How can the fear of God change the way a church operates? In this video, Carlton McLeod explains how he, as a pastor, was initially focused on what those attending his church would want instead of turning to Scripture to understand the will of God for church life. He realized that he would have to face God one day for how he led his congregation. He also understood how much he displeased God by leading the church himself instead of seeking God’s will. Ultimately, the fear of God led him to change various aspects of church life. Galatians 1:10 (NKJV) “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.”

There was a time in my life, even in ministry, I was already pastoring, I was already doing what I felt was the Lord's work, but I was the very standard, very typical programmatic pastor who, before he implemented a ministry program, didn't ask if this was biblical, didn't ask if this was something God wanted, but asked, what would the people want? I was one of those guys. I think in my study, in my time, by the grace of God, the Lord showed me that I didn't have the right to do those kinds of things, that He was holy, that He had given us His instructions and how He wanted ministry to be implemented and executed. And I remember I came to a point where I looked at what I was doing and I looked at the testimony of Scripture, its precepts and principles and patterns and thought, wow, I'm wrong. I'm not doing this right.

And the fear of God at that moment, knowing that I'm going to have to face him one day, and also knowing just how much he loves me and how much he loves our congregation and our precious people. The fear of God was the motivating factor to do what was necessary. I trembled at the fact that I displeased him and I changed and I repented and our church is blessed now and so many families are blessed now because of the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is one of those characteristics of Christian discipleship that motivates our change, motivates our behavior. It causes us then to see Him in such a light where we actually, regardless of the consequences, do something different and live a different life.

And so I think that's the one thing that sticks out in my mind. I remember even as a pastor trembling that I displeased the Lord and even the thought of that was too much to bear And so we had to make some adjustments.