Tabernacle BPC Worship Service 12/5/24 - God's Word is the Rule of Fear

okay let us prepare for pre worship despiration let us pray go uh let us prepare our heart to worship This Time by prayers and S uh himym singing our gracious Heavenly Father dear almighty God thank you for bringing us to worship thee in that centry today May that Spirit help us to prepare our hearts to worship thee we thank thee for carrying us through the week please help us not to take it for granted also thank you for bringing us back to worship you in the Holy Sanctuary even by counting the blessings and the challenges that have just gone over last week we ought to remind ourself and give thanks to all that thou has bestow unto us as we prepare ourself to worship thee please take away the distraction and C of the world so that we may listen attentively to your message May The Healing Hands be upon us and remove the tiredness and anxiety from our mind at this moment we pray that our sing of Praises be an acceptable sacrifice unto thee BR crans us of the tri passes that we have committed so that we can come before thee with the clean with clean hands and Pure Heart To Worship You in spirit and in truth nevertheless we are grateful that we are able to sing boldly of Thy Faithfulness without any hindrances this time we like to pray for Elder ho in sharing the worship service and preacher kers kosi in bringing God's words to us may thou Grant him the spirit thy Spirit to preach forth thy words and also like to pray for sister Esther The Pianist the greeters sister Dorothy and sister Sharon and ashers uncle bhok and brother uh alen as they serve in each respective function we also like to commit the PA and live streaming unto the May brother Gideon uh gon and brother Hector be able to carry the duty smoothly for the Sunday School pray for that wisdom upon the teachers to teach the lessons and the students May learn much from it praying for Pastor kemman Elder John D bonal sister Mimi sister suing sister Bing sister Rea sister Unice as they teach in respective classes please help us continue to pray and watch close to thee for the coming week we pray all this in Jesus most precious and holy name amen okay now we shall turn our hymn books to hym 359 him 359 close to [Music] the my Everlasting portions more than friend all life to me all alone my building shoury savior let me walk with thee close to the close to the close to the close to the say on my P joury Ser let me walk with thee not for it all worldly pleasures nor for fi my pray shall be very will I to and suffer only let me walk with thee Crose to the close to the close to the close to the GR will I to and suffer only let me walk with the lead me through the field of Shadows then me Li fful s then the Gate of life eternal may I end the Lord with the close to the close to the close to the close to thee then the gates of life eternal may I end the Lord with the thanks for singing Let Us prepare our hearts for worship service please remember to silence your devices and get ready for the worship thank you for [Music] [Music] say [Music] for [Music] Hal [Music] very good afternoon to all worshippers greetings in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ blessing the Lord is in his holy [Music] Temple the Lord is in his holy Temple the Lord is in his holy Temple and all the Earth keep Sil let all the of GI before [Music] before Psalm 139 verse1 14 I will praise thee for I am fear F and wonderfully made marvelous are thy works and that my soul knoweth right well amen opening hymn number 27 God the omnipotent let us arise to [Music] sing God the all King who all day thy prayer on the lightning Thy word show for thy py on high where th R Us give to us peace the time oh Lord God the all merciful of had forsaken th ways are holy and SL the Thy word be not thy Roth in his t awaken give to us peace in that time oh Lord God the are rightous one man had be found thee yet to Eternal stand th word foral Su and wrong shall not take beside thee give to us peace in the time oh Lord God the are proud us oh by th Chas name yet shall to freedom and Truth to restor through the thick Darkness thy King D is hastening thou will give peace in thy time oh Lord please be standing for the invocation prayer God omnipotent God all merciful god all righteous god of the all Providence Our God and heavenly father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ oh Lord we come to together as thy people in thy house of worship we worship Thee the th holy God with whom we have to do and oh Lord we love thee we adore thee and we are thankful to thee for sending thy son Jesus Christ to be our savior he shed his Precious Blood to redeem us from our sins and he rose rose from the dead he rose from the grave on the third day and he was victory Victorious over sin over death over the world over the devil he set us free from the bondage of sin he delivered us from Darkness into thy Marvelous Light oh Lord we are thy blood Bor children and even the Precious Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that cleanses us of all our sins and oh Lord we come before thee to worship thee this afternoon and that our worship indeed Lord may be acceptable and holy worship to the praise and glory of thy blessed name hear this our prayer for we ask and pray with Thanksgiving in Jesus name amen [Music] glory be to the father and to the son and to the Holy Ghost as it was in the the beginning is now and ever shall the who without [Music] thenen amen congregation please be seated responsive reading is from the book of Deuteronomy chapter 6 and we shall read responsively from the book of Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 1 to verse1 15 I shall begin now these are the Commandments the statutes and the judgments which the Lord your God commanded to teach you that ye might do them in the land with ego to possess it hear therefore o Israel and observe to do it that it may be well with thee and that ye may increase mightily as the