What's God Really Like? Should I be afraid of God | Greg Ford
MESSAGE NOTES
“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” - A.W. Tozier
FEAR
Should I be afraid of God?
Am I safe with God or does God pose a threat?
Understand the reality of the possibility that the enemy can twist the scriptures to create real time confusion or perversion in your life.
In the temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4) Satan twists the scriptures
The tendency to switch analogies of God based on the situation. King, priest, father, judge, shepherd, master,
I count only ten verses in all the Old Testament that refers to God as Father
Hebrew word Yare or Yarit: Awe or Reverence : a high view of God
[Psalms 103:13-17]
The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone— as though we had never been here. But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children
[Proverbs 9:10]
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.
Contrast that to the New Testament, where Jesus refers to God as Father hundreds of times in the Gospels (over 100 just in the book of John) and the Apostles refer to God as Father several times in the remainder of the New Testament.
In Biblical Hebrew ´ab is "father." But in Aramaic ´abbā´ is a word derived from baby-language. As the Rabbis said, a small child "learns to say ´abbā´ (daddy)
Phobos: fear, terrified
[Luke 2:9-11]
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
[Romans 8:15]
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”
Fear is an unhealthy foundation for any relationship, especially your relationship with God.
Relationship & Authority
Father :: Relational to you
Priest, King :: Authority in the world
Hebrews 4…high priest has the authority to pardon you, but the relationship to care enough to understand your weakness
[1 John 4:18]
Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.
[Hebrews 2:17-18]
…it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.
[Hebrews 4:15-16]
This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
What if you knew He was coming back tomorrow…afraid or excited?
Conclusion:
“I read in a periodical the other day that the fundamental thing is how we think of God. By God Himself, it is not! How God thinks of us is not only more important, but infinitely more important. Indeed, how we think of Him is of no importance except in so far as it is related to how He thinks of us.
. . . to be loved by God, not merely pitied, but delighted in as an artist delights in his work or a father in a son—it seems impossible, a weight or burden of glory which our thoughts can hardly sustain. But so it is.” - C.S. Lewis
The strength of your relationship with God is not about your ability to hold onto Him. It’s His ability to hold onto you.
(Luke 15) isn’t about the sheep's ability to find the shepherd. It’s about the shepherds ability to find the sheep.
[I John 4:8-10]
…God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
[1 John 4:18]
Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.
Do you see God correctly?
Do you have any relationships that are built on a foundation of fear?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
-What was your biggest takeaway from this weekend’s message?
-Do you see God correctly?
-Do you have any relationships built on a foundation of fear? If so, how can we correct that?
-As you think about action steps, how can we practically apply this message content in our lives this week?