The Fear of the Lord, The Holy Spirit, and The Word of God

Prophecy of Jesus and the Seven Spirits of God

• Isaiah 11:1-2: A Prophecy of the Messiah

  • There shall come forth a rod from the stem of Jesse (King David's father), and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
  • The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, embodying seven distinct spirits:
    • The spirit of wisdom
    • The spirit of understanding
    • The spirit of counsel
    • The spirit of might
    • The spirit of knowledge
    • The fear of the Lord
  • This represents a complete embodiment of the Holy Spirit in Jesus.

• Connection to Revelation 4:5

  • Revelation chapter 4, verse 5 mentions "seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God," directly linking to the prophecy in Isaiah regarding the distinct manifestations of the Holy Spirit.

The Fear of the Lord: Its Nature and Significance

• Jesus' Delight in the Fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:3)

  • "His delight is in the fear of the Lord." This aspect of Jesus' character is profoundly significant and often overlooked in contemporary church teachings.
  • The Bible consistently emphasizes fearing the Lord, associating it with numerous blessings.

• Defining the Fear of the Lord

  • It is often equated with reverence and submission to God.
  • Proverbs 8:13 provides a precise definition: "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, and arrogance in the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate."
  • This implies an active choice to reject sin and align with God's character.
  • The more one seeks God and surrenders to Him, the more inner cleansing occurs, removing reliance on sinful habits.

• Realigning Christian Perspective

  • A common challenge in modern Christianity is a shift from a "Jesus as Lord/Master" theology to a me-centered salvation focused on "what God can do for me."
  • Believers must realign their thinking to: "This is what God wants me to do for Him." God is the master, and believers are His servants.

• Desires of the Heart (Psalms 37:4)

  • The promise "He shall give you the desires of your heart" should be understood as God placing His desires within the believer's heart, rather than fulfilling carnal desires.
  • The goal is to become Christ-like, aligning perfectly with God's will.

• Nature of God's Promises vs. Worldly Expectations

  • As one delves deeper into the Bible, it becomes clear that God's promises are primarily spiritual, not carnal.
  • They are designed to train the way of thinking and align the believer with God's purposes.

• Example from the Apostles (Acts 5)

  • The apostles, facing persecution and death for preaching the Gospel, are depicted as joyful and honored to suffer for the Lord.
  • This represents a profound realignment where the fear of the Lord enables enduring hardship with joy, a testament to a life lived in accordance with God's will.

• The Fear of the Lord as a Lifestyle

  • It is not a one-time event or a feeling, but a continuous lifestyle of seeking God's individual will and aligning with it.
  • A heart utterly determined to obey God in every situation, even recognizing inevitable mistakes, but always returning to seek and do His will.
  • Trusting God's plan, even when the path is only revealed one step at a time, echoing
    $ext{As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.}$
    (Joshua 24:15).

The Complementary Roles of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God

• Avoiding Replacement

  • Some teachings incorrectly suggest replacing time in the Bible with time with the Holy Spirit.
  • A perfect balance is crucial: reading the Bible and communing with the Holy Spirit are interconnected and essential.

• The Holy Spirit's Role

  • Comforter and Abider (John 14:16): Jesus promised to send the Comforter to abide within believers forever.
  • Helper in Weakness (Romans 8:26): The Spirit assists believers in their shortcomings.
  • Empowerment: The same power that raised Christ from the dead lives within believers, providing complete empowerment.
  • Manifestations (Isaiah 11:2): Provides wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, and knowledge.
  • Guidance in Lifestyle (Galatians 5:16): "Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."
  • Transformation (2 Corinthians 3:17-18): "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. But we all with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."
  • Without the Holy Spirit, there is no empowerment for Christian living or transformation.

• The Word of God's Role

  • Grounding and Equipping: The Bible is essential for grounding believers and preventing them from being "flighty" or easily led astray by unbiblical teachings.
  • Inspiration and Profitability (2 Timothy 3:16-17): "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
  • Instruction and Truth: The Word of God instructs on right and wrong and guides into all truth.

