The King Great Goodness Part 2 ~ Mahasilava Jataka (Eng. & Chi.).pptx
Gracious Jesus 41 Fear God Alone
1.
2. GRACIOUS JESUS
(MATTHEW’S PERSPECTIVE WITH GOSPEL PARALLELS)
1. Presenting the King (Matt 1-4)
2. True Blessedness (Matt 5:1-12)
3. Kingdom Lifestyle – Part 1 (Matt 5:13-
48)
4. Kingdom Lifestyle – Part 2 (Matt 6)
5. Kingdom Lifestyle – Part 3 (Matt 7)
6. Master Strokes (Matt 8)
7. The King Calls (Matt 9)
8. The King Commissions (Matt
10)
9. Signs, Sinners and the Saviour (Matt
11)
10. Power Games and Names (Matt 12)
11. Hidden Wisdom (Matt 13:1-43)
12. Hidden Treasures (Matt 13:44-14)
13. The Gall and the Glory (Matt 15-17:9)
14. Winning Others Over (Matt 17:10-
18:35)
15. Kingdom Values, Kingdom Wealth
(Matt 20)
16. The King Enters Jerusalem (Matt 21)
17. The Chosen Few (Matt 22)
18. The King’s Glorious Coming (Matt
24:1-44)
19. The Final Countdown (Matt 24:45 –
25:46)
20. The King’s last days (Matt 26)
21. Desertion (Matt 26:36-75)
22. God’s Lamb Sacrificed (Matt 27: 1-50)
23. The King Conquers (Matt 27:51-28)
3. GRACIOUS JESUS
8. THE KING COMMISSIONS
The First Commission
Sheep among Wolves
Fear God Alone
Lose Life to Find it
Welcome the
Righteous
4. FEAR GOD ALONE
PRESENTATION OVERVIEW
Bible Passages: Matt 10:
26-33; Luke 12:2-9
What is fear?
Who causes fear?
Have no fear
Reasons
Responses
Fear God alone
Reasons
Responses
Recap
Discussion
5. FEAR GOD ALONE
OBJECTIVES
To understand:
• What it means to
fear God
• In what ways we
compromise this
fear
• How do
demonstrate
this fear in our
lives
6. FEAR GOD ALONE
BIBLE PASSAGE
26 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is
covered that will not be revealed, or hidden
that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the
dark, say in the light, and what you hear
whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And
do not fear those who kill the body but cannot
kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy
both soul and body in hell. Matt 10
7. FEAR GOD ALONE
BIBLE PASSAGE
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And
not one of them will fall to the ground apart
from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your
head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore;
you are of more value than many sparrows. 32
So everyone who acknowledges me before
men, I also will acknowledge before my Father
who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me
before men, I also will deny before my Father
who is in heaven. Matt 10
8. WHAT IS FEAR?
“So have no fear of
them…Rather fear
him who can
destroy both soul
and body in hell”
Fear drives actions
to obey and
prioritize God, to
dispel every hint of
darkness from our
lives
9. THE FEAR GOD
PROGRESSION
Fear God
above fear
of man
(Matt 10:28)
Love God
above fear
of man. 1
John 4:10
Love God
above fear
of God. 1
John 4:18
10. WHO CAUSES FEAR?
Both Matt and
Luke passages
refer to the
Pharisees – the
fake religious
leaders of God’s
house.
What is the
equivalent today?
11. FEAR GOD
Fearing God takes
us to that level:
When thoughts
are so tuned to
God that words
spring from the
heart and
intentions
become actions
12. HAVE NO FEAR
Repeated three
times with three
reasons:
Gospel will be
communicated.
Greatest
worldly power
is confined
God has you
covered
13. REASONS: GOSPEL WILL
BE COMMUNICATED
26 “So have no fear
of them, for nothing
is covered that will
not be revealed, or
hidden that will not
be known.”
The disciples are
starting a revolution.
One day the gospel
will ring throughout
the world – it is
happening
14. GOSPEL WILL BE
COMMUNICATED: RESPONSE
“27 What I tell you
in the dark, say in
the light, and
what you hear
whispered,
proclaim on the
housetops.”
Announce the
word - speak the
truth/ stand for
the truth
15. REASONS: GREATEST
WORLDLY POWER CONFINED
“And do not fear
those who kill the
body but cannot
kill the soul.”
Don’t let them
confine you.
They cannot
touch the soul
unless we let
them.
16. GREATEST WORLDLY POWER
CONFINED: RESPONSE
“Rather fear him
who can destroy
both soul and
body in hell.”
Align with
kingdom values -
stick with the
truth
17. REASON: GOD HAS
YOU COVERED
“29 Are not two
sparrows sold for a
penny? And not one
of them will fall to
the ground apart
from your Father. 30
But even the hairs of
your head are all
numbered. 31 Fear
not, therefore”
We can take His
cover or the world’s
cover – depends on
whose line we toe.
18. GOD HAS YOU COVERED:
RESPONSE
“you are of more
value than
many sparrows.”
