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Amen, okay so Deuteronomy chapter 28 and a pretty long chapter of the Bible but what a powerful chapter of the Bible as well and if you notice there there was around 13 verses of blessings at the beginning of it then followed by over 50 verses of cursings and we're just going to read again the whole, no joking, we're just going to read again the last few verses several verses of the chapter starting from verse 58 where it says if thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name the Lord thy God then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful and the plagues of thy seed even great plagues and of long continuance and sore sicknesses and of long continuance moreover he will bring upon thee all the disease of Egypt which thou was afraid of and they shall cleave unto thee also every sickness and every plague which is not written in the book of this law then will the Lord bring upon thee until thou be destroyed and you shall be left few in number whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the Lord thy God it shall come to pass it as the Lord rejoice over you to do you good and to multiply you so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you and to bring you to naught and you shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it and the Lord shall scatter thee among all people from the one end of the earth even unto the other and there thou shalt serve other gods which neither thou nor thy fathers have known even wood and stone and among these nations shalt thou find no ease neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest but the Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart and failing of eyes and sorrow of mind and thy life shall hang in doubt before thee and thou shalt fear day and night and shalt have none assurance of thy life in the morning thou shalt say would God it were even and even thou shalt say would God it were morning for the fear of thine heart where with thou shalt fear for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see and the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships by the way whereof I spake unto thee thou shalt see it no more again and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bomb men and bomb women and no man shall buy you and the title of my sermon today is fear the Lord thy God fear the Lord thy God let's go to the Lord in a word of prayer Father I thank you for your word I thank you um I thank you that that you make it so clear how we need to live how we need to respond in life to your word and I pray that everyone here will just have open hearts and open ears and want to hear what the word of God says to them today and act upon it as well in Jesus name we pray all of this amen um because we live in a world don't we where God is mocked we live in a world where there is so much mocking of God so much scawning just open blasphemy everywhere where people just just treat him like he's some sort of joke where they treat the bible like it's some sort of joke where they treat Christians like they're some sort of joke and ultimately they're treating God like he's some sort of joke aren't they and we see it everywhere he's a butt of jokes he gets mocked in stand-up comedy routines all over the movies all over the shows it's just one big mockery isn't it and and then we have so-called Christianity where all that's focused on it seems is a loving side of God with most of these churches and don't get me wrong we have a loving God don't we we do have a loving God but but is that the only thing that he has is that love for all got God look God is a fearsome God as well but that is focused on most these churches love love and look we would like to preach a love you listen to you know the Gospel of John we've been going through in the evenings and there's you know we'll be focusing a lot on that love of God and what he did for us but also there's another side to God as well isn't there and there's there's a side to God that we need to fear we need to be we need to be worried about we need to take heed to don't we we need to take heed that that God is a fearsome God he is a terrifying God now Deuteronomy you don't have to turn there 424 says for the Lord thy God is a consuming fire even a jealous God let's not forget the power the might of our God he's a consuming fire and there's nothing wrong with some healthy jealousy either is there because the jealousy seems to be this kind of this bad you know people think it's a sin don't they they people say oh jealousy is a sin well because they get it confused with envy they get it confused with covetousness and envy but but despite what the commies would have you believe jealousy isn't a bad thing we should be jealous of our own possession shouldn't we there's nothing wrong with a husband being jealous over his wife and vice versa and there's nothing wrong with God being jealous over those that he owns he possesses his people being jealous of your possessions is not a bad thing is it I don't know if you ever noticed with kids you get these you know the poor kid gets a brand new toy you know they turn up somewhere with other kids and suddenly their parents are going to him now share your toy come on let it you know let little snotty Joey who's like got snot all over him his hands he's you know let him play with your toy these kids it's like what on earth you know blame that little kid and I don't try to encourage that either you know they've got something new it says it says yeah and we don't have to then share it out with all and sundry and try and pretend we're some sort of communist nation yeah at the end of the day what's yours is yours isn't it um but but there is that isn't there there's this sort of like with some sort of one big big collective you know that we should just share everything that you know that you shouldn't be jealous of anything you know and people will mock you for it as well I mean right now it seems that we can't even be jealous of our god-given immune system can we can't be jealous of our god-given immune system because for the greater good we have to have it ruined by some sort of wicked vaccine but but no we should be jealous of our health we should be jealous of ourselves we should be jealous of our children should be jealous of our families and God is jealous of us isn't it God is jealous of his people he is he is jealous when we put people when we put false gods when we put sins when we put Devils basically before him isn't it God is jealous of that but that and that godly jealousy though is for his people isn't it's for his people no not some Eastern European nomads yeah that claimed to be God's people that follow the blasphemous Babylonian Talmud that's not what he's talking about is he when he's jealous for his people I'm talking about God's people saved believers okay believers but as much as we believers should fear God and we should fear God shouldn't we it's the unbelievers the unbelievers especially the unsaved that have the most of fear don't they okay they have the most of fear and the title of my sermon today is fear the Lord by God a point number one is if you're unsaved if you're unsaved you ought to you have to you you you must fear the Lord God in a country where like I said God is either a joke or an effeminate hippie that's kind of the the options there isn't it where the so-called churches think that hell is a swear word don't they where where the hundreds of false Bible versions remove the word hell multiple times out of the Bible and swap it with silly things like Hades and anything else to weaken it out of their