David's Last Words

Thank you, Lord, for today. And we realize, Lord, that as we look at David's last words, soon before he dies, we know, Lord, that all of us come to that end sooner or later, unless you come to take us home to be with you before that.

But Lord, we realize that death is impending for every man and every woman. And we trust that, Lord, we would know you as our Lord and Savior. David had that ironclad assurance that he would go home to be in your presence. And I pray that all of us here tonight would have that same assurance. And yet, Lord, we realize that life is so brief and there are so many things to accomplish, but the only thing that matters is what we accomplish for your kingdom, for your glory, and for your honor. And may the things that we learn this evening enable us to do that, we pray in Jesus' name.

Amen. Turn with me in your Bible, if you would, to 2 Samuel chapter 23. 2 Samuel chapter 23, David's last words. They are not his final words because he will speak to his son Solomon in 2 Kings chapter 2 verses 1 to 10, where he will address him as father to son. But these are his last literary words. This is his last song. There are 73 psalms that are directly attributed to David and the ministry that he had. And this is that last song that he gives to the nation. And maybe he was given it in the presence of Solomon that he might understand it because it deals with leadership and the responsibility of those who lead God's people.

But these are his last literary words. This is this great saint of God, a man after God's own heart, giving us that last song that explains to us the responsibility of leadership. This is how it goes, verses 1 to 7, 2 Samuel chapter 23. Now, these are the last words of David. David, the son of Jesse, declares, and the man who was raised on high declares, the anointed of the God of Jacob and the sweet psalmist of Israel, the spirit of the Lord spoke by me and his word was on my tongue. The God of Israel said, the rock of Israel spoke to me.

He who rules over men righteously, who rules in the fear of God is as the light of the morning when the sun rises. A morning without clouds when the tender grass springs out of the earth through sunshine after rain. Truly is not my house so with God, for he has made an everlasting covenant with me, ordered in all things and secured. For all my salvation and all my desire, will he not indeed make it grow? But the worthless, every one of them will be thrust away like thorns because they cannot be taken in hand.

But the man who touches them must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear and they will be completely burned with fire in their place. Two things I want you to see, the revelation from the Lord and the responsibility of those who lead. David tells us that these words are the words of God. Everything he said in the scriptures are divine inspiration of the Lord Jesus. But he goes back and he tells us that it was the Lord God who called him, the Lord God who raised him, the Lord God who brought him forth that he might lead in the land of Israel.

As you recall many, many weeks ago we talked about David on the back side of Bethlehem as that little shepherd boy fulfilling his responsibility and God would call him forth and God would anoint him, touch him with his spirit and be used in a great and mighty way. And God would take this boy from tending sheep to be in the household of Saul. And Saul would become very jealous of David and begin to pursue him relentlessly for over a decade. And through all of those episodes David began to learn more so about leadership in the wilderness of En Gedi, in the back side of the wilderness there as he would hide in the caves and rocks.

He would learn about God. He would learn to trust in his God. And God did a great and mighty work in the shepherd boy. The Bible says in Psalm 78 these words, verse 70, he also chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds, from the care of the ewes with suckling lambs he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance.

So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart and guided them with his skillful hands. God was so good to David. But David recognizes in his song that it was God who elevated him. It was God who orchestrated the events to bring him to a place of leadership. Nobody ever leads without God placing him there. You might have all the skill and all the talent and think you need to lead. But unless God puts you there you don't lead. And so you have to realize that God was instrumental in David's life to bring him to a point of leadership in Israel.

And this man recognized that God anointed him. He tells us the anointed of the God of Jacob and the sweet psalmist of Israel. He says that he was anointed by God. The unique thing about that is that the Bible says that we as believers are anointed by God.

2nd Corinthians chapter 1 verse number 21 says this 2nd Corinthians chapter 1 verse number 21 says now he who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God. You know the Old Testament they anointed priests. They anointed kings. They anointed prophets. It's interesting to note that as children of the living God we are a kingdom of priests who proclaim the truth of God. And we are that way because God has anointed us. God has touched us with his spirit as he did David, as he did other priests, prophets, and kings in the Old Testament.

So we recognize that what God did with David he has done with us who are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. But you will notice that in David's development God trained him.

God trained him through tragedy. God trained him through turmoil. God trained him through difficulty. Part of David's development came through the hardships of life. And yes he was on the backside of Bethlehem and yes God called him but it was through all those years of running from Saul and all the difficulty that he experienced that taught him how to be a leader of men as he would have around him some 600 men, some of the riffraff of Israel. He would invest in those men and train those men and develop those men who became instrumental in his leadership as he became king over all of Israel.

