Fear of God by Alphonse D’souza
After attending the three-day NLF revival meeting, the preacher was introspecting about what he would answer if God asks, “What have you done for me?” A person who is 60 years of age and has accepted Christ along back, this question troubled him and a fear came upon him. Then he prepared this sermon about the fear of God. He studied various examples of people in the old and new testaments to show what the fear of God can do in people’s lives.
– Isaiah 33:6 talks about the fear of the Lord being Zion’s treasure. The preacher said God takes pleasure in people who fear Him. The following are some examples from the Old testament.
– In Genesis 22:12, Abraham was ready to sacrifice his son proving that he feared God and did not withhold his son. We see here that fear of God brings obedience.
– Joseph assures his brothers of their safety in Genesis 42:18 telling them that he fears God. Though they were wicked to him, he did not do the same even when he had the power and opportunity. We see here that the fear of God brings forgiveness.
– Exodus 1:17, midwives feared God and let the children live disobeying Pharaoh’s orders. They did the right thing before God and God blessed them. This is in contradiction with the teaching in Titus 3:1 to be submissive to rulers and authorities. But let us note the latter part that tells us to be ready for good works. Therefore, let us fear God and do what is right and pleasing to God instead of obeying evil masters that tell us to do what is wrong.
– Jethro asks Moses in Exodus 18:21 to choose able men who feared God. Fear of God is important for leaders and they must be people who are not greedy to possess what others have. The preacher gave the example of some leaders in church who demonstrate the opposite behavior by visiting people’s houses and commenting on material things… eyeing them with greed.
– Jesus always taught to fear God and not men (Matthew 10:28).
– Acts 10:1 to 2 describes Cornelius the centurion, a Roman who believed in and feared God and prayed always. Fear of God leads him to giving alms, charitable deeds, and good works. Because of fear of God, he got saved.
– In Acts 13: 16, we find Paul preaching in Antioch. He explained the gospel to those who feared God.
Let us see what happens to those who do not fear God. In 1 Samuel 15:24, Saul was afraid of people and disobeyed God. Spirit of God left him and he committed suicide. Proverbs 29:25 tells us what happens when we fear men. Fear of man brings snares but fear of God saves. On the contrary, the fear of Lord prolongs days (Proverbs 10:27).
The preacher shared an incident from his life that occurred some years ago. He drove a Marshall jeep and came to Bangalore airport and the same night returned back to Mangalore. In the steep ghats he was driving in sleep due to exhaustion. The jeep hit a petrol tanker and half of the jeep was destroyed but thankfully God saved all the people; they could have fallen in ghats. Proverbs 14:27 tells us that the fear of God is the fountain of life. It is the fear of God that keeps us safe though we make mistakes many times.
The preacher said the fear of God is foundational to our walk of faith and brings great blessing to our life.
Psalm 34 (verse 11 onwards) tells us about the signs of a person who fears God and one trait is keeping the tongue from evil. Sometimes we are arrogant, not ready to take correction, and have no humility. This indicates that we have no fear of God. Sometimes the body language of those who worship speaks volumes; with hands tucked in pocket, arms folded, and so on. The preacher asked people to come to the church with humility no matter who they are outside. Man is like grass who fades. If God has blessed us, we must be humbled. Raising hands is a form of surrender. Hands up is military term. Show you surrender to, fear, and worship God. Are you ashamed of people?
People tell the preacher, “Uncle, God has really blessed you.” He tells them, “Yes you humble yourself to God if you want to be blessed.”
Psalms 25:12 to 14 tells us that God teaches those who fear Him. Holy Spirit will teach you when you fear God.
The fear of God is most important in the family. Family is pulled apart if there is no fear of God.
At an early time in his life, the preacher had problems of all kinds: loan, financial mess, trouble with wife, and arguments everyday. He even told his son that he couldn’t take it any more and would leave the family. His father too had left his family and he felt the curse of the father will come to his family too. Then the fear of the Lord took over and he felt God wanted him to stand strong despite problems because Jesus has taken all curses on the cross. He prayed to God and cried and got delivered. The fear of the Lord made him stand in the life even when he was on the brink.
The preacher appealed to us to be careful about what we do. Fear of sickness, job, and worldly problems will come but we have to choose what to fear. Then he spoke about what happens when we don’t fear God (Proverbs 1 verse 25 onwards): Because you rejected my counsel, took your life easy, and would have none of my rebuke, i will laugh at your calamity. You call on me but i will not answer. Let us remember that God has already spoken to us through the speakers of the NLF revival conference, and time and again through other preachers. Now let us read the scriptures over and over, let the fear of Lord take over, and plan to serve God accordingly… Jesus says take your cross and follow me. Proverbs 2:1 to 5 is an ‘If and then’ statement. If you receive God’s words then you will understand the fear of God.
Reflection by Shubha Jha