Transcript: Overcoming Eternal Death: The Power of Fearless Faith in God

Music Music Today, in this Word of God, we are going to address and see why no true fear of God before one's eyes is an eternal death sentence. We will begin in the book of Psalms, chapter 36, beginning in verse 1. Everything they say is crooked and deceitful. They are no longer wise and good. They lie awake at night to hatch their evil plots instead of planning how to keep away from wrong. Your steadfast love, O Lord, is as great as all the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your justice is as solid as God's mountain. Your decisions are as full of wisdom and the oceans are with water. You are concerned for all men and animals alike. How precious is your constant love, O God! All humanity takes refuge in the shadow of your wings. You feed them with blessings from your own table and let them drink from your rivers of delight. Verse 9 For you are the fountain of life. Our light is from your light. Pour out your unfailing love on those who know you. Never stop giving your blessing to those who long to do your will. Don't let these proud men trample on me. Don't let their wicked hands push me around. Look how often they have fallen. They are thrown down and will not rise again. There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away. They have all together become worthless. There is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves. Their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Ruin and misery mark their ways. And the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes. What we see throughout reading these two scriptures loud and clear is the fact that in the people's natural state, there is absolutely no fear of God before their eyes. This speaks about their corrupt and evil character. and with this fact alone people for the most part people such as this stand with their backs to God and are known as godless ones or as atheists because they deny the existence of God they have no hope without the great creator who made all things including mankind these people do not fear the judgments of God even though he is fully aware of their evil doings The lack of fear of God before their eyes is not charged against the Jews and Gentiles alone in the days of the Old and New Testaments, but it is a charge against all people in every generation of time since. For the generations of time, the evils in which the vast majority of mankind thrive and delight in, reiterating Psalms 36 verses 1-4 again, the scripture says, Sin lurks deep in the hearts of the wicked, forever urging them on to evil deeds. They have no fear of God to hold them back. Instead, in their conceit, they think they can hide their evil deeds and not get caught. Everything they say is crooked and deceitful. They are no longer wise and good. They lie awake at night to hatch their evil plots instead of planning how to keep away from wrong. Today in our day and year of 2021, we see that hundreds of millions of people worldwide have evidence, consequences of Satan's ferocious passions and lusts. Every nation in our day is in great turmoil due to sinful pleasures and horrible, unmentionable, disgusting evils against mankind. We have the highest and most wretched evil taking place in top government leaders in every nation around the world, including the United States of America. These people are dictating the grossest evils upon humankind that are perverse and abominable against our great creator God. Citizens of every nation are falling for these evils, hook, line and sinker. God is not pleased, dear listener not having a fear of God before their eyes speaks of not having a reverential love or affection for God instead of a fear of damnation or fearful distrust of his presence of his power, his providence and grace sin is revealed by the consciousness of the individual God put a conscience within the heart of every human being to know that he is God. There's a testimony of a woman who prided herself on fashion. She went to visit a church, and as she entered and sat down, she heard a sermon on human depravity. During the week, the preacher called upon her, and when she told him that she did not believe in the doctrine of his sermon, he asked the lady to test the subject by reviewing her life alone before God. He asked her to see if all her acts and deeds had been done from right motives of her heart, and she promised to do what he had asked. The next day the preacher called on her again, and the lady confessed that she did not find one bright spot of conscious love to God in all of her past life. What an honest look within had convinced her of the truth of the doctrine that she had heard, Feeling now the disease of sin, she went before the great physician Jesus Christ and found the cure. What a testimony. What a wonderful testimony. And what a life-saving outcome for this lady who was honest enough to face the fact that she had no real or true fear of God in her life. The Holy Spirit certainly revealed the truth in her life, and we must say that she was willing to be honest with herself about her sinful state. We all must be honest with ourselves and with God and sit down at times and examine our own heart motives, including our thought life, and consider our conscious love to God and with our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Is this love real or is this love hypocritical? I believe the life of Noah was remarkable in the sense that the way that he lived, he preached by his life. This man preached by his humility, patience and example of purity and holiness. The scripture in Genesis 6-9 tells us that Noah walked with God and that he was a just man and perfect in his generations. So, by this, we must assume that during his long life, while he was building the ark as a mandate from God, he was faithful in reproving or denouncing the wickedness of his time, and furthermore, he warned the world of the judgment that was coming to the earth. We see in Hebrews 11.7 the scripture declares, the world's unbelief and became an heir and possessor of righteousness. That relation of being right into which God puts the person who has faith. You see, taking the fact alone that Noah walked with God tells us several important things that we focus on as one who does have a conscious awakening and healthy respect and love for God Noah walked like he knew he was under the eyes of God He knew that God's eyes were upon him at all times. Noah had a deep respect and abiding reverence for God as his deity. Noah set himself in God's presence, knowing that his great judge was looking upon every action, motive, and example of his life. Just like David who declared in Psalms chapter 16 verse 8, I have set the Lord continually before me. Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. This is truly the right kind of fear of the Lord, dear church. This is speaking about the familiarity and intimacy that a soul has with God. Friends walk together and give comfort and encourage themselves with one another. Godly people make their requests known to God, and he makes known his love to them because there is a sweet interaction and divine connection between them. Our communion is with our Heavenly Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. 1 John 1.1 tells us, What we have seen and ourselves heard, we are also telling you, so that you too may realize and enjoy fellowship as partners and partakers with us. And this fellowship that we have, which is a distinguishing mark of Christians, is with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, the Messiah. You must see and know without a doubt that God is the creator and architect of the universe. His greatness and power is demonstrated in this work and he commands respect. God the Father tells us the reason that he will commune with us is because we love his Son. No one comes to the Father but through his Son. When Job was being tried, God asked Job the question, where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? God's creation is both a sign of his love and a cause for him to love us because we are the handiwork and the masterpiece of his creation. This, dear ones, should give us the reason and cause to reverently stand in awe and fear of him. The work of his creation is evidence of his divine power and great might and should again cause us to fear him. In the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 12 verses 13 and 14, the word declares, All has been heard. The end of the matter is, Fear God, revere and worship him, knowing that he is, and keep his commandments. For this is the whole of man, the full original purpose of his creation, the object of God's providence, the root of his character, the foundation of all happiness, the adjustment to all inharmonious circumstances and conditions under the sun, and the whole duty for every man. Verse 14 tells us that God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing, whether good or evil. Fearing God should lead to obedience, and the fact is, He will judge us in the end. Everything that we do, whether good or evil, will be brought before Him. People may be able to hide their evil deeds from others, but they will definitely not hide them from God, who sees and knows all of our actions and even our thoughts. He judges accordingly. In Matthew 10, verse 28, Jesus declares, Do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul, but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. People who truly fear God walk above the earth life, so to speak. Walking with God is a visible poise or attitude and is recognizable by those who belong to the family of God. God's grace is conspicuous to those around us, even those who oppose God and who do not believe in him and his son Jesus Christ. Godly people do not partake of the world's sinful pleasures. The word of God tells us and instructs to flee from these pleasures and the people who take pride in this worldly way of life. Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians chapter 3 beginning in verse 17 that many in the church walk in the devil's path. Brethren, together follow my example and observe those who live after the pattern we have set before you. There are many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you with tears, who walk, live as enemies of the cross, the anointed one. They are doomed and their fate is eternal misery, perdition, and their God is their stomach, their appetites and sensuality, and their glory is in their shame, siding with earthly things and being of their party. Verse 20, But we are citizens of the state, commonwealth, homeland, which is in heaven. And from it also we earnestly and patiently await the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, a Savior. Prophet Jeremiah gave the word of the Lord in Jeremiah chapter 6, beginning in verse 16, saying, Thus says the Lord, Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the eternal paths, where the good old way is, and then walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk in it. Verse 17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hear, and obey the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not listen or obey. Verse 18 Therefore hear, O Gentile nations, and know, O congregation of believing ones, what great things I will do to them. Hear, O earth, behold, I am bringing evil upon this people, and the fruit of their thoughts, their schemes and devices, because they have not listened and obeyed my words, and for my law they have rejected it. Many of these people will declare their walk with the Lord and will tell how rare and close they are to Jesus, but yet do not have one foot on the path of godly righteousness. When Noah walked with the Lord in his day, the earth was filled with violence. Is our earth filled with such great violence and evil today? I say yes to that. And also this evil and violence is much more than we can think or imagine. Noah was commanded to build the ark. In Genesis 6, verse 9, we read, This is the history of the generations of Noah. Noah was a just and righteous man, blameless in his evil generation. Noah walked in habitual fellowship with God, And Noah became the father of three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Verse 11. The earth was putrid in God's sight, and the land was filled with violence, desecration, infringement, outrage, assault, and lust for power. And God looked upon the world and saw how degenerate, debase, and vicious it was. For all humanity had corrupted their way upon the earth and lost their true direction. Verse 13. God said to Noah, I intend to make an end of all flesh. And through man the land is filled with violence. And behold, I will destroy them and the land. Make yourself an ark of gopher or cyper wood. And make in it rooms, stalls, pens, coop, nests, cages, and compartments. And cover it inside and out with pitch. Verse 15. And this is the way you are to make it. The length of the ark shall be 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits, that is 450 feet by 75 feet by 45 feet. Verse 16 And you shall make a roof or window a place for light for the ark and finish it to a cubit at least 18 inches above and the door of the ark you shall put in the side of it and you shall make it with lower second and third stories. Verse 17 For behold I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy and make putrid all flesh under the heavens in which are the breath and spirit of life Everything that is on the land shall die Verse 18 But I will establish my covenant my promise and pledge with you and you shall come into the ark, you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you. Verse 