Fear of God (Part 2) | Pr Julian Saw

You're listening to a message to go from at church. We hope this message

will light up your tea. I'll start with this, what does holy mean

or what is what is holiness? I think we don't talk about this a

lot in church, but it's something very important because we know we know the

angels crowd, Holy, Holy, Holy, the Lord God Almighty. So

what does holy mean? Anyone want to take a job at it? But

I mentioned the word holiness separate, Yeah, that was called exactly, so,

so I think we just go that's right. What is so holy goes

to it goes to set apart or separate. So the Hebrew or Jewish definition

of the word holy actually really means this right, holy, set apart,

separate it. Uh. I've got this quite funny story which if you know

Alex Martin from from Ampung he he he told me this story once. I

don't know if he stuck with me for the rest of my life. So

Alex Martin has a beard. So I know I'm Chinese. I don't have

much of a beard. Maybe Jason would identify it is better or like John

ratch. So he has a beard, and I think the beard needs to

be trimmed or needs maintenance. So so usually man with a jungle and like

a beard and a mustache, what they do is they need something to like,

I don't know clean. It's like a beard comb, right, like

a beard comb. Okay, So so he said, you know, one

day I was looking for a beard comb to maintain my beard. And then

he goes into a shop that sells combs, like one of those barber cut

of shops are. Then he asked, okay, I really maintained my beard,

so what do I get? Then then the guy shows him an array

of beautiful brushes and triggered little beard maintaining combs things. Uh, and he

he looks at him like all amazing, so good. Then he checks out

the processes like cause a problem to buy something that looks like a brush for

your beard, And then he tells me. He walks out of the shop.

He goes into a hardware shop. He goes into a hardware shop and

he looks for the cheapest brush that he could find. Right, yeah,

I missed the dud or something and he and he buys it because he was

cheaper, but he consecrated he set apart that brush to maintain his beard.

Right, so this tool it is a holy brush. It's been said about

to do one thing, not to clean any anything else, but to just

maintain his beard. Right. So God can use anyone, right, even

even the cheapest do in the in mister dry, even a singer like me.

God can use us because we are set up. We are holy.

So being holy doesn't mean just following a set of rules, or being the

most expensive thing in the in the store, or you know, being the

ass being the best. But being holy really means just being set up to

do something for God. Okay, or draw another parallel with the word holy,

and and uh, I'll show you this. This bunch of words was

okay, So have anyone here of who have said this sentences before? Okay?

So oh yeah yeah Max, Max bar remembers like yeah, twenty years

ago, about twenty years ago a longer okay. Anyways, So I take

you to be my wife or husband, to have and to hold from this

day forward, for that forwards, for richer, for poer, in sickness,

and in hell, to leave of the cherish to death. Do us

part, that us do part according to God's holy law. And this is

my solemn vow. So if you're married in this room, or if you're

getting married soon. Uh, this is a vow that a husband gives to

his wife or a wife gives to her husband, right, And it's a

vow that really is a promise that you're telling the other person that I'm gonna

set myself apart, deny everything else, Deny all the other guys that have

been chasing me all this while, deny all the other girls that are trying

to get my number, asking me out on dates even more than that,

denying even the possibility of being poor together or sickness or health, denying even

times where it will be very sad or happy to say that I'm set apart

for this person and I'm set apart to be with this person. And I

like that John of you said, because he said, sometimes we think holiness

is very God being very demanding with our lives, Like why does God want

me to be so, you know, in this sinful wrole. But really

what he's saying is holiness is just what is expected between a husband and wife,

what is expected between a church and Jesus Christ the bride in the groom.

Right, So let's have that perspective of what holiness is. It's just

us committing ourselves to be set apart to God, denying everything else in this

world, denying, denying all the pleasures of this world, to say,

and to commit ourselves to God. Okay, So that is what holiness is.

Why is holiness important to God? Why is holiness important to God?

So we'll go through a few scripture, but i'll show you a picture of

first, and I think from this picture you'll know what this is. So

what do you think it's a preticure or where? What is this? The

burning bush? Not the burning man, the bending bush? So this is

Moses and the bending bush. Right. And I don't descripture on the slides,

but I'll just guide you to Exodus chapter three, verse five. So

and when Moses saw this bush that was burning but not consumed by the fire,

he turned and went to the bush, right. And this is what

God said. When Moses approached the bush. He said, Moses, Moses,

And Moses said, here, I am Exodus tree, verse five.

Do not come any closer. God said, take off your sandals, for

the place where you are standing is holy ground. Then he said, I

am the Lord. I am the God of your father, the God of

Abraham, the God of Isaac, the god of Jacob. This Moses hit

his face because he was afraid to look at God. So this other metaphor

of what holiness is in relation to God and why is holiness so important?

