“Fearful Love of Our Awesome God”

Luke 12: 1 - 12

The Puritan John Flavel made this statement, “By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil: by the fear of man they run themselves into evil.” (Thomas, I.D.E., A Puritan Golden Treasury, Banner of Truth Trust 2000 p. 109) Perhaps you have all heard similar words before such as these: “If you don't fear God, you will fear everything else...if you fear God, you will fear nothing else.” Another Puritan, Joseph Hall, wrote these words, “The wicked is a very coward, and is afraid of everything; of God, because He is his enemy; of Satan, because he is his tormentor; of God's creatures, because they, joining with their Maker, fight against him; of himself, because he bears about with him his own accuser and executioner. The godly man contrarily is afraid of nothing; not of God, because he knows Him his friend, and will not hurt him; not of Satan, because he cannot hurt him; not of afflictions, because he knows they come from a loving God, and end in his good; not of the creatures, since 'the very stones in the field are in league with Him;' not of himself, since his conscience is at peace.” (Ibid).

In our passage before us today, the Lord Jesus deals very directly with the issue of a holy, loving fear of God as essential to walking in a manner that pleases Him. The “Fear of the Lord” is topic addressed throughout the Bible. In Proverbs, we find this affirmation of fearing the Lord; “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Prov. 9:10). The fear of God can be defined as profound respect and reverential awe directed toward God. In the passage that we are studying this morning, Jesus lays out several reasons why and the benefits derived from fearing the Lord. A healthy fear is a beneficial attitude in numerous areas of life. When I get behind the wheel of a car, a healthy respect for the size and speed of the vehicle that I am driving as well as other vehicles on the road will encourage me to wear the seat belt and drive conscientiously. As a trained chemist, I always wore protective clothing and eyeware in the lab because some of the chemicals with which I was working are dangerous. Please note that it is only as we gain knowledge and understanding of vehicles and chemicals that we truly respect the danger associated with them.

In an area of far, far greater importance, truly knowing God through His Word will automatically lead to profound respect and reverential awe directed toward Him. And this is a really good attitude toward God to have. Our wonderful Savior, Jesus, wants His people to develop this understanding and have such understanding ungird and direct our lives. As the Psalmist declares in 33:8, “Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.”, Jesus here affirms such a declaration and gives us several excellent, eternal reasons for fearing the Lord. Thus, lets spend this morning looking deeply into God's awesome Word and submitting to the teaching of our Savior Jesus in Luke 12:1-12
In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. “And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven. “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

From this passage today, let us see that...

Because fearfully loving God provides us both perspective and peace, we should seek to develop and maintain such love in our lives.

Four Necessary Benefits of Developing and Maintaining a Fearful Love of God:

1. It will keep us walking in truth ~ vv. 1-3

As you may have heard, we are starting a new study on Wednesday evening on the attributes of God. One of those attributes that we will look at is Omniscience. This is the biblical truth that God knows everything that could possibly be known. For Jesus' purposes in this account in Luke, God knows all the intentions and attitudes of our hearts and minds. Jesus affirms this in several places, most recently in Luke 11:17, “But He, knowing their thoughts,...” This is a specific example of a thorough-going attribute of God. Some other verses proclaiming this truth are these:

· Psalm 139:1-4 ~ O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
· Jeremiah 17:9-10 ~ The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.
· Proverbs 17:3 ~ The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests the hearts.
· Hebrews 4:13 ~ And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

These passages, and many others, clearly proclaim that God is all-knowing. And the simple application for us is that really we should not attempt to try to hide anything from Him. All things are naked and open to the Lord's eyes. So, in follow-up to His staunch and strong rebuke of the Pharisees and Lawyers that we looked at last week, Jesus warns his disciples to not think for a minute that you can try to be something that you are not. He says to watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. To be a hypocrite is to play a part or engage in pretence. It is literally acting...being someone who you are not. The word was associated with ancient Greek play-acting. On stage, the actor is a hypocrite. Now this is not a commentary on acting per se...feel free to audition for plays. But Jesus here is warning His disciples to make sure that your walk with God is not marked by trying to be someone who you are not. Note that Jesus indicates that the issue of hypocrisy may start small... leaven...but soon will infect your entire person if it is not repented of and left at the cross of Christ. And Jesus clearly warns his listens to not be marked by such thinking.