19, And everything of all flesh found on land, you shall bring every sort into the ark and keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female, of fowls and birds according to their kind, of beasts according to their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind. Two of every sort shall come with you, that they may be kept alive. Verse 21. And take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and you shall collect and store it up, and it shall serve as food for you and for them. Verse 22. Noah did this. He did all that God commanded him. We see that the earth was filled with violence and the building of the ark was commanded by God and Noah was obedient to do as God had commanded. He did so because there was no fear of God before the people's eyes and a death sentence was waiting in the wings for them. We can see here in verse 22 that Noah did this. The scripture tells us that he did all that God had commanded him to do. And this gives us the entire definition of Noah's faith, dear ones. Hebrews 11 verse 17 says, Prompted by faith, being forewarned by God concerning the events, which as yet there was no visible sign, took heed and diligently and reverently constructed and prepared the ark for the deliverance of his own family. And by this, his faith, which relied on God, he passed judgment and sentence on the world's unbelief and became an heir and possessor of righteousness, that relation of being right into which God puts the person who has faith. We see that Noah was warned by God of what he was going to do. We see that the ground of Noah's faith was based on things that were not seen. That is the very end of every living thing on the earth would perish in a flood. There was a realm of faith that Noah feared. The almighty creator of the universe was speaking to him. And Noah shows us the great awe and respect for his God. Noah in his exercise of faith to God prepared the ark which took him nearly a hundred years to complete the work of faith saved his household and result of his faith in God Almighty condemned the world and they perished in their contempt and for mocking Noah in building the ark the reward of his faith is that he became an heir of righteousness and will live forever in a blissful, eternal kingdom with Jesus Christ forever. We must see here, dear church, that the ark is a type of Christ. Remember that God gave the instruction to Noah. He told him to make an ark out of gopher wood. Gopher wood is thought to be associated with the cypress tree, which is an emblem of mourning for the dead. God also instructed Noah to use pitch, which is a thick, dark, resinous substance which comes from certain trees, but also the Jews and others obtained large quantities from the Dead Sea. Nevertheless, pitch means dark, scorching heat, hell, brimstone, and it was used to smear inside and out all over the ark. According to the Bible dictionary, the word gopher and the word pitch, together speak of atonement. The ark had a window above, which is significant of looking above towards heaven and not on the earth and the judgment that will come to it one day. The ark had one door, and all of these prophetic emblems point to the one who could save mankind and offer eternal salvation, and that one and only is Jesus Christ, who is the door and the way to heaven. When the floodwaters covered the whole earth in the end, the only ones to be saved were found in the ark, because they were faithful and obedient to the commands of God Almighty. In Christ's death, The judgment of God was passed and executed upon all flesh. And all the waves and darkness rolled over our innocent Lamb's head as he passed through death and judgment and went to hell for all of us who choose him and are faithful and obedient to his commands of righteousness to the end. Jesus has made himself our perfect ark and hiding place as we live and abide in him in our obedience and faithfulness, just as Noah did when he lived upon this earth thousands of years ago. In Christ, we are lifted above the dark waters of trials and troubles by the Holy Spirit given to us and who was called our helper. The world mocks the thought of anyone walking with God as though it was foolish and unthinkable. They mock it by saying, so you think you are holier than thou, or you think you become wiser or smarter than others, or they say, there go the holy ones. You see, God's word clearly tells us in Proverbs 19, verse 21, the outcome and what is prepared for those who have no fear of God. Proverbs 19 verse 29 declares judgments are prepared for scoffers and stripes for the back of self-confident fools. in Proverbs chapter 3 beginning in verse 33 declares the curse of the Lord is in and on the house of the wicked but he declares blessed joyful and favored with blessing the home of the just and consistently righteous verse 34 though he scoffs at the scoffers and scorns the scorners Yet he gives undeserved favor to the low in rank, the humble and afflicted. Verse 35. And the wise shall inherit glory, all honor and good. But shame is the highest rank conferred on the self-confident fools. We must read also 2 Peter chapter 3 beginning in verse 3. To begin with, you must know and understand this, that scoffers, mockers, will come in the last days with scoffing, people who walk after their own fleshly desires and say, where is the promise of his coming? For since the forefathers fell asleep, all things have continued exactly as they did from the beginning of creation. For they willfully overlook and forget this fact that the heavens came into existence long ago by the word of God, and the earth also which was formed out of the water, and by means of water, through which the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. Verse 7, but by the same word the present heavens and earth have been stored up, reserved for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction for the ungodly people. Nevertheless, Alas, do not let this one fact escape you, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. And verse 9. The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what he promises, according to some people's conception of slowness. But he is long-suffering, extraordinarily patient towards you, not desiring that anyone should perish, but that all should turn to repentance. We learn that many in the church who call themselves Christians, instead of walking with God like Noah did in pure faith and obedience and righteousness of Christ, they walk according to the flesh. They have their fleshly opinions and walk according to the lusts of their flesh and have no real fear of God before their eyes. But let me say it again. God will not be mocked. 