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YWAM DTS Notes Lordship and the Fear of God based on lectures by
Ari Sloots Then Jesus said to His
disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up
his cross and follow Me.
25 "For
whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My
sake will find it.
Matt 16:24-25 (NASB)
The cross is not a
burden to bear, but rather an instrument of torture and death. The cost of
discipleship could be my very life. Survive at all costs," is a flawed
philosophy by which to live. "Be faithful to Christ no matter what the cost," is
the philosophy Jesus' disciples came to live by. Missionaries of the nineteenth
century, often packed their belongings in a coffin instead of a trunk so they
would have something to be buried in. They never expected to return.
Furthermore I ought to reckon myself as dead to sin daily, losing my own life in
His. "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but
Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith
in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Gal 2:20
(NASB) The work of Christ on the cross must ever be before me as I follow Him.
Surrender and trust are the way of the disciple of Christ. The same message is
found in Luke.
My progress in
understanding more of Him
Prayer is even more
important than I thought. How I long to know Him more. At night my soul longs
for You, indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently;
Isaiah 26:9
O God, You are my God; I
shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a
dry and weary land where there is no water.
Psalms 63:1
As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So my soul pants for You,
O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and
appear before God?
Psalms
42:1-2 (NASB)
Satan’s strategies
The Enemy would have us
to fear man and to fear him, rather than fearing God. I was reminded again that
Satan loves religion but hates relationship. The demons believe and tremble but
don’t acknowledge truly His Lordship.
Understanding myself
It was an interesting
take Ari had on the carnal and spiritual Christian or the immature and mature in
comparing it to the death on Friday, the grave on Saturday, the resurrection on
Sunday, and sharing with others on Monday as four types of Christians. I have
been a Monday Christian for a long time, but have also had a number of lapses
into earlier types.
To fear the Lord is to
stand in awe of Him. As we surrender, God’s purposes can be done throughout the
earth. God’s primary purpose is to see His Kingdom established on earth Matt.
24:14. Lordship is not just relinquishment of rights but freedom and
surrender. “Jesus is Lord of all or He is not Lord at all.” As I understand
more who He is, it becomes easier to surrender and to obey Him.
The fear of Lord is
reverence for God, not because you are afraid, but because of who He is. Let
all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe
of Him.
Psalms 33:8
My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an
object of reverence; so he revered Me and stood in awe of My name.
Mal 2:5
I will tell of Your name to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will
praise You. 23 You who fear the LORD, praise Him; all you descendants of Jacob,
glorify Him, and stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel.
Psalms 22:22-23 (NASB)
The fear of the Lord is:
- Standing in awe of
who He is
- Hating evil and
avoiding sin
Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid;
for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may
remain with you, so that you may not sin."
Ex 20:20
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and
the perverted mouth, I hate.
Prov 8:13
(NASB)
This involves word, thought and deed.
Sin starts in our thoughts. Temptation ->
thought-> attitude -> action -> habit ->lifestyle -> destiny
For what I am doing, I do not understand; for
I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I
hate.
Romans 7:15
(NASB)
I need to resist evil back in the thoughts
stage. …the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful
for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every
lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every
thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
2 Cor 10:4-5
(NASB) For out of the overflow
of the heart the mouth speaks.
Matt 12:34b
(NIV)
In our thoughts we make choices, “Am I going
to be a servant?” “Am I going to be kind?”
God wants us to be clean in thoughts. Males
are tempted through the eyes.
Sow righteousness and you will reap
righteousness, sow unrighteousness and you will reap unrighteousness.
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for
whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own
flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit
will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Gal 6:7-8
(NASB)
When Potiphar’s wife made a move on Joseph he
fled, even though it was just the two of the them in the house. Does your
private life match your public life? Do I still thing pure thoughts, and love
my neighbor in private? God will judge me according to my actions. When
tempted with my eyes, do I look again? Do I speak against gossip or listen to
it and encourage it? Do I live out of the new man or the flesh? Jesus was
tempted in every way, just as we are, ye He was without sin.
Hebrews 4:15.
Jesus is in me, so I can be free of sin.
Jesus did not come, to remove the flesh but so that we might not be ruled by it,
Gal. 2:20.
Lordship is doing the things God wants us to
do whether we feel like it or not. When we make choices to follow God and
worship Him, often the feelings will come.
If we don’t turn from temptation, there are
consequences. Saul was rejected as king because of disobedience in not
destroying the Ammonites, see II Chron. 20, and Gen. 19 for the background of
the Ammonites and Moabites.
Recommended book: “Intimacy Through the Fear
of the Lord” by Joy Dawson.
