7 Reasons Why The Church In North America Has Lost The Fear Of The Lord — Edgar Reich

There's some other there's some other friends in the audience here, and so it's good to know, but you know, it's a good question. But please don't look at me at any other person than a donkey. All right.

Do you get that? You see a donkey carried the Lord Jesus to Jerusalem. And you see that's all we are is a servant of God and as long as I carry him You will hear the Word of God. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, I thank you.

I just thank you so much Lord for Providing the bread of life for us this afternoon. I thank you so much that you have blessed this living bread. That you have broken it already and now help me to pass it out.

The Fear of the Lord as the Beginning of Wisdom

That everyone here will be filled and that there would be baskets left over. And I thank you that you will do that in Christ's name. Amen. The sermon this afternoon is seven reasons why the church in America has lost the fear of God and our opening scripture comes from Psalm 111 verse 10.

111 verse 10 and There it says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and I'll stop there. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. I Have a German background. I was actually born during the Second World War in Germany and in Germany housewives love to have a clean house and My sister still lives over there now and when I go to that place I have to take off my shoes to make sure I don't carry in any dirt into the house and You know, she is a spotless woman she loves everything perfect and clean and When she sees a little dust around Guess what she does.

She takes a cloth and she gets rid of that dust. And you see God is like that to God. Sin is dust in the house and he's preparing a new earth a new heavens for us and That new earth and that new heavens that he prepares for us.

There will be no dust in the house. There will be no sin in the house. Because God is love and because of his love there must be judgment to eliminate sin. There must be judgment to eliminate sin to present to us a house Free of sin, there'll be no more tears.

There'll be no more sorrows. There'll be no more heartaches. And so when God does that for us He must take action. He has no choice beloved. He has no choice. He will eliminate sin and If sinners don't want to give up sin, he will eliminate them.

He will kill them says the word he will not put up with dust in the house. It is early on a Sabbath day the Jewish Sunday a man is gathering sticks to make himself a fire. What can be wrong with that man.

Man came to tell him that that is against the law of God. To work on the Sabbath the man taken before the leaders Moses and Aaron. The story is told in the Old Testament of the Bible in the book of Numbers chapter 15 verses 32 to 35.

I Will only quote a verse from that when Moses asked God what to do. The answer was given in Numbers chapter 15 verse 35 the Lord said to Moses. Listen to it. This is what God said. God said give him a break.

I'm a loving God. Is that what he said amens. No, the Lord said to Moses the man shall be surely put to death. All the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp. Please note that this was a direct instruction from God himself.

It wasn't Moses the leader who made the decision to do that. It was God himself Who made that decision. This man was to be stoned to death and he died because of sin and rebellion against the law of God.

The Command to Fear God

My first point is in North America. Most Christians do not fear the Lord. Few know it is a commandment in the Bible. To fear the Lord and that commandment is found in Deuteronomy chapter 10 verse 12. If you want to look at that Deuteronomy chapter 10 verse 12 and there it tells us.

And now Israel was what does the Lord your God require off you first part of the commandment. Surprise. 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.

So there it's a four-part Command here first to fear the Lord then to walk in all of his ways. To love him and to serve him. Four commandments, right? Surprising, isn't it? Now some of you will say well, I'm in the new Period under the new commandment.

I'm I'm free from the law and It's. It's something that I'm not too sure about should I really? Live by that or is that something to make me scared or what is it all about? We cannot decide ourselves not to fear the Lord.

The reason is given in verse 13 of Deuteronomy chapter 10 and there it says that it is good that is for our own good and Then it also tells us that it is good for us to fear the Lord because it prolongs our life.

Yes, fear can help us stop sinning. Now you say well, this is the Old Testament and Christ repeated that command in the New Testament. Just to be sure and if you don't want to go with the old laws. Then go with the new laws go with what Christ says.

Christ says if you love me keep my commandments. And when you see Christ's commandments in the New Testament. They by far exceed the requirements of the Old Testament. One example in Matthew chapter 5.

If you look at a woman a woman with with lust you have committed adultery in your heart. If you're angry at someone without cause you have committed murder. Right isn't that what the word says? So we know in Luke chapter 12 verses 4 and 5.

