Past Sermon
The Fear of the Lord
Do you want to be blessed by the Lord? Do you want to be truly happy? Psalm 128 says, "How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways." This is God's promise to you.
God wants you to be happy. The Hebrew word for "blessed" is "esher”, which means happy. How happy is everyone who fears the Lord! Most people think that happiness is found in money, possessions, position, prestige, and relationships. But true happiness can only be found in God. If you want to be happy, you must learn to fear the Lord.
We are commanded to fear and love the Lord (Deuteronomy 10:12-13). The fear of God and love for the Lord go together; they are two sides of the same coin. To fear the Lord is to walk in all His ways. To love God is to obey and to serve Him with all your heart and soul. God is a good God. Deuteronomy 10:13 says keeping the Lord's commandments is "for your own good." God wants to bless you. He wants you to be happy. This is why He gave us His commandments.
The Bible tells us that if you learn to fear the Lord, you will be blessed along with your family, work, community or country, and your legacy. The Hebrew word for "fear" used in Psalm 128 is the word "yareh." This word is also translated in the Bible as "reverence." It means a healthy fear of displeasing or offending God. Psalm 2:11 says, "Worship the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling."
The fear of the Lord is not the same as being afraid of God. It is recognizing God for who He is and what He can do. It means giving the reverence, respect, awe, and honor due Him. It means fearing God's displeasure, turning away from evil, and delighting in obedience. The fear of the Lord brings blessings to your personal life. God is in control of everything, and you are valuable to Him (Luke 12:6-7). Thomas Adams observed, "No man more truly loves God than he that is most fearful to offend Him." If you love God, you will obey Him. If you fear God, you will be careful not to disobey Him. People who do not fear God are not afraid of disobeying Him. Jesus said, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. Fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell." (Luke 12:4-5) Some people get this in reverse. They fear displeasing other people more than they fear displeasing God. God is teaching us to fear displeasing Him because He loves us and wants to bless us.
When we fear the Lord, He blesses our work. Your job is a gift from God. But have you lost enjoyment in your work? Have you come to think of it as a curse? Do you work and work for money but are still unhappy? The reason for this is that money does not equal happiness. Many rich people live shattered and unhappy lives. It is the fear of the
Lord that brings true blessing and happiness. God wants us to enjoy the fruit of our labor. This is His gift to those who fear Him.
The Lord will bless your community and country through you. Jose Rizal said, “Tal pueblo, Tal gobierno.” A nation's leaders are a reflection of its moral fiber. If our people do not believe in righteousness and character, and if our country does not produce righteous people, we cannot have righteous leaders. This is why the government cannot solve our problems. As we learn to fear the Lord, our lives are transformed. It is the fear of the Lord that will transform society.
The fear of the Lord starts within ourselves, and creates a ripple effect that heals our family relationships, benefits our work, transforms our country, and makes a lasting legacy for all generations to come. Susannah Wesley saw to it that her children grew up with a fear and love for God. She observed Biblical principles in parenthood. She subdued self-will in her 19 children. She taught them to pray as soon as they can speak. She gave them nothing they cried for, and only what was good for them if they ask for it politely. She commended and rewarded good behavior. And she fulfilled promises she made to her children. Two of her sons, John and Charles Wesley, led a great spiritual revival which made a huge impact for the Lord in Europe, America, and the Philippines.
If there is any sin in your life, repent of it. Ask God to forgive you and to set you free from sin. Ask Him to teach you to fear Him and to hate sin. When temptation comes, ask God to help you resist and flee from it.
Colossians 3:17-21 commands husbands to love their wives and wives to submit to their husbands. Children are to be obedient to their parents. Parents should not exasperate their children. Employees must put in excellent work. When you learn to fear the Lord, you will obey His commands and will experience His promises to bless you all the days of your life.
God invites you to come to Him. Psalm 34 says, "O taste and see that the Lord is good...To those who fear Him there is no want." Proverbs 1:7 tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Why? "By the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil." (Proverbs 16:6) Come to the Lord. Fear Him, turn away from evil and walk in all His ways.
God wants to bless your family, too! When you fear the Lord, your household will be blessed. God promises that He will bless your spouse and children. There will be joy in your relationships with them. If you have broken family relationships with your parents, your spouse, or your children, repent of any sin, turn back to God, and walk in His ways. God is a Master at transforming lives and restoring relationships. Real love and joy within a family is something money cannot buy. It is a gift from God. Psalm 128:4 reiterates, "Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord." Follow the Lord and His blessings will follow you all the days of your life (Psalm 23:6).
Peter Tan-Chi, May 9, 2010
