The Fear of the Lord - 2

The Fear of the Lord - 2

Subject – Understanding the Fear of the Lord

by Rick Welborne

Isaiah 33:5-6 (NIV)
⁵  The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness.
⁶  He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure. 

--The more I look into this subject of the fear of the Lord and as I see what is going on in our world (COVID 19)\the more I realize God wants us to understand how serious it is for us. What are we fearing?

The fear of the Lord - can be defined as a continual awareness that you are in the presence of a holy, just, and almighty God, and that every motive, thought, word, and action is open before Him and will be judged by Him.

--I wish there would be the same response and attention given to fearing the Lord as there has been toward this virus and the conspiracies surrounding it.

--I guess I need to ask for forgiveness to so many who have sent me articles and videos about Covid 19 and where and why it is here. As soon as I see it is going toward fear mongering I don’t watch it or read it.

--And no I am not just sticking my head in the sand and not wanting to KNOW what is really going on out there. I am sticking my head in the Word and bowing my head in prayer.

--Right now I am praying for at least five missionary couples who are dealing with this virus and their lives are on the line. I don’t have time for kookiness that gets us nowhere. This is why the church get mocked. 

Philippians 2:12 (NIV)
¹²  Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 

--I was sharing Christ with a man who had a vile mouth and his response surprised me. I love J.C. and He loves me. He is okay with my drinking, my messing around, and my filthy mouth. He needs to fear the Lord!

--Last week we talked about David verses Goliath and how David, having the fear of the Lord, more than the fear of a giant, made such a difference in his life. He confronted the giant, not just talked about how big he was.

Psalm 89:7 (NKJV)
⁷  God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him. 

--We have also said this: We cannot truly revere God until we fear Him; nor can we properly fear Him until we revere Him. I think we have come to know a Jesus Who is not in the Scriptures. 

Isaiah 29:13 (NKJV)                                                                                                                                         ¹³ Therefore the LORD said: "Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, 

--I am afraid We have made God in our own image.

--I am afraid that in the church we are serving a Jesus Who is not depicted in scriptures. We have made Him into the image of God that we want Him to be. We have no fear or reverence for Him.

Romans 1:22-23 (NKJV) ²² Professing to be wise, they became fools,                                                                                                      ²³  and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man…

--Is the Jesus you serve the Jesus of the Bible or is He the Jesus you have created Who winks at your sin and lets you live anyway you want with no consequences? Maybe Covid 19 is here to wake us up!

1. We have made Jesus in our own image.

--For several years I have preached about the downward spiral that we see in Romans1 but not until I started this series have I seen it in the light of us losing our fear of the Lord.

Romans 1:18-25 (NKJV)
¹⁸  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
¹⁹  because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
²⁰  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
²¹  because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
²²  Professing to be wise, they became fools,
²³  and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
²⁴  Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,
²⁵  who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

--I am calling it losing our fear of the Lord. Maybe instead of looking at the government or the latest conspiracy that is out there, maybe we should look inside the church. These verses say although they knew God v. 21

A. Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God.

B. Although they knew God, they were not thankful.

C. Although they knew God, they became futile in their thoughts about Who God was.

D. Although they knew God, their foolish hearts were darkened. 

E. Although they knew God, in professing to be wise, they became fools.

F. Although they knew God, they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man.

G. Although they knew God, they exchanged the truth of God for a lie.                                                        

H. Although they knew God, they worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.

--Any way you read this downward spiral you will have to admit that these people had lost their fear and reverence for God. The scary part is that they knew God. Could Covid 19 make us re-focus? Self-examine.

--Notice that they did not glorify Him as God. The children of Israel who made and worshiped the golden calf acknowledged that their deliverance came from Jehovah. We say Jesus delivered or saved us. 

--Here in lies the problem…they did not give Him the honor, reverence, or glory that He deserved. No fear. They were worshiping a golden calf while saying it was God Who delivered them. How perverted.

--When you look at Paul’s writing here in Romans you see that things had not changed much from the Old and New Testaments because they were still not giving God the glory He deserved. Eyes on the wrong thing.

Romans 1:23 (NKJV)                                                                                                                                             ²³  and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—

--Again we see people reducing the One true God’s glory. This time it is not a calf but rather they are reducing Him to the image of a corruptible man. Are we trusting man or Jesus through this Pandemic? 

--Let’s face it, our society would probably not worship an image of gold, but we are surrounded by a culture that worships man or humans. If a man soon solves all this, he will be like a god. 

--If you don’t believe me, the next time your team is playing awesome or you are watching some type of secular concert, turn off the sound and look at the people…it looks like they are worshiping.

