#The Call to walk in Holiness – Part 2: The Fear of the Lord

So we have been in our series The Call looking at the call of

God upon. Us and I started looking at the

call to be with Jesus that. Before we called to do anything,

we called to be someone. Before we called to.

Something we called to someone and we've been looking at Luke.

Chapter 51 to 11 which talks about the.

Story or tells the story of when Jesus called his first

disciples. And when Jesus went into the

boat with Simon Peter, we've been unpacking that together.

And then last week we started the second call, which is the

call to walk in holiness, and we looked at how we are called to

be separated from the world. That holiness means to be

separate. From and moral purity and we

unpacked. What that looks like and as I

said to you last week, we're going to be, excuse me, doing.

Two parts, but I have to say I reserve the right to extend this

part of the call. That's that's the privilege I

get as the pastor here. So only because as you dive into

the. Call to holiness.

There is just so much there and the reality is we could do you

know, 15 weeks on that. But we looked at that and then

we come to the second part this week and we're going to look at

a very interesting subject. You know, I was speaking with a

very good. Friend of mine this week and we

were reflecting. On the call to walk in holiness

and he said hey Mark he he was serving in one of the teams on

Sunday so he he wasn't at the talk but he listened to it

afterwards. Indeed, at this point, can I

just say if you've missed any of the talks, of course you can

catch up on our YouTube channel, Hello to everybody there online

and do hit that subscribe button and that Bell notification to

get important updates as we release them.

But all of that to say he was. Watching the updating, the talk,

he said. Hey, Mark.

I've got some questions. I mean, I get it.

And and I felt, you know, there was this conviction in this,

this almost this sense that I wanted to walk in holiness.

But as a Christian who's lived many, many, many years, I have

to deal with the reality that my life doesn't.

Always look victorious and that what do you do when you want to

overcome? And yet you have this.

Here we go again. Here we go again.

Now that is a very good question.

And as he reflected and as I reflected those five points.

That I gave at the end of the talk last week.

Are a way in which we can help position.

Ourselves to allow the Holy Spirit in us.

To change us from the inside out, because holiness, you see,

is not a manufactured. Work holiness is about allowing

the work of the Spirit in our life to transform us to the

likeness of Jesus. That's holiness.

You can't. You can't skip the inward change

and go straight to the outward because it will never work.

Outward change comes from the inward change in us.

But as I was reflecting on that and and and as I've been

reflecting on Thursday. As I prepared my talk it, it

dawned on me that what we're going to be speaking about this

morning is, I think, one of the answers to that very.

Important question of how and it is a topic which I guess is one

of the most difficult and misunderstood.

But, as we will see, I hope, one of the most important and

necessary for us, and it is this subject.

It is the fear of the Lord. Now the holy and healthy fear of

the Lord is an important and yet I think at its.

Best forgotten about and at its worst, I would say intentionally

ignored. I think some of you.

Older in the faith probably can recount in your childhood some

sermons or talks about the holy fear of the Lord and and yet in

our. Present day do we hear much

about? The fear of the Lord probably

don't right at. Best we forget it.

At worst, we intentionally ignore it.

Why is that the case? Well, I kind of was thinking

through why. Is that the case?

And I came up with four reasons, which I want to share as way of

a preface to this talk Because this.

These four reasons might speak to some of your instincts to

recoil. Almost from that fear of the OH,

it's just something about that phrase I don't like, and I think

there might be 4 reasons why. The first one is this is that

commonly fear is being always negative, isn't it?

You know, on a basic level, we associate fear with purely

negative. Connotations and negative

things. In fact, we try all we can to

eliminate and negate any fear. Whatsoever in our life, don't

we? And I think it's fair to say

that. Much of the negativity or

negative things or fear based things in our lives are things

that we want to eradicate. Of course.

For example, it is a healthy fear of being run over that

stops me running in the road. That is actually a positive

fear, right? It is a healthy fear of being

electrocuted. That means I don't play around

with 240 volts, right? That's a healthy fear.

It is a healthy fear of not looking like a complete idiot

that stops me from playing golf. That is a positive and healthy

fear. I'm just jealous of you golf

people. I.

Can play well. I just want to plug We have an

amazing for for a part of the men's ministry.

