06/20/2003 Sabbath Meeting Transcript

Tonight I would like to talk about the Fearing of Yahweh

Should we fear Yahweh?

Some say that we need not fear Yahweh, for He is love and a loving Elohim would never want to harm us or judge us.

Is this saying compatible with scripture?

Scripture plainly teaches that one must fear Yahweh.

Fearing Yahweh is a requirement.

Deuteronomy 10:12 - And now, Israel, what doth YAHWEH thy Elohim require of thee, but to fear YAHWEH thy Elohim, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve YAHWEH thy Elohim with all thy heart and with all thy soul,

Fearing Yahweh means not fearing man

Deuteronomy 13:1 - If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,

Deuteronomy 13:2 - And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other elohim, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;

Deuteronomy 13:3 - Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for YAHWEH your Elohim proveth you, to know whether ye love YAHWEH your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul.

Deuteronomy 13:4 - Ye shall walk after YAHWEH your Elohim, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

We should rather, fear Yahweh in such an instance

When we fear Yahweh, we will want to love Him and depart from pride and evil:

Proverbs 3:7 - Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear YAHWEH, and depart from evil.

Exodus 12:13 - And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 - Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear Elohim, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Some say it's just our duty to have faith only

"Just believe" they say

But we should know better

Fearing Yahweh is a key part of the true glad tidings:

Revelation 14:6 - Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting evangel to preach to those who dwell on the earth--to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people--

Revelation 14:7 - saying with a loud voice, "Fear YAHWEH and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water."

But the true evangel calls upon men to fear Him

When we fear Yahweh, we are taught His ways because we are brought to repentance and taught to walk in the truth:

Psalms 25:12 - What man is he that feareth YAHWEH? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.

Psalms 103:13 - Like as a father pitieth his children, so YAHWEH pitieth them that fear him.

Psalms 103:14 - For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

Psalms 103:15 - As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

Psalms 103:16 - For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

Psalms 103:17 - But the mercy of YAHWEH is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;

Psalms 103:18 - To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

Yahweh can then take pleasure in us

Psalms 147:11 - YAHWEH taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

Those who fear Yahweh will give thought to hoping in His mercy

Without fear, what need is there for mercy?

It is truth that Yahweh's mercy is upon those that fear Him:

Luke 1:49 - For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

Luke 1:50 - And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

Malachi 3:16 - Then they that feared YAHWEH spake often one to another: and YAHWEH hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared YAHWEH, and that thought upon his name.

Malachi 3:17 - And they shall be mine, saith YAHWEH of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

Malachi 3:18 - Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth Elohim and him that serveth him not.

Continuing..

Malachi 4:1 - For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith YAHWEH of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

Malachi 4:2 - But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Malachi 4:3 - And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith YAHWEH of hosts.

Malachi 4:4 - Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

In that day it shall be known who serves Yahweh and who does not serve Him

Satan has muddied the waters, confused right and wrong, and decieved millions into thinking that Yahweh loves, therefore he won't really judge the sinners (remember his old lie.. "ye shall not surely die"!)

But the same Elohim who loves all mankind is coming back to judge those who do not fear Him and keep His commandments! His commandments show us how to love Him!

Yahushua first came as a Lamb but will return as a LION

There are some scriptures, which may appear on the surface to be saying we need not fear Yahweh. Let's examine them

2Timothy 1:3 - I thank YAHWEH, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;

2Timothy 1:4 - Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;

2Timothy 1:5 - When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.

2Timothy 1:6 - Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of YAHWEH, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

2Timothy 1:7 - For YAHWEH hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

The next verse makes it very clear that what is at issue here is not the fear of Yahweh, but the fear of man:

2Timothy 1:8 - Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Master, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the evangel according to the power of YAHWEH;

Let's examine another scripture:

Hebrews 2:11 - For both He who sets apart and those who are being set apart are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,

Hebrews 2:12 - saying: "I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You."

Hebrews 2:13 - And again: "I will put My trust in Him." And again: "Here am I and the children whom YAHWEH has given Me."

Hebrews 2:14 - Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

Hebrews 2:15 - and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

If we are walking as Yahshua walked and we truly believe that Yahshua is the Messiah, should we have any reason to fear death?

Philippians 1:21 - For to me to live is the Messiah, and to die is gain.

Romans 8:12 - Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

Romans 8:13 - For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Romans 8:14 - For as many as are led by the Spirit of YAHWEH, they are the sons of YAHWEH.

Romans 8:15 - For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

In fact, we must reckon our bodies dead already and ourselves alive in Messiah

We must through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body, dying to self that we might live

Now let's examine one more area of scripture:

1John 4:12 - No one has seen YAHWEH at any time. If we love one another, YAHWEH abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.