--This is how bad it has gotten, this past year as I watched college football, I saw people bowing to an athlete who was playing incredible. They were bowing and lifting their hands to a man. It sickened me. 

--Before we get to critical, sometimes in watching preachers or Christian artists I wonder if people are worshiping God or the star of the show. We have lost our fear and our reverence of God and put it on man.

--Let’s bring it even more close to home, every time we choose a person over God and we are in an inappropriate relationship according to the Word, we are worshiping the created more than the Creator. 

--We Christians are too quick to point out that this downward spiral of Romans 1 leads to people turning to homosexuality but maybe you should keep reading the rest of the chapter.

Romans 1:28-29 (NKJV)
²⁸  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
²⁹  being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality…

--That downward spiral will take us further and further away from the fear of the Lord and reverence for the glory of God. Stop looking to man to solve this crisis and start crying out to Jesus. Jesus is Lord!

Psalm 130:4 (NKJV)
⁴  But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared. 

2. God understands.

--When we reduce the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, we lose our way.

--Like the children of Israel we are quick to acknowledge with our mouths Jesus is the One Who saved us (delivered us) but with our lifestyle and attitude we reduce Him to corruptible man. How so, Pastor?

--I have heard people say…I love God and He knows (understands) my heart. It is true God understands our hearts even more than we understand ourselves. Are we trusting God or man through this crisis?

--Sadly, people use this comment when they are justifying a lifestyle that is contrary to God’s Word. The people I see in Scriptures who God calls His friends are those who tremble at His Word and His presence.

--I think one of the most disturbing things I have seen through my years of pastoring is when we are trying to give guidance to someone who is living contrary to God’s Word and their family and friends intervene for them.

--Don’t let that church or those pastors tell you how to live…it is your time to be happy. Hear me, the way you will truly show you love that person is to support your leadership when they are trying to help them.

Romans 1:32 (NLT2)
³²  They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

--Please do not forget what we said earlier…how are we teaching others to fear the Lord? The church has to be the beacon of life and hope, not fear like the rest of this world. 

2 Timothy 1:6-7 (NKJV)
⁶  Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
⁷  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 

--Please do not be deceived, God will not be mocked…it does not matter how many people (Christians or not) approve of what you are doing. The bottom line is God’s Word. Shake yourself and stir yourselves up!

--When we filter God’s Word and His commands through our own culture and the people who will approve of us, we are listening to the fear taught by man and we attest we do not honor, revere, or fear God. 

3. Our theology reveals our fear of the Lord or lack of it.

--It does matter what you believe about God and His Word. If your God is just a sweet “Sugar Daddy” in the sky just waiting to give you everything you want, your image of Him will be skewed. NT theology says:

Hebrews 10:26-31 (NKJV)
²⁶  For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
²⁷  but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.
²⁸  Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
²⁹  Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
³⁰  For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The LORD will judge His people."
³¹  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

--Verse 28 is Old Testament but look again at verse 29, definitely New Testament. It is talking about willful sin 26…those who trample on the Son of God, those who said the blood of Jesus was common, insulted Holy Spirit 

--The Lord of the NT will judge His people…It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Might be important to have a healthy fear of the Lord. Especially during this pandemic. 

--In light of the fear of the Lord, what if God has not given us what we want but maybe what we deserve? When we turn our back on Him, chase the world, and have no fear of the Lord, maybe we reap what we have sown.

Hebrews 10:37-39 (NCV)
³⁷  For in a very short time, “The One who is coming will come and will not be delayed.
³⁸  The person who is right with me will live by trusting in me. But if he turns back with fear, I will not be pleased with him.“
³⁹  But we are not those who turn back and are lost. We are people who have faith and are saved. 

Trust God Not Fear - 1

Trust God Not Fear - 1

Subject – Walking in Faith During Troubled Times

Rick Welborne

Psalm 23:1-6 (NKJV)
¹  The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
²  He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
³  He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.
⁴  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
⁵  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
⁶  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever. 

2 Timothy 1:6-7 (NKJV)
⁶  Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
⁷  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Fear (Noun) - an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. Synonyms: terror · fright · fearfulness · horror · alarm · panic · agitation. 

Fear (Verb) - be afraid of someone or something, as likely to be dangerous, painful, or threatening.

Synonyms: be afraid of · be fearful of · be scared of · be apprehensive of · dread.

--The Bible Program that I use for study and sermon preparation shows that there are over 360 times in the Bible where the word “fear” is used. It speaks of the fear of the Lord and fear that causes us negative emotions.

--One of my best friends’ years ago and I would have a regular argument. He said God gave us all these verses about fear so that we would absolutely not have fear at all.

