III. FAITH & SURVIVAL 12:13

A. Personal 12:13a

1. "Fear God" ... a personal call.
a. This kind of fear means “respect" or "honor!"
b. The bottom line to the whole book of Ecclesiastes is found in this verse, a call to personalize our relationship with the Creator God!

2. To "fear God" in such a way that you are too afraid to let go of the Lord!
a. It may be hard to serve the Lord but have you ever considered the alternative? It is much harder not too!
b. God offers us safety for our soul; the alternative is to lose that soul!
c. "Hanging on" is not a bad option, "letting go" of God may prove to be more dangerous!

ILLUS: LIKE A MAN NAMED HENRY DEMPSEY WHO WAS TAKING A COMMUTER FLIGHT FROM PORTLAND, MAINE TO BOSTON. HENRY WAS THE PILOT OF THE PLANE. AFTER TAKING OFF HE KEPT HEARING A NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE SMALL PLANE. FINALLY HE DECIDED TO GO LOOK. HE TURNED THE CONTROLS OVER TO HIS CO-PILOT AND WENT TO THE BACK OF THE PLANE TO LOOK AROUND. HE DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM QUICKLY ENOUGH, AS SOON AS HE GOT NEAR THE TAIL THE PLANE HIT AN AIR POCKET THROWING DEMPSEY AGAINST THE DOOR WHICH IMMEDIATELY POPPED OPEN SINCE IT WAS LOOSE ALREADY ... THE SOURCE OF THE NOISE TO BEGIN WITH. HE WAS INSTANTLY SUCKED OUT OF THE PLANE AS THE DOOR OPENED. HIS CO-PILOT SAW THE RED LIGHT COME ON INDICATING AN OPEN REAR DOOR AND HE RADIOED THE NEAREST AIRPORT FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. HE REPORTED THE LOSS OF HIS PILOT AND REQUESTED A HELICOPTER SEARCH BE MADE OVER THE AREA WHERE HIS DOOR SUDDENLY BLEW OPEN. HE HAD HOPED THEY WOULD FIND THE BODY OF HIS FRIEND FOR THE FAMILY. AFTER THE PLANE LANDED THEY FOUND HENRY DEMPSEY ALL RIGHT, HANGING ON STILL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LADDER OF THE AIRCRAFT! HE HAD HUNG ON FOR 10 MINUTES AS THE PLANE FLEW AT 200 MILES PER HOUR AT AN ALTITUDE OF 4,OOO FEET, AND THEN WHILE LANDING SOMEHOW KEPT HIS HEAD FROM HITTING THE RUNWAY, WHICH WAS ONLY 12 INCHES AWAY! IT TOOK SEVERAL MINUTES FOR AIRPORT PERSONNEL TO PRY HIS FINGERS OPEN FROM CLUTCHING THE LADDER. HE HAD WEIGHED THE CONSEQUENCES OF HOLDING ON AGAINST THOSE OF LETTING GO AND DECIDED THE PAIN OF HOLDING ON WAS LESS THAN THE PAIN OF LETTING GO! THERE’S A GOOD MESSAGE HERE ABOUT HANGING ON TO GOD VERSES LETTING GO ... HANG ON BRETHREN! – SOURCE UNKNOWN

3. It is better to fear God more than fearing this world!