Date:      8th July 2007                                                                           (Sunday AM)                                                                       Ref: A0320

Place:     Kambah P.S.

Title: Torment of Fear

Text:        & 1 John 4:17-19

Illust:     Aung San Su Kyi, the Burmese pro democracy activist made this insightful statement: “It is not power that corrupts, but fear.” And Carmen Lawrence in her book “Fear and Politics” writes “A cursory examination of the newspaper and TV headlines will confirm that fear is daily pumped into our homes and workplaces. The media is saturated with apocalyptic warnings about crime, drugs, exotic diseases, and all manner of threats to our way of life.” – An epidemic of fear.

I.                   Cold Icy Hand of Fear.

A.               Torment

i.                 We all know the feeling of fear, that cold icy hand that grips you heart. Your mind is assailed with anxiety, fear; fear of the future, sickness, some accident or tragedy.

ii.               What medical science & many texts on healing highlight is the link between fear and torment  & v.18b  Torments of:

      Sickness: More & more the link between sickness & fear is becoming crystallised and self evident. Asthma, digestive disorders, tumours, even some deafness. – Not a definitive list, not the only cause. But there is a common link

      Defeat: Another torment is just defeat, a defeated outlook, heavy spirit. Robbed of joy & victory. – Fear.

iii.             When you allow fear in your life there will be a torment.

      Phobias (in the clinical meaning of the term) are the most common form of anxiety disorders An American study by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) found that between 8.7% and 18.1% of Americans suffer from phobias. Broken down by age and gender, the study found that phobias were the most common mental illness among women in all age groups and the second most common illness among men older than 25.

B.               Correction

i.                 Interesting to look at another element this AM about this torment. The Gk word [kolasis /kol·as·is/] used in our text only appears twice in the NT in the 1st instance used by Jesus.

         Matthew 25:46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (NKJV)

      Speaking of the torment of eternal punishment.

ii.               It is derived from the Gk word [kolazo /kol·ad·zo/] which has the sense of:

      1 to lop or prune, as trees and wings. 2 to curb, check, restrain. 3 to chastise, correct, punishment. 4 to cause to be punished.

      The torment you expose yourself to through submission to fear, can be the very instrument God uses to correct and chastise you regarding the sin of fear.

iii.             Make no mistake, fear is sin just as much as lying, stealing, adultery

         Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (KJV)

      It is the opposite of Faith, and represents a fundamental misunderstanding about the nature of God.

         Matthew 8:26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. (NKJV)

C.               Source of Fear

i.                 All fear comes from not trusting god and his word

         Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; (NKJV)

         Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (NKJV)

ii.               Our problem is that we are so busy dragging the past around with us, and projecting it to the future, that we forget to occupy today. If your minds, spirits, and souls are filled with fear and confusion, projection and avoidance, you are no earthly good today.

iii.             Forget the past, forget the future. Let God be God today in your life! The evil of today is sufficient unto itself.

II.                 The Love of God

A.               Antidote to Fear

i.                 Our text this AM gives us the answer to fear, & v.18  ~ Love, the Love of God for you & I. the

         Jeremiah 31:3 The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. (NKJV)

ii.               This is the fundamental problem, if you are in fear, then you malign, you defame the character of God.

      Dr Trevor Cullen completed doctoral studies in journalism at Queensland University. While there, the staff and University executive were sent email messages by an ex-colleague Bill White accusing Dr Cullen of academic fraud amongst other charges. Before long, White had also established a series of derogatory Web pages about Dr Cullen. The prominence of these emails and Web pages made it very difficult for Dr Cullen to obtain employment in Queensland following his doctoral graduation. Dr Cullen therefore moved to Edith Cowan University at Perth in January 2002, and White moved his attention to staff members at that University, bombarding them with allegations against Dr Cullen of fraud and now also pedophilia, and referring them to his numerous Web sites. White also made contact in similar fashion with journalism schools in Australia and newsrooms throughout the Pacific region. - In April 2002 Dr Cullen sued White in the Supreme Court of Western Australia. He was awarded $95,000 for defamation.

      Defamation is a serious offence, to the one defamed.

         1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (NKJV)

iii.             Need to resolve in your heart the issue that God loves you.

B.               Infinite God, Limitless Love

i.                 The love of God, is deeper than the deepest ocean, wider than the widest sea. The Greek word used for love, specifically the love of God was hardly ever used in Greek literature out of the W.o.G. – this word agape.  ~ Vines says:

      “In respect of agapao as used of God, it expresses the deep and constant “love” and interest of a perfect Being towards entirely unworthy objects,”

      ‘But I don’t deserve the love of God?’ – What & I do? You don’t know anything about me really; - Why does God love you?

         Deuteronomy 7:7-8 7 The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; 8 but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (NKJV)

ii.               A little secret there is not one of us here that deserves the Love of God, that is what makes it so amazing. Why John Newton wrote amazing grace. It is amazing, it is undeserved – We all deserve punishment & eternity separated from God.  – He loves you.

         Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (NKJV)

iii.             If you doubt for a second the love of God, then look to the cross, the ultimate example of love.  – Hymn of Isaac Watts

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

III.              Act Now

A.               Repentance

i.                 Are you afraid; is there fear in your life? – It is sin, only one thing to do. – Repent. Turn away refuse to have anything to do with fear anymore.

ii.               You are defaming the character of God, it’s a good thing to repent, “Lord I am sorry, I have not trusted you, your word says:”

         Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (NKJV)

      And we know!  - What things?  ALL things

iii.             Renounce fear, Lord, I am going to believe you by faith.

         Hebrews 11:1 What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. (NLT)

B.               Appropriate by Faith

i.                 The assurance, the resting in the love of God, needs to be appropriated by faith. To appropriate is to:

      To take to one's self in exclusion of others; to claim or use as by an exclusive right; -

ii.               You must claim your right to the assurance of the love of God for you & cast aside every lying deceitful whispering of the enemy of your soul. When Satan tells you your not worthy, say ‘yep, your right, I’m not, it’s a good thing God loves me anyway.’

iii.             Rest in God’s Love for you & you will in turn love God & love others. – Jay Adams wrote:

      Love for God and one’s neighbor constitutes the sum of God’s requirements for the Christian. The man who loves needs no counseling. Love cements relationships between God and man and man and man. While love attracts, fear repels. When love gives, lust grabs. What love builds, hatred destroys. With love communication flourishes; with resentment it withers. Love is the ultimate answer to all the problems of living ….. Love, therefore, is the goal.[1]

IV.             Altar Call

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[1]Adams, J. E. (1973). The Christian counselor's manual. "The sequel and companion volume to Competant to counsel." (141). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House.