The book of Proverbs has been called a 'Manual for Living.' The wise words contained within this book discuss the human condition as practically today as they did 2700 years ago. Humankind has always seen itself clearer through the lens of narrative storytelling, and no group of creative storytellers accomplishes this today better than the team at Disney/Pixar. We are going to spend 7 weeks examining God's 'Manual for Living' and discovering how those truths are illustrated in some of the most beloved animated films of this generation.
MONSTERS INC.: OVERCOMING FEAR
What is your GREATEST fear?
“Freedom is not free. Somebody paid the price.” Harold McMurran
FALSE ideas can lead to irrational FEARS.
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7
If we’re going to understand the fear of the LORD, we need to understand the LORD in whom we are to fear.
“It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:31
“Humility is the fear of the LORD; its wages are riches and honor and life.” Proverbs 22:4
“Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.” Psalm 34:11
“Turn from evil and do good.” Psalm 34:14
“The fear of the LORD” is:
- Turning from evil.
- Doing what is good.
Reverence, Repentance, and Right Living.
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being…” Hebrews 1:3
Proverbs in Pixar
Message #4 - “Monsters Inc.: Growing in the Fear of the LORD”
Proverbs 1:7
OCC, 05/30/2021
John Mulpas
What is your GREATEST fear?
If you’re joining us online, please share by leaving us a comment.
Next Sunday, June 6th, will be the 77th Anniversary of the D-Day attack on Normandy [pic of boats] in World War II.
Harold McMurran was 19 years old when he landed on Utah Beach.
Back in 2014, 90-year old McMurran said he endured several emotions as the beach grew closer.
He said, “I was SCARED. I was AFRAID. And finally I was numb. I was ready to accept whatever happened to me.”
Can you imagine being on one of those boats?
Over 10,000 Allied troops were killed that day, including over 6,600 American soldiers.
McMurran said, “Freedom is not free. Somebody paid the price.”
I hope you’ll take time this Memorial Day weekend to remember the price that has been paid by so many in our Armed Forces.
Now, compared to military veterans like McMurran, OUR fears seem to pale in comparison, right?
Back when I was in grade school [series image] and even into my college years, I had a fear of reading and speaking in front of people.
It’s kind of ironic now.
But in High School, I ran for Freshman class President and one of the things you had to do was give a speech in front of the entire class.
I vividly remember being in the West Holmes High School cafeteria with about 200 of my classmates.
And when I took the stage to give my speech, I was SO nervous my voice trembled SO much that my sweet, dear classmates started laughing at me!
I was basically laughed off the stage.
To say the least, I didn’t get to be President.
But fear is a powerful emotion, isn’t it?
For years children have been afraid of what or who is in their closet or under their bed - all of us have been there, right?
Check out this comic [pic].
It kind of redefines what it means to have a “Monster” under the bed, huh?
Well, the Pixar movie Monsters, Inc. plays on this fear in a fun way.
It turns out there are monsters in the CLOSET!
James P. Sullivan [pic], or Sully for short - he is one of the main characters, along with his sidekick, Mike Wazowski.
But it turns out, these monsters don’t scare kids because they’re mean bullies who like to terrorize little children.
No, they scare kids because the screams of children provide energy - kind of like electricity - to power the world they live in.
For them, it’s just business.
AND we learn that not only are kids afraid of monsters, but monsters are actually afraid of KIDS!
The monsters have come to believe that children are TOXIC.
Check out this clip.
Movie clip: Monsters Inc. (1:48)
Now, kids aren’t REALLY toxic, right?
But the monsters don’t know that because they’ve never gotten up-close to a child; they only see them from a distance, from an open closet, and so they’ve developed this wrong idea about kids.
The movie illustrates how FALSE ideas can lead to irrational FEARS.
For many of us, the same thing happens when it comes to God.
We might view God like some kind of scary MONSTER that’s out to get us.
Perhaps you’ve heard of stories in the Bible of God’s wrath and judgment, and you’re like, “Man, I hope I don’t make God MAD!”
Maybe for you today, GOD is your GREATEST fear.
But is that the way it SHOULD be?
I mean, should we really be AFRAID of God?
EXPLANATION
Well, I want to unpack this today as we continue our series, Proverbs in Pixar [series image].
Go ahead and turn in your Bible to the book of Proverbs, chapter 1.
If you do not own a Bible, we have FREE copies at the Next Step counter in the back of this room; or, if you’re joining us online, leave us a comment and we’ll mail you a Bible this week if you don’t have one.
You can also download a digital version of the Bible by using the YouVersion Bible App on your phone or tablet.