Accountability can help in Lordship issues,
especially in struggling with sin and temptation.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation
of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock
and my Redeemer.
Psalms 19:14
(NASB)
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever
is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely , whatever
is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise,
dwell on these things.
Phil 4:8
(NASB)
There is no fear in love; but perfect love
casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not
perfected in love.
1
John 4:18 (NASB)
To fear the Lord means to have God’s attitude
toward sin and a deep understanding of His holiness.
A God greatly feared in the council of the
holy ones,
And awesome above all those who are around Him
Psalms 89:7
(NASB)
The greater revelation we have of His glory,
the less we want to seek our own.
God is holy, there are three reasons why we
should study His holiness:
1.
It is proclaimed in Heaven, And
one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, the
whole earth is full of His glory."
Isaiah 6:3
And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of
eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "HOLY,
HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO
COME." Rev 4:8
(NASB)
Luke 1:35;
Acts 4:27,30;
John 17:11;
Mark 1:8, 24;
Ezek.20:39
2.
The name of the third person of
the godhead is called the Holy Spirit
3.
It is the basis of our respect
for Him. He is the One with the most perfect character. There is security in
His holiness. If you love God, you set aside time to spend with Him, a daily
quiet time.
More than that, I count
all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my
Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but
rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a
righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in
Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I
may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His
sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the
resurrection from the dead. Phil
3:8-11 (NASB)
If you want to see life
change, pursue God.
Our response to evil
Prov. 13:5; 8:13; 14:16 and
Psalms 34:13-14;
97:10; 101:4
If we would truly hate
sin, we wouldn’t do it. If we sin, it may indicate we don’t hate it.
We need a hatred for sin
in thought, actions, relationships, and speech.
1.
Thought life – anything that
consumes your thoughts will consume your life. Our minds should not control us,
we should control our minds, we are the gatekeepers. I need to be ruthlessly
accountable in areas of past struggle. Don’t fight battles alone. The battle
is won or lost in the heart.
Romans 12:1;
Ps. 19:14; 51:10.
Daniel 5 tells of
the writing on the wall, what if God wrote your thoughts on the wall? Are they
thoughts which are critical, judgmental, fantasy, jealousy, envy, bitterness,
anger, covetous? Prov. 16:6;
James 1:13-16;
Ps. 32:1-9.
2.
Relationships- trust can be
broken, relationships must be built on love.
3.
Obedience gives evidence of the
fear of the Lord
John
14:15. Loving Jesus
is a whole hearted commitment to do all He has said. Contrast this with King
Saul in I Sam. 15:1-3, 7-32. Obedience needs to be instant, complete, and
joyful (joyful doesn’t mean happy). Results of disobedience:
·
Lack of intimacy with God, He
resists the proud.
·
Missing our inheritance.
·
Deception – not doing what God
wants, so we miss His counsel.
·
Hardness of heart.
·
Little or no spiritual growth.
·
Frustration
·
Lack of grace
·
Tired
Results of obedience Lev. 26:12:
·
Rest and peace
·
Walking in His call and
inheritance
·
Protection
·
Victory
·
Blessing
·
Intimacy
·
Trust
4.
Speech – wrong communication
always indicates a lack of the fear of the Lord. Whatever is in the heart, will
come out given the circumstance. Honor and respect leadership in heart and
word. Speak positively to others. David still honored his son Absalom who
tried to take the kingdom from him. If anyone does not stumble in what he says,
he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. 3 Now if we put the
bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire
body as well. 4 Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven
by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the
inclination of the pilot desires. 5 So also the tongue is a small part of the
body, and yet it boasts of great things.
See how great a forest is set aflame by such a
small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue
is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire
the course of our life , and is set on fire by hell . 7 For every species of
beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been
tamed by the human race . 8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless
evil and full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with
it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same
mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be
this way. 11 Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and
bitter water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce
figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.
James 3:2-12
(NASB) Gossip – putting a
negative light others, often based on comparison and ungratefulness. Slander –
speaking truth with the intent to hurt. II Cor. 12:20; I Tim. 5:14, and many
Proverbs. Grumbling and complaining – is negativity and ungratefulness,
sometimes trying to get others to agree. Don’t speak negatively and
critically. Often negative speech is related to perceived rights and the lack
of lordship. Sometimes disagreement can just be over preferences. This is
completely different than disagreement over violating clear biblical principles.
“Work out your salvation
with fear and trembling” that is Lordship. Jesus as Lord is mentioned fifteen
times more often than Jesus as Savior.
Have this attitude in
yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the
form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped , 7 but
emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the
likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by
becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this
reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above
every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who
are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phil 2:5-11 (NASB)
Lordship involves:
1.
