Mt. 10:28 Jesus taught us that we must not fear man but fear God. A casual observance of the sin that runs rampant in peoples lives, and sometimes in the church, we can see there is not enough fear of God.
The Definition Of Fear:
Ps. 119:120 (David defines his fear of God as involving being afraid and trembling!)
Heb. 12:28-29 (Some define fear as reverence but this shows you must have a fear that goes beyond mere respect.)
1 Jn. 4:18 (What kind of fear is cast out by love? Does this mean the more you love the less you fear? Is this even talking about fear of God?)
Exo. 20:18-20 (When Israel ran from God they were told to fear not. Then God proposed to teach them appropriate fear that would cause them to avoid sin, not try to hide.)
Exactly What Should You Fear:
Prov. 15:3 (God sees all that you think and do. There is nothing you do that he is not aware of.)
2 Cor. 5:10 (You will appear before God in judgment and answer for everything you have done.)
What Godly Fear Will Do For You:
1. Begin Knowledge: Prov. 1:7 (Your spiritual knowledge will not blossom until you have a proper fear of God.)
2. Depart From Evil: Prov. 16:6 (Fear of God is essential in defeating evil in your life.)
3. Perfects Holiness: 2 Cor. 7:1 (Fear will help you perfect you holy walk for the Lord.)
4. Persuade The Lost: 2 Cor. 5:11 (Paul used the fear of God to convert the lost.) Jude :22-23 (Though some must be persuaded gently, others must be pulled from the fire by the threat of God's terror.)
Symptoms Of A Lack Of Fear:
1. Refusal To Be Instructed: Prov. 1:7 (It is a fool that does not fear God but rather refuses to be corrected. If you refuse instruction, you do not have enough fear of God.)
2. Immorality: Rom. 3:10-18 (The condition of these grossly immoral people was finally described as not fearing God. If you have immorality in your life, you need to be more afraid of God.)
Creating Proper Fear:
1. Rebuke: 1 Tim. 5:20 (Timothy was told to rebuke in the presence of others, elders that sin, in order to cause others to fear.)
2. Realization of God's Wrath Against Sin: Acts 5:1-5 (others learned to fear when they saw God's wrath against these two liars.)
3. Study God's Word: Deut. 17:19 (Consistent study of God's word teaches you proper fear for God.)
Failure To Fear Invokes God's Wrath:
2 Kings 17:25 (Because these people did not fear God, he brought about their destruction.)
Eccl. 12:13-14 (You must fear God because you will stand before him in judgment.)
Mt. 10:28 (You must fear God because he is capable of casting you into hell!)