Urging Us To Fear The Lord and Serve Him Faithfully

STUDY: # 832 – CHURCH IN THE HOUSES FROM: OCT. 7 – 13, 2014

Topic: "Urging Us To Fear The Lord and Serve Him Faithfully" Deuteronomy 10: 12-14 & 11:16 FAITHFUL, this is the keyword to having a good and proper relationship with God. Faithful is one who is firm and consistent in his or her beliefs, and obligations. Faithful is one who believes in the doctrine of faith. FAITHFUL is a person who is accurately fulfilling his or her role as a believer. That believer fulfills his or her commitments; he or she is firm and consistent. They are completely faithful to what they have believed. Again, the FAITHFUL are firm, constant and true in their relationship with God. Beloved, what does the Lord thy God ask of you? Deuteronomy 10: 12-13 "And now, Israel, what does the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways and to love and serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul; To keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your own good ... " To fear God! There is nothing that we can give to God. We fear Him as the great God and Lord that He is. Fearing God means that He inspires reverence in us; that we are afraid to offend Him. FEAR saves us from pride, because we know that all that we are and have, we owe to His divine mercy. FEARING GOD is very healthy; it consists of a deep reverence towards the Creator. It is a healthy fear of not pleasing Him; because we appreciate His loyal love and His kindness. That fear is also because we acknowledge that He is the Supreme Judge, and the Almighty (who controls all things). He is the One who can punish or destroy those who disobey Him. (Revelation 21: 8 "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolatrous, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.") To turn away from sin is to FEAR GOD, because every sin is offensive and unpleasant to Him. It means to be afraid of sinning, because we know its punishment. Fearing God means to hate evil (Proverbs 8:13 "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil ...") Fearing God is wisdom (Job 28:28 "And he said to man: Behold the fear of the Lord is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding ... ") (Prov. 1: 7, 9:10). TO FEAR GOD is to bear in mind that God is constantly watching everything we think, say and do. And that He has the power to reward or punish us according to our behavior; which should motivate us to be careful, and turn away from evil. TO FEAR GOD is to have a mindful and continuing urge to please God in all we do, and never offend His Holiness. It means to humbly acknowledge that He is God, and we are His creatures; and therefore He is worthy of being "feared" and revered. It continues to say in Deuteronomy 10 to love God. So clear and simple, "... to love him ...” To not despise Him. To not sin against Him, when He is always pure with us. To love is to give our lives to the Lord. Love is unity. To love is to feel the living God. To love is to give yourself completely; not to hate. He also says: "... to walk in all his ways ...” in His ways of justice, integrity; to not be struck by evil. Integrity is the original purity, without contact or contamination with evil or what is wrong. A person with integrity has control, is honest and firm

in his or her actions. A person with integrity is a person who can be trusted. One who is willing to fulfill what God has ordered; to comply with His commandments. That’s what God wants one, to be sought. That there are no others to take His place. "... And serve the Lord your God ...” Serve Him, Serve He who has called us. Work for Him. Be useful in what God has commended to you. We cannot be with empty hands. It is the action and effect of serving. You have to take action in your service to the Lord; pray, congregate, read the Word, fast. Satisfy the God who has called you to serve Him. We are workers, slaves, serfs; because we owe a service to Him who bought us with His blood. "... To keep the commandments of the Lord ...” God's commandments were designed for our prosperity ("... for your own good ..."). Be careful, keep his commandments, and you will be prosperous. This is for those who obey Him. The way to prosper is by complying with the commandments. Do not steal, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not worship other gods; love God above all, then you will be prospered. Fulfill what God has commanded you and then YOU WILL PROSPER! Do you want good in your life? Obey Him! Amen.