--I told him that I believed the reason God gave us so many verses about fear was because He knew we would have so many opportunities to be afraid and He wanted to help us through each of those. (Coronavirus) 

--I truly believe that anyone who will tell you that they absolutely have no fear of anything are afraid of telling the truth. Of course, there is healthy fear and unhealthy fear. We use wisdom not be foolish!

--My friend viewed fear as weakness, and because he wanted to be a manly man, he struggled with what to do with his fears. Fears with his business, his family, his finances, and his health. Lived in guilt and condemnation. 

--Adam was afraid, so he hid from God, Jeremiah was afraid to speak to the people and look at their faces (I know that fear), Joseph was afraid to take Mary as his wife, Peter was afraid of the wind and waves.

--The man with the one talent was afraid so he went and buried it in the ground because he thought his master was hard, the disciples were afraid when they were confronted with the demon possessed man. Fear can be real!

--The disciples were afraid of Saul when he was converted, God told Paul not to be afraid but to speak, Paul was afraid for the believers in Galatia that they would fall away, we are afraid for our kids.

--At some point all of us will have to deal with fear, we may have to walk thru the valley of the shadow of death, we may have to deal with things out of our control, things we do not understand. Let’s get real!

--A couple of years ago before I left to go on vacation, our church staff became very concerned about my health, especially the nerve damage in my feet. They had public prayer for me…It was very much appreciated.

--In the middle of that, one day while I was shaving, I found a lump under the ear where I had the two melanomas…I truly believe God was having them pray for me because of that situation. He knows.

--I went to my dermatologist, and then a specialist. They knew my history and both were very concerned. Sent me for a cat scan and they found a mass. More concern…they sent me for an ultra-sound and biopsy. 

--So we leave for vacation not knowing what the results of the biopsy were. Just days before we leave I do a memorial service for people in the community who needed a pastor. Many raised their hands for salvation. 

--I want you to see how things begin to stack up against you when you are trying to have faith in God. I am waiting to hear the results of my tests. Obviously when the C word is mentioned you are concerned.

--I asked the husband of the young lady (fifties) who passed away what kind of cancer did she die from. He immediately points to the area on his face where I had the mass and said her cancer started there. Ouch! Fear!

Isaiah 59:19 (NKJV)
¹⁹  So shall they fear The name of the LORD from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him. 

Revelation 12:10 (NKJV)
¹⁰  Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

--You might have cancer; my wife had cancer in that same exact place, then, we lose a pearl of great price (Margaret Belew) a lady we loved so much…it is piling up…You are tired and you are concerned…afraid.

--Then you hear a couple of people were concerned about you not preaching the Word of God and have to deal with that. Family issues and remodeling. All of this is hitting right before you leave to rest and to be refreshed.

--I want to apologize to anyone and everyone who has ever told me you were waiting for the results of a test or biopsy. Not because I didn’t pray…I did. Forgive me because I did not take to heart the battle you were facing.

--The battle is so much in your mind as well as in your spirit. You need prayer and lots of it. You need words of comfort and encouragement. You need the body of Christ to hold you up…not put you down! 

--Before you go after a brother or sister in the Lord, for whatever reason, you may want to prayerfully consider what they are going through. Example: Man telling me he and his wife were leaving the church. No passion!

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NKJV) 
³  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
⁴  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
⁵  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

--These verses are easier to quote than to live especially when the thoughts are coming in like missiles raining in from the sky one after another. This Coronavirus has people so fearful! They need the church to step up!

--During this time I sincerely talked to God and asked Him to help me through this valley of the shadow of death. This is what I felt God spoke to me.

1. When fear comes in like a flood…change the way you worship.

--I consider myself to be a worshiper so when God spoke this to me, it kind of took me back. I said, Lord, You have to lead me into the worship You want from me. Jesus said to the woman at the well…

John 4:23-24 (NKJV)
²³  But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
²⁴  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

--God spoke to me and said, your worship to me must be anointed. I knew immediately what God was asking me to do. The worship music I listened to was good and was very popular. I needed something deep.

--I have Pandora Radio on my phone, computer, and IPad and I listen to hours of worship music when I pray and prepare sermons…God said change to Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir music. I said okay!

--What makes the difference? I truly believe music that is written, played, and sang with the anointing of the Holy Spirit can totally set a person free…the enemy can be defeated. We can get past our fears!

2 Chronicles 20:20-22 (NKJV)
²⁰  So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper."
²¹  And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: "Praise the LORD, For His mercy endures forever."
²²  Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. 