There Jesus said and I say unto you my friends be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that. Have no more that they can do but I will forewarn you whom you shall fear. Fear him which after he hath killed has power to cast into hell.

Yea, I say unto you fear him. So God wants us to love him and fear him. These are two opposing emotions. That's very hard to imagine. How do we do that? But imagine your own Earthly father, please think of a good father who loves you to death but when you've gone too far he's gonna correct you and When you walk away like the prodigal son.

Some sons don't come back. The prodigal son came back, but some don't. Now note that God will kill and cast into hell. Unbelievers, we know that the law cannot save us. It is not by being good good good that we are saved is only by the Lord Jesus Christ.

That we are saved and then it tells us that even Jesus Experienced godly fear while crying and shedding tears. In Hebrews chapter 5 7 and 8 it says who in the days of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplications with vehement cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death and was.

And was heard because of his godly fear though. He was a son yet He learned obedience by the things he suffered and he said dad if there's another way. But the cross and me taking all of the sins of this world let there be another way dad and He feared it in the flesh.

God’s Correction and the Judgment of Ananias and Sapphira

He's also God but at that time point he feared. What? Was to be suffered with the godly fear. Point number two in America, we no longer fear God because we believe God won't correct us or Strike us dead when we sin.

You say that's the first preach. I've heard say that strike me dead. Does God shorten our lifespan if we insist on sinning. God is patient and a gentle God. Slow to anger sometimes he runs out of patience.

In Acts chapter 5 and by the way. That's in the New Testament under grace there were two people in the church and Ananias and Sapphira and You know, they told a little white lie based on today's standards they sold a piece of land and they got money and then they gave money to their brothers and Sisters, isn't that a generous act?

That's kind that's nice that's good and So they did that. What can be wrong with that? Well when they turned the money over they said to Peter that they had sold it. For such-and-such a price and they were giving all to the church to Peter to take care of their sisters and brothers and Peter said to him Why have you let Satan fill your heart you see Satan is the father of lies.

He is the one who originally sinned and lied and then Now we have that habit and we think little white lies are not really that bad. And then when Peter said that he said to him Ananias you could have told the truth, but you lied and therefore you're gonna die and Ananias dropped dead to the ground.

And guess what the church feared it says the church feared and It's alright to fear God because it helps us not to sin. Three hours later Sapphira his wife came to the Apostle Peter. She told the same story as her husband in verse 10.

She drops dead to the ground also the husband first and then the wife. You say ah that doesn't happen today. Great fear came about the church. Do you have a little dust in your house sometimes? Little white lie here or there a little lie in psalm 8945 it tells us psalm 8945 the day of his youth hast thou shortened thou has covered him with shame.

Silla and Here's some young people died and I wonder if this still takes place today on The internet there is a website called the 27 Club the young people. I want you to look it up on your website the 27 Club it's all it also goes under the names like the curse of 27.

You can google this club on your computer. The club was created because many musicians have died at the age of 27. The club includes Robert Johnson blues singer who died at 27. Brian Jones the founder of the Rolling Stones died at 27.

Jimi Hendrix guitarist and singer died at 27. Janice Joplin lead vocalist died at 27. Jim Morrison lead singer for the doors and poet died at 27. Kurt Cobain founding member and lead singer of Nirvana died at the age of 27 and Recently Amy Winehouse a multiple award winner singer and songwriter Died at the age of 27.

There are 42 other musicians that died at the age of 27 on that website for a total of 49 people is a coincidence. We know that only God can take away life, how is your lifestyle young people? Is there a little dust in the house.

Is there dust in the house that God needs to take care of in Psalm 90 verse 3? It says the psalmist Said thou turnest man to destruction and sayeth return ye children of man. Further steps by God include exposing us to destruction.

He's doing this to help us to turn around to repent and to follow him. On 9 -11 10 years ago the churches were full in the meantime. We again have lost the fear of God. God has planned Disasters for America to help us turn around and to help and follow him.

What is that? Does God correct Christians? Does God bring stripes and hurt I? Went to visit the aid sick in an AIDS hospital in the early days. There was much suffering with blindness hearing loss limbs not functioning followed by death.

