Today I want to talk you about fear. Let’s look at some famous fear quotes.
You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn’t exist anywhere except in the mind. Dale Carnegie
He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat. Napoleon
Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world. Ralph Waldo Emerson
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. Plato (He was more right than he knew because Jesus is the Light).
Do the thing we fear, and the death of fear is certain. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Let us never negotiate out of fear but let us never fear to negotiate. John F. Kennedy
We fear violence less than our own feelings. Personal, private, solitary pain is more terrifying than what anyone else can inflict. Jim Morrison
Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others. Robert Louis Stevenson
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Franklin D. Roosevelt
This quote by FDR is probably one of the most famous and most recognizable quotes: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. It sounds good and maybe those words helped our country get out of the great depression. But they are not biblical. Fear is not the only thing we have to fear. We are to fear God!
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7). The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding (Proverbs 9:10). And to man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding (Job 28:28).
When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, they had already witnessed the power of Almighty God. They witnessed and they feared God. Deuteronomy 14:31 says: And Israel saw the great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.
You shall not therefore oppress one another; but you shall fear your God: for I am the LORD your God (Leviticus 25:17). O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me and keep all my commandments always, that it might go well with them, and with their children for ever! (Deuteronomy 5:29).
Gather the people together, men and women, and children, and your stranger that is within your gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law (Deuteronomy 31:12).
For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until you were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over. That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that you might fear the LORD your God for ever (Joshua 4:23-24).
If you will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both you and also the king that reigns over you continue following the LORD your God: But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers (1 Samuel 12:14-15).
The Law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether (Psalm 19:7-9).
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 states: And now, Israel, what doth the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command you this day for your good?
Psalm 2:10-12 states: Be wise now therefore, O you kings: be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
After hearing all these verses about fearing the LORD, is there any doubt that we are to fear God? Nope. Nothing works better at filling you with fear of the LORD than understanding that you are a sinner and that God is Holy. Deuteronomy 10:13 told us that we are to keep the commandments of the LORD. None of us have done that. None of us have perfectly kept the 10 Commandments. We’ve all sinned and our sin separates us from God. There is nothing that you or I can do to make things right with God.
The Law is perfect converting the soul. You can see your unrighteousness when you look at God’s perfect law. God has written His law on our hearts. You know right from wrong because your God given conscience convicts you when you do something wrong – when you sin. When understand your sinfulness and God’s righteousness, then you can cry out for Him to save you. That’s why He sent Jesus to this earth 2,000 years ago. Jesus is the only Savior.
Again, Psalm 2:12 says: Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish from the way. Jesus is the Son of God. The sinless Son of God is the only way to get back in a right relationship with God the Father. Jesus said: I am the way, the truth and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me (John 14:6).
Jesus also said that we have to be born again. We are physically born and we must be spiritually born in order to become a child of God. In John 3:3, Jesus said: Verily, verily, I say to you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Then in John 3:5-6, Jesus continues: Verily, verily, I say to you, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
And you has he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ, (by grace you are saved) (Ephesians 2:4-5). For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any many should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36). Receive life today. Choose life. Don’t continue walking down the broad road to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). Don’t continue living your life foolishly with the wrath of God against you.
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31). In Luke 12:2-5, Jesus said: For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever you have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which you have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. And I say to you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear: Fear him, which after he has killed has power to cast into hell; yea, I say to you, Fear him. Jesus is clearly saying: Fear God!
Fear God. Fear spending eternity in Hell, separated from God forever. Fear God and turn away from your sins. Fear God and turn to the only Savior – Jesus Christ our Lord. Fear God because it is the beginning of wisdom. Fear God and be saved today. Kiss the Son lest he be angry with you. Be saved today. Repent and put your trust in Jesus.
For thus says the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones (Isaiah 57:15). Humble yourself and fall on your knees and cry out to Jesus. Bow your knee and confess with your tongue that Jesus Christ is Lord.
God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Confess and forsake your sins. For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world works death. Repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
Be forgiven for your sins. Be spiritually cleansed today. But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward men appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:4-7). Be saved today. Repent and put your faith in Jesus. Then because of the fear of the Lord, warn others to flee from the wrath of God.
(This message was lifted up at Missouri State University on October 8, 2014)