But you might have the talent and you might have the training but you need the touch of the Spirit of God to lead God's people. And when God touches you he takes you through tragedy. He takes you through turmoil that he might develop you into being the kind of man God wants you to be. So the revelation that God gives to David he gives to us to help us understand that God was instrumental in all that took place. And he tells his people about the responsibility of leadership and it falls into two categories.

If you're going to lead you must be righteous. If you're going to lead you must be reverent. You must fear God. In fact those two elements make up the prerequisites for godly leadership. You must be a righteous man and you must be a reverent man. If those two things don't exist you can't lead God's people. And David makes it very clear when he says these words. He says very clearly he says he who rules over men righteously who rules in the fear of God is as a light of the morning when the sun rises a morning without clouds when the tender grass springs out of the earth through sunshine after rain.

There's nothing like righteous leadership. There's nothing like godly leadership. It brings freshness to the air. It brings freshness to the people. It brings light to the people. It brings a fragrance to the people. Everything about your leadership affects those you lead. And if you don't do it righteously if you don't do it reverently then you can't lead in the way that God wants you to lead. So let's look at that for a moment because that sets the tone for the prerequisites for leadership.

The Bible is very clear about this. Remember what it says over in the book of Proverbs. Proverbs chapter 14 verse number 34. Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a disgrace to any people. Righteousness exalts a nation so those who lead must be righteous. They must be right with God. They must live God's righteousness. The Bible says over in Proverbs chapter 16 verse number 12.

It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness for a throne is established on righteousness. Righteous lips are the delight of kings and he who speaks right is loved. Again it talks about the way the the king rules the way he leads. Listen to what it says over in Proverbs chapter 29. Proverbs chapter 29 verse number 2. When the righteous increase the people rejoice but when a wicked man rules the people groan. Now translate that into your family. When the righteous father leads the children rejoice but if the father leads wickedly the children groan.

The wife groans. I wonder if you could be so honest as to say is your wife groaning under your leadership? Is she moaning under your leadership? Are your children groaning and moaning under your leadership because it's not righteous? Or does your wife flourish under your leadership? Do your children flourish under your leadership? Verse 12 with chapter 28 of Proverbs. When the righteous triumph there is great glory but when the wicked rise men hide themselves. They want to run from the wicked ruler but when the righteous rule people resound with glory.

Great things take place. The Bible says that God is righteous. God is right. God is just. In fact righteousness and justice are used interchangeably throughout the scriptures to help us understand the character and nature of God. Because God is righteous every judgment he makes is just. Every punishment he inflicts is just because he's righteous. He does everything right. He doesn't do anything wrong and those who lead are to follow that kind of example. In fact the Bible says these words over in first John chapter 2 verse number 9.

Excuse me. First John 2 verse number 29. If you know that he is righteous you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of him. Because God is righteous those who practice his righteousness you know they are born of God. Verse 7 chapter 3 of first John.

Little children let no one deceive you. The one who practices righteousness is righteous just as he is righteous. In other words you practice God's character. You live God's life. You are a partaker of the divine nature. He is righteous. So therefore you exemplify that righteous character. Says in verse 10 of first John 3.

By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious. Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God nor the one who does not love his brother. So it's very obvious that the one who is righteous who knows God practices the character and nature of God. And so it's essential when it comes to leadership that you lead God's way. And you lead God's way by exemplifying God's character. Absolutely crucial. The Bible says in Matthew chapter 5 verse number 6 that we are to hunger and thirst after righteousness.

Blessed is the one who hungers. Blessed is the one who thirsts after righteousness. In other words there is this deep longing to be like Christ. For they shall be filled. They shall be satisfied. It's the one who hungers to be like Christ is the one who is satisfied. The one who longs to be like his Lord that's the one who's filled. The Bible says in the book of Proverbs the 15th chapter of the ninth verse that God loves him who pursues righteousness.

Why? Why does God love those who pursue righteousness? Because they want to be like him. Listen to what it says in Psalm 92 verse number 12. Psalm 92 verse number 12. The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree. He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon planted in the house of the Lord. They will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still yield fruit in old age. They shall be full of sap and very green. There's something about the righteous man that causes him to continue to flourish way beyond his years, way beyond the youngness, way into the years he's old.

