Healthy Fear Should We Love God or Fear Him?

The eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love… Psalm 33:18

Psalm Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; 2 O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.

3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.

7 Put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.

Fear of God can either be unhealthy or healthy - motivating or debilitating.

1 John 4:8 God is love.

John THE NUMBERS OF HOPE

Nehemiah 8:10 To Love God is to enjoy him! The joy of the Lord is your strength. To Love God is to enjoy him! The joy of the Lord is your strength.

Psalm 68:19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.

Psalm 28:6-7 Praise be to the LORD, for He has heard my cry for mercy. 7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Praise be to the LORD, for He has heard my cry for mercy. 7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.

My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.

1 John 4:9 We love Him because he first loved us.

~ John Piper “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him!”

Ephesians 3:17-18 I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ…

F – Falleness We are fallen creatures before a holy, majestic God E – A – R –

F – Falleness E – Exaltation A – R – God is appreciated for his glory

F – Falleness E – Exaltation A – Awe R – A deep and profound wonder in the presence of God

F – Falleness E – Exaltation A – Awe R – Reverence In response we honor God with humble obedience

Isaiah 6:1-8 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.

2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.

Isaiah 6:1-8 3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Isaiah 6:1-8 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” Isaiah 6:1-8

6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

Isaiah 6:1-8 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Luke 5:8 “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken…

Luke 5:11 Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

God doesn’t use someone greatly until He awes him deeply.

Mark 9:7 “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

Acts 9 the Conversion of Saul

Jeremiah 5:22 “Should you not fear me?” declares the LORD. “Should you not tremble in my presence?” “Should you not fear me?” declares the LORD. “Should you not tremble in my presence?”

...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Philippians 2:12-13

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge… Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Proverbs 1:7

Terror Dread Trembling Astonishment Awe Reverence Devotion Worship We hide from God We live in... We know of God’s holy justice We seek, draw near, and submit to God We know of God’s holy justice and holy love Trust

Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Psalm 34:11

Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. 1 Peter 2:17

Acts 9:31 The church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.

Revelation 15:3-4 Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. 4 Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. 4 Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name?

God as Father

“Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. 8 Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy.” Leviticus 20:7-8

Psalm 34:11-14 Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 12 Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, 13 keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. 14 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Deuteronomy 5:28-29 Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!

Psalms 147:11 The Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love.

Apathy, Terror or Worship?

Psalm 36:1-2 There is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin.

Hebrews 10:31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Worship

Romans 8:15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

The best way to think of ‘Abba, Father’ is ‘Daddy, Sir’