Not Man

&

Peer Pressure

• “My friends influence me on almost everything I do. I am extremely worried about people’s opinions and I feel the need to fit in.” - Alexandra Perkins, age 15.

• “My friends were a big influence on me a few years ago. They had me cut school with them and dress different. I thought I wouldn’t have friends unless I acted like that.” - Angie Chavarria, age 17.

• “In junior high, your friends made absolutely every decision in your life.” - Eddie Jurken, Age 14.

Peer Pressure: An Age-Old Dilemma For All

(John 7:12-13) And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, "He is good"; others said,

"No, on the contrary, He deceives the people." However, no one spoke openly of

Him for fear of the Jews. (NKJV)

(John 9:22) His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews

had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of

the synagogue. (NKJV)

Our fear of God must exceed the fear of men:

Daniel(Daniel 6:7, 9) “whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions… therefore King

Darius signed the written decree.”

(Daniel 6:16) “Daniel, Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.“

(Daniel 6:22) "My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths, so that they have not hurt

me, because I was found innocent before Him…"

Our fear of God must exceed the fear of men: Shadrach, Meshach &

Abednego

(Daniel 3:17-18) “…our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your

hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods,

nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."

Our fear of God must exceed the fear of men: Peter &

Apostles(Acts 5:28-29) “We ought to obey God rather

than men.”

(Exodus 1:15-16) Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; and he said, "When you do the duties of a midwife for

the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then

you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live." (NKJV)

(Exodus 1:17) But the midwives feared God, and

did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the

male children alive. (NKJV)

(Exodus 1:12) But the more they afflicted them,

the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of

the children of Israel. (NKJV)

(Exodus 1:21) And so it was, because the

midwives feared God, that He provided households for them.

(NKJV)

(Exodus 2:1-3) And a man of the house of Levi went and

took as wife a daughter of Levi. So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. But

when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him,

daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by

the river's bank. (NKJV)

(Exodus 1:22) So Pharaoh commanded all his

people, saying, "Every son who is born you shall cast into the river,

and every daughter you shall save alive." (NKJV)

Holy in ALL our conduct!

(1 Peter 1:15-16) but as He who called you is holy, you also

be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." (NKJV)

(Deuteronomy 1:36) 'except Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and his children I am giving the land on

which he walked, because he wholly followed the LORD.' (NKJV)

Fearing God

(Romans 8:38-39) For I am persuaded that neither

death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things

present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to

separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(NKJV)

Fearing God

(Hebrews 13:5) Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with

such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

(NKJV)

Fearing God

(Hebrews 12:28-29) Therefore, since we are receiving

a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by

which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and

godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. (NKJV)

Fear of God Inspires People to Keep His

Commandments(Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep

His commandments, For this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment,

Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil. (NKJV)

Fearing God

(Luke 12:1-5) In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled

one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is

hypocrisy. "For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. "Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. "And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill

the body, and after that have no more that they can do. "But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell;

yes, I say to you, fear Him! (NKJV)

The Consequences of Fearing Men Rather Than

God(Proverbs 1:16)

For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood.

(NKJV)

The Consequences of Fearing Men Rather Than

God(Romans 2:14)

for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the

things in the law, these, although not having the law, are

a law to themselves, (NKJV)

Sin, Left Alone, Will Grow

(Ephesians 4:22) that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful

lusts, (NKJV)

(James 1:14-16) But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires

and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin,

when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.

(NKJV)

Fearing God Has It’s Consequences!

(Hebrews 13:6) So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What

can man do to me?" (NKJV)