Is we sometimes use the metaphor of like the sun in terms of the galaxy.

So if you know signs there is one sun in our galaxy. If

there's more than one son, then there will be the tree body problem,

but that's another story, you know. Anyways, So there's one sun which

is unique and like holy and set apart because this sun is so it's it's

one that gives energy and source of life to the whole galaxy. So gain

this is the metaphor cam using an example of what holiness is. But the

closer you go to the sun, so say the sun is here. The

closer you go to the Sun, the more you feel its energy and heat

and light. And if you know, if you get too close to the

Sun, you'll burn or you know. So, so God and is holiness

and it's glory. It's like the Sun. And the closer we want to

get to see Him, the closer that we want to be in an intimate

relationship with him, the more we have to understand the posture of holiness.

Okay. So for example, back in the Old Testament, when the priests

would go into the Holy of Holies once a year, they have a posture

and a proceedure they have to follow. They can't touch anything that has death

on it, right, because if they do and they're not pure, when

they go into the Holy of Holice, what happens They die and they get

dragged out. So very similar concept that there is why holiness is so important

to God. So I have this sentences which I want to read. I

believe holiness is the state or a condition, a posture, a position that

is required when coming face to face with God. That's why it's so important.

Again, it's a state or condition or posture, a position that's required

when we come face to face with God or being in God's presence or the

fullness of His glory to be able to see God. So this, this

posture that we have is how we need to approach God, and therefore it's

very important. Okay, Matthew five eight blessed at a pr and heart for

they shall see God. Yeah. I want to yeah, okay, I

want to put this other statement. Jackie can go back to the court by

C. S. Lewis, because I read this statement before by C.

S. Lewis, but I never really understood is Okay, he said,

this is an author how little people know who think that holiness is dull when

one means the real thing is irresistible. So we have this perception that holiness

is borrowing, but in this author's perspective, it's actually irresistible because it gives

us the closeness with God. Okay, stay in me for a well,

Okay, stay with me for a while. We'll do a quick Bible study

on holiness and then we'll we'll take you to the finish line. Okay.

So when we talk about holiness, there are in general two types of holiness.

Okay. The first one is the first one is positional holiness, and

the second one is behavioral holiness. Okay, so positional holiness. Sometimes the

GISTs or Bible scholars we use the word like justification. Okay, so justification

versus sanctification. Let's look at the first one, which is positional holiness.

So positional holiness is declared righteousness before God, made possible by Christ's death and

resurrection for us. Okay, this is the position that we have as Christians.

So the day that you say yes to God, the data you say,

Jesus you are, You're my savior, and I receive you in my

heart. We have this positional holiness ready. Our life has been justified not

by our own doing, not by our own work, but by what Jesus

has done on the cross already. Okay, we are countered as holy.

So very similar to how when Laura and I got married almost ten years ago.

Now, so the moment we set our vowels to each other, we

were by position husband and wife. Okay. So positional holiness, the holiness

that comes from what Christ has done on across for us. So there's a

scripture that tells us that ephicients one was for even before He made the world,

So even before we were created, for the world was created. Already

God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in

his eyes. That is how he sees all of us. The moment we

will receive Him as Lord and Savior, he already counted us as holy.

We don't need to do anything. We are our position in Christ really holy.

Okay, so then what do we need to do? Right? Do

we need to work out our salvation? Why do we need to work on

holiness? That's because of behavioral holynes So discoose your next life yeap going down

behavioral holiness or some people who may call it personal holiness. So what this

means is our gradual growing righteousness made possible by the spirit's worlkliness. So there

is positional holiness. But we have a responsibility to work out our salvation.

We have a responsibility to go through the sanctification process to become more like Him,

to live our life that's pleasing to Him. Okay, so we see

this in one Peter one fourteen to fifteen. You must live as God's obedient

children. Don't slip back into your own ways of living to satisfy your own

desires. You didn't know any better then, but now you must be holy

in everything you do, just as God, who chose you, is holy.

There's a part for us to work out our salvation. An example of

this would be the prodigal Son. Right, so we know this story the

prodigal Son, which I have a picture of the next light the prodigal Son.

Just to be a bit more colorful. Yeah, and today you guys,

don't get bored. The prodigal son is someone who from the start had

some ship all the way, even from the day he said, Okay,

I'm gonna leave my dad, I'm gonna take my inheritance, and I'm gonna

do what I want in the world. When he was out of the house

of his father, he also was still having that positional holiness as a son.

Right. In fact, he even remembers that when he was eating scraps

with the pigs in the whatever the thing is, you know, in the

Mud, because he said that, Okay, why am I eating this?

