresses it almost seems Joseph is TOO blessed because of his relationship with God – and Potiphar’s wife begins to desire Joseph in a physical way. When Joseph refuses out of honor to his master and out of respect for God, she makes up a story about how he tried to rape her.
Gen. 39:20-23 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.
But while Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.
Notice what God provided and what God did NOT provide:
He provided SUCCESS wherever the circumstances of Joseph’s life took him.
He did not provide ESCAPE from difficult circumstances.
Joseph was sold into slavery.
He was wrongly accused and sent to prison.
But even in the midst of these times, the Lord was still with him. The Lord was preparing him for his role to save the people from the famine that was to come upon the entire region. And so he was granted success.
So what was success?
It was measured as favor in the eyes of others. It meant others considered him trustworthy. It meant that even in the midst of extreme trials he was rising to the top.
So if you fear the Lord you can expect that even though it may seem to you or to others that God has forgotten you – you can be assured that God is still with you – and he is at work preparing you for what work lies ahead for you. And even though it may seem like God is definitely NOT answering your prayers, you can experience success along the way as you keep fearing God and obeying Him.
TRANS: But not only does God promise to provide success for those who fear Him, he also promises the provision for our physical needs.
PHYSICAL NEEDS
Psa. 34:9 Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.
Psa. 37:23-25 If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.
See the equation: fear of the Lord = having physical needs met. The Psalmist says that the righteous may stumble – he or she might have difficult times – but in the end God will provide for the needs of those who fear him.
Jesus taught the same thing in Matthew 6…
Matt. 6:25-33 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
What is Jesus saying? It’s not too hard to figure out. Make the Kingdom of God your first priority. Live as righteously as you can – obeying and fearing God. If you’ll do this you don’t need to chase after material dreams. God will provide what you need.
PERSONAL ILLUSTRATION:
We made some decisions early in our marriage that have affected many of our lifestyle choices. We determined that we would give 10% of our income to the church, and beyond that to Christian ministries and missionaries in the US and around the world. We also determined that we would live on one income so that Ann could stay home with our children. We also decided that, though I could probably make more money as an accountant or financial planner or mortgage lender, we would accept the salary of a pastor in order to be obedient to God’s call upon my life.
All three of these decisions have limited the amount of money we have to make ends meet. But let me tell you, God has provided our needs, and far beyond, in so many ways.
• $9K over 3 years of short term music evangelistic tours in late 80s.
• $20K for two adoptions when it became apparent we would not be able to conceive.
• $10K for seminary over 4 years from a supporting church body.
• $2K a couple years ago for private school tuition.
• $7K for our family’s short term mission trip to Senegal, West Africa.
• $2K for an all expenses paid trip to Disneyland last April.
And who can count the number of times a friend in the church has helped with home projects, landscaping, counseling, medical needs, auto repair.
If there is one thing we have learned as a family it is this: God is able to provide what we need. We don’t need to worry about how we will make it. What we need to do is put God first in our lives. Seek His Kingdom and His righteousness – and all the things we need will be added to us!
Now let’s be honest – we have a simple home. We drive modest cars. But God keeps on showing us that if we will put him first in our lives and honor him with our lifestyle, he will always provide what we need – and sometimes even some things we wouldn’t have dared ask about!
TRANS: So God provides success and provision for the physical needs of those who fear him. Add this to the list that already includes WISDOM, INTIMACY WITH GOD, and PROTECTION, and you’ve got to begin understanding why Jesus said he came that we might have an abundant life!
But as I bring this series of messages to a close, I want to look at just one more scripture that focuses on a benefit that is not just personal one – but affects the whole church as well.
CONCLUSION
What can happen if you and I take God seriously enough to fear Him?
Take a look at Acts 9:31
Acts 9:31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.
When a group of people lives in the fear of the Lord, good things happen.
-the church grows in numbers
-the people receive the encouragement of the Holy Spirit
-the church is strengthened.
This is God’s desire for us as well. He wants us to be strengthened as a church. He wants you to know the encouragement of the Holy Spirit in your life. He wants us to grow in numbers – so that more and more people will discover His love for them as well.
The only thing keeping us from enjoying these benefits is our own choice to hold onto the toys of the world rather than receive the gifts God wants to give us. What will you choose?
SING “We Choose The Fear of the Lord” for closing song.
