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Sermon delivered by Thor Carden
Early 2003
Love One Another Gospel Church
Madison, Tennessee

Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

The word "fear" appears over 500 times in the Bible. Related words like dread, afraid, scared, awe, and revere appear almost 500 more times. I have not looked at all these 1,000 verses but I have looked at many of them and it appears to me the word "fear" and its cousins have three different meanings in different places and in different contexts.

The first is like worry or apprehension. The dread of some future event, like trying to sleep when you know you will be in a battle the next morning or thinking about taking an important exam for which you are not properly prepared.

The second is the obvious one of being afraid, the terror or panic related to immediate catastrophe. The feeling you might get if you were being chased by lions, and tigers, and bears, - oh, my.

The third is awe or reverence. You are not in any danger but if things were just a little bit different you could be. Watching a thunderstorm roll by in the valley below from the safety of a mountain top or looking at an angry but caged lion at the zoo.

You might encounter all three of these "fears" in a courtroom. The first, dread, might come when the accused is waiting for the jury to come back in with the verdict. The second, of being afraid, might come when you are standing before a judge for sentencing when you have been found guilty of a crime. The third, awe and respect, might come if you are not on trial but perhaps testifying as a witness or serving on the jury. You are not accused of anything but if you misbehave yourself the judge may site you for contempt or if you misspeak you might be accused of perjury.

Another example I can give you from my home when I was growing up. When my mother would say, "We'll finish this discussion when your father gets home," I felt dread. When my father actually began to take off his belt I was afraid. When I was sitting at the supper table listening to my parents talk I felt respect. This meant that if it occurred to me to interrupt or start a food fight I did not.

So which of these is meant by "fear" in the verse we just read from Proverbs? Let me come back to that a little later.

Please turn to Revelation Chapter 21.

The Bible uses the phrase "fear not" 62 times usually to calm somebody down just as God or an angel appears to them but sometimes as a command to us either directly as an admonition or thru the example of some biblical character going thru a life situation.

In Revelation 21:8 it says, "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." Here being fearful is put on the same list with liars, murderers, whoremongers, idolaters, sorcerers, etc. It seems that sometimes fear is good and sometimes it is bad. Clearly sometimes we are supposed to be afraid and others we are not, but which is which?

I believe that the appropriate fear is very much a matter of what situation you are in, just as in the above examples. The message of the Bible is different depending on who you are. If you are an unbeliever than you are under the law like the criminal in the courtroom with everything to fear. If you are a child of God you are in the family of God and under the grace of the Gospel and you admonished to not be fearful. Let's look at these two people more carefully, one at a time.

First the unsaved. I hope and believe there is no one here in that category. When I was a young Christian I was a little perplexed when a preacher or teacher would speak to the lost when they knew full well everyone present was a Christian. I have come to understand that even then it is a useful thing to do because it may stir someone's heart to speak to the lost themselves or help them learn new ways of presenting the gospel.

Please turn to Matthew Chapter 10.

When my son was living in our home one of his favorite tricks was to hide quietly in some unlikely spot and then as someone came near jump out and frighten them. He had a lot of fun doing this and the practice served him well later when he was training to be a soldier. I don't wish to frighten you like that. I take no joy in bringing you fear but I know of no way to warn you of your imminent danger without scaring you. I wouldn't do it at all except to and try and help rescue you.

Keep a marker here on Matthew Chapter 10. We will be returning to it several times.

Matthew 10:28 "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Only God has the power to do this. If you are not covered with the blood of Jesus, God would be perfectly justified if he sent you to hell this very moment. It is not as if there is some other sin you need to commit. You are in violation of His law already. Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" I'll not waste my time arguing this point. You know very well you have done wrong and probably plenty of times. And the punishment is death. Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death..." But wait, you say, I have done this or that good thing. That should count for something.

Please turn to James Chapter 2.

If you led your entire life without breaking one law and then one day decided to kill someone do you think any court in the land would hold you guiltless? Why should God's law be any different? Indeed it is not.

James 2:10 "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."

Please turn to Matthew Chapter 5.

Yes, you say, I have done some things wrong but they weren't that serious.

It was just a white lie.

I meant no harm.

It was an accident.

Matthew 5:22 Jesus speaking, "But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."

In danger of hell fire for a simple insult! Think about that for a minute.

