The Fear Factor — Alan Martin

I like to believe that I'm always intense about the truth. I have really been stirred up, and I've spent hours and hours contemplating what I'd like to share this morning. I like to try to write notes and give myself notes, but I just couldn't.

But I just spent time meditating, and I really do sense this morning God's going to offer life to us in a very powerful, fresh revelation and grace, which means the enemy will be there to distract in every way.

The Sower, the Word, and Spiritual Hearing

When the Son of Man goeth forth to sow, the birds of the air are near, and if the seed he sows falls on the hard ground not ready, there'll never be a chance for it to sprout. But there's also other things.

There's weeds and things that choke the Word and make it unfruitful. So let's ask the Lord for his help this morning, that he would give us ears to hear, that he would grant to us the spirit of wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of him.

I cannot teach away the spirit of stupor. If the spirit of stupor rests upon someone here this morning, you won't hear a word I say. I might as well be speaking to a casket. But God can wake the dead.

God can soften a hard heart. Teaching doesn't soften hearts. Teaching is for those who are wanting to learn. But when someone is deceived and they're walking in darkness and they're not doing right, they need God.

They need God in a service. The spirit of God powerfully moving on hearts. Because you don't instruct people who are dull about Christ. But God can breathe upon a heart of that condition, and there can be a great change.

But knowing that that's what God wants to do, and beyond that, those who are doing well, I believe God wants to impart something special, especially for parents. Especially for parents, the grandparents, this will be very applicable to you too.

Some of you are beyond raising your children. Some of you are getting a second chance through all the babysitting you get to do with your grandchildren, and you'll have an impact. So even you, this is a very pertinent word.

Let's ask the Lord's help. Father, you know how imperfect the vessel sits here before these people. And you know how difficult I consider it to be to express at least perfectly that which you stir in my heart.

So I ask your help for me. That your Holy Spirit would quicken me, lead me, guide me, direct my thoughts, direct my memory. Your Spirit would be strong upon me to keep me under your guidance. And not only upon me, but that your Spirit would prepare and help and aid those that are hungering and thirsting after righteousness so that this morning they can be filled.

Lord, we desire as a people for your word to powerfully work in us. Sanctifying, cleansing, renewing, strengthening. May all of those things take place this morning so that you can have a people that have received your word and that your word will not return back to you, Lord.

We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Now, we were right. I'm not changing where we were. We were in the book of Acts. It is just the fact that where we were so powerfully spoke to me. And I hope you have ears to hear.

He that has ears to hear, let him hear. Look in the book of Acts, chapter 2, verse 43. And what may seem to some to be just a postmark, I was deeply impressed with. There's always a danger of making more of something that is merited.

But I don't believe that that's the case today. You know, it says, if any man speaks, how is he to speak? If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. In other words, if I'm really doing right, I'm actually supposed to, by faith, believe that God is speaking to you through me, not just me.

And like when Paul would write his letters, he said, if anyone accepts not this instruction, it's not man he's not accepting, it's God he's rejecting. So I want to make the appeal to listen to God this morning.

God can work through weak vessels, so he can work through this vessel, imperfect though he be. And may he do so. Just the very first part of the verse says, in the NIV it says, and everyone was filled with awe.

The Fear of God in Acts 2

You have to watch these. The NIV is a transliteration, and this is one instance where it really shows that. That's a transliteration. That's not very close to the original. The original says, and fear came upon every soul.

And more literal in the Greek, the Greek syntax is a little bit different than ours, and it says, and came to be fear in every soul. That is extremely significant. Why is that? Why is it significant that fear came to be in every soul?

Because that's the one thing that never happened in the Old Testament in very many people. What's the very beginning of wisdom? The fear of the Lord is. And this is saying, this is an outflow of verses 42 and on.

Let's back up a couple of verses here in Acts. Back to verse 41. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized, and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And then they began to continue steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and the breaking of bread and prayers.

