1
00:00:00,520 –> 00:00:03,540
Don’t fear God.
2
00:00:03,540 –> 00:00:07,940
To fear God is to love him
3
00:00:07,940 –> 00:00:12,460
so that his frown would be your greatest dread
4
00:00:12,460 –> 00:00:15,660
and his smile would be your greatest delight.
5
00:00:15,660 –> 00:00:20,299
Welcome to Open the Bible with pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick and we’re in
6
00:00:20,480 –> 00:00:23,379
the middle of a series entitled soul care-
7
00:00:23,379 –> 00:00:27,500
four friends for your soul. Colin, we’re in the middle of a message called
8
00:00:27,500 –> 00:00:29,180
the Fear of God and
9
00:00:29,200 –> 00:00:32,779
maybe the fear of God is not naturally something you would think of
10
00:00:32,779 –> 00:00:36,259
as a friend for your soul. Yeah, I think some folks have the idea that’s something
11
00:00:36,259 –> 00:00:38,180
I’d want to get rid of, get away from-
12
00:00:38,180 –> 00:00:41,619
but the Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning
13
00:00:41,619 –> 00:00:45,900
of wisdom. So this is a friend for the soul. This is something I want to have
14
00:00:45,900 –> 00:00:46,939
more of, so
15
00:00:46,939 –> 00:00:50,820
it’s not as if the fear of God and the love of God are somehow fighting
16
00:00:50,820 –> 00:00:54,139
each other. They belong together and
17
00:00:54,139 –> 00:00:57,220
in the message today we’re going to see how they belong together
18
00:00:57,220 –> 00:01:01,020
and how actually they reinforce one another in a very wonderful way.
19
00:01:01,020 –> 00:01:05,300
So join us today if you can in Jeremiah chapter 32
20
00:01:05,300 –> 00:01:08,779
as we continue a message the fear of God. Here’s Colin.
21
00:01:08,779 –> 00:01:11,940
why should we fear the Lord as we think
22
00:01:11,940 –> 00:01:14,980
about this awesome day of judgment. Here’s
23
00:01:14,980 –> 00:01:19,260
the three answers that Thomas Manton gives to that question. Number one
24
00:01:19,260 –> 00:01:22,500
because the judgment
25
00:01:22,500 –> 00:01:25,540
of God was once our
26
00:01:25,540 –> 00:01:29,080
Jew. Think about that.
27
00:01:29,080 –> 00:01:32,099
It was once our Jew.
28
00:01:32,099 –> 00:01:35,639
Grace is not
29
00:01:35,639 –> 00:01:38,680
a right and
30
00:01:38,680 –> 00:01:43,459
if it were not for the sheer mercy of God poured out to us
31
00:01:43,459 –> 00:01:48,739
in Jesus Christ at immeasurable cost I would have been gone forever
32
00:01:48,739 –> 00:01:52,220
and whenever I think about the judgment of God
33
00:01:52,339 –> 00:01:55,239
I cannot think about it without realizing my
34
00:01:55,239 –> 00:01:59,160
total indebtedness for time and for eternity
35
00:01:59,160 –> 00:02:03,000
to all that good that has come from him, and that’s going to lead as you take
36
00:02:03,000 –> 00:02:05,580
that into your mind and a heart to a sense of the
37
00:02:05,580 –> 00:02:09,679
awe of God to what the Bible describes as The Fear of the Lord.
38
00:02:09,679 –> 00:02:14,220
That’s his first answer. Second answer
39
00:02:14,220 –> 00:02:17,720
we still deserve it
40
00:02:18,660 –> 00:02:25,419
even after grace has made a change in our condition.
41
00:02:25,419 –> 00:02:30,300
Why should we have the sense of the fear of the Lord when we think about the Day of
42
00:02:30,300 –> 00:02:34,759
Judgment? Because the reality is that we still deserve it
43
00:02:34,759 –> 00:02:39,500
even as Christian believers. Understand this
44
00:02:39,500 –> 00:02:44,619
that the reason there is no condemnation for Christian believers
45
00:02:45,100 –> 00:02:50,639
is not that we have become so pure, so holy, so righteous in our Christian lives
46
00:02:50,639 –> 00:02:54,839
that God couldn’t possibly find anything in us that was worthy of condemnation.
47
00:02:54,839 –> 00:03:00,119
That is not the case. The reason that we are not condemned is not that we’ve
48
00:03:00,119 –> 00:03:03,820
become so righteous that there’s nothing in us that is worthy of condemnation.
49
00:03:03,820 –> 00:03:09,539
The only reason that we will not be condemned is because in Jesus Christ God
50
00:03:09,660 –> 00:03:17,259
determines not to press charges on His people because the charges have been
51
00:03:17,259 –> 00:03:21,899
brought against His own son, Jesus Christ. That’s the only reason.
52
00:03:22,679 –> 00:03:26,979
So here’s what Manton is saying. Understand when you think about this, not only was it
53
00:03:26,979 –> 00:03:31,479
once your due, but if it were not for Jesus Christ even standing at your best
54
00:03:31,479 –> 00:03:36,339
as a Christian, you would be completely gone. You would have no hope.
