The Fear of The Lord

A Foundation for Wisdom Growth and Maturity

Acts 9:31 - Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied. 

Psalm 112:1-10 NKJV - 1 Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who delights greatly in His commandments.  2  His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed.  3  Wealth and riches will be in his house, And his righteousness endures forever.  4  Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.  5  A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion.  6  Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.  7  He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.  8  His heart is established; He will not be afraid, Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.  9  He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted with honor.  10  The wicked will see it and be grieved; He will gnash his teeth and melt away; The desire of the wicked shall perish. 

“A Submission that leads to exaltation”

Main Points:

• The Impact of an Encounter with God - Changed by the Spirit of God

• What is the Fear of the Lord? - The driving force behind spiritual transformation

• The fear of the Lord was the delight of Jesus - a Catalyst and driving force

• The Fear of the Lord engenders Reverence for His word - the things of God move you

• The Fear of the Lord is a Treasure - something to be sought out and desired

• A vision must be defended and Protected

• A The Fear of the Lord gives Special Access - intimacy with God

• The Fear of God is the basis for receiving Divine Knowledge - information from Gods perspective

• The fear of the Lord promotes loving Obedience - a genuine desire to please God

• The fear of the Lord Cause you to turn from Evil - alters your desire and direction

• The fear of the Lord is a source of Blessing - it transforms your whole Life

The Impact of an Encounter with God

(Changed by the Spirit of God)

Acts 9:31 NKJV - 31 Then the [g]churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified.[h] And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

Isaiah 8:1; 11:2-3. Isaiah 33:6

• It starts with then, which implies something critical happened to bring this about. In the passage above Saul was converted to Paul in dramatic fashion on the Damascus road.

• Paul met God – Divine Encounter

• Paul was given instruction from God - Divine Purpose

• Paul was delivered from spiritual and natural blindness - Divine Revelation

• Paul preached Christ boldly - Active Service

• Paul persisted in spite of attacks and persecution - Divine Empowerment

What did this lead to: Growth and Expansion

• The church experiencing Peace

• The church being built up

• The church walking in the Fear of the Lord

• The church operating lead by the Holy Spirit

• The church being multiplied

What is the Fear of the Lord?

(The driving force behind spiritual transformation)

Definition: The fear of the Lord primarily speaks of a reverential awe, respect, and humble submission towards God’s Majesty and Holiness which leads to and motivates loving obedience and turning away from evil.

The fear of the Lord was the delight of Jesus

(a Catalyst and driving force)

Isaiah 11:1-5 - 1 There shall come forth a [a]Rod from the [b]stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall [c]grow out of his roots.

2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,

The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

The Spirit of counsel and might,

The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

3 His delight is in the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; 4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist.

• Seven Spiritual graces or manifestations of the Holy Spirit were in operation in Jesus but He delighted in the Fear of God and it resulted in:

• Jesus judged not by natural sight but spiritual insight

• His judgements were righteous and equitable

• He was able to scatter and dismantle evil strongholds

• It caused him to be exalted and Faithful to the plan of God

This shows that the fear of the Lord in our lives can be a catalyst and driving force behind Godly Spiritual empowerment and results. It is not by natural might or Power but by a spiritual drive and empowerment that the changes of God occur in our life and through our life.

The Fear of the Lord engenders Reverence for His word

(the things of God move you)

Isiah 66:1-2nkjv - 1 “Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? 2 For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist, ”Says the Lord. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.

• God has made everything but He pays attention to those who are Humble, Contrite and have a reverential fear of his words, whether written (logos) or (rhema)spoken.

• For you to Reverence something you need to have a Revelation of its Value.

The Fear of the Lord is a Treasure

(something to be sought out and desired)

Isaiah 33:5-6 - 5 The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. 6 Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, And the strength of salvation; The fear of the Lord is His treasure.

• God is exalted, just and righteous. He gives wisdom and knowledge and strength, but He prizes and treasure fear of Him above all else.

• It suggests that fear of God should be sought because it carries a special value in the eyes of the lord.

The Fear of the Lord gives Special Access

(intimacy with God)

Psalm 25:14 NKJV - Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall [b]He teach in the way He chooses. 13 He himself shall dwell in [c]prosperity, And his descendants shall inherit the earth. 14 The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.

• The verse suggests special guidance beyond just normal understanding and direction

• A level of results that don’t necessarily match his stature, intellect or ability

• Favor for his descendants that is independent of their nature

• Special knowledge and commitment from God

The Fear of God is the basis for receiving Divine Knowledge

(information from Gods perspective)

Psalm 1:1-7 NKJV - To know wisdom and instruction, To [a]perceive the words of understanding, 3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and equity; 4 To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion— 5 A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will [b]attain wise counsel, 6 To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles. 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

• Without Godly fear knowledge can corrupt, make proud and deceive you into error

• if you desire the traits spoken of in verses 1-6, you need verse 7

The fear of the Lord promotes loving Obedience

(a genuine desire to please God)

Deut. 10:12-13 NKJV - 12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your [f]good?

• What you revere and respect, you will love, serve, obey and cherish

The fear of the Lord Cause you to turn from Evil

(alters your desire and direction)

Prov. 3:5-8 NKJV - 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall [b]direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your [c]flesh, And strength[d] to your bones.

• Do not count on your own estimation of your wisdom

• Develop a reverence for God that will move you away from evil

• A reverence that will improve your health and strength

The fear of the Lord is a source of Blessing

(it transform your whole Life)

1 Praise[a] the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord

• You will reverence God, Who delights greatly in His commandments.

2 His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed

• Doing his will is a joy; your descendants will be stronger because of your ways

3 Wealth and riches will be in his house, And his righteousness [b]endures forever.

• You will have wealth and everlasting respect from those who know you

4 Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous

• You will have revelation in difficult times and still be a compassionate caring individual

5 A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion. 6 Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.

• You will be diligent and judicious in your business

7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. 8 His heart is established; He will not be afraid, Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.

• You will not be ruled by fear. Your heart will be stable and established

9 He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His [c]horn will be exalted with honor.

• You will be honored for your ways and your assistance to those in need

10 The wicked will see it and be grieved; He will gnash his teeth and melt away; The desire of the wicked shall perish.

• Even the wicked will despair because their efforts will not be able to stop or distort your path.

Declarative Prayer:

1. We Declare that we will Learn the fear of the lord

2. We Declare that we will live by the fear of the lord

3. We Declare that we will be established through the fear of the lord

4. We Declare that we will have dominion as a result of the fear of the lord

IN JESUS NAME

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