Theme verse: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom [the ability to discern; wise in judgement]: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10
Introduction: Before we go into this week’s lesson, let’s touch on a point that we did not cover last week. Last week we talked about how people become bigger than God in our lives. There is a single word for this … idolatry.
What is idolatry? Is it simply the worship of an idol? No. Idolatry is more prevalent in our lives than we realize because in truth, idolatry is when we spend extra time (specifically away from God) on people or things. It is something that you have become strongly attached to or have a strong affection for.
Now knowing the true definition of idolatry, would you not say that when people become BIG in your life, you (unintentionally) become strongly attached to them? Your whole focus and world seems to revolve around THEM … people, does it not?
It does not even have to be people. It can be our jobs that consume us and that we become so attached to. It can even be our feelings (or emotions) that consume us and that we become too attached to.
All of this goes back to Pastor’s message the other Sunday … ALL of these are based on our CHOICES. We CHOOSE what we fill our minds and our time with … and sadly,
“What consumes your mind controls your life” — Unknown
Remember that we spoke about how we cannot serve two masters … we will either hate the one or love the other (Matthew 6:24)? When people (or anything else) are BIG, they control our lives … they are our masters, and we are their servants.
What does God’s Word say we are to do in situations like this? Luke 4:8 Jesus shows us by His example … “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”
Defining the Fear of God:
It “is a holy awe or reverence of God and his laws, which springs from a just view and real love of the divine character, leading the subjects of it to hate and shun everything that can offend such a holy being, and inclining them to aim at perfect obedience.”1
“Fear of the Lord means reverent submission that leads to obedience.”2 – Edward T. Welch
Our fear must change!
Our FOCUS must change:
- Isaiah 26:3-4 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.”
Our SUBMISSION must change:
- Submission is “to yield to the governance or authority of.”3 Lord, here’s my life! You control it!
- James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
- When we do not surrender ourselves to God’s plan and will for our lives, we are not only making ourselves miserable, but MORE than likely we are pulling someone else along with us!!! Eeeks, ladies!!! Did you just see that picture in your mind’s eye?? Who are you pulling along with you into your disobedience to God and His Word?? I GUARANTEE that someone else is following you … or at the minimum being affected by you and your actions or attitudes.
Our OBEDIENCE must change:
- Our obedience must change:
- Acts 5:29b “…We ought to obey God rather than men.”
Our LOVE must change:
- I John 4:19 “We love Him, because He first loved us.”
- I John 4: 16b-18 “…God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect … There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”
- When it comes to love, our actions will ALWAYS speak louder than words alone. Do I need to repeat this? Our actions WILL ALWAYS speak louder than our words alone. I was just thinking this past week of doing a lesson on our loves.
Our TALK must change:
- Psalm 141:3 “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.”
- Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”
- Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”
Our THOUGHTS (mind) must change:
- Philippians 2:4 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”
- Tearing down the strongholds of our imagination (II Corinthians 10:3-5).
- Filling our minds with the right things, the positive things (Philippians 4:8).
- What we think and dwell on is our own choice. A thought may cross our minds, but we do not have to let it stay there. [illus: birds may light on our head but we do not have to let them build a nest there] [illus: someone says something and we pick up on one phrase that about drives us crazy as to what they meant by it; when in truth they never meant anything adverse by it, but it was the way our minds made up the meaning of it]
“The person who fears the Lord will fear nothing else.”4 – Edward T. Welch
Conclusion: You can tell God how big your problem is, but don’t forget to tell your problem how BIG your God is too! Psalm 95:3 “For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.”
Printable PDF of Bible Study Lesson
1 FEAR – Definition from the KJV Dictionary (av1611.com)
2 Welch, Edward T, “When people are big and God is small” p. 97
3 Submit | Definition of Submit by Merriam-Webster (merriam-webster.com)
4 Welch, Edward T, “When people are big and God is small” p. 96