We have Max and Tim who head up a fantastic and very active Golf

Club. So if you do like golf and you

don't have a healthy fear. Of looking like an idiot and

you've gone through a measure of healing, which I clearly need to

do. Then why don't you sign up for

that glove? You see, it is the same with the

fear of the Lord. It is not a negative fear.

It is a fear that is healthy and that there is blessing with it.

It brings us protection and enabled us to walk in holiness.

That's the number one objection. Normally the fear of Lord #2, we

think it's. Just an Old Testament thing,

don't we? We erroneously think that to

fear God was something in the Old Testament, that the God of

the Old Testament was some kind of God.

And the God of the New Testament is a is a different kind of God.

You know, the God in the Old Testament wants to obliterate

everybody. And the God of the New

Testament, That's my kind of God.

He loves everyone like that is a lie of the enemy.

To suggest to you that they are different God.

It's the same God. It is the same God.

In fact we see the wrath of God in the New Testament so

specifically in the cross. The difference is it's pointed

towards Jesus. Who took it for us?

Because God is still just. He will always be just.

That's for another time, for another sermon.

And so we think, therefore, that the fear of the Lord is

something that we would have done in the Old Testament times,

but now, under grace and love there is no necessary.

For the fear of the Lord, that is.

Incorrect, as we shall see, #3 Here's another objection.

We made you on. This is a biggie.

We made you on love and minor on.

Everything and anything else. Can I just say as a parenthesis

some love can be sinful? It says in one John that if we

love. The world that is simple, the

trap we get. Into as Christians is what?

If it's love, it must be from God.

Therefore it's okay that gets. You into all sorts of problems

because not every love is good. And that's for another talking

for another day, someone making a note of these other talks in

other days, because we could just create a new.

Service series right now that would send me a lot of time.

Now I want to just at this. Point out some resources.

I would like to show you this, but the Holiness of God by

Aussie sproll. Aussie sproll.

Passed away, I think, in 2017. He's a Reformed theologian and

pastor. I wouldn't.

Agree with all his theology, but what a godly.

Man, and This is a seminal work on the holiness of God.

If you want to read a book that's going to get you on your

knees and all of God, then can I recommend this one?

Also, some of you would have heard John Bevere.

This is a. Very famous book.

The fear of the Lord that he wrote, and I've benefited from

some of his talks as I have studied this subject and I will

be quoting and and using some of that material, so I credit him

for that in fact, a sister in Christ emailed.

Me this week, I think on Thursday or Friday and said and

by the way. I'm really excited about the

fact you're. Preaching on fear of the Lord,

have you heard of John Bevere's new book?

The aura of God. So I haven't yet.

Thank you sister, for sending that to me, but I'm sure that's

very good. So.

Those there some resources for you?

And so I'm going to benefit. From from these brothers here

who have written about this, not least, of course a study in the

word. But to quote John Bevere, he

says we fall into the trap of trying to sell Jesus not to.

Preach Jesus now. This is some hidden truth and

nugget right here we fall into the trap of trying to sell.

Jesus not preach Jesus, but selling is different than

preaching. When you sell something, you

want people to be appealed by the benefits.

Of what you're trying to sell them, right?

You major on the benefits, you talk about how the cost is, how

the price is so low and the running costs are so small.

You talk about the ease of convenience that this new

product will give you. Boy, don't we try and sell

Jesus. We want to remove any objections

that we think someone might have.

We want to demonstrate how easy it is.

We want to major on the love. And in so doing, when we try and

sell Jesus, we don't sell the real Jesus at all.

We preach a forced Jesus. What we have to do, if you go

down that path, is. Scrap out a ton of the Bible and

a ton of God's truth, because when you talk about picking up

one's cross daily, how you going to use that when?

You sell Jesus when you talk about living a life of holiness

and moral purity. How do you talk about that when

you try and sell Jesus? That mentality is what gave rise

to the seeker sensitive churches.

Let's sell Jesus and remove any any potential barriers of

objections and. Make it as easy as possible, and

in so doing, we don't. Preach the gospel of Christ.

We sell something completely. That's not to mean that we're

not aware and targeting of those that are seeking God.

But there is a difference between targeting and being

sensitive to by removing what we perceive as being objections.