He begins to flourish. In fact he's so old he's green. He's green because he's ripe. He's fresh because righteousness rules in his life. The Bible says in Proverbs chapter 24 verse number 16 these words.

Proverbs 24 verse number 16. For a righteous man falls seven times and rises again but the wicked stumble in time of calamity. There's something about the righteous man that although he might fall seven times he always rises. The wicked man when he stumbles he can't get back up because he depends upon himself. But the righteous man can rise because of what God has done in his life. Proverbs chapter nine verse number nine says this. Proverbs nine verse number nine. Give instruction to a wise man and he will still be wiser.

Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning. How do you know you're a righteous man? You increase your learning. You don't know it all. You want to keep learning because you know of the infinite aspect of God's character. You never know all of God but you want to be like God. And so the righteous man is taught and increases his learning. He's like the wise man when instructed he wants to know more. He never says I know that. He never exudes an arrogant spirit about what is spoken about because he wants to learn more.

He wants to be like his God. That's the righteous man and that's what David is talking about in second Samuel 23.

About he who rules over man must rule righteously. The Bible says in Galatians 3 verse number 11 the righteous shall live by faith.

In other words they live trusting God. They live in trusting obedience to God because they walk in obedience to him. James 5 16 says that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Listen there are two prerequisites to your leading a godly life. One is you must live a righteous life. That is you reflect the character and nature of God. He is righteous. We are partakers of his divine nature. When we interact with people we interact with them righteously. We live God's life before them.

We've been clothed with the righteousness of Christ. So positionally in Christ we are righteous people. We are to live out that righteous life practically. And so our whole life is about matching our position with our practice. We know who we are in Christ. Now we must match that practically every day. And so we live a life of righteousness. We want to be like Christ. And as fathers that's the way we want to lead our families. As fathers we want to live a righteous life. We don't want to live an unrighteous life before our children.

We don't want to live an unrighteous life before our wife. We want them to see righteousness, holiness, Christ-likeness, godliness. We want them to be able to see our commitment to the Lord God. And as they see that commitment David knew that as he lived God's life, as he lived a righteous life, great things took place in his kingdom. He also knew that when he lived an unrighteous life bad things happened in his kingdom. He knew that. He understands that. He gets that. He's at the end of his life.

He knows it's all coming to an end. He wants to put in a song the elements of true biblical leadership and what needs to happen when he's dead and gone. What the nation needs to see. It needs to see righteousness and it needs to see reverence in his leadership. That is you lead in the fear of God. Boy this is so crucial because without the fear of God you can't lead God's people. And so he says that he who rules righteously rules in the fear of God. There is this overwhelming reverence for the holiness of God.

Crucial. Listen to what the Bible says in Psalm 145. I'm sorry Psalm 147 verse 10. He does not delight in the strength of the horse. He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord favors those who fear him. Those who wait for his loving kindness. God favors the man who fears him. That's why I love that verse on Isaiah 66 verse number two where it says that the Lord, the Lord wants us to live in the fear of him.

That the blessed man is the one who shutters and shakes uncontrollably under the authority of God's holy word. You know in the church today we don't have people like that. But we need people who when they hear the word of God they begin to shake because they live in the fear of God. Listen to what it says over in Psalm 128. Psalm 128. How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord who walks in his ways. Same thing. A reverence for God. Okay. And one who lives righteously for God. He walks in his ways.

When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands you will be happy and it will be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house. Your children, excuse me, like all of plants around your table. Behold for thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. The Lord spells it out very clearly for us. The blessed man is the one who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways. Because God will deal with your fortune and God will deal with your future and God will deal with your family.

But the one who fears the Lord has a wife that's like a fruitful vine. Vines and all of plants were symbols of abundance and blessing in Israel. And so the psalmist takes those two symbols of abundance and blessing and applies them to the man's family. Because listen, the man who fears the Lord, the evidence of that will be manifested the most in his family. That's where it's manifested the most. And his wife will model the fact that he fears the Lord. So I can look at your wife and talk to your wife and know whether or not you as a man fear the Lord.

I can tell more about you by looking at your wife and talking to your wife than I can by talking to you. Did you know that? I bet you didn't know that, did you? Because your wife will do two things. If you fear the Lord, she will be like a fruitful vine. If you fear the Lord, vines do two things. One, they cling. And if you're a man who fears the Lord, your wife will cling to you, her man. She won't let go. She will hold on for dear life. You are her anchor and you are her support and she is wrapping herself around you and she will not let go.