I'm a son of a father, and I can go back to my father's

house and even be a slave. Right. So he always had that positional

holiness, but behaviorally he wasn't living out he's calling, right, he was

going against what the father wants him to do. So there's the part where

for us we need to work out our holiness. Okay. So he never

left his sonship, but he had behavioral issues, and we know that he

had repentance. So he turned one hundred and eighty degrees, went back to

the father's house and wanted to be reconciled with his father. Okay. So

I'll bring it through another set of scriptures, which is in Second Corinthians,

and let's just read through this and draw from scripture. Okay. So Second

Corinthians, Chapter six and chapter seven has quite a lot to say about holiness

and being set apart. Okay, but I see that as a flooring through

from six to seven. So six verses fourteen don't team up with those who

are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? So this is

again being set apart. How can light live with darkness? They're not to

mix? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can

a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be

between God's temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.

So as God said, so it's going to give us a set of

promises. Go to the next sight. I will live in them and walk

among them. I will be their God and they will be my people.

So I think I love this part, like these are promises move into us

if we set ourselves apart. So I will live in them and walk around.

And how many will you want to walk with God? And live with

him. I will be their God and they'll be my people. Therefore,

come out from among unbelievers and separate yourself from them, says the Lord against

separation. Don't touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you, and

I will be your father, and you will be my sons and daughters,

said the Lord Almighty. Go to chapter seven. Okay, next life.

So this is seven was one again, but it's a flow. Therefore,

having these promises, believe it, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of

the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. So if

you have time, go back and here there's second crime Corentins six and seven.

It's really good. And even this this verse here we can go much

deeper, like what does clean cleansing ourselves from all filters of the flesh and

spirit. So that's flash and spirit. Right. But what I'm trying to

say is is God has promised to walk with us and be with us and

live in us. But the price that we have to pay pay is two

clorify ourselves that we may have a close saying m sive with him in our

relationship with him. Okay, yeah, let's go to Hebrews twelve fourteen.

So again we see here that these words are being used in terms of holiness.

Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at work at living

a holy life. For those who are not holy will not see it a

lot, Okay, So that this statement work at the other versions they use

her sue or make every effort, So there's gonna be some efforts that we

need. The last statement I make is this, there is a price to

pay for intimacy. There's a price to pay for intimacy. Just like how

again, husband and wife like analogy, right you if you're married here or

if you have a significant other, significant other, you know that that person

is set apart for you because you know you've made a commitment to each other.

But that commitment also brings the two people closer. Right. So,

if if I were to do something to like make Laura I agree as my

wife, you know the list of things I can do. Uh, I

know that it will affect my relationship with her because the next moment she will

she will I norah, I mean she showed me her face, She will

get angry with me or like you know, before she goes to sleep,

she'll just turn the other side of like, you know, do something else.

I mean the there's a price to pay for intimacy, and that price

is guarding the relationship. It goes. It goes the same for like father

and son or you know, parents and children kind of relationship as well.

There's the price to pay if you want to be close to your children,

need to spend time with them, you need to be involved in their lives.

So there's a price to pay for intimacy with God as well. And

the price is holiness. Ye okay, all right, love be oh man,

I'm taking a bit more time. Dissamement. So it is acknowledge,

be bow see is consecret and d is the sentment. Okay, and I'll

take this quite quickly. The fear of the Lord is the foundation of true

knowledge. That's in Problems one, verse seven. The fear of the Lord

guides are guide's life decisions. Okay, yeah, uh yeah. Let's go

to the next light. Next light, let's go through to two scriptures.

So Problems to verse one to five. My child, listen to what I

say, treasure my commands. Tun your years to wisdom and consecrate on understanding.

Crowd for inside and ask for understanding. Search for them as you for

silver, Seek them like hidden treasure. Then you'll understand what it means to

fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. Yep. So

this sentment is the you need to know what's going on in the room.

Right. Have you ever been in a meeting where there's one person that doesn't

get it? It's worse if that person is the leader. You're like,

no, there's not the point, and then we're talking about everything else but

the main thing. So I hope you're not that person. You know what

that person wants. Yeah, one time I think I probably told you story

here before. Like one time I was taking a train to to Ko from

Clang and then, uh so in the KTM you know you and the journey

is an hour, So from Klang to kl it's one hour journey, right,

so it's very tiring one and then you would prefer to have a seat

in the train, right, You want to sit down the train so they

can relax. So I was trying that for two weeks and then one one

day John ratch uh gave me a tip. He's like, hey, I

be taking the train right, do you know of this way? Where you

can sit down in the train from the start right. Uh. So,

so the journey back is from kill Central all the way to Clang. And

then he said, okay, if you do this, when you go to

the station in KL, you don't go to the kel Central station. You

go to the one one before Kell Central. I think it was passed us

the new or something or call it a postation. Okay. Uh And and

then he said, if you if you get into that train from KL,

because it's before the popular station, which is Kill Central, you get to

sit down because you're before the crowd. So it was like, great idea,

you're a genius. I'm gonna follow your words. So so so one

day I'm gonna try that. Okay, Monday came, I went to afterwards,

I was very tired. I went to the went to the train station,

and then you can walk from I think there's a bridge that goes to

the other station. So I walked there. It's like, John, your

genius. I'm gonna sit down today. And then I saw the train approaches.