Lord God of thy fathers ha promise thee in the land that floweth with milk and honey thou shallal love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might and thou shalt teach them deligently unto thy children and shall talk of them when they sth in thy house house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up and thou shall write them upon the posts of thy house and thy Gates and the houses full of all good things which thou feest not the wells digged that thou digest not vineard and olive trees which thou that plant not when thou shal have eaten and be full Thou shalt fear the lord thy God and serve him and shall swear by his name verse 15 together for the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindered against thee and Destroy thee from off the face of the Earth may the Lord bless the reading of his precious word our second hymn this afternoon we shall sing savior again to thy dear name hym 42 savior again to thy near name we raised with one the C of pass sing him of Praise once more we bless thee H our worship Seas then l holy leing great Thy Word Of Peace Crown as thy peace up upon the home World way with the began with the shall end the day God thou the from sin the heart shall shame that in this house have call upon thy name gr as thy peace Lord to the coming [Music] night turn thou for us it backness into light from H and [Applause] danger keep thy children free from Dark and Light over like to thee round thy peace true out the Earthly life AB in [Music] sorrow and th save in stri then when thy for shall be the conflict SE call us so Lord to thy Eternal peace we shall present our ties and offerings to the Lord and ask us please come forward to take the offering Banks [Music] for praise God from whom all blessings flow shall we arise praise God from whom all blessings praise s more creatures here below Praise Him of the free Heavenly Host praise Father Son and Holy [Music] Ghost let's pray oh Lord Our God most gracious and bountiful Father in Heaven oh Lord we do acknowledge that all all manifold blessings that you have showered upon us they are from thy good hands bless every cheerful giver and Grant wisdom to the leaders in Tabernacle BP church that the tithes and the offerings that have been collected to be used for the preaching of the gospel and for the furtherance of thy kingdom hear this our prayer in Jesus name we pray amen please be seated before prayer we shall sing uh breathe for Me Breath of God himym [Music] 215 re on Me Breath of God fill me with life new that I may love what th and do what thou W do Breathe on Me Breath of God until my heart is pure until worthy I will I will to do and to and do pre for me breath for god Till I am Holy thine to are this Earthly path of me glow with our fire Divine Bree For Me Breath of God so shall I never die but live with be the perfect life all th [Music] ET let us pray Eternal God our most gracious Mercy ful Father in Heaven oh Lord we want to thank thee once again uh for the return of this blessed day of worship the day oh Lord that you have set apart for Holy worship and become a humbly before thy presence to seek thy face and we come before thee Oh Lord even to want to pray for these items that are listed in the weekly Lord we want to pray for our nation even the nation of Singapore and soon Lord a new prime minister will lead the nation and we pray oh Lord that may the government under the new prime minister to continue to rule by good laws and good policies that are already in place and oh Lord we pray even the for a clean and honest government that would enable thy people even to live in peace and quiet that the freedom of worship in this land may prevail and the free offering of the Gospel that many may hear the gospel to be saved into thy Everlasting Kingdom and oh Lord we pray also even for Tabernacle BP church leaders and people Lord uh even to be of one heart one mind one purpose faithful unto thee true unto thee and to be faithful holy Witnesses unto thee and to be a local church witness to shine for thee and for the Lord Jesus Christ the only savior of sinners in this world and oh Lord we want to pray for the sick amongst us we want to commit to the sister Karen Sister yahwa Sister yaso brother Yahoo sister suong and sister Miriam's mother Mrs swong and we remember also to pray for Mrs H's sister and many of this that have been mentioned oh Lord they may not have immediate relief or no sign of recovery thus far we pray oh Lord that that they will continue to look to the Lord Jesus Christ and he is none other than the God of all Comforts who loves Sinners who gave his life for Sinners and surely Lord in all the afflictions of his people he is Afflicted and in all the sufferings of his people Lord he's suffering with us so Lord we do pray that the sick among us and in armid with the comfort that Jesus is near and Jesus is indeed the near to comfort them and to console them as they go through the trials of afflictions and father Lord we want to pray also for p maritus and sister Rachel they not here today and they're down with the Corona virus Lord we do pray that your hand of healing may be upon them and we do pray for Rachel Lord that she's pregnant with child and we do pray oh Lord uh that she will carry her child in her womb even until through pregnancy and and and even to the end a saved uh delivery of the child and father we want to pray for Daniel returning this Saturday from Hong Kong uh from his uh student Exchange program and we Alo want to pray for Gideon and he will be in France still and we pray oh Lord that you'll be with him and Lord that thou would make him a holy witness for the to reach out to his friends there the Gospel of Jesus Christ father we also want to pray for Reverend Mrs s in Japan brother te Ming and family overseas for safety and protection Lord we also remember our young people who are sitting for the examinations for old L and and old L at psle examinations Lord do commit them to thee that they will