The Fear Of God And Encouragement - Zac Poonen
Summary
The sermon explores the concept of the 'fear of God,' defining it not as terror, but as profound reverence and awe for God's holiness. It emphasizes that true fear of God leads to a life of obedience and a desire to please Him, which is a source of deep encouragement for the believer.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
What does a spiritually healthy church look like?Examining Acts 9:31, the early church enjoyed peace, spiritual built-up growth, the fear of the Lord, the comfort of the Holy Spirit, and increasing numbers.Acts 9:31
Moving from spiritual babyhood to maturityJust as parents want their children to grow up, God desires believers to move past spiritual infancy so they can feed themselves and help feed others.
Growing in numbers without sacrificing qualityTrue spiritual increase means bringing people to the knowledge of the truth and saving them from sin, rather than sacrificing high standards for mass numbers.
The two central qualities: Fear of the Lord and EncouragementThe early church developed through the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, two qualities sadly missing in much of modern Christendom.
The Holy Spirit as the spirit of the fear of the LordIsaiah 11 lists the seven-fold characteristics of the Holy Spirit resting on Jesus, highlighting the spirit of the fear of the Lord as a source of delight.
Filtering what we see and hearDelighting in the fear of the Lord means we do not make hasty decisions based solely on what our eyes see or our ears hear.
The fear of hurting God rather than being punishedWhile the world sins because it lacks the fear of God, New Testament believers operate out of a reverent fear of making God sad.
Why Jesus' prayers were heardHebrews 5 explains that Jesus offered up prayers with crying and tears and was heard because of his godly fear.Hebrews 5:7
The fear of God and sexual temptationThe Bible first mentions the fear of God in Genesis 20 regarding sexual sin, highlighting that God tests our fear of Him in this critical area.
Perfecting holiness in the fear of GodKnowing we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ motivates us to cleanse ourselves and perfect holiness out of reverence for God rather than fear of man.2 Corinthians 5:10
Jesus as a great encouragerJesus continually encouraged seekers, outsiders, and even unconverted individuals like Nathaniel and the Roman centurion, lifting their spirits.
The lasting impact of a single encouraging wordSimple acts of appreciation and words of encouragement left by godly mentors or parents can leave a lifelong positive impact on insecure believers and children.
Encouragement through the scripturesRomans 15 explains that the Old Testament and all of scripture were written to grant us perseverance, encouragement, and hope.Romans 15:4–5
Opening our hearts to the Holy SpiritClosing in prayer, Poonen encourages the congregation to open their hearts to the Holy Spirit to flush out negativity and become active encouragers in their homes and churches.
