Perfect Love Casts Out Fear
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Introduction
Sermon Introduction
Good Morning, Church.
We made it.
We made it past 2020.
But 2021 does not seem to be any better.
The virus is still with us.
Rumors of war and unrest are only growing by the day.
In reality, many see 2021 as being far worse than 2020.
So, what are we to do, church?
Should we hide under a rock?
Should we obsess with the news and live in fear?
What does God want us to do?
We can only know by turning to His Word.
So, please turn your Bibles to 1 John 4.
We will be examining verse 18 in our message today called “Perfect Love Casts Out Fear.”
From this verse, we are presented with three powerful biblical truths.
We see the:
1) Power of Love
2) Root of Fear
3) Warning of Fear
Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
Before we consider our text, please join me in prayer...
Opening Illustration
Opening Illustration
In the days of the pioneers, when men saw that a prairie fire was coming, they knew what they would do.
Since not even the fastest of horses could outrun it, the pioneers took a match and burned the grass in a designated area around them.
Then they would take their stand in the burned area and be safe from the threatening prairie fire.
As the roar of the flames approached, they would not be afraid.
Even as the ocean of fire surged around them there was no fear, because fire had already passed over the place where they stood.
When the judgment of God comes to sweep men and women into hell for eternity, there is one spot that is safe.
Nearly two thousand years ago the wrath of God was poured on Calvary.
There the Son of God took the wrath that should have fallen on us.
Now, if we take our stand by the cross, we are safe for eternity.
Now let us consider our text for today:
Reading of the Text
Reading of the Text
18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
1) Power of Love
1) Power of Love
Verses 18a: There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.
What does John mean by “fear”?
Let’s start with what it is not.
This is not the fear of the Lord.
That fear is the reverence of God.
That kind of fear, as recorded in Proverbs 1:7, is actually the beginning of knowledgeable and true understanding.
The fear that John is talking about in our passage is a different kind of fear.
That fear is the fear of the final judgement.
A fear of eternal punishment.
How do we know this?
We simply just need to look at the previous verse to understand this in proper context.
17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.
I genuine born again believer has no reason to fear punishment.
As the Scriptures say in Romans 8:1:
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
So, let us pause and discuss what it means to be “in Christ,” a true believer with genuine faith.
This means you are not a fan of Jesus.
Jesus is not just a moral teacher to you.
Jesus is not someone who adds a little religion to your life.
Jesus is not the cherry on top but He is in fact the whole cake, cherry and all.
For a born again saint, Jesus is there life.
Jesus is there master.
They constantly ask them selves in all areas of there life “What would Jesus do?” and guess what they do it for the most part.
To clarify you wont be perfect.
You will stumble but you will not be a slave to sin.
The assurance John is talking about applies to those people that are real Christians.
John is saying that Christ’s perfect love is the foundation of the relationship He has with the believer.
And in that beautiful relationship, in that wonderful union, fear does not exist.
In fact fear cannot exist at the same time as love.
Going back to the original language the literally translation in the Greek word for word is “Fear not is in love.”
God’s love casts out or drives out fear by its very nature.
Jesus even rebuked the disciples because they did not understand this and had little faith:
26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
Instead, let us who are His sheep be reminded of the words of David in the Psalms:
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
Now listen up, Church.
I need you to understand this.
A relationship with Jesus comes with many promises.
One of those promises is a peace that is unlike any peace that this world offers.
That is a peace between you and God.
The wrath of God you deserve is no longer aimed at you.
For Another took on the wrath for your guilt.
Let me put it plainly, Church.
If you are born again, then you have the same testimony as me.
Yes, the details are different but the story is the same none the less.
Like me you where a convict on death row and by nothing of your doing, the King of Kings took your spot freeing you from death.
That’s why Jesus says:
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
When we experience His peace and His love, then we in turn learn how to love too.
By the power of the Holy Spirit that now lives in the life of every believer, we live out the discretion of love as found in 1 Corinthians 13:
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
Notice that love will never end.
A life with Him is a life without fear of punishment and eternal suffering.
A life with Jesus is something beautiful.
Paul wonderfully wrote in his letter to the Romans:
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
A relationship with Jesus means we are now true Children of God.
We are adopted into the royal family.
God will not pour out His wrath on us due to the work of Christ so now we can say that He is “Our Father.”
2) Root of Fear
2) Root of Fear
Verses 18b: For fear has to do with punishment,
The Greek word, “kolasis,” used here is translated as “punishment.”
This is found in the New Testament in only one other place.
That would be Matthew 25:46:
46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Jesus speaks these words in the parable of the sheep and goats.
Punishment is saved for those who are deemed unrighteous on the day of judgement.
John records in his gospel the words of Jesus again:
6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
On the day of judgement the goats whoa are separated from the sheep will be thrown away.
These individuals where too proud to surrender to God.
These individuals never had a real relationship with Jesus.
They may have know all the facts about Jesus but never believed in there heart.
These individuals walked the wide road with the rest of the world instead of taking the narrow road.
So, which road are you on?
But before you answer that.
I advise you to give yourself a little self assessment.
1 John as a whole is a great epistle to read if you want to evaluate your spiritual life.
And everyone should evaluate there spiritual life.
Now, you don’t need to put your hand up.
But I want to ask you a question for you to ponder.
Do you fear Judgement Day?
Are you afraid to stand in front of God?
Do you fear Hell fire and eternal punishment?
Based on how honest you are with yourself and how you answer those questions it will reveal a lot.
Regarding this, John McArthur has said:
“Someone who professes Christ but fears His return evidences that something is seriously amiss, because all true saints love His appearing.”
MacArthur’s words are based on Scripture:
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
Genuine followers of the Way, followers of Christ have nothing to fear.
