Reverent Fear | Pastor AJ Mosley

Devotional

Day 1: When the Playful Dog Reveals His Bite

A child’s beloved pet becomes a sobering reminder of untamed power. Just as the German Shepherd’s protective training unveiled a hidden ferocity, God’s kindness must never eclipse the reality of His holy might. The same hands that heal and provide can discipline with precision. Reverence grows when we hold both His tenderness and His terrifying authority in tension, refusing to reduce Him to a safe companion. True intimacy with God requires awe that trembles at what He can do. [05:26]

But a man named Ananias, with his wife’s knowledge, sold a piece of property and kept back some of the proceeds. He brought a portion and laid it at the apostles’ feet. “Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the proceeds of the land? Wasn’t it yours while you owned it? And after it was sold, wasn’t it at your disposal? Why is it that you planned this thing in your heart? You have not lied to people but to God.”
(Acts 5:1-4, CSB)

Reflection: Where have you grown overly casual with God’s nature, forgetting His power to confront what you’ve tried to hide? How might embracing both His kindness and severity deepen your worship?

Day 2: Snatched from the Street’s Edge

A father’s shout stops a child mid-sprint toward danger. Like the pastor’s urgent intervention with his playing children, God sometimes “puts bass in His voice” to rescue us from destructive patterns. His corrections are not harshness but mercy—a divine interruption to spare us from consequences we cannot see. Reverent fear listens for His warnings in the chaos, trusting His authority even when it startles. [10:36]

And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly or lose heart when you are reproved by Him, for the Lord disciplines the one He loves and punishes every son He receives.”
(Hebrews 12:5-6, CSB)

Reflection: What reckless “play” in your life—habits, relationships, or compromises—requires God’s firm intervention? How can you receive His discipline as proof of His care?

Day 3: The God Who Sees Behind the Curtain

Ananias’ lie unravels under divine scrutiny. Peter’s piercing question—“Why did you contrive this in your heart?”—exposes the futility of performative faith. God’s omniscience strips pretense bare; He knows motives we mask even from ourselves. Reverent fear refuses curated holiness, daring to bring brokenness into the light where grace can heal. [43:42]

Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up; You understand my thoughts from far away. You observe my travels and my rest; You are aware of all my ways.
(Psalm 139:1-3, CSB)

Reflection: What carefully hidden corners of your heart still resist God’s gaze? How might confessing them now free you from the pressure to pretend?

Day 4: The Fourth Man in Every Fire

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walk unharmed because a fourth figure joins them in the flames. Their story mirrors the church’s post-Ananias reality: miracles flourish where reverence reigns. God’s supremacy isn’t diminished by His nearness; His presence in trial proves His power over it. To fear Him is to trust His rule even when the heat intensifies. [01:02:29]

“Look!” he answered. “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”
(Daniel 3:25, CSB)

Reflection: Where are you facing a “fiery furnace” that tempts you to doubt God’s control? How does His promise to join you there recalibrate your fear?

Day 5: The Advocate Who Bears Our Contrived Deeds

A stark contrast emerges: Ananias falls dead, while believers find mercy through Christ. First John’s solution bridges God’s standard and our failure. Jesus advocates not by excusing sin but by absorbing its cost. Reverent fear clings to this paradox—He is both Judge and Redeemer, demanding holiness while providing the sacrifice that makes it possible. [52:30]

My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous One. He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.
(1 John 2:1-2, CSB)

Reflection: Where do you need to trade the weight of performance for the relief of Christ’s advocacy? How does His payment for your failures deepen your awe?

Sermon Summary

Acts 4:32 through Acts 5:11 puts a beautiful, sobering scene right in the birth of the church. The full number of believers is of one heart and soul, and nobody is clutching possessions like, “This is mine.” Great power is on the apostles’ testimony to the resurrection of Jesus, great grace is on everybody, and there is not a needy person among them.

The text shows generosity spilling out everywhere, but then Barnabas and Ananias sit side by side like a holy contrast. Barnabas sells a field and lays the money at the apostles’ feet as a true gift. Ananias and Sapphira sell property too, but they keep back some while pretending they gave it all. The issue is not that they kept some money. Peter says the land was theirs before it sold, and the money was theirs after it sold. The issue is that they tried to play with God.

Reverent fear comes in because God is kind, close, gentle, merciful, and still not to be played with. The German Shepherd that looked sweet at Christmas could still take a grown man down, and God’s comfort must not make the church forget God’s power. The Father sometimes has to “put some bass in his voice” because children keep running toward the street and calling it play.

The passage exposes false standards. Personal perfection says the miracle depends on looking flawless. Community performance says the miracle depends on what people think. Both standards keep changing, and both make people pretend. God’s standard is different. God calls for the real person, the present person, the one who stops hiding symptoms in the doctor’s office and comes honestly before him.

God’s supremacy makes that honesty serious. His omniscience knows the motivation, the shame, the skeletons, and the intent of the heart. His omnipresence means God is in the room, not only to comfort but also to judge. His omnipotence means judgment is not theory. Ananias and Sapphira fall dead, and great fear comes upon the whole church because God flexes his authority at the foundation of his people.

First John 2 gives the solution. God’s standard is still, “do not sin,” but if anyone does sin, Jesus Christ the righteous is the advocate with the Father. Reverent fear does not drive the believer away from God. Reverent fear makes the sacrifice of Jesus weighty again. The supreme God wrapped his supremacy in a Savior, and the only right way to come before him is through the Son.