I spoke with the man and They asked me. Why did God allow this? Few saw it as a result of their breaking the law of God. In America few Christians have fear that the judgments of God will affect them when they sin.

In Psalm 89 31 32 it says if they break my statutes statutes are laws and ordinances of God and Keep not my commandments. Then will I visit their transgressions with the rod and their iniquity with stripes.

The rod of God is a fearsome Thing. It may affect you. It may affect you in sickness. It may affect you in poverty. It may affect you in rejection within your own family. It may affect you with the loss of loved ones and Recently a 42 year old preacher with the 6 ,000 member church was found dead in his hotel room with the bag of white powder.

Another preacher was exposed by sexual misdemeanors with boys. God is not mocked. Eventually all will come to light. Do you have dust in your house? That you need to clean up. Do you have dust in your house.

King David sinned with Bathsheba in adultery and then committed murder by killing her husband. God did not kill King David, but he gave him five fearsome penalties. Five fearsome penalties and God said by a Nathan the Prophet in 2nd Samuel 12 8 he said to David I also would have given You much more and You see when we sin we deny the blessing hand of God when we sin and remain in sin.

Then God does not bless us and so beloved we need to stop hurting ourselves. Then in 2nd Samuel 12 10 God said via the proper Nathan the sword shall never deport from your house. That was the second penalty for David and it said With the sword it meant that they would be fighting killing and death in David's own family.

Amnon his first born brother raped his half-sister Tamar and then in 2nd Samuel 13 28 and 29 Absalom then had Amnon his brother killed killing and death came to David's family. Because of the father sinning.

Now dads if you're here, and you have trouble in your house. Is it because you're sinning? Is it because you can't keep? Your hands off the internet and Watch some porn or some other stuff. In 2nd Samuel 12 11 the Lord said I will raise up Adversity against you from your own house.

God said your own family will turn against you and in 2nd Samuel 15 13 and 14 David had to flee from his own house. Absalom was going to kill him. He had to flee Jerusalem and the fourth penalty was the Lord said I will take your wives before your eyes and Give them to your neighbor and he shall lie with them in the sight of this son.

You did it secretly. But I'm gonna do it open. I'm gonna make you come out and come clean. Our secret sins will be brought to light in 2nd Samuel 16 22 Absalom David's own son had a tent put on the top of the house.

And he went in to sleep with his father's wives for all of Israel to see. We often hear of preachers Exposed by their own sins and then the fifth Penalty involved an innocent little baby and the Lord said to David.

However, because of this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. You see when our enemies see us sin They say Christianity is no different from what I do. Come on now wake up.

You're not any different from me and They curse God and they say that God cannot help you. God can't do anything for you and they curse God's name because they see you sinning. So sisters and brothers, we also give a bad name to our great God even as before and so we must fear God and then.

Then in 2nd Samuel 12 18 His innocent little son died there was the fifth penalty for David. If there's dust in your house He our God Can't accept it. He can't live with it. You know because it affects his life too it affects his glory it affects his power it affects his love for us and It says that the Holy Spirit weeps for us.

That is God God weeping Because we sin and You see that word that is used in Ephesians talks about the pain Of loss the pain of someone separating from you it talks about All of the grieving that goes on when a loved one leaves you.

That's how God grieves for your love because he says I'm doing everything for you. I'm giving you life. I'm giving you breath. You're breathing only Because I say so. You're only still here because I say so you're only still here because I love you and you don't love me and You don't love me and you don't care about me and you sin you don't ask me for help.

You don't ask me for release from what troubles you and you have dust in your house, and you won't give it up. So number three in America, we no longer fear God because we have adopted a lifestyle of the unbelievers and are caught up in materialism pride and Religiosity.

Dr. David Paul Tripp states one of the greatest challenges to the Christian family is rampant culturally institutionalized media promoted hero driven materialism. Maybe more than ever before our culture has embraced the delusion that life can be found in the physical Material creation the created world has no ability whatsoever to satisfy the cravings of the heart.

