Oct. 20, 2024

Perfect Love Casts out Fear, BTS  20 October 24 -- Pastor John Custer

Introduction - This lesson is a prelude to a larger one to follow concerning loving God.  The Lord is moving our congregation and others around us in the city toward joint worship experiences.  We will be learning to accept other congregations’ styles of worship as well as becoming better worshippers ourselves.  One key to this experience is to love God.  This has a powerful effect on us, which I am highlighting today.  

1 John 4:16-18a God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear.  NLT

Fear is a common feeling for all of us.  It is the uncomfortable feeling of apprehension we have when we anticipate or are aware of danger.  Some fears are necessary for our preservation (fear of tigers, fear of heights), but most are unreasonable.  These types of fears ultimately have to do with God Himself, as we ultimately attribute the potential misfortune to punishment which God is going to send upon us.  This is a false assumption for the Christian.  A person who lives in this type of fear is suffering, as most of the consequences  we fear never happen.  They are only imaginary.  

The Bible teaches us that the unpleasant feelings we call fear are not really the problem. The problem is a lack of love.  In particular, love for God.  

1 John 4:18b If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19We love each other because he loved us first. NLT

This is a new, surprising approach to a common problem for all of us.  So much happens when we start loving God.  He removes our unreasonable fears about everything, leaving only natural cautions which are really bits of wisdom designed to preserve our lives.  

    John 17:3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ,             the one you sent to earth. NLT

Loving God really starts with knowing Him, something He initiates by reaching out to us.  It would not even be possible if He kept Himself distant from us, but He doesn’t.  Much of the time in our imagining, He is like a distant force, impersonal and without expressions.  As we grow, we learn to pray and petition Him so we can hopefully have favorable things happen to us.  That is about as emotional as many Christians ever get with the Lord.  God uses many things in life to reach out to us, and teach us to know Him, just as we know each other.  He reveals His gentle personality in the love of friends (a good reason to get involved in church) for example.  He even turns trials around and uses them as opportunities to connect with us, often answering our prayers for healing, protection and provision very precisely.  He will even speak to us through the voices of others (another good reason to be around believers).  We will be drawn along by Him, amazingly.  

One last thought:  This love for Him isn’t something we can manufacture.  It must come from Him through His Spirit.  One of the things He produces is us is love.  It is the first produce, or fruit, listed in Paul’s list of the Fruits of the Spirit:

Galatians 5:22-23 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! NLT

This is a good reason to pursue the Baptism in the Holy Spirit with its evidence of speaking in tongues.  Learn to love God and you will be free from all fear! More about this in the next lesson.