Living Wisely: Embracing the Fear of the Lord

Devotional

Day 1: Living Wisely in a Chaotic World

Living wisely involves making the most of our time and understanding the will of the Lord. This wisdom is characterized by a Spirit-filled life that leads to worship, gratitude, and mutual submission. In Ephesians 5:15-21, believers are called to live wisely, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. This means avoiding foolishness and instead seeking to understand the will of the Lord. A Spirit-filled life is contrasted with a life filled with wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, being filled with the Spirit results in a life of worship, gratitude, and mutual submission. This passage encourages believers to live in a way that reflects God's wisdom and will, characterized by singing, gratitude, and submission to one another out of reverence for Christ. [00:19]

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." (Ephesians 5:15-17, ESV)

Reflection: How can you intentionally make the most of your time today to reflect God's wisdom and will in your life?

Day 2: Reverent Fear as a Path to Holiness

The fear of Christ is not an outdated concept but a vital part of the Christian life. It is a reverent fear that acknowledges God's holiness and justice, leading to obedience and holiness. This fear is not about terror but about a profound respect that leads to obedience and holiness. It is a fear that coexists with joy, as seen in the women at the tomb who experienced both fear and great joy upon learning of Jesus' resurrection. This reverent fear acknowledges the holiness and justice of God, prompting believers to live in a way that honors Him. It is a fear that keeps us humble and dependent on God's grace, recognizing that we stand by faith and not by our merit. [02:04]

"And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation." (Luke 1:50, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you cultivate a reverent fear of God that leads to greater obedience and holiness in your life today?

Day 3: Motivated by Fear to Evangelize and Pursue Holiness

The fear of the Lord motivates us to evangelize and pursue personal holiness. It is a fear that keeps us humble and dependent on God's grace, recognizing that we stand by faith. Paul, in 2 Corinthians, speaks of knowing the fear of the Lord as a reason to persuade others and to cleanse ourselves from defilement. This fear is not just for unbelievers but is crucial for believers to bring holiness to completion. It is a fear that drives us to take refuge in God, where we find abundant goodness and protection. This fear is a motivator for evangelism and personal holiness, keeping believers humble and dependent on God's grace. [03:13]

"Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God." (2 Corinthians 7:1, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life can you share the gospel with today, motivated by a reverent fear of the Lord?

Day 4: Awe-Inspired Growth in the Early Church

A healthy fear of God leads to spiritual growth and multiplication, as seen in the early church. This fear is not about living in dread but about living in awe of God's majesty and grace. In Acts, the early church experienced both fear and comfort, illustrating that a healthy fear of God leads to spiritual growth and multiplication. This fear is a sweet trembling, a deep reverence that leads to a life of submission and obedience, knowing that God's goodness is stored up for those who fear Him and take refuge in Him. It is a fear that drives believers to take refuge in God, where they find abundant goodness and protection. [08:04]

"So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied." (Acts 9:31, ESV)

Reflection: How can you cultivate a healthy fear of God that leads to spiritual growth and multiplication in your community?

Day 5: Sweet Trembling Before God

The fear of the Lord is a sweet trembling, a deep reverence that leads to a life of submission and obedience. It is a fear that drives us to take refuge in God, where we find abundant goodness and protection. This fear is not about living in dread but about living in awe of God's majesty and grace. It is a fear that coexists with joy, as seen in the women at the tomb who experienced both fear and great joy upon learning of Jesus' resurrection. Ultimately, this fear of the Lord is a sweet trembling, a deep reverence that leads to a life of submission and obedience, knowing that God's goodness is stored up for those who fear Him and take refuge in Him. [13:16]

"Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!" (Psalm 31:19, ESV)

Reflection: What does it mean for you to experience a "sweet trembling" before God, and how can this lead to greater submission and obedience in your life today?

