“…perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” – 2Corinthians 7:1c

DO YOU HAVE THE FEAR OF GOD IN YOUR HEART?

Introduction –

1.    Have them turn their Bibles to 2Corinthians 7:1

2.    <Title> How does that title strike you as you first hear it?

a.    Maybe negatively -- certainly there is a type of fear that we do not need, the type that dreads the object feared (like a snake) – 1John 4:16-18

b.    On the other hand, most all of us need a lot more awe; a lot more respect; a lot more reverence.  Of that I feel quite certain. 

c.     But the real issue is not what I think, or what you think.  The issue is what God says!  Tonight we're going to get into seeing what God says of how we should view Him.

3.    Time that most vividly shows my reverence to my dad growing up: popping coffee creamer on a person's car at the hotel we were staying at, since it was the last time I remember my dad's wrath, and after that I committed myself to never making him that mad.

4.    For certain, although I was probably physically stronger than my dad at 16, all he had to do was look at me and I would submit.

5.    My biggest sin during my adolescent years was doing things behind my parent's back—drugs, drinking, parties—and it was extra hard on me because I do have a tremendous respect, even healthy fear, for my dad.

6.    I think that one of the key reasons we are best friends today is that the good news of forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ brought me to initiate reconciliation between my dad and I.  

a.    Thus, all that I was doing secretly in my sin, all the ways I was not respecting him by being deceitful, was brought to light and confessed with brokenness and humility.

b.    God brought me to this point of absolute surrender to Him, which also freed me from the ways sin separated me from my dad.

7.    This depicts my beginning in the faith, but the heart is what God says is everyone's beginning, middle, and end!

a.    Since their Bibles and hearts are opened, read tonight's main passage: 2Cor. 7:1

b.    Last week we had an introduction to holiness, and this week we are going to look more in depth at the process of perfecting holiness out of reverence for God!

c.     The Greek word for "perfecting" here is epiteleō:

1.    Taking it upon oneself to execute an accomplishment to completion.

2.    Probably not a perfect definition, but it gives you a pretty good idea to say this verb corresponds well with our concept of maturing.

3.    As disciples of Jesus, we are maturing to be like Jesus!

d.    Overview outline—

                                                             i.       Relationship with God begins with fear.

                                                           ii.       Relationship with God is maintained in fear.

 

Main Points –

 

1.   Relationship with God begins with fear.

a.    The fear we are talking about is the human response to the presence of God.

b.    In the Bible we see many responses of people who encounter God:

                                                             i.       Exodus 3:6, when God made Himself known to Moses, it says Moses hid his face because he feared God!

                                                           ii.       Belshazzar, who was a prideful blasphemer of God, saw the writing on the wall, turned pale while his knees were knocking together (Daniel 5:6).

                                                         iii.       Although one of the most righteous people of his time, Isaiah was entirely humbled and broken when he saw God!

1.    "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts" (Isaiah 6:5)

                                                         iv.       Ezekiel went down to the river "overwhelm" after receiving visions from God (Ezekiel 1:1; 3:15).

                                                           v.       Daniel fell down prostrate, while frightened and exhausted (Daniel 8:17, 27).

                                                         vi.       Job, humbled in speech said, "I am reduced to dust and ashes" (Job 30:19).

                                                       vii.       The soldiers at Jesus' tomb became like "dead men" when the tomb shook (Matthew 28:4)!

                                                     viii.       The apostle John, after seeing the glorified Christ, "fell at His feet as though dead" (Rev. 1:17).

c.     However, no one can see God face to face and live!

                                                             i.       Exodus 33:20 is where God says that to Moses.

                                                           ii.       In that context, Moses requested to see Him but there was a limit to what he could handle.

d.    God is awesome in His visible form, but even His name is awesome—Deuteronomy 28:58; Psalm 99:3

e.    We are not talking about the fear of punishment, rather reverence and awe that comes from a recognition and submission to the divine.

                                                             i.       Proverbs 1:7 "⁷ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge"

                                                           ii.       How is the fear of the LORD the beginning?

2.   Relationship with God is maintained in fear

a.    Need to fear God

                                                            i.       (Pick a few to read and reference the others)

                                                         ii.       Use specific examples from what you have seen go on in the ministry to tie into the Scriptures below.

                                                      iii.      General References

1.    Deut. 10:12-17 -- "And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, [13] and to observe the LORD'S commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?   [14] To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. [16] Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer.   [17] For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes."

2.    Jeremiah 44:10 -- "To this day they have not humbled themselves or shown reverence, nor have they followed my law and the decrees I set before you and your fathers."

3.    Isaiah 8:12-13 -- "Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it.  [13] The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread."

4.    Hebrews 10:26-31 -- "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,  [27] but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.  [28] Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.   [29] How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?   [30] For we know him who said, 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' and again, 'The Lord will judge his people.'  [31] It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

5.    Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire.'

a.    Deuteronomy 4:24

b.    Acceptable worship is with reverence because God is a consuming fire!

