Is the fear of the Lord a shelf war\u00admer with an expiry date or is it still rele\u00advant today? The nor\u00admal reac\u00adtion of a per\u00adson who encoun\u00adters God in His holi\u00adne\u00adss is awe and respect. Whe\u00adre this fear of God is lack\u00ading, God beco\u00admes the means rather than the cent\u00adre of life. Such faith, howe\u00adver, is neither cri\u00adsis-pro\u00adof nor does it lead to a ful\u00adfil\u00adled life. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, our gre\u00adat endea\u00advour should be to encoun\u00adter this God in His majes\u00adty, great\u00adness and glory.<\/p>\n
\tWhat asso\u00adcia\u00adti\u00adons does the term fear of the Lord trig\u00adger in you? Is the fear of the Lord a shelf life with an expiry date or is it still rele\u00advant today? The nor\u00admal reac\u00adtion of a per\u00adson who encoun\u00adters God in his holi\u00adne\u00adss is awe and respect. Whe\u00adre this fear of God is lack\u00ading, God beco\u00admes a means ins\u00adtead of the cent\u00adre of life. Howe\u00adver, such a belief is neither cri\u00adsis-pro\u00adof nor does it lead to a ful\u00adfil\u00adled life.\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7269,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[90],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-heilig-heilig-heilig","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-7260","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"has-post-thumbnail","8":"hentry","11":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nIn the last ser\u00advice of the evening, we were given an insight into the unspeaka\u00adble sto\u00adry of Andre\u00adas H. A few state\u00adments were very impres\u00adsi\u00adve for me: \u00abHeal\u00ading is pos\u00adsi\u00adble. It did\u00adn\u2019t hap\u00adpen for me. God knows why.\u00bb Or: \u00abI am his crea\u00adtu\u00adre. Com\u00adplai\u00adning against my Crea\u00adtor is far from my mind.\u00bb A per\u00adson can only speak like this in suf\u00adfe\u00adring if God is not the means but the cent\u00adre of his life.
\nA nor\u00admal reaction
\nIn the Book of Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon, John descri\u00adbes how he is trans\u00adpor\u00adted to hea\u00adven from one moment to the next. In a visi\u00adon, he sees how the 24 elders, the repre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adti\u00adves of all peo\u00adp\u00adle who fol\u00adlow Jesus, fall down befo\u00adre the holy God, wor\u00adship Him, lay down their crowns and say: \u00abYou are wort\u00adhy, our Lord and God, to recei\u00adve glo\u00adry and honour and power. For you crea\u00adted all things; becau\u00adse you wil\u00adled it, they are here and were crea\u00adted\u00bb (Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon 4:11 NLB<\/span>). We obser\u00adve some\u00adthing simi\u00adlar in other encoun\u00adters with God that are descri\u00adbed in the Bible. God is too beau\u00adtiful, too ter\u00adri\u00adble, too exal\u00adted on His thro\u00adne for anyo\u00adne to remain calm befo\u00adre Him and not pro\u00adstra\u00adte them\u00adsel\u00adves befo\u00adre Him. \u00ab[\u2026] around God is awe\u00adso\u00adme glo\u00adry.\u00bb (Job 37:22 EU<\/span>). The reac\u00adtion to the holi\u00adne\u00adss, majes\u00adty and beau\u00adty of God can only be the fear of the LORD<\/span>. Rever\u00adence, respect, silence, ama\u00adze\u00adment and pro\u00adstra\u00adti\u00adon are expres\u00adsi\u00adons of this fear. Is this still in demand today or is it mere\u00adly a shelf war\u00admer with an expiry date?
\nWhat image do we have in mind when we think of the thro\u00adne of God? Is the holy God still sit\u00adting the\u00adre? If we lose holi\u00adne\u00adss, we also lose rever\u00adence. How fasci\u00adna\u00adting it is that we are allo\u00adwed to approach God despi\u00adte his holi\u00adne\u00adss, even though this should actual\u00adly be impos\u00adsi\u00adble. He is too holy, man is too unholy.
\nI remem\u00adber a Dutch woman during my intern\u00adship in Prat\u00adteln 25 years ago tel\u00adling me how she still addres\u00adsed her par\u00adents by Sie. Also in Switz\u00ader\u00adland, a few deca\u00addes ago, child\u00adren still used the \u00abyour\u00bb (2nd per\u00adson plu\u00adral). Child\u00adren were in awe of their par\u00adents and hard\u00adly dared to make a sound at the din\u00adner table. This unhe\u00adalt\u00adhy atti\u00adtu\u00adde has some\u00adti\u00admes chan\u00adged to one of almost too much fami\u00adlia\u00adri\u00adty. A simi\u00adlar pen\u00addulum move\u00adment hap\u00adpen\u00aded in our churches. A stern, jud\u00adging, aloof God beca\u00adme the loving Father who is hard\u00adly out\u00adlined any more.