Please turn to 2 Peter Chapter 3.

But, you say, God is a God of love. Surely He does not want me to go to hell.

You think that do you? Here is even a scripture verse that seems to say the same thing.

2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

There is some comfort here. The fact that you are alive and here today suggests that God has not yet given up on you. Knowing this you are not afraid. But you should be.

God will not be patient with you for ever. Genesis 6:3, "And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man,…"

Let me read you a short excerpt from a sermon by the a preacher, Jonathan Edwards, from over 200 year ago:

He is talking about the lost, the unsaved --

You remain unconcerned?

Please turn to 1 Peter 5.

You should be afraid.

Very afraid.

Even if you are a little afraid you are not afraid enough "for I know what hunts you."
(This is a quote from the first Lord of the Rings movie.)

Consider this - 1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" If you are unsaved you are among those whom the devil may devour. You should be afraid. He knows his doom already. He seeks only revenge thru your death and destruction.

"He can't be reasoned with.

He can't be bargained with.

He does not feel pity, or remorse, or fear.

And he will absolutely not stop, ever, until you are dead."
(This is a quote from The Terminator)

But this is not the way it has to be.

Let me read the rest of a verse I started a moment ago - Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

You can commit your life to Christ this very moment and call upon his name. Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." You may lay your fears aside. 1 Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."

But having done this does not mean you no longer need to be careful. It does not mean you no longer have dangers to contend with. It is like when you read a suspenseful story the first time or see a suspenseful movie. The first time it grips you and keeps you on the edge of your seat until you learn at the end that that good triumphs, the guy gets the girl, and the bad guy gets what he deserves. The second time you read it you can enjoy more of the details because you know it ends OK.

Once you are saved your life is just such a story only it can be like reading it the second time if you have faith. The great story teller is writing about your life now but he has already told you how it ends, and it ends well for you, good triumphs and your enemy is crushed. But you are still in the middle of the story. You still must face the dangers and pitfalls but now since you know how the story ends you can face all with confidence assured that all will be well in the end.

Let us turn back to Matthew 10 where I asked you to mark it earlier. Look for Matthew 10:16-32 We will be spending most of the rest of our time here. I will read it and make a few comments as I go.

Matthew 10:16-32 "(16) Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. (17) But beware of men: [Notice it does not say fear men, only to be cautious of them.] for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; (18) And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. (19) But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: [in other words, no dread, the first kind of fear we talked about] for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. (20) For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. (21) And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. (22) And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. (23) But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: [You are supposed to be fearless not foolhardy] for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. (24) The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. (25) It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? (26) Fear them not therefore: [Why?] for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. (27) What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. (28) And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. [Not because it might happen but because it could have happened. Let me explain with an example from my life.

I am told that I had bad dreams about having monsters in my bed when I was two or three. I still have a vivid recollection of the dreams. My bed became a huge, black, mud pit covered with the dark wings of some trapped creatures flapping up and down. I was gradually being sucked down among them. The wings were like those of pterodactyls or bats.

One night when the dream was particularly bad I am told that I went from bed to bed sleeping with everyone in the house. The monsters would appear in that bed and I would wake up again and wake up everyone else in turn. I'm sure I was being a real pain to all my siblings and my parents. I only remember the last bed where I ended up between Mama and Daddy. I remember waking up with monsters in that bed as well but I didn't say anything because I was more afraid of my father than I was the monsters. I suppose if this had not been the case no one would have slept that night. I assume I went to sleep again once I laid quiet and still for awhile.

As I grew older I realized I was not the only one who was afraid of my father. He scared people. He was only a little above average height and of slim build so it wasn't his size that frightened them. He had been in a car wreck as a young man and crashing through the windshield had scarred his face. It was not hideous or anything. Just enough so you knew if he were to get in a fist fight he wouldn't be worried about protecting his good looks as you or I might. He was blind in one eye. When you were talking with him it looked like one eye was looking at your face in the normal way while the other was focused behind your face examining the contents of your mind directly. He was a newspaper man turned lawyer and could handle words of four letters or four syllables with equal ease. He almost always wore a suit and tie, usually with a vest, except when he was going to do some work around the house. Then he would put on his old khaki uniform from when he was in the Army Air Corps. How many men do you know that can still fit in their uniform 15 or 20 years after being in the service? I once saw him stand down a group of angry construction workers with tools in their hands with just the power of his words and his demeanor.

