The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe (Proverbs 29:25). “The fear of man lays a snare,” or, as another translation of Proverbs 29:25 puts it, “Fearing people is a dangerous trap…” Fearing people is a dangerous trap. Consider some of the ways that fearing people can be a dangerous trap.

You elementary, middle, and high school students know all too well what it’s like to feel pressure from classmates, friends, or teammates to do things that neither honor God nor honor your parents. But sometimes you give in because you fear the disapproval of people or being left out more than you fear God. Fearing people is a dangerous trap.

You college students know all too well how uncomfortable it can be when a professor or classmates speak negatively about the Lord Jesus Christ and his teaching. You often want to boldly acknowledge that you’re a Christian publicly or even defend the faith, but sometimes you don’t because you fear being looked down on as backward, intellectually inferior, and the like, more than you fear God. Fearing people is a dangerous trap.

You professionals know how important it is to honor the Lord by doing excellent work and taking ground in your career. You know how important it is to build wealth in order to provide for your family and support the work of the Lord in your church. Sometimes you’re tempted to keep your faith in Christ a private matter at work because you fear offending the people who hold the keys to your advancement. But when you keep your faith in Christ wholly private, you’re fearing people more than God and withholding the greatest news in the universe from others. Fearing people is a dangerous trap.

You moms know all too well how controlling fear can be. You may be spending time with a group of moms, and another mom is complaining about her husband or children, or it’s obvious that she’s neglecting to serve them joyfully. You know that Titus 2:4-5 says that older women should “train the young women to love their husbands and children, [5] to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.” You know that you should train her, but you don’t because in the moment you fear being rejected or gossiped about more than you fear God. Fearing people is a dangerous trap.

And you dads know all too well how frightening it can be to begin gathering your wife and children regularly to learn God’s Word, pray, and sing. But you put it off because you’re afraid that your wife might be annoyed with you or your kids will think you’re overbearing, and so forth. You don’t step out and shepherd them because you fear your wife and children more than you fear God. Fearing people is a dangerous trap.

Fearing people will lead you to do things you should not do, keep you from doing things that you should, and rob your joy in the midst of it. Fearing people can lead you to hypocrisy, unbelief, and apostasy. Fearing people is a dangerous trap and a temptation that is common to all of us. How does fearing people lay a trap for you? You’re not alone. J.C. Ryle once wrote, “Thousands would never hesitate a moment to storm a breach or face a lion, who dare not face the laughter of relatives, neighbors, and friends.” The temptation to fear people more than God is common to us all, it’s a dangerous trap, but right at the heart of our passage our Lord calls us “friends” and strengthens our hearts: “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. [5] But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” (Luke 12:4-5). The only medicine strong enough to cure the fear of man is the fear of God. And that brings us to the big idea of our passage this morning: Fear God, not people. Fear God, not people. And since fearing people is such a tempting trap, the Lord Jesus offers us three reasons to fear God, not people:

1. God reveals
2. God values
3. God defends.

In each of the three reasons, we’ll learn a particular characteristic that is common to people who fear God over people.

GOD REVEALS

Luke 12:1 – In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” There is a reason why Luke mentions the size of the crowds before Jesus warns his disciples not to be hypocrites. Remember what we learned about hypocrisy last week. Hypocrisy isn’t the same as failing to live up to what you believe. Every Christian fails to live up to what they believe. Hypocrisy is fearing people more than you fear God. You may remember that last week we said that, “Hypocrisy begins when we functionally base our right standing with God on what we do rather than on what Christ has done. It progresses as we prioritize external appearances over inward reality, and it ultimately flowers into loving the approval of people more than loving God.”

Now, when might it be most tempting to base your standing with God on your own spiritual successes? When might it be most tempting to prioritize external appearances over inward reality? When might it be most tempting to love the approval of people more than the love of God? When the crowds around you grow to so many thousands. Success is a wonderful gift, but success is tempting. When people honored the disciples, like they once honored the Pharisees, Jesus said, “Be careful you don’t become hypocrites like the Pharisees. Be careful that you don’t begin basing your standing with God on what you do rather than His grace. Be careful you don’t begin prioritizing external appearances over inward reality, and be on guard that you don’t begin loving the approval of people more than God.” In short, Jesus said, “I know you see the crowds of people. See to it that you fear God more than you fear the people.”

Here is the point: At its core, hypocrisy is fearing people more than you fear God. And this temptation is often strongest when life is at its best. Are you in a good season of life? Is success rolling in? Beware of hypocrisy; beware of fearing people and prizing their approval more than you fear God.

Now, why is that so foolish? Why is hypocrisy so insane? Why is it crazy to fear and revere people more than you fear God? Why is it crazy to prize the outward over the inward? Because God reveals!