6.    1 Peter 1:17 -- "Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear."

                                                       iv.      Fearing God's word

1.    Isaiah 66:5 -- "Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at his word."

2.    Examples – Nehemiah 8.

3.    John 12:48 -- "There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day."

                                                           v.       Reverence for Christ

1.    Hebrews 1:1-4

2.    Colossians 3:22

                                                         vi.       The Need to Fear God By Respecting Relationships With Each Other

1.    Ephes. 5:21 -- "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."

2.    1 Cor. 16:15-16 -- "You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the. I urge you, brothers, [16] to submit to such as these and to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it."

b.   Healthy Fear Produces a Holy Life

1.    Philip. 2:12 -- "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling." 

2.    2 Cor. 7:1 -- "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."

 

Practicals:

1.    Grow to know God deeper, where your heart is more reverent to Him

a.    How much do you fear God?

b.    All of us can grow in our reverence as much as all of us can grow deeper in our relationship with God.

c.     Are you maintaining a soft heart to God?

2.    Growing more mature spiritually will happen in holy fear of God—respecting how Holy He is!

Effects of Sin

Effects of Sin

 

Introduction:

1. Illustration: we are the family of God; consequently what affects one will also affect the other.
2. Illustration of different levels of family: Getting married you have a broadened sense of family.   For one, you inherit each other's sense of family.  In Vanessa's case, Filipinos have a greater sense of family, even considering second cousins as close family.
1. There is the most immediate family, in this case Vanessa and I, and the extended family, aunts and uncles.
3. The Campus Ministry is the church within the church in that we are a subgroup of the family.
4. What damages any family? (simple answer right? Sure, sin)
5. We are our brother's/sister's keeper if we are Children of God – it cannot biblically or logically be otherwise if your faith is that you are in God's family (Ref. 1John 2:7-11)
6. To build family and keep from damaging it, let's spend some time tonight looking at the effects of sin from several perspectives.

 

Body:

1. Sin's Effects on Individuals
1. Reference the main points from a sermon you will preach next midweek (The Deadly Power of Sin).
2. God's love for you and desire to protect you – he is not trying to rob you are keep you from fun.

 

2. Sin's Effects on Your friends
1. The least that can happen when you are not where you need to be spiritually: you will fail to provide a righteous example that calls them upward (1Timothy 4:16).
2. At worst, you will encourage them to join you in doing things from which they may never recover – whether or not you even go that far.

 

3. Sin's Effects on the Ministry
1. The Bible says the church is a Body.

                                                              i.       What if you have an infection in one part of your body – will it affect the rest?

                                                            ii.       Someone sees a tumor growing from your knee.  "No problem mate, I've just got a little cancer in my knee – nothing to worry about, no need to see a doctor – only my knee is affected!

2. Consider these Biblical examples carefully:

                                                              i.       Joshua 7 – the history of how God's wrath was on Israel, setting them apart for destruction because Achan took what was set apart.

                                                            ii.       1 Corinthians 5 – person caught in immorality in the church, and it says to disfellowship with this brother because a little yeast will spread throughout the whole and corrupt the whole church.

 

4. Sin's Effects on God
1. Genesis 6:5-6 – He is grieved.
2. Deuteronomy 6:13-15 – He is jealous and He is angry for a number of reasons.

                                                              i.       Because we are to be His – individually we are not to lose our devotion.

                                                            ii.       We are to be His as a whole – He is very serious and protective of His people.

3. Nothing is hidden from Him, no matter how well you might hide something from people:

                                                              i.       Hebrews 4:13

                                                            ii.       Galatians 6:7-8

                                                          iii.       Matthew 10:26-28

                                                          iv.       1Timothy 5:24

                                                            v.       Proverbs 28:13

                                                          vi.       All these passages say that we can't escape God's judgment.

1.     We have the opportunity to live openly here and now or many terrible consequences will result.   If there is sin in our lives and hearts that we are hiding, trying to handle on our own or trusting in a group of people that do not challenge repentance, there will be one or many of the following consequences:

a.      The sin will be found out by what it produces – for example, sexual immorality, and the consequences of that sin (STDs, pregnancy, relationships scared [with yourself, even present and future with others), etc.], is not something that just happens but is the result of impurity less dealt with.

b.     The sin will make us out of touch with God until it is reconciled – The worst thing a person can be, Hypocrite, which means an actor!

c.      The sin will follow us to our judgment before God – if we do not fear God in this way, we must know that the ultimate consequence is a serious one.

 

Conclusion:

1. You are a part of God's family, and consequently you are your brother's or sister's keeper.
1. We cannot be gossiping about one another.  We must stop the gossip and care for one another spiritually.
2. We cannot ignore even worse cover up, things God has brought to our attention.
2. Take sin and its effects seriously by staying in the light.
1. We have prayer partnerships and discipleship groups for a reason.
2. You are in this ministry, this part of God's family, and that is how you need to function.
3. If there is hidden sin, it will be made known – that is a promise of Scripture we can all count on!