55
00:03:36,500 –> 00:03:40,720
And therefore as you think about this you begin to see the degree of your
56
00:03:40,720 –> 00:03:46,139
dependence upon grace and upon Christ and you have a sense of awe and wonder
57
00:03:46,139 –> 00:03:56,660
that’s altogether different from so much that is trite even within the Church of God.
58
00:03:57,800 –> 00:04:01,000
Then he gives a third answer. He says, remember this that we are still
59
00:04:01,000 –> 00:04:07,960
in the process of being saved. He says, I know, I quote here I know that I shall be
60
00:04:07,960 –> 00:04:13,259
saved but it is a difficult thing to save me. In other words what he’s getting
61
00:04:13,259 –> 00:04:17,380
at here is that a Christian is a person who not only has an awareness of their
62
00:04:17,380 –> 00:04:21,239
passings that have been forgiven a Christian is a person who has an
63
00:04:21,239 –> 00:04:26,100
awareness of the sins that remain. The sins against which I do battle. The sins
64
00:04:26,459 –> 00:04:33,359
which we are in daily need of being saved even now. And if we have no sense
65
00:04:33,359 –> 00:04:36,299
of that, we have very little knowledge of ourselves and probably very little
66
00:04:36,299 –> 00:04:42,799
knowledge of God. So there is nothing of self righteousness about the true
67
00:04:42,799 –> 00:04:48,859
Christian. At our best we hang on the mercy of God in Jesus Christ. And as we
68
00:04:48,859 –> 00:04:54,459
think about the reality of that day it will cause us to tremble because of what
69
00:04:54,579 –> 00:05:04,579
we are and to be amazed that the grace of God should embrace us still. The fear
70
00:05:04,579 –> 00:05:09,859
of God, you see what it arises from? A glimpse of the splendor of his glory. A
71
00:05:09,859 –> 00:05:18,100
sense of the reality of his judgment. And here’s the third strand, the wonder of
72
00:05:18,100 –> 00:05:27,079
his love. The wonder of his love. Psalm 130 and verse 4 begins by saying Lord, if
73
00:05:27,079 –> 00:05:31,339
you were to mark all of our iniquities, if you were to mark up everything I’ve
74
00:05:31,339 –> 00:05:37,700
done wrong this week, this year, who could possibly stand? Who could stand if you
75
00:05:37,700 –> 00:05:43,779
were to mark all our iniquities? But then he says this, with You there is
76
00:05:44,119 –> 00:05:52,179
forgiveness, isn’t that an amen moment? With You there is forgiveness and then
77
00:05:52,179 –> 00:05:56,660
notice what comes next. You would think he’d say, with You there is forgiveness
78
00:05:56,660 –> 00:06:02,260
so that you will be loved. That’s not what the Psalmist says. Psalm 130 verse
79
00:06:02,260 –> 00:06:12,720
4, get this, with You there is forgiveness that you may be feared.’ So here is the
80
00:06:12,720 –> 00:06:17,619
grace of God, the mercy of God, the love of God leading into the fear of God.
81
00:06:17,619 –> 00:06:21,980
Which is why I’m saying the third strand is the knowledge of God’s love. Do you
82
00:06:21,980 –> 00:06:26,220
see now why it is only a Christian believer who can come to the knowledge
83
00:06:26,220 –> 00:06:29,279
of the fear of God, because only a Christian believer has come to see
84
00:06:29,279 –> 00:06:32,220
something of His glory and to meditate on the awesome
85
00:06:32,220 –> 00:06:36,739
reality of His judgment and to experience the wonder of His Love, the
86
00:06:36,799 –> 00:06:44,899
The world doesn’t know these things, but we do. How does this work, the
87
00:06:44,899 –> 00:06:50,619
forgiveness that you may be feared. Here’s what it’s like. You come to know
88
00:06:50,619 –> 00:06:55,260
as a Christian believer, the amazing love of God poured out to you in Jesus Christ,
89
00:06:55,260 –> 00:07:02,500
forgiveness at immeasurable and unspeakable cost. And as you experience
90
00:07:02,500 –> 00:07:05,679
the wonder of His Love, you begin to feel within your heart,
91
00:07:05,920 –> 00:07:13,320
how can I sin against love like this? How can I grieve the heart of a father
92
00:07:13,320 –> 00:07:22,640
who loves me this much? How can I wound the Son of God, who already has
93
00:07:22,640 –> 00:07:28,440
borne so many wounds for me? You don’t sin so easily when your heart is
94
00:07:28,440 –> 00:07:33,600
filled with the knowledge of the love of Christ, because it produces
95
00:07:33,640 –> 00:07:38,679
the fear of God. With you there is forgiveness that you may be feared.’
96
00:07:40,600 –> 00:07:44,000
I have adapted a definition of the fear of the Lord, or perhaps a
97
00:07:44,000 –> 00:07:47,359
description is a better way of putting it, from John Brown who wrote
98
00:07:47,359 –> 00:07:50,799
a massive commentary on 1st Peter, which includes the words,
99
00:07:50,799 –> 00:07:55,399
fear God, in chapter 2 and verse 17. And Brown’s got pages and pages.
