Stand in Awe - The Fear of the Lord (Sermon 2/8)

Oct 11, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Building the Ark of Obedience

When God speaks, holy fear responds with full surrender. Noah’s story shows that true reverence isn’t measured by grand gestures but by meticulous obedience to every detail of God’s command. Like Noah, we’re called to build what seems unreasonable, trusting that God’s instructions—even when rainless skies mock our efforts—are for our ultimate rescue. Partial obedience reveals incomplete awe. The ark wasn’t negotiable; neither are the commands Christ gives his people today. [19:04]

Noah did everything just as God commanded him. (Genesis 6:22, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you been tempted to adjust God’s commands to fit your circumstances? What “ark” is He asking you to build with unwavering trust?

Day 2: Approaching the Thick Darkness

Moses walked into the smoking mountain while Israel trembled at a distance. Fear of the Lord draws us closer even when every natural instinct says retreat. Intimacy with God isn’t found in safe, curated encounters but in the trembling pursuit of His presence. The same fire that terrified the Israelites became Moses’ meeting place. What we call chaos, God calls an invitation. [33:13]

Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. (Exodus 20:21, ESV)

Reflection: What “thick darkness” have you avoided that might actually be God’s doorway to deeper friendship? How does His proven faithfulness quiet your instinct to withdraw?

Day 3: Defying Pharaoh’s Orders

The Hebrew midwives chose holy fear over earthly power, sparing babies despite Pharaoh’s decree. Obedience to God often means disobeying lesser authorities. Their courage wasn’t rooted in rebellion but in awe of the One who holds eternity. When human demands conflict with divine commands, fear of the Lord writes our response. [22:12]

The midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them. (Exodus 1:17, ESV)

Reflection: Where do modern “Pharaohs” (cultural pressures, relational expectations) demand compromise? How does fearing God recalibrate your loyalties?

Day 4: Delighting in the Father’s Will

Jesus found nourishment in obedience, calling it His “food.” Holy fear transforms duty into delight, obligation into longing. To fear God is to crave His approval more than comfort’s ease, to savor His “well done” over the world’s applause. Every “not my will” in Gethsemane was a love letter to the Father. [36:14]

“My food is to do the will of him who sent me.” (John 4:34, ESV)

Reflection: What obedience feels like dry duty rather than sustaining bread? How might seeing God as Father shift your perspective?

Day 5: Moving Off the Beach

Like soldiers storming Normandy, believers advance when Christ says “go.” Holy fear trusts the Captain’s voice over the enemy’s barrage. Stagnation isn’t safety—it’s surrender to a spirit of fear. Every step of obedience, whether forgiving or serving or speaking truth, is a beachhead taken in the battle for your soul. [14:52]

Trust in the Lord with all your heart…do not lean on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5, ESV)

Reflection: What “beach” have you been stuck on, paralyzed by what-ifs? What first step will you take today to obey despite the noise?

Sermon Summary

The fear of the Lord is not a spirit of fear that makes people hide from God like Adam did in the garden. The spirit of fear comes from sin, pushes people away, and keeps them at a distance. The fear of the Lord comes from faith and from the Spirit of God revealing who God really is. Jesus Himself delighted in the fear of the Lord because the Spirit rested on Him fully.

The fear of the Lord cannot be squeezed into one little word like reverence. The fear of the Lord is like a diamond with different facets, and obedience is one of the biggest ones. Moses connects fearing God with walking in His ways, loving Him, serving Him, and keeping His commands. Psalm 128 connects the fear of the Lord with blessing and happiness, showing that this is not a fear that makes somebody scream and run away.

The command of God calls for movement when life gets scary. The image of soldiers pinned down on Omaha Beach shows how a command from a captain can move men forward when everything in them wants to stay down. God is not an imperfect captain who might make a mistake. God never fails, never leads His people wrong, and remains worthy of obedience even when His commands feel terrifying.

Noah shows what holy fear looks like. Noah built an ark because God said rain was coming, even when the instructions may not have made sense to him. Genesis says Noah did everything God commanded him. Abraham, the Hebrew midwives, Cornelius, and Moses also show that fearing God means obeying God when other voices, other fears, and other pressures are pulling the other way.