And in this environment where they were devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching, they had gladly received the word, they were fellowshipping, they were breaking the bread, and they were giving themselves the prayer, the natural result of what God desired to work in the church came about.

Almost the church bloomed and fear came upon every soul. How so? How do I know that's to be? That was the promise of the new covenant. Turn to Jeremiah 32. Jeremiah 32 and see the importance of this promise.

Jeremiah chapter 32. And even as we listen, pray for me, pray in your spirit that the scriptures that the Lord took me to will come back to me. I didn't write them down. I really felt taught of the Lord.

And I want to bring you what I believe. I believe the Holy Spirit guided me to consider these things. And so pray that I will hear Him as He has to remind me. But here in chapter 32, look at verse 37.

Jeremiah 32, 37. Behold, I will gather them out of all the countries whither I have driven them in mine anger. This is a promise about the covenant of the last days. Most of you know Jeremiah chapter 31.

If you know your Bible well, that's where he says, I shall make a new covenant with them. Well, this is the same, this is in the same vein. In the latter part of verse 37, it says,. And I will bring them again into this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely.

And then verse 38, quoted in the New Testament several times,. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. And look at this verse, verse 39. And I will give them one heart and one way that they may, what?

That they may fear me. That they may fear me forever for the good of them and their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them. And I will not turn away from them to do them good.

But I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me. Do you realize what a blessing it is for the fear of God to be given to people? The fear of God is what leads to life. It's the very beginning of wisdom.

It is the one thing that God longed to place in the hearts of Israel that they never had. You want to see this? Turn to Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy chapter 5. It is so important to see this. May the Lord help us fully grasp this this morning.

Israel at Sinai: Hearing and Doing God's Word

Deuteronomy chapter 5. Here in this chapter, Moses is describing. He's describing what happened at the giving of the Ten Commandments. When God came down on top of the mountain and audibly spoke the Ten Commandments to the nation of Israel.

With a mountain quaking and billowing up with fire and smoke. And the voice of God thundered. Here's what it says. Right after that, here's how the people responded. In verse 24, it says, Verse 25, they responded,.

So here's what they said to Moses. Moses, verse 27. All the Lord our God shall speak unto thee. We will hear it and do it. And the Lord heard the voice of your words. And when ye spake unto me, and the Lord said unto me, I've heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken unto me.

They have well said what they have spoken. What did the people say so well? They said, we'll hear it and we'll do it. That's it. When you decide what God speaks, you'll hear and you'll do. You've said very well.

The New Testament says, When you are both hearing God's word and doing it, you have said well. But look at what God said. He said, they've well said, but what does verse 29 say? Oh, that there were such a heart in them.

They didn't really have it in their heart. God saw past their words and saw they did not have the heart to follow through with this. Oh, that there were. I read this in the lexicon, in the Septuagint, which is the Greek version.

And the words here are in the subjunctive case. Meaning, oh, that there might be someday in them a heart. That they really would fear me and keep all my commandments. Always, that it might be well with them and with their children forever.

But it did not happen. As a matter of fact, the very reason that God had caused this great demonstration, Moses said, so I'm going to read from the actual account, where Moses tells the people, don't fear, God has come to prove you that his fear may be before your faces to keep you from sinning.

Do you realize, when the fear of God is before a man's face, he does not sin. When the fear of God is working properly in a man or woman's life, they live differently. But God knew that Israel did not have it in their hearts to fear him.

Turn to Deuteronomy chapter 31. Here's how we know they didn't have it. Deuteronomy chapter 31, verse 15 of chapter 31 of Deuteronomy. And the Lord appeared in the tabernacle in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood over the door of the tabernacle.

And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy father. He's about to die. And this people will rise up and do what? They'll go a-whoring after other gods. Gods of the strangers of the land, whether they go to be among them, and will forsake me and break my covenant which I have made with them.

And then verse 20. For when I shall have brought them into the land which I swear unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey, and they shall have eaten and filled themselves in wax and fat, then they will turn to other gods and serve them and provoke me and break my covenant.

