For Lord’s Day, October 6, 2013

Dear Saints,

Following the recent morning sermon in Exodus, Elder Huffmaster recounted to me the terrible demise Friedrich Nietzsche went through at the end of his life. Nietzsche was a philosopher famous for popularizing the Kingdom of Man’s exclamation, “God is dead!”  This is the epitome of mocking God! But as the Apostle Paul tells us, Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap (Galatians 6:7).  And so, Nietzsche later suffered a mental collapse exhibited in deranged behavior. This was followed by two strokes that left him paralyzed and unable to speak before eventually dying of pneumonia and another stroke.

This story makes a striking connection of last week’s morning sermon, “Don’t Mock the Judge”, with tomorrow’s morning sermon, “Fear God and Live”.

May God prepare us to have a holy fear of Him in worship and living, for there is none like Him in all the earth! (Ex. 9:14)  May we truly fear Him only as our Sovereign, for, as has been said before, we serve whom we fear.  So our Lord, Jesus Christ, says:

But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. (Luke 12:5-7)

What is it to fear God truly?  It is to fear nothing and no one else in life and to serve only Him.  And truly fearing God is not simply to be like Pharaoh who sought only to avoid the severe and scary consequences God brings upon unrepentant sinners (that is the fear of the reprobate).  No, the believer’s fearing of God is to desire not to offend Him and to seek to please Him.  It is being earnest from our hearts to show King Jesus honor and respect in our bodies.  And fearing God is what leads to eternal life, and an honorable one.  May we all indeed Fear God and Live!

Semper Reformanda,

Pastor Grant