Because you fear the Lord, she's a fruitful vine. Not only does she cling to her man, but she climbs toward maturity. She's growing spiritually. She is growing off the charts spiritually. She's manifesting the character and nature of God because she has at her disposal a man who's going to make sure he models to her the Lord God. He will lead her in the right way. So if you're a woman tonight and you're married, you must ask yourself two questions. One, do you cling to your man? And two, do you climb toward maturity?

Because if you're not, you don't have a man who fears the Lord. So what do I do? Divorce him and find another one? No. No, you got to pray that God does a great and mighty work in his heart and that he becomes the man who fears the Lord. But the second evidence of that is it affects your children.

Your children will be like olive plants around your table. Now, why does he use that as an illustration? Because olive plants in Israel become a very vital symbol to teach us about child rearing. A couple of things about olive plants. One, they grow best in hard, rocky soil. They do not grow well in soft soil. So that tells us that the more strict you are and the more disciplined you are as a parent, the better your children grow. The softer you are, it's harder for them to grow toward maturity in Christ.

Because as olive plants grow best in hard, rocky soil, in difficult terrain, so you too as a parent provide for them the discipline that they need, that they might understand the boundaries set around them, that they might adhere to them. Next thing about olive plants is that, the unique thing about olive plants is that in the first seven years, they are the most crucial years.

In fact, if you cultivate the olive plant for seven years, nurture it daily, watch over it daily, take care of it daily, invest in it daily, it will last up to 2,000 years. How do we know that? Because we have olive trees in Israel that are over 2,000 years old, but you got to nurture them properly. What does that tell us about child rearing? The first seven years are absolutely crucial.

They are the most crucial years of your child's development. By the time they're seven years of age, their personality pretty much is set in stone. By the time they're seven years of age, things have already begun to solidify in their mind. And then from then on out, because olive trees over those first seven years, you nurture them carefully, you can pretty much leave them alone and they will begin to flourish.

Because the element in child rearing happens in the first seven years. Absolutely crucial that as a mother, you're there for those seven years. Absolutely essential you are there for those seven years. If you want to nurture that child properly, you must be there. You must invest in that child. You must develop that child. You must cultivate that child. Why? Because those are the most crucial years of the child's development mentally, emotionally, personally. Those are the most crucial years. And you want to be able to invest in that child's development as best as you possibly can with all that you have.

Because once they reach age seven, things are pretty much set in stone and solidified in their little brains. And then from then on out, things just begin to expand. Yes, they still need discipline. Yes, they still need care. Yes, that's all important. But those first seven years are the most crucial.

And so the psalmist doesn't just use an olive branch because its symbolism is one of abundance. He uses it because it parallels child rearing and the responsibility we have as parents. The man who fears the Lord, the man who walks in the ways of God, that man's leadership is best evidenced in the life of his children and the life of his wife. Because he's made an impact in his home. He lives in the fear of the Lord. In fact, let me say it to you this way.

Psalm 112 says it this way. Oh, by the way, by the way, the olive tree is an evergreen. Did you know that? The olive tree is an evergreen and it displays its beauty no matter what season it's in. Hard season, soft season, it always displays its beauty. And we want our children to display the beauty of the Lord throughout their entire lives. So we invest the Lord into them that they might grow and follow. Psalm 112 says it this way. Praise the Lord. How blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments.

His descendants will be mighty on earth. The generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house and his righteousness endures forever. It goes on to say in verse number seven, he will not fear evil tidings. His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Again, the Psalmist says that the uniqueness of fearing God and walking in his commandments will affect your children. If you fear the Lord, your descendants will be mighty upon the earth because you walk in his ways. You model to them righteousness.

You live a reverent life before them. You teach them the truth of God's holy word. And the Bible says that wealth and riches are in his house.

Now, what does that mean? What does that mean? Proverbs chapter eight says it this way. Proverbs chapter eight says, I wisdom dwell with prudence and I find knowledge and discretion. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil. Pride, arrogance, and the evil way and the perverted mouth I hate. Counsel is mine and sound wisdom I am understanding. Power is mine. By me kings reign and rulers decree justice. By me princes rule and nobles all who judge rightly. I love those who love me and those who seek me will find me.

