5/10 Life

You Do Not Fear Me?
(ISAIAH 57:1-13)
 
Pause & Reflect
 
1 The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart;
devout men are taken away, while no one understands.
For the righteous man is taken away from calamity;
2     he enters into peace;
they rest in their beds
    who walk in their uprightness.

 

1. [v.1-2] *Biblical principle – THOSE WHO DO NOT FEAR GOD HAVE NO HEART FOR HIS RIGHTEOUS – taken away into His peace: When we lose heart to listen to the righteous, God loses heart to keep them in our lives, removing them into His peace. With blind watchmen at the helm of the nation’s corrupt leadership, the remnant of righteous people who lived in holy fear before God grew smaller and smaller. Yet, God was still sovereign over the gradual perishing of the righteous, for He would do this as an act of judgment among the ungodliness of His people. The passing of the righteous into glory was an entrance into His peace and rest, saving them from the calamity of their present evil days. In the same manner, the second coming of Jesus will be inaugurated by the removal of the righteous into His glory – both those who have fallen asleep and those alive at the present time (1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-18). We ought to be warned when God-fearing followers of Christ are not present around us and start perishing from our midst.
   1. *FOCUS QUESTION #1 – Are you laying in your heart to listen with understanding to God’s Word from those He has placed around you? Are you putting yourself in places where God’s Word through God’s people keep appearing or disappearing around you? 
   2. *FOCUS QUESTION #2 – Why should we start fearing God when the righteous perish around us and are taken away into His rest? Describe a time when God-fearing people in your life either started passing away (into glory through death) or started moving away (to another far away location). How did you learn to fear God in these circumstances?
   3. *FOCUS QUESTION #3 – What is the difference between sinful fear (of ourselves and other people) and holy fear (before the LORD)? How can you have holy fear before the LORD today – giving the holy fear of power, obedience, and control over to Him?

 
3 But you, draw near, sons of the sorceress,
    offspring of the adulterer and the loose woman.
4 Whom are you mocking? Against whom do you open your mouth wide
    and stick out your tongue? Are you not children of transgression,
    the offspring of deceit,
5 you who burn with lust among the oaks, under every green tree,
who slaughter your children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?
6 Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion; they, they, are your lot; to them you have poured out a drink offering,
    you have brought a grain offering. Shall I relent for these things?
7 On a high and lofty mountain you have set your bed,
    and there you went up to offer sacrifice.
8 Behind the door and the doorpost you have set up your memorial;
for, deserting me, you have uncovered your bed,
    you have gone up to it, you have made it wide;
and you have made a covenant for yourself with them,
    you have loved their bed, you have looked on nakedness.
9 You journeyed to the king with oil and multiplied your perfumes;
you sent your envoys far off, and sent down even to Sheol.
10 You were wearied with the length of your way,
    but you did not say, “It is hopeless”;
you found new life for your strength, and so you were not faint.

 

1. [v.3-10] *Biblical principle – THOSE WHO DO NOT FEAR GOD HAVE NO FAITHFULNESS TO HIS COVENANT – forfeited for other gods: We are committing spiritual adultery without fear before the LORD, burning with lust for other partners that cannot make covenant with us. While drawing away from the righteous, the people drew near to all unrighteousness, likened to being “sons of the sorceress, offspring of the adulterer… children of transgression, the offspring of deceit” – especially under the rule of King Manasseh – the fourteenth king of Judah - who became king at 12 years of age and reigned for 55 years, reinstating polytheistic worship that his father, King Hezekiah, had reformed the nations by condemning. Instead of living into their identity as children of God’s covenant promises, they became children of the flesh. The apostle Paul reminds us, “not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring… it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring” (ROMANS 9:6-8).
   1. *FOCUS QUESTION #1 – Are you burning with lust for another covenant, wearied in seeking it yet still hopeful to obtain it? What are these alternative covenants in our hearts? Have you ever thought about your relationship with Jesus like a marriage relationship, where Jesus longs for your undivided love and to keep you from other lovers and adulterers that will hurt you?
   2. *FOCUS QUESTION #2 – Fearing God is like staying faithful in marriage. We should fear straying from the marriage covenant. We should fear unguarding our hearts to let all kinds of polluted emotions and lustful desires enter in. How are you fearing to stray from the LORD’s side? How are you fearing to unguard your heart to other lovers?

 
11 Whom did you dread and fear, so that you lied,
and did not remember me, did not lay it to heart?
Have I not held my peace, even for a long time, and you do not fear me?
12 I will declare your righteousness and your deeds, but they will not profit you.
13 When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you!
    The wind will carry them all off, a breath will take them away.
But he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land
    and shall inherit my holy mountain.