100
00:07:55,399 –> 00:07:58,839
But it boils down to this. Let me put it to you in a sentence
101
00:07:59,239 –> 00:08:05,600
as clearly as I can. That to fear God is to love him
102
00:08:06,760 –> 00:08:11,959
so that his frown would be your greatest dread, and his
103
00:08:11,959 –> 00:08:16,880
smile would be your greatest delight. That’s what it is.
104
00:08:16,880 –> 00:08:21,880
It’s so to love God that to bring displeasure to the Father
105
00:08:21,880 –> 00:08:25,559
who loves you like this would be the thing you would dread
106
00:08:25,559 –> 00:08:30,239
the most, better anything than to grieve the heart of my
107
00:08:30,239 –> 00:08:35,599
Father who loves me like this. And oh, what joy there is to
108
00:08:35,599 –> 00:08:41,679
live under his smile, to experience his pleasure? That’s
109
00:08:41,679 –> 00:08:49,260
the heart of the person who fears the Lord. The fear of the
110
00:08:49,260 –> 00:08:53,640
Lord. It’s in the heart of someone who has seen his glory,
111
00:08:53,640 –> 00:08:56,880
the splendor of his glory, and the reality of his judgment, and
112
00:08:56,880 –> 00:09:02,059
the wonder of his love. Glory. Judgment. Love. Now, do you see
113
00:09:02,059 –> 00:09:05,960
why in the Old Testament it speaks about the people of God
114
00:09:05,960 –> 00:09:10,719
will fear him forever? Because in Heaven itself, what are we
115
00:09:10,719 –> 00:09:16,059
going to experience? The splendor of his glory
116
00:09:16,059 –> 00:09:22,640
beautifully unveiled. And Heaven will remain a happy and
117
00:09:22,700 –> 00:09:26,940
holy place forever and forever. Why? Because the judgment of
118
00:09:26,940 –> 00:09:30,780
God will continue forever and forever upon sinners in hell.
119
00:09:33,020 –> 00:09:36,880
And his love will be unveiled and we shall see it in its
120
00:09:36,880 –> 00:09:43,159
fullness. So that the people of God will find joy in him as
121
00:09:43,159 –> 00:09:47,059
never before casting our crowns before him in worship and love
122
00:09:47,059 –> 00:09:53,799
and praise, glory, judgment, love
123
00:09:54,739 –> 00:09:58,140
expressed out of the very heart of God
124
00:09:59,280 –> 00:10:02,880
and his people loving him as they fear him and fearing him
125
00:10:03,140 –> 00:10:08,020
as they love him forever and forever and forever, and
126
00:10:08,020 –> 00:10:08,900
forever.
127
00:10:10,979 –> 00:10:13,760
Friends, we’re looking at heaven. Let me bring you right
128
00:10:13,799 –> 00:10:16,380
back down to earth and just see the contrast.
129
00:10:18,440 –> 00:10:22,700
We’re living today in what I’m going to describe as
130
00:10:24,000 –> 00:10:26,820
the O. M. G. Culture.
131
00:10:28,739 –> 00:10:32,059
You know what I’m saying? What a wash with reality TV shows.
132
00:10:33,039 –> 00:10:36,479
Whether it be Fix It Up Our House’s, I really enjoy some of
133
00:10:36,479 –> 00:10:40,020
these, by the way. Or, you know, whoever is losing the most
134
00:10:40,020 –> 00:10:42,080
weight or whatever these things are, they have a certain
135
00:10:42,159 –> 00:10:44,440
formula, and you know what’s coming, that at the end,
136
00:10:44,440 –> 00:10:48,840
there’s going to be the reveal, and at the reveal,
137
00:10:48,840 –> 00:10:52,760
people are surprised and delighted at something that has
138
00:10:52,760 –> 00:10:56,340
happened, either to them or to their home or whatever the
139
00:10:56,340 –> 00:11:00,400
particular show that we’re thinking about is, and, you know,
140
00:11:00,400 –> 00:11:04,200
if you watch any of these shows, and I’ve tipped my hat as
141
00:11:04,200 –> 00:11:07,500
to which ones I particularly enjoy on the Home and Garden
142
00:11:07,500 –> 00:11:11,820
channel or whatever that is, you know what’s going to happen,
143
00:11:12,719 –> 00:11:14,820
and if you’re a Christian, it will always touch you in
144
00:11:14,820 –> 00:11:18,739
some way, grieve you, that almost universally,
145
00:11:20,760 –> 00:11:25,659
the characteristic way of expressing surprise is for
146
00:11:25,659 –> 00:11:29,840
someone to shriek out and articulate the letters G-O-D
147
00:11:32,299 –> 00:11:36,080
in a way that shows that the person knows absolutely
148
00:11:36,080 –> 00:11:40,739
nothing of the glory or the judgment or the love of the one
149
00:11:40,840 –> 00:11:44,619
for whom they speak and it’s everywhere,
150
00:11:44,619 –> 00:11:48,700
O-N-G all over the internet, all over our culture
151
00:11:50,979 –> 00:11:52,940
and if you think about this for a moment,
152
00:11:52,940 –> 00:11:56,719
the Jews had a such fear of the lord,
153
00:11:56,719 –> 00:12:01,179
such a sense of the exalted glory and judgment and love
154
00:12:01,179 –> 00:12:05,000
of God that they would not even speak his name
155
00:12:07,299 –> 00:12:10,140
and we are awash in a culture that has so lost the
156
00:12:10,159 –> 00:12:13,580
knowledge of who God is that it’s become
157
00:12:13,580 –> 00:12:16,500
the characteristic way of shrieking
158
00:12:21,080 –> 00:12:22,859
and I want to give you this challenge,
159
00:12:22,859 –> 00:12:26,039
young and old, if you are a Christian,
160
00:12:27,179 –> 00:12:30,099
I want you to resolve with me today
161
00:12:31,080 –> 00:12:34,080
that anytime you ever speak or write
162
00:12:36,419 –> 00:12:38,820
the name of God or of Jesus
163
00:12:40,979 –> 00:12:44,299
or of Christ, that you as a Christian
164
00:12:44,299 –> 00:12:46,780
will speak that name in a way
165
00:12:46,780 –> 00:12:48,780
that would make it quite evident
166
00:12:48,780 –> 00:12:52,659
that you know something of his glory,
167
00:12:52,659 –> 00:12:54,820
something of his judgment,
168
00:12:56,219 –> 00:12:59,000
and something of his love.