--They put the musicians out front: When fear comes in, your worship has to get ahead of the emotions attacking you. Nothing will destroy fear like worshiping the King of kings and the Lord of Lords!

--Don’t let fear overtake you…let your worship overtake your fear…Greater is He in you! Magnify Jesus!

2. When fear comes in like a flood…be filled or re-filled with Holy Spirit power!

Ephesians 5:15-18 (NKJV)
¹⁵  See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
¹⁶  redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
¹⁷  Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
¹⁸  And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

--Verse 18 has always been one of my favorite scriptures…Do not be drunk with wine…God spoke to me one time about this verse. He said, don’t be intoxicated by anything in this world…be filled with Holy Spirit!

--You see; in this world we can be intoxicated by many things…you can be intoxicated with fear from watching the news non-stop. Bad news! Fear can be paralyzing! Stop it! Worship and be filled with Holy Spirit!

--You can be intoxicated by emotions…emotions of fear can be intoxicating. Like strong drink, fear can make you unstable, it can blur your vision, and it can cause you to see things that are not there.

--You can un-expectantly have an anxiety attack…You feel like you can’t breathe and your heart begins to race! Your blood pressure can go through the roof. When you face fear; it can be overwhelming. What are you to do?

--How many have noticed Satan likes the darkness…he attacks in the night. He loves when you are half way between sleep and being awake. Don’t lie there and take it! Get up and be re-filled with Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 59:19 (NKJV)
¹⁹  So shall they fear The name of the LORD from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him. 

3. When fear comes in like a flood…be tranquil (peaceful) and hear God’s still small voice.

--Elijah had seen many great miracles in his life…rivers parting, false prophets defeated, a dead boy raised from the dead. Now he finds himself depressed, fearful, and suicidal. God wanted to get him alone. Why?

1 Kings 19:11-13 (NKJV)
¹¹  Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake;
¹²  and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
¹³  So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

Psalm 46:10-11 (NKJV)
¹⁰  Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
¹¹  The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah 

--Thank God the tumor I had was benign and surgery took care of it! God is so faithful!

The Fear of the Lord – Covid 19 – Killing the Giant

The Fear of the Lord – Covid 19 – Killing the Giant

Subject: How Do We Face This Giant

by Rick Welborne

1 Samuel 17:4-11 (NLT2)
⁴  Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet tall!
⁵  He wore a bronze helmet, and his bronze coat of mail weighed 125 pounds.
⁶  He also wore bronze leg armor, and he carried a bronze javelin on his shoulder.
⁷  The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weaver’s beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed 15 pounds. His armor bearer walked ahead of him carrying a shield.
⁸  Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. “Why are you all coming out to fight?” he called. “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul. Choose one man to come down here and fight me!
⁹  If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves!
¹⁰  I defy the armies of Israel today! Send me a man who will fight me!”
¹¹  When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken. 

--We all have to admit that Goliath, a nine-feet tall giant, is a large enemy and that he is the ultimate warrior. Just his coat of mail weighed 125 pounds.

--This is a foe that Israel had not anticipated and obviously had not asked for but there he was right in front of them taunting and challenging them. 

--I think we all can admit that this Covid 19 is a giant that is coming against the United States and the World. There are those who believe this is a conspiracy, but either way, it is an enemy to be dealt with.

--Obviously we did not ask for or anticipate that we would be where we are today with this virus. Many are fearing, even those in the church, and my job today is to bring calm in the storm. 

--A great take away from this and pretty much anything we face in this life, Covid 19 may be more than we can handle but it is definitely not more than Jesus can handle. Amen!

--What I want us to look at is this: How do we face this giant? I believe we can learn much from this story in the Word from David and Goliath.

--People know this story because it has been applied to so many things in our society. If a powerhouse basketball team is playing an extreme underdog…it is a David and Goliath scenario. 

--If a champion boxer is fighting an up and coming unknown and the odds are against the new guy, it is a David and Goliath story. 

--Today let’s be reminded of what can happen between David and Goliath and how, as believers, we can navigate what looks like tracheas waters. How can we face this giant? 

1. Realize family may not be on your side.

--David has been sent by his father to take food down to the battle lines where his brothers are fighting (supposedly) and to bring back a report.