truly pray that they will get good grace to glorify your name and now Lord as we open the holy scriptures Lord as this plea that th we speak to our hearts through the preaching of thy precious word and we are thankful to thee Lord you have brought uh preacher conelius to our midst and we do pray oh Lord that you use him Lord to speak through him to us that your word will truly make an impact on our lives that we will live Godly lives to glorify your name so hear this our prayer for we ask and pray with Thanksgiving in the Blessed name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ amen I'll pass the time to preacher Cornelius to speak to us the title of today's sermon is God's word is the rule of fear rich canel a very blessed afternoon I greet all of you in the Blessed name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we thank God for the return of another Lord's day and we thank God for giving all of us sufficient Grace that we may be found in good health in the Lord's House I've also come down with a little bit of a cold and sore throat it you may have sensed that my voice is unusually lower and may the Lord continue to sustain all of us now hearing that preacher maritus and sister Rachel are down with covid now I wonder whether that is something that I might have I started to get a fever late last last night in any case fever or not uh the service of God calls and after this I will just make my way straight out okay we don't Fellowship together as we usually do after don't want to get into too close contact with any one of you well I didn't test that's why I'm a little bit concerned now okay so putting all these aside let us now set our focus on the Lord's word and what he has for all of us this afternoon let us turn our Bibles now to Psalm 19 this is the passage that we will be meditating on Psalm 19 we will begin here and then we will move to the other passages which I would like us to look at Psalm 19 first of all vers 7 to9 very familiar but I want us to focus on that title that we have in verse 9 beginning at verse 7 Psalm 19 verse 7 the law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple the statutes of the Lord are right rejoicing the heart the Commandment of the Lord is pure enlightening the eyes the fear of the Lord is clean enduring forever the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether now we see here six statements two in each of the three verses and all these statements describe none other than God's word each of these six statements have three parts to them let's just take verse seven and the first statement the first part is a title of God's word the law of the Lord and likewise you would see the other titles in the subsequent phrases such as in verse 7 B the testimony of the Lord in verse 8 the statutes of the Lord so six statements each having three parts the first part is a title of the word of God that is followed by a description of God's word as we look again in verse 7A the law of the Lord is perfect is complete not lacking in anything and that follows and that is followed by the third part a characteristic in some cases a special benefit of God's word so the law of the Lord is perfect what's the you so what's the benefit to that it converts the soul the statutes of the Lord are right that's verse 8 a rejoicing the heart so you see this consistent pattern the name of the Lord sorry the name of God's word followed by an adjective or something that describes it and then the benefit of God's word and there are six such statements from verse verses 7 to9 we're not going to look at all of these statements we're going to now zoom in to verse 9 for that is our theme fearing the Lord and do you notice and I'm sure you now immediately realize that verse 9A begins this way the fear of the Lord is clean wow God's word is called the fear of the Lord has that ever struck you that that is one of the many names of God's word we seldom would refer to God's word as the fear of the Lord we sometimes will refer to God's word as his Commandments obey his word we say obey his Commandments and do them open the word of God let's open his Commandments and his statutes to read of them and to understand we seldom refer to God's word as the fear of the Lord but that is one of the titles of God's word the fear of the Lord is clean enduring forever now why is it called the fear of the Lord simply because in God's word we are taught to fear the lord in other words the word of God contains teachings and instructions to fear the lord why we must fear the lord how to fear the lord and everything to do with fearing the Lord that is the sense in all the previous descriptions of God's word beginning the very first the law of the Lord because God's word contains God's law the statutes of the Lord for example or rather the testimony of the Lord scripture contains many testimonies Witnesses examples of God's servants and God's Providence and God's help testimonies of the Lord statutes of the Lord Commandments of the Lord and now fear of the Lord so God's word is called the fear of the Lord simply because we are taught to fear the lord to put this in other words the word of God is the rule the basis the instruction the teaching of fear and such is the title of today's meditation the word of God is the rule of Faith uh of fear rather the word of God is the rule of fear now let us also realize that among all other proper responses to God fear is singled out as one of the titles and names of God's word we should respond to God in love we must respond to God in honor due unto his name with the glory and praise which he is worthy of we must respond to God With Honor as mentioned but here the response that is singled out and emphasized is fear it is singled out as not only a fitting response but also that fitting expression of God's word so it must be one of the out it must be an outstanding response of every believer who is diligent in Reading God's word anyone or rather every believer who read reads God's word must