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Advent HOPE Sabbath School

John Hartman

The Fear of God: How to Stand for God

But I have to say, when my friend Sebastian showed up, my heart beat even faster.

So, glad he's back to visit for just a little bit.

It's been many weeks since I've had a chance to visit you guys here and see the work that God is doing through each 1 of you.

Last time I was here it was earlier this year.

Yeah, the weather and everything conspired to keep me close to home and I was able to hear messages from West Peppers that I would otherwise wouldn't have been able to hear.

But most recently, things that I've heard about Advent Hope is that you guys have dedicated yourselves to serve God 100%.

You guys aren't willing to remain lukewarm.

You guys are wanting to dedicate your lives to God and show His love in every possible way, and that makes me happy.

It always brings me joy to hear of people who seek to follow God's Word in every particular.

And this is the work that's been handed down to me, and this is something that I'm happy to hear about because it means that I have someone that, people that are of the same mind, you know, people I can relate with.

Today I'd like to speak very plainly and practically regarding what it means to have the courage to stand for God and some case studies from Scripture that you may not have considered before.

On the topic of following the truth and avoiding the lukewarm center, I'm not worried that you guys will go too far.

I'm worried that you guys won't go far enough.

I'm concerned that you only see potential for error in other people and not see the potential for error in yourselves.

This is going to be a difficult message and because this is something that I'm not really prepared to share, It's something that I need to hear myself.

I'm gonna ask God to speak through me right now.

Father in heaven, thank you for bringing us together on your Sabbath day.

I don't have much to ask, only that your words will speak through me and be a blessing to the people gathered here.

We want to make a difference in the world around us.

Well, some stories from the Bible come to mind.

I grew up listening to Bible stories and they're like part and parcel of my life.

Perhaps you might remember the story of Joshua, who with the armies of Israel, he told the sun to stand still.

How do you get up in the morning and say, but you know, today, if necessary, I will command the sun to stand still." Like nobody does that.

But yet he completely changed the course of a battle for God.

What about Deborah who went to Barak and his men and said, look, God is going to be with you.

If we're being honest with ourselves, just thinking about these stories of courage is enough to make our own lives seem a little bit lackluster in comparison.

A little voice sometimes whispers in my ear when I hear these things, when was the last time that you were in the lion's den?

Why doesn't your life measure up to this amazing standard?

Would he really pick you to do something cool?

On the other hand, with stories like this, sometimes I'm tempted to think, you know what?

With courage like this, who could stand against me?

The next time I get an opportunity, I'm gonna let that person know exactly where they went wrong.

Or I'm gonna stand for God no matter what.

By the time I leave someone's door this afternoon, they're gonna know exactly why I am there and why I'm here working for God.

Do you hear like the different ways that Satan can take the seed of truth from our hearts?

When we read stories of faith and courage, Satan is ready under the guise of honesty, boldness, or any other ostensibly good principle to snatch the seed of truth from our hearts.

His tools include comparison among ourselves or perhaps a focus on self that twists faith and courage, these good things that we read about in the Bible, into something like pride, something that suits his purpose better.

Those who see and sense this focus on self will be tempted to think, you know, John's doing the right thing, like he's following God 100%, but if it really makes him so petty, is it really worth like, you know, being so dedicated to God?

When I see this example of John being selfish and proud, is it really worth it to dedicate myself to God and to try to seek to follow Him in every particular?

Maybe it's not important to get all the little details right.

God's love is definitely bigger than Satan's lies, but how does he reach down and rescue John?

How does he reach down and rescue the selfish, the proud, and the arrogant?

This is something I'll be studying for the rest of my life as God works with me on my heart, but 1 of the things that he does give us in order to strengthen and temper our faith, our courage, may not look like courage at all.

It might seem strange to say this and I really don't think I have the right word just yet, but I strongly believe that the first thing that God gives us to strengthen and temper our faith is not too far from fear.

Perhaps a better word would be humility or even conviction.

In the Christian Church we make a big deal about not being motivated by fear.

Paul says, for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and of a sound mind.

He's talking to Timothy, trying to encourage him to not be ashamed of the gospel.

But there's still something to be said for a fear that doesn't blind us, but opens our eyes to our true condition.

In context, what I'm talking about today is a different kind of fear.

When you look at situations with biblical proportions, do you feel a little bit afraid?

What if your boat is on the sea and there are waves crashing and the storm is raging, are you are you a little bit afraid?

If Jesus is not in your boat, that is the proper response.

Fear is something that God gives us to temper our faith and courage and show us where the basis of our courage is from.

Someone here in Loma Linda, a poet, wrote this this week in a passage titled A Prayer for mercy.

Reach down and save us, the insignificant ones, the wandering, the lost.

We who cannot face our own fears and so shrink from surrendering to that holy fear which would bring us healing so there's more you can read I can give you the the name and Instagram account later but in the interest of time let's go through a few stories in scripture to illustrate how fear tempers and strengthens our faith we've already mentioned Joshua so let's go there Joshua chapter 1 verse 9 so Israel had just entered Canaan and they were across the Jordan they're standing before Jericho God had led them through the Red Sea, all these miracles, and Joshua was looking and praying by himself, and the angel of the Lord comes to him and says these words.

Joshua chapter 1 verse 9, Have not I commanded thee, be strong and of a good courage?

Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee, whithersoever thou goest.

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The Fear of God: How to Stand for God

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