See, this is why God said, Oh, that there would be such a heart in them, that they would really fear me, so that they will always keep all my word for their good and the good of their children afterward.

But they never did have it. As a matter of fact, very few people in the Old Testament ever really had the fear of God in their hearts. We're going to look at some of them that did. But this is why the New Covenant is so far greater than the Old Covenant.

Because what the law could not accomplish, putting the fear of God in the hearts of men, God did accomplish another way. Turn to Isaiah chapter 11. God designed a way that in the New Covenant, His fear would be placed within our hearts.

The Spirit of the Fear of the Lord in Christ

Isaiah chapter 11, verse 1,. And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots, and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. Who's this talking about?

This is talking about Jesus. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. And look at the Spirit of the Lord described this way. The Spirit of wisdom and understanding. The Spirit of counsel and might.

The Spirit of knowledge and of what? The Spirit of the fear of the Lord. And look what it says to sum it up. And shall make of him quick understanding of the fear of the Lord. Now this is an interesting...

Translators had a difficult time with this expression in the Hebrew. Because some of your Bibles say,. And he shall delight in the fear of the Lord. Here it says,. And shall make of him quick understanding in the fear of the Lord.

Is there another one out there that says even different than those two? That's about basically it. The Greek word here says,. And he shall... in the Septuagint, The Greek word here is implikao. And the Lord shall implicate him in the fear of the Lord.

Now how do we use that word today? Because implicate comes right into the English language from the Greek. What does it mean to be implicated in a situation? You're tied to it. But they've got you tied to it.

If you're tied in association to someone, And they implicate you in court, That means they have tied you with the evidence. And what it's saying here, Is that Christ will literally be bound together, Twined, braided with the spirit of his Father.

What did he pray for us? What did he pray in John 17? Father, I pray not only for my disciples, But I pray for those who will believe on me through their word, That they may be made, That they may be braided together, That literally our spirit, And the spirit of Jesus Christ, The spirit of the fear of the Lord, Would literally come together, And be braided into one.

And this is what's really going to separate heaven. A lot of empty, professing people, Who claim to be believers, Are going to be shown, They never were genuinely entwined with the spirit of the fear of the Lord.

They did not live their lives, By the inner working of the fear of the Lord, In their hearts. Just like Israel, They would make statements, And people make statements, Oh yes, you go listen, And you tell us, And we'll hear, Without really ever coming to that heart.

Faith, Fear, and the Examples of Abraham and Job

You know, It's a funny thing, I say it's a funny thing, Maybe that's not the way to say it, But I found it interesting, That in the Old Testament, When a man was said to do and live well, He was described that he feared the Lord.

But in the New Testament, We see in Hebrews chapter 11, We see that the men of old, How were they approved? It says, And all of these were approved by faith. So in the New Testament, It's called faith.

In the Old Testament, It's called the fear of the Lord. I resolve those two very easily, Because you know what fear is? Fear is faith expecting a reward. Faith expecting a reward. The Bible says that to please God, A man must believe, And come to Him, And believe that God is, And is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

How do we know that that's really? How do you know for sure? Don't just take my word for it, That in the Old Testament, The key that really set men apart, Was that they feared God. What did God say to Abraham, When Abraham was literally so ready, To plunge the knife into the son, Whom the Lord had told him to offer as a sacrifice, That the Lord had to call his name twice, In order to get him to stay his hand.

Once he stayed his hand, And Abraham was listening, God said something to him. Does anybody here remember what God said to him? He says, Now I know, Thou fearest God. Now I know. What a way to sum it up.

Abraham, You fear me. You fear me more than your wife. You fear me more than your son. You are willing to put anything, Before your son, Before your wife, Before your future, Everything. You put it all down, God and I, Was number one.

I was the reason, You decided to act the way you did. Now I know, You fear me. When a man lives that way, The fear of God, Is at work in their life. Remember there was another man, The very few men, In the Old Testament were called perfect, But some were.