Luke 12:1b-3 – “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. [3] Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.”

The reason why you should fear God more than people is simple: God sees everything you do in the dark, God hears everything you whisper in private, and God will reveal it all at the final judgment. God will reveal it all. He reveals, so fear God, not people.

The reality that God reveals helps us learn an important characteristic common to all who fear God more than people: they walk in the light. Those who fear God know that since it’s all coming to light one day, they should walk in the light today. Friends, since it’s all coming to light, walk in the light. Since everything you say and do is coming to light at the final judgment, walk in the light now.

Walking in the light begins with conversion. It begins with admitting that your deeds are darkness and receiving and resting in Jesus Christ as your only hope in life, death, and on the day of judgment. And walking in the light is a Christian lifestyle of confessing your words and deeds that don’t please God to another Christian. Since it’s all coming to light, walk in the light now. Confess your sins to God and one another. When your sins are forgiven through Christ and you fear God more than people, then you can walk in the light with appropriate people.

Who are you walking in the light with? Who are you confessing your sins to? If you don’t have anyone, start with your Citygroup leader or one of your pastors. Since it’s all coming to light, walk in the light.

Fear God, not people, first, because God reveals. Second, because…

GOD VALUES

Luke 12:4-5 – “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!”

Is it wrong to feel physical fear when someone tries to kill you? Is it wrong to feel afraid of being excluded by your friends? Is it wrong to feel afraid when it’s time to speak up for Christ? Is it wrong to feel afraid to confront a sinning sister or brother in Christ? Is it wrong to feel afraid to lead your family? Not necessarily.

In his wonderful little book Triumphing Over Sinful Fear, Puritan John Flavel distinguishes between natural fear, sinful fear, and religious fear. Natural fear is that agitation in your mind or surge in your body that arises when you perceive that evil or danger is approaching. That’s not always sinful. Flavel says that natural fear becomes sinful when:

1. we refuse to trust God’s protection;
2. we fear more than we ought—it’s a great sin to fear some creature above its merit;
3. we magnify the power of what we fear above that of what a creature can do (Flavel says that “to trust in any creature as if it had God’s power to help us, or to fear any creature as if it had God’s power to hurt us, is exceedingly sinful”);
4. when it distracts us from our God-given duties; or
5. when we use sinful means to escape danger.

Fearing people is a dangerous trap. What medicine is strong enough to cure the sinful fear of people? Jesus says, “fear God, not people, because the worst a person can do is kill you. God, on the other hand, has authority to separate you from his comfortable presence in the torments of hell-fire forever, and it would only be fair.”

In these verses, the Lord Jesus Christ is revealing a critical principle about fear: Not only should we fear God, not people, the fear of God is the only remedy for fearing people. As John Flavel writes, “The fear of God will swallow up the fear of man. A reverential awe and dread of God will extinguish the creature’s slavish fear, as the rain puts out the fire.” When God is your dread and fear, moment by moment, you can’t fear a person.

If the concept of fearing God is somewhat new to you, I love the way the Old Testament scholar Douglas Stuart describes the biblical concept of the fear of the Lord:

The fear of the Lord is enjoined throughout Scripture, demanding that God’s people stand always in awe of him, appreciate his supremacy and greatness, fear the consequences of disobeying his will, and not treat lightly any aspect of their covenant relationship with him, lest the consequences be severe or even fatal. Attempts on the part of some in modern times to define fearing the Lord as merely respecting him distort the biblical evidence.

Fear God and you will not fear people. And fear God because He values his children. That’s where our Lord takes us next.

Connection: How does the above work? When God is your fear, He becomes your sanctuary. This is different from not fearing a flounder because a shark is in the water. This is not fearing the flounder because the shark is your protector.

Listen to how our Lord puts it.

Luke 12:6 – “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God.”

There are about 1.6 billion house sparrows—the ones you commonly see—in the world today. And house sparrows are only one of about fifty species of sparrows. Think about that. That’s a TON of sparrows.

Now consider how valueless sparrows are: you can buy five for two pennies. What can you buy five of with two pennies?! Nothing. Sparrows are numerous, valueless, and God doesn’t forget a single one!

And God doesn’t only know sparrows.

Luke 12:7a – “Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered.”

There are about 100,000 hairs on the human head. Some of us are bringing the average down. Let’s estimate that 600 people come to Citylight Church today. That’s 60,000,000 hairs just in this church. God numbers every hair; God remembers every sparrow.

What’s the point?

Luke 12:7b – “Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

God wisely and powerfully preserves and governs all his creatures and all their actions, including every sparrow. Fear not! God values you far more than sparrows! By his providence, God governs all things, working everything together for his glory and the good of his children.