Riches and honor are with me enduring wealth and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold in my yield than the choice of silver. In other words, the man who fears the Lord is the wise man. The man who knows wisdom has a house filled with riches, honor, and glory. Because riches, wisdom's riches, are greater than the riches of the world because they last forever. Proverbs chapter 22 verse number four says this. The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, honor, and life.

Riches, honor, and life. Proverbs 24 verse number four or verse number three. By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established and by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. In other words, when you fear the Lord and you live in wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, what happens is your house is filled with everything that's pleasant. The attitudes there are nurturing. The character there is developing. It's a precious place to be. It's a pleasant place to be and that is the riches, the wealth, and the honor that fills the home.

And that lasts way into eternity where earthly riches don't last. Wow, this is so important because Solomon is giving his last literary song and I mean David is going to be giving his last literary song and Solomon is listening. It's going to affect Solomon. Solomon writes Proverbs but David also knows the effects of his life when he doesn't fear the Lord. The effects of his life when he doesn't live righteously. And so he wants to caution the nation. He wants to caution his son. You need to know this.

It's pivotal. It's crucial. Righteousness and reverence are the two pillars that you as a leader need to stand on in order to make sure that when your people wake up, they wake up to blue skies. They wake up to no clouds. They wake up knowing the freshness as the sun comes out after the rain. They need to smell the freshness of righteousness. They need to be able to see the fear of the Lord. It affects them greatly. It's crucial. So you say, well, yeah, I want to do that. How do I do that? Let's know what the Psalmist said.

Psalmist said these words, Psalm 33, verse number 18. Behold the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope for his lovingkindness to deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine. Did you hear that? The Lord keeps alive in famine those who fear him. In other words, you never have to fear what to eat or if you will eat because you fear the Lord. You see, if you fear the Lord, you fear nothing else. If you don't fear the Lord, you fear everything else. Did you know that?

If you fear the Lord, you fear nothing because you fear the Lord. But if you don't fear the Lord, you fear everything else. You fear the loss of a job. You fear the death of a loved one. You fear financial stress. You fear whatever comes out the pike. But if you fear the Lord, you don't fear those things because the Lord takes care of those who fear him. Let's know what it says in Psalm 34. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. How blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Oh, fear the Lord, you are saints.

For those who fear him, there is no want. Did you hear that? To those who fear him, there is no want. And then he says this, the young lions do lack and suffer hunger, but they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing. Come, you children, listen to me and I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Wow, that is so good. If you fear the Lord, there is no want. If you fear the Lord, you lack nothing because God says, I want you to believe in me.

I want you to trust me. And those who fear the Lord depend upon God. They trust him. They believe in him. And that's exactly what we need to do. Psalm 25, verse number 12 says this, Psalm 25, verse number 12, who is the man who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose. His soul will abide in prosperity and his descendants will inherit the land. The secret of the Lord is for those who fear him. He will make them know his covenant. The secrets of the Lord are for those who fear him.

Who is the one who fears the Lord? His descendants shall inherit the land. Again, it's the effect of leadership in the home. It's the effect of how it is you lead. Your descendants will have a great inheritance because of your leadership, because of how you live your life, a righteous life, a reverent life. You say, okay, how do I do that? One more verse, Proverbs chapter 24, I'm sorry, Proverbs chapter 14, verse number 26 says this, in the fear of the Lord, there is strong confidence. I love that.

In the fear of the Lord, there is strong confidence. It says, and his children will have refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life that one may avoid the snares of evil. Let me tell you something.

Two things happen to your children if you fear the Lord, deliverance and delight. There is always deliverance for those who fear the Lord and their children. In the fear of the Lord, there is strong confidence and his children will have refuge. They'll be protected. They'll be watched out for. They'll be taken care of. The blessing and benefits that you receive as one who fears the Lord affects your children. We know that sin, your sin affects your children. We know the consequences of sin affect our children, but there's great blessings that come to our children when we fear the Lord.

There's great effect on their lives because we live a righteous life. They receive God's protection because of our commitment to God, to fear him, to love him and to adore him. So, how do you do that? If I'm going to be one who fears the Lord, live in the power of his name, how is it I am to live my life in the fear of the Lord? Real quick, let me tell you how, because this is crucial.

In order to lead properly, you must lead righteously, you must lead reverently. You must live a righteous life. You must live in the fear of God. So, if I'm going to live in the fear of God, in fact, the Bible says we're to live in the fear of God all day long.