But I go with the Apostle Paul on this one.

I'm not afraid of the gospel of Christ, because it's the power

of God unto salvation. There is no power in selling.

There is only. Power in preaching the gospel of

Christ. And So what happens with the

fear of the Lord is we don't want to go there because we want

to remove any perception of objections and.

Oh boy, this might be a bit hard.

Listen, I've got to be honest with you, I think.

It's easier not being a Christian than it is being a

Christian. I mean, people say, oh, it's a.

Been a Christian? Really.

Have you tried it? My life was easy before I became

a Christian. I did whatever I wanted to do.

And that was it. Now of course, I walk in the

blessings now, and I have a piece that surpasses all

understanding now. And I've got eternal destination

now with Jesus, and so I think because of the fear.

Of the law. We don't want to go there, we

major. On love to such a degree and

hyper grace we miss out the. Power in God's Word #4.

This is the long preface I don't mind.

I think this is a really important one and I think this

probably speaks. To some of you in the room now,

what are the other reasons why we don't talk about the fear of

the Lord #4? We've been hurt.

Or even worse, abused by bad and legalistic teaching on the fear

of the Lord. It's been used as a hammer.

To control people. Oh, you're going to be fearful

right now because. Boy, you're a bad person.

Maybe we've been. Maybe you are in this room or

watching online? And and and as I'm speaking, the

Holy Spirit is reminding you of an occasion where you.

Been bashed over the head metaphorically with bad teaching

on the fear of the Lord, and it's wound you up in a place of

being scared of God. And you're like, I'm not going

there anymore, God willing. The teaching that I'm going to

bring is going to add some, bring some correctness to that

and some healing. I pray.

And so there's the four reasons. Fear is always deemed negative.

When it's not, we think it's just an Old Testament thing.

When it's not, I mean if you have to read the, the epistles,

the letters to the. Churches, you see?

The right is talking about the fear of the Lord.

Jesus himself talked about it. Three we major on love and.

Minor on anything and everything else, because we want to sell

Jesus, not preach Jesus. And four, we've been hurt or

even worse, abused by bad and legalist teaching.

So as way of a. Preface That's why I think we

rarely talk about the fear of the Lord.

I want to share a story that, yeah, we're definitely going to

have a Part 3 next week. You know Part 2 preface Part 3.

Introduction Part 4 Teaching now.

I'm just kidding as I was watching.

Talk from John Bevere. As I said, I I critic some of

this content with with with him, he.

Shared a story back in the early. 90s and he's called to go

and see a very famous evangelist who.

Was in prison now during the 80s.

This, this evangelist. Was had the largest.

Ministry in the US. He was on all of the T GOD TV

channels and he had books and everything, and he was a fiery

preacher by John Bevere's recollection, and he was called

to see this preacher. In prison.

Now this preacher had been convicted of mail.

Fraud. So, you know, sending out mail

and getting money. And he had a sentence of 40.

Five years, which was reduced to five years, and it was across

CNN. Every day, some of you might.

Know who I'm talking about and and so John Bovere goes to.

See him in his fourth year of incarceration and he goes to see

this evangelist and the guy hugs him and.

Won't let go and say it's so. Good that you're here.

I've got so much to talk to you about, but I've just got 90

minutes. So he sat down with.

Him And he said, Listen, I want you to know this is the

evangelist, This is God's mercy. That I am here in the first year

that I was here. God dealt with the.

Evil and the sin in my life. And he spoke and eventually John

says, listen, I want to ask you a question.

You know you were convicted of mail fraud.

Prior to that, in 1983, you committed adultery and then for

seven years you were doing this, then you got found out, he said.

I want to ask you one question, he said.

I remember when you preached to thousands, there were tears in

your eyes. You preached with conviction and

you preached with boldness. When did you stop loving Jesus?

And he said. I never stop loving Jesus, he

says. No, no, no.

I don't think you understand the question.

When did you stop loving Jesus that you did all of those

things? He said.

Listen, John. I didn't stop loving Jesus, John

says. He could see the confused.

Face that I had. And the evangelist said to me

this that it wasn't that I stopped loving Jesus, it was

that I stopped fearing the Lord. Let's.

Just let that sink in. If you major on one aspect of

God's character and call for us, you will fall into error.

