• Holy Fear = to stand in awe of God = Tremble At His Presence & Tremble At His Word
  • = Terrified of being away from His Presence
  • = Value (treasure) God more than anything else in your life
  • = Love what God loves & hate what God hates
  • = Love righteousness & hate lawlessness
  • = Obey immediately no matter what & all the way to completion

• Our Holy Fear grows proportionately to our comprehension of God’s greatness.

• We must live life recognizing that God knows us, sees us, and tests us to make sure we don’t fall into sin.

Mark 3:29 NKJV

but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”—

Blaspheme = to speak against someone in such a way as to harm or injure his or her reputation.

2 Timothy 1:6-7 NKJV

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Fear = deilia = timid; intimidation; cowardice

Power = dynamis = might, strength, source.

Love = agape = unconditional love

Sound Mind = is one who possesses the knowledge & wisdom of God in any given situation.

• His Spirit — His strength, His love, and His sound mind— gives us the boldness, the courage to do what God calls us to do.

Ephesians 5:17 NKJV

Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Proverbs 24:5 ESV

A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might,

Proverbs 11:9 ESV

With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.

Hosea 4:6a ESV

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge;…

Proverbs 4:7 NKJV

Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.

Psalm 111:10 NKJV

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments…

Proverbs 1:7 NKJV

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

• The fear of man is a spirit of intimidation.

• We overcome the fear of man with the Fear of God.

Proverbs 14:26 NKJV

In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge.

Confidence = mibtah= security; assurance; hope; trust; act of confiding.

Fear of man = to stand in alarm, anxiety, awe, dread, and suspicion cowering before moral man.

• If we live with the fear of man, we will live always on the run hiding from harm and reproach while constantly avoiding rejection and confrontation.

Proverbs 29:25 NKJV

The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.

• Falling into a trap is giving up your God-given authority.

Isaiah 51:7…13a NKJV

7 “Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, You people in whose heart is My law: Do not fear the reproach of men, Nor be afraid of their insults…

12 “I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid Of a man who will die, And of the son of a man who will be made like grass?

13 And you forget the LORD your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth;…

Galatians 1:10 NKJV

For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

“The carnal person fears man, not God. The strong Christian fears God, not man. The weak Christian fears man too much, and God too little.” —JOHN FLAVEL

• You will serve whom you fear.

#1) A PERSON WHO FEARS MEN

Saul — Selfishness & Sound Mind

1 Samuel 15:22-24 NLT

But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.” Then Saul admitted to Samuel, “Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the LORD’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded.

• Fear of man is pride. (“Who do you think you are to fear man?” — Isaiah 51:12a)

1 Samuel 15:30 NLT

Then Saul pleaded again, “I know I have sinned. But please, at least honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel by coming back with me so that I may worship the LORD your God.”

1 Samuel 16:14a ESV

Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the LORD tormented him.

Spirit = wind; breath; anger; courage; mind; life; cool.

Isaiah 11:2-3 NKJV

The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;

• The Spirit of the Lord is the Spirit of…
  • Wisdom
  • Understanding
  • Counsel
  • Power
  • Knowledge
  • Fear of the Lord
  • Delight

• Saul disobeyed God several times
  • He offered illegal sacrifices (1 Samuel 13:8-14)
  • He did not kill the Amalekite King (1 Samuel 15:17-19)

#2) A PERSON WHO FEARS GOD

 David — Power & Boldness

1 Samuel 16:6-7 NLT

When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the LORD’s anointed!” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:13a NLT

So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David from that day on…

• David, although a flawed man, he was a great example of having spirit of power (might/strength).

Psalm 27:1 NKJV

The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

Hebrews 13:5b–6 CSB

… for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you. Therefore, we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

• We cannot let darkness intimidate us!

1 Corinthians 2:5 NKJV

that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

#3) A BELIEVER WHO FEARS MEN MORE THAN GOD

Peter — Love & Self-Preservation

Here are some questions:

• Do you ever feel the need to overcompensate for your fears and insecurities?
• Have you ever felt like you had to fake confidence?
• Do you feel the need to impress others?

• Peter seemed to be fearlessly bold (strong) and have a sound mind. But He lacked true love.
• He struggled with pride— self-preservation.

Galatians 2:11-14 NLT

But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. As a result, other Jewish Christians followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?

• Do you desire God’s love more than other people’s love and acceptance?

Hebrews 4:12–13 NCV

God’s word is alive and working and is sharper than a double-edged sword. It cuts all the way into us, where the soul and the spirit are joined, to the center of our joints and bones. And it judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts. Nothing in all the world can be hidden from God. Everything is clear and lies open before him, and to him we must explain the way we have lived.

Proverbs 2:1-5 NLT

My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD, and you will gain knowledge of God.

Matthew 14:28-33 ESV

And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

1 John 4:17-18 NKJV

Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

(BONUS) #4) A BELIEVER WHO STOPS FEARING GOD

Elijah — From Hero to Zero

1 Kings 19:2-4, 5-8, 9, 11-12, 13, 15-17 NLT

So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”

Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”

V 5-8

Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.

Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”

So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God.

V 9

There he came to a cave, where he spent the night. But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

V 11-12

“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.

 V 13

When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

V 15-17

Then the Lord told him, “Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram. Then anoint Jehu grandson of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet. Anyone who escapes from Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and those who escape Jehu will be killed by Elisha!

• If you see your problems as bigger than God, you cannot be used by Him… you won’t be able to see what God can do in your life.

• Don’t fear men. Don’t fear your problems. Don’t fear your reports. Don’t fear your circumstances. Fear God! Fear God! Fear God!

• No matter what you are going through, if you fear God, then He’s not done with you yet!

CONCLUSION

Isaiah 8:13-14a NLT

Make the LORD of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble. He will keep you safe…

• You will serve whom you fear.

• It’s a Spirit of Power, Love, and Sound Mind that produces boldness in us to break the spirit of fear.