I recall once when I was sixteen having a car wreck about a block from my house around midnight. There were two smashed cars and I had blood on my face. The other guy was just shaken up. I was scared to death. A neighbor let me borrow her phone to call my home. A few minutes later (it seemed almost instantly at the time) my father came running, fully dressed in a suit and vest, with his dark blue tie flapping over his shoulder. I was no longer frightened for I was the son of a dangerous man and he was there with me.

IT IS EVEN MORE COMFORTING TO BE THE CHILD OF A DANGEROUS GOD. There is no doubt he can protect us.

(29) Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. (30) But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. (31) Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. (32) Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven."

To quickly review Matthew 10:16-32. You do not need to be afraid of the angel of darkness because God's light will prevail.

You do not need to be afraid of the devil or dangerous men because you are now the child of an even more dangerous God.

You do not need to be afraid of anything because the creator of the universe thinks you are so valuable that he sent his Son to die in your place. You have nothing to fear in all of creation.

As it says in 2 Timothy 1:12 "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."

So is there anything of which we should be afraid? Only one thing - God. As we read in Matthew 10:28 "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." I do not fear hell because He has already rescued me from that. But I do fear Him who invented hell. I fear the chastisement of God. This is proper, I think. Turn to Hebrews Chapter 12. Just as the respect for my parents at times kept me from misbehaving as a child respect for God often keeps me from doing wrong as an adult. But this is a middling fear. I have found God's hand a gentle one. It always seems to me the chastisement is less than I deserve and it always makes me wiser. As it says in Hebrews 12:7-9 "If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?"

But I also fear being used by God. As we read above in Matthew 10:18 "And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles"

An excerpt from the Martyrs Mirror 

The north wind of persecution blew now the longer the more through the garden of the Lord, so that the herbs and trees of the same (that is, the true believers) were rooted out of the earth through the violence that came against them. This appeared, among other instances, in the case of a very God-fearing and pious woman, named Maeyken Wens, who was the wife of a faithful minister of the church of God in the city of Antwerp, by the name of Mattheus Wens, by trade a mason. About the month of April, A.D. 1573, she together with others of her fellow believers, was apprehended [while gathered to hear the Word of God] at Antwerp, bound and confined in the severest prison there. In the meantime she was subjected to much conflict and temptation by so-called spirituals (ecclesiastics), as well as secular persons, to cause her to apostatize her faith. But when she could by no manner of means, not even by severe tortures, be turned from the steadfastness of her faith, they, on the fifth day of October, 1573, passed sentence upon her, and pronounced it publicly in court at the afore-mentioned place, namely, that she should, with her mouth screwed shut, or with her tongue screwed up, [They used an iron devise to prevent them from speaking aloud for fear they might convert someone on the way to the execution] be burnt to ashes as a heretic, together with several others, who were also imprisoned and stood in like faith with her.

Thereupon, the following day, the sixth of October, this pious heroine of Jesus Christ, as also her fellow believers that had been condemned with a like sentence, were brought forth, with their tongues screwed fast, as innocent sheep for the slaughter, and each having been fastened to a stake in the marketplace, deprived, by fierce and terrible flames, of their lives and bodies, so that in a short time they were consumed to ashes; which severe punishment of death they steadfastly endured; hence the Lord shall thereafter change their [fleshly] bodies, and fashion them like unto His glorious body. (Thielman J. van Braght, Martyrs Mirror, 1660, translated from the Dutch by Joseph F. Sohm, 5th English Edition, Herald Press, 1950, 979-80)

The astounding finish to this story is that their exists today a Christian family still in possession of the iron tongue screw found in the ashes after their ancestor was killed in this way.

It scares me to think I might be used in such a way. On the other hand I can not help wanting to be worthy of such use. Imagine my descendants honoring my Christianity and courage for many generations to come.

So that brings me back to the first verse I mentioned and the first question.

Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." So what is meant by "fear" in this verse? I think that depends on who you are. If you are lost it means that dreading God or being afraid of the sanctions of God's law may serve as a shepherd that will bring you to Christ. After you have been to the Cross it means you are ready to learn from the Holy Spirit as a respectful and attentive student.

I would like to close by reading one of my favorite passages and a favorite, I am sure, of many of you as well -

Psalm 23.

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