Who was one of the men in the Old Testament, God called perfect? Not me, God called perfect. Who did God call perfect in the Old Testament? Enoch, Well he didn't say perfect, But he said he walked with God, And he was not.

Job, Was a person God called perfect. Turn in Job chapter 1, Why did God call him perfect? And look at the description, That goes along, With God's, Assessment of Job. There in Job chapter 1, Verse 8, This is God speaking.

Job chapter 1 verse 8, And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? There is none like him in the earth. A perfect man, And an upright one. One that does what? One that feareth God, And hates evil.

That's really, The bulk of it right there. You know really why people live the way they do? You know why you do what you do? You know why you think the way you think? It all is related to, To what degree you really fear God, Or you don't.

Parents, Children, and the Root of the Holy Spirit's Fruit

You want to see a man, In the scripture, With a heart that we should have? Fathers, Listen to me. Eric, Brian, Larry, You're going to have to listen for Jason. Jeremy you might as well listen, You're the oldest in the house here, But you guys better listen up.

You fail to see the fear of God, Instilling in your children, And you can teach them right and wrong, All day long, And they will discard it like trash, And it won't mean a thing to them. Only a person who says, I want to please God in everything, Does what's pleasing to God in everything.

That's the root of it. You know we talk about the fruit of the Holy Spirit, And it's love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, Faithfulness, meekness, and self-control. But you know what? Way before the fruit of something, There has to be the root of something, And I am convinced the root of the Holy Spirit, Is the fear of God.

What's the first thing that germinates, When you plant a seed? The first thing that happens, Is it develops a root. And parents, If you don't see the fear of God, Instilled in your children, You have failed, You won't keep them, They'll worship with you while they're in church, But when they get a chance to do, And choose their own way, They will discard everything you have taught them, Unless the fear of God, Is firmly at work in them.

The Wicked Lack the Fear of God

Does the scripture say, Does the scripture really say, That the reason the wicked live the way they do, Is because they don't have any fear of God? Is that what it says? Yes it does. Look, turn to Psalms 36.

Book of Psalms, chapter 36. Psalms 36. Audrey, do you have that in your Bible there? Can you read verse 1 of Psalms 36 for us? They have no fear of God, Because of that. See? You see why the wicked do what they do?

You see why people live the way they live? You know what? It's because they do not fear God. Let me tell you something, You better fear God. When you watch a program on TV, You better fear God. You're going to answer for watching that.

When you read a book, You better fear God. You're going to answer for reading that book. When you go and involve yourselves in things, You better do so in the fear of God. Because only the fear of God says, I want to make sure this is pleasing to God.

I want to make sure this is right before God. And the reason the wicked live the way they do, Is that's not what's in their heart. They're missing this fear. As a matter of fact, It says in Jude, I was reading this verse in the book of Jude.

You don't have to turn there. I just want to read it to you. This is the reason people act the way they do in the church. Not even everybody in the church fears God. Those who fear God are the rarest people on the earth.

Most people live by what they think is right, And that satisfies them. There's a great difference in living by what you think is right, And living in the fear of God. And I'm going to make that point clearer here in a moment.

Listen, it says, These are people in the church. These are spots in your feast of charity. Where are these people? They're inside the church. These are spots in your feast of charity, When they feast with you, Feeding themselves without fear.

In the church, Worshipping, Singing, Partaking part of things, But they don't really fear God, Because they really live the way they think is right. And it's going to be exposed. Their way is going to be exposed.

David's Prayer for an Undivided, Fearful Heart

David, Turn to this place, In Psalms 119, And see the kind of heart we should have. Now I'm going to explain something. There's quite a bit of difference, In saying you believe this, And living it. Psalms 119, Look in, Let's start in verse 33 of Psalms 119, So we can work our way into this.

Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes, And I shall keep it to the end. Give me understanding, And I shall keep thy law. Yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me to go in the paths of thy commandments, For therein do I delight.

Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, And not to covetousness. And now I pray, Read this with me, And by the Spirit of God, Embrace this as a need for us today. We need to pray this next prayer earnestly today.