Accept your
worth – surrender
to His protection
19. HAVE NO FEAR
RESPONSES
Announce the
word - speak
the truth/ stand
for the truth
Align with
kingdom values
- stick with the
truth
Accept your
worth –
surrender to His
protection
20. FEAR GOD ALONE
32 So everyone
who
acknowledges me
before men, I also
will acknowledge
before my Father
who is in heaven,
33 but whoever
denies me before
men, I also will
deny before my
Father who is in
heaven.
21. FEAR GOD ALONE
Reasons: He will
acknowledge you
in the only place to
the only person
that counts
Responses:
Acknowledge via
words and actions
– from the heart (Is
29:13, Matt 15:8)
22.
23. RECAP
What is fear?
Who causes fear?
Have no fear – Reasons
• Gospel will be communicated.
• Greatest worldly power is confined
• God has you covered
Have no fear - responses
• Announce the word - speak the truth/ stand for the truth
• Align with kingdom values - stick with the truth
• Accept your worth – surrender to His protection
Fear only God
Reasons: He will acknowledge you in the only place to the only person that counts
Responses: words and actions, heart – Is 29:13, Matt 15:8
24.
25. DISCUSSION
1. How can we prepare to be persecuted and pray for the
persecuted?
2. In situations where there is no persecution, what are
other unhealthy fears that drive us.
3. Differentiate between fear of God and fear of man.
4. Explain “Perfect love casts out fear” 1 John 4:16-18
Lke adds that not one sparrow is forgotten by God. Luke adds acknowledgement and denial before the angels as well.
What does it mean to fear God?
JoHannah Reardon
I often hear people explain the fear of the Lord as a mere respect or reverence. But the Bible uses the word fear at least 300 times in reference to God, so we make a mistake when we downplay it. The subject becomes even more mysterious when we read something like 1 John 4:18 that says that "perfect love expels all fear." So how do we marry this dichotomy? How can we fear God while he expels all fear?
Scripture is full of examples of how fearing God is a positive rather than a negative thing. For example in Genesis 42:18, Joseph wins his brothers' trust when he declares he is a God-fearing man. It was because the midwives feared God that they obeyed him instead of the authorities by sparing the Hebrew babies (Exodus 1:17). Pharaoh brought disaster on his nation because he did not fear God (Exodus 9:29-31). Moses chose leaders to help him on the basis that they feared God and wouldn't take bribes (Exodus 18:21) and told the Hebrews that God met with them in a terrifying display of his power so that they wouldn't sin (Exodus 20:20). The Mosaic Law cites fear of God as a reason to treat the disabled and elderly well (Leviticus 19:14, 32). And lest you think this is only an Old Testament idea, note that Jesus states this stronger than anyone when he says, "Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). And Paul says to work toward complete holiness because we fear God (2 Corinthians 7:1).
So it's clear from these passages, that fearing God is good because it saves us from caving into our own sinful nature. That's why hearing someone is God-fearing actually makes us trust that person more. If they fear God, they are more likely to keep their word and treat others with kindness. In fact, Romans 3, a classic chapter on sin, says that our chief sin is that we "have no fear of God at all" (Romans 3:18).
So how does fear of God, who is perfect love, take away fear? William D. Eisenhower puts it this way in his article 'Fearing God" in Christianity Today:
Unfortunately, many of us presume that the world is the ultimate threat and that God's function is to offset it. How different this is from the biblical position that God is far scarier than the world …. When we assume that the world is the ultimate threat, we give it unwarranted power, for in truth, the world's threats are temporary. When we expect God to balance the stress of the world, we reduce him to the world's equal …. As I walk with the Lord, I discover that God poses an ominous threat to my ego, but not to me. He rescues me from my delusions, so he may reveal the truth that sets me free. He casts me down, only to lift me up again. He sits in judgment of my sin, but forgives me nevertheless. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but love from the Lord is its completion.
And, of course, the ultimate example of fear and perfect love working together is Jesus Christ. He warned us at every turn to fear God, not men—and he confirmed that in everything about his life and death. He spoke lovingly but frankly to all and didn't mince words when people needed to face their sin and repent. But he also demonstrated love beyond human understanding when he lived out his words, "There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends (John 15:13)." With love like that, what is left to fear but God?
http://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/bible-answers/spirituallife/what-does-it-mean-to-fear-god.html
Are we allowing ourselves to be pushed into a mould by those we view as good Christians or good Christian leaders? What patterns do we form that demonstrates lack of fear? Obsession with personal life? Goodness in place of godliness? Patchwork outreach initiatives? Inability to dedicate time to God’s priorities in a disciplined fashion? Soda water Christianity?
There are a lot of good intentions. They are meaningless to God unless translated to action – the right actions ie contrasted with the ones in the prev slide. They are a deceptive cover.
luke 14:31-33 , model the truth, prioritize His objectives
Job 40,41
Soldier, athlete, farmer. Timothy. Are we highly disciplined in our pursuit of fearing God. Or serve at our convenience? “how terrible is the thought that Christians want to serve God at their own convenience” A.W. Tozer.