The creation is meant to be a finger that points us to one place Where there's real life and rest of the heart God himself. Because this materialism plays to the deepest idolry all Idolatries of the heart it leaves us fat.

Addicted and in debt. As a culture we spend too much we eat too much and we're way too busy all in the vain hope of Finding happiness and life where it cannot be found. It is hard to be a family living in a Western culture and not breathe in and the toxic gases of this Materialism.

Is there a little materialism in your house. Is that? Porsche or Mercedes or BMW or whatever you buy for. Is that more important to you than God? Is that football scholarship more important to you than God.

Is that recognition? In school and in life more important to you than recognition from God. Let us consider pride. American humanism. Human wisdom. The thoughts of men have elevated men to independence.

From God man feels he has the right to exercise his will. You say I'm gonna do what I want to. I'm not dependent on you God. I'm gonna do what I please. I'm looking for the stars. I'm looking for what I want to look for.

I'm gonna make my own rules. He rationalizes that either there is no God or God will do him no harm and that he can do what he wants. And then they're false prophets and pastors teaching materialism in a scriptural sense and the prosperity gospel teaches us to Covet and to press God to meet our wants and our desires the way we want to.

These preachers project God as a gentle old man with a white beard like Santa Claus who will meet all materialism in turn for money given to the pastor or the church. Holiness abstention self-denial and obedience required by God are suppressed in favor of creating the lust for more Beloved.

Is there dust in your house. Do you want more out of this life, or do you want more out of God? That's the basic question. You want more out of God and his son Jesus. Or do you want more? From this life.

In Acts chapter 12 verses 1 2 we read that King Herod the son of King Herod the great killed the Apostle James with the sword. That means he beheaded the Apostle James now. There were not so many Apostles only 12, and I would have thought that God would take action.

Nothing happened. God was still giving King Herod time to repent. However in Acts chapter 12 verses 21 to 23 we read that Herod accepted the accolades of people who said the voice of God and Not of man.

King Herod did not refuse that tribute and stole God's glory. In Acts chapter 12 23 God sent an angel to kill him. Kill him. Because he did not give God the glory King Herod was filled up with worms and eaten by worms until he died.

When I grew up in the second after the Second World War we didn't have too much to eat. And I had worms in myself, and so I saw them dance in my Experiments, and I ate contaminated food. So I watched and I decided it's not good to die of worms.

If you can manage that so is there pride in your life? Is there dust in your house. There was once a flea inside the ear of an elephant. They came to an old wooden hanging bridge as the elephant stepped on the bridge.

The hanging bridge started to swing and shake once the elephant got to the other side the tiny flea said to the elephant be sure shook that bridge and The elephant said to the flea you got it all wrong little flea.

I Shook the bridge and you came for the ride. Likewise there are many preachers today who say that they're shaking the bridge. God might fill them up with worms. God hates pride. It is dust in the house now.

What about your religiosity. We decided to go witnessing downtown, New York for three months during the summertime and The leader Silas Titus he had fasted 40 days. I probably shouldn't tell you this, but he's a man of God.

And he has a commitment to God and God spoke to him and said now before you go out on those streets. You got to remember You're not any better Than the persons out there. You're not any better. You're a sinner saved by grace and And now love your fellow man, if you can't love your fellow man, don't go out there.

Because they might curse at you. They might say things that get to your heart and you know after the first week I didn't want to go out there anymore. They were cursing at me and and it got to me and I Prayed on the week and then I said now Lord.

I don't want to go out there no more and They don't want you they don't want me and then I repented right afterwards and I said God help me to repent help me to show what's wrong in my thinking help me to show me what's wrong with me.

Break my heart. I went back out. I was down near ground zero and it was rush hour time. Thousands of people thousands of New Yorkers were were rushing towards me and all of a sudden my heart started to break.

And it was weeping on the inside and I never had that emotion before and then all of a sudden all sound disappeared. I couldn't hear anything anymore. And then the people were walking towards me in slow motion without sound.

Slow motion, I saw their faces. I saw their unhappiness. I saw their materialism. I saw their disdain for me. I saw Everything that seemed to be going on in them. And then I started to realize why I was seeing them without sound and in slow motion.