perverted versions of the Bible and their perversions it's more important than ever I think to preach the fear of the Lord isn't it okay we're told to preach the whole counts of God and and look the fear of the Lord comes up time and time again when I wrote this sermon just just there a verse after verse I just had to discard just for sake of time and just so it was it literally just just turning from verse to verse because the Bible is full of commands to fear God okay to fear God now I believe that whether behind the pulpit or on the front doorstep we should be preaching the fear of the Lord shouldn't we we should be preaching the fear of God you don't have to turn a bit Jude verses 22 to 23 says and if some have compassion make a difference and others save with fear pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment spotted by the flesh that fire is a very hot very real eternal fires of hell okay that's that fire and turn to Revelation chapter 19 while I read Luke verses uh sorry Luke chapter 12 verses 4 to 5 which says you turn to Revelation 19 Luke 12 4 to 5 says and I say unto you my friends be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do but I will forewarn you whom you shall fear fear him which after he has killed have power to cast into hell I say unto you fear him forget the axe murderer okay we you know we love to well maybe we don't love to but but it seems that our society the television the rest just loves to go on about all these different types of murderers axe murderers and bogeyman the bogeyman terrorist we hear a lot about the so-called terrorists who seem to respect covid because they went pretty quiet for a long time didn't they but we've got you know they're all at home with masks on but the terrorist bogeyman that we hear a lot of the the latest variant the latest variant you know we're constantly told a fear that aren't we but maybe the news fear mongering because it is fear mongering isn't it the news is just full of fear mongering maybe it should focus on verses like these shouldn't it I mean that would that that's what it should focus on but then that's a fear that you could do something about isn't it okay these verses that we're seeing now that's a fear that you can do something about we were given a way that we could do something about that but the rest of it is just to keep you in this grip of fear isn't it fear fear fear for things that we as christians we're told not to fear aren't we only one person we should fear but as the unsaved here there's something that they have to fear now revelation 19 and from verse 19 is talking about the battle of armageddon at the end of god's wrath okay and this is some time in a not too distant future isn't it by by by the looks of things and from verse 19 revelation 19 19 it says and I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him that sat on a horse and against his army and the beast was taken and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that worshipped his image these both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone and the remnant was slain with a sword of him that sat upon the horse which saw proceed out of his mouth and all the fowls were filled with their flesh so the beast and false prophet two men okay these are two men are cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone yeah okay everyone see that they're they're cast alive into these both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with with with brimstone okay then there's a thousand year period known known as as the millennial reign of christ yeah so we have the millennial reign of christ after that there's there's a thousand years now look at revelation chapter 20 and verse 7 revelation 27 and when the thousand years were expired so this is after the millennial reign after the thousand years satan shall be loosed out of his prison okay so a thousand years later verse 8 and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth gog and magog to gather them together to battle the number of whom is as the sand of the sea and they went up on the breadth of the earth and compass account uh sorry compass account of the saints about and the beloved city and fire came down from god out of heaven and around them i love how quick that is how simple and matter of fact that is isn't it you know you got the final battle the number of them it's saying like the number of whom is as the sand of the sea led by satan the enemy of our souls you're thinking here it is like the climax a big battle and then it you know they've surrounded the good guys haven't they they surrounded them and then it's just and fire came down from god out of heaven and around them because that's how simple that's how quick that's how easy it is for god isn't it it's like oh well it's about there's no competition is there there's no competition oh god has no rival okay because there are christians that think that the devil's some sort of rival for god he's not is it he has no rival he allows satan to present an option doesn't he he allows him to present an option to collect the trash that's what he does doesn't he but there's no battle now look at verse 10 and the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and false prophet are and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever where the beast false prophet are a thousand years later a thousand years later two men are there a thousand years later aren't they so they've been burning in fire brimstone for how long okay but that's you know that's child's play compared with how long they'll be burning for how long are they going to burn for forever and ever and ever and ever that's a thousand years of torment and an eternity to come yeah okay and the bible makes that clear doesn't it it's not some fun sinful biker bar is it okay and i say this to people when i'm preaching the gospel on the door because people have this view don't they again something propagated by media that hell is some sort of biker bar hangout where you're just going to be reunited and living in sin you know and maybe it might be a little bit warm down there or there might be a few undesirables but hey you know as long as my mates are down there i'll be all right but that's not hell is it that's not hell they're in torments it's not somewhere where you have a reunion with your old drinking buddies is it the only bat coming out of hell is a chargrilled one isn't it okay there's not bats flying around and you know and people just go no no hell is is a place of torments of burning in fire and brimstone and you don't have to read luke 16 to see how how horrendous it sounds isn't it now is it just for supervillains is it just for supervillains like the beast and false prophet the devil well jump forward to verse 15 so revelation 2015 says and whosoever we looked at whosoever last week didn't we and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire whosoever like the for god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but everlasting life there's two options aren't there two options there and whosoever basically did not believe on jesus christ was cast into the lake of fire god suffered there so so we don't have to didn't he god suffered there so we don't have to jesus christ suffered in hell so we don't have to but turn to john chapter 3 because hell is it's not separation from god is it it's not separation from god it's not some sort of spiritual limbo where you're just going to be hanging around for a while you know some sort of purgatory and you might come back because you can't pass from there to heaven can you luke 16 makes that clear it's eternal torment revelation 