An Old Message to A New Generation – Fear God

Do you want to know God deeply? Experience him fully? Or do you wanted an edited God? Do you want to know the true, daring God, or a tamed God you try to keep on a leash. Do you know a permissive God, or a strong God? Is the God you serve big enough to fear?

An unhealthy fear of God drives us from God, but a Biblical fear of God brings us closer.

Proverbs 9:10 says that the beginning of Wisdom is the fear of the Lord.

Acts 4:32-37:

• The Believers sharing possessions is a unique mark of their putting love above worldly wealth. The church was a taste of heaven on earth.
• The Apostles follow in Jesus’ ministry by doing miracles. That is, the risen Jesus now works through them.
• Barnabas would be the first pastor to the Gentiles. (v.36) In Acts 4:37, they did far more than tithe, they sacrificially gave all.

Acts 5:1-6

• Ananias is Hebrew for, “God is gracious.”
• Sapphira is Aramaic for, “Beautiful.”
• Acts 5:3, while Believers are filled with the Spirit, Ananias is filled with Satan.
• Acts 5:3, their lie is against the “Holy Spirit.” The Church belongs to the Godhead, and he defends it with personal vigor. The Apostles represent Christ, the lie is not a casual political lie, but one made to a Believer who carries in Him the Holy Spirit.
• Peter identifies the Spirit was God. Not a force.
• Acts 5:4, He died, breathes his last or I like how the KJV puts it, he “gave up the ghost.”
• Acts 5:5, the response of the church to hearing about the death of Ananias is, “Great fear.” (Greak, Gk – Megas)
• Psalm 19:9, the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever. God’s Expectation is that every generation will walk in the fear of the Lord.
• The young men bury him because they are strong. It is also a testimony to them, standing as a warning that they too should fear the Lord.

I. What happened? He forgot

God makes it clear in these opening chapters of Acts and the beginning of His Church, that he is not a different God. This is the God of the Old Testament. Just as he can do miracles, heal and raise the dead, he can also strike the wicked down.

Acts 5:7-11 follows the same pattern as Ananias. Again, in Acts 5:11, we are told that the whole church is filled with fear. The second death is more striking, because if there had been any doubters that Ananias was struck dead by God and didn’t just have a strangely timed medical episode, this makes it clear. It’s like when the World Trade Center was hit. The first building, we through maybe it was just a stray plane. But when the second tower was hit, we knew something more had happened.

Mattie Montgomery, lead singer for the band “For Him” writes:

As I studied Scripture, the Spirit of God showed me that fear was not only something God evoked in me; it was something He demanded of me.

I learned that God attaches the condition of holy fear to blessing, mercy, long life, protection, glory, and even power. There are promises made specifically—sometimes exclusively—to those who “fear the Lord.”

And He relates in a different way to those who fear Him than He does to those who simply believe, those who pray, or even those who love Him.

I came to realize that God had not come to scare me to death, that night in the trailer. Rather, He had come to scare me to life

As I studied Scripture, the Spirit of God showed me that fear was not only something God evoked in me; it was something He demanded of me. I learned that God attaches the condition of holy fear to blessing, mercy, long life, protection, glory, and even power. There are promises made specifically—sometimes exclusively—to those who “fear the Lord.” And He relates in a different way to those who fear Him than He does to those who simply believe, those who pray, or even those who love Him. I came to realize that God had not come to scare me to death, that night in the trailer. Rather, He had come to scare me to life—the life spoken of in John 17:3: “This is eternal life, that they might know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” It’s the abundant, wild life Jesus died for me to have. How can something that seems so negative—sheer terror—ever result in something so positive—everlasting

II. What kind of a God were they dealing with?

1. A God, Acts 4:33

2. A God. Acts 5:9

3. A God.

4. A God. Acts 4:33 

Unhealthy fear looks like this: Constantly fearing hell, never enjoying salvation. Always thinking god is mad. Living in condemnation. Never trusting the worth or work of Christ, and so feeling consistently unworthy.

III. Benefits of a Healthy fear of God:

1. Prepares my . (Acts 13:26)

2. Increases (Psalm 2:11, Psalm 22:23)

3. A (Acts 5:9)

4. Releases (Acts 5:11-16)

Encouragements