169
00:12:59,000 –> 00:12:59,900
Because I’ll tell you folks,
170
00:12:59,900 –> 00:13:01,840
we’re living in a culture where the knowledge
171
00:13:01,840 –> 00:13:05,020
of God is faster erased and in such a culture,
172
00:13:05,020 –> 00:13:08,299
what is desperately needed is a community of people
173
00:13:08,340 –> 00:13:11,140
who at least can speak about the name of God
174
00:13:11,140 –> 00:13:13,719
in a way that shows that we know him
175
00:13:13,719 –> 00:13:16,219
and that we fear him and that we love him.
176
00:13:16,219 –> 00:13:18,179
Isn’t that needed among us today?
177
00:13:18,179 –> 00:13:19,739
It’s desperately needed.
178
00:13:20,739 –> 00:13:22,340
And it’s gonna be desperately needed
179
00:13:22,340 –> 00:13:24,340
in high schools and middle schools.
180
00:13:24,340 –> 00:13:27,039
This is one place where something different
181
00:13:27,039 –> 00:13:28,340
can be seen in you.
182
00:13:29,260 –> 00:13:30,659
Don’t miss that opportunity.
183
00:13:31,580 –> 00:13:33,739
You’re someone who fears God and loves God.
184
00:13:34,859 –> 00:13:37,640
Loves God and fears God.
185
00:13:38,460 –> 00:13:41,219
You’re listening to Pastor Colin Smith on Open the Bible
186
00:13:41,219 –> 00:13:43,799
and a message today called, The Fear of God.
187
00:13:43,799 –> 00:13:47,080
It’s part of our wider series called, Soul Care,
188
00:13:47,080 –> 00:13:48,679
Four Friends for Your Soul.
189
00:13:48,679 –> 00:13:50,859
And if you’ve missed any of the series to date
190
00:13:50,859 –> 00:13:52,479
or you’d like to go back and listen again,
191
00:13:52,479 –> 00:13:55,359
you can always do that by coming online to our website.
192
00:13:55,359 –> 00:13:58,859
That’s at openthebible.org.uk.
193
00:13:58,859 –> 00:14:00,520
There you can hear any of the messages
194
00:14:00,520 –> 00:14:02,640
which have already gone out on air.
195
00:14:02,640 –> 00:14:05,739
You can also find Pastor Colin Smith’s messages
196
00:14:05,820 –> 00:14:07,719
as a podcast, and that’s available
197
00:14:07,719 –> 00:14:09,739
on your regular podcasting site.
198
00:14:09,739 –> 00:14:11,859
Just search for Open the Bible UK
199
00:14:11,859 –> 00:14:14,739
and subscribe to receive regular updates.
200
00:14:14,739 –> 00:14:16,659
We want to help you to understand
201
00:14:16,659 –> 00:14:19,479
how the books in the Bible fit together,
202
00:14:19,479 –> 00:14:23,419
and a good way to do that is with Open the Bible Story.
203
00:14:23,419 –> 00:14:25,580
You can find that on our website.
204
00:14:25,580 –> 00:14:28,020
It’s a journey through the whole Bible,
205
00:14:28,020 –> 00:14:32,099
a study course in 30 parts entitled The Drive.
206
00:14:32,099 –> 00:14:35,239
It will take you deep into the valleys of the Old Testament,
207
00:14:35,239 –> 00:14:37,239
the peaks of the glories of Jesus,
208
00:14:37,239 –> 00:14:40,080
and the ups and downs of the Christian life.
209
00:14:40,080 –> 00:14:42,640
All the way through, it will show how the Bible
210
00:14:42,640 –> 00:14:45,919
always points to the person of Jesus Christ.
211
00:14:45,919 –> 00:14:48,599
You can find Open the Bible Story on our website,
212
00:14:48,599 –> 00:14:52,159
that’s openthebible.org.uk.