God loves me. It's OK.

God loves me, God loves me, God loves me.

And yes. He absolutely does.

Not only does he love you, he is love.

And I want to unpack. Why and what?

Is the fear of the Lord. And you see, in the Bible we see

two. Types of fear towards God.

The parable of the talents is a good.

Example you've got the Master Jesus who gives the the the

different. So the three different guys

says, right, take this, I'll be back.

And two of them invest it and there's a return on the other

one. He buries it and he says I did

that because I was scared of your demands and.

What you would require of me that is not a healthy, holy fear

of the Lord that is being scared of God.

And that's a difference. Another very good example is an

Exodus 2020. Moses went up to mount.

Sinai after they came out of Egypt, and he comes down and he

says the people do not fear for God has come to test you that

the fear of him may be before you.

That you may not sing. Excuse me, do not fear, for God

has come to test you that the fear of him.

May be before you that you may not sing well that.

Doesn't make sense, Moses. It is or is or it isn't.

Do not be scared of God, for God has come to test you that the

fear of the Lord of Him. May be before you that may you

may not. See.

You see the distinction. You see?

A healthy, holy fear of God means we run towards.

Him not away from him. You hearing this, a healthy holy

fear of the Lord means we run towards Him, not away from.

Him being scared, We believe in our hearts and our minds that

God is so holy, so magnificent, so pure, so loving, so powerful,

so awesome that we would dare not run away at all from Him,

but that we'd only ever want to run towards.

That is a holy fear of God, that we recognize His Holiness and we

esteem Him much, that we want all of him, and that we want to

love what he loves so much that we run into his arms.

That is the fear of the Lord. It is a holy reverence of God

that we would so honor Him as we sing with our lips that we want

our lives to honor him too. And we come to him humbly and

reverently, without any sense that God owes us anything.

That's the holy fear of God, that we recognize who he is.

And that he is for us and that we want to run into his arm and

run away therefore from everything.

Else that is not him. That is the holy fear of God.

It is not scared of a God that's looking to beat us over the head

to punish us. Now caveat, if you are not yet

in Christ, you may feel that terror of God, and that's called

the. Conviction of the Holy Spirit in

your life. Maybe you're here this morning

and you've yet to say yes to Jesus.

And as I'm speaking, you're like but Mark, I am terrified of God.

Yeah, you should be. Because without saying yes to

Jesus, you can experience his wrath.

That's the gospel, isn't it? But Jesus took that so you don't

have to. That's the good news.

That's the good news. God is a God of justice, and he

is a God of love. And he has made a way for us

that whoever so believeth in him will not perish but have eternal

life. But as believers in Christ, as

we've said yes to Jesus, we do not need to be scared of a God.

We do not need to be terrified of the punishment of God because

Jesus took it all for us. That is the good news of the

gospel. It says in the scriptures, Lord,

would I have the joy of your salvation?

There is a joy that comes as we. Recognize that we're his, and so

the joy of the Lord is a fruit of the fear of God.

Are you? Following Are you tracking with

me, people? I know it's.

Really deep. But I said at the start of this

series, I said, you know enough with with us playing in the

water, water parks or splash parks, but it's calling us to

the deep. This is the heart of this

series. Is if you want to say I want to

go deeper with God, then we're going to need to get into His

word and his truth. Because that's where the gold

is. That's where the freedom is.

That's where the life is. I don't want to be a Christian.

That just opens up the. Fridge and just grabs the coke

and come fine now and moves on. I want to get into the deep

living waters of Jesus don't you?

I'm fed up paddling in the little bits.

And going, oh, I'm done now, I'm going to go back into the world.

I'm, I'm preaching to myself. You can come along with me on

the right if you wish. I'm done asking God for more

equipment for the splash part when he's saying, hey son,

there's a massive ocean I want you to dive into, right?

And so are we all there with the definition?

Of the holy fear of God, Let's unpack the blessings.

Of the fear of the Lord, then, because there are so many

blessings that the enemy does not want you to know about the

1st is this. It brings knowledge and wisdom.

Proverbs 910 says it's the fear of the Lord is.

The beginning of wisdom. If you're praying, who prays in

Lord? I pray for your wisdom.

