As in the Days of Noah ( Godly Fear and Mercy)

This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry, Equipping Ministry involved in reaching the lives of singles and married through preaching and teaching of God's word, discipleship, family life enrichment, social and community development, and mission aid. Our regular activities are: Discipleship class every Monday at 5:00 PM; Adolescent and Singles' Club every first Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM; Marriage Forum, second Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM; Family life seminars, regular school outreaches, and everyday counseling. For further counseling, you can reach us at our location: Life Camp, by the first bridge, Ilere Community, opposite Very Just filling station, along Ijero road, Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria. You can also reach us through our social media handles: familytent@yahoo.co.uk, familytentministry01@gmail.com, www.familytentministry.org. Our phone numbers are 08033861136, 07033613848. God bless you all. [Song] I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart. I will enter His courts with praise. I will say this is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice for He has made me glad. He has made me glad, He has made me glad. Oh, and I am so glad. I will rejoice for He has made me glad. He has made me glad, and I am so glad. I will rejoice for He has made me glad. [Speaker 1] Our Father, we are grateful unto You. We thank You again for another time in Your presence, our Monday discipleship class. We give You glory, we give You honor, we give You praise. Lord, unto You we gather this evening. And Lord, we trust in You that as we gather unto You, both those of us who are here physically and our brethren who are linking up with us online, Lord, we pray that You will meet with us in the name of Jesus Christ. Lord, we ask. The scripture says, "Paul plants, Apollos waters, but it is God that gives increase." Lord, give increase to our meeting. Give increase to our gathering. Give increase, oh Lord, our God, to our fellowship this evening in the name of Jesus Christ. Lord, our eyes are on You. Let nothing prevail against Your purposes over our lives. Thank You, Eternal Father. Blessed be Your holy name, our God. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. We thank our God again as we move on in trying to bring the series we started last week to a close this evening. Last week we began to look at "As in the Days of Noah." "As in the Days of Noah." And our focus last week was on "Beware of Faithlessness." Faithlessness. And our major concern last week was taken from Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11, where the scripture made us to see the basis that surrounded the actions of Noah. We saw last week where we have the catalogue of faith, Hebrews 11. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, for by it the elders obtained a good report." And we saw when we came to verse 7, talking about Noah. It says, "By faith, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, Noah moved with godly fear." We saw that even though what was discussed with Noah, what was raised with Noah was something that had not happened before, was something that was not heard of before, was something that would be looking, "How is it going to be?" But we saw that something moved Noah. The Bible says, "Moved with godly fear, he prepared the ark." And we noted last week that signs are not meant for believers. Signs are meant for unbelievers. Believers are supposed to be moved by the word of God. Believers are supposed to receive the word of life by faith and act on the authority of scripture. Believers are not to wait for signs. Noah began to build that ark moved with godly fear. And this evening, I want to link that matter of godly fear, I want to link it today as we still look at "As in the Days of Noah." I want to link this matter of godly fear with the mercies of God. The mercies of God. And one thing that has been our focus in the last two, three months has been on this matter of understanding that our salvation is closer than when we first believed. The understanding that everything is moving and engine fast to the designed end by God. The understanding that it becomes very paramount that we live in the consciousness of an understanding that the coming of the Lord is something that we should daily be ready for in everything we do. He says the time and the season we don't know, but there is a call of God that there should be a daily readiness in our action. And so we want to look at this matter of the link between godly fear and mercy. This matter of godly fear. The Bible says Noah moved with godly fear. There is a strong connection between godly fear and the mercies of the Lord. But before we go so much into that, I want to draw our attention to some things about mercy. Romans chapter 9. Some matters about mercy. Romans chapter 9. Romans chapter 9. There is something there about mercy that I just want us to briefly see even though it was hinged on salvation in Romans chapter 9, but it is important to note that the mercy of God is something that is crucial in the matter of our salvation. In Romans chapter 9, reading from verse 12 or thereabout. The Bible says it was said to her, that was Rebecca, "That the older shall serve the younger." As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I have hated. Esau I have hated." What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not. For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." So then, it is not of him who wills nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. In the matter of election, in the matter of salvation, you see the mercy of God coming out very pure and very clearly. Again, in Psalm 33. In Psalm 33. What looks like the Old Testament representation of that matter of