We need to pray, Turn our eyes away from beholding vanity, And quicken us in thy way. Establish thy word to thy servant, Who is devoted to what? David was devoted to the fear of God. That's why he was called, A man after God's own heart.

Another thing he prayed in Psalms 86 -11, It was, Unite my heart to fear thy name. What does it mean, Turn my eyes away from beholding vanity? What's vanity? When you hear the word vanity, What do you think of?

What book of the Bible comes to your mind, When I say the word vanity? Ecclesiastes. Here's what vanity is. Women are vain. Money is vain. Work is vain. Pleasure is vain. Solomon fully gave himself to pursue women.

He had 300 wives and 700 concubines. He called it vanity. Solomon fully gave himself to even explore the pleasures of wine. He called it vanity. Solomon fully gave himself to fully explore the pleasures of wealth.

He called it vanity. And Solomon fully gave himself to explore the pleasures of work. Women, wealth, wine, work. Vanity. And he came to the end of the book, And he said, Hear now the conclusion. There's one thing in life that's not vain.

Fear God. Keep His commandments. This is the duty of man. That's the one non-vain thing on the earth. That you live in a way that you fear God and you keep His commandments. And I know, I know that there are people right now who think you already do that well.

Examining Ourselves Rather Than Trusting in Self-Assurance

You don't realize how dangerous you are if that's what you're thinking. The Bible says, He that thinks he stands firm, Take heed lest he fall. And let me tell you, Let me give you an illustration of something.

I can show you, We did this the other day in our house. I was trying to encourage my children to exercise so you'll understand this. So we all took our turns, And let me tell you, They all did their well.

They all gave their best. Benjamin got up there, And Joseph got up there, And Daniel got up there. And I'm telling you, In his best effort, I mean toward the end, I mean toward the end, I mean it was the best he could give.

And you know what? Twenty. It was his very best. You know what? What if he had been doing sit-ups every day for a year? Would twenty be considered very good? Don't you measure yourself by how well you think you're doing, Because when you get to heaven, God is going to strip away the way you think, And He's going to expose to you how little.

You really sought like David. Search me, oh God. Try me and know my thoughts. See if there be any wicked way in me. Oh Lord, if there's any deception in my life, Show me. You read His Word, And you read His Word, Because you long for wisdom.

If that's not your heart, You have no idea what the fear of the Lord is. It hasn't happened in you yet. You can't compare yourself with that kind of lifestyle To a casual inherer of God's Word. Do you know the Scripture like you should know the Scripture?

Do you have the heart of David? Do you crave it? Is it a longing for it? Do you really consider Getting wisdom and the fear of God More important than anything else? Do you? Only that kind of person Can truly grow in the fear of the Lord.

The Fear of the Lord as the Beginning of Wisdom

Look what it says here. Proverbs chapter 1. Turn with me. This is so important. You know what? Some people think this is extreme. That's fine. Hell is going to be extreme. You'll find out what extreme is, Because that's where you're going If you reject the Word of the Lord.

Hell is going to be extremely extreme. And what did Jesus say? When Jesus spoke of hell, Here's what He said. Many people will go there Who are expecting to go to heaven. Many, many people shall say unto me, What?

They were expecting to go to heaven, But He knew they really never received His Spirit. To fear Him and to walk in His ways. Here in Proverbs chapter 1. What's the problem? What's the problem? Look it.

If you really want a life, Jeremy, read this with me. I want you to hear these words. Look at this. You want to know wisdom? Verse 2. See that? You want to know wisdom? You want to know it straight? I heard you're interested in being a lawyer.

Great. We need some godly lawyers. Just fine. You want to be able to perceive the words of understanding? You want to receive instruction of wisdom? You want to know what justice is? That's what you want to achieve?

You want a good judgment? You want to be able to make good decisions? You want to be able to see what's fair? You want to be able to give instructions to juries? Okay. You want to be able to instruct young men In how to be discreet?