R. Kent Hughes makes this comment regarding hypocrisy, “[Hypocrisy] demands conscious insincerity. It is a character sin, a moral deficiency. And it comes naturally to every one of us. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle of Sherlock Holmes fame used to playfully tell a bogus tale about how he sent a telegram to each of twelve friends, all men of great virtue, reputation, and considerable position in society. The message simply said: “Fly at once, all is discovered.” Within twenty-four hours, Doyle says, all twelve had left the country! This is playful but penetrating humor, as some uneasy smiles may attest.” (Luke: Vol. 2, Crossway 1998, p. 38).

Jesus proclaims to us that developing and maintaining a fearful love of God will keep us walking in truth and hinder us from being hypocrites. In verses 2 and 3, this becomes abundantly clear. As we've seen in Jesus' other declarations, there is nothing profound or new here. It is simple a declaration that all things will be made known.

Sometimes this happens in our earthly existence and we can rejoice when this does because it reveals the greater truth about all things being made known. When I was serving as a youth pastor in another church, a teenage young man came to me very angry one day. The source of his anger was that his parents were recording his phone conversations. My young friend was filled with righteous indignation. In such a state of mind, he really didn't appreciate my next question, which was, “What on earth would compel your parents to feel the need to record your phone conversations?” His answer was somewhat jumbled, but I heard the words, “sneaking out of the house”, and “stealing cigarettes, beer and money.” I said “Ohhh. In light of such behaviors, it is shocking that they would feel the need to record your phone conversations?” My friend sort of “disengaged” from our conversation at that point. But before he left I graciously tried to explain to him the blessedness of being found out in such a way. I explained that when we are caught in such wickedness, God is blessing us with an opportunity for self-examination and repentance and that He is pointing us to the cross where the ultimate answer and solution for hypocrisy and lying is found. Then I took my friend to this passage that were are looking at here today and explained that, one day, he will have to give an account for what he did here. And not only here, but in every aspect of his life.

Dear friends, you can fool people...you can deceive others and make them think that you are someone that you are not. But you can't fool God, you can't fool Christ, you can't fool the Holy Spirit. In this passage, our Savior Christ is calling us to walk in the truth because God knows the truth and will deal with you according to you actions, perhaps in this life, but definitely in the next. R. Kent Hughes again, “The limitless capacities of divine omniscience assure perfect exposure of hypocrisy.” (Ibid). As we are clearly informed in Hebrews 9:27, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,...” let us live in light of God's complete knowledge of all things, specifically the content and motivations of our heart.

Developing and maintaining a fearful love of God will keep us walking in truth.
2. It will comfort us in trials ~ vv. 4-7

Secondly, developing and maintaining a fearful love of God will comfort us in trials.

I remember in elementary school that there was a kid about three years older than me who, it seemed to me, lived to torment me. I would be having a great time at recess, but in the back of my mind I knew that there was at least a 30% chance of me experiencing a wedgie on my way back to class. This kid would lurk around my classroom door, wait for me to appear, and then the race was on. Sometimes I made it to class without him catching me, other times I didn't, which resulted in great discomfort and embarrassing adjustments of my attire. The greatest day in my elementary years was the last day of school of his sixth grade year. He moved onto middle school and, as far as I can remember, I never saw him again.

That is a humorous story, but in our account before us, with deadly seriousness, Jesus proclaims that people are going to torment His disciples throughout their lives. We as Americans, living in this great country with it's complete religious liberty...in some ways...really don't have any idea what these words mean. We really don't experience persecution in these ways and I'm thankful for that. However, these disciples of Christ would experience death and torture in very real ways. Listen to the following passages that record events in the lives of the disciples after the resurrection and ascension of the Lord:

· Acts 5:40-41 ~ and when [the Pharisees] had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.
· Acts 12:1-3 ~ Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also...
· Acts 14:19 ~ Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came [to Lystra]; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.

So these immediate followers of Christ would experience “those who kill the body” in very real ways. And, as we look church history, we can see that others have also greatly understood what Jesus met here when he spoke about those who would persecute Christians. William Tyndale, Thomas Cranmer, John Huss, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Jim Elliot and Nate Saint all experienced persecution and/or death because of their love for Christ.