God’s will and purpose
2.
Hearing His voice
3.
Obedient service
4.
Recognizing His power
5.
His will is done
There are four types of
Christians
1.
Friday Christians know Jesus
died but live a dualistic lifestyle. They have one foot in the world and the
other in the Church. They are not growing, they are still on milk. They are
carnal. Other characteristics: fearful, anxious, confused, unbelieving,
depressed, closed up due to hurt, and weak at overcoming temptation. The
solution Gal. 5:24; Rom. 6:6-7
2.
Saturday Christians know Jesus
was buried but may fail to recognize He has overcome death and overcome the
Enemy, Heb. 2:14.
3.
Sunday Christians know Jesus
rose, death was defeated. They walk in victory, there are battles and
temptations but death and sin no longer have mastery. They live in the fear of
the Lord.
4.
Monday Christians live for
Jesus, they stand up and speak up. They speak against sin. They are world
changers, sharing Christ with others with grace and truth.
You must surrender all.
The Rich Young Ruler was not willing to surrender his riches. Am I willing to
surrender desires, family, fears, food, attitudes, comforts, free time, calling,
country, reputation, rights, and clothing for the Lord?
The difference between
the fear of the Lord and the fear of man
Saul feared man, I Sam.
15:24-31. The fear of man brings a snare,
but he who trusts in the
LORD will be exalted.
Prov 29:25
(NASB)
The fear of man:
- More concerned with
personal recognition, and with people’s reaction rather than God’s.
- More impressed with
the opinion and approval of others rather than God.
- Seeking personal
gain, what can I get out of it?
- Often fail to honor
others because they want to be honored.
- Often don’t tell the
truth, so as to not look bad, there is a lack of openness, afraid to lose
face.
- Driven by acceptance
- May be over
spiritual (pious)
- They live in bondage
instead of freedom
- Ruled by the opinion
of others, or the perceived opinion
- Anxious
- Always looking for
approval
- People pleasers
- Does not correct or
reprove
- Easily embarrassed
- Not teachable
- Defensive
- May have wrong
relationships and walk in sin
The fear of the Lord
- Concerned with God’s
reaction
- Able to honor God
and others
- Gives glory to God
- Real and open
(transparent)
- Free
- Obedient
- Right relationships
- Corrects and
reproves others as needed in love
- Deals with the roots
of sin
- No reputation, not
concerned with looking good in front of others
- Full of faith
- Takes a stand
against evil
The grace, kindness,
grace, mercy, justice, generosity, and love of God are all connected.
How do we deal with the
fear of man and obtain the fear of the Lord? F.O.M. > F.O.G.
1.
Acknowledge we lack the fear of
God
2.
Ask God for the fear of God and
receive it in faith
3.
Walk into our fears, step out in
faith
4.
Make a willful choice Prov.
1:29; Heb. 11:6
5.
Be a seeker of God Jer. 29:13;
Matt. 6:33; Is. 555:6; I Chron. 28:9; II Chron. 7:14; and Matt. 7:7
Additional Scripture
references mostly regarding the fear of God
Psalms 2:11;
19:9; 25:12-14;
34:8-16; 86:11;
103:11; 112;
111:10; 115:1;
119:63; 145:19
Proverbs 1:7;
2:1-5; 3:7-8;
8:13; 9:10;
10:27; 12:28;
14:26-27; 15:33;
19:23: 22:4;
23:17-18
Deut. 10:12-13; Is.
11:2-3; 33:5-6; Eccl. 12:13;
Luke 1:50;
Heb. 12:28; Phil. 2:1-11; 3:7-12; Matt. 16:24-26;
John 12:23-26
Truth confirmed
Jesus has been my boss,
my Lord and Master for a long time. I was reminded to take every thought
captive. I was reminded to hate sin. I was reminded not to fear man but only be
concerned about what will please my Lord.
What God is saying to
me
It is amazing how many
times throughout the Scripture, especially Psalms and Proverbs, the fear of the
Lord is mentioned. How very important it is. I was reminded again to die to
self. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth
and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 "He who
loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to
life eternal. 26 "If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there
My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
John
12:24-26
When Mark from IWT spoke
on Friday night I was reminded that the Lord’s return might indeed be very
imminent, making the work of evangelism in Southern Thailand as well as
everywhere else, very urgent.
Implementation
I must be all the more in
awe of Him, and ask often am I walking in the flesh or in the spirit? Therefore
there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of
the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of
death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God
did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for
sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might
be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the
Spirit. 5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things
of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the
Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit
is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God;
for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do
so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Romans 8:1-8
(NASB
God wants to be honored
with my heart not just my lips. Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the
inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
Psalms 33:8
(NASB) |