Isaiah 8, 13 says, the Lord your God is holy. He shall be your dread and he shall be your fear. In other words, you fear God, fear nothing else but God. And you know you fear God when you fear nothing else. You don't fear losing your job. You don't fear what's going to happen at work. You don't fear what's going to happen at school. You fear no one else. Why? Because you fear God. And because you fear him and what he will do and how he responds, you live in the fear of God. God takes care of everything.

You have nothing to worry about. That's how you know you fear the Lord. So, you fear the Lord, number one, by submitting to the commandments of God, by submitting to the commandments of God.

How do you fear God? Submit to his commandments. Back in the book of Deuteronomy, sixth chapter, second verse, so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the Lord your God to keep all his statutes and his commandments.

Verse 24, chapter six of Deuteronomy. So, the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes to fear the Lord our God for our good always and for our survival. Deuteronomy eight, verse number six says, therefore you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God to walk in his ways and to fear him. And the scriptures go on and on and on about what it means to submit to the commandments of God, Ecclesiastes 12, 13. The sum of everything, fear God, keep his commandments. That's how Solomon sums up life.

Fear God, keep his commandments. That's all you got to do as a father. Fear God, keep his commandments. That's it, nothing else. Fear God, keep his commandments. And God will bless your family. God will take care of your family. Fear God, keep his commandments. How do I know I'm fearing God? I submit to everything God says.

I submit to what he says. Let me ask you a question. Do you bristle when God's word speaks? Because it goes against your experience or your emotions? You don't fear God. The man that fears God says, oh, that's what God says.

Oh, I'm going to do that. I'm going to do that. Yes, sir. I'm going to follow the Lord there. Yeah, that's what I'm doing. Because he fears God. And he knows the power of God. And he lives in the fear of God all day long. So he submits to the commands of God. And number two, he stays away from sin.

He stays away from sin. Job 28 says, the fear of the Lord's wisdom to depart from evil is understanding. The fear of the Lord's wisdom to depart from evil is understanding. The fear of the Lord is turning away from sin. Proverbs 3, verse number 7, Proverbs 16, verse number 6, a verse we've already read, the fear of the Lord is to depart from evil. That's what it does. So how do you know you fear the Lord? You submit to his commandments and you stay away from sin. Number three, you fear the Lord by serving the Lord.

Listen to what it says in the book of Deuteronomy again, Deuteronomy 6, verse number 13, you shall fear only the Lord your God and you shall serve him. How do you know you fear the Lord? You serve the Lord. Somebody came to me the other day and they said, you know, I'm a little disturbed about the amount of people in our church who don't serve the Lord. Maybe you should talk about service in the church. I said, that's not the problem. They said, what do you mean it's not the problem? I said, that's not the problem.

They said, what's the problem? I said, the problem is, is that people in church don't fear God. That's the problem. Because if you fear God, you serve God. If you don't fear God, you don't serve him. Oh, by the way, where are you serving in the church? Because if you're not serving, you don't fear God. You don't. Fear God and serve him. Listen to what Joshua said. Joshua said it this way. Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth and put away the gods, which your father served beyond the river and in Egypt and serve the Lord.

And if it is just disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today, whom you will serve, whether the gods, which your father served, which were beyond the river or the gods of the Amorites and whose land you are living. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Serve God, fear God, serve him. That's what you got to do. Because if you don't serve him, guess what you're doing? You're serving another God. If you're not serving God, you're serving, if you're not serving the true God, you're serving another God.

As for me and my house, we're serving the one true God because we fear that God, Joshua says. We fear him. The problem in the church is that people don't have an opportunity to serve because they do. It's not because people don't know what their spiritual gift is as to why they don't serve. They don't serve because they don't fear God, because those who fear him serve. You know what? If I don't preach, I fear what God will do to me. I do. If I don't exercise my gift, if I don't use it for the glory and honor of God, I fear what God will do to me and how it affects my family because I know the consequences of sin.

That means I'm living in disobedience to his Word. You fear God by submitting to his commands, everything he says. You fear God by staying away from sin. You fear God by serving God and doing the things that bring glory and honor to his name. Next, you fear God by sanctifying your life, setting apart for his glory and honor. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 7 verse number one, perfect holiness in the fear of God.

Perfect holiness in the fear of God. Philippians 2 verse number 12 says, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. First Peter 1 17 says, conduct yourselves in the fear of God.