14 10 talking about those who take the mark says and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the lamb i've heard anyone heard these sort of new age evangelical types trying to say it's just separation from god heard this rubbish before yeah hell's just separate you know i remember this guy going to be in just sink you know how bad that would be separation from god yeah no that i'm sure yeah i wouldn't like to be separated from god but i tell you what burning in fire and brimstone for eternity is a lot worse than separating from god okay and they weaken it and they weaken the doctrine of hell but no he says here in the presence of the holy angels in the presence of the lamb okay so it is it isn't separation from god you're burning in front of god forever and ever god is angry with the wicked every day isn't he god is angry with the wicked every day john 336 in john chapter 3 verse 36 says he that believeth on the sun hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the sun shall not see life but the wrath of god abideth on him the wrath of god abideth on him okay look god wants everyone yeah he's long suffering isn't he wants everyone to be saved but sadly the the majority don't and he's still angry with sin the wrath of god everyone has a choice don't they believe on the sun trust jesus is your savior everyone has that choice whosoever or don't and the wrath of god abides on you okay wrath anger fury okay and that that's a scary thought isn't it that's a scary thought when you get away from the world's so-called version of god and you look at what the bible says i don't want the wrath of god on me okay and praise god i'm not going to have the wrath of god on me and i everyone here in here can say the same because the weakening the weakening of the doctrine of hell because it has been weakened isn't it okay that's a purposeful weakening of the doctrine of hell results in people not seeing the need for a savior don't they because that's what the result is people don't see the need of a savior when they don't understand or accept or even have any idea of the doctrine of hell and at the same time you've got a society where there seems to be less and less repercussions of sin don't they yeah okay at the same time as that weakening of the doctrine of hell you've got a society where sin seems to be getting punished less and less and less doesn't it and that starts from early turn to proverbs chapter 23 turn to proverbs 23 i was talking about this the other day with someone it starts from young really young proverbs 23 and verse 13 says withhold not correction from the child for if thou beatest him with the rod he shall not die thou shalt beat him with the rod and shalt deliver his soul from hell so just quickly on that anyway the bible's clear isn't it the bible's clear about how to punish children okay it's all about beating him with the rod yeah he's not going to die from beating with the rod he shall not die thou shalt beat him with the rod and shout deliver his soul from hell if my child sits on a step when they're naughty okay if that's about as far as the punishment goes or i just avoid punishment give them an ipad packet of sweets to shut them up count to whatever number eventually they stop you know keep counting i'm gonna count get a five ten fifteen just keep counting you know if i if i just count and i get them sitting on steps how are they going to accept that there are eternal repercussions for sin if there's never any repercussions for their own sin how they're going to accept that how they're going to even believe that there's such thing as punishment from god when they never see any repercussions because we have whole generations growing up don't we whole generations growing up where their parents don't discipline the schools don't discipline do they i mean the schools took out the cane here when was that probably i think just before i started schooling they took out the cane so i mean that's been for quite a long time now 30 40 years now without the cane and the schools don't the police don't i mean the schools if you i mean they have like these appeal panels now these kids have done like the most vile things and then they go and appeal and they get let back into the school i mean it's really hard to get to kick them out of schools and you have and then you have like i said you get to the police and it's like they could barely do anything they barely do anything for for most crime you know i mean probably it will get to the point we're not having a vaccine that'll be a crime won't it but but the rest of it the rest of it it seems it's a slap on the wrist isn't it most of the time now who's really fearing do people really fear do criminals really fear the punishment in this country there's no death penalty is there there's no real punishment the courts what do they even do i mean it seems apparently their hands are tied half the time i mean even your employer can't sack you very easily it seems now doesn't it that's why they want you on these zero hour contracts and stuff because once you're on a proper contract it's really hard to sack people it's tribunals and everything else and so it's got to this point where there just seems to be hardly any repercussion so how are meant how are people meant to accept that that the god that they only hear about is love love love love love is actually going to punish them for every sin they've ever done every wicked thought they've ever had they don't believe it do they they don't believe it and and he's going to cast them into a lake of fire and brimstone for eternity how are they going to accept that and i want to and and you know and that verse that we just went to i think you're still there withhold not correction from the child for if thou beats him with the rod he shall not die thou shalt beat him with the rod shall deliver his soul from hell remember marry that up with chasing your child betimes early because people look at this and think well what is this like you know to keep them you know you get the work salvationists will look at this and go what is that to you know keep them safe no it's talking about look a child should be chasing betimes yeah a child should be chasing early in life and they should know that and they should know that there's repercussions for sin then when they preach the gospel they're going to understand that they don't want god's repercussions for sin yeah and you know we might go well it's easy it's just you know the word of god you know five six years old look you know your child has to believe in their heart yeah not just tick a list not just say what their parents want them to say that child has to believe in their heart and they need to understand that there are repercussions for sin don't need to get saved okay now because they need to know what they're being saved from they need to understand there's it's the savior don't they um okay which is why paul tells the philippians and you don't have to turn in philippians 2 12 to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling with fear and trembling you need to make sure you're saved and look that's not by well am i being a good person or am i no no do you really believe do you really believe in your heart do you believe because if you're unsure if you're saved if you haven't trusted jesus christ alone for your salvation and you think that you've got to carry on being good you think that you've got to at least you had to at least stop something there's some sin that you're not allowed to do yeah there's something that you have to do to to stay saved there's some sort of you know well as long as i don't