Walking in Fear of the Lord
Walking in the fear of the Lord means seeking to glorify God in everything we do, trusting Him to deal with our enemies, and having the right priorities in life.
Warren Wiersbe preaches on the fear of God, emphasizing that it is not servile dread but loving respect towards God, leading us to seek to glorify Him in all we do. Fearing God means listening to His Word, honoring it, and obeying it, which ultimately removes fear of anything else. Nehemiah exemplified a life motivated by the fear of the Lord, enabling him to face enemies without fear. Walking in the fear of God involves trusting God, prioritizing His kingdom and righteousness, and experiencing satisfaction and protection.
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"The fear of our God" is not the servile dread of a slave toward a master but the loving respect of a child toward a parent. To fear the Lord means to seek to glorify God in everything we do. It means listening to His Word, honoring it, and obeying it. "The remarkable thing about fearing God," wrote Oswald Chambers, "is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else." Because Nehemiah's life was motivated by the fear of the Lord (Neh. 5:15), he did not fear what the enemy might do (vv. 14, 19). The fear of the Lord moved Nehemiah to be a faithful servant of the Lord.
To walk in the fear of God, of course, means to walk by faith, trusting God to deal with your enemies and one day balance the accounts. It means claiming Matthew 6:33 and having the right priorities in life. "The fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; he will not be visited with evil" (Prov. 19:23).
Christ says: "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matt. 6:33, niv).
Sermon Outline
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The Fear of Our God
- Loving respect of a child toward a parent
- Not servile dread of a slave toward a master
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Seeking to Glorify God
- Listening to His Word
- Honoring and obeying it
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Walking by Faith
- Trusting God to deal with enemies
- Having the right priorities in life
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The Benefits of Fearing God
- Leading to life and satisfaction
- Protecting from evil
Key Quotes
“The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.” — Warren Wiersbe
“The fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; he will not be visited with evil.” — Warren Wiersbe
“Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” — Warren Wiersbe
Application Points
- We should seek to glorify God in everything we do, trusting Him to guide us and provide for us.
- Having the right priorities in life means putting God first and trusting Him to take care of the rest.
- Fearing God leads to life, satisfaction, and protection from evil, so we should strive to cultivate a deeper respect for Him.