The friendship of the Lord belongs to those who fear Him. The Israelites at Sinai had a spirit of fear, so they stayed at a distance from the mountain and asked Moses to hear from God for them. Moses had the fear of the Lord, so he went into the thick darkness where God was. The contrast is plain: one kind of fear runs from God, while the fear of the Lord draws a person close to Him.

Jesus perfectly obeyed the Father because Jesus perfectly feared the Father. Jesus called the Father’s will His food, His delight, and the reason He came from heaven. Obedience reveals how a person actually sees God. God Almighty, Creator, Savior, Father, and Friend is worthy of obedience.

Key Takeaways

1. Holy fear always moves toward obedience The fear of the Lord is not merely an inward feeling of respect. It shows itself when God says move, forgive, love, stop, or go, and a believer responds. Partial obedience keeps control in human hands, but holy fear trusts God enough to do what He says. [19:04]
2. Sinful fear hides from God Adam hid because sin turned God’s presence into something terrifying. The Israelites also stood far off because fear kept them from hearing God for themselves. The fear of the Lord does the opposite: it exposes sin without making a person run away from the One who can heal and restore. [06:25]
3. God’s commands are for good God does not command obedience because He is trying to crush His people. Moses says that walking in God’s ways and keeping His commands is for their good. Even painful obedience rests on the character of a God who does not make mistakes. [11:35]
4. Obedience opens intimacy with God The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear Him. Moses entered the thick darkness where God was, while the Israelites remained at a distance. Closeness with God is not built by chasing a feeling but by fearing Him and walking in what He has said. [32:43]
5. Jesus makes obedience a delight Jesus did not obey the Father reluctantly. The will of the Father was His food, His life, and His delight. Christ’s perfect obedience shows what the fear of the Lord looks like when it is fully alive, and His example calls believers to see God as worthy.

## [36:14]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:59] - Standing in Awe This Fall
[02:17] - What Is the Fear of the Lord?
[05:08] - Spirit of Fear Versus Holy Fear
[07:27] - Jesus Delights in Fear of God
[10:33] - Obedience as a Facet of Fear
[12:33] - Moving Forward When God Commands
[17:19] - Noah’s Holy Fear and Full Obedience
[20:48] - Examples of God-Fearing Obedience
[23:36] - Where Is Obedience Being Resisted?
[26:39] - Fear of the Lord and Friendship With God
[29:18] - Moses and Israel at Mount Sinai
[35:16] - Jesus’ Perfect Fear and Obedience
[39:17] - Is God Worthy of Obedience?

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 10:12-13
“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?” [10:54]

Psalm 128:1
“Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways!” [11:51]

Exodus 20:18-21
“Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, 'You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.' Moses said to the people, 'Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.' The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.” [31:48]

Observation questions

In Deuteronomy 10:12–13, what actions are connected with fearing the Lord, and what reason is given for keeping His commands? [11:20]
According to Psalm 128:1, how are fear of the Lord, obedience, blessing, and happiness connected? [11:51]
In Exodus 20:18–21, what did the Israelites do when they saw God’s power at Sinai, and what did Moses do differently? [31:48]
What detail about Noah’s response to God’s instructions shows the depth of his holy fear? [19:04]

Interpretation questions

Moses tells Israel not only to fear God, but also to walk in His ways, love Him, serve Him, and keep His commands. What does this show about the kind of relationship God wants with His people? [11:04]
Why is the fear of the Lord different from the sinful fear that caused Adam to hide and the Israelites to remain at a distance? What does each kind of fear lead a person to do? [33:04]
Noah obeyed God before he could see the coming flood. What does his example reveal about trusting God when His command is clear but the outcome is not? [17:42]
Moses entered the thick darkness where God was, while Israel stayed far away. How can obedience become a pathway to closeness and friendship with God rather than merely a religious duty? [34:14]