do this you ain't saved okay you're not saved you have to trust jesus christ alone for salvation okay and and if you think well i i turned away from certain sins so that's how i got you ain't saved okay and the bible's clear about that isn't it if you if you think any of that if you think any of that if you're in here and you think any of that come see myself or or you know most people in this room pretty much after after the service and look we'd happily explain to you you know and show you from the bible how it's clear it's faith alone in christ alone okay okay it's not of yourselves it's not of works okay now the title of my sermon is fear the lord thy god and number one is if you're unsaved but number two is guess what anyone no i don't think i've got the crowd here okay everyone's drifting off if you're saved yeah if you're saved again really okay that right now i know this needs preaching then okay this really needs preaching number two if you're saved because if you're saved here obviously you never have to fear hell okay that's clear as day but we started this sermon in deuteronomy chapter 28 we're going to be going back there where god was was listing physical punishments on earth for his people yeah physical punishments on earth for his people so go back to deuteronomy 28 who are his people now we are we are first peter to 99 you have to turn there what you turn to deuteronomy 28 first peter chapter 2 verse 9 to 10 talking to believers says but ye are a chosen generation a royal priesthood and holy nation a peculiar people that you should show forth the praise of him who have called you out of darkness into his marvelous light which in time past were not a people but are now the people of god which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy that's us ladies and gentlemen that is us we are a chosen generation a royal priesthood and holy nation a peculiar people we are the people of god okay the bible's clear about that yes we're not a physical nation but we are a spiritual nation aren't we okay we're a spiritual nation and i believe that we could take so many principles of chastisement from this passage of scripture deuteronomy 28 so in deuteronomy chapter 28 have a look at verse 1 i don't know i'm not going to do this through every verse okay otherwise we might have to quit on cavie island and probably most of the soul would okay deuteronomy chapter 28 verse 1 says and it shall come to pass if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the lord thy god to observe and to do all his commandments which i command thee this day that the lord thy god will set thee on high above all nations of the earth okay from that verse not knowing that something is sinful isn't an excuse is it is it an excuse he said thou shalt hearken diligently we need diligence don't we okay we should be finding out exactly what is and isn't sinful we should be knowing what god wants of us shouldn't we we should be hearkening diligently unto the voice of the lord thy god to observe and to do all his commandments you know well you know i didn't know alcohol is sinful you know because it you know it just says wine diligence diligent diligently study it see why the bible says that there's a type of wine that you shouldn't even look upon yeah how hard is it study it look at it and see clearly that there's a kind of wine that is all right and a kind of wine that isn't what's the difference it's alcoholic you know i oh well i just watched church from home isn't that church no diligence he said assembled didn't he said not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together as a manner of summies he made it clear didn't he okay the whole new testament is from the perspective of a lot of those letters to churches aren't they they're the churches you know well i just didn't know he was a false prophet diligence diligence the bible's clear about what is the truth the bible's clear that there are many false prophets we should be diligent shouldn't we should be diligent about all of this so in in deuteronomy 28 and that goes for everything we should be studying and learning and making sure that we know what god does it doesn't require of us in deuteronomy 28 he lists all the blessings doesn't he okay and and this is a bit more of a negative sermon today so we're not going to focus on the blessings so about that but from verse 15 look at verse 15 but it shall come to pass and by the way there's some great blessings here okay and we should be looking for those blessings but look at verse 15 but it shall come to pass if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the lord thy god to observe to do all all his commandments and his statutes which i command thee this day that all these curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee he said if you won't listen regard give heed to this book don't try to obey him then you're getting punished okay that's what he said you're getting punished you're getting whooped all these curses now you might think oh well that's just the children of israel living under the law that's just the children of israel living under the law no god still chastises us doesn't he does god not chastise us god still chastises turn to hebrews 12 hebrews hebrews is talking to new testament believers hebrews chapter 12 and verse 6 hebrews 12 6 says for whom the lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth god punishes and whips every believer okay every believer because we're we're all children of god by faith in christ jesus aren't we god punishes and whips every believer why to help us behave as we should okay and i think most people here will explain this when they're preaching the gospel to help us behave as we should look at verse 7 if you endure chastening god dealeth with you as with sons for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not and if you're not punishing your kids the bible the bible saying here what father are you okay and i would extend that to what mother are you as well the bible's clear to chasing your children isn't it okay and it tells you how to do that as well and get away from the world's way because we should be obeying all the commandments shouldn't we yeah he punishes us as a loving father should doesn't he okay but if you don't fear the punishment it's useless isn't it if you don't fear it if you if you get your child right that's it see you later you what's the point it's a waste of time isn't it yeah and of course you know we're not trying to trying to injure our children but but a child should fear a punishment shouldn't they okay we have to fear the punishment don't we if you don't fear the punishment of god there's a problem okay you've got a problem and i think you're probably not being real with you you're not being truthful with yourself about when it is punishment verse 11 now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous you shouldn't enjoy it but grievous nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby so there he's saying look there's there's a benefit to it isn't there okay the righteousness which comes after chastisement and that grievous punishment can also make righteous those exercised by watching it as well when you see a brother or sister in christ going through some blatant chastisement puts you off doesn't it makes you want to get right makes you want to live right when a kid when a child sees their sibling getting a whipping have you ever noticed that they're on best behavior yeah it's always when when one of them's in trouble the other one's usually best behaved and they're looking at it thinking i don't want to go down that route you know i don't