I was approaching the platform, so I ran into the train. Then

it was empty. I was like, yes, I'm gonna sit down today.

It's gonna be a relaxing journey back home. John Rotching Is the genius,

sat down, relaxed, and then the train started moving. Okay,

so after about two tree stops, I was like, I think something is

not right. It looks a bit different. Then going back to clang and

I was like, I think everyone else in the train knew where they were

going except me. I was the guy in the room. I was like,

man, then I think double the Holy Street Dropper word of decentment in

my heart. It's like, you're in the wrong tree. It was going

to like the other the opposite end of Graan. So so you heard the

animal story right, Like, I wasted probably an hour and a half getting

out on the train, and then you know, the KTM is like twenty

minutes per per cycles. I got there the track with it again and then

yeah, I gotta say I gotta say it. Yeah. But this sentmon

is something that all of us need in our lives because if we don't know

what God is doing in our lives, right, Like, how are we

to follish his leading if you don't know what God is trying to say in

that moment for us to even reach out to another person to say to this

person or to speak life, how are we going to be effective in our

ministry that all may know? Right? So having this sermon from God is

very important. So my last scripture is from Sounds Versus since twenty five.

Who are those who fear the Lot? He will show them the path they

should choose. So don't be like me, get into the wrong train and

go on the wrong path down the other way. But get on the right

train. Have discernment. They will live in prosperity and their children will inherit

the land. The Lord is a friend to those who fear him. He

teaches them his covenants. So another version says this, the secret of the

Lord is with those who fear him. The secret of the Lord is with

those who fear him. So I'll just invite the team to come up we

as we close, and I'll share one last, one last story in the

Bible about discernment. And this is a story about Abraham and Lot. So

you know Abraham and you know a Lot. Abraham we know was a man

that feared the Lord. A Lot was a Christian in our terms, he

was a believer. He was part of God's family. But there's a story

in a Bible where Abraham got to know the secrets of God before Lord did.

Okay, so Lord chose to go to a place called Sodom and Gomarah,

and we know that eventually God wanted to destroy that whole city because it

was so sinful. But the amazing story is this the scripture on the chapter

before God destroyed Sodom, Abraham was having a conversation with God. It was

when there were three three angels, one of them the Lord and two others,

and two angels approached Abraham and they were talking about other things. First

how Abraham is going to get a son. That was where Sarah laughed in

the house. And then they were there, saw a ministering to Abraham,

and then the two angels of the Lord went ahead to Sdom to destroy that

city. But the Lord stayed back with Abraham because the Bible says he wanted

to speak to Abraham first about this. He said that should I not destroy

Sodom first before consulting with Abraham. And to me, it paints a picture

of this. Abraham and Lord were both Christians. Abraham and Lord were both

believers. They know Jesus as their savior, or they accepted God as their

lord. But Lord was in the town and a city where he was about

to get destroyed completely. And if Lord was still in Sdom, he also

would have been destroyed here and his family. Abraham was someone that wasn't even

in that city. But God chose to consult and speak with him. God

chose to share his secrets with Abraham. God chose to call Abraham a friend

because he feared the Lord. So this is where I'm going, like,

I mean asking God this this year, I want to know where You're moving

in my life because I don't want to miss what you're doing in my family,

in my ministry, in my workplace. And I've been praying for that

this one of these holy street to be apart my life as well. And

the Lord showed me the scripture again Third Psalms twenty five, verses fourteen.

The Lord is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his

covenants. The secret of the Lord is with those who fear him. So

why didn't why didn't God go and consult Lot. He was the person that

was in the city, And I'm thinking, like, I don't want to

be Lord man. My city is about to get destroyed completely and I'm unaware,

but we know that God was merciful to him because the angels of the

Lord went to him and said, get out quickly, because today the Holy

City will be destroyed. And we know that he Lord took his two daughters

and his wife out just as Soda was being destroyed. But the wife,

his wife looked back in twenty two Pillar of Salt right. So it's very

important for us to live our lives very well by having a dissament of the

Holy Spirit, and it comes from the fear of the Lord. We hope

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