Copr. 1997, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D.
INTRODUCTION: THIS WEEK WE LOOK AGAIN AT ANOTHER PART OF THE 1ST OF
THE 3 ANGELS MESSAGES. SPECIFICALLY, WE WILL BE DISCUSSING WHAT IT
MEANS TO FEAR GOD. THIS MAY BE A TEST TO SEE HOW MUCH MEANING WE
CAN GET OUT OF TWO WORDS IN THE BIBLE! SO, LETS GET INTO IT.
I. FEAR GOD
A. TURN WITH ME TO REV 14:7. READ.
B. WHY DOES THE ANGEL SAY THAT WE SHOULD FEAR GOD? (BECAUSE
THE HOUR OF HIS JT HAS COME.)
C. NONE OF US KNOWS WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE JUDGED BY GOD. WHAT
IS THE CLOSEST EXPERIENCE THAT YOU CAN THINK OF? (TO BE JUDGED
BY A HUMAN JUDGE.)
1. IF YOU HAVE BEEN BEFORE A JUDGE, WHAT KIND OF FEELINGS
DID YOU HAVE AS YOU APPROACHED THE COURTHOUSE? ENTERED
THE COURTROOM? STOOD IN FRONT OF THE JUDGE?
2. IS FEAR A FAIR WAY TO DESCRIBE YOUR FEELINGS?
D. THE GREEK WORD FOR "FEAR" IS "PHOBEO" WHICH I AM CERTAIN IS
THE ROOT FOR OUR PHOBIAS. STRONGS SUGGESTS THE MEANING IS TO
BE "FRIGHTENED", TO BE "ALARMED" (STONGS ADDS "PASSIVELY,") TO
BE "IN AWE."
1. THIS WORK PHOBEO APPEARS MANY TIMES IN THE N.T. ONE
TIME WE FIND IT IS IN JOHN 6:19 WERE THE DISCIPLES SEE
JESUS WALKING ON THE WATER TOWARD THEM AND THE NIV SAYS,
"THEY WERE TERRIFIED." JESUS SAID TO THEM, "IT IS I;
DON'T BE AFRAID."
E. CONSIDERING THIS BACKGROUND INFO, DO WE FEAR GOD?
1. DO WE FEAR HIM LIKE WE WOULD AN ORDINARY MAN WHO IS A
JUDGE?
2. I HAVE A RULE OF THUMB, TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT
IT. IF I WOULDN'T DO IT BEFORE A JUDGE, I WON'T DO IT IN
CHURCH BECAUSE I THINK I AM BEFORE THE "ULTIMATE JUDGE."
a. FOR EXAMPLE, I WOULD NEVER TAKE MY COAT OFF IN
COURT UNLESS THE JUDGE TOLD ME I COULD. I WOULD
NEVER APPEAR IN COURT WITHOUT A TIE UNLESS A JUDGE
SPECIFICALLY SAID THAT WE COULD. AND SO I ALWAYS
WEAR A COAT AND TIE IN CHURCH EVEN WHEN I'M
PREACHING ON THE HOTTEST DAYS OF THE SUMMER UP ON
THE PLATFORM (WHICH IS HOTTER THAN DOWN IN THE
SEATS.)
b. ON THE OTHER HAND, I WILL OFTEN SAY SOMETHING
FUNNY BEFORE WE GET ON THE PLATFORM OR WHILE WE ARE
SITTING ON THE PLATFORM BECAUSE I DO THAT IN COURT.
HOWEVER, I HAVE OFTEN WONDERED IF I'M MISSING THE
POINT. STRAINING AT A GNAT AND SWALLOWING A CAMEL.
3. DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD FEAR GOD AT LEAST AS MUCH AS WE
WOULD AN EARTHLY JUDGE?
F. WILL FEARING GOD HELP US IN THE JUDGEMENT?
G. OUR LESSON HAS SEVERAL TEXTS ON FEARING GOD. LET ME HAVE
YOU LOOK THEM UP. WHO WANTS TO LOOK UP? AS YOU LISTEN TO EACH
OF THESE, I WANT YOU TO FIND THE COMMON THREAD:
1. EX 20:20
2. LEV 25:17
3. DEUT 5:29
4. PROV 8:13.
a. WHAT IS THE COMMON THREAD? (THAT FEARING GOD
AFFECTS OUR BEHAVIOR? THAT FEAR MAKES YOU OBEY.)
H. I NOTICE THAT EACH OF THESE TEXTS THAT OUR LESSON GIVES US
IS FROM THE O.T. DO YOU THINK THAT THIS PROPOSITION CHANGED
WITH THE COMING OF JESUS? A COMING MEANT TO RECONCILE US TO
THE FATHER?
1. LETS LOOK AT TWO N.T. TEXTS THAT OUR LESSON DOES NOT
CITE: MATT 10:28 AND LUKE 12:32.
2. DOES THIS VARY THE PICTURE? (I DON'T THINK SO. THE
TEACHERS HELPS HAS A NICE STATEMENT, "THE CALL TO FEAR
GOD IS A WAKE-UP CALL TO COME TO GRIPS WITH DIVINE TRUTH,
AND NOT REMAIN ENMESHED IN FALSE CONCEPTS OF LIFE ....")
I. YOU TOLD ME A FEW WEEKS AGO THAT YOU SEE TODAY THE
DESCRIPTION OF LAST DAY CONDITIONS FOUND IN 2 TIM 3:1-5.
