|
KJV Sermon Outlines
Our God Is A
Consuming Fire
Text: Deuteronomy 4:10-13
When we were at the Grand Canyon last year and walked down Bright
Angel Trail. Enjoyed beauty & majesty. Given that a slip could have
been a 1/4 m. straight down. The feeling of terror mixed with wonder
was one of the most exhilarating experiences of our lives.
That must have been something like the Israelites’ experience with the
living
God--terror mixed with wonder.
a. It was something Moses did not want Israel to forget.
b. Deut. 4:10-13;
I. THE FEAR OF THE LORD.
A. Modern people are not accustomed to fearing God.
1. They think it is something primitive people do--along with bowing
down to the sun and sacrificing virgins to volcanoes.
2. Illust. Columbus was once stranded on Jamaica with dwindling
supplies. Natives were not friendly. C. happened to know a lunar
eclipse occurred that PM. Told chief: "Unless you help me my God will
curse you & moon will lose its light!" Cheif refused but changed his
mind when eclipse began. In early 1900s a British explorer who had
read C.’s biography, tried same trick on African cheiftan. "Unless you
obey me you will be cursed and the moon will lose its light!" Cheif:
"If you mean the lunar eclipse that’s happening day after tomorrow."
B. Even Christian people are not used to fearing God.
1. Sounds too Old Testament.
2. We think of ourselves as having moved somewhat beyond that because
we have learned about God’s grace and love.
3. After all, John says: "Perfect love casts out fear";
They think that Fear is for the spiritually immature.
II. SHOULD WE FEAR THE LORD?
A. Let’s look at what the Bible says:
1. "The FOL is the beginning of wisdom" (Prov. 1:7).
2. Ecc. 12:13-14 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear
God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret
thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
B. What it means to fear God comes into clearer focus if we can
imagine what it would be like to actually see God.
1. Hasn’t happened too many times. (Israelites came close!)
2. An unfiltered experience with the living God!
Isa. 6:1-8 “1In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord
sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the
temple. 2Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with
twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and
with twain he did fly. 3And one cried unto another, and said, Holy,
holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his
glory. 4And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that
cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5Then said I, Woe is me!
for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in
the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the
King, the LORD of hosts. 6Then flew one of the seraphims unto me,
having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from
off the altar: 7And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath
touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin
purged. 8Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I
send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”
C. The Bible clearly teaches us that we are supposed to fear the Lord.
1. It is a mixture of terror & awe; fear and respect.
2. To fear the Lord is to know something of that terror and awe--it is
to catch a glimpse of who God really is.
What then? What is this terror mixed with awe good for?
III. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU FEAR THE LORD?
A. You obey him!
1. This what Prov. means by: "FOL is beginning of wisdom."
2. This is what Ecc. means by: "Fear God & keep his comm."
B. Deut. teaches the same lesson:
Conclusion:
1. There’s a tendency for modern folk to think in terms of God
offering man a contract--agreement between equals.
Sermon Outline Index
Please sign our Guest Book!
|
|