213
00:14:52,159 –> 00:14:52,979
Back to the message.
214
00:14:52,979 –> 00:14:55,359
Now we’re in Jeremiah in chapter 32.
215
00:14:55,359 –> 00:14:56,799
Here’s Colin.
216
00:14:56,799 –> 00:14:59,099
Now let me just wrap up here
217
00:14:59,099 –> 00:15:01,159
in these last moments by saying this,
218
00:15:01,159 –> 00:15:03,659
that the fear of the Lord will bring wonderful blessing
219
00:15:03,659 –> 00:15:04,500
into your life.
220
00:15:04,640 –> 00:15:06,460
The more you have of it, the better it will be.
221
00:15:06,460 –> 00:15:09,099
The fear of God is a wonderful friend for your soul.
222
00:15:10,559 –> 00:15:12,460
In the book of Proverbs, we read these words,
223
00:15:12,460 –> 00:15:15,200
blessed is the one who fears the Lord always,
224
00:15:15,200 –> 00:15:17,400
you’re gonna be blessed.
225
00:15:17,400 –> 00:15:19,520
How are you going to be blessed?
226
00:15:19,520 –> 00:15:21,919
Because you’re gonna make wiser decisions,
227
00:15:21,919 –> 00:15:23,960
because you know the fear of the Lord
228
00:15:23,960 –> 00:15:25,500
is the beginning of what?
229
00:15:25,500 –> 00:15:26,799
Wisdom.
230
00:15:26,799 –> 00:15:28,000
You’re gonna make better decisions.
231
00:15:28,000 –> 00:15:29,520
The more you know of the fear of the Lord,
232
00:15:29,520 –> 00:15:31,760
the better decisions you’re gonna make in your life.
233
00:15:31,760 –> 00:15:33,179
Because God carries weight
234
00:15:33,219 –> 00:15:34,820
and therefore you won’t simply be going
235
00:15:34,820 –> 00:15:36,979
on your own personal impulse.
236
00:15:36,979 –> 00:15:39,080
You’ll be much wiser.
237
00:15:39,080 –> 00:15:41,539
The fear of the Lord will keep you from sinning.
238
00:15:41,539 –> 00:15:43,719
That’s in Exodus 20, verse 20.
239
00:15:43,719 –> 00:15:46,539
It’s also right here in Jeremiah, chapter 32.
240
00:15:46,539 –> 00:15:48,059
A sense of this God,
241
00:15:48,059 –> 00:15:50,500
and he’s being present with you right now,
242
00:15:50,500 –> 00:15:52,159
and one day, you’re going to stand before him,
243
00:15:52,159 –> 00:15:53,760
and nothing can ever be hidden from him.
244
00:15:53,760 –> 00:15:55,599
That’s gonna help keep you from sinning.
245
00:15:55,599 –> 00:15:57,820
It’s gonna strengthen you against temptation.
246
00:15:57,820 –> 00:15:59,940
Fear God more, you’ll sin less.
247
00:16:00,940 –> 00:16:04,340
And you’ll be motivated with regards to evangelism.
248
00:16:04,340 –> 00:16:06,239
It’s since we know the fear of the Lord
249
00:16:06,239 –> 00:16:07,900
that we seek to persuade others.
250
00:16:07,900 –> 00:16:09,460
That the church gets moved
251
00:16:09,460 –> 00:16:12,460
with regards to the gospel being brought to others.
252
00:16:12,460 –> 00:16:14,700
Because we’re the ones who have a sense
253
00:16:14,700 –> 00:16:17,020
of the awesome reality of the day
254
00:16:17,020 –> 00:16:18,940
that lies ahead of every person.
255
00:16:20,419 –> 00:16:23,419
So there are multiple ways in which blessing
256
00:16:23,419 –> 00:16:26,580
is just going to flow into your life, more and more.
257
00:16:26,580 –> 00:16:28,679
The more the you’re able to move away
258
00:16:29,059 –> 00:16:31,840
from trivial, low-level views of God
259
00:16:31,840 –> 00:16:33,960
to something that’s really shaped
260
00:16:33,960 –> 00:16:35,979
by what is revealed in the Bible.
261
00:16:35,979 –> 00:16:37,640
The splendor of God’s glory,
262
00:16:37,640 –> 00:16:38,919
the reality of His judgment,
263
00:16:38,919 –> 00:16:40,640
and the wonder of His love.
264
00:16:42,260 –> 00:16:43,700
And I want you to notice too
265
00:16:43,700 –> 00:16:46,960
that this is something that is wonderfully promised.
266
00:16:46,960 –> 00:16:51,960
Verse 40, I will put the fear of me in their hearts.
267
00:16:52,039 –> 00:16:53,940
Put the fear of me in their hearts.
268
00:16:55,380 –> 00:16:58,979
Well, notice what God says here to His people.
269
00:16:58,979 –> 00:17:00,580
I’m gonna put this in your heart
270
00:17:00,580 –> 00:17:02,520
so that you won’t turn against me.