Application questions

Is there a clear command of God that feels difficult to obey right now—perhaps forgiving someone, loving someone, speaking truth, turning from sin, or taking a step God has put before you? What makes obedience feel costly? [23:48]
When guilt, shame, or fear rises in your life, do you tend to hide from God like Adam or move toward Him in faith? What would moving toward Him look like this week? [06:23]
Noah did everything God commanded, not only the parts that were easy or understandable. Where might partial obedience be allowing you to keep control? [19:21]
God’s commands are for the good of His people. Which command of God is hardest for you to see as good right now, and how does God’s character help you trust Him with it? [11:23]
Think about a relationship where God is calling you to love or forgive. What is one specific, wise step of obedience you could take rather than waiting for the other person to deserve it? [25:31]
Jesus delighted in doing the Father’s will. What might help obedience become less about reluctant duty and more about seeing God as worthy, loving, and trustworthy? [36:14]
God never makes mistakes, even when following Him feels frightening. Where do you need to “get up and move” in faith instead of remaining pinned down by fear? [39:43]

Sermon Clips

43s

#HolyObedience

“Noah didn't do part of what the Lord commanded him. He didn't build the ark sort of in the specifications that God said. He did everything exactly as God said. That is holy fear. When you obey God fully, holy fear. I'm sure Noah had all kinds of questions in his life, But those questions didn't matter at the time. What mattered was obeying what God said because rain was coming. Build the ark, Noah. Get in there and save you and your family. And he did.”

63s

#FearOfTheLord

“The Israelites had a spirit of fear, and they could not draw close to God. Moses had the fear of the Lord, and he went in to the thick where the cloud, the thick of the cloud where God was. The Israelites missed out on the greatest opportunity they had to just experience the presence of God, to hear the voice of God for themselves, And they missed it, because they had a spirit of fear. They didn't fear the Lord. And Moses begs them, just don't be afraid, fear God. Sounds like contradiction. Don't be afraid, fear the Lord. In other words, don't have a spirit of fear. Have the fear of the Lord. One comes from sin, the other comes from faith.”

43s

#DrawNearToGod

“The fear of the Lord is the starting place for a more intimate relationship with him. Do you want to be close to God? You cannot be if you don't fear him. You can't. The starting place to the... To a close relationship, an intimate relationship with him, is the fear of the Lord. It's understanding who he is, because you don't get to make God in your own image. We don't get to decide who God is. God tells us who he is. And as we understand him no more, we go closer with him.”

27s

#ObedienceToGod

“And the aspect we're looking at now, the the facet of this fear is obedience. When God says move, we move. When God says love, we love. When God says forgive, we forgive. And we can find people throughout scripture who are examples of this obedience, this fear of the Lord. And one of the greatest is a man named Noah. Noah.”

29s

#FaithfulObedience

“Am I being dishonest in there and I just justify it because I do? Is there something I need to stop that God has said stop and I just don't? Or is there something I need to start where God said go do this and I'm just unwilling to take that step? If I'm unwilling, I don't have the degree of the fear of the Lord that I should.”

44s

#ObedienceReveals

“So, as I ask the question, do I fear God? A better question probably for us right now is, how does my obedience that I see God? How does my obedience reveal how I actually see him? Do you see God as God almighty, your creator, your savior, your father, and your friend? Do you see him truly that way? And you'll know by your obedience.”

38s

#TrustGod

“Is God worthy of your obedience? See, here's the thing. The saving private Ryan analogy that I used, the only issue with it is those captains, those people, they're imperfect. They make mistakes. They did lead their soldiers into death, I'm sure, time and time again. You know who doesn't make mistakes? Our God. And so when God says obey me, follow me, you can trust that he's leading you the right way every time. And it may hurt, and it may be terrifying.”

42s

#JesusOurExample

“Do we miss it sometimes because we're afraid? But we don't have the fear of the Lord? The Israelites missed it, but Moses got it. So sometimes I like, I wanna be like Moses, or I wanna be like Noah. I'd like to be like all these others, the the the the Hebrew midwives, or, you know, these other people that are mentioned as having this this awesome fear of the Lord. But here's what we do know about them, brothers and sisters. They were not perfect people. None of them did it perfectly. There's only one who had the perfect fear of the Lord. His name's Jesus. Amen? Amen.”

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