mercy. Psalm 33. In Psalm 33, there is something similar again to this matter of mercy. It says from verse 16, "No king is saved by the multitude of an army. A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope for safety. Neither shall he deliver any by his great strength." And then we come to the verse 18. However, it says, "Behold, the eyes of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy." One thing that I'm trying to bring out is that there is so much talk about the mercies of God today. There is so much discussion about the mercies of God. And one thing that is coming out very clear to us is that there is a connection between the mercies of God and godly fear. There is a connection between the mercies of God and the fear of God. And the reason why we are looking at that is that when the Bible says that Noah obtained favor with God, when the Bible says Noah obtained mercy with God, what we read in Genesis, the truth about it is that it was the fear of God in the life of Noah that was connected with the mercy of God or the favor of God that Noah found in Genesis. The Bible says Noah found mercy with God. Noah found favor with God. And we saw again in Hebrews that he was moved with godly fear. His actions was a matter of godly fear. And when I'm talking about godly fear, I want us to get it clear. I'm talking about that check in a man's life that makes a man want to please God in every matter. I'm talking about that thing in a man's life that makes a man want to honor God with every aspect of his life. When I'm talking about godly fear, I'm talking about that check in a man that makes a man to say, "No, this thing does not please God, and so it cannot happen in my life. This thing is not acceptable with God, and so I'm not going to do it. This thing does not go with God. God abhors this thing. God detests this thing, and so it cannot happen with me." I'm defining godly fear from the point of loving the Lord with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our minds. I'm defining godly fear not from the negative fear of, "God will throw me into hell. Oh, let me quickly do this so that I don't go to hellfire." No, I'm not speaking from that direction. I'm speaking from the direction of a reverential honor. What the Bible describes in Malachi. Malachi. Let's look at Malachi. The book of Malachi. Now, God was saying something there about His fear, about His honor. And it's from that point that I'm speaking. Malachi chapter 1. It says, "The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. I have loved you, says the Lord. Yet you say, In what way have You loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother, says the Lord? Yet Jacob I have loved. But Esau I have hated. And laid waste his mountains and his heritage for the jackals of the wilderness. Even though Edom has said, We have been impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places. Thus says the Lord of hosts: They may build, but I will throw down. They shall be called the Territory of Wickedness, and the people against whom the Lord will have indignation forever. Your eyes shall see, and you shall say, The Lord is magnified beyond the border of Israel." Now, having given that background of His choice for Jacob, because He was dealing with Israel. The Lord now said, "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence? says the Lord of hosts to you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, In what way have we despised Your name?" It is in this context I'm talking about the fear of God. That thing in a man that makes a man to understand that since we call Him Father, then we must honor Him in everything we do. Since we call Him Master, there must be a kind of reverence in our life for Him. If indeed He is our Father, if indeed He is our Master, then we should be asking ourselves, "Where is His honor?" If indeed He is our Master, we should be asking ourselves, "Where is His fear?" It is in that context I'm talking about fear. There is a connection between this fear, this godly—and that is what the Bible describes as godly fear, not worldly fear. Godly fear is that fear that makes a man seeks to honor God in every aspect of his life, with every details of his life. A man wants to honor God. In everything the man does, the primary concern of his life is, "Where is the honor of God in this matter? Where is the fear of God in this matter? God should be referenced. God should be feared." It is in that point I'm talking. And it's on that I'm saying that Noah was moved with that fear. And the Bible says Noah obtained favor. He was moved with that fear. And today, many times people talk about the mercy of God, the mercy of God, the mercy of God, the mercy of God. What I want to major on this evening is to make us see that if we look at scripture over and over and over again, scripture makes it very clear that there is a connection between the mercy of God and godly fear. And so any man who indeed is hoping in God's mercy, something must be prominent, something must be outstanding in the life of that man, and that is godly fear. Once godly fear is not outstanding in the life of a man, then we can begin to talk about not having a basis for mercy. Now, let's look at the scripture to bring some things together. I want us to go back to that Psalm 33 where we read in the Old Testament and then we'll come back to the book of Luke to cross-check the matter again. Psalm 33. Now, I read from verse 13. The Bible says, "The Lord looks from heaven. The Lord looks from heaven. He sees all the sons of men." That is very crucial for us. The Lord looks from heaven. The Lord looks from heaven. And in looking, the scripture made it clear that He sees all the sons of men. Not as if we don't know this, but sometimes we don't even understand it. If you understand this, you won't be collecting 30 pieces of silver somewhere and yet be