Sermon Summary

In this session, we delve into Ephesians 5:15-21, focusing on the call to live wisely and make the most of our time because the days are evil. This passage urges us to avoid foolishness and instead understand the will of the Lord. It contrasts being filled with wine, which leads to debauchery, with being filled with the Spirit, which leads to a life of worship, gratitude, and mutual submission. The essence of this teaching is to live in a way that reflects the wisdom and will of God, characterized by a Spirit-filled life that manifests in singing, gratitude, and submission to one another out of reverence for Christ.

A significant aspect of this passage is the concept of fearing Christ. This fear is not an Old Testament relic but a vital part of the Christian life. It is a reverent fear that acknowledges the holiness and justice of God, prompting us to live in a way that honors Him. This fear is not about terror but about a profound respect that leads to obedience and holiness. It is a fear that coexists with joy, as seen in the women at the tomb who experienced both fear and great joy upon learning of Jesus' resurrection.

The fear of the Lord is also a motivator for evangelism and personal holiness. Paul, in 2 Corinthians, speaks of knowing the fear of the Lord as a reason to persuade others and to cleanse ourselves from defilement. This fear is not just for unbelievers but is crucial for believers to bring holiness to completion. It is a fear that keeps us humble and dependent on God's grace, recognizing that we stand by faith and not by our merit.

In Acts, the early church experienced both fear and comfort, illustrating that a healthy fear of God leads to spiritual growth and multiplication. This fear is not about living in dread but about living in awe of God's majesty and grace. It is a fear that drives us to take refuge in God, where we find abundant goodness and protection.

Ultimately, this fear of the Lord is a sweet trembling, a deep reverence that leads to a life of submission and obedience, knowing that God's goodness is stored up for those who fear Him and take refuge in Him.

Key Takeaways

1. Living wisely involves making the most of our time and understanding the will of the Lord. This wisdom is characterized by a Spirit-filled life that leads to worship, gratitude, and mutual submission. [00:19]
2. The fear of Christ is not an outdated concept but a vital part of the Christian life. It is a reverent fear that acknowledges God's holiness and justice, leading to obedience and holiness. [02:04]
3. The fear of the Lord motivates us to evangelize and pursue personal holiness. It is a fear that keeps us humble and dependent on God's grace, recognizing that we stand by faith. [03:13]
4. A healthy fear of God leads to spiritual growth and multiplication, as seen in the early church. This fear is not about living in dread but about living in awe of God's majesty and grace. [08:04]
5. The fear of the Lord is a sweet trembling, a deep reverence that leads to a life of submission and obedience. It is a fear that drives us to take refuge in God, where we find abundant goodness and protection. [13:16]
** [13:16]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:19] - Walking Wisely
[00:35] - Making the Most of Time
[00:55] - Being Filled with the Spirit
[01:13] - Submitting to One Another
[01:48] - The Fear of Christ
[02:24] - Understanding Fear in the New Testament
[03:45] - Jesus on Fearing God
[05:03] - Fear and Joy in the Resurrection
[06:18] - The Christian Experience of Fear
[07:12] - Ananias and Sapphira: A Lesson in Fear
[08:04] - Fear and Comfort in the Early Church
[09:02] - Gentiles and the Fear of Unbelief
[10:24] - The Kindness and Severity of God
[11:20] - Submitting in the Fear of Christ
[12:02] - Abundant Goodness for Those Who Fear
[13:16] - Sweet Trembling Before God

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:

Ephesians 5:15-21
2 Corinthians 5:11
Acts 9:31

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Observation Questions:

In Ephesians 5:15-21, what are the specific contrasts Paul makes between living wisely and unwisely? How does he suggest we should live instead? [00:19]
According to the sermon, what is the significance of being filled with the Spirit as opposed to being filled with wine? How does this relate to our daily lives? [00:55]
How does the sermon describe the fear of Christ, and why is it important for Christians today? [01:48]
What examples from the early church in Acts illustrate the relationship between fear and comfort in the Christian life? [08:04]

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Interpretation Questions:

How does the concept of fearing Christ differ from the fear often associated with the Old Testament? What does this fear look like in a believer's life today? [02:04]
In what ways does the fear of the Lord motivate believers to pursue personal holiness and evangelism, according to the sermon? [03:13]
How can the fear of the Lord coexist with joy, as seen in the example of the women at the tomb? What does this teach us about the nature of Christian fear? [05:59]
How does the sermon suggest that a healthy fear of God leads to spiritual growth and multiplication within the church? [08:04]

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Application Questions:

Reflect on your daily life: Are there areas where you might be living unwisely? What steps can you take to align more closely with the wisdom described in Ephesians 5:15-21? [00:19]
Consider your current spiritual practices. How can you intentionally seek to be filled with the Spirit this week, and what changes might you expect to see in your life as a result? [00:55]
The sermon emphasizes a reverent fear of Christ. How can you cultivate this fear in a way that leads to greater obedience and holiness in your life? [01:48]
Think about a time when you experienced both fear and joy in your faith journey. How did these emotions coexist, and what did you learn from that experience? [05:59]
In what ways can the fear of the Lord motivate you to engage in evangelism or pursue personal holiness? Identify one specific action you can take this week to live out this motivation. [03:13]
Reflect on the balance between fear and comfort in your spiritual life. How can you ensure that your fear of God leads to growth rather than dread? [08:04]
Identify a situation in your life where you need to take refuge in God. How can the concept of "sweet trembling" help you approach this situation with both reverence and confidence? [13:16]

Sermon Clips

Therefore look carefully how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, purchasing the time because the days are evil. This is not a time to be cavalier and carefree and indifferent to great things. Therefore do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is. [00:15:56]

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing, making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. [00:45:57]

Submitting to one another in the fear of Christ. There is a sense, a real sense, in which we should fear Christ. So I pray, Father, that you would show us what that sense is now and work that in our lives. I ask in Jesus' name, amen. [01:00:40]

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. Paul is conscious that there are fearful things about the Lord that cause him to say, "Oh, please believe this because if you don't believe it, you're going to be in big trouble with the Lord." [02:36:31]

Christians bring your holiness to completion in and by the fear of the Lord. In the Christian life, there is a role for a proper fear of God. So let's think about this for a moment and to do that, let's go back to Jesus and see how he sets up fearing God. [03:28:12]

Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. So be done with fearing people who can only kill you. You get that? They can only kill you, so don't be afraid of them. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. [03:54:36]

Fear and great joy. Can you put those together in your experience? To be a Christian is to know what this is. We have a fear before a holy, omnipotent, absolutely sovereign, unimpeachably just God, and we are sinners, and there has taken place through Jesus Christ such a salvation. [06:09:44]

The church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and being built up and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied. There it is. So the women had fear and great joy, the church has fear and comfort. [07:57:39]

Note then the kindness and the severity of God, severity toward those who have fallen, kindness to you, provided you continue in the kindness, and one of the means God uses to help us continue in the kindness is fear, fear unbelief. [10:15:39]

Submit to one another while you take account of the fact that the lordship of Christ is not to be trifled with. If the Lord Jesus has called you to be submissive to one another, you should tremble at the prospect of disobeying the Lord Jesus. [11:07:16]

Oh, how abundant, God, is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked so you've stored it up for them, and you've worked it for them, and they're described in two ways: they fear you and they take refuge in you. [11:45:80]

God spares us from the fear of God by making an asbestos refuge against the flame of his holiness, but I'll tell you, when we're in there, we're trembling, which is why, and it's a good trembling, oh, it's a sweet trembling. [13:05:04]

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Living Wisely: Embracing the Fear of the Lord

Devotional

Day 1: Living Wisely in a Chaotic World

Day 2: Reverent Fear as a Path to Holiness

Day 3: Motivated by Fear to Evangelize and Pursue Holiness

Day 4: Awe-Inspired Growth in the Early Church

Day 5: Sweet Trembling Before God

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Living Wisely: Embracing the Fear of the Lord

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