They were the walking dead. They were the walking dead and God said you better love them. You better love them. Because if you won't tell them their blood will I require. At your hand you better tell them and so beloved I I really improved and in loving people.

I'm not there. I'm just on the way and God will help us to also be that witness, but we must reach out and love others. Just because we are saved and you all look like wonderful people. You look like you were saved when you were born.

You don't know what sin is, right? You're all sinners saved by grace and So your neighbor love him that he can be a sinner saved by grace. Don't make yourself better. Is there dust in the house? And then we don't remember how great God is because we make ourselves equal to that great God.

You know and in Psalm 114 verses 1 to 8 in verse 3 It gives us the reason that the waters of the Red Sea fled the children of Israel. We're coming from the land of Israel. They were being let go from slavery.

They came to the Red Sea couldn't cross and Psalm 114 1 to 8 tells us why the waters. Why the waters went back and made way. You see God came down from heaven. He came before the children of Israel. And in verse 3 it tells us the reason.

The water since God approaching the Red Sea when he came to save his people from the Egyptian army. The waters felt the approaching foot of the Almighty God Coming down from heaven and the waters fled.

Can you make the waters flee? You better have some respect some awe. Some fear of God. The sea looked and fled. The sea looked and fled. The sea had on respect and fear. How about you my dear brother and sister.

And The same verse in Psalm 114 3 it tells us that the river Jordan's Waters parted and turned back to make room for God going before his people. In Psalm 114 6 it asks. Why did the mountains and hills skipped?

In 114 7 it says the earth Trembled and it was all because of the presence of God. When you find yourself in the eye of a tornado. You will tremble. The tornado is nothing compared to God when we find ourselves in the middle of a 7 .0 earthquake and the earth splits before you.

You will tremble. Two ants were on a railway track shaking their fists against God. Now, I don't know if you've ever been at a railway track when you were young and I was able to do that and I put my ear down To hear when the train is coming.

You see you can hear the train coming from far off. There is that slight singing sound and These two ants were on the railway track shaking their fists against God. And the railway track started to sing softly and the two ants were shaking Their their their arms against God and they said you think you can make all the rules.

God I Make my own rules. The ants were shouting we don't accept your laws. God. We'll sin if we want to sin. There's nothing nothing you can do and That track was Vibrating louder now and the poor ants had no understanding and no fear of God and They didn't know.

Grace Is Not a License to Sin

Beloved. The train is coming. The train is coming. The train is on the way. Humble yourself point number four in America. We no longer fear God because Christians believe that all is covered under grace the unmerited favor of God.

I went on a bus trip with a whole bunch of Christians. At the hotel one of the Christians took two towels. Another Christian watched pornography. Another Christian was looking longingly at a woman. He was asked are you not married and should you be looking at her with lust.

His answer? Oh God knows I'm human. He's got me covered by grace. Don't worry trust God for his grace. Don't be such a stickler with the law. Is there something wrong in that argument. Somewhere do you think is is grace a carte blanche for us and for you to sin?

Is it a carte blanche and the license to sin? No, it is. It is not. Could I ask you are all sins of America covered under grace. Our country is the number one pornography exporter into the whole world the number one exporter.

We profess to be Christians and yet we do not live differently from our neighbors in the world. We call ourselves Christians. But we did take away the Bible. And prayer from our children and you say how did I do that?

While you stood by and you watched you didn't do nothing. You think you had a part every. One out of three boys now grows up without a dad. Divorce is about 50 in America. It's the same for Christians.

No different. In the african-american culture two out of three boys grow up without a dad. Homosexuality has been declared by 100 ordained pastors as not being sin. It's okay with God's word. They say 100 ordained pastors.

Many churches now permit the Quran to be read. In dozens of churches Allah is not the same God we serve. Allah does not acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Son of God and scripture says in first John 222 who is a liar, but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ.

He's Antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Now beloved Allah is not the same God as our God. Allah denies Christ and Therefore Allah is a counterfeit from Satan. He's a counterfeit. So do not be deceived.

Do not follow that thinking by the way, I love Muslims. I Took care of a Muslim. I buried him. I loved him. I prayed for him. And and I love Muslims, but I cannot go for idolatry. I love you, but I won't love you sin.