271
00:17:03,760 –> 00:17:04,599
It’s a wonderful promise,
272
00:17:04,599 –> 00:17:06,979
it’s part of the promise of a new heart
273
00:17:06,979 –> 00:17:08,300
that runs all the way through
274
00:17:08,300 –> 00:17:11,260
these Old Testament prophecies.
275
00:17:11,260 –> 00:17:13,319
I’m going to put this in you.
276
00:17:14,859 –> 00:17:17,180
Oh boy, you read stories in the New Testament
277
00:17:17,180 –> 00:17:20,239
about how God did that in the life of the early Church,
278
00:17:20,239 –> 00:17:21,920
there are two stories in particular,
279
00:17:21,920 –> 00:17:25,000
one’s the story of judgment, one’s a story of grace.
280
00:17:26,020 –> 00:17:28,260
The story of judgment’s in Acts chapter 5.
281
00:17:29,439 –> 00:17:31,339
Two people, Ananias and Sapphira,
282
00:17:31,339 –> 00:17:33,160
they’ve got some property, they sell it,
283
00:17:33,160 –> 00:17:37,099
they decide that they’re going to give money to the Church.
284
00:17:37,099 –> 00:17:40,260
They were under no obligation to do that,
285
00:17:40,260 –> 00:17:42,060
but they chose to do it.
286
00:17:42,060 –> 00:17:44,160
They could’ve given all of the money to the Church,
287
00:17:44,160 –> 00:17:45,880
they could’ve given some of the money to the Church,
288
00:17:45,880 –> 00:17:48,760
they could’ve given none of the money to the Church.
289
00:17:48,760 –> 00:17:49,819
What they chose to do was
290
00:17:49,819 –> 00:17:51,339
to give some of the money to the Church,
291
00:17:51,339 –> 00:17:54,400
and here’s the deal, they then lied about it.
292
00:17:54,400 –> 00:17:56,640
Why in the world did they do that?
293
00:17:56,640 –> 00:18:00,339
They lied to the apostles about the gift.
294
00:18:00,339 –> 00:18:02,739
They said this is all that we got.
295
00:18:04,239 –> 00:18:06,400
And you know the story of Ananias and Sapphira,
296
00:18:06,400 –> 00:18:09,420
that before the date was done,
297
00:18:09,420 –> 00:18:13,239
Ananias, stone dead.
298
00:18:13,239 –> 00:18:16,239
Sapphira, stone dead.
299
00:18:17,219 –> 00:18:22,219
And, the Bible tells us that great fear
300
00:18:22,300 –> 00:18:26,520
came upon the whole church and all who heard these things.
301
00:18:26,520 –> 00:18:28,420
Well, you can imagine that, can’t you?
302
00:18:29,979 –> 00:18:34,979
These people lied to the apostles and they’re dead.
303
00:18:38,459 –> 00:18:40,239
Now, you would think that that would be
304
00:18:40,239 –> 00:18:43,020
the end of church growth, wouldn’t you?
305
00:18:43,020 –> 00:18:45,459
I mean, seriously…
306
00:18:46,400 –> 00:18:48,319
Because it says all the community knew about this.
307
00:18:48,319 –> 00:18:50,780
I mean it went right around,
308
00:18:50,780 –> 00:18:52,939
better not touch that church,
309
00:18:52,939 –> 00:18:54,839
tell a lie in that church, you’re dead.
310
00:18:56,199 –> 00:18:57,199
Better not go there.
311
00:18:58,239 –> 00:18:59,920
And, yet, here’s the remarkable thing
312
00:18:59,920 –> 00:19:01,800
that the Acts of the Apostles records
313
00:19:01,800 –> 00:19:04,939
just three verses later, Acts five and verse 14.
314
00:19:04,939 –> 00:19:09,939
More than ever, believers were added to the Lord.
315
00:19:12,420 –> 00:19:13,260
You know why?
316
00:19:14,339 –> 00:19:15,760
Because out in the whole community,
317
00:19:15,920 –> 00:19:17,380
people began to think my goodness,
318
00:19:17,380 –> 00:19:19,079
if there’s a God who has power like that,
319
00:19:19,079 –> 00:19:21,359
I better think about getting right with them.
320
00:19:22,780 –> 00:19:24,420
I mean, wouldn’t you think that?
321
00:19:25,380 –> 00:19:27,020
If there really is a God of awesome power,
322
00:19:27,020 –> 00:19:28,760
hadn’t I better get right with him?
323
00:19:29,939 –> 00:19:33,219
And the fear of the Lord actually led
324
00:19:33,219 –> 00:19:34,699
to a whole movement in which people
325
00:19:34,699 –> 00:19:36,579
were brought to faith and repentance.
326
00:19:38,119 –> 00:19:40,859
I’ll put my fear in your heart,
327
00:19:40,859 –> 00:19:42,699
and it’s gonna bring transformation.
328
00:19:43,420 –> 00:19:46,520
The other, it’s a wonderful story of grace,
329
00:19:46,520 –> 00:19:49,400
Saul of Tarsus, and he’s killing Christians,
330
00:19:49,400 –> 00:19:51,599
and he’s running this campaign against them.
331
00:19:51,599 –> 00:19:53,800
And then he’s marvelously converted.