1. DO YOU THINK THAT "WHAT IS WRONG WITH SOCIETY" IS THAT
NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE FEAR GOD? OR HAVE SUFFICIENT RESPECT
FOR DIVINE LAW?" (THE TEACHERS HELPS SUGGEST THIS. p.35
BOTTOM)
2. IS THIS ALSO A PROBLEM IN THE CHURCH? THAT PEOPLE DO
NOT FEAR GOD?
--OUR LESSON USES THE PHRASE (TUES) "THE TREND
TOWARDS DISRESPECTFUL FAMILIARITY."
3. LETS MAKE IT PERSONAL, DO YOU FEAR GOD? (I DO NOT FEAR
HIM AS MUCH AS I SHOULD.)
4. WHY IS THAT? (TWO REASONS: 1) NATURAL HEART. I WANT
HIM TO JUDGE THE BAD PEOPLE OVER THERE, BUT NOT ME. 2)
WHEN I WAS RAISED IN SDA SCHOOLS I THINK THERE WAS SO
MUCH CONCERN THAT WE MIGHT NOT UNDERSTAND THE LOVE OF GOD
THAT HE WAS MADE THIS TOOTHLESS, HAPPY, GIFT GIVER. SOME
SORT OF BIG HAPPY RABBIT. ----HE EXECUTED PEOPLE IN BOTH
THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS FOR DISOBEDIENCE -- AND
SOMEBODY, EITHER YOU OR HIS SON, WILL DIE FOR YOUR SINS.
SIN IS NOT A JOKING MATTER. AND HIS PERFECT HOLINESS IS
NOT A TRIVIAL MATTER.
5. THERE IS A GROUP CALLED THE CHRISTIAN
RECONSTRUCTIONISTS WHO BELEIVE THAT THE LAW GOD GAVE TO
MOSES SHOULD BECOME THE LAW OF OUR LAND. I SHOULD SAY
THAT A GREAT DEAL OF OUR LAW TODAY HAS ITS ROOTS IN THE
LAWS GOD GAVE MOSES. IF YOU LOOK AT MURALS IN OLD
COURTHOUSES, THEY WILL OFTEN HAVE PICTURES OF MOSES. MY
RECOLLECTION OF THE US SUPREME COURT IS THAT THERE IS A
SCULPTURE OF MOSES IN THE CEILING.
a. WHAT DO YOU SAY? DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THE LAW GOD
GAVE TO MOSES IS A MODEL FOR OUR LAWS?
b. CAN YOU CRITICISE THE RECONSTRUCTIONISTS FROM A
BIBLICAL POINT OF VIEW?
c. WOULD THIS INCREASE RESPECT FOR DIVINE LAW AND
HELP TO INSPIRE FEAR OF GOD?
II. FEAR OF MEN VERSUS FEAR OF GOD
A. LETS TURN A CORNER HERE. WHAT DO YOU FEAR THE MOST?
(HIGHLIGHT THOSE THAT SEEM TO BE CONNECTED WITH THE LOSS OF
ESTEEM OR RESPECT OF OUR FELLOW MEN. MIGHT HAVE TO "UNPEEL" A
FEAR TO GET TO THIS BOTTOM LINE OF WORRY ABOUT WHAT OTHERS
THINK ABOUT US.)
B. DO YOU THINK THAT YOU WORRY TOO MUCH? HOW MUCH OF OUR
WORRIES ARE BASED ON A FEAR OF WHAT MEN WILL THINK OF US?
C. PROVERBS 29:25 SAYS, "FEAR OF MAN WILL PROVE TO BE A SNARE,
BUT WHOEVER TRUSTS IN THE LORD IS KEPT SAFE."
1. DO YOU THINK THAT PART OF OUR MESSAGE, THE 3 ANGELS'
MESSAGE, IS TO LIMIT WORRY BY TRUSTING IN GOD AND NOT
FEARING MAN? (THE TEACHER'S COMMENTS SUGGEST THAT THOSE
WHO HAVE A HEALTHY FEAR OF GOD ARE SET FREE FROM THE FEAR
OF HUMANS AND DEVILS. "THIS IS AN IMPORTANT MEANS OF
INTERANL FORTIFICATION AGAINST THE BEAST AND HIS
MARK...." (p.37)
III. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FEAR AND LOVE.
A. WE HAVE DISCUSSED FEARING GOD IN DETAIL. LETS LOOK AT
ANOTHER TEXT. READ 1 JOHN 4:18. THIS SAYS THAT LOVE DRIVES
OUT FEAR?
1. WHAT DOES THIS VERSE SUGGEST CAUSES FEAR? (THE
JUDGMENT. THIS IS EXACTLY THE SAME THOUGHT AS REV 14:7.)
2. HOW DOES LOVE DRIVE OUT FEAR?
3. IF WE JUST LEARNED THAT FEARING GOD IS THIS GOOD
THING, THEN WHY WOULD WE WANT TO DRIVE IT OUT? (IT DOES
NOT MEAN THAT WHEN WE LOVE GOD WE NO LONGER FEAR HIM.
WHAT IT MEANS IS THAT LOVE DRIVES OUT THE FEAR THAT IS
CONNECTED WITH THE JUDGMENT. SO WE CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE
(v.17) IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.!
IV. NEXT WEEK: THE HOUR OF HIS JT. SOMEONE ELSE (NO INTERNET BIBLE STUDY). STUDY!