THE FEAR OF THE LORD

We sometimes hear people say that they wish they could have been a part of the Early Church where miracles were common, souls were being saved daily, and the church expanding at an accelerated pace. But there was something else going on then that I've never heard anyone long for.

Acts 5:11 ¶ And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things..

The Early Church was unusually subject to the fear of the Lord. This powerful sense of the Lord's presence brought a deep sense of His holiness. Where sin was trivialised, it was no longer so. What people had been identifying as mistakes, slips of judgment, problems, they began to identify it for what it truly was: sin. Where people had previously thought that sin was merely breaking God's Laws, they suddenly realised that it was an offensive insult to God which broke His heart. People changed the way they viewed their lives before God. Instead of thinking that God was upset when His children misrepresented Him, they began to realise that He was angry about it instead -  but not the kind fleshly anger we experience in our sinfulness -  a holy, righteous, loving anger. This hit a preliminary climax when Ananias and Saphira lied to God and died immediately.

Acts 5:5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it.

The Early Church experienced God's intent gaze. They responded with their only option: the fear of the Lord. Do you invite God's intent gaze of your life? Have you ever felt the fear of the Lord?

God is not Someone to be ignored, trivialised, or triffled with. His Word is not a Book of Suggestions. His power is not a force for our amusement. We may long for what the Early Church had, which is commendable, but consider that they may have had more than what most of us are prepared to welcome today.

Acts 9:31 ¶ So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.

Ps. Andrew