asking the Lord, "Is it me?" When the Lord was saying one of you will betray Me, the money is in his pocket and he's still asking the Lord, "Lord, is it me?" There are some actions we take in life that depict very clearly that we don't understand that God sees all men. There are some things we do that shows a clear understanding that we don't understand that actually when God looks from heaven—and the way I like putting it is that it's not as if He has to bend His neck here and there to look. The Bible says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro the earth." So it is just with—I don't know if you're understanding me. It's not even a movement of the head, it's just the eyes of the Lord run to and fro the earth. Now, the Bible says the Lord looks from heaven. He sees all the sons of men. He sees all. There is no man that is outside that view. And that view is not—I'm trying to look for another way to illustrate. Okay, let me use the sun. Let me use the sun. If you are in Akure, Ondo State for instance, once the sun is up, if you are here in Ilere, it will look as if the sun is on you alone. At the same time, if you are in FUTA, it will look as if the sun is on you alone. That's the way God sees everybody. He's looking at all as though He is also gazing at one. So He sees all men. The next thing the Bible says is that from the place of His dwelling, He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth. The next thing the Bible says is that He fashions their hearts individually. So meaning that He's listening to how many is He listening to them? One on one. When God focuses on you, He looks as if you are the only person God is focusing on. Yet, that focus is also on every other person like that. He fashions them individually. Now, immediately he says that, the Bible says He fashions their heart individually. Then what's the next thing the Bible says? He says He consider all their works. He consider all their works. What does it mean to consider something? Can I see some other translation? NLT says, "He made their heart, so He understands everything they do." He understand. Since He fashions their heart, He fashions them individually, so He understands everything they do. NIV: "He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do." Amplified: "He who fashions the hearts of them all, who considers all their doings." I want you to be noting this matter of all men, all their doings, all men, all their doings. Now, immediately He finished with that, you'll be thinking there's no connection between the verse 16 and verse 15, but there's a strong connection. Having consider all their works, having weigh their action, or what the Bible also says in 1 Samuel chapter 2—the same thing also in 1 Samuel chapter 2. He says having said God consider all their work, the next thing the Bible mentioned is that no king is saved by the multitude of an army. Having considered all their works, having looked down, having considered their works, having seen, having evaluated their going, the next thing He said is that the matter about the inhabitants of the earth, the matter about what you see on earth, is that in the actual sense of it, no king is actually saved by the multitude of his chariot. I give you a good example. When Nebuchadnezzar historically was busy conquering the whole of the then earth, what was in his heart? What was in his heart? In his heart, he thought he's doing it by himself. That was his thought. And because that was his thought, and he came to a point where he mentioned it, "This is the Babylon," God turned him to an animal. He was turned into an animal. God wanted to prove to him that, "No, it was not your chariot that gave you the victory. It wasn't because your army was strong." You will see similar thing in Isaiah chapter 10. Please look at Isaiah chapter 10. Isaiah chapter 10. Isaiah chapter 10, I will read it from verse 5. Isaiah 10 from verse 5. What does the Bible say? It say, "Woe to who? To Assyria, the rod of My anger, and the staff in whose hand is My indignation. I will send him against an ungodly nation, and against the people of My wrath. I will give him charge," of course he's going to take spoil, he's going to take prey, he's going to tread down like the mire of the street. "Yet," what did the Bible says in verse 7? "Yet, he does not mean so, nor does his heart think so; but in his heart, it is in his heart to destroy and to cut off not a few nations. For he says, Are not my princes altogether kings? Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, whose carved images exceeded those of Jerusalem and Samaria; as I have done to Samaria and her idols, so I shall do also to Jerusalem and her idols. Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, I will punish what now? The fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the glory of his haughty looks." Are you getting that? So when he was busy defeating Jerusalem, what was in his heart? He was looking at the strength of his army. But God was saying that, "Look, what is in your heart is just My anger against Israel." He was not seeing it from that angle. So God said by the time He is through with punishing Israel, He will now come back to deal with the arrogance in the heart of the king of Assyria because he did not recognize that when God looked down from heaven, the truth is that no king is saved by the multitude of his army. No man can actually receive anything except it is given to him from above. That is what they did not recognize. It was from above that it came. And if you begin to count it, God told Abraham that he should know for surely that his descendant will be in a land for how many years? For about 400 years and then later He will deliver them and punish that nation. Isn't it? So I want to ask that Joseph became something in Egypt and that his brothers, he fed his brothers and they had to move to Egypt. That