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To Fear The Father
(Luke 12:1-9) “Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 3 What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.
4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
8 “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. 9 But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God”.
For many of us, when we were children we had what I call a healthy fear of our dads. As much as I loved my dad, and as much as I know he loved me, a small part of me feared him. Even though most people said that I was a good kid and somewhat well behaved, there were times as I was growing up when I needed what I’d like to call a behavior or attitude adjustment, and my dad, and even sometimes my mom help me with those adjustments.
Like when at a very young age I decided to help my dad and dissect his chain saw, piece by piece. Or when I decided to experiment with matches to see what could burn along side the road and what couldn’t and started a brush fire. Or when my parents found out that me and my neighbor were shoplifting candy and small toys from our local country store. My parents didn’t like it to much when my brother and I would not stop fooling around at bedtime after being told to be quiet go to sleep too many times. I remember on night my dad was on his way into our room to warm our bottom and I shoved some kind of clothing down my pants to pad my backside. Nor did they like it very much when I decided my brother needed an attitude adjustment and took it into my own hands to give him one.
For some reason I don’t remember too much about those acts of discipline (or beatings as we use to refer to them) but I know that they had a profound effect: #1, I did my best not to do whatever I did to get that belt or spanking in the first place. And #2, I learned not to tempt fate when it came to disobeying my parents and do something evil or mischievous.
I had a healthy fear because I knew what my dad would do. Back then I don’t ever remember having a ‘TIME OUT.’ And the only reason we were sent to our room was to get spanked in private which was something that usually terrified us. That wait seemed always worst that the beating itself.
By no means do I want you think that my parents were cruel or abusive, they weren’t. As a matter of fact my brother and I knew that our parents loved us and did not want us to grow up without teaching us the difference between right and wrong. Like I said, I don’t remember any of those beatings be much more than a couple of slaps on our butt. But that was all that was needed to make an impression.
And I personally don’t think there is anything wrong with having a little bit of respectful fear to prompt us to do the right things.
As a matter of fact in the book of Proverbs Solomon instructs loving parents to use more than words to discipline your child. (Proverbs 13:24; 19:18; 22:15; 23:14-15; and 29:15)
In Psychology Today, an article on fear says, “There are many things that motivate us. But the most powerful motivator of all is FEAR. Fear is a primal instinct that served us as cave dwellers and today. It keeps us alive, because if we survive a bad experience, we never forget how to avoid it in the future. Our most vivid memories are born in Fear. Adrenaline etches them into our brains..”
Proverbs 23:14-15 says, “Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die. 14 Punish them with the rod and save them from death.”
That’s what discipline is all about. It’s not about being vicious, cruel, or having revenge on our child for what they have done. Rather it’s all about caring so much for our child that we take some drastic steps to modify their behavior wanting to save them from far worst things.
That’s what discipline is all about. As a matter of fact we are told that God does the same with us even as His adult children. The author of Hebrews wrote, in 12:5-11. “And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as His children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in His holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
I don’t know about you but to some degree I fear our Father God. Yes, I am absolutely convince He loves me more than any human could, and yes I love Him, but there is still a part of me that fears Him in much the same way I feared my dad as a boy growing up. From scripture I’ve learned; like my dad and even more so, Father God is not someone to mess with.
And that fear of Father God has motivate me to do some things that I may not have done if I had not feared Him.
In out last lesson we read about King Sennacherib, the king of Assyria who wanted to attack and conquer Jerusalem. Before he attacked he sent a message to King Hezekiah and those in Jerusalem basically telling them to give up and surrender because in his opinion there was no way to get out of the situation, not even with God’s help. In 2 Chronicles 32 16 it says, “ Sennacherib’s officers spoke further against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah. 17 The king also wrote letters ridiculing the Lord, the God of Israel, and saying this against Him: “Just as the gods of the peoples of the other lands did not rescue their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand.”
And the following night we read that God sent the Angel of the Lord into the Assyrian camp and put to death a185,000 soldiers. Simply put, I don’t think you should mess with Father God. Over and over from the time of Noah on we read how Father God wiped out one evil nation or people after another.
In Hebrews God lets us know that He will discipline those of us who are His sons and daughters just as a parent disciplines us when we start going down the wrong path.
For me one of the scariest verses in all the Bible is seen in Luke 12:4-5; it says, 4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.”
This tells me that there isn’t anyone on this planet or beyond that I should fear more that God Himself. Not that He doesn’t love us, rather it is because He loves us Father God will not put up with a disobedient, unholy, evil, irreverent son or daughter. And in the end if we don’t turn from such behavior its going to be far worse than a rod to your back, He will not let you into heaven and you will depart to a place where Jesus said there will be torment with weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:42 and 25:30)
Words like that from Jesus scare the Hell out of me; and they have changed my behavior and way of life. You want motivation to do the right thing, to obey His word, to start loving and serving others as He would have you, to stop complaining all the time and start forgiving others. Or the motivation to give up bad or sinful habits and honor Him; then remember: “do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.”
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