certainly respond with fear of God I would go on to say this as an as a proper observation as well of this title that the word of God and the fear of God are inseparable you can't say I Fear God I Fear God but have no care and concern for God's word neither can you say yeah yeah I read God's word but I don't really bother much about God I am myself the god of my life I have no concern that God is great that he rules over all now one may not actually say such words but in effect they behave that way so the fear of God fear of the Lord and God's word are inseparable no man can claim that he or she fears God if you have no regard for God's word let that be very clear in all of your minds I'm sure if I POs to anyone this question do you fear the lord do you fear the lord you will say yes yes yes what's your proof do you read God's word do you do God's word what is God's word to you um I open it on Sundays sometimes on my phone app if I accidentally open the app or when someone sends a verse then I happen to read it no no no dear Brethren God's word must be part and parcel of every Christian who fears the Lord now I don't want to be too philosophical in what I'm going to say next but we see that the source as well as the result uh Inseparable The Source or the basis the the rule God's word and the result faith I'm sorry I keep saying Faith fear rather as a result is inseparable this is not to say that fear as a reverence to God is the same as God's word no those are different separate entities the word of God and a response of fear but yet the source the basis and the result the response are so closely tied you can't remove one from the other this is the problem with many Christians you ask them why are you behaving this way don't you know that scripture teaches us or gives us the direction to do this or to do that why do you deliberately go down this path or make this decision and then they'll give a whole lot of re reasons and then you challenge and question them but is not this compromising is not this going to lead you to more problems does not God's word say you cannot do this and after a while you ask them brother sister do you really fear the lord in your heart and then they get very offended don't talk to me as if I don't have any love for God don't talk to me as if I don't fear God I also fear God but where is the word of God everyone who fears God must be connected to the word of God no one can claim or no one should ever claim that you are a believer of one who fears God who Reverend God who worships God if you have no care or concern for what his word says the fear of the Lord here the psalmist says is clean enduring forever I do not deny please don't get me wrong that the psalmist really means the word of God here in this passage we need to conclude with that because every synonym sorry every name of God in this synonymous Paralis refers to God's word the law of the Lord the statutes of the Lord the testimony of the Lord so and so forth so the fear of the Lord must certainly refer to the word of God and so here the the psalmist describes the word of God as clean enduring forever that is the description of the word of God as well as the characteristic the word clean is as we have in our English language it can has it can have various senses for example as opposed to dirty something which is filthy a dirty t-shirt versus clean t-shirt that's one meaning of the word clean in the Hebrew language a second meaning has the idea of ceremonial cleanliness such as the things which God has deemed unclean as a testimony of his call for Holiness and separation from the world it can also mean moral cleanliness things which the Lord abhor things which are sinful not according to his Commandments versus things which are upright morally right well pleasing to God such are the various senses or meanings of the word clean in this phrase when it describes God's word it simply means that it is pure there is no fault in it I'm sure many of you know this familiar passage you do not have to turn there Psalm 12:6 the words of the Lord are pure words the word pure is the same word here for clean the fear of the Lord is Cle clean in Psalm 12:6 the words of the Lord are pure words how do you understand pure how do you understand clean as silver tried in the furnace of Earth where all the draws and impurities are removed it is perfect there is no error it is wonderful it is beautiful clean the word of God that is the meaning here and it endures forever now that we we understand that so long as God's word endures forever God's people must also like his word reverence and fear God forever I hope you got that just as the word of God endures forever God's people must never live a second of their life thinking that they are greater or not in need of God's help we must fear the lord so long as the word of God endures which in other words means always fearing God the fear of the Lord is clean enduring forever those are very important observations that we must make of this title of the word of God of all all proper responses fear of the Lord is singled out which tells us it is an extraordinary an exceptional response that every believer must always have continually this is in no way trying to suggest that fear is better or greater than love or that fear is better or greater than honor and praise I do not think this is the point of the psalmist but simply to show us that Inseparable relation between God's word and those who read his word must respond in fear so the Inseparable relation between God's word and our fear of the Lord with this understanding pardon with this understanding let us now turn to another portion in the Book of Psalms Psalm 111 and we are going to enter even more familiar territory we're going to encounter phrases that perhaps all of us have Once Upon a Time memorized and are able to recite Psalm 111:10 now do not forget fear of the Lord is a title or name of God's word now let's look at verse 10 the fear of the Lord by the way this is 