1 Samuel 17:20-27 (NLT2)
²⁰  So David left the sheep with another shepherd and set out early the next morning with the gifts, as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the camp just as the Israelite army was leaving for the battlefield with shouts and battle cries.
²¹  Soon the Israelite and Philistine forces stood facing each other, army against army.
²²  David left his things with the keeper of supplies and hurried out to the ranks to greet his brothers.
²³  As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel.
²⁴  As soon as the Israelite army saw him, they began to run away in fright.
²⁵  “Have you seen the giant?” the men asked. “He comes out each day to defy Israel. The king has offered a huge reward to anyone who kills him. He will give that man one of his daughters for a wife, and the man’s entire family will be exempted from paying taxes!”
²⁶  David asked the soldiers standing nearby, “What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?”
²⁷  And these men gave David the same reply. They said, “Yes, that is the reward for killing him.” 

--David arrives just in time to see the Israelite army line up on the battlefield with shouts and battle cries. None of them had any intentions of fighting Goliath but they really got into the whole thing. You can do it!

--I know we are all going through a tough time but let me be honest, this sounds much like the church. Many times we have no intentions of doing anything or fighting in this battle but we like the fanfare.

--David was a young man of faith, not fear, so he inquired what again what would be done for the man who killed Goliath. He would get the king’s daughter and his family free from taxes. Wow!

--Anytime you try to do something great for God, there is a good chance there will be family there to try to stop you in your tracks. When I knew God was calling me, my dad went pyscho on me. Hitting me. 

1 Samuel 17:28-30 (NLT2)
²⁸  But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. “What are you doing around here anyway?” he demanded. “What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!”
²⁹  “What have I done now?” David replied. “I was only asking a question!”
³⁰  He walked over to some others and asked them the same thing and received the same answer. 

--What have I done now? This was not David’s first run-in with his brother. What are you going to do when there is a giant in front of you and you believe God wants you to take it out? Your family opposes you.

--I believe this was a beautiful revelation that God gave to me as I prayed. David could stand against his brother because he knew he was doing the will of his father. 

--He knew his father had sent him. Before we try to slay this giant that is before us we must know that our God, our Father, has sent us and we are being obedient to what He is directing us to do.

--Hear me, I know God had called me into the ministry. I was obeying what He had called me to do, but quitting the paper mill and going to Bible College. I believe my obedience was my dad and mom’s salvation.

--It is almost a guarantee that if you will do anything great for God you will have to overcome your fear of what family thinks and just be obedient. Jesus said:

Matthew 10:36-39 (NKJV)
³⁶  and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'
³⁷  He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
³⁸  And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
³⁹  He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

2. Realize leaders may not see what is in you.

--How desperate was Israel for someone to take care of Goliath? How desperate are we for someone to take care of Covid 19? Israel was so worried that they sent a young shepherd boy to the king.

1 Samuel 17:31 (NLT2)
³¹  Then David’s question was reported to King Saul, and the king sent for him.

--Saul had no idea what was in David. The world has no idea what is in the church of the living God. We have the answer and His Name is Jesus.

1 Samuel 17:32-37 (NLT2)
³²  “Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!”
³³  “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.”
³⁴  But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock,
³⁵  I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death.
³⁶  I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God!
³⁷  The LORD who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the LORD be with you!” 

--David has already had to get past family who were discouraging him and doubting him and now the leadership is telling him he can’t beat Goliath. There is no way you can win.

--I love David’s response. Whether it was a bear or a lion, when they came after the sheep something rose up in me. You see he had been spending time, not just watching sheep, but worshiping God and praying.

--This is the time for the church to shine. Not just buildings but believers who are worshiping and praying in their homes. The lion, the bear, and Covid 19 are coming but we can be ready.

--I believe David had something supernatural inside of him and I believe this was Holy Spirit. Pastor, this is OT. I know David had Holy Spirit because in Psalms 51 he begs God not to take Holy Spirit from him.

--At times like these the world is looking to the church for hope and for help. We can circle the wagons and just hunker down or we can rise up in prayer and beat the giant.

1 Samuel 17:38-39 (NLT2)
³⁸  Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail.
³⁹  David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. “I can’t go in these,” he protested to Saul. “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again. 

--Hear your pastor…let’s be the church. Thank God for our leaders and the CDC but they are not our answer. We don’t need Saul’s armor or this world’s answers…put on the Lord Jesus Christ! Be who you are! Church.

Matthew 16:18 (NKJV)
¹⁸  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

--Put your name where Peter’s Name is…you be yourself and don’t wear someone else’s armor. I am not Saul, I am Rick!

3. Goliath wants to take you out but you kill him.

1 Samuel 17:40-44 (NLT2)
⁴⁰  He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.
⁴¹  Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him,
⁴²  sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy.
⁴³  “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods.
⁴⁴  “Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled. 

--David has already had to overcome the attacks of family, he had to overcome the lack of faith from leadership, and now he is faced with Goliath.