Now, if we were to summarize what the book of Proverbs is all about, we might say, “Wisdom,” or “How to live wisely.”
Wisdom is contrasted with foolishness.
The choice is ours, but the book of Proverbs is a PLEA that we would choose wisdom.
And there’s a verse right at the beginning of Proverbs that tells us where wisdom starts.
It’s found in chapter 1, verse 7.
Like we did last Sunday, I want us to read the verse aloud together.
Here we go:
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Now, if you read through the rest of the book of Proverbs, you’ll find that the phrase “the fear of the LORD” appears 10 MORE times.
But the question is, what does it mean?
Does it mean that we are to be AFRAID of God?
Well, first, I want to point out the word “LORD” in this verse.
I want you to notice that it’s in ALL CAPS.
Do you see that?
As you read through the Old Testament, God’s name is almost always translated “LORD” like this.
The Hebrew word is “Jehovah” and it comes from a root word pronounced something like “Yahweh” [Yah-way].
This goes back to Exodus, chapter 3 in the Bible where God appears to Moses in a burning bush.
God wants Moses to go to Egypt and rescue his people from slavery.
But Moses has some questions for God and one of those questions is, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” (Exodus 3:13)
Here’s what God tells Moses: “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM [Yahweh] has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14)
God continues: “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD [Jehovah, from the root word, Yahweh or “I AM”], the God of your fathers - the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob - has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.” (Exodus 3:15)
So, every time we see “LORD” in ALL CAPS in the Bible, we should think: This is a proper name for God built out of the word for “I AM.”
It’s as if God is teaching us about his nature through his name.
And this just touches the surface of WHO the LORD is.
He is so GREAT and GLORIOUS!
Psalm 138:5 says, “...for the glory of the LORD is great.”
That word “glory” compresses ALL that God is into a single concept - his infinite significance, the totality of his perfections, the fullness of his deity.
Now, I’m spending time on this ALL CAPS word “LORD” because if we’re going to understand the fear of the LORD, we need to understand the LORD in whom we are to fear.
That’s where it starts.
And because God is so GREAT and GLORIOUS, there’s really only one proper response from us, his creation, and that is, FEAR.
But we need to be careful because there are 2 main connotations for this word FEAR in the Bible.
The first is this sense of terror or dread; BEING AFRAID of God.
HOWEVER, this wasn’t what God originally intended.
This kind of fear came as a result of SIN.
It is the fear of GUILTY sinners standing before the all-knowing, great and glorious God of LOVE, yes, but also the God of HOLINESS and justice.
The Bible says in Hebrews 10:31 - “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Now, we don’t like to think or talk about this, but it is certainly appropriate, natural, and biblical for UNBELIEVING sinners to have this kind of fear.
But again, this is NOT the kind of fear God originally intended for us, NOR is it the kind of fear he wants in our relationship with him.
This is why God sent his Son, Jesus - to remove fear.
You see, Jesus took the punishment WE deserved for OUR sin on the cross, and so, we don’t have to be afraid.
Isn’t that GOOD NEWS?
The Bible says in 1 John 4:18 - “There is no fear in love. But perfect love [the love of God] drives out fear, because fear has to do with [what?] punishment.”
Today, if you’re afraid of God, one of two things is probably going on:
You have a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet [pic] approach.
That there is a “Good” column and a “Bad” column, and if you have more checkmarks in the good column, you’re going up, but if you have more marks in the bad column, you’re going down.
That’s how A LOT of people view their relationship with God.
But do you know what THAT is called?
It’s called RELIGION because religion is spelled, D-O.
It’s all about DO, DO, DO - trying to work your way into heaven.
The problem is, how do you know if you’re doing enough?
You’re always trying, but never sure.
What a terrible way to live!
Fortunately, there’s a better way.
Jesus came so we could have a RELATIONSHIP with God.
Christianity is spelled D-O-N-E.
It’s not what you DO; it’s what Jesus has DONE!
And when you accept what Jesus has DONE, there’s this freedom from condemnation and fear; AND “the fear of the LORD” takes on a whole new meaning.
Now, whenever you’re trying to find [series image] what something means in the Bible, a great principle is to let Scripture interpret Scripture.
In other words, look at other passages.
Don’t just “cherry pick” one verse; see what the rest of the Bible says.
So, are there any other passages in the Bible that help us understand what “the fear of the LORD” is?
YES!
For example, Proverbs 22:4 says: “Humility is the fear of the LORD; its wages are riches and honor and life.”
Who doesn’t want that, right?
But it starts with an ATTITUDE of humility.
“Humility is the fear of the LORD…”
Where we humbly come before God with REVERENCE and AWE.