111:10 the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his Commandments his praise endureth forever the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom now is this phrase the fear of the Lord a reference to a believer's response that is in reverence of God or is this title the fear of the Lord a reference to God's word what do you say after reading verse 10 I think we have the interpretation for us the context is all about God's word if I begin at verse 7 onwards The Works of his hands are Verity and judgment all his Commandments are sure they stand fast forever and ever and are done in truth and upright rightness he sent Redemption unto his people he ha commanded his Covenant forever holy and reverent is his name the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his Commandments his praise endureth forever now we have in verse 10 Again a kind of synonymous Paralis however if you take into the last into consideration the very last phrase his praise endurer forever one may also call this a kind of Paralis called synthetic Paralis now I do not wish to go into the nitty grils of all these various poetic devices in the Hebrew tongue however it is sufficient to know that the first part of verse 10 par parallels the second part of of verse 10 the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his Commandments now what is similar in ver in that first part versus the second part looking at the phrase the beginning of wisdom it parallels the next phrase a good understanding I hope you're following the beginning of wisdom parallels a good understanding and the fear of the Lord parallels all they that do now you would also notice in your King James translation the phrase his Commandments are in italics that tells us that it is not in the original language but is supplied for our proper understanding so it simply reads this way a good understanding have all they that do the fear of the Lord parallels this phrase have all they that do can you do a fear but you certainly can do God's word that is to do his Commandments to keep them to obey them the phrase the fear of the Lord not only by interpreting in the parallel statements but also in the greater context as we read from verse 7 shows us that again the word or the phrase the fear of the Lord describes God's word yet at the same time we cannot deny the fact that is so linked so connected remember Inseparable with the response of fear everyone who fears the Lord will do his Commandments the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and a good understanding have all they that do his Commandments and therefore also everyone who fears the Lord will certainly praise the Lord if they do his Commandments they would also desire to praise the Lord so when we see such passages we must be mindful to realize that this title firstly describes the word of God and it is also correct to say that this phrase tells us of the response now some of us may be thinking oh but many times when I've maybe taught this to the children the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom or the beginning of knowledge we're going to go there later in Proverbs 1 we've often explained this as that reverence of submitting yourself to God's authority of humbling yourself not thinking that you're so smart not thinking that you're so great being very aware that you are in need of God's wisdom in Saving you that is his Grand Redemption plan and in day-to-day life that we need God's help we must fear the lord with that understanding that he must help us only then can he direct us if we think we're so great so wise that we are greater than God ah that is trouble we block away God's word and his advice now that is also well and good but in certain context as we have seen in Psalm 19 and here in Psalm 111 we cannot miss the fact that the fear of the Lord refers here to God's word now that explanation let's now turn to Proverbs 1:7 many of us have memorized this Proverbs Chapter 1 Now read from verse five onwards a wise man will hear and will increase learning and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels to understand a proverb and the interpretation the words of the wise in their dark sayings the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise wisdom and instruction in verse 7 here we see an example of opposite statements yeah the poetic device here is usually called antithetic parallelism that is clear with the word but again supplied in italics for us that tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge contrasts with the next statement fools despise wisdom and instruction over here the fear of the Lord is contrust is Con sorry contrasted with fools did you see that the fear of the Lord is contrasted with fools beginning of wisdom is similar to dis uh is contrasted with despising wisdom and instruction in other words here a fool is one who rejects the word of God which reveals to him God's the rule of fear every fool would tell himself I do not need God's word what's the point of reading it every day I hear the same things over and over again on similar things I already know that's a fool now there are many fools in our day and age as is sometimes called by some pastors intelligent fools they may be Scholars of our society they may be really smart and educated maybe smarter than every one of us here but that same intelligent person may be a Greatful in the eyes of the Lord if he has no regard for God's word and that is the sense we see even in the context if you see in verse well I actually just read from verse 5 but look at verse three onwards to receive the instruction of wisdom it has all to do with words words of wisdom of Justice judgment and Equity then in verse 5 a wise man will hear and will increase learning so it's all about hearing receiving understanding the word of God which is called the fear of the Lord now to all of us including myself who have Once Upon a Time explained this verse as a reverence to God it is not wrong as I mentioned a while