\nA new basic attitude
\nUnli\u00adke fear, the fear of God is not a fee\u00adling, but an atti\u00adtu\u00adde. Fear is out of place in an encoun\u00adter with God. Rever\u00adence and ama\u00adze\u00adment towards Him, on the other hand, are not. God is the only being who has the power to crea\u00adte a world full of beau\u00adty and life. HE<\/span> is per\u00adfect, the source of all life. HE<\/span> is the Crea\u00adtor, we are His bel\u00adoved crea\u00adtures. HE<\/span> is the cent\u00adre and not the means.
\nOut of rever\u00adence, we lay down our crowns befo\u00adre God. HE<\/span> is the LORD<\/span>, we are his ser\u00advants. The fear of the LORD<\/span> reflects an atti\u00adtu\u00adde of ser\u00advice and humi\u00adli\u00adty. This con\u00adnec\u00adtion is descri\u00adbed by Solo\u00admon: \u00abRever\u00adence for the LORD<\/span> tea\u00adches peo\u00adp\u00adle wis\u00addom; honour is pre\u00adce\u00added by humi\u00adli\u00adty\u00bb (Pro\u00adverbs 15:33 NLB<\/span>). In the God is Means model, our ego sits on the thro\u00adne, we wor\u00adship it. The focus is on peo\u00adp\u00adle and that they are as well off as pos\u00adsi\u00adble. Jesus is respon\u00adsi\u00adble for ensu\u00adring that I no lon\u00adger have any pro\u00adblems. HE<\/span> beco\u00admes the life insu\u00adrance that imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly comes into effect in the event of dama\u00adge. The ego sys\u00adtem does not lead to life and leads to ship\u00adw\u00adreck at the latest in dif\u00adfi\u00adcult, unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces. One cau\u00adse of this model is the reduc\u00adtion of God to his love and the degra\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon of God to an avun\u00adcu\u00adlar super-good per\u00adson. The Bible calls this foo\u00adlish\u00adness. Fol\u00adly means not being in touch with reality.
\nIn Job\u2019s deepest suf\u00adfe\u00adring, his wife recom\u00admen\u00added that he renoun\u00adce God. Becau\u00adse Job lived with God at the cent\u00adre, he repli\u00aded to his wife: \u00abYou speak like a woman who is foo\u00adlish and god\u00adless. Shall we take the good from God\u2019s hand but reject the bad?\u00bb (Job 2:10 NLB<\/span>). Such a sen\u00adtence can only be said by someone who fears God. The defi\u00adni\u00adti\u00adon of fea\u00adring the Lord is kno\u00adwing who you are deal\u00ading with. We express this atti\u00adtu\u00adde in wor\u00adship becau\u00adse we wor\u00adship what is on our thro\u00adne. Fear of God is an expres\u00adsi\u00adon of God sit\u00adting on the thro\u00adne of my life.
\nA ful\u00adfil\u00adled life
\nPro\u00adverbs 9:10 says: \u00abThe begin\u00adning of wis\u00addom is the fear of the Lord, and to know the Holy One is under\u00adstan\u00adding.\u00bb (LUT<\/span>). The fear of God is the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre cal\u00adled the begin\u00adning of wis\u00addom. Wis\u00addom has not\u00adhing to do with know\u00adledge and intel\u00adli\u00adgence, but with the abili\u00adty to live life to the full. All other truths about life are ine\u00advi\u00adta\u00adb\u00adly based on this foun\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon. Is that why the com\u00admandment \u00abYou shall have no other gods bes\u00adi\u00addes me\u00bb (Exodus 20:3 NLB<\/span>) is at the top of the Ten Words, becau\u00adse it is the frame of refe\u00adrence for ever\u00ady\u00adthing else in life? If you are see\u00adking the wise life, then God must be the cent\u00adre. That does\u00adn\u2019t neces\u00ads\u00ada\u00adri\u00adly mean: rich, healt\u00adhy, suc\u00adcessful. But it does mean: loved, cho\u00adsen, cal\u00adled. That is unspeaka\u00adb\u00adly more!
\nOur ances\u00adtors descri\u00adbed atten\u00adding church as \u00abgoing under the word of God\u00bb. Wit\u00adhout the rever\u00adence of God, we do not do this, but go abo\u00adve the Word. We are the stan\u00addard and the word must ser\u00adve our fee\u00adlings and ego. God\u2019s ins\u00adtruc\u00adtions are only taken as bin\u00adding if they do not go against the grain of my endea\u00advours and fee\u00adlings. If we want to under\u00adstand God\u2019s word for our lives, it is not pos\u00adsi\u00adble wit\u00adhout rever\u00adence for God. The fear of the Lord means that we do not seek our own inte\u00adrests and com\u00adforts, but are pre\u00adpared to fol\u00adlow a grea\u00adter goal.