In the book of Isaiah in the Bible, Isaiah has this vision of the Lord.
He sees the Lord “high and exalted, seated on a throne.”
“Above him were seraphim” - these angelic beings, and each of them had six wings.
“With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is [who?] the LORD [ALL CAPS] Almighty; the whole earth is full of his [what?] glory.’” (6:2-3)
He is so GREAT and GLORIOUS!
The text continues in Isaiah, chapter 6: “At the sound of their voices [the voices of the seraphim] the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.” (v. 4)
Whoa!
Isaiah is seeing all this; it’s like he’s there in the presence of God.
And he cries out: “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” (v. 5)
This is an example of what it looks like to fear the LORD.
Isaiah is overwhelmed by who God is.
He is ruined, undone - in a GOOD way.
This is the kind of vision we need of God.
“The fear of the LORD” is humility, reverence, and awe before God.
But it doesn’t stop there.
Another Scripture that helps us understand what it means to fear the LORD is found in Psalm 34.
Starting at verse 11, the Bible says: “Come, my children, listen to me [which requires humility]; I will teach you [what?] the fear of the LORD.”
“What is it?” you ask.
Psalm 34:14 tells us: “Turn from evil and do good.”
So, “The fear of the LORD” is:
OR, we could say it this way - “the fear of the LORD” is:
Repentance is turning FROM evil and turning TOWARD God.
And then, Obedience is doing what he says.
OR, here’s the preacher way to remember this - “the fear of the LORD” is:
That’s the ATTITUDE piece; followed by...
Because you have to have 3 points and EVERY point has to begin with the same letter, right?
Reverence, Repentance, and Right Living.
Proverbs 23:17 says: “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live in the fear of the LORD always.” (NASB)
APPLICATION
So, how do we do that this week?
Here are a couple ways:
First…
He is so GREAT and GLORIOUS, right?
Read the Bible this week and ask: “What can I learn about God?”
Today, in Proverbs 1:7, we learned that God is the LORD, the great I AM.
Also, in Isaiah 6, we learned that God is not only holy, but holy, HOLY, holy.
And there’s so much more!
Here's a FUN challenge: Make a list of the attributes of God.
In fact, I want to see who can come up with the most.
Do this as a family or with your friends.
Spend some time on this in your class or group.
Who can come up with THE MOST attributes of God?
Backed by Scripture, of course!
But I would love to see your list.
Grow in the knowledge of the One in whom you are to fear.
And then, second…
That you’ll do whatever he asks you to do without question.
When he says...
“No sexual immorality; not even a hint,” you say, “YES, God!”
When he says...
“No lying and using words that tear people down,” you say, “YES, God!”
When he says…
“No country music,” you say, “YES, YES, YES God!”
But seriously, another question to ask when reading the Bible is, “LORD [ALL CAPS], what do you want me to OBEY?”
And whatever it is, you say, “YES, God!”
The Bible says Jesus “humbled himself” and was “obedient to death - even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8)
Obedience isn’t always easy.
But we do it anyway because of WHO God is and WHAT he has DONE.
It’s interesting, in the movie Monsters Inc. [series image], something happens that at first was unimaginable - a child gets into the monster world.
And this, of course, TERRIFIES the monsters.
But little by little they realize that many of their ideas about kids were misconceptions; kids are actually quite fun and loving!
And eventually, the monsters learn there’s a better source of power for their world than the screams of children - it’s actually their LAUGHTER.
Instead of keeping them at a distance and trying to scare them, the monsters get up-close and try to make the children smile and laugh.
You know, in many ways, that mirrors the story of God and us.
If you look at it from our point of view - from the closet, if you will - and we peer out, we have this image of God way out there, but for some of us, we’ve never gotten up-close to him.
We’ve only seen him from a distance, and we’ve developed some wrong ideas about him.
We’re distant and we’re AFRAID.
But what did God do?
He sent his very own Son, a child, into our world.
Jesus came and lived as one of us to declare God’s love for us, so that we might have a relationship with him.
And in coming to earth and getting up-close and personal, Jesus took away our fears about God.
In fact, the Bible says that Jesus “...is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being…” (Hebrews 1:3)
Because Jesus came into our world, he removes the false ideas and irrational fears we have about God.
Rather than keep our distance, we can now have a relationship with God.
We don’t have to be AFRAID.
Now, we can have “the fear of the LORD” God intended all along.
Reverence, Repentance, and Right Living.
And the motivation isn’t to try to earn God’s approval.
It’s simply to love and praise him from a heart of gratitude.
THAT, according to Proverbs, is the beginning of wisdom, and it’s available to everyone, including you.
Let’s pray.