The Fear of the lord
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all.
Acts 4:33
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.
Acts 4:36-37
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.
Acts 5:1-2
Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.
Acts 5:3-6
“…Your sin will find you out.”
Numbers 32:23
“Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”
Ephesians 4: 26b – 27
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:7
About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”
“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” 9 Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” 10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
Acts 5:7-10
Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
Acts 5:11
The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade.13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.
Acts 5:12-14
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
Psalm 34:8-9a
1. To have the fear of God is to be filled with an abiding sense of awe at God’s awesomeness.
2. The fear of the Lord beckons us to intimacy with a powerful and loving God.
For this is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
“I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.
Isaiah 57:15
3. The fear of the Lord reminds us that God is altogether holy and simultaneously merciful and forgiving.
4. The fear of the Lord is a doorway to experience the life of God.
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.
Proverbs 14:27
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.
Psalm 111:10
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24