Well it says, The wise men will hear and increase in learning, And the man of understanding Shall obtain underwining counsel. And if you really want to understand Proverbs, If you want to understand how to interpret the word of God, The words of the wise, And their dark sayings, They're not obvious.

What do you do? Verse 7.

It's beginning. If you don't have that in your heart, You're not on first base. You're not in the game.

To even begin to really discern properly, Judge properly, Instruct properly, Seek properly, To even begin, The foundation of it must be, You fear God. You know that you're going to answer for everything you do.

You know that it is His air you're breathing. You know that it is His light you're seeing. And you know, And just think of how great a sin it is, For you to care more about being like the world, Than being like Him.

That's ludicrous. That's ludicrous to a man who really fears God. And you know what the problem here is? That's how you do. Look in the same chapter. What happens? What happens in verse 29? Can you read that?

My Bible's ripped in verse 29. They don't have it there. So someone read verse 29 for me. See that? It's a choice. Tiger, it's a choice. Villain, it's a choice. It's a choice. Did you realize it's a choice, Jordan?

You have to choose to fear the Lord. If you want to play around, And vanity, And be like the world, Go ahead. You'll end up a fool. You know what fool stands for? Feeding on our own lust. That's how the world lives.

They live by their own desires, And they live by what they think is right. But if you want a life, If you really want to love life, Listen to this. Psalms 34. Come, my children, Listen to me, And I shall teach you the fear of the Lord.

He that would love life And see good days. You want to love life? You want to see good days? Listen to the fear of the Lord. Keep your tongue from evil. Turn from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it.

For the eyes of the Lord Are upon the righteous. And His ears are attentive Under their prayer. But the face of the Lord Is against all who do evil. And you know what? You know how people who are evil live?

You all have heard me enough times, And you should know and have this understanding. How do people who are evil live? Tell me their modus operandi. Hmm? Here's how they live. They do what's right In their own eyes.

Do you want to make a difference? Don't live by what you think is right. Live by every word of God. You live by what you think is right, You are evil. That's what the Bible calls it. They did what was right in their own eyes.

There is a way that seemeth right to man. But what? But the ends thereof are the ways of death. Now, Would I be dwelling too much in the Old Testament here? Or does the New Testament even say That the key to prospering in your spiritual growth Is the fear of God?

The Early Church Walking in the Fear of the Lord

Help me here. Did the early church live in the fear of God? If you know your Bible, you know they did. Turn to Acts chapter 9. I'm almost done. Almost, Jacob. I can tell when you're listening. I'm glad you are.

Acts chapter 9. Jacob, let me tell you, I'm proud of you. You have been doing really good. You keep it up. You are a changed little boy. You're not the same little Jacob that was in here about a year ago.

Okay. Acts chapter 9. Look at verse 31. Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, And were edified. And how were they walking? Walking in the fear of the Lord. When the church is walking in the fear of the Lord, When you're really living in the fear of the Lord, Everything God says you hear and do.

And if you're living that way, Everything God says you hear and do, How does it go with you? It goes well with you. That's what the Scripture says. It will go well with you. You shall live long on the earth.

And it will go well with you and your children after you. And how do you really bring about holiness? How do you really bring about holiness? How critical is holiness to us as believers? Essential. Why do we say it's essential, Brian?

Because without holiness, no one shall see the Lord. What is the fear of the Lord? The key ingredient to really perfecting holiness. Sure it is. 2 Corinthians 7 .1. Turn there. Of course it is. It's the essential ingredient in holiness.

Verse 1 of chapter 7. 2 Corinthians. Having therefore these promises, dear beloved, Let us cleanse ourselves. Now, I guess this is why I'm not a Calvinist. I don't call any man father. But since the Holy Spirit chose to put it this way, who does the cleansing here?

God has cleansed us, and that's His part. But whose responsibility is it? If God has built us a shower, and God has put soap in there, and God has put rags, and God has put shampoo, then He's enabled us to stay clean.