If you're praying for that, you should be praying, Lord first I

pray for healthy holy. Fear of you.

Otherwise, don't pray for wisdom.

Why? Because the truth of who God is

and who he as he reveals himself from the Word comes from when we

align ourselves with Him. Yeah, and when we say I only

want what? Pleases you God.

That is the holy fear of God. I only want to do that which

pleases my Father. That is the fear of God and from

that place. He reveals his wisdom to us.

OK, fine. I'll show you some, daughter.

The fear of the Lord is the place at which wisdom and

knowledge flows from, because the fear of the Lord brings us

into. Alignment with Him, you do not

be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be

transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Why Wisdom and knowledge? What's the root of wisdom and

knowledge? A holy fear of God #2 keeps us

from sinning, and this is where I reference the conversation at.

The start of this talk when a brother in Christ said, you

know. How do I move on?

I want to walk in holiness and I would say a holy fear of God

will keep you from sinning Deuteronomy. 529 says this Know

that they had such a heart. As this always listen to fear me

and to keep all my commandments. We keep God's commandments not

because we feel compelled to and we feel like if we don't, we'll

get bashed over the head. We keep His commandments because

we want to reverence a holy God, and we recognize that He loves

us and His commandments are there to bless us and we want to

align ourselves. With the Almighty that is the

outworking of the fear. Of the Lord, you see, and

therefore in that place we keep. His commandments, but it starts

with a holy healthy. Fear of the Lord.

We want to keep his commandments because of a healthy.

Awareness of his holy law. We are called, as we looked last

week that we are called to be holy as he is 2 Corinthians 71.

Paul says this to the Church of Corinth.

Since we have these promises loved, let us cleanse ourselves.

Listen from every department of body and spirit.

Bringing holiness to completion. In the love of God?

No. In the grace of God, No in the

fear of God. What?

When did you stop loving Jesus? I didn't.

I just stopped fearing him. Since we have these promises,

beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every department

of body and spirit. Bring holiness to completion in

the fear of God. If you were saying last week and

you'll. Say this week I want to walk in

the holiness of God. Then you've got to embrace the

fear of the Lord and the blessing that comes from that.

I want to give you my own story, I think, growing up.

And I I I'm, I'm, I'm grateful of of a blessing of parents

that. Brought my brother in UP and the

scriptures and the Church that we went to.

I always. Had a a fear of the Lord.

There was this sense that there was.

Lines that I didn't want to cross because I knew he this God

was holy and he was magnificent, and it was that holy fear of God

that came kept me. Celibate until I got married, it

wasn't the love of God. Although I, I, I experienced the

love of God that kept me from sinning.

It was a fear of the Lord that kept me from going over that

line and sinning in that way. If it wasn't for the fear of the

Lord, I wouldn't have remained. Celibate until I got married,

which as you guys know is the call for all, all of us.

The sexual activity is therefore a as a blessing of the covenant

of marriage. It is not to be used outside.

That's another talk for for another time as well.

We'll put that in the list. We've got four talks there, but

it was the fear of God that kept me from sinning.

And I I would love to say that our modern church.

And I use the word church global because we have so lost the

healthy holy understanding. Of the fear of the Lord, and we

have majored on the things that are easy to us.

It is easier, therefore, to fall into sin.

Preacher brother, thank you very much, #3.

It cleanses us and brings us life.

Proverbs 1427. For the fear of the Lord is a

fountain of life. There is A and this in some

respect is a summary of all the blessings.

And in the John Bevere. Book here that I mentioned,

which is an amazing book. He lists at the end 19 plus

blessings that come. With the Fear of the Lord 19

plus. That the scriptures demonstrate,

and somehow we've managed to ignore.

But the fear of the Lord is a fountain of life that one may

turn away from the snares of death.

You see, what is the thing about a snare?

It is both hidden and it has a bait.

The thing about a snare, it is hidden and there is a bait while

we get trapped, of course. But you see, it's the fear of

the. Lord, that is a fountain of life

that protects us from the hidden bait.

Filled traps that the enemy sets for us, and that is where you

will see victory in your. Life with the holy fear of the

Lord. So how do we?

Walk in the fear of God. Because they don't.

Like you. But that's my question.

Like yes. Sign me up Preacher.

