The sermon was on the book of Proverbs in its entirety. The purpose of Proverbs is to teach people how to be understanding, just and fair in everything that they do. Proverbs 1:2 tells us that "Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise." The poems, parables, questions, couplets, etc. in this book are very much relationship-driven and speak of Biblical wisdom, which does not mean intellect, but instead is about revelation and response. Nowadays, people tend to measure knowledge and wisdom by using IQ tests, SAT scores, or GPAs. However, the Bible clearly says that the "Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline" (Proverbs 1:7). I don't want to go so far as to say the concept of fearing God is foreign today, but it is not something that many pastors are preaching about in 2010. Fearing God seems to have a negative connotation, but I believe it to be quite the opposite.
By my nature, I have an easier time accepting God more in the terms of the Old Testament than of the New, which details Him sending His one and only Son to die for our sins so that we can be saved. However, it is essential that we understand our God as He is described in the Bible. In the Hebrew version of the Bible, there are two names used to describe God, one of which is Elohim and the other being Yahweh. 'Elohim' is used in the Bible by Moses and means 'might' and 'power.' In Genesis Chapter 2, God is referred to as 'Yahweh.' Yahweh is not a generic name, it is a personal, intimate name (For more on this subject, listen to Austin Stone's podcast from 11/22/09 called "The Bigness and Nearness of God" -- I highly recommend it). God is loving, kind, and forgiving, but He is also the Ruler of the world and demands that we fear Him. In 1 Peter 2:16-17, Peter writes, "For you are free, yet you are God's slaves, so don't use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king." The Bible also describes God as loving and forgiving in the book Numbers: "The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion" (Numbers 14:18).
Personally, I think that the diminishing fear of God in the world is a major cause for many of the problems in the church and with Christianity. Have we forgotten that our God once sent a great flood to the earth because of human violence and corruption (Genesis 6:9-13)? Don't get me wrong, our God is a God of all things, meaning that He is also a God of indescribable love. I am so thankful that I can ask Him for forgiveness when I make mistakes. At the same time, I understand that in my fearing the Lord, I gain wisdom and knowledge, and I am also thankful for this truth.
This brings us to the next question: What does it look like to fear God? I've been thinking about this on a personal level, and I think it means different things to every unique individual. However, I believe that what it means to everyone is that we must be genuine in our asking for forgiveness when we sin, and we must repent when we fall short of the glory of God. It is also very important to understand God does accept our repentance and we must praise Him for this fact and not linger too long on our guilt. I have been reading Francis Chan's book "Crazy Love," in which he says we must love God with a "reverent intimacy," that is, to love and fear Him.
Lastly, Pastor Alex made a joke during the sermon that every week, churches across the world should be celebrating in "awe-full" worship. And let's be honest, he is so right. Fortunately (or maybe it's more unfortunate), I am able to sing both awfully and awe-fully. How else to describe the God I just detailed in the text above than to use the phrase "awe inspiring"? Like in last week's post, another worship song that has come to mind while writing. In fact, it keeps playing over and over again in my head, and quite frankly, I love it. I first listened to "Our God is an Awesome God" by Kirk Franklin when I went to Pine Cove Christian Camp many, many years ago. It's very... reggae? Anyways, the lyrics are wonderful and it makes me want to dance :)
Click to Listen to "Our God is an Awesome God"
My prayer is that more Christians will begin to love God with a reverent intimacy, that we can fear Him and love Him, and that in our worship, we will appreciate the awesome-ness of the Lord.
In His precious and holy name,
Ailee
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