In these verses we learn that fearing God rather than people involves, secondly (first, walking in the light), taking comfort in God’s providence. Fear God by taking comfort in his providence rather than fearing people. God has the authority to kill you and judge you in Hell forever. However, because of the grace that is yours in Jesus Christ, the judge has become your Father, and nothing can come to you apart from his good providence.

These verses reveal another important characteristic of those who fear God, not people. We learned in the previous verses that fearing the God who reveals, rather than people, involves walking in the light. Fear God, not man, because He values you far more than many sparrows.

GOD DEFENDS

In the final section, the Lord Jesus turns his disciples’ minds to the inevitable times when they will be persecuted for the sake of loving and following the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, many of you may not face legal or life-threatening opposition for following Christ. Nevertheless, you will face times when you will be afraid to acknowledge Jesus Christ before people.

Remember what J.C. Ryle wrote: “Thousands would never hesitate a moment to storm a breach or face a lion, who dare not face the laughter of relatives, neighbors, and friends.” We will all face times when we are afraid to acknowledge the Lord Jesus before people.

When are you afraid to acknowledge Christ? I still cringe to think of the time a few years ago when I was asked to pray before a meal in front of some of my Jewish family members, and I prayed without praying in Jesus’ name. It was shameful, but God is gracious and merciful. The blood of Jesus Christ covered the Apostle Peter’s denial of Christ, covers my cowardice, and restores me so that I can stand firm again.

But there is a great danger in this form of fear of man: it can keep you from inheriting eternal life and lead you to eternal Hell. The great danger of fear of man is that it can keep us from ever repenting, believing in Jesus Christ, and being baptized in public acknowledgment of His Lordship. The great danger of the fear of man is that it can keep you from being saved from your sins by confessing Jesus Christ as Lord. Similarly, if we allow fear of man to fester in our heart, it can ultimately lead us to fully and permanently turn away from our public profession of faith in Christ and commit apostasy.

The Lord Jesus solemnly warns us against the eternal consequences of fear of man at the close of our passage.

Luke 12:8-10 – “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, [9] but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. [10] And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.”

If you repent of your sins, receive and rest in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, publicly acknowledging Him in baptism, Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, will acknowledge you before angels on the day of judgment. You’ll be saved. However, if you deny Jesus Christ—if you persistently and finally reject the message of the gospel, which is committing the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit—then you will not be forgiven on the judgment day.

Darrell Bock helpfully explains the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit:

The sin of denying the Son of Man can be forgiven, but to the person who blasphemes the Spirit there will be no forgiveness. There are four choices as plausible definitions for this blasphemy: claiming that Jesus has come from Satan (11:14–20), renouncing Jesus because of persecution (that is, apostasy), rejecting the preaching of the apostles, or persistently rejecting the message of the gospel. The final choice is the most likely, since it fits the warning about being thrown into hell and the warnings in Acts about what is at stake for rejecting the apostles’ message (Acts 3:22–26; 13:38–41). Speaking a word against the Son of Man refers to a specific act of rejection, while rejecting the testimony of the Spirit refers to a permanent rejection of that message of salvation.

The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is rejecting the Holy Spirit’s testimony that Jesus is the Christ. The greatest danger of fear of man is that it can lead you to never repent and believe in Jesus or turn away from Him in permanent apostasy. The fear of people is a dangerous trap.

These verses reveal a final characteristic of those who fear God, not people: they’re bold. They boldly acknowledge Christ publicly, rather than giving in to fear, because God defends.

Luke 12:11-12 – “And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, [12] for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

You can fear God rather than cave before frightening people because when they ask you the hard questions and lob at you the harshest words, the Holy Spirit will be there to teach you exactly what to say.

These verses remind me of John Bunyan, who wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress. When Bunyan was arrested for preaching without a license and questioned by the Anglican inquisitor, the man first asked Bunyan why he was preaching. 1 Peter came to Bunyan’s mind, and Bunyan answered, “as each one is given a gift by God, he must use it.” Then the minister insulted Bunyan and claimed that Bunyan preached and prayed for the money. Bunyan almost responded with a sharp insult of his own, and in the moment, the verse came to mind from Proverbs, “don’t answer a fool according to his folly,” so he shut his mouth.

That’s Jesus’ promise at work. When you’re bold in acknowledging Christ publicly and you’re pressed, the Spirit will teach you what to say and what not to say. So, don’t be afraid.

These verses show us a final characteristic of those who fear God, not people: They are very bold in acknowledging Christ.

People who fear God, not people, walk in the light because everything is coming to light; God reveals. People who fear God, not people, take comfort in God’s providence because they are of more value to God than many sparrows. And people who fear God, not people, are very bold because God defends; the Holy Spirit will teach you exactly what to say when they are hard-pressed.

So, fear God, not people. You are of more value than many sparrows.