--Goliath says, “Am I a dog?” Yep! But you are not going to roll over and play dead, you are going to roll over and be dead. Not here to play fetch. Church, we are not here to play with the giant facing us.

--The weapon of the enemy is intimidation. Let’s face it, what we have watched unfold before us with Covid 19 has been intimidating. 24/7 coverage from news organizations. Fear increases their audience.

--Hear your pastor…David did not win this battle on the battlefield that day, he won it on the hills of Jerusalem as he watched his father’s sheep. When we care for the Heavenly Father’s sheep, He is with us.

--He prepared for the battle by having a disciplined life of prayer and worship. Turn off the news and turn up the worship and seek God with all your hearts.

--Don’t bury your head in the sand and pretend the enemy is not real but confront him head-on knowing that your God is with you. It’s not the size of your giant, it is the size of your God!

1 Samuel 17:45-47 (NLT2)
⁴⁵  David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
⁴⁶  Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!
⁴⁷  And everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!”

--Our enemy comes against us with fear, sickness, and confusion but we come against him in the Name that is above every name…the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every knee will bow.

--The Lord will conquer you! The Lord will conquer you! The whole world will see that there is a Savior Jesus Christ Who is in heaven praying for the church to triumph! 

--Everyone will know that the Lord rescues His people, not with man’s wisdom and power. This is the Lord’s battle and He will give us the victory. 

--David cut off the head of Goliath…Jesus is going to cut off the head of Covid 19. The church of the living God is going to see a great victory. 

2 Chronicles 20:17 (NKJV)
¹⁷  You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you."

Our Mission – 7 – Tenets of Faith

Our Mission – 7 – Tenets of Faith

Subject – Statement of Fundamental Truths of the A/G

by Rick Welborne

1. Our First Distinctive: We should be passionate about the lost.

2. Our Second Distinctive: Home and world missions.

3. Our Third Distinctive: Being filled with the Holy Spirit.

4. Fourth Distinctive - Generous giving.

5. Fifth Distinctive: Worship.

--Our Sixteen Fundamental Truths or the Tenets of Faith…we looked at the first seven.

1. The Scriptures Inspired

2. The One True God

3. The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ

4. The Fall of Man

5. The Salvation of Man

6. The Ordinances of the Church 

7. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit

8. The Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit

9. Sanctification 

10. The Church

11. The Ministry

A. The evangelization of the world.

B. The edifying of the body of Christ.

--Tonight we continue the Tenets (Beliefs or Doctrines) of faith:

12. Divine Healing

--You cannot read the Old Testament, and especially the New Testament, without seeing that divine healing is an integral part of the Gospel and the Word of God.

--Included in the atonement (Jesus being beaten and giving His life for us) was not only for the forgiveness of sins but healing of our bodies. By His stripes we were healed.

1 Peter 2:24 (NKJV)
²⁴  who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.

--Obviously this was prophesied in the book of Isaiah chapter 53: How amazing God’s Word is!

Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV)
⁵  But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 

Matthew 8:16-17 (NKJV)
¹⁶  When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick,
¹⁷  that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses."

--As a new believer I wanted Jesus to save my parents so much that I prayed a crazy prayer with sincerity. I said, Lord, I am willing to lose my life if it would mean my mom and dad getting saved. He heard my prayer.

--A couple of weeks later I was in the Morehouse General Hospital. I was such a sick puppy that I had passed out. I woke up just in time to hear the doctor tell my mom he didn’t think I was going to make it.

--The doctor hurried out of the room when he saw I was awake. Obviously my mom (a nurse) was shaken. I told my mom my prayer for she and dad to be saved even if it meant my death. I said this may be it.

--The doctor explained to my mom how my kidneys and other organs had become twisted around each other. He said that we will try surgery the next day but there was not much hope. I was praying for my parents.

--That night while I was in my room alone, the Presence of God showed up. I said Lord I know you are here to either take me home with you or to heal me. I am good with whatever you want, just save my parents.

--The power of God came upon me and I was healed. They came to get me the next morning for surgery and I said nope. I said, do another x-ray because Jesus healed me last night. We argued but I won. I was healed.

--The doctor said I am going to keep you in here until I can find something wrong with you. He kept me 5 more days. Nothing. During that 5 days I went from room to room sharing Jesus. Many were saved. Parents saved!

James 5:14-16 (NIV)
¹⁴  Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
¹⁵  And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
¹⁶  Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

13. The Blessed Hope

--I have always said I hope that I am doing a graveside service for a saint of God when Jesus returns for us. 

--We believe there will be a resurrection of those who have fallen asleep (God is so powerful He calls death sleep) and then, we who are still alive will be caught up (raptured) together in the air to meet the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NKJV)
¹³  But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
¹⁴  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
¹⁵  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
¹⁶  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
¹⁷  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
¹⁸  Therefore comfort one another with these words.