We, too, will experience persecution and mocking as we go about this life of following Christ. This town of Boulder, and even the region of Colorado, is very hostile to evangelical Christianity and, if as a Christian, you publicly let it be known that you are a disciple of Christ, you can expect scorn and rejection. The Christians that are starting up a new semester at CU will be tested in their faith by hostile philosophies articulated in the classroom and licentiousness and drunken debauchery promoted by their classmates. It is inevitable that, as Paul states in 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

How does Jesus address this inevitability? More or less, He tells us to embrace it. Don't let it bother you, don't be concerned about it and don't fear those who do it. As we think about this, there are several points to be extracted from Jesus' words here:

· Persecution shouldn't surprise us or discourage us because the devil and his minions are striving to stop the gospel and people being saved. The Bible proclaims that unbelievers are blinded by Satan (2 Cor. 4) and are in bondage to him (Eph. 2). And he will do all that he can to stop the promotion of the gospel and the spiritual well-being of Christ's disciples.
· Ultimately, the power of those who persecute is limited and small. If we compare the shortness and insignificance of this life compared to the life to come, the power and influence of those who persecute Christians is really pretty small. Think about John the Baptist. After he proclaims the coming of Christ, he is thrown in jail and put to death by Herod. Before his death, in what appears to be despair, he appeals to Christ, wondering if Jesus is the expected Messiah. The Lord Jesus responds by directing John to the Word of God for his comfort and solace...and then leaves him to die in prison when Christ could have spoken the word and John would have be freed. But if Christ had done that, would John have been better off? No way, no how! Upon his death, John entered into the joy of His Master and, I promise you, he wouldn't want to come back. When Herod had him put to death, Herod thought he was all-powerful. But in reality, he was setting John free. Jesus said to Pilate that he would have no authority unless it had been granted by God (John 19:11). The power of those who persecute is limited and small.
· Alternatively, the power of God is unlimited and perfect. Yes, there are those who persecute and kill in this life, but in the final analysis and judgment, what occurs in the presence of God, after our death, is of far greater import than anything that occurs here, including death. What we need to be thinking about is making sure that we are prepared for meeting the Lord and let the details of this earthly existence take care of themselves. We are not fear those who, rather insignificantly, kill the body. Rather, we are to fearfully love our awesome God who has the power and authority to judge how we have lived and to deal with us appropriately. In the passage before us, Christ warns us to be ready to meet God so that we avoid going to hell.
· Lastly, take great joy in knowing that nothing will happen to you outside of the will of God. God is sovereign over everything...the weather and other natural disasters as well as the days of your life. David proclaims this clearly in Psalm 139:16, “Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.” (NASB95). In verses 6 and 7, Jesus speaks of sparrows which are sold two for a penny, and if you by four, a fifth one is thrown in for free. These birds were bought by the poverty-stricken for food. In another setting and teaching, Jesus declares in Matthew 10:29 that not one of these sparrows dies outside of the will of God. Jesus piles on and states that God sovereignly knows the very hairs of your head, of which you lose dozens every day, some more than others.

Dear friends, God is sovereign over your life and death and Jesus tells us here that it is of far greater import to be prepared to meet Him in glory than meeting the men of this world. In fact, if we are prepared to meet the Lord in glory, through faith in Christ, we will be prepared to meet the people of this world who attack our Savior and God and we will perhaps be used of the Lord to bring them to glory also.

Developing and maintaining a fearful love of God will comfort, and even equip you, in the face of trials.
3. It will keep us focused on eternity ~ vv. 8-10

Developing and maintaining a fearful love of God will also keep us focused on eternity.

This point flows right out of the previous point. When Jesus declares that we need to fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell, He is clearly demanding that we keep in mind the issues of judgment. As we recently finished up our Wednesday night study of Revelation, the words found in Revelation 20:10-15 are absolutely essential to keep in mind:
The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Based on this passage, and others, we know that hell is real and eternal and a place that we want to avoid at all costs. Jesus is not shy about warning sinners of their coming doom if they refuse to submit to God and seek His remedy for sin. Thus, we are directed by Christ to be focused on eternity.

Several of us here really enjoy climbing mountains. Being citizens living in the shadow of the Rockies, this only makes sense. Although there is much joy in the hike itself, for me, the top is the goal. And when the top is reached, there is much satisfaction.

As we go through this life as believers in Christ, there will be difficulties, as Jesus declares here. And there will also be times of great joy and we will love the journey. But in this passage, and a major precept of of the whole of Scripture, is that the end of life...the goal...is of primary importance. We are to be focused on eternity. I want Jesus to confess me before the angels of God. I want Him to say to me, “This one belongs to me...this one is mine.” So Jesus explains that those who confess Him before men, He will confess them before the angels of God and, ultimately, God Himself. Jesus will own this person...He will claim him.

Dear friends, if you are truly born again, confession of Christ will be a result of that. When you are truly born again, Christ and God becomes your all-in-all. The first fruit of the Holy Spirit is love and that love is directed to God and then others. Friends, if you have truly been saved, proclamation will be the result.

