February 11^th 2024

9:30 am ---------------------------- The God of The Bible is a Consuming Fire – Exodus 19:16-25

10:00 am -------------------The Kindness, Tenderness & Forgiveness of God – Ephesians 4:32

Where Is The Fear Of God Today? – by Scott Richardson

Where is the fear of God today? Is this not what is wrong with us? Is not this the whole story? This present generation is so taken up with the idea of our own importance and so occupied with the dignity of man, that we no longer fear God, if we ever feared Him. We are presumptuous, self-willed, unruly and dying a slow but sure death, and on the verge of complete ruin.

If there is one word that describes this generation of religious people, it is “irreverence.” Sophistication will yet kill this present generation. Men go to church today to patronize God, not to worship God. The majority of church-going people, judging from their attitude, believe that in attending church, they are conferring a great honor upon God. Church attendance is an excuse for a fashion parade and a show of pride. Men go to church to be entertained and amused. They insist that the preacher be a good mixer, entertainer, actor, and pulpit clown. The preacher who dares to declare the gospel of Christ is one thought of as one being hopelessly out of date.

I hear everywhere I go this statement, “He sounds like an old country preacher,” whatever that means. Read through the whole sermon in Acts 2; there is nothing in it but the Word of God, not one thing except the Scripture. How embarrassing this man would be to this generation; he would be considered odd. He didn’t even have on a clerical robe. What did he preach? The sovereignty of God, the Lordship of Christ, and salvation by grace. By modern standards, this was a bad sermon; this man preached Divine election. The cry of this religious generation is that you must not preach election—you will confuse sinners. How are you going to confuse sinners when they are already confused? They are dead to God. The result of the preaching in Acts 2 resulted in God calling some, maybe enough to try preaching this way.

Noisome Pestilence -- “ He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence.” – Psalm 91:3

Scripture says those who have made God their refuge shall be delivered . . . from the NOISOME PESTILENCE or all the TROUBLING COMMOTION you hear all around. Do you hear all the commotion going on? All the troubling talk, all the troubling news, all the troubling events that everyone is all upset over? Did you hear the news? Did you hear what they said? Did you see what’s going on?

Believer, don’t be troubled over all this commotion. The god of this world (the fowler) has this world captive to and therefore worried over the things of this world. The world is taken up with world news and world events in a world that is in trouble, a world that is headed for destruction. Therefore all you can expect to see and hear is troubling. Of Course world news is bad because it is full of bad people, who do bad things, and the outlook is bad. But believer, let not your heart be troubled. In light of the good news, the gospel of our salvation, nothing in this world should overly concern us. The gospel says we are not of this world and are being delivered from it; and are going to a new world, wherein dwelleth righteousness (the good Lord, good people and good things). Brother Richardson once said, “I’ve never heard any real bad news since I heard the good news.” So don’t be surprised by bad news. We should expect world news to be bad. But Christ said, “ BE OF GOOD CHEER, I HAVE OVERCOME THIS WORLD.”

Financial news is usually bad (always worrisome to those who trust in riches). But brethren, if we have food and raiment, things are never really bad. Be not deceived by the deceitfulness of riches, which the god of this world uses to ensnare this world. Most folks think that money is the key to happiness. But brethren, you and I know that we are not redeemed with corruptible things such as silver or gold. You know that money and possessions cannot give peace, joy, happiness, contentment, security, nor buy our way into Heaven. If we were to lose all our earthly possessions, we lose nothing, for we have the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ . . . an inheritance corruptible . . . reserved in Heaven. At our God’s right hand are pleasures for evermore. No eye hath fully seen the things that God hath prepared for them that love Him. Keep that in mind and the financial noise will not bother you too much.

Have you heard? Illegal aliens are going to overrun our country. Our country? Brethren, we are strangers and pilgrims in this earth . . . . we have here no continuing city. A person who is merely passing through a country is not too troubled by who the president is, nor the social problems in that country. I am as patriotic as the next fellow, and thankful for this land of freedom, but the fact is, this is not my country, nor are the people of this nation my people. As Ruth said to Naomi, so saith the child of God to the Lord and His people: Where Thou goest, I will go; and where Thou lodgest, I will lodge: Thy people shall be my people, and Thy God my God.”