--Back to the graveside service…those graves are going to pop open and those who died loving Jesus are coming out to meet with those of us who are still alive. Jesus is coming and we will meet Him.

--Pastor, what about those who die and their lifeless bodies are at the funeral or in the grave. Well, it is like what my wife says about me, the shell is here but the nut is gone. We must prepare ourselves.

Titus 2:11-14 (NKJV)
¹¹  For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
¹²  teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
¹³  looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
¹⁴  who gave Himself for us…

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (NLT2)
⁵¹  But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed!
⁵²  It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed.

14. The Millennial Reign of Christ. 

--Hear this…the second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints (our Blessed Hope) followed by the visible return of Christ with us to reign on the earth for 1000 years. Coming on white horses.

Matthew 24:27&30 (NKJV)
²⁷ For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
³⁰ Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 

Revelation 20:1-6 (NKJV)
¹  Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
²  He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 

³  and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
⁴  And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
⁵  But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
⁶  Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. 

--The millennial reign will bring the salvation of National Israel.

Romans 9:26-27 (NKJV)
²⁶  "And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not My people,' There they shall be called sons of the living God."
²⁷  Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved. 

--The millennial reign will bring universal peace.

Isaiah 11:6-9 (NKJV)
⁶  "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them.
⁷  The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
⁸  The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den.
⁹  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea. 

15. The Final Judgment 

--There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. The ones not found in the Book of Life, the devil and his demons, the beast, and the false prophet will be thrown into the lake of fire…which is the second death.

Revelation 20:11-15 (NKJV)
¹¹  Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
¹²  And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
¹³  The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
¹⁴  Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
¹⁵  And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

16. The New Heaven and the New Earth

--We according to God’s promise, look for a new heaven and a new earth, where is only righteousness.

2 Peter 3:13 (NKJV) ¹³  Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 

The Fear of the Lord - 2

The Fear of the Lord - 2

Subject – Understanding the Fear of the Lord

by Rick Welborne

Isaiah 33:5-6 (NIV)
⁵  The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness.
⁶  He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure. 

--The more I look into this subject of the fear of the Lord the more I realize God wants us to understand how serious it is for us.

The fear of the Lord - can be defined as a continual awareness that you are in the presence of a holy, just, and almighty God, and that every motive, thought, word, and action is open before Him and will be judged by Him.

--To prove that we have gotten off course with the fear of the Lord is when I hear people say, Pastor Rick, the fear of the Lord is just an Old Testament thing, we live in the age of grace. Really?

--Being in the age of grace means that we are so blessed to live during a time where the grace of Jesus is available to anyone who asks sincerely not that we can live anyway we want.

--Those of you who believe we live during an age of grace and that everything is wonderful should maybe consider the Christians in the middle east who are persecuted, tortured, and even die for their faith. 

--They would more than likely tell you that they are living during the time of great tribulation. They need the grace of God just to get through one day and we use grace as an excuse for willful sin.  

Philippians 2:12 (NIV)
¹²  Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 

--I was sharing Christ with a man who had a vile mouth and his response surprised me. I love J.C. and He loves me. He is okay with my drinking, my messing around, and my filthy mouth. Obviously I disagreed. 

--Last week we said it is important how we see God the Son…Jesus Christ. It will determine how we fear Him.

Psalm 89:7 (NKJV)
⁷  God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him. 

--We also said this: We cannot truly revere God until we fear Him; nor can we properly fear Him until we revere Him. I think we have come to know a Jesus Who is not in the Scriptures. 

Isaiah 29:13-15 (NKJV)                                                                                                                                         ¹³ Therefore the LORD said: "Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, 

--Last week our final point was: We have made God in our own image.

--I am afraid that in the church we are serving a Jesus Who is not depicted in scriptures. We have made Him into the image of God that we want Him to be. We have no fear or reverence for Him.

Romans 1:22-23 (NKJV) ²² Professing to be wise, they became fools,                                                                                                      ²³  and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man…

--Is the Jesus you serve the Jesus of the Bible or is He the Jesus you have created Who winks at your sin and lets you live anyway you want with no consequences? 

1. We have made Jesus in our own image.

--For several years I have preached about the downward spiral that we see in Romans chapter 1 but not until I started this series have I seen it in the light of us losing our fear of the Lord.

