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Psalm 19:9a

BYT-22

Psalm 19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. (NKJV)

 

The pre-eminent attribute of God is His HOLINESS. All other aspects of His character radiate outward from that attribute. His holiness is His utter distinction from all His creatures and Creation. He is above, beyond and separate from all that is decaying, defiled and temporal.

His nature is HOLY.

His decisions are HOLY.

His character is HOLY.

His responses are HOLY.

His decrees are HOLY.

His Sovereignty is HOLY.

His love is HOLY.

His wrath is HOLY.

His jealousy is HOLY.

God in every way is HOLY.

 

To understand even a tiny bit of His HOLINESS is to FEAR GOD!

The Universe FEARS GOD.

Death and disease FEAR GOD.

The fig tree Christ cursed  FEARED GOD.

The wind and the waves FEAR GOD.

The demons FEAR GOD.

Satan FEARS GOD.

All the Angels of heaven FEAR GOD.

All the saints FEAR GOD.

 

Fearing God demands a response.

God created us.

When we fell into sin He sought us.

When we had no hope He came and bought us.

When our sins were unpayable He offered Himself as payment.

When we were guilty He was a substitutionary sacrifice for our sin.

 

All that truth leads us to respond. First in saving faith and then in surrendered life.

 

All around people are dying without hope. They can’t find their way to the pathway of hope. The Lord said fearing Him leads you to purity  – it is “CLEAN” and permanence – because you will be “ENDURING FOREVER”. This is the pathway to God and it is the road to heaven. Even the greatest on earth will miss that way unless they begin fearing God. Responding to God is imperative today. Are you responding to God? Do your neighbors, friends and relatives know that you fear God?

 

Psalm 19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. (KJV)

The fear of the Lord.

 

Last week we saw the when a person would fear God.

  1. when they come to realize his holiness as Isaiah did! Isaiah 6:1-5
  2. when they come to realize his omnipresence as Joseph did! Genesis 39:8-9
  3. when they come to realize his omnipotence as Elijah did! 1 Kings 19:11-14
  4. when they come to realize his omniscience as Elisha’s servant did! 2 Kings 6:9-17
  5. when they come to realize his sovereignty as nebuchadnezzar did! Daniel 4:32-37

 

This week we want to concentrate on WHY we must fear God! The exhibition, the motivation and the obligation

 