I'm, I'm all. There with you.

You know you're right. I haven't.

Really thought about it, but I want to think about it and you

know what? I want to walk in the holy fear

of the Lord, but you tell me how I start.

Thank you for asking me that question.

I've got some good news and some bad news for you.

That can be the bad news. First, there is no five step.

Model for this one. Sorry, there is no magic

formula. That means you could just do

and. Then you got the fear of the

Lord. Fear of the Lord comes with the

knowledge and. Experience of a holy God?

I'll say that again, fear of the Lord comes with the knowledge

and experience of our holy God, who felt the magnificence of God

as we were in that time of worship.

And as I read Revelation out to you, who felt you don't have to

be hands up, but who felt? The presence of a magnificent,

holy, almighty God, and yet because feeling convicted.

Right now myself, because I don't get into the scriptures

enough and work out who this God is and read about who he is and

His Holiness and where is revelation anyway and why should

I read that and why should I read the Old Testament and blah

blah blah blah? Because I don't read about God

and understand the knowledge of who He is.

It doesn't lead to holy fear. Because what I've done is I

constructed my view of God, and my view of God is a cosmic Santa

Claus that loves me no matter what, and therefore I can do.

Whatever I want to do. When did you stop loving Jesus?

I never stop loving Jesus. I stopped fearing the Lord, but

we also experienced. Him and that what brings us what

a great introduction to our anchor text.

Which was Luke 51TO11. Seriously, in that story we see

the fear of the Lord here that when Simon Peter saw, when he

had a revelation of who Jesus was by the fact of this miracle,

what happens? It says this he fell down

Jesus's knees. Not from me, for I am a sinful.

Man, O Lord, oh, what was that? A revelation of a holy God.

We see that so many times in Scripture.

What about Isaiah 6, four to five.

And the fountains, foundations and the thresholds shook at the

voice of God who called, And the house would fill the smoke.

And Isaiah said, Woe is me, for I am lost, for I am a man of

unclean lips. I am not God, as I thought I may

be, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for my

eyes have seen the king that is A.

Holy, Reverent, Fear of the Lord, and it comes from an

experience and in the knowledge. Of a holy God that we worship

God is going to break. Some God boxes this morning.

He's bigger, more almighty, more powerful, more loving, more

kind. Than we can ever know, and it is

as we experience that, that we've fallen our knees.

And say, wow, I want to run towards you.

God, not run away from you. Like to invite the band up as I

bring this plane into a land. I want to read you something.

Actually, 10 years almost to this day, I had an experience.

Over there, my right, your left. It was November the 3rd, 2013 we

had guest. Speakers Ellie Mumford, who at

the time, Ellie and John were our national directors of the

Vintage UK. It's now John and Debbie Wright

as you may know and I had such an experience that I actually

the next day or in fact on the two that I emailed.

My family in Australia and I emailed them what had happened

and I'm going to read you an excerpt from that e-mail.

Of what happened to me, this is me writing.

I and I'd written some other stuff before, and this was the

next thing I want to read, I remember.

And I was laid down like that on the floor.

Couldn't. It was over an hour and a half.

I remember feeling that I was in the presence of God, that I

couldn't speak. I tried, but it was if I was

under anesthetic. And then I opened my eyes

disorientated, and I could make out and I.

List the people that are around praying for me and then someone

said to me. You've seen your Savior Mark,

and as she spoke the words, I had such an intense feeling of

his presence. In fact, I would say that while

in the natural my eyes didn't see Him, my spirit did, at least

at some measure, and I cried out from the depth of my belly.

He was He is holy and I am undone.

As Isaiah said, when he saw the Lord, I didn't see his face, but

he was there and the awfulness of God.

And I got here in brackets. I used that word in its

historical way to describe the awe of God.

Was so great that I thought I'll disintegrate.

And I remember it to this day. There was a notion that I was

being disintegrated in the presence of a holiness, and I

think I even said words to that effect.

I can't take it. Lord, it wasn't that I was

scared. It was like a purging feeling.

Truly, words to describe what happened are inadequate.

That is a holy holy. Healthy fear of God.

The question for each. One of us is, are we going to

walk in that because we are called to fear God in a wholly

healthy way? Can we stand as I pray before we

worship?