Throwing Out the Fear Factor

Sermon. Carlisle Evangelical Free Church. Shad Baker.

1 John 4:13-21

13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 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. 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. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

1. Love like Jesus
- v17
- fear and love are like oil and water
- we don't live like Jesus so we can't be confident about the end time bc we will face punishment on judgment day
-- we fear because our troubles might be foretaste of judgment day
-- all fear comes from our lack of confidence on judgment day
-- fear is that I will be judged and I am guilty
-- if we rely on ourselves we should fear because we've fallen short

2. God's perfect love
- v 18
- "casts out" = throws out
-- only perfect love can grab hold of fear and throw it out
-- we can't because we're not perfect in love
-- only Christ because he is perfect
- when thoughts of fear come, we are relying on ourselves because we fail
-- relying on God casts these out:
--fear of rejection...God has accepted us
--fear of failure...God has already been victorious
--fear that God doesn't love me (when issues arise)...Christ

3. God is us and us in God
- v 13, 15, 16
- Holy Spirit is in us
- we're clothed in Christ
- hard circumstances will arise
-- I can either fear or rely on God
- will God abandon/leave me?
-- NO!
-- how can he leave himself?
- John 15:5
--when we're in Christ and Christ is in us, we love because Christ is there
--- we don't fear the world because love drives it out, replaced with love