  1. the exhibition: fearing the Lord is presented in the scriptures as:
  2. giving us purifying power  Psalm 19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, (NKJV)
    • giving us enduring power Psalm 19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;  (NKJV)
    • giving us motivating power Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever. (NKJV) We are motivated to live a life for His well done.
    • giving us separating power Proverbs 8:13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. (NIV) Because we fear Him we turn away from evil.
    • giving us invigorating power Proverbs 14:27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death. (NIV) Because we fear Him we have an inexhaustible supernatural resource planted within us.
    • giving us enriching power Isaiah 33:6 He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure. (NIV). Because we fear the Lord we are heir to all the riches in Christ.
    • giving us investing power Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, (NIV). Because we fear the Lord we give back all we are and have to Him!
  3. The motivation: fearing the Lord comes when we see god.
    • fearing God is seeing his greatness
      1. Deuteronomy 10:14 “Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the LORD your God, also the earth with all that is in it. 17 “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. (NKJV);
      2. Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power Not one of them is missing. (NASB)
    • fearing God is seeing his awesome wonders Joshua 4:23-24 “for the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, 24 “that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.” (NKJV)
    • fearing God is seeing his goodness 1 Samuel 12:24 “Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. (NKJV)
    • fearing God is seeing his mercy Psalm 130:4 But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared. (NKJV)
    • fearing God is seeing his wrath Revelation 14:7 saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” (NKJV)
    • fearing God is seeing his holiness Revelation 15:4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested.” (NKJV)
  4. the obligation: the fear of the lord should prompt a holy response.   Once a servant of God sees His holiness and RESPONDS to it God has big plans for that servant. Don’t miss them! How can we miss them? What hinders usefulness?
    • In the New Testament Christians are called priests! Listen to Peter and John
      1. 1 Peter 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (NKJV)
      2. Revelation 1:6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (NKJV)
    • In the Old Testament God lays down some stunning details! As we turn to Exodus 20 this morning examine your response to God. Are you living up to your calling as a holy priest living in the fear of God this morning?
      1. a New Testament priest has the holy temple of a pure body (Exodus 20:26 ‘Nor shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.’ (NKJV))
        • God’s New Testament priests never expose their bodies in an unholy way. What is this? God has asked us to prevent any sexual display, any cause for arousing wrong desires in another, any flaunting of this temple (proudly, sensually, etc.) is an unholy thing.
        • Remember in the mind of an adulterer are women God calls adulteresses because they have given their body to be seen by those men. 2 Peter 2:14 having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. (NKJV). Be careful ladies what you expose to the lust filled eyes of this world. You are responsible as God’s priests to be a holy temple with a pure body!
        • It also declares that the New Testament priest has a body given to the Spirit of the Lord and not to the flesh, the world or the Devil! How is your body this morning?Is it cleansed by the blood of Jesus? Are you keeping it holy for the glorious use of Jesus?
      2. a New Testament priest has the holy temple of a pure MIND (Exodus 28:36     You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet: HOLINESS TO THE LORD. (NKJV); Ex. 39:30)
        • As a New Testament priest, Holiness to the Lord must always be engraved upon our forehead. The supreme qualification of a godly man or woman is a clean mind. That is why Paul said Romans 12:1-2     I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (NKJV)
        • This pure mind also directly impacts the eyes! It is only as the purify Word is richly dwelling in our minds that we offer acceptible worship and service! Remember Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (NKJV)
        • It also declares that the New Testament priest has eyes focused on the Lord and not on the flesh, the world or the Devil! How are your eyes and mind this morning? Are they cleansed by the blood of Jesus? Are they being kept holy for the glorious use of Jesus?
      3. a New Testament priest has the holy temple of pure EARS Exodus 29:20a “Then you shall kill the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and on the tip of the right ear of his sons . . .
        • The anointing of the ears with blood speaks of cleansing away any past defilements of hearing (gossip, evil reports, filthiness, etc.) as well as keeping clean all future things listened to.
        • It also declares that the New Testament priest has an ear tuned to the Spirit of the Lord and not to the flesh, the world or the Devil! How are you ears this morning? Are they cleansed by the blood of Jesus? Are they being kept holy for the glorious use of Jesus?
      4. a New Testament priest has the holy temple of pure HANDS Exodus 29:20b “Then you shall kill the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the . . . thumb of their right hand.”
        • The anointing of the hands (right thumb) with blood speaks of cleansing away any past defilements of actions we do ( filthy habits, misuse of money, impure activities, etc.) as well as keeping clean all future activities.
        • It also declares that the New Testament priest has hands yielded to the Spirit of the Lord and not to the flesh, the world or the Devil! How are your hands this morning? Are they cleansed by the blood of Jesus? Are they being kept holy for the glorious use of Jesus?
      5. a New Testament priest has the holy temple of pure FEET (Exodus 29:20c “Then you shall kill the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the big toe of their right foot, (NKJV))
        • The anointing of the feet (right toe) with blood speaks of cleansing away any past defilements of places gone (where God is not honored, where false worship takes place, any occultic contact, places of violence, greed, places of sensuality, etc.) as well as keeping clean all future destinations.
        • It also declares that the New Testament priest has feet given to the Spirit of the Lord and not to the flesh, the world or the Devil! How are your feet this morning? Are they cleansed by the blood of Jesus? Are they being kept holy for the glorious use of Jesus?
      6. a New Testament priest has the holy temple of pure service Exodus 29:20d “Then you shall kill the ram, and take some of its blood . . . and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar. (NKJV).
        • Every act of a New Testament priest in worship and service for Christ in His church, as His priest and for His glory must be pure and holy to the Lord!
        • It also declares that the New Testament priest has become a bond servant to the Lord and not to the flesh, the world or the Devil! How is your servanthood this morning? Is it cleansed by the blood of Jesus? Is it being kept holy for the glorious use of Jesus?

Lets sing TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE and in any area where you are not a New Testament priest living in the fear of the Lord , consecrate that part back to Him this morning!

 

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