Pastor Larry Adams
The Fear of The Lord
Psalm 34
I. Introduction
A. Anything destructive is possible when people lose their fear of the Lord.
B. We are not to be afraid of God, but we are to fear Him.
C. This is why David said that it was vital that we learn the fear of the Lord. Psalm 34:11
The First and Most Important Lesson of Life is to
Learn the Fear of the Lord
II. What will the fear of the Lord teach us?
A. Through the fear of the Lord, we learn the greatness of His purpose for us. Ps.34:1-3
1. Without God there is no meaningful purpose for our existence.
2. In Psalm 34:3 David reminds us that our purpose is to glorify God and exalt His name together.
a. glorify - "magnify". Make great in size and importance
b. The same thing Paul wrote to the Ephesians Eph1:11-12.
3. Through the fear (respect, honor, reverence, adoration) of the Lord we learn more submission to the eternal purposes of God for our lives. Phil. 2:12-16a
B. Through the fear of the Lord, we learn the power of His presence with us. Psalm 34:4-22
1. Because David learned the fear of God, he had little fear of anything else.
2. Through the word of God and the many experiences of his life he came to know the assurance of God's presence with him in every situation.
a. He learned that God is our Protector. Psalm 34:6-8, 1 Samuel 17:8-47; Psalm 34:15-22
b. He learned that God is our Provider. Psalm 34;9-10; Matthew 6:25-33; 1 Tim: 6:8
c. He learned that God is our Purifier.
Psalm 34:12-16; Psalm 51:7-12
III. Conclusion
Job 28:28; Deuteronomy 10:12-13; Psalm 34:1-3;11