want and you know and there's there's there's benefits aren't there's benefits not to those around to those that see it turn to hebrews 10 hebrews chapter 10 so back a couple of chapters we're talking about jesus christ it says but this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever this is verse 12 hebrews 10 12 but this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever sat down on the right hand of god for by one offering this is verse 14 jump for the verse 14 for by one offering he is perfected forever them that are sanctified look at verse 18 now where remission of these is there is no more offering for sin so in the context of eternal security christ sacrificed paying for all our sins this is where we are and this is i'm just showing you the context here there's no more animals being offered yeah there is no more offering for sin it talks about forsaking the assembling of ourselves together which something you've probably heard these these verses many times and look at verse 26 for if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins so basically there's no more bringing an animal to the altar to pay for your sin is there okay there's no more of that yes you're saved okay you're saved look the animal sacrifices didn't affect salvation did they okay in fact just earlier on in that chapter hebrews 10 4 says for it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins okay so they don't take away sin okay as well as being a picture of christ they're a form of punishment aren't they so the animal sacrifice is a fine system aren't they because instead of instead of cash you're turning up with livestock okay to pay for for for specific sins now and obviously they're a picture of that eternal sacrifice as well but there's none of that now is there okay we don't have a we don't have a swear box here or the equivalent a sin box you know that you put money in okay that's not how it works there's none of that so instead you're looking out for the punishment aren't you you're looking out for the punishment of god verse 27 but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries that's what we're looking out for that's what we should be worried about verse 28 he that despised moses lord died without mercy under two or three witnesses of how much sorrow punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who have trodden underfoot the son of god and have counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and had done despite unto the spirit of grace okay i i believe this passage this is in the context of willful sin isn't it and and that includes will by the way that does include willfully avoiding learning the bible so you're not then willfully sinning yeah oh well okay well i better not learn it because then i you know then i don't really know whether i'm willfully silly or not no because that's willful sin as well okay fiery indignation is god's anger isn't it okay fiery indignation is god's anger it's all talking about the fire of hell here okay this is fiery indignation is anger when we know better and we choose to willfully sin we're treading underfoot jesus aren't we disrespecting his precious blood that's what we're doing abusing that grace through faith since he had done despite unto the spirit of grace we're abusing it we were just like yeah whatever you know now i could do what i want you know well we shouldn't live like that should we sadly many do but we shouldn't live like that what's the result we're saved we're not going to hell are we we're not going to come into condemnation shall not come into condemnation john 5 24 says no hell but we'll look at verse 30 for we know him that have said vengeance belongeth unto me i will recompense saith the lord and again the lord shall judge his people god shall judge us in this life won't he god will judge us in this life verse 31 it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living god okay let's read that again it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living god fear the lord thy god yeah fear him how does he judge us well let's go back to deuteronomy 28 and just to point out here okay before we go through these although all of these things can be a result of god's chastisement it doesn't mean that they are a result of god's chastisement okay so just because all of these things can be and could be in your life a result of chastisement it doesn't mean because you experience any of these things that you're 100 getting chastised okay just to bear that in mind and what we don't want to be doing is sitting here looking at each other in the church and going chastisement look we don't know we don't know but you should know you should know yourself or you should make you should be finding out whether it's chastisement because there can be other reasons why we go through hard times can't they look at look at joe you know classic example look at joe there can be other reasons we go through hard times in life and sometimes it's to strengthen us as well isn't it okay sometimes it's to strengthen us but you should know when it's chastisement you should you that should be something you you look at first shouldn't you when you're going through stuff when you punish your child they shouldn't go away trying to work out why should they i just got no idea why why i got a smack bottom there no just you know that that would be bad chastisement wouldn't it okay and when it comes to us we shouldn't be so prideful that we always discount chastisement should we hey we shouldn't just say i've got nothing to do with that you know i'm well on earth when i be getting chastised because god god promises to chastise every son who may receive it doesn't he you know like these kids that come away going i did nothing wrong i did nothing wrong i just you know just got a smack bottom anyway you know well are they really learning from that and with your kid does that if your kid comes away going still don't think i did anything wrong do you do you just leave it at that no usually they get more chastised they need to learn and they need to accept they've done something wrong god wants you to know and he wants you to get right with god doesn't he so if you just discount it every time and you just disqualify it no chance no such thing no way you know god's not gonna just like you're just gonna keep going through it you're just gonna keep and you're just gonna keep going why i just don't know why well maybe you're being chastised maybe you're being chastised now have a look at verse 16 god wants you to know and he wants you to get right verse 16 cursed or cursed shalt thou be in the city and cursed shalt thou be in the field cursed shall be thy basket in thy store cursed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kind, and the flocks of thy sheep. So our jobs and finances can be hit can't they? Yeah. Yeah? There's a principle there. Our jobs and finances can be hit during chastisement. Maybe when work is just going wrong, savings are just disappearing, okay? You just don't even know where it's all going. Where's that money going? Why is just, you know, why is just work going wrong? That could be chastisement, couldn't it? Yeah. Okay, based on this principle. And often that can be directly due to covetousness as well, can't it? So if you've got some block of savings, you're just focusing on it, constantly thinking about it, constantly kind of checking on it, you know, a lot of the time that's going to go, okay? Because you're going to get directly chastised for that in the most obvious way. Okay, verse 18. He said, cursed or cursed shall be the fruit of thy body. I don't know, that looks to me