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

Abide!

Sermon. Carlisle Evangelical Free Church. Tim Wheeler.

1 John 2:18-27

18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us--eternal life.

26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

Abide = remain

"dear children"
- passionate about the people he's writing to
-- the Father is passionate about his children
- doesn't care that he's repeating what they already know

2:12-14
- writing because they know Christ
2:15-17
- don't love the world
2:18-27
- deception
Point: only defense against deception is to abide in the truth of the Word of God, which we already have/know

1. What are we up against? (v18-19, 22-23) Deception
A. Antichrists: Their identity
-do not acknowledge Jesus as the Christ (1 John 4:2-3)
-do not acknowledge Jesus as God (2 John 1:7)
B. Antichrists: Their attitude
- v19 - they left the known teaching of the truth about Jesus from eye witnesses
C. Antichrists: Their error
- deny Christ is God, the Messiah

2. What do we have? (v20-21)
A. The Spirit of God (John 15:26, 16:13)
B. The Truth of god (v21)
- must hold to the truth in the face of attacks from antichrists
- we don't need "new" teachings
-- we have the Truth already (don't stray from it) from people who have seen/touched/heard from the beginning

3. What must we do? Abide! (v24-27)
- stand firm; be immovable in what we believe
A. We're commanded to abide
- v24, 27
B. We're commanded to abide in what we have already heard
C. But how?
- John 8:31 - hold to Christ's teaching
- John 15:7 - Christ's word must abide in us
- 2 John 1:7 - remain in what Christ has taught us

4 Suggestions:
1. Recognize - must be in his Word; there are no shortcuts
2. Renew our passion for being in God's Word
3. Discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness (it's hard)
4. Colossians 3:16 - "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God."