Key Takeaways

1. Reverent fear restores holy sobriety. [12:46] God’s kindness can never be treated like weakness. The church can get so familiar with mercy that God’s authority starts sounding optional. Reverent fear brings back the tremble that remembers God is close, but he is still God. [12:46]
2. Performance cannot survive God’s presence. [23:36] Ananias and Sapphira did not have to lie, and that makes the lie even more revealing. Performance turns church life into a stage where appearing surrendered matters more than actually being surrendered. God’s presence cuts through the act because he is not impressed by a curated life. [23:36]
3. God blesses the real person. [28:56] God does not impute blessing to the fake version that people applaud. The miracle moves among regular people who come present, honest, and exposed before him. The hidden self cannot be healed while the performed self keeps taking the appointment. [28:56]
4. Supremacy makes grace weighty. [48:46] God’s omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence make sin more serious, not less. Grace becomes cheap only when God becomes small in the heart. A proper view of his power makes the mercy of Christ feel like rescue again. [48:46]
5. Christ is the safe approach. [54:14] Reverent fear does not leave the sinner standing alone before raw holiness. Jesus Christ the righteous stands as the advocate with the Father and the propitiation for sin. The cross is not permission to play with God, but the only door through which honesty can come near without being destroyed. [54:14]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[04:38] - To Be Continued: Reverent Fear
[06:47] - God Is Kind and Powerful
[11:31] - A Growing Church Gets Sobering
[13:04] - His Standard
[17:00] - The False Standard of Perfection
[20:25] - The Pressure to Perform
[27:15] - God Wants the Real Person
[34:29] - His Supremacy
[43:11] - God Knows, Sees, and Rules
[50:52] - His Solution
[52:30] - Jesus Christ the Advocate
[59:13] - Fear and Church Multiplication
[60:02] - The Powerful God of Scripture
[67:44] - Prayer for Restored Reverence
[70:22] - Salvation and Ministry Call

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Acts 4:32–5:11 (ESV)
1 John 2:1-2 (ESV)

Observation Questions

In Acts 4:32-37, how did the early church demonstrate unity and generosity? What specific actions did Barnabas take?
What did Peter identify as the core issue in Ananias and Sapphira’s deception (Acts 5:3-4)?
According to the sermon, why was the punishment for Ananias and Sapphira so severe even though they weren’t required to give everything? [33:59]
How does 1 John 2:1-2 frame the relationship between God’s standard (“do not sin”) and His solution for failure?

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Ananias and Sapphira chose to lie about their gift when they could have given honestly without judgment? What does this reveal about their view of God? [31:18]
The sermon contrasts God’s kindness with His power, comparing Him to a German Shepherd that is gentle but dangerous. How do these two aspects of God’s character coexist, and why is it important to hold both in tension? [06:47]
The sermon states, “Performance cannot survive God’s presence.” What does it mean for “performance” to replace genuine surrender in our spiritual lives? [23:36]
How does God’s omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence (as highlighted in the sermon) make His grace “weightier” rather than less serious? [48:46]

Application Questions

Where are you most tempted to “keep back” parts of your life from God, like Ananias and Sapphira, while pretending to be fully surrendered? What would honesty look like in that area? [28:56]
The sermon compares hiding struggles to “hiding symptoms in the doctor’s office.” What is one “symptom” you’ve been avoiding bringing to God, and what step can you take this week to address it? [30:30]
How can you discern whether your actions in community (e.g., serving, giving, sharing) flow from a desire to perform for others or from genuine surrender to God? [24:31]
The sermon warns against making God “small in the heart,” which cheapens grace. What practical habit could help you regularly reflect on God’s supremacy (e.g., His power, holiness, or authority)?
How does Jesus’ role as our “advocate” (1 John 2:1) change the way you approach God when you feel ashamed or guilty? [54:14]
The early church’s “great fear” led to multiplication (Acts 5:11-14). What would it look like for your small group or church to prioritize reverent fear without losing joy or intimacy with God? [59:13]

Sermon Clips

53s

“``One of the one of the the craziest lessons I have learned in my life is that God does not desire to impute his blessings to the fake you. He's trying to bless the real one. And in a culture where we feel the pressure to live and to present a curated life, where we select the highlight reels, and here's the thing, and we are pressured to believe the own our our own press, the ones that we produced. We can forget God is not here to bless the highlight reel. God is here to move the miracle amongst the real.”

82s

“I believe the proper fear of God helps us have a proper understanding of the need for God. The more we play with him, the more we dismiss him, the more that we are just, casual with him, I think it honestly diminishes our need for a savior. The more that we see that he does and the miracles that happen, if we diminish his supremacy, his authority, if we lose our fear for him, I think it diminishes our need to be saved. How can we stand up in front of an almighty, all powerful God? It's through the advocate that we have with the father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. A proper fear of the Lord, a proper fear of God makes us elevate the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins.”

91s

“I'm so concerned about the lavishness of God's grace being taken advantage of, that we go and we preach a God that loves so much, that is so close and so kind and so good that nothing in us changes. without boundaries isn't love. Love without saying no this and not that is not love. Love, listen to me, family, doesn't just say, you're the standard. Do what you feel right. Love doesn't say what the community thinks is right. Is right. The love of our God is greater than that. The love of our God is deeper than that. His solution was greater than just being casual with him. The love of our God was to wrap his supremacy in a savior. And if we don't fear him, we're gonna miss that message.”

58s

“And family, I don't know about you, but sometimes God in his kindness will flex his authority to remind you, hey, I'm still God. And if if I can be honest, family, I I I love the comfort of God, but sometimes we're little bit too comfortable with God. If I can be honest with you, sometimes if we can be really true, we can get a little flippant with God. Sometimes we can forget that this is God of all creation. Sometimes we can forget that this is the all powerful God. Sometimes Sometimes we can forget to have reverent fear. Sometimes we can forget because he's so close does not mean he's to be played with.”

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Reverent Fear | Pastor AJ Mosley | 6/28/2026