back simply because one cannot have a reverence to God without God's word you do not know who is god without God's word you do not know how to respond to him without God's word you don't know how uny and Tiny you are how sinful and helpless you are without God's word in other words we can also say to reverence God means that we must always be connected to his word only then can we begin to understand his word to think that we are so great and not giving God the honor the reverence the respect that he is the great God is to push away his word but everyone who extols God as great picks up his word and read oh God is great I want to follow him he's my shepherd is my guide he tells me and instructs me to walk in the paths of righteousness I want to do that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and only the fear of the Lord sorry only God's word can in instill in us a proper fear of God you see that flow of thought by hearing by receiving one gets the words of God let's turn to the end of this chapter Proverbs Chapter 1 that same chapter now verses 29 sorry before that let me go to chapter 2 verse 1:5 first chapter 2: 1 to 5 I'll come back to chapter 1 vers 21 29 later on let's go to chapter 2: 1 to 5 my son now notice that paternal care which Solomon here writes my son if thou will receive my words and hide my Commandments with thee so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom and apply thine heart to understanding yay if Thou criest after knowledge and liftest up thy voice for understanding if thou seekest her as silver and searches her as for hit Treasures then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God once again we cannot miss the fact that the parallel the parallel statements show us that the fear of the Lord is lik UN to the knowledge of God and Solomon has been saying to his son hear these words receive these words in other words do them apply them into your heart and be desperate to know more or cry out if thou cry after knowledge Lift us up thy voice for understanding if you would seek God's word like you seek after silver and money in this world then you will receive it and get it you see the source and the result are found together I'm not trying to say that there's no element of reverence in this statement surely there is but again it goes back to the fundamental point I hope you have you're starting to see it and are also convinced of this no one can have a any fear of God even though you think you have without God's word if you do not give yourself to the habit of listening receiving doing yearning after it seeking after instructions you can forget about fearing the Lord you will just do what you want you are your own God I hope that is very clear then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God with that understanding let's go back to chapter 1 verse 29 I think it becomes a little bit clearer for that they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord again if you want to say that the fear of the Lord here means reverence for God I do not want to say that you are wrong but you would miss the greater fact here that they reject God's they hate knowledge also because or simply because they also hate God's word and it also follows as a coroller that they have no fear of God you see how while these two aspects The Source the rule the basis the word of God and the response are distinct yet they are inseparable the word the fear let me say that again the word of God must be the rule of fear in all our hearts recently I had the chance to meet two different individuals anything by God's Providence these examples are relevant for our consideration this afternoon the first individual was a man who I would say I grew up with he is way older than I am 15 years ahead of me but having grown up in the church together I would call him uncle and he would do on me while I was growing up you know we had a a nice born together in the Lord Brothers in the Lord in Christ but there was always that streak of of Pride which I observed in him growing up always wanting to do what he wants in the church and I have also heard him telling others and also in his private conversations to me of how he feels that he should have been appointed as a deacon in the church but he's very disappointed that the elders that or no one nominated him as a deacon and towards the end of our friendship now of course I'm going ahead he has left the church he told me over a phone call I remember this very clearly I was in university at that time you don't have to listen to your dad all the time okay you must learn to be independent and make assessments on your own not everything that your parents say You must do that's a very dangerous thing for someone in the church to advise not just a child but a pastor's child for that matter very very bold you can see that streak of Pride that he has in him now he left the church and he left very bitterly nothing against me as mentioned he used to do on me but feels very angry with every other one in church interest by God's Providence I would say I bumped into him at our church premises just a few days ago it was just last Lord's day as many of you know get is at Singo Center so he came to Singapore Center and I was having lunch and I saw him and immediately I called out to him uncle and then I addressed him and he turned around wow no longer this handsome looking man he now has long hair now he is a mixed dude so it's half Caucasian and half Chinese and he has that mix look very tall quite bulky looking and long hair totally very different from how he was last time and he immediately say hey y I know you're here actually thought that I would bump into some of you here are youall still worshiping in the afternoon at that time when he was with us we were in an afternoon service I said no we are now in the morning service in fact we have two services and uh yeah we are all still here where have you been and he didn't want to say he is not attending the church then he says