1John 4:13 - By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

1John 4:14 - And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.

1John 4:15 - Whoever confesses that Yahushua is the Son of YAHWEH, YAHWEH abides in him, and he in YAHWEH.

1John 4:16 - And we have known and believed the love that YAHWEH has for us. YAHWEH is love, and he who abides in love abides in YAHWEH, and YAHWEH in him.

1John 4:17 - Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

When this is the case, then we have no reason to fear damnation in the day of judgement.

If we love Yahweh, we will have no reason to fear His torment:

1John 4:18 - There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

There is no fear in love. Now here is the key question. How do we love Yahweh?

Deuteronomy 7:9 - Know therefore that YAHWEH thy Elohim, he is Elohim, the faithful El, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

John 14:15 - If ye love me, keep my commandments.

This is written in the following scriptures:

1John 4:19 - We love Him because He first loved us.

1John 4:20 - If someone says, "I love YAHWEH," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love YAHWEH whom he has not seen?

Not all who claim to love Him actually do

Therefore they SHOULD fear

I've heard it said this way once:

Most of us love the water

Water gives us life and cleanses us

But water is also to be feared if we don't obey the rules of the water

We can swim in the water, but if we break the rules of the water.. it can kill us

It has the power to give life, and also death..

Even so with Yahweh

Yahweh gives us life, and has the power to give us death

When I say death I mean eternal death and damnation

So let's heed His rules !

If we are without sin, we have perfected love toward Yahweh.

1John 5:1 - Whoever believes that Yahushua is the Messiah is born of YAHWEH, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.

1John 5:2 - By this we know that we love the children of YAHWEH, when we love YAHWEH and keep His commandments.

1John 5:3 - For this is the love of YAHWEH, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

But we should fear Yahweh, for He has the power to give both

The problem today is, people don't have any fear of Yahweh when they have sinned

Rather, when they sin..they care not because they think they have no reason to fear

But we must fear Yahweh and keep His commandments .. else we really don't love Him

This is what is lacking today brethren!! Fear of Yahweh!

If a person truly fears Yahweh, then they would be careful about doing anything to offend Him.

Would one who fears Yahweh say: "I know this is wrong, but He has mercy on me and so He doesn't mind if I (insert falsehood/sin here)?"

This is not love and this is not fear of Yahweh

Indeed, it is out of a lack of fear toward Yahweh and a gigantic fear toward man that causes millions to not accept any doctrine that is scriptural and not mainstream

It is out of a lack of fear toward Yahweh and a fear of man that many will not walk the narrow path that results in persecution, ridicule and mockery

But we should expect the persecution. The most righteous man that ever walked the earth lived 2000 years ago and they hung him on a tree!

Yahushua said we aren't to fear man, but fear Yahweh!

Matthew 10:27 - What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.

Matthew 10:28 - And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Isaiah 66:5 - Hear the word of YAHWEH, ye that tremble at his word; your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let YAHWEH be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.

Rather, we hear the boasting of men..that they do not care that they have sinned because they believe it is all 'under the blood' and they boast that they are 'saved' and that Yahweh doesn't care if we do this or that

They think Yahweh is this vending machine.. up goes the prayer and out comes the forgiveness. Or worse yet, dump the tithe in the pot and out comes His forgiveness!

Yahushua taught that it is only those that endure to the end who are be saved.

Matthew 10:22 - And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

1Corinthians 10:12 - Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

Luke 21:36 - Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Indeed if we have no sin, and have repented of our sins we need not tremble..but if we have sin..fear Yahweh and repent for your sin was not of love

Consider for a moment... If we really fear Yahweh and know that His eyes are beholding our actions and thoughts at all times, would we sin?

Would we sin if we really feared Yahweh like we should? What would change in our lives?

I once spoke with a person that was having a struggle with a particular sin in her life

So I told her what might happen if Yahushua the Messiah appeared to her as He is described in Revelation:

Revelation 1:12 - Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,

Revelation 1:13 - and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.

Revelation 1:14 - His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;

Revelation 1:15 - His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;

Revelation 1:16 - He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.

Revelation 1:17 - And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.

Would she stop? She said yes

So often.. when we sin, we need more of a fear of Yahweh in our lives. We take advantage of His mercy and grace and lack the fear we need to depart from evil

Job 28:28 - And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of YAHWEH, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

1John 3:4 - Whoever commits sin trangresses also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law.

Hebrews 13:8 - Yahushua the Messiah is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

May Yahweh bless you and have mercy on us all!