What are some forms that this proclamation takes? Again, it becomes the natural outflow of one who is absolutely rejoicing in complete forgivenness of sins and eternal life in Christ. When we are brought to a place, by God, of recognizing our wickedness, our selfishness, and our pride, and then we see God's solution in the finished work of Christ who “Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24), then we will live lives of thankfulness and dedication to Him. This will naturally manifest itself in talking about Jesus to others...our family, our friends, neighbors, classmates, etc. When we realize the greatness of the salvation that is ours and the eternal hell that awaits those who don't know Christ, we will be naturally seeking ways to talk about Him to others.

Another clear and biblical way to confess Christ before men is to be baptized. In fact, upon believing in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life, baptism ought to be one of your first public declarations of your love for and devotion to Christ. By engaging in this act, the one who is baptized is declaring publicly just what Christ has accomplished for him or her and that he or she is lining up his or her life with Christ's. If you've not been baptized, what is keeping you from declaring that your life belongs to Jesus? What a great way to witness to friends and family by inviting them to see you declare your affection for Christ by following Him in baptism.

Following this positive declaration of Christ stating that He will confess us before the angels of God, he also warns his disciples against not following Him and loving Him and therefore confessing Him. Verse 9 is fairly straight-forward...if you reject Christ, He will reject you. And verse 10 ties right into it...if someone dies in a state of unbelief, they will be rejected by God and go to hell. They will not experience God's forgiveness and grace, but rather, as declared in Revelation 20, they will stand before God will all their sin and wickedness and be judged perfectly, fairly and righteously and then be cast into hell.

If we were saved as teenagers or adults, then we perhaps know what it means speak a word against the Son of Man. I blasphemed Christ many times before I was born again and I am confident that I have grieved Him and the Holy Spirit many times after I was saved. Many of you have similar testimonies. We have a compatriot in Peter, who denied Christ three times at His arrest and trial. But these sins, praise the Lord, have been forgiven.

But what does it mean to blaspheme the Holy Spirit? Some take this as Christ clearly speaking to the religious leaders of that day who are tying Jesus' miracles to Satan and his empowerment. They are saying that the power of Christ is actually satanic in origin. Others says that it was a temporal sin issue that, during Christ's life, one could not believe in Christ, but that after the Holy Spirit came in Acts 2 and inspired the writing of the Bible, one had to embrace that in order to be saved. Thus, to reject the Bible is to blaspheme the Holy Spirit.

My thinking is that it embraces both of these and does have implications for our day. More or less, if someone lives their entire life in rejection of Christ and His person and work, then they will not be forgiven of their sin. If a person can sit in church and hear the preaching of the Word consistently and reject it, they will not be forgiven of their sin. Ultimately, a person may not understand the person and work of Christ or His nature and attributes and thus blaspheme Him and speak words against Him. For that sin of ignorance, forgiveness is available. But to know and understand the claims of Christ and to see the impact of the Holy Spirit on the lives of others and the offer of forgiveness and grace available through Him...to reject that is to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. There is thinking that a person can reject this leading to the point that their heart and conscious is seared beyond hope and thus they will die in a state of sin. I don't think that you or I can ascertain that point when a person is “beyond belief” and therefore we keep on sharing the gospel with even those who seem hardened to their need.

But for you today, don't you harden your heart. Let the Word of God penetrate your soul and submit to the Holy Spirit leading you to repentance and belief in Christ for forgiveness. There is no other solution for sin but the death of Christ on the cross. You cannot fix yourself or make yourself right with Holy God. You need to believe in Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,...” This is the gospel that saves. Don't harden your heart to this singular, all-important truth. Don't resist the Holy Spirit as He convicts you of this truth. To do so has deadly, eternal consequences.

Developing and maintaining a fearful love of God will also keep us focused on eternity.
4. It will empower us before men ~ vv. 11-12

Lastly, as we develop and maintain a fearful love of God, we will be empowered before men.

The disciples who were listening to these words of the Lord would, in the not too distant future, know exactly to what Christ was referring. These disciples would be taken before rulers and authorities and questioned and tortured and even killed. Perhaps the most dramatic example of this would be the martyrdom of Stephen as recorded in Acts 7. Take some time and read through that great chapter. I don't think Stephen rehearsed that message before he gave it. God put it on his heart and empowered him greatly to say what needed to be said. And, you will recall, Saul, who would become Paul, was listening to that message. When we arrive in heaven, we can ask Paul the impact that Stephen's message had on him.