whole thing was something emanating from who? From the wisdom of Joseph or from the program of God? From the program of God. That when Moses finally came and he was stretching his rod and he was doing that and it was happening, was it about Moses? It was about a plan that "I will take them out." There is really nothing that is of man or from man. So that whatever is in our hand, that is why Paul was saying, "What do you have that you did not receive? And if you have received it, why do you talk and boast as though it was not a gift?" So the Bible says, "When the Lord looks down from heaven, when the Lord check men from heaven, He consider their works. He look at their ways." And then the next thing He pronounced is that let us be careful, let us be watchful, let us be sober. There is a place of godly fear in our matters. There is a place of godly reverence even in our achievement. There is a place of referencing God. There is a place of fear, the fear of God. There is a place of knowing that there is a God somewhere. And so He said, "Look, no king is delivered by the multitude of his chariot. A mighty man is not delivered by strength." Now, having said that—I'm going back quickly again to that Psalm. That Psalm that we are reading, Psalm 33. Let's get back there quickly. Psalm 33. Now, he says, "No king is save by the multitude of an army. A mighty man is not delivered by strength. A horse is a vain thing for safety. Neither shall he deliver any by his great strength." Why is it coming this way here? How did it come out in Proverbs? Proverbs 21. "The horse prepared against the day of battle, but safety is of who? Is of the Lord." They prepare, but safety depends on God. So He now says, "Behold." Please look at something where we are going. The connection between godly fear, referencing God in our heart, referencing God in all we do. Noah was moved with godly fear. And I'm saying that there is a connection between godly fear and mercy. There is a connection between godly fear and mercy. We, even though it looks as if everything is happening and it looks as if the lot of the godly and the ungodly looks the same, I'm telling you it is not the same. It is not the same. He says, "Behold, the eyes of the Lord is on those who fear Him." Which tells you that as God beholds everything, there is a respect to who? To those who fear Him. There is a distinction that is between men who reference God, men who fear God, men who in everything they do, they say, "No, this does not please God, I can't do it. Ah, no, I would rather die than obtain this thing. God is not pleased. No, I can't get this thing because God is not pleased—it does not honor God. Obtaining this thing this way does not bring honor to God. Getting this thing—no, I can't. Living—no, this thing does not honor God." Men who are concerned about the honor of the Father, who wants to honor God in everything. The Bible says, "Behold, the eyes of the Lord is on those who fear Him." Look at how it now came out: "On those who hope in His mercy." It means to understand those who hope in God's mercy, you understand them in those who fear God. If your hope, if your hope is in the mercy of God, if your hope, if your hope is in the mercy of God, something comes out clearly. It becomes clear that there will be a what? A fear. And please, I've defined this fear earlier. It's not the negative fear of, "God can kill... No." I was telling somebody, I don't know who we were discussing then, I said, "Look, listen, I'm not trying to intimidate you when I say, Look, love the Lord so that it will be well with you." I said, "If God want intimidation, God can just open heaven and hell right heaven like this, hell, and then tell Angel Gabriel, Draw your sword. Michael, draw your sword. I want to count ten. After the count of ten anybody not giving his life to Me, cut off their head." Then God begin to count, "One, two..." before God get to five there will be no sinner. But that is not the kind of—I'm not talking about that cringing fear. No, I'm talking about that fear coming from an understanding that there is a God that look, all I was created for His pleasure. I was created for His purpose. I'm a means to God's end. I cannot please myself and displease God. God come first. God must be pleased. That is the fear I'm talking about. That is the honor I'm talking about. That's what I'm talking about. For men who are like that, they are actually the men whose hope is in God. Are you understanding me at all? They are the actual men whose hope is in God. Let me just give a simple scenario. The director says, "That account that we are balancing, how much is it?" "100,000." "Okay, add one zero. Just add one zero. Add one zero. So when you add it, that excess we are sharing." And you say, "Ah, sir, sorry, I cannot change figure, oh, I cannot add zero." Now, I'm just giving a scenario. Do you know that if your hope of survival, of living, of making it in life is in your director you will do it? But if your hope is in God, you will do otherwise. What you are faithful to determines the direction of your hope. That is why the Bible says, "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for." Hope is the solid foundation for faith. Once a man is hopeless, he will be faithless. So anywhere your hope is going, that is where your faithfulness is also going. It is in that in which you place your hope that you are faithful to. So when you see men displeasing God, it is because God is not their hope. But the point I'm making is this. It is so crucial for you to know that when a man has godly fear, it tells you where his hope is. That is why he says, "Look, no king is delivered by the multitude of his chariot, the horse even though I prepare for the battle, even though I've put all my skill, all my ability, there is a place of mercy." And you know when mercy shows up many times, it looks like, you