like problems with our children as well. Yeah, problems with our kids can be a chastisement. That's how I see that. Again, doesn't mean it automatically is, but it's something we have to, we should as Christians look at, shouldn't we? Think, am I being chastised? Now, you're sitting there going, well, how do I know if I'm being chastised? Are you harkening to his voice, to all his commandments? Are you trying to observe all his commands? Are you right with God? Are you sitting there going, whatever you say God, whatever you say I want to do, whatever you tell me, whatever you preach to me, whatever the word of God says to me, I want to get right. Is that your heart? Because if it's not, there's a chance you're going to be getting chastised, aren't you? Okay, it's your heart. Your heart has to be right. Yeah, we're going to get things wrong, we're going to see that in a minute, but you have to be sitting there wanting to serve God. Is everyone sitting here thinking that or are they thinking, picking and choosing which bits they decide they can do? Verse 20, jump forward to verse 20. The Lord shall send upon thee cursing, vexation and rebuke, in all that thou set his sine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed and until thou perish quickly, because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou has forsaken me. Okay, that's problems with everything, isn't it? Stress, just everything going wrong. Do you ever have those days like that, where just everything goes wrong? Everyone's like, I don't want to admit it now. Yeah, I do. I've had days like that, you know, where just everything goes wrong. Days on a job where just everything goes wrong. You're just thinking, how much more could go wrong? Mums will have this at home, where just everything's going wrong. Kids will have this in their day, where everything's going wrong. Well, that could be chastisement, couldn't it? Yeah. Shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, all that thou set his sine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, until thou perish quickly. So that could continue. You don't get right. That could just keep continuing and continuing, couldn't it? Until you end up going mad, don't you? Because just life is so stressful. You're just so angry all the time. So just... But are you looking at chastisement? Are you doing what God wants you to do? Now, you might say, well, I'm going to church. I'm soul winning. Read my Bible. I'm praying. Okay, yeah, they're the main tick box, aren't they? They're the main tick boxes. But what about the rest of it? He said all thy commandments, didn't he? Yeah? Are you like, well, I'm doing no, so if I choose to not do that bit, oh, that bit's a bit uncomfortable. I don't really want to do that bit. You might be getting chastised. Verse 21, the Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee until you have consumed thee from off the land. Whither thou goest to possess it. The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption and with a fever and with an inflammation, with an extreme burning and with the sword and with blasting and with mildew and they shall pursue thee until thou perish. Sickness, illness. And again, we're not sitting here, you know, if you're watching from home and you're unwell right now, we're not just going chastisement. What sin have you got in your life? But you should be looking at that. Yeah? Every one of us, when we're ill, we should be wondering, is that chastisement? Every person, when they're sick, he said the Lord shall smite thee with a consumption, with a fever and with an inflammation. This is one of his punishments. So we should, shouldn't we? Shouldn't we look at that and wonder and make sure we're right? Because if we're constantly doing that, we'll be getting right, won't we? And even if it isn't, at least you're making sure, aren't you? Violence even, with the sword. You know, there are people that end up in violent situations, confrontations, other Christians that end up with that. Has that come upon them because of chastisement maybe? Because again, I see a principle here, verse 27, the Lord will smite thee with a botch of Egypt and with the emerons and with the scab and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed. Oh look at it, like chronic illnesses here. Chronic illnesses and all sorts of infections and problems you can't get rid of. Again, is that a chastisement of God? Verse 28, the Lord shall smite thee with madness and blindness and astonishment of heart. You feel like you're going mad, confused. Maybe spiritual blindness you could say here as well, where you're just not getting it anymore. Again, if we're out of the Lord's will, we need to be, again, there can be other reasons for these things, but we should be ticking off first. Are we right with God? Are we doing what God wants? Are there things that we know deep down we're getting wrong? Is there preaching we're hearing? Because the Holy Spirit wants you to know, doesn't he? Like I said, when I punish my child, I will say to them why they're getting punished, won't I? And explain to them why they're being punished. God wants you to know. So if you're just, switch off to that bit of the preaching, switch off to that bit of my Bible reading, switch off to that bit of, you know, bit of advice from my brother or sister in Christ, just switch off to it, then you're going wrong. You're going to get chastised more, aren't you? Okay, until he gets your attention. So again, madness, blindness, astonishment of heart. Verse 30, thou shalt, jump foot of verse 30, thou shalt betrothed the wife, and another man shall lie with her. Thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein. Thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof. Okay, on that point, that first bit there, God hasn't sent someone to do that, okay? God hates sin, doesn't he? Okay, God hasn't sent someone to do that, but it's the consequences as well. There's inbuilt consequences from turning from his commandments. Yeah, his commandment is to love your wife, to honor, to cherish her. Okay, if you're not doing that, then maybe you will betray the wife, and another man shall lie with her. Okay, when you're doing things wrong, when you're living for God, when you're not doing what God wants you to do, there are things that happen in life, aren't there? Okay, there are repercussions for sin. Verse 32, thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and I shall look and fail with longing for them all the day long, and there shall be no might in thine hand. It will all go wrong when you don't follow God, won't it? Okay, it will all go wrong. Your kids, by the looks of that, you could say your kids will end up worldly, won't they? Yeah. Okay, you just stop following God, because it's not just one thing either as well, is it? Because when you're willfully just disregarding, it goes down and down hill and down hill, doesn't it? It's snowballs. Okay, and then look, thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and I shall look and fail with longing for them all the day long. That's hard, isn't it? Imagine that, you're just looking at your kid, he's just gone off into the world, just rejected the things of God. There shall be no might in thine hand. You can't even bring him back, because you just don't have that power anymore. Verse 41, jump forward to verse 41 now. Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them, for they shall go into captivity. I don't know, I know myself, that's going to be hard to enjoy my kids. If they turned away from the things of God, and they just went into the world, and they went into that bondage of sin, that's hard to enjoy them, isn't it? Imagine, like, what polar opposites you end up being. I don't want that in for my life, and that would be a sore punishment, wouldn't it? Verse 45, so look at this. Moreover, all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee till thou be destroyed, because thou harkenest not unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee. And there shall be upon thee for a sign, and for a wonder, and upon thy seed forever, because our servant's not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things. So when we're ignoring the preaching, ignoring the word of God, when we're picking and choosing the bits we like, we're going to get chastised, and it can get worse, and you're, oh well I've got a bit of a punishment, oh it's a bit uncomfortable. Fear him, fear him, because look, it can get to the point where your kids are out of the word of God, your kids end up with kids that aren't saved, and suddenly your line is just done, isn't it? Your family line ends up in hell, further down the line. Verse 58, if thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, the Lord thy God, then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance. Okay that means that people, like the plagues being wonderful, that means that people wonder at them, yeah? Okay he's not saying that they're going to be, oh just such fun, he's saying that like you're going to wonder at these plagues. Verse 60, moreover he will bring upon thee all the disease of Egypt which thou was afraid of, and they shall cleave unto thee. Also every sickness and every plague which is not written in the book of this law, then will the law bring upon thee until thou be destroyed. So unknown illnesses as well. Verse 62, and you shall be left few in number, whereas you were as the stars of heaven for multitude, because thou wouldst not obey the voice of the Lord thy God. You could just look at a natural result of not obeying, going out and preaching the gospel, couldn't you with that? Okay you should be left few in number, you're not going out and soul winning. Last bit guys, verse 63, and it shall come to pass as the Lord rejoice over you to do you good and to multiply you. So the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to naught, and you shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess here. And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even into the other, and there thou shalt serve other gods which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone. And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest, but the Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind. So that's fear, anxiety, sadness. Okay that can all be a result of chastisement, can't it? It can be a result of chastisement. Verse 66, and thy life shall hang in doubt before thee, and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life. Life's rough without being in God's will, isn't it? Okay, when you're, you feel far from God, when you're being whooped by God, when you're being chastised. Verse 67, in the morning thou shalt say would God it were even, and even thou shalt say would God it were mourning, for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see. And the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, thou shalt see it no more again. And there you shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you. Okay, maybe we'll just end up completely backslidden, okay? And I don't know if people here have been in that state before where you're completely backslidden, maybe some people watching online might have, maybe not, but that's not a good place to be, is it? That's not a good place to be, that's a terrible place to be. And look, eventually our kids or their kids or their kids won't be getting saved, will they? That's the result eventually, won't it? That's a rough list of curses there, isn't it? Isn't that a rough list of curses? And look, it's all the Lord shall do this, the Lord will do this, the Lord shall do this. We've got to fear God, don't we? And if you're sitting here thinking, well, yeah, but, you know, I just don't really want to, I don't really want to live for God. Well, I'll do this bit, you know, tick the box at church or what? You're going to get chastised. And don't be looking up going, I just don't know why I've been praying every day. Well, I pray. Oh, I just don't get why this is happening, I'm praying. Oh, well, I'm reading my Bible, so why is it happening? But it's more than that, isn't it? Observe to do all his commandments. We're saved. God has expectations of us and otherwise he's going to whip you to get there and eventually might just take you home. Might just take you home early, but that's going to have repercussions of your family, your friends and other people as well, okay? God wants you, God wants you to live for him and he's going to try and get you to live for him through chastisement, through punishment. Because you might think, well, we're only human, we're only sinful, we're going to fail, okay? And yeah, we are human, we are sinful. There's not one here, there's not one person here that doesn't sin, okay? Every single one of us is sinful. We do fail. What's the solution? Fear the Lord thy God. Fear God. Fear the Lord thy God. Turn to Psalm 34. Proverbs 1 7 says, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Don't be a fool. Fear him. Fear him. Don't be a fool. Psalm 34 and verse 7 says, the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and deliver them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man that trusteth in him. Oh, fear the Lord, ye his saints, for there is no want to them that fear him. This is talking to believers, isn't it? Saints, okay? That's not talking about some old guy, you know, that there's a picture of in the Catholic church. That's talking to believers. Saints are believers. The angels protect you when you fear him, is what he's saying here. We get protection. We get spiritual protection when we fear him. There's nothing lacking when we fear him. Why? Why? Why is there nothing lacking? Because when we fear him, you know, I've turned to Proverbs 8 13 says, the fear of the Lord is to hate evil. Pride and arrogance see in the evil way in the forward mouth do I hate. When you hate evil, you love good, don't you? Yeah, if you hate evil, if you hate it, if you fear God, you hate evil, you love good. When you fear him, you follow his commandments, don't you? Yeah. If you really fear him, you're going to follow his commandments. It all comes back to fearing God, doesn't it? If you fear God, you're going to do your utmost to follow his command. You're going to fail, but your heart's going to be in the right place. You're going to be trying your best because you fear God. And when you follow his commandments, says the angels protect you, okay? The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and deliver them. But what if you've messed up? What if you've messed up? So what, okay, so you might be sitting here going, look, look, I've messed up, you know, I know, I know I'm doing, I know I'm getting this wrong, I know I'm doing lots wrong. What if you're currently being chastised? There might be people here, you know, that are currently in some bad chastisement. There might be some people here that are only in, you know, that are in some not so bad chastisement. There might be people here that aren't in any chastisement. I don't know. But what if you are? What if you know you're being chastised? What if you're sitting here thinking, yeah, I know I'm being chastised. What if you're not hopefully not shutting your ears and going, I don't