Romans 1:18-25 (NKJV)
¹⁸  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
¹⁹  because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
²⁰  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
²¹  because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
²²  Professing to be wise, they became fools,
²³  and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
²⁴  Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,
²⁵  who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

--I am calling it losing our fear of the Lord. You may call it backsliding or falling away from the Lord. Maybe drifting away from the Lord. Whatever you want to call it but hear this, it says although they knew God v. 21

A. Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God.

B. Although they knew God, they were not thankful.

C. Although they knew God, they became futile in their thoughts about Who God was.

D. Although they knew God, their foolish hearts were darkened. 

E. Although they knew God, in professing to be wise, they became fools.

F. Although they knew God, they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man.

G. Although they knew God, they exchanged the truth of God for a lie.                                                        

H. Although they knew God, they worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.

--Any way you read this downward spiral you will have to admit that these people had lost their fear and reverence for God. The scary part is that they knew God. 

--Notice that they did not glorify Him as God. The children of Israel who made and worshiped the golden calf acknowledged that their deliverance came from Jehovah. We say Jesus delivered or saved us. 

--Here in lies the problem…they did not give Him the honor, reverence, or glory that He deserved. They were worshiping a golden calf while saying it was God Who delivered them. How perverted.

--When you look at Paul’s writing here in Romans you see that things had not changed much from the Old and New Testaments because they were still not giving God the glory He deserved. 

Romans 1:23 (NKJV)                                                                                                                                             ²³  and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—

--Again we see people reducing the One true God’s glory. This time it is not a calf but rather they are reducing Him to the image of a corruptible man. 

--Let’s face it, our society would probably not worship an image of gold, but we are surrounded by a culture that worships man or humans. 

--If you don’t believe me, the next time your team is playing awesome or you are watching some type of concert, turn off the sound and look at the people…it looks like they are worshiping.

--This is how bad it has gotten, this year as I watched college football, I saw people bowing to an athlete who was playing incredible. They were bowing and lifting their hands to a man. It sickened me. 

--Before we get to critical, sometimes in watching preachers or Christian artists I wonder if people are worshiping God or the star of the show. We have lost our fear and our reverence of God and put it on man.

--Let’s bring it even more close to home, every time we choose a person or a habit over God and we are in an inappropriate relationship according to the Word, we are worshiping the created more than the Creator. 

--We Christians are too quick to point out that this downward spiral of Romans 1 leads to people turning to homosexuality but maybe you should keep reading the rest of the chapter.

Romans 1:28-29 (NKJV)
²⁸  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
²⁹  being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality…

--That downward spiral will take us further and further away from the fear of the Lord and reverence for the glory of God. 

Psalm 89:7 (NKJV)
⁷  God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him. 

2. God understands.

--When we reduce the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, we lose our way.

--Like the children of Israel we are quick to acknowledge with our mouths Jesus is the One Who saved us (delivered us) but with our lifestyle and attitude we reduce Him to corruptible man. How so, Pastor?

--I have heard people say…I love God and He knows (understands) my heart. It is true God understands our hearts even more than we understand ourselves. 

--Sadly, people use this comment when they are justifying a lifestyle that is contrary to God’s Word. The people I see in Scriptures who God calls His friends are those who tremble at His Word and His presence.

--I think one of the most disturbing things I have seen through my years of pastoring is when we are trying to give guidance to someone who is living contrary to God’s Word and their family and friends intervene for them.

--Don’t let that church or those pastors to tell you how to live…it is your time to be happy. Hear me, the way you will truly show you love that person is to support your leadership when they are trying to help them.

Romans 1:32 (NLT2)
³²  They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

--Please do not forget what we said earlier…how are we teaching others to fear the Lord?

Isaiah 29:13 (NKJV)  13 Therefore the LORD said: "Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, 

--Please do not be deceived, God will not be mocked…it does not matter how many people (Christians or not) approve of what you are doing. The bottom line is God’s Word.

--When we filter God’s Word and His commands through our own culture and the people who will approve of us, we are listening to the fear taught by man and we attest we do not honor, revere, or fear God. 

3. Our theology reveals our fear of the Lord or lack of it.

--It does matter what you believe about God and His Word. If your God is just a sweet “Sugar Daddy” in the sky just waiting to give you everything you want, your image of Him will be skewed. NT theology says:

Hebrews 10:26-31 (NKJV)
²⁶  For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
²⁷  but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.
²⁸  Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
²⁹  Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
³⁰  For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The LORD will judge His people."
³¹  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

--Verse 28 is Old Testament but look again at verse 29, definitely New Testament. It is talking about willful sin 26…those who trample on the Son of God, those who said the blood of Jesus was common, insulted Holy Spirit 

--The Lord of the NT will judge His people…It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Might be important to have a healthy fear of the Lord.