Prv. 29:25The Fear of Man vs. The Fear of God
Tozer: “Our #1 problem faulty concept of God.”
No nation can ever grow greater than it’s concept of God.
Best research (Barna, SBC) 95% / 75 wrong interfere.
1. Prv. 29:25 The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted.
A. What snare do? Hold you hunter comes / either keeps display or eat you!
b. In this case Satan hunter/ you (Christian) hunted one.
c. Writing to Christians Peter said: Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
d.Satan spreads net / fear of man drives him into it.
e. Blatant / subtle/ we smile when we should frown; we laugh when we should remain silent.
f. Or worse, we remain silent when we should speak!
G. James 4:17the sin of omission. “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
2. I hear of college students so intimidated by atheistic professors they are afraid to speak up for their faith.
A. Some professors have so many degrees they don’t have any temperature left.
B. I read of one instance: Has any one seen God, heard, touched?
c. I wish I had one of those nutty professors in our class this morning! Has anyone ever seen the professors’ brain? Based on the professors own logic, forced inescapable conclusion our professor is brainless!
3. The Bible has a lot to say about the fear of man.
a) Remember Abraham? Not once twice wife.
b) King Saul “feared people and listened to their voice.”
c) Peter denied the Lord 3 times.
4. In the Old Testament you were excused from war if...
1) You had just married a wife
2) You planted vineyard not tasted the fruit of the vine.
3) Or, if you were afraid. Why? 1 man destroy morale.
5. Remember Gideon? 32K God / tell everyone who is afraid they can go home and 22K got up and said, “Thank you Jesus!
A.Do more 300 spirit filled than 32k not.
b. Preaching is weak in many churches afraid to offend.
c. Jn. 5:44 How can you believe if you except praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?
6. Classic example Numbers 13 Promised land.
a. Deut. 1:30 God go before / fight them as in Egypt.
b. Num. 14:9 God called it “rebellion.”
c. 1 Cor. 10 “Written as an example for our instruction.”
Not trying to rob / keep us robbing ourselves!
d. Promised land represent? God’s best / abundance
7. Reason Christians not share faith / same world rejects. Fear of “Jesus Freak” / “Religious fanatic.”
a. Isa. 51:12-13 "I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid of a man who will die, and of the son of a man who will be made like grass?
b. Isa. 57:11 Whom have you so dreaded and feared that you have been false to me, and have neither remembered Me, nor pondered this in your hearts? And you forget the LORD your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth?
8. The fear of man is idolatry / rival worship / abomination!
1. Idolatry is spiritual adultery!
2. James 4:4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
3. We have not been given a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind!
a.Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord!
b. Richard Wormbrand / Voice of Martyrs
Communists / Romania
c. Illus: Table for two? How do you think Jesus feels?
Defined problem? Solution/ How do we get delivered?
#1Deliveranceis an act of grace. That is something only God can do.
Jesus: Apart from Me, you can do nothing.”
I’ll never forget the first time I read…
“If you are ashamed of Me before men, I will be ashamed of you before My father in heaven. But if you acknowledge me before men I will acknowledge you before my father in heaven.”
Prayed...If you will deliver me…
Didn’t know in 1 Jn, “if you ask anything according…”
No longer ashamed Gospel / Power God
Some do call me a Jesus Freak but God calls me “son.”
Deliverance an act of God /Paradoxically, our part must be factored in.
Gal. 5:22 says the fruit of the Spirit is self-control.
Phil 2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Bible? “Holy men of God spoke as they were…”
The answer is right in the text. Fear of man is snare but he who trusts in the LORD will be set on high.
Better you know the Word of God better you know the God of the Word.
1. Trust “Return to the Hiding Place.”
Hans / Tenboom / not heros/ when see evil, must stand.
What we had was: “We knew our redeemer lived.”
Heb. 13: Jesus Christ, same yesterday, today and forever.
Matt. 10: “Do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
A. Fear of man like a gun without bullets.
b. Pycho oriented rather truth / live feelings rather facts.
C. I wish I could raise my hands in church.
D. We need to get real. It’s better to be what you is than what you ain’t because if you is what you ain’t then you ain’t what you is.”
Believing in God and going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than eating at McDonalds’ makes you a hamburger!
Even the demons believe in God and they tremble!
What does it mean to trust?
David & Goliath –David believed (trusted) God!
Dan 3:13-15, Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king.
Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up?
Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?"
“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."
#2 LORD = YHWHEternal self-existent One.
Pray for wisdom and favor.
#3 Know why you believe… 1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.
Redeem the time.
Average Christian 9 yrs in front of TV 4 mos., church.
TV not in and of itself sinful / cumulative effect.
Prv. 13:20 He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
New ministry 800 # 24-7 TV and shoot it.
Newborn baby oooahh / 5 yrs still in crib?
Ps 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom.
True story: a minister was driving through northern Iran with his wife, they came to a small village where he decided to buy water.
As he stops his car he notices a man leaning against the wall of the shop with a beard and a machine gun.
The wife sees the man's gun and face, takes a Bible in Farsi, and puts it in her husband's pocket. She says, "Give that man a Bible."
Her husband looks at the beard, looks at the gun, and says, "No."
She says, 'No, no, no. Seriously. Give 'it to him. Really. Please. Give it to him. Give him the Bible." So he says, "I'll pray about it.''
He goes into the shop, comes out with the water, and they drive away. The wife looks at her husband. ''You didn't give him the Bible, did you?''
He said, "No, I prayed about it. It wasn't the right thing to do."
She said, "You should have given him one."
He disagrees and they go back and forth. So the wife bows her head and prays out loud that her husband might listen to God.
At that point, they have a friendly discussion that married couples have from time to time that ends with the words, ''Fine! If you want me to die, I will.''
The husband turns the car around and goes back into the village.
He gets out of the car, walks up to the man, and places a Bible in his hands. The man opens it and starts to cry.
He said, ''I don't live here. I live three days walk from here. But three days ago an angel came and appeared to me and told me to walk to this village and wait until someone had given me the Book of Life.
Thank you for giving me this book.”
Discovery Channel /long line short line.
Narrow path wide path.
On June 6, 1944 Operation Overlord / largest air, land, and sea operation undertaken before or since.
The landing included over 5,000 ships, 11,000 airplanes, and over 150,000 troops.
When over, Allied Forces suffered nearly 10,000 casualties; more than 4,000 were dead.
Where would we be today if on D-Day when our soldiers landed at Normandy, hundreds / thousands bodies lying wounded or dead on the beach.
Knowing there was a real possibility they would never see their loved ones again if they turned back for fear.
Why did they do it? They did it for you and me future generations.
We have a lot more to lose than they did.
Cacoolas
Apologize have stepped toes / sorry/ aiming heart.
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