2 Peter 2.4 declares, For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment. Verse 5. He did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others. If he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them down to ashes and making them an example of what was going to happen to the ungodly, and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man who was distressed by the filthy lies of lawless men, For that righteous man living among them day after day was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard. If this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment while continuing their punishment. Verse 10 And this is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desires of the sinful nature and despise authority. So because multitudes of millions all throughout the generations of time, people have not heeded the warning to love the Lord their God, who is creator of heaven and earth, is because they have no true fear, which is genuine and sincere love of God before their eyes. By a walk in the fear of the Lord, means that one will stand in awe of their almighty creator by the virtue of what he has created and also by the words that he has authorized and inspired men to write in his holy book of life and also that they have grown to love the Lord their God with all of their hearts. Hebrews chapter 11 verse 7 declares by faith Noah when he was warned of things yet not seen in a holy fair built an ark to save his family By his faith, he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. So holy fear joined with faith happens when a soul looks at God's holiness and experiences his holy presence. When the soul looks at the promises and believes in them, this godly individual trembles at the almightiness of God and love for God begins to turn into cheerful expectation. And this is called divine fellowship with the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings, dear church. The walls go up to shield and protect this beautiful life within the Holy of Holies, in the temple, within the individual soul, which is like the ark. God promises that you shall walk in safety and in his protection and he will keep your foot from slipping and being snared in a trap. Proverbs chapter 3 beginning in verse 21 declares My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment. Do not let them out of your sight. For they will be life to you and adornment to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety and your foot will not stumble. And when you lie down, you will not be afraid. And when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or the ruin that overtakes the wicked. For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared. God tells us also in Psalms 91, verse 11, that he will put his angels all around us to guard and keep us from danger. Verse 11, for he will give his angels special charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways of obedience and service. So as Noah was walking with God, he had holy fear and love and awe before his eyes for his creator. And we have to know that Noah knew the mind of God as he was given secrets of knowledge of building the holy ark of God that was going to preserve those that God determined to save out of the whole earth. And I remind you, that was only a handful of people that were saved. In Matthew chapter 7, verses 13 and 14, Jesus commanded all who come to him to enter through the narrow gate for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it but small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life and only few find it Jesus said that the narrow gate only if you find it and enter into eternity and this is saying that diligence is needed in order to enter into this wonderful divine relationship with them. Somebody listening to this message might ask what can I do to walk with God? There is no magical formula but there is one way for all to enter in and walk with the fear and awe of God before their eyes. The command of God is the same in the New and the Old Testament. The command is to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, your soul and mind and all that is within you. Just like Noah, our example today and just like all of his peers in the scriptures like that of David and Paul and all the others whom we have read of their examples of a life of obedience. They had a deep revelation of God's wonderful love by virtue of his creation and also in reading and hearing the words of God through the writings of those who God chose to pen the truth. Ask God to give you a holy fear and awe of his magnificent love and to teach you to hold fast to what he gives you in the revelation of his word. Be faithful and diligent to put God first every day in your life through prayer, reading the word and also ask precious Holy Spirit to give inspiration and revelation of the truth of the word. When he does, hold it dear and near to your heart and never let it go. He builds us up and he matures us in his way and his word by this faithful obedience to seek him and love him with all of our hearts, our minds, our soul, everything that is within us. And I will close with David's revelation in Psalms 36, beginning in verse 1, the very verses that we started out with in this message today. An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked. There is no fear of God before his eyes, for in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin. The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful. He has ceased to be wise and do good. Even on his bed he plots evil. He commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong. The sinful individual chooses this course or path, which is the broad way to destruction, because there is no sense of any kind of love or awe of what God has created and blessed this earth with in his wonderful provision. Also, there is no sense or care or regard for God's presence and his beautiful creation. As well, there is no care or regard for God's authority and the love that he has shown by his providence. And again, there is no concern or thought or whether God is pleased or displeased with their thought life, their words, deeds and actions in their everyday life. there is no fear of God's displeasure or punishment. So you see by all that we have covered in this word today there is an eternal death sentence for all those who have no real fear or true fear of God before their eyes. Let us all examine our own hearts. But before you do ask precious Holy Spirit to be the examiner of your heart and not your own mind to tell you how good and pleasing you are to God and to others around you. Remember, the word of God tells us that our own hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked above all things and who could know it? God alone is the righteous and most merciful judge. An eternal death sentence is having no fear of God and therefore no fear of God before one's eyes is an eternal death sentence. God forbid that any fall into this place of eternity forever. Thank you.