However, those who are not regenerated.
Those who are not born-again should be in complete dread.
For the full wrath of God in aimed at you.
You have a debt you cannot pay.
Your works, your personality, your family, your church, your giving...
None of it will save you.
But as long as you are still on this side of eternity, then it is not too late.
Remember, God’s perfect love that is lavished on all genuine believers is quite powerful.
This perfect love casts out the fear of God’s wrath.
This perfect love casts out the fear of eternal punishment.
I am promising you.
Not by any authority on my behalf but on the authority of the Word of God...
You don’t have to continue to live in fear.
Repent and believe.
Surrender to Him ans live!
As Paul wrote, His blood, the blood of Christ justifies those who believe in Him:
9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
3) Warning of Fear
3) Warning of Fear
Verses 18c: and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
The term “perfected in love” can also be rendered as “completed in love.”
This relates to the end of our sanctification process as we are becoming perfected or completed.
We are being made perfect by the love of God.
So any remnants of fear should only be temporary in the life of a believer.
Over time as one grows in sanctification, fear becomes less and less.
We are to grow in greater confidence of our standing with God as we grow older.
If that is not the case, well then that is a big red flag.
That is a wake up call that your relationship you think you have with God may not be the real deal.
Remember the warning Jesus gave in the Gospel of Mathew:
22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
The process of sanctification, of growing more Christ like over time is a true gift of God.
So, when you can look back and see that wow, I don’t even recognize the person I was.
That is good.
For my first 32 years of my life on this earth, I feared Judgement Day and with good reason.
I had a head knowledge of God but I was my own lord.
But on that day that God had mercy on me, He opened my eyes and saved a wretch like me.
Every one of you listening to this message who is a follower of Christ has a similar story.
And everyone of you should also see signs of growing in faith, becoming more Christ like over time.
And when this life is over and when we are in the presence of Jesus, we will become glorified, we will be perfected by God.
We will be completed and His perfect love will remove every fear from us since we will be like Him, our Master and Savior:
2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
Let us consider the wisdom of the great pastor and theologian, John Calvin who said:
“The sum of it is that there is nothing worse than being worried by continual disquiet, and we arrive at a calm rest outside fear by being aware of God’s love towards us.… But it may be asked, When does perfect love cast out fear? For we are endued with only a taste of the divine love for us, and therefore can never be wholly freed from fear. I reply … fear is not cast out in such a way that it does not assault our minds, but it is so cast out that it does not disturb or hamper the peace we obtain by faith.… When anyone fears (that is, has a disturbed mind) it is the fault of unbelief. For when the love of God is properly known, it calms the mind.”
Beloved, as we being landing this plane, I want you to consider the confidence and boldness John is saying we should have of our assurance in our salvation if we are truly in Christ.
Earlier in his letter, John writes:
28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.
We are to b unashamed of Christ’s coming and have confidence in our fellowship with Him.
That confidence is seem in our level of obedience to His word.
Let us not forget the words of Christ in John 14:15:
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
And again let us consider the Gospel of John:
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
Church, we have a sovereign and mighty God.
He is ever faithful and keeps all His promises.
Listen up, beloved.
Jesus said it plainly:
37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
And again we see the promise of God in Peter’s letter:
9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,
Those promises you can take to the bank.
Closing Illustration
Closing Illustration
Beloved, let me conclude today’s message by saying this:
Sometimes the cup of iniquity is full and the people are ripe for judgment.
In such a case it may happen as it did in the flourishing and extraordinarily beautiful city of Messina, Italy.
In the early morning of December 28, 1908, an earthquake struck, and 84,000 human beings died.
Only a few hours before that devastating earthquake, which laid Messina and the surrounding districts in ruins, the unspeakably wicked and irreligious condition of some of the inhabitants was expressed in a series of violent resolutions that were passed against all objections.
The journal Il Telefono, printed in Messina, actually published in its Christmas issue an abominable parody, daring the Almighty to make Himself known by sending an earthquake!
And in three days that earthquake came!
At the very close of 2020, the world as a whole is daring God to strike again as He did in 1908 in Messina, Italy.
One example:
The sin of abortion, a favorite of the devil.
Last Wednesday, with many cheers, cry's of joy, and enthusiastic celebrations, Argentina became the largest nation in Latin America to legalize elective abortion.
On the 20th of this month, “the most pro-abortion administration in our nations history” are set to be sworn into power.
Of babies with Down Syndrome:
100% in Iceland, 98% in Denmark, and 67% in the US are aborted.
Around 56 million abortions are preformed each year around the world.
The world is celebrating child sacrifice on the alter of convenience.
35 They built the high places of Baal in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
Do you really think we can go on spitting in the face of God without receiving His wrath?
But Abortion is only one sin.
What about homosexuality, adultery, fornication, murder, thievery, hatred, idolatry, and unbelief.
Even the littlest of sins like a “white lie” would render anyone as damned to Hell by God’s judgement.
If you are in rebellion to God and habitually practice sin in your life then you should be very afraid...
But you don’t have to stay that way.
Repent of your sin, no matter how heinous it may be.
Grace is greater than any of your sins.
Yes, grace is greater than unbelief.
Grace is greater than idolatry.
Grace is greater than hatred.
Grace is greater than thievery.
Grace is greater than murder.
Grace is greater than fornication.
Grace is greater than adultery.
Grace is greater than homosexuality.
Grace is greater than abortion.
So, repent and believe in the Gospel.
Surrender your life to Jesus.
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Because if you have genuine faith, then you have God’s perfect love.
And if you have God’s perfect love, then your fear will be cast out.
All the Glory to God.
Amen.
Now if you will all stand to your feet...