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<v SPEAKER_00>Good morning, friends.

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<v SPEAKER_00>This is John Dunn, one of your lay elders.

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<v SPEAKER_00>I recently saw an article that spoke about the different kinds of fear that the average American is dealing with.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of the unknown.

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<v SPEAKER_00>These fears are paralyzing many of the people around us.

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<v SPEAKER_00>But what about the fear of God?

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<v SPEAKER_00>For the unbeliever, the fear of God is the fear of judgment and eternal death.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Luke chapter 12, verses 4 and 5 lays it out in very stark language.

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<v SPEAKER_00>I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Fear him who has authority to cast into hell.

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<v SPEAKER_00>But for the believer, the fear of God is something much different.

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<v SPEAKER_00>The believer's fear is a reverence for God.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Hebrews 12, verses 28 through 29 describes it like this.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.

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<v SPEAKER_00>For our God is a consuming fire.

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<v SPEAKER_00>This reverence and awe is exactly what the fear of God should look like for Christians.

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<v SPEAKER_00>It should be the overwhelming motivation for us to surrender our lives to the Creator of the universe.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Listen to how Proverbs 1:7 puts it.

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<v SPEAKER_00>The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Wow.

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<v SPEAKER_00>In other words, until we understand who God really is and develop a reverential fear of him, we can't really have true wisdom.

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<v SPEAKER_00>True wisdom comes from understanding that God is holy, he's just and righteous.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Here's what Deuteronomy chapter 10 tells us.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Fear the Lord your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.

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<v SPEAKER_00>In other words, the fear of God should be the basis for how we walk in his ways, how we serve him and love him.

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<v SPEAKER_00>In summary, we are not to be afraid of God.

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<v SPEAKER_00>This is not the sort of fear the Bible speaks of.

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<v SPEAKER_00>We have God's promise that nothing can separate us from his love.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Listen to Romans chapter 8, verses 38 and 39.

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<v SPEAKER_00>For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Fearing God doesn't mean being afraid.

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<v SPEAKER_00>It means having a reverence for Him that dramatically and permanently impacts the way we live.

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<v SPEAKER_00>This is true wisdom.

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<v SPEAKER_00>I hope you have a blessed day.