Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
— Matthew 10:28 —
Lance Roberts: Czech Bible Institute | Czech Republic
When Jesus sent out His disciples in Matthew 10, He warned them of dangers and trials to come—He sent them out as sheep among wolves, warning they would be scourged, answer to kings, experience betrayal, be hated, and even be persecuted. Such pressures naturally bring about fear, which can result in forsaking or compromising one’s ministry. So Jesus sought to instill in His disciples the fear that drives out all other fears. Your ministry will stand or falter by how you deal with fear. It is the fear of God—a holy awe and reverence of God that fears offending or displeasing Him. It is rooted in a confidence in God’s character. When you fear God, you fear nothing else—not even death. Though you may not fear physical persecution or scourging, you and I have feared much lesser things, have we not? Maybe you have struggled to share the gospel with someone, to preach a controversial passage, or to confront someone in sin? These fears are rooted in a fear of man. This is the contrast to Matthew 10:28, fearing man or fearing God in your ministry. The fear of man slams the brakes on evangelism. It is the kill switch to authoritative preaching. It works as a poison that saps the strength and life out of God’s minister. To cultivate a healthy fear of God, we must meditate on His character and grow in our knowledge of Him. It results in being more concerned about being approved by God than accepted by man, and being more concerned with God’s view of our ministry than man’s. Your ministry will stand or falter by how you deal with fear. Will you fear God or man?
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