• The Inseparable Partnership

  • The Spirit empowers and the Word equips.
  • One cannot fully embody Christian life without both; neglecting either leads to being led astray or becoming legalistic.
  • "The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." God provides the perfect balance.

• God's Timing

  • Experiencing moments of feeling like "spinning wheels" is often part of God's preparation, not punishment or withholding.
  • He wants believers to be prepared and align their hearts for the next step.

Understanding Holy Fear vs. Evil Fear

• Exodus 20:18-24: The Revelation at Sinai

  • After God gives the Ten Commandments, the people witness thunder, lightning, trumpet sounds, and the smoking mountain.
  • They tremble and stand afar off, saying to Moses, "You speak with us and we will hear, but let not God speak with us, lest we die." This is a fear of apprehension.
  • Moses tells them, "Do not fear; for God has come to test you, that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin." This highlights a different kind of "fear."
  • Moses, having already experienced God in the burning bush and walked in obedience to Pharaoh, draws near to the thick darkness where God was.

• Distinction

  • Evil fear (from the devil): A fear of God, generating distance, anxiety, and a desire to avoid Him. This is often rooted in a "slave mentality." The devil seeks to keep people captive after salvation by tormenting them with fear.
  • Holy fear (of the Lord): Reverence, awe, and desire to align with God's will. It is the understanding that God is number one. This fear produces closeness and obedience.
  • Obedience is key to understanding and walking in the fear of the Lord. It's not immediate but grows through obedient choices.
  • People who remain distant and disobedient often lament the "wilderness" and wish to return to a former bondage, unlike Moses who pressed on.

Abraham's Obedience: A Testament to the Fear of the Lord

• Genesis 22: God Tests Abraham

  • God commands Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, whom he loves, on Mount Moriah.
  • Abraham's immediate obedience: rising early, preparing, and journeying.
  • His profound faith is evident in his statement to his young men: "The lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you" (Genesis 22:5).
    • This indicates Abraham's absolute trust in God's prior promise that his lineage would come through Isaac (Genesis 17).
    • He believed God would either prevent the sacrifice or raise Isaac from the dead.

• The Test and the Outcome

  • Abraham builds the altar, binds Isaac, and stretches out his hand to slay his son.
  • The Angel of the Lord intervenes, saying, "Do not lay your hand on the lad… For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me" (Genesis 22:12).
  • This demonstrates that genuine fear of the Lord is synonymous with radical trust and the recognition that God's ways are superior to one's own.
  • Abraham's readiness to sacrifice his most precious possession highlights that nothing is worth more than his relationship with God.

• Blessings of Obedience

  • God reiterates His covenant with Abraham, swearing "by Myself" (Genesis 22:16) to multiply his descendants like the stars and sand and bless all nations through him "because you have obeyed My voice."
  • This shows that God lavishly blesses those who walk in the fear of the Lord.

Blessings Directly Tied to the Fear of the Lord

• 1 Samuel 12:14: If you fear the Lord, serve Him, obey His voice, and do not rebel, then you and your king will continue following the Lord. Prosperity extends to the land because of your fear.
• Psalms 25:12: "Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses." The Spirit teaches us all things, leading us into perfect righteousness.
• Psalms 31:19: "Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You; which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men!" Fearing the Lord reveals God's goodness.
• Psalms 147:11: "The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy." To be in God's pleasure is a profound reward.

Cultivating the Fear of the Lord and the Knowledge of God

• Proverbs 2:1-11: Practical Steps

  • Receive God's words and treasure His commands.
  • Incline your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding.
  • Cry out for discernment and lift up your voice for understanding.
  • Seek wisdom as you would silver and search for it as for hidden treasures.
  • Only then "you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God."

• The Act of "Inclining Your Ear"

  • As Derek Prince noted, you cannot incline your ear without bowing your head, symbolizing humility and submission.

• Source of Wisdom

  • "For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding."
  • He stores up sound wisdom for the upright and is a shield to those who walk uprightly.
  • This leads to understanding righteousness, justice, equity, and every good path.
  • Wisdom entering the heart and knowledge being pleasant to the soul leads to discretion and understanding that preserve you.