Dear beloved, as we walk throught this life, we are to be sharing with others about Christ. Peter writes these words, “...but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;...” (1 Peter 3:15). There may come a day when, due to persecution, we are forced, with those from history, to give a testimony for Christ. And that testimony may be our lives. In that day, this passage promises us that God will supply necessary strength and words and we can rest there. As we watch the continued secularization of society and the normalization of sin, perhaps this day isn't as far off as we might imagine.

But in the day-to-day living of our lives, as we develop and maintain a fearful love of God, this is what will empower us before men to speak the truth of the gospel to them. As we dwell and meditate on eternal issues of sin, righteousness and judgment, this will soberly cause us to approach relationships with the priority of imparting truth to our lost friends and acquaintances. The things or people that we love usually take up a large portion of our conversation. As we fearfully love our Awesome God, we will talk about Him and be empowered to share about Him with others.
Conclusion:

As we began this message with a couple of quotes from the Puritans, let us conclude with one also. This is William Gurnall, “We fear men so much, because we fear God so little. One fear cures another. When man's terror scares you, turn your thoughts to the wrath of God.” (Thomas, I.D.E., A Puritan Golden Treasury, Banner of Truth Trust 2000 p. 108). I hope and pray that each of us are developing and maintaining a fearful love of our awesome God.

What are some signs that this love is present and growing?
· When you find sin in yourself, are you confessing it to the Lord and to those whom you have sinned against? Or do you try to hide it or justify it or blame it on someone else or God? Do you hate your sin and are you thankful that Christ has borne it for you? Listen to the Word of the Lord in Proverbs 16:6, “In mercy and truth atonement is provided for iniquity; and by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.”
· Right along with this, are you one who lives in truth...truth of who you are and truth of who God is? If you are living in truth, no one will be more aware of your sin than you and you will be abundantly thankful that Christ has paid for it. Because of this work of Christ, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Him. And when we find ourselves in sin, we are free to go to God with it and have Him lovingly deal with it.
· Are you absolutely committed to Christ in all aspects of who you are? Do you view Christ as the absolute Lord of all and are you committed to following Him as Lord of all?
· Do you have a reverent fear of God's righteous judgment that drives you to consider and then rejoice in the gospel on a consistent basis?
· When you engage with the lost of the world, are you more concerned of their opinion of you or of God's opinion of you? Also, when you are engaging with the lost, is their salvation and forgiveness in your mind and are you prayerfully considering ways to engage them with the gospel?
· Do you rejoice and rest in God's intimate knowledge of even the hairs of your head and His complete sovereignty over your life and the lives of others? Are you resting in Him as He leads you through this life and on into eternity?

If these attitudes are present and growing in your life, then you are developing and maintaining a fearful love of Our Awesome God.

For those of you who are unbelievers here this morning or are questioning the validity of the claims of Christ, please consider deeply the Words of the Savior here. He is the only One with whom you have, ultimately, to do. He holds your life in His hands and you will give an account to Him of how you have lived. And, if you are living in reality, you don't want to go to Him with your boat-load of sin and wickedness. You want to go to Him forgiven and free. That forgiveness is free and available through faith in Jesus Christ...what He accomplished for you on the cross. Don't neglect that.

Although salvation is free, it is costly. Jesus grants you forgiveness and eternal life for free. But then he wants all of you. He demands that He be Lord of your life from that time forward. Not only is it free and costly, the need you have is urgent. This life is very short, even if you live a long time humanly speaking. Eternity awaits. You are not guaranteed the next minute or day. Don't let your heart be hardened to the point of no return. But this salvation that is found in Christ is worth it. You will find in Christ joy inexpressible and full of glory. And you will find an eternity of amazing joy wherein you serve and worship your awesome, loving God. It is for this purpose that you were created. Embrace fearful love of our Awesome God.

Because fearfully loving God provides us both perspective and peace, we should seek to develop and maintain such love in our lives.


Discussion Questions:
· How would you describe what it means to fear the Lord? How does this fear manifest itself in your life?
· How would you describe blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? If forgiveness is available for blaspheming the Son of Man, does this mean that the Holy Spirit is of greater worth than the Son? Why or why not?
· Is it possible to determine if someone has blasphemed the Holy Spirit, thus committing an unforgivable sin?
· How does a fearful love of God impact evangelism?
· Do verses 11 and 12 declare that we don't need to prepare to evangelize? Why or why not.
· How should we conduct conversations in light of verses 2 and 3?