332
00:19:53,800 –> 00:19:55,599
And of course, Christians find it very hard
333
00:19:55,599 –> 00:19:57,579
to believe that this has actually happened.
334
00:19:57,579 –> 00:19:59,219
But in the end, they hear him genuinely
335
00:19:59,219 –> 00:20:01,400
preaching the gospel, defending the Christ
336
00:20:01,400 –> 00:20:03,160
that he used to hate,
337
00:20:03,160 –> 00:20:05,739
and we’re told at the end of Acts in chapter nine
338
00:20:05,739 –> 00:20:08,819
after that amazing story of God’s grace,
339
00:20:08,819 –> 00:20:12,579
that the church was walking in the fear of the Lord
340
00:20:13,060 –> 00:20:15,859
in the comfort of the Spirit, and it multiplied.
341
00:20:15,859 –> 00:20:17,420
You see what’s happening there?
342
00:20:18,280 –> 00:20:20,180
People are in awe of God.
343
00:20:20,180 –> 00:20:25,180
They’re saying, if God can save Saul of Tarsus,
344
00:20:25,380 –> 00:20:27,260
there’s no limit to what he can do.
345
00:20:28,540 –> 00:20:32,459
And suddenly, there’s a new sense of great
346
00:20:32,459 –> 00:20:34,619
and how glorious God is,
347
00:20:34,619 –> 00:20:37,420
and the spiritual temperature’s gone up,
348
00:20:38,300 –> 00:20:40,780
and people are being drawn to the knowledge
349
00:20:40,780 –> 00:20:43,599
of this God for whom nothing is impossible.
350
00:20:45,180 –> 00:20:49,439
I will put my fear in their hearts.
351
00:20:51,180 –> 00:20:55,099
Lord, put more of this fear of you in our hearts.
352
00:20:56,000 –> 00:20:59,479
This fear of you, this awe of you,
353
00:20:59,479 –> 00:21:02,859
that arises from a knowledge of the splendor of your glory,
354
00:21:03,859 –> 00:21:07,540
that arises from the knowledge of the reality
355
00:21:07,540 –> 00:21:10,199
of your judgment and the wonder of your love.
356
00:21:11,540 –> 00:21:14,599
And let me leave you with this as just the last note,
357
00:21:14,599 –> 00:21:16,060
and it’s simply this.
358
00:21:16,060 –> 00:21:19,260
There’s a prayer that you can use this week
359
00:21:19,260 –> 00:21:21,420
to earth everything that we’ve been learning
360
00:21:21,420 –> 00:21:26,420
from the Bible, and it’s in Psalm 86 and verse 11,
361
00:21:26,459 –> 00:21:28,680
where David prays these words.
362
00:21:28,680 –> 00:21:32,839
Lord, unite my heart to fear your name.
363
00:21:32,839 –> 00:21:34,640
Isn’t that a great prayer?
364
00:21:34,640 –> 00:21:36,540
And you can say, now, Lord, you’ve promised
365
00:21:36,540 –> 00:21:40,180
to put the fear of you into the hearts of your people,
366
00:21:40,180 –> 00:21:42,060
and this is what I want more of.
367
00:21:42,060 –> 00:21:45,739
Unite my heart to fear your name.
368
00:21:45,739 –> 00:21:49,819
Let me never take you lightly, sin against you easily.
369
00:21:49,819 –> 00:21:53,719
Let me take in your glory, your judgment, and your love.
370
00:21:53,719 –> 00:21:55,479
This heart, it needs uniting.
371
00:21:55,479 –> 00:21:57,619
I’m pulled in all directions.
372
00:21:57,619 –> 00:22:01,119
This heart’s all over the place.
373
00:22:01,119 –> 00:22:04,020
Now make my heart one, and make it one
374
00:22:04,020 –> 00:22:07,219
in this to fear your name because I’m seeing
375
00:22:07,219 –> 00:22:09,140
something of your glory,
376
00:22:09,579 –> 00:22:13,380
and I felt something of the reality of your judgment,
377
00:22:13,380 –> 00:22:18,380
and I am experiencing something of the wonder of your love.
378
00:22:19,800 –> 00:22:21,920
Make my heart one,
379
00:22:23,640 –> 00:22:27,119
Lord Jesus for your sake, amen.
380
00:22:30,459 –> 00:22:32,060
You’ve been listening to Open the Bible
381
00:22:32,060 –> 00:22:33,300
with Pastor Colin Smith
382
00:22:33,300 –> 00:22:36,260
and the second part of our message, The Fear of God.
383
00:22:36,260 –> 00:22:39,560
Today, looking at three benefits from The Fear of God.
384
00:22:40,520 –> 00:22:42,780
The message is part of our series, soul care,
385
00:22:42,780 –> 00:22:45,060
and if you’ve missed any of the series so far
386
00:22:45,060 –> 00:22:46,380
or if you want to go back to listen
387
00:22:46,380 –> 00:22:48,000
to any of the messages,
388
00:22:48,000 –> 00:22:50,920
you can do that by coming online to our website,
389
00:22:50,920 –> 00:22:53,819
OpenTheBible.org.uk.