know, it looks like cheating. When mercy speak for people in their labor, it looks like, "Ah, this person is lucky." But you know, mercy set a man aside, mercy separate a man, mercy give a man distinction, mercy bless a man above his equals. But the point we are making is that there is a place of godly fear in mercy. And you will notice this, get me very well, you will notice this much more the more when we are dealing with those who will describe as the people of God. Do you get what I'm trying to say at all? Do you notice that every time Jesus speaks on different occasion, he made it very clear. Look at what talking about the servant that knew the will of the master and did not do it, and those who did not know it and did not do it. What did he say? He say the one who knew it and did not do it will be given what? Many stripes. The one who did not do it, who did not know it and did not do it will still be beaten. But he says—look at how he go—he say, "Come, you children, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desire life and love many days that he may see good?" Look at what he's saying again, connecting mercy, the mercy of days, the mercy of goodness, the mercy of life. All of this, look at the connection. He says, "Keep your tongue from evil, your lips from speaking deceit." Please, what are all of these things? Do not lie, do not—is that not to honor the Father? Is it not to honor the Lord? It is to honor the Lord. Now, he says, "Keep your tongue from evil and your lip from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it." Please, brethren, this "Depart from evil, do good, seek peace, pursue it," is this something extraordinary or everyday living? When your enemy is hungry, what did He say? Give him to eat. When they slap you on the right, turn the left. If they want to take your clothes, let them take your collar also. If they compel you to go one mile, go two miles with the person. Seek peace, pursue it. Don't give any man evil for evil. I'm talking about being divinely warned. Do we need an—do we need God to come from heaven to be resounding that for us to do that? These are practical everyday living things, things we do every day. And it is connecting this to life. He says, "Do you love life? Do you want to see good? This is the connection." Look at what follows in verse 15. He says, "The eyes of the Lord are where? They're on the righteous, and His ears open to their prayer." Look at that. Look at that. Do you see the matter of the eyes of the Lord again? Where is He? He's on the righteous. And His ears open to their prayer. You are seeing the connection, connecting it to godly fear, being divinely warned. And I keep explaining "divinely warned." There's a place of us not being slow of heart to agree with scriptures. Simple practical everyday things. And then I want to conclude with this. I want to conclude with this, please. Let's go to the New Testament, that's where I want to conclude this evening. Look at the book of Luke. The book of Luke chapter 1. Luke 1. I want us to look at that scripture together. Luke chapter 1. Are you there? The Bible talks of somebody in Luke chapter 1 from verse 5, Zechariah and Elizabeth. It say there were in the days of Herod, the king of Judah, a certain priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughter of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandment and ordinances of the Lord God. They are blameless. What does that tell you about them? They feared the Lord. I want to ask you, this a family that feared the Lord. Is that not true? But there was a but. The Bible says, "But there was a but." What was the but? They were childless. The question is, should the godly be challenged? Could there be a challenge in the life of them who fear the Lord? We have been speaking from one angle, we have been seeing that the eyes of God's mercy is upon them. And now we are looking another godly person who fears the Lord, and we are seeing that they have been waiting for a child and now they are both old, they are past the age of having children. But do you see that the story that the Bible want to give in this place was that they were visited in that old age. They were visited in that old age. Okay. Now, let's look at another one again. It says in the verse 26. Let's go to verse 26. Verse 26. It says, "Now in the sixth month, Angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; the virgin name was Mary." We know that story too. I'm trying to skip the story, we are familiar with that story. Isn't it? There was a visitation again. There was an angelic visitation to Zechariah, there was an angelic visitation to Mary. For that of Zechariah, they have advanced in age, there was an angelic visitation. For that of Mary, I want you to understand the background of these two people. These two people, they were cousins, as the Bible made us to know if you read downwards and downwards of that same chapter. They were cousins. Now, again the background, that the last prophet that spoke in Israel was who? Was Malachi. Between Malachi and Jesus, there was no particular voice of a prophet. It was also a background where the people who we'll call those representing God, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the scribes, and religious leader at best, they were spiritual ignoramus. Am I correct? It was at a time, don't forget that when Jesus appeared on stage, these Pharisees came to Jesus to explain why a man can put away his wife and Moses gave them the permission to do so. Are you understanding me? It was under those kind of religious leadership that Zechariah did not put away Elizabeth. Are you understanding me at all? The religious leader had letter of permission, they came to even challenge authority of Jesus. They were under such kind of religious influence all around them. It was at that kind of age that there was still a man who did not put