don't worry about me I still love the Lord I'm still in the ministry wow big word ministry so I as oh you're in the ministry what are you doing oh I reach out to anyone in the street you know sometimes when in the street people who are down and out they will come up to me and ask I've never I've never understood how people in Singapore would just come up to a man to ask him a question but he says people will come up to ask him him oh how come you are so fit and you still look so good though you are about 40 plus of 50 and then he will say yeah our body then he would tell them our body is the temple of God we must keep it fit and healthy but he does not go to church he has no care for God's word in fact he in that in that same conversation last Sunday he says I'm very angry with all of you in Gethsemane all of you are whitewashed seers wow very strong statements against everybody in the church all of you are hypocrites oh but he is the only non- hypocrite or righteous one going around the streets claiming that he is a lover and worshiper of God that he fears God but he doesn't go to church where was he grocery shopping at Singo Center on a Sunday morning his wife was in was in church a different Church well it's a pitiful state of how such prideful fellas break up even their families and marriages their children I saw the child of his who when they left was just a young child in the children's ministry of our church but now he's a young youth taller than I was bigger than I was very very strongl looking boy but so sad they claim they fear the lord but where is the word of God they claim they love the Lord where is the word of God they're not doing them they have no care for it in fact they hate the word of God because the word of God exposed them so it turned out I did not know why he left the church but he told me that everyone was pointing or finding fault with him oh we don't do such things but because he was he was doing some things in his business and making some decisions in his family which was not right some loving Brethren out of concern mentioned and he said well these people are whitewashed that because they are they are so critical but he himself hated the knowledge he hated the word of God which clearly said you can't do this be careful of this how dare he claims he fears the Lord rubbish Falls lies no one who says he fears the Lord will disregard God's word you understand everyone who loves God's word will obey and do it then we know that person fears the Lord the evidence of it is in your obedience is in your keeping is in your doing of all of God's word staying again with chapter 1 verse 29 wanted to share yet another example recently also I managed to talk to a young man very bitter though he didn't Express that bitterness outwardly but very upset with Godly advice that was given to him he says that if I have listened to my own ideas if I have just did what I want and did not care so much for what godly people have told me with basis from God's word I think I would have been more successful in life today look at me now I'm here in this situation simply because I listen to Godly advice and godly counsel which was given to me if only I had gone my own way basically that's what he was saying I would not be in this situation today and I would be better off spiritually lots of resentment lots of anger lots of challenging of God's Authority disregarding how God has used Godly men in his life to give him Godly counsel Godly knowledge but today the people who hate the knowledge and wisdom of God cannot be given any empathy as if to say oh yeah maybe we have heard we shouldn't have given you that Godly counsel or that Biblical advice you are right no God's word endureth forever and every time God's word is insisted we must fear the lord we may not be able to make sense why God allowed certain situations to happen that way for example if a young man is thinking of a job and he's given many prospects but he sees one particular job which pays very well perhaps even five figures a month would then endanger his spiritual life by putting him in compromising situations whereas another lower paying job with lower prospects but he is sure of his service in the Lord in that particular vocas and then he chooses that then goes through a very rough patch in life perhaps he he's even retrenched perhaps he loses his job would he now say what stupid advice I got I should have just gone down that route if only I went down that roote then only I would be in a better place but he made that choice because of God's word and he should stick to it those who reject God's word despise the knowledge he may have accepted it at one point but so angry with his acceptance so regretful a I wish I didn't do it these people lack the fear of God in their hearts because the word of God is now absent they have also removed themselves from God's word they have stopped reading God's word they have stopped thinking of what God demands but now think about what they want you see how God's word and the reverence for God are so linked you stop reading God's word you would start departing from God you care less for God and if you read God's more certainly you can't help but stay under his authority though you cannot make sense of why circumstance is like this today yet you have you can't help but say God I fear you as my king my leader the one who guides my foot steps please guide me forward that is one who fears God he is so in tune with God's word the word of God must be the rule of Faith let not any brother or sister in this church be so bold to say that I am a fearer of God I love God also so now listen to me wait a minute stay under God's Authority stay under his word that's what I mean and his word demands that you follow biblical order you don't think that just because you fear the lord you know a little bit of Bible passages youve attended this course it doesn't mean you are now ready to lead the church or to think the way you want to think stay under God's