"Fear of the Lord"

  One of the strangest phenomena of our day and time is people wanting to drop "fear of the Lord" in preaching and teaching while in the human world the interest in fear is great. Look around. Everyone is speaking and teaching fear except the church!

  We are being taught that if certain ones are voted into office, it will hurt those aged, the end of medicare or social security. It is almost daily we hear something about this. AIDS is spoken of as a fear. Radon is a problem. There are those telling us there is a hole in the ozone and our weather is changing which will ultimately destroy our world. The rain forest is being cut down which will have drastic effects on our world. Many see these fears as a good thing. They are worthwhile and productive for all of us. Let's just face it: we are sold on fear in this world!

  But when it comes to God, something changes. Many want to say "no" to preaching the fear of the Lord. You hear it from some that we aren't to talk about the fear of the Lord but only about His love for us. Please don't mention the wrath of God. Let's not preach on hell. Let's not warn the disobedient or call those who are sinning wrong, let's just talk about loving them. Elders are railed against with no fear of the Lord behind them. Call sin sin and you get put on the chopping block. Simply put, the fear of the Lord is missing in many places and we see it in the lives of people. Have we become like those mentioned in Rom. 1:21, "they did not honor Him as God or give thanks."? Or Rom. 3:18, "There is no fear of God before their eyes."?

  When are we going to listen carefully to the words Jesus spoke: "But I will warn you whom to fear; fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!" (Luke 12:5)? 

  The apostle Peter taught that in our addressing the Father, the One who impartially judges each one, "conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth." We are missing something in our faith because their is little fear of the Lord. The lack of fear leads to the lack of respect. That's why much of the preaching has moved away from the word of the Lord to just a reference book and more focused on man's books and stories! Many don't want to hear anything but fluff and made to feel good about themselves. You don't have to change or respect anyone. Jesus didn't teach like that!

  Isaiah speaking for the Lord sums it up like this:  "But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word."(Isa. 66:2) Makes one wonder if God is looking to us?