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Fear

The religious bullies want to intimidate us into silence. Nothing would please them more. Jesus challenges us to speak up about who is in charge and what our mission is because of that.

  • God will take care of us.
  • We do not need to worry.
  • I am unbelievably valuable to God.
  • Jesus wants me to succeed.

I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

ESV (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Luke 12:4–7

As a slave of Jesus, I know that if I obey Him, I have nothing to fear because of His love for me. If I don’t obey Him, there is much to fear. He can destroy me — both soul and body in hell. Yikes!

  • Revelation 14:7 — 7 and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.”
  • Deuteronomy 6:13 — 13 “You shall fear only Yahweh your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.
  • Deuteronomy 31:12–13 — 12 “Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn and fear Yahweh your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law. 13 “Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the Master your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.”
  • Joshua 4:24 — 24 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of Yahweh is mighty, so that you may fear Yahweh your God forever.”
  • Joshua 24:14 — 14 “Now, therefore, fear Yahweh and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Master.
  • 1 Samuel 12:24 — 24 “Only fear Yahweh and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.
  • Psalm 2:11 — 11 Worship Yahweh with reverence And rejoice with trembling.
  • Psalm 34:7–9 — 7 The angel of Yahweh encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them. 8 O taste and see that the Master is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! 9 O fear Yahweh, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want.
  • Proverbs 15:33 — 33 The fear of Yahweh is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility.
  • Ecclesiastes 12:13 — 13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.
  • Isaiah 33:6 — 6 And He will be the stability of your times, A wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; The fear of Yahweh is his treasure.