want to hear, I don't want to hear this. You know, what if you're not burying your head in the sand like the ostrich, you know, and just going, I don't want to hear this bit, I'll shut off for this bit. What if you're sitting here hopefully like God wants you to with your ears open, here you have ears to hear, let him hear. Yeah, and you're going, okay, yeah, I'm being chastised, yeah, I know I'm being chastised. Well, turn to Second Chronicle Six. Okay, Second Chronicle Six. So this is Solomon's prayer in the newly built temple for God's people as well. So they've just built the temple and Solomon's praying for God's people. Remember, we're God's people. What's the prayer? And this is under obviously the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Second Chronicle Six and verse 36. Second Chronicle Six, 36. If they sin against thee, for there is no man which sinneth not. See that, there is no man which sinneth not, okay. Again, if you're sitting in here going, well, I'm all right, I don't sin, you got issues. If you got more than issues because, you know, then you're deceived and I would say you're not saved if you think you don't sin, okay. For there is no man which sinneth not and now be angry with them and deliver them over before their enemies and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near. Yet if they bethink themselves in the land whether they are carried captive and turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity saying, we have sinned, we have done amiss and have dealt wickedly. If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity whether they have carried them captives and pray toward their land which they gave some to their fathers and toward the city which they has chosen and toward the house which I have built for thy name then hear thou from the heavens even from thy dwelling place their prayer and their supplication and maintain their cause and forgive by people which have sinned against thee. Okay, look at verse 38 again there. Okay, from verse 37, sorry, says if they turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity saying, we have sinned, we have done amiss and have dealt wickedly. Is that it? Is it just praying? No. Verse 38, if they return to thee, if they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul. That's the answer, isn't it? That's the answer. It's not just praying to God, oh well I've done wrong, I prayed to him, well I prayed at night, that's all right, you know, back to, back should be back to, you know, scratched off in the morning. No, return to thee with all thy heart and with all their soul. That's saying, God I want to get right, I want to live for you, I want to do what you want me to do, I want to behave how you want me to behave, I'm not going to put excuses on it, well I'm just like this, well I'm just sinful, no I want to, I'm going to try my best, God just help me do that. That's how we should be, shouldn't we? Okay, that should be how we react, that should be how we respond to God, to chastisement, to the word of God, to rebuke, to reproof, we should be trying our best to live here. Then when we do, then when we do, he, you know, it says here, then hear thou from the heavens even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee. Now first John 1 says, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We should be confessing our sins, shouldn't we? We should be confessing our sins, but along with that, when you compare scripture with scripture, it's not just confess your sins, job done, box ticked, confess your sins and get your heart right, and live for God and want to serve him, want to do what he says, want to live by him, and if you're sitting here and there's things going through your mind, well I know I do this, I know I do that, or I know this feels like chastising, get right, get right, get on your knees, pray to him, ask for forgiveness, because it is a fearful thing to fall in the hands of the living God, isn't it? Yeah. Do you, like, look, you know, if it's not for your own blessings, if it's not for your family, if it's not for for your own, you know, whatever benefits, if it's not for your own eternal rewards in heaven, at least, at least because you fear God, and when I say at least, it's, it's, it's everywhere in the Bible. It's the start of it all, yeah? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, isn't it? It all comes back to the fear of God, because then we'll get right, and there are many people, I think there are many Christians in this world, who have been weakened by this, this false doctrine in these liberal churches, in these, in these churches, which are, like, let's be honest, in this country most of the time, they ain't even churches in God's eyes, and people are going there, and they're just getting this love, love, and this kind of rose-tinted view of Christianity, and, you know, it's all just, just flowers, and everything's fine, and, you know, and God just, you know, he understands, and, you know, look, God understands, yeah? God understands, but, but God didn't sin, yeah? He who you know sinned, yeah? God, God actually showed us how we should live, and God wants us to try to live like that, and to get our hearts right, doesn't he? Okay, and that's what God wants. Turn to Ecclesiastes chapter 12, and, look, you know, because I believe that there are, there are Christians that just sit there, then, then they, they don't really want to, they don't really want to do certain things. Certain pits are a bit uncomfortable for them. Well, that's just me. Look, don't sit there, then, and be calling up, and going, why, why, why, when you won't do, do, do, yeah? Yeah? Do all his commandments. Live for God. Do what he says, and then, then you could turn around and say why. Yeah. Then you can turn around and say why, but without that, don't, don't blame God when things don't go wrong, when he warned you, and he told you. In fact, that is a long chapter of the Bible, isn't it? That's a long chapter of the Bible. He didn't just go, oh, by the way, you know, you might have a bit of grief now and again, you know? He go, he, he just listed so many things of the Bible, and then we go, oh, just don't, I just can't work it out why this is happening. Well, it all comes back to this, doesn't it? Ecclesiastes chapter 12 verse 13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. What's the conclusion? Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. On that, let's pray. Father, I thank you for your word. I thank you that, that, you know, something that we should, we should ideally rejoice, we should, we should have joy in, in, in chastisement even, knowing that it, that yields a peaceful fruit of righteousness and that, that, you know, that your chastisement is for our own good, is to help us to live right, is, is to help us to, to be the people that you want us to be. Please help us to, to recognize when you are chastising us, to not be trying to recognize it in other people, but just to, to focus on ourselves, get ourselves right with you, and to always, to always think that first when we're going through hard times, to always make sure that it's not chastisement, it's not something we have to respond to, and make that be the first thing that we look at, and help us to, to live right for you, help us to, to start that this afternoon, going out and preach your gospel like you've told us to do, like you've commanded us to do, to preach the gospel unto every creature, help us to go out and preach the gospel to people, get people saved, and help us to all return back here for the evening service. In Jesus' name I pray all of this. Amen.