In other words, set your life apart, sanctify it, set it apart for the master's use. That's how you know you fear the Lord. Next, you fear the Lord by sacrificing to the Lord. Deuteronomy 14 verses 22 to 23, Moses says these words, Deuteronomy 14, Moses says, you shall surely tithe all the produce from what you sow, which comes out of the field every year. And you shall eat in the presence of the Lord your God at the place where he chooses to establish his name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock.

In order that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always. I want you to sacrifice to me. I want you to sacrifice from your first fruits.

I want you to give to me. See the people in the church, why don't they give to the Lord? Because you don't fear the Lord. They don't. They fear they're not going to have enough money to make ends meet. They fear they can't pay their mortgage. They fear they can't put gas in the car. They fear they're not going to be able to put food on the plate. They fear they're not going to be able to pay for their kids' school. They fear all kinds of things. So what do they do? They withhold money from the Lord because they fear what might happen to them if their children don't have those things more so than they fear the Lord.

And God says, you're going to learn to fear me when you give to me. You've got to give to me. You've got to sacrifice. You've got to give it up for me. And you'll learn the fear of the Lord. And then you realize that to fear the Lord means that you stand in awe of the Lord. Psalm 22. Psalm 22, verse number 23 says these words. Psalm 22, verse number 23. You who fear the Lord, praise him. All you descendants of Jacob, glorify him and stand in awe of him, all you descendants of Israel. When you fear the Lord, you stand in awe of him.

In other words, you are awestruck by his character. You're awestruck by his nature. You overwhelm with the God you serve. He overwhelms you because of his presence, because of his glory. And you stand in awe of him. And lastly, you fear the Lord by surrendering your life to the Lord. Psalm 115, verse number 11 says this. Psalm 115, verse number 11. You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord for he is their help and their shield. I surrender everything to him. I surrender my life to him. I surrender my family to him.

I surrender my job, my church, my finances. I surrender everything to God. Why? Because I trust that he'll be my protector and my shield. If you're a father tonight, listen, you got to lead righteously. You got to lead reverently. Ladies, if you're looking to marry a man, make sure he leads you righteously. Make sure he leads you reverently. Because if he doesn't do it now, he won't do it then. Make sure he does it now.

If he doesn't do it now, turn around and run the other way. And you'll run into arms of a man who does. You will. Make sure he leads righteously. Make sure he leads you reverently. Fellas, we have a huge responsibility, huge responsibility. This is God's call upon us as men. This is what we need to remember.

We must lead a righteous life, a holy life. We must lead a reverent life in the fear of God, submitting to his commandments, staying away from sin, serving the Lord, making sure that we surrender everything to him, that we stand in awe of his presence because we fear himself. To this man will I look. To him who is broken, of a contrite heart, who trembles at my word. That's who God looks at. That's who God looks at. He's looking for men who shake uncontrollably when they leave church because they're in fear of God.

He's looking for men that when they open the scriptures and read it, they're almost shaking uncontrollably as to what they hear because they fear God. Ask yourself when was the last time you did that? You just read it and said, ah, no big deal. Oh, no. Oh, no. It's a big deal. It's the only deal. It's the only deal. It's God's word. And we need to take to heart everything God says.

Listen, when I read God's word and I realize the error of my way, I'm convicted of my sin. I'm convicted of my sin. And I want God to turn my life around. I want to do the right thing. When I come up here and I stand and I preach and I got my daughters in the audience or my sons in the audience and they say, they know whether or not I live a righteous life. They know whether or not I live a reverent life. They know that. I can't pull the wool over their eyes. I hold myself accountable to the standard of God's holy word.

This is how we live our lives. And as men, it affects our wives. So the next time you come to church, remember, fellas, I know whether or not you fear the Lord by looking at your wife, by looking into her eyes, watching how she responds to you. Because if you fear the Lord, she just cleans and she climbs. She grows because you fear the Lord. And I would trust that that would be you. Let me pray with you.

Father God, we thank you, Lord, for the authority of your word. And we thank you, Lord, that you hold us accountable to your word. And that, Lord, you've given us a standard to live by. It's you, your character, your nature. You want us to live a righteous, holy life. You want those who lead to live that righteous, holy life. You want those of us who are husbands, fathers to lead in a particular way. So I pray for every man tonight that falls in that category. They would realize that their home is a proving ground of their leadership.

It is the place where their leadership is solidified and verified. It's verified in their wife, first of all, in their children, second.

And as they live in the fear of the Lord, you have promised to make their children mighty on the earth. Mighty. Wow. Would it be that our children would be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might because we would have led righteously and reverently. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.