\nIn one of his psalms, King David brings two verbs into an inte\u00adres\u00adt\u00ading con\u00adtext: \u00abHIS<\/span> agree\u00adment is the one who fears him (jare), his coven\u00adant is to let them know (jada)\u00bb (Psalm 25:14 Buber-Rosen\u00adzweig). In the Hebrew par\u00adal\u00adle\u00adlism, the same thing is expres\u00adsed in dif\u00adfe\u00adrent words in two lines. Fea\u00adring God and reco\u00adg\u00adnis\u00ading God belong inse\u00adpa\u00adra\u00adb\u00adly tog\u00ade\u00adther. Jada is the word for the most inti\u00adma\u00adte form of com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adon. Inti\u00adma\u00adcy with God gives rise to fear of Him, and in rever\u00adence for God we reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse Him more deep\u00adly. New Life trans\u00adla\u00adtes: \u00abFri\u00adend\u00adship with the Lord is due to tho\u00adse who take him serious\u00adly. [\u2026].\u00bb A holy life ari\u00adses from inti\u00adma\u00adcy with God, which we must, howe\u00adver, choo\u00adse and seek \u2013 just as Jesus did. It is not the reco\u00adgni\u00adti\u00adon of our self-made image of God that leads to rever\u00adence, but the direct encoun\u00adter with the com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly different.
\nTho\u00adse who fear God pray dif\u00adfer\u00adent\u00adly. In the film \u00abShadow\u00adland\u00bb, his fel\u00adlow pro\u00adfes\u00adsors say to C.S. Lewis: \u00abNow God has final\u00adly ans\u00adwe\u00adred their pray\u00aders.\u00bb To which Lewis repli\u00ades: \u00abBut that\u2019s not why I pray. I pray becau\u00adse I don\u2019t know what to do. I pray becau\u00adse I\u2019m hel\u00adp\u00adless. I pray becau\u00adse the need sim\u00adply over\u00adw\u00adhelms me, whe\u00adther I\u2019m awa\u00adke or asleep. It does\u00adn\u2019t chan\u00adge God, it only chan\u00adges me.\u00bb Tho\u00adse who fear God no lon\u00adger pray to achie\u00adve their goals, but to immer\u00adse them\u00adsel\u00adves more and more in God\u2019s mys\u00adtery. Inci\u00adden\u00adtal\u00adly, Lewis made his state\u00adment in a situa\u00adti\u00adon in which his new\u00adly mar\u00adried wife was suf\u00adfe\u00adring from a life-threa\u00adtening can\u00adcer. Tho\u00adse who put God at the cent\u00adre of their lives beco\u00adme resistant to crises.
\nThe stream of life that brings the full\u00adness of life springs from the Holy of Holies of the temp\u00adle. The call to holi\u00adne\u00adss is the call to the full\u00adness of life. Nowhe\u00adre else can you find such vita\u00adli\u00adty, such ful\u00adfilm\u00adent, such hap\u00adpi\u00adness, such won\u00adder at the beau\u00adty of God. Are you loo\u00adking for a full life? You will only find it if you seek God\u2019s holiness!
\nA TV<\/span> series is cal\u00adled \u00abBares f\u00fcr Rares\u00bb. Old junk or noble rari\u00adty? The Fear of the Lord is not a shop hand, but a rari\u00adty of incre\u00addi\u00adble value.
\nHow can the fear of the Lord grow among us? When we take God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss serious\u00adly and reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse Him in it! We want to mar\u00advel at this unavailable mys\u00adtery in our wor\u00adship ser\u00advices and thus make His holi\u00adne\u00adss visi\u00adble to us every week. Wor\u00adship is an encoun\u00adter with the very other. This has to be con\u00adside\u00adred and cele\u00adbra\u00adted \u2013 and distin\u00adgu\u00adis\u00adhes a wor\u00adship ser\u00advice from any evening of entertainment.
\n
\nIn Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon 5, John sees two ani\u00admals in a visi\u00adon: a lamb and a lion. Both ani\u00admals are sym\u00adbols of Jesus Christ. The lamb is remi\u00adnis\u00adcent of the many lambs that were sacri\u00adfi\u00adced in the temp\u00adle so that peo\u00adp\u00adle would not have to die in view of God\u2019s holi\u00adne\u00adss. Jesus gave his life for us once and for all for this pur\u00adpo\u00adse. Tho\u00adse who belie\u00adve in Jesus Christ and make Him the cent\u00adre of their lives do not have to peri\u00adsh in God\u2019s pre\u00adsence, but can firm\u00adly count on His grace. Jesus is also the lion. The awa\u00adre\u00adness of His holi\u00adne\u00adss makes us mar\u00advel all the more at His redemp\u00adti\u00adon and makes it enorm\u00adously valuable.
\n
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead the Bible text: Pro\u00adverbs 9:10<\/p>\n
\n\tDoes the fear of God belong to the times of the Midd\u00adle Ages, when the church nee\u00added a strict judge for its claims to power, or does it still have a mea\u00adning today?
\n\tWhat is the dif\u00adfe\u00adrence bet\u00adween fear and the fear of the Lord? Descri\u00adbe the fear of the Lord.
\n\tGod \u2013 means or cent\u00adre? What does this slo\u00adgan have to do with fear of God?
\n\tWhat are the fruits of the fear of the Lord?
\n\tWhat hap\u00adpens in the life of a Chris\u00adti\u00adan when the fear of God is missing?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"