Is that all right with you? God did not say Muhammad is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. Did he? Did God say Buddha is my beloved son in whom I'm well-pleased. Or did he say? Krishna is my beloved son from the Hindus in whom I'm well-pleased.

No, he didn't. You see God made sure he spoke by a voice from heaven to help you and me. To know that we have the truth through the Lord Jesus Christ that Christ is the Son of the Living God and God affirmed him from heaven himself personally, and he said this is my beloved son in whom I am well-pleased and.

Perfect Love, Fear, and God’s Judgment

Then in point number five in America, we no longer fear God because we Christians Misinterpret perfect love casts out fear. We say we don't need to fear God because that's what the Word of God says. I did read before that Christ had fear of his own father from Hebrews.

Now we associate God with love and not wrath and vengeance. Wrath is violent anger. It is raged and fury with the intent to do harm. Vengeance is a retaliatory punishment in America love is taught as never-ending few if any speak of God's judgments and his punishments for the unbelievers.

Which is never-ending but beloved. His love is perfect because he will provide a house a clean house for us a clean new earth a Clean-new heaven. He will provide for you and for me. Isn't that wonderful news?

And so we know that scripture does not contradict itself. Matthew Henry in his commentary says the true love to God assures believers of God's love to them. In Luke chapter 12 verses 4 and 5 Jesus said and I say unto you my friends Do not be afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do.

But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear. It is his father. It is God himself. After he hath killed he has power to cast into hell. Yea, I say unto you fear him and As humans we don't like fear. We certainly don't like the fear of darkness and The fear of evil, but God says in in his verse perfect Love casts out the fear of that darkness.

It casts out Anything that that would affect us and then when you read first John 4 17 The following passage is all related to verse 17 because there it says perfect love casts out fear in relation to Judgment.

The verses don't say don't fear God. But they say you no longer need to fear judgment praise God the fear of God out of light. We need to accept that God is greater than us. And so we must not be misled by that and we must rejoice and be exceedingly glad.

For great is our reward in heaven for so persecuted they. The prophets which were before you a few years ago in North Korea 25 Korean Christians were found with Bibles and they were taken by the army five leaders were to be executed and They made the other 20 Christians watch.

They brought a steamroller and they put the pastor to assistant pastors and to elders on the ground. They gave them a choice and said if you follow King to sung and Kim young to rather than you Jesus we will let you live and they would not speak and the steamroller started rolling and Rolled over them and the fellow Christians screamed and fainted as a steamroller went over five bodies and their skulls were crushed and Popped made a popping sound and the other 20 Christians.

They went to one of these Korean death camps. Beloved you don't need to fear that. Okay, because God will give you help God will be with you. God will give you that power through the Holy Spirit to stand up to persecution.

We are very Soon, we'll be facing persecution in this country because Also, there are now a hundred and twenty pastors. We have gotten together. They are supporting a new concept called Chrislam it's a combination of Islam and Christianity and they say this is the way to go and as they Follow this concept under the ecumenical movement.

It will take rapidly other believers along the way and You and I will have to stand up with a witness before our God and so it's up to you to decide Where you want to be in heaven in a clean heaven a Clean new earth a clean new universe or there in America.

Disasters, Repentance, and Divine Judgment

We no longer fear God. Because we do not recognize when he gives us into the hands of the enemy. Such as on 9 -11 or he sends us natural disasters. A few months ago a Christian woman running for president Michelle Bachmann suggested that Hurricane Irene and the earthquakes were judgments of God.

She was laughed at and ridiculed. A cartoon appeared the next day in a local newspaper in New Jersey with Michelle Standing at a podium making this statement. This is the judgment of God. Then on the right hand side was another podium where Michelle was struck by lightning Ending up in a pile of ashes and saying you see what I mean.

These people had no idea about the never-ending wrath of God and the torment that is awaiting them. Except God may yet have mercy on them and save them. R .C. Sproul wrote in his commentary when two evangelical leaders Pat Robertson and the late Jerry Falwell Suggested 9 -11 may have been a divine judgment upon our sinful culture.