390
00:22:53,819 –> 00:22:55,699
You’ll also find a link on our website
391
00:22:55,699 –> 00:22:57,819
to the messages as podcasts,
392
00:22:57,819 –> 00:22:59,219
and that may be a better way for you
393
00:22:59,219 –> 00:23:02,380
to keep up with Pastor Colin Smith’s teaching.
394
00:23:02,380 –> 00:23:04,020
Those messages are available
395
00:23:04,020 –> 00:23:06,239
on all the regular podcasting sites,
396
00:23:06,239 –> 00:23:08,219
just search for Open The Bible UK
397
00:23:08,219 –> 00:23:10,400
or follow the link on the website.
398
00:23:10,400 –> 00:23:15,439
And our website address again is OpenTheBible.org.uk.
399
00:23:15,439 –> 00:23:17,579
Open the Bible depends on your generosity
400
00:23:17,579 –> 00:23:19,780
to stay on air and on the internet
401
00:23:19,780 –> 00:23:21,900
and as you set up a new regular gift
402
00:23:21,900 –> 00:23:24,739
of five pounds per month or more this month,
403
00:23:24,739 –> 00:23:28,540
we’d love to send you a copy of Chris Lungard’s book
404
00:23:28,540 –> 00:23:29,900
The Enemy Within,
405
00:23:29,900 –> 00:23:33,300
Straight Talk about the Power and Defeat of Sin.
406
00:23:33,300 –> 00:23:35,300
Colin, how does this book help us
407
00:23:35,300 –> 00:23:37,400
if we’re feeling discouraged
408
00:23:37,400 –> 00:23:40,140
with our battle against sin and temptation?
409
00:23:40,140 –> 00:23:42,060
Well. the book is wonderfully helpful
410
00:23:42,060 –> 00:23:46,719
because it’s really clear and it’s really well-written.
411
00:23:46,719 –> 00:23:47,939
I mean, for example,
412
00:23:47,939 –> 00:23:51,160
Chris Lungard pictures the heart
413
00:23:51,160 –> 00:23:53,540
as being like a haunted house.
414
00:23:53,540 –> 00:23:56,819
I mean, his description of this is absolutely brilliant.
415
00:23:56,819 –> 00:23:58,540
You know. going down into a basement
416
00:23:58,540 –> 00:24:01,280
where there are hidden monsters that lie there,
417
00:24:01,479 –> 00:24:04,160
the haunted house of your heart,
418
00:24:04,160 –> 00:24:06,719
he paints that picture so vividly.
419
00:24:06,719 –> 00:24:08,959
The things that we fear might be lurking
420
00:24:08,959 –> 00:24:12,219
in the basement of our own interior life.
421
00:24:12,219 –> 00:24:14,020
I mean, that’s vivid and compelling.
422
00:24:14,020 –> 00:24:17,000
But then he says this The Holy Spirit
423
00:24:17,000 –> 00:24:20,500
takes the horror out of the horror show.
424
00:24:20,500 –> 00:24:21,699
Now, that’s wonderful.
425
00:24:21,699 –> 00:24:25,339
You see, he describes the problem realistically
426
00:24:25,339 –> 00:24:26,579
and compellingly,
427
00:24:26,579 –> 00:24:29,300
and then he points us to where our hope lies.
428
00:24:29,300 –> 00:24:31,400
The power of the Holy Spirit.
429
00:24:31,400 –> 00:24:36,260
He’s like a blazing torch brought into the haunted rooms
430
00:24:36,260 –> 00:24:39,180
and he ferrets out the monsters.
431
00:24:39,180 –> 00:24:40,920
This is great writing
432
00:24:40,920 –> 00:24:43,780
from a clear biblical understanding
433
00:24:43,780 –> 00:24:46,000
that really connects with the battles
434
00:24:46,000 –> 00:24:47,979
that believers face in our lives.
435
00:24:47,979 –> 00:24:50,660
I find it wonderfully helpful and encouraging.
436
00:24:50,660 –> 00:24:52,060
And I think anyone who reads it,
437
00:24:52,060 –> 00:24:53,280
will find the same, too.
438
00:24:53,280 –> 00:24:54,819
So Chris Lungard’s book,
439
00:24:54,819 –> 00:24:55,959
The Enemy Within,
440
00:24:55,959 –> 00:24:57,979
is our gift to you this month.
441
00:24:58,819 –> 00:25:00,079
And if you’re able to set up a new donation
442
00:25:00,079 –> 00:25:01,859
to the work of Open the Bible
443
00:25:01,859 –> 00:25:04,540
in the amount of five pounds per month or more,
444
00:25:04,540 –> 00:25:07,280
full details on our website,
445
00:25:07,280 –> 00:25:10,300
openthebible.org.uk.
446
00:25:10,300 –> 00:25:12,660
For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith,
447
00:25:12,660 –> 00:25:13,660
I’m David Pick
448
00:25:13,660 –> 00:25:16,239
and I hope you’ll join us again next time.
449
00:25:16,239 –> 00:25:18,599
What is God’s love like?
450
00:25:23,300 –> 00:25:25,680
Find out next time on Open the Bible.