word make sure that what you have understood is correct everything has to be in accordance to God's word may every one of us here esteem God's word so highly let it never be apart from us but ever be so closely connected to us then only can we have a proper reverence and fear of God to see God as great and we as small to see him as our creator we as the created beings not being able to challenge our creator to say to our God God you have saved me I want to serve you with my life such responses will never come out of any man who is apart from God's word and that is fearing the Lord to respond correctly to the god of the Bible may the Lord help us that as the word of God endures forever as we read the fear of the Lord is clean enduring forever so likewise all of us Brethren would also fear the lord continually forever the fear of the Lord is clear enduring forever our final Hymn for today is thank you it said brother new him so seated as we are we will have our pianist play for us once through and after we have heard the tune I would ask that we all arise to sing the hym the word of God which never shall cease never shall cease him 233 seated as we are we will first listen to the tune and as we listen to the tune let us also think of the lyrics which talk about the enduring nature of God's word may we also take away the lesson that so far as God's word endures we want to also continually fear the lord the word of God being the rule of fear pianist [Music] please be and and let us all arise and we shall sing all five stanzas the word of God richness shall ceas proclaims fre paron Grace and peace salvation CHS In Christ Alone the perfect will of God makes known this holy word exposes sin convinces us that we unclean points out the wred ruin state of all mankind both small and great it then rals God's boundless Grace which justifies our sinful race and gives eternal life to all who will accept the gopel call it gently heals the the broken heart and heavly riches death impart unfolds redemptions wonderous plan through Christ atoning death for men oh God in whom our trust we place we thank thee before Thy Word of Grace help us his precepts to oy till we shall live in Endless day let us close with a word of prayer Our Father in heaven we indeed give thee thanks for the word of God which we have in our hands perfectly inspired perfectly preserved the word of the Lord is perfect there is no error in it and as we receive such a pure word of God in our hands may we not hold it as if this is for the pastor or for the elders or for the more spiritual ones to read but may we take it as ours for in it we find personal commands and encouragements which are meat and fit for every situation in life all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for reprove for correction for instruction that the man of God may be perfect thly furnished unto every good word and we pray that as we have the word of God in our hands that we would hear it receive it just as Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God may we also having heard today's message realize that a proper fear of God can only come by hearing the word of God for the word of God is called the fear of the Lord and it is the basis of how we must organize our life we do not want to do anything in our life based on what we want but based on what thou has revealed for us in thy word so help us to realize that we are helpless without thee that we need to stay under submit our eles to thy Authority and that only can be a proper response of every believer oh Lord May thou be with us all may every believer May every brother and sister of Tabernacle BP be one that fears the Lord continually upholding the word of God and just as the word of God endures forever may all of us continually to fear continually fear Him yeah our prayer in Jesus name [Music] amen amen [Music] amen amen please be seated Elder hope would come up shortly to deliver the announcements for this Lord's Day [Music] we thank the Lord for the faithful preaching of God's word a very warm welcome to Tabernacle BP Church in corporate physical worship as well as uh those that are worshiping online refreshment and fellowship downstairs after the worship service and please turn to page four for memory verse for the week page four at the bottom of page four and we shall read the text and uh the reference twice 1 Corinthians chapter 1: 10 let's read together now I beseech you Brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment One More Time 1 Corinthians chap 1: 10 now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment amen page seventh of your weekly children's Bible Camp from the 3rd of June to the 6th of June and uh it will be held in loang at loang seille Bungalows right uh please register by the 19th of May and contact persons uh sister sh and Tammy she may care 15th anniversary uh Fellowship gathering on the 18th of May at 10:30 a.m. at C C Care Center level to Chapel and our pastor will be speaking and thirdly uh add out Bible study at the home of brother bhaw and sister Karen this Saturday and page eight of your weekly abonia fellowship and sharim meetings this Saturday details please refer against the uh weekly and Friday night the bible study on the book of Jeremiah by our pastor at 8:15 and p.m. and Tuesday night prayer meeting will be held at uh fvbc Hall and also on Zoom that's all I have for you and uh all Sunday School classes will commence at 5: p.m. and we shall sing uh the Lord bless you and keep you [Music] the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord his count upon you and give you peace and give you peace the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be graceous unto you be gracious the Lord be gracious gracious onto you [Music] very good afternoon to everyone and God bless [Music] J [Music] yes [Music] spe back

Channel: Tabernacle Bible-Presbyterian Church

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Length: 96min 59sec (5819 seconds)

Published: Sun May 12 2024