 

1. [v.11-13] *Biblical principle – THOSE WHO DO NOT FEAR GOD HAVE NO REFUGE FROM HIS JUDGMENT – carried off by the wind: Even a collection of idols cannot weather the winds of His coming judgment. As the rampant idol worship went forward with every kind of corruptible practice among His people, God wonders who made them so afraid to lie to Him, not remember Him, and to not lay in their hearts His Word? The LORD reminds them how He had held His peace out to them for a long time, yet they still did not grow a holy fear for Him. Now, not even their righteousness nor their righteous deeds could profit them. He would leave their collection of idols to deliver them. Yet the idols themselves are too lightweight to do so, for they will be carried away by the wind and disappear like a breath. Yet, those who take refuge in the LORD shall be delivered from exile into the land He had promised for them to inherit. We need to be aware of the collection of idols we are storing-up.
   1. *FOCUS QUESTION #1 – Do we not fear God? Are we aware there is judgment coming, and not even our righteous deeds will profit us on that day? Is our refuge in the grace of Christ alone, who is the house we can abide in on the solid rock and not shifting sand?
   2. *FOCUS QUESTION #2 – Describe some of the “collections” you have – perhaps a hobby of collecting a certain item or doing a certain tradition. “Collectables/collections” take a lot of time, searching, sacrifice, and care to gather up! Idolatry also works the same way – before we know it, we can store up a collection of things that are worthless and cannot deliver us in anyway, but only make us more obsessive, intoxicated, and destructive. What are these collectables/collections that cause you to chase after them with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength? Who is the refuge we can run to in order to be delivered from our collection of idolatry?
   3. *FOCUS QUESTION #3 – How is fearing God the beginning of the knowledge of His refuge? Will those who fear Him fall under judgment or under mercy?

 
The central truth of this word was –
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (PROVERBS 1:7). “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death” (PROVERBS 14:27). Put your fears in the right place, in the right person! Fearing anything of the world is wrong because its fruit is immorality, intimidation, and infatuation. Fearing God is right because its fruit is holiness, instruction, and wisdom. Do not fear to approach God, for Jesus has made a way for us in His Spirit. But do fear to depart from God, for apart from Him, we can do nothing. Like a child who fears to leave his father’s arms, let us fear departing from Jesus. Stay close to His righteous remnant. Stay faithful to His covenant because He remains faithful. Take refuge in His house, and not your home.

– *How has the LORD spoken to you today through this?
 
Apply & Be Doers of the Word
 
(1) Fearing God means to stay near the people of God – His church. Don’t make God take away the righteous from among you. Don’t make God lose heart for those He sends to you, and remove them from you. We are the body of Christ. Understand why we are together, why God birthed this church at this time, at this location, in this season. Are you in covenant with that? Where are all the godly men and women who fear Him? Every name on AGAPE’s prayer list that is missing among us is precious to the LORD. Let us pray the fear of God in Jesus Christ befalls us all to stay near one another, near to His covenant, and near to His Word.
 
(2) What you fear more than God always appears in private. Examine your heart at that time. As was the case for God’s people then, these are your smooth stones, your uncovered beds, your wearied journey away from fearing God, your burning lust for something or someone that you feel safe to have without anyone’s notice. Well, God notices! He loves you enough to point it out and remove it with fear before Him. Be faithful, because He is faithful! His eyes are on you, so be pleasing in His sight!
 
(3) Take refuge by taking possession. Own what He has entrusted to steward it for His purpose. Those who take refuge in the Lord will possess the land and inherit His holy mountain, says the Lord. They will possess. They will inherit. There is a possession and inheritance for you – that is ultimately the Lord Jesus Christ. We are entrusted with His message of forgiveness and eternal life in His name. Take possession of that. Own that. Take responsibility in building that with all His time, resources, and strength He has provided for you.
 

Holy Spirit Moment & Group Prayer
Take a moment to invite the Holy Spirit to fill you, and pray for one another.
 
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18)
 
…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7)
 
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load. (GALATIANS 6:2-5)
 
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (HEBREWS 10:24-25)
 
For the body does not consist of one member but of many... The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. (1 CORINTHIANS 12:14, 21-27)
 
- Jeong’s (Jake, Amanda)
- Lee’s (Sam, Heidi)
- Aiden Song
- Deborah Ko
- Kristen Lee
- Patrick Liu
- Brian Pak
- Samuel Park
- Trey Reynolds
- Tyler Lee
- Edward Jeon
- Johann Lee
- Eugene Hong
- JR Reynolds
- Brian Joo
- James Han
- Winnie Kim
- Philip Oh
- Hana Lee
- Rachel Ko (preschool assistant)
- Hanna Kang
- Soo Nam (Dallas Police)
- Eunice Kim (UT Austin)
- Jedidiah Lim (Louisiana)
- Jeff Park (California)
- Doug Kang
- Stacy Hong
- David An
- Daniel An
- Alice Jeon
- Ashley Min (UTD)
- Mike Choi (drummer, Jeff’s cousin)
- Eric Lee (UTD)
- Lisa Jeon
- Brian Yoon
- Jennifer Chung (UTA)
- June Kim (TWU)
- Hannah Kim (UT Austin)
- Hogan Lee (TCU)
- Steven Kwon (A&M)
- Benny Son (UT Austin)
- Esther Ko (UT Austin)
- Daniel Lee (UT Austin)
- Aaron Lee (Houston, postgraduate optometry)
- Alex Koh (Houston, postgraduate dentistry)
- Matthew Ahn (UT Austin)
- Yura Ahn (UT Austin)
- Katie Han (New York)
- Emily Han (Austin)
- Jung’s (Jae, Mary) – Boston, MA
- Hanbit Kang (Austin)
- Gu Min Chung (Army, Korea)
- Jeanie Yoo (Baylor)