• The Inevitable Link to Scripture

  • To truly fear the Lord to the fullest extent and experience His promises (mercy, blessing on your land), consistent engagement with the Bible is non-negotiable.

• Obedience in Practical Life

  • God's plan is the ultimate authority, even over monetary considerations.
  • Making job decisions, and all life choices, based on God's leading, understanding that He places you in situations for a purpose.

• The Prayer Closet and Hearing God's Voice

  • Diving deeper into God's wisdom involves spending time in a "prayer closet" (a dedicated place of communion).
  • God speaks and puts things in your heart, guiding you on what to do, what to wait for, and where to go.

• Starting Small

  • Even just $30$ seconds of dedicated time with God can lead to minutes, then hours, as your heart begins to taste His goodness and understand reverence.
  • God doesn't demand immediate perfection but seeks a willing heart to incline its ears to His wisdom. His ways are "so much better."

Pride, Worldly Fear, and the Kingdom of Darkness

• The Devil's Counterfeit

  • Just as God calls for the fear of the Lord, the devil uses worldly fear to control.
  • Pride is the root of evil (e.g., Lucifer's fall from heaven), and worldly fear often acts as its driving force.

• Examples of Worldly Fear and Pride

  • Living beyond one's means (e.g., $80,000$ vehicles, expensive trucks) driven by a fear of not being enough or impressing others. This leads to seeking financial security over spiritual alignment.
  • Societal pressures, comparing oneself to others, and the desire to impress (men impressing women, men impressing other men) are all rooted in pride and fear.
  • These forces drive the kingdom of darkness, whereas the fear of the Lord and trust in God drive the kingdom of heaven.

• Obedience and Trust Lead to Goodness

  • Personal testimony of a father's radical obedience, getting out of bed at $1:45$ AM to pray.
  • This obedience, rooted in trust, cultivates the fear of God, which in turn allows one to taste the goodness of God.
  • Once you taste God's goodness, there is no going back, even through catastrophic failures; the knowledge of His goodness provides strength to get back up.

The Revelation of the Holy Spirit and Working Out Salvation

• A Greater Experience Than Moses

  • Moses' reverence for God came from direct experiences (burning bush, Sinai).
  • Believers today experience an even greater revelation: the Holy Spirit lives within them upon salvation.
  • This indwelling Spirit is a transformative experience, changing hearts and lives from the inside out (e.g., the example of a "mean old man" transformed into the "nicest man").
  • This experience fosters deep obedience and trust, leading to an increasing taste of God's goodness.

• Working Out Salvation (Philippians 2:12-13)

  • "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."
  • This means focusing on one's personal spiritual journey and transformation, rather than judging or trying to "work out" the salvation of others.
  • God's desire is to work within believers for His good pleasure, using them for His purposes.

• The Role of Godly Men

  • A call for men to be peacemakers and to "demand peace" and the will of God in their homes.
  • This is not about control but about pleading with God on their knees and declaring the family's intention to serve the Lord.
  • Reaffirming the God-ordained family structure: God at the head, then the man, then the wife, then the children.

Multiplication of the Church Through Fear of the Lord and the Spirit

• Acts 9:31: The Early Church's Growth

  • "Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied."
  • When the Spirit and the Word are combined, and believers align their trust, will, and obedience through the fear of the Lord, the church (which is the people, not the building) begins to multiply.
  • This growth manifests inwardly through personal transformation and outwardly through converts and the building up of other believers.

• Overcoming Ungodly Fear

  • When godly fear (reverence for God) is present, the fear of man dissipates, because one recognizes being "with the King, with the Author."
  • Losing this godly reverence allows ungodly fear and pride to creep in, leading to spiritual decline.

Prayer

• Gratitude for God's presence and Word.
• Request for open hearts and ears to receive God's Word and a fresh supernatural revelation.
• Prayer for heightened sensitivity to the Spirit's voice and guidance.
• Desire to be controlled, counseled, and strengthened by the Holy Spirit.
• Asking for fresh fire and anointing to seek God's things and reach the next level.
• Prayer for continued pressing toward the mark of Christ's high calling.
• Request for the keys to trust and the removal of pride, so that reliance is solely on the Spirit of the Lord and not on personal understanding.