away his wife even on the ground that there was no issue. Are you with me? It was under that same kind of time, when the people who were described as representing God were so much in darkness that they could not even understand the God that they are representing. It was under such a time that a virgin was betrothed to Joseph and they were both godly. God when He look at their works, He saw purity. So the Bible says, "To a virgin named Mary." Don't forget where we started from. It say God looks at all men, knows their works, knows their thoughts. And like I was saying in our home family devotion yesterday, I don't know how many people in our own time when their relationship are able to exercise such level of purity. If there is no fornication, there will be fingering. If there's no fingering, there will be romance. If there is—are you understand what I'm trying to bring out? There'll be some kind of immorality. But God saw people, these people they were cousin, because when Mary was told that Elizabeth was pregnant, the Bible says she went in haste because there was a connection between the two of them. She went and made—do you mean that there was a child? Now, how did Mary sum up all of this? Please, how was all of this summed up in that which Mary said? I want to show you something. How was all of this summed up in that which Mary said? Look at the verse 50, when Mary was giving the Magnificat, when she was praising the Lord. What did Mary say? When she got to verse 50, what did she say? She said, "And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation." The mercy of God. You see how mercy found them, but look at their lives. Godly fear. Godly fear. Look at their lives. And that is why, as I conclude this meeting, I want to boldly tell you something. It doesn't matter how long it takes, it doesn't matter how early it comes, one thing that scripture affirm, one thing that is clear in scripture, is that for those who fear the Lord, they would be remembered. For those who fear the Lord, they cannot be forgotten. They cannot be forgotten. They shall be remembered, because there is a connection between godly fear and the mercies of God. Brethren, let us pray this evening. There is a connection between godly fear and the mercies of God. There is a connection between godly fear and the mercies of God. There is a connection between godly fear and the mercies of God. I want you to talk to the Lord. I want you to pray. Noah was moved with godly fear. As in the days of Noah. Noah was moved with godly fear. Let this become our lifestyle. Our lifestyle. Thank You, Lord Jesus. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Almighty God, we thank You for this evening. We give You glory, we give You praise, we give You honor, we give You adoration. Precious Father, our eyes are on You. Oh Lord our God, the question You are asking our generation is this: "If I am your Father, where is My honor? If I am your Master, where is My fear?" The saints of God, it becomes of the saints of God to fear the Lord. Where godless men cast away the fear of God, where godless men can live anyhow, where they can live carelessly and foolishly and stupidly, it becomes of the saint to fear the Lord. Oh Lord our God, we saw a correct example in Joseph, where the godless Potiphar's wife was displaying all manners of godliness. Oh, it becometh of the saint to fear the Lord. He honored You in the midst of the perversity of his own time. Lord God Almighty, we saw example in Zechariah, in Elizabeth, we saw people despite the representation as at that time in the land, we saw people who understood that no, it becomes of the saint to fear the Lord. We saw the same example in Mary. Lord our God, we are praying that it doesn't matter the perversity in our own time, it doesn't matter the level of godlessness, the level of confusion in the land, it doesn't matter whether there are fake ministers or there are true ministers, it doesn't matter what is happening around us, oh precious Father, incline our hearts to Your fear. In the name of Jesus. Oh Lord God Almighty, the scripture says, "Fear the Lord, you His saints." Fear the Lord. Fear the Lord. Oh Lord God Almighty, that our hope oh God may be in You. Lord God Almighty, that our honor may be to You in all we think, in all we say, in all we do, in the name of Jesus Christ. Oh Lord, make us perfect in every good work to do Your way. Work in us that which is well-pleasing in Your sight. Fill us, oh God, with the knowledge of Your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, oh God, in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank You, Eternal Father. Blessed be Your holy name, our God. In Jesus' name, we pray. Let's share the grace together in fellowship. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forever more. Amen. Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever. Amen. This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry, Equipping Ministry involved in reaching the lives of singles and married through preaching and teaching of God's word, discipleship, family life enrichment, social and community development, and mission aid. Our regular activities are: Discipleship class every Monday at 5:00 PM; Adolescent and Singles' Club every first Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM; Marriage Forum, second Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM; Family life seminars, regular school outreaches, and everyday counseling. For further counseling, you can reach us at our location: Life Camp, by the first bridge, Ilere Community, opposite Very Just filling station, along Ijero road, Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria. You can also reach us through our social media handles: familytent@yahoo.co.uk, familytentministry01@gmail.com, www.familytentministry.org. Our phone numbers are 08033861136, 07033613848. God bless you all.