OVERCOMING FEAR

 

I John 4:17-21 – How to Overcome Fear – March 30, 2008

 

Intro:  Today we are going to look at the lessons we can learn from the Apostle John.  He is known as the apostle of love, a father of the church and the evangelist who staked his claim on the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Love is made complete among us so that we may have confidence on the Day of Judgment because in this world we are like Him.

 

1.  John begins this morning saying that because the Spirit of God abides or lives in us

     And we in Him.  Love is made complete among us and through us.  Love is a

     Characteristic of the church and is demonstrated by all who claim Him as Saviour and

     Lord

2. This creates two things, confidence and Christ likeness.  Confidence because you do

     Not fear judgment because there is no sin, stain, accusation or charge.  You have been

     Forgiven and cleansed by Jesus’ blood.  You have confidence in prayer, the word, in

     God’s ability to provide, guide and keep His promises and agreements.

3.  In response you want to live a life that pleases him.  So each day, you become more

     And more like Him.  Your thoughts, attitudes, speech and actions show Him.  Talk

     About Chris Williams.

 

There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out all fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The man who fears is not made perfect in love.

 

1.  There are four truths in this verse.  First, there is no fear in love.  Fear is a spirit.  It

     Is not from God.  As a spirit it has to be overcome by spiritual means.  John says that

     Fear cannot stand or stay in the presence of love.  God is perfect love and His Spirit

     Overcomes the spirit of fear.  People today struggle because fear from childhood has

     Exploited, manipulated, controlled and paralyzed them.  It has created and exploited

     Our weaknesses and failures or used others to cause them.  Talk about Mom’s fear of

     Water.

2.  John says secondly, that perfect love casts out all fear.  Fear is cast out when a person

     Accepts God’s perfect love. There are four things God wants you to know this

     Morning.

 

a.  His goal for you is not only to make you happy but do what pleases Him.

b.  To receive His love and pass it on in the service of Him.

c.  Through His love free people to better worship and serve Him.

d.  Let Him through His word, prayer and  fellowship help us to become mature and bring

     long term growth to ourselves and others.

 

3.  John reveals that fear is based upon, judgment and punishment.  Fear feeds on them. 

     So fear makes God out to be harsh, unforgiving and vengenceful.  So instead of

     Looking to God we look to others for acceptance and approval.

 

 

4.  John has made it clear that God is love.  Yet the person who lives in fear has not

     Allowed God to love them or they won’t.  The problem with fear is that it is a familiar

     Friend.  You have grown accustomed to it.  Instead of seeing as it is a destroyer.  You

     View it as part of your makeup, your identity and who you are.  You don’t know yet

     That life is so much better without it.  John wants you to experience fully the next

     Statement,

 

We love because He first loved us.

 

1.  John says, we love because He first loved us.  God gave us this ability.  It is one of His

     Attributes He has communicated to us.  It is part of His DNA and He made it part of

     Ours.  We responded to His love.  He first loved us.

2.  This allows us first to know that God has already accepted and given us His approval.

     Secondly, you know that you are perfect in His sight because of Jesus.  Thirdly,

     Because of the previous two statements you want to follow a path of righteousness. 

     You want to please God.  Fourthly, because of love you know you are acceptable to

     God and He has declared it.

 

If anyone says, “I love God”, but hates his brother, he is a liar.  For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.

 

1.  John had come across some believers who used the argument I can love God but I

     Don’t have to love you.  Or the other, I have to love you but I don’t have to like you. 

2.  John says you cannot love God and hate your brother.  We love God when we love

     Each other.   It is the mark of our discipleship.  Loving others is God’s test of

     Discipleship.  If you don’t love others, you are a liar.  Simple, direct and succinct...

     Remember John does not mix words.  He is not interested in yours and my theories,

     Excuses, justifications or reasons.  You and I are to love all and we know it is not an

     Easy task.  In fact it is impossible without God’s help.  Read 1771

 

And He has given us this command:  Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

 

1.  Right between the eyes.  This love thing is not an option, a guideline, or an

     Exception.  It is a command.  It came from the lips of Jesus in the upper room

     Discourse.  John is only reminded his audience and us. 

2.  Church we are to love one another; It is easy to peg someone because of

     Denomination, traditional, worship style, theological difference or church affiliation.

     You can’t refuse to love someone because they don’t agree with how you see things.

      It’s easy to excuse your lack of love for someone because they don’t believe, worship

      Or follow God as you do.  Talk about Sholomo Riskin’s evaluation of a fanatic or

      Liberal.  But John says we are to love because it is a command. 

3.  Our three themes today have been about overcoming fear, acceptance and love.  If

     You are struggling with these or any other thing will you come to the altar and be set

      Free. 

QUOTES FOR JUNE 27, 2026

 

JOB'S EXAMPLE

 

Intro:  Today is our second and final message on the book of Job.  As the oldest book of the Bible and the first to be written it describes the conflict of the ages.  How man, God’s greatest creation with the power of free will is the subject of the attention of the forces of good and evil.

 

1.  As we learned last week Job, the greatest man of the east was attacked in every way

     By satan, the father of all lies, the tempter, the accuser, deceiver whose only wish is to

     Rob, kill and destroy. 

 

a. In the first tack by satan, Job lost his family and wealth but he refused to blame God. 

    In the second attack by satan, he lost his health and hope for a time.  His friends

    Arrived to comfort him but they were so shock by his condition, they sit in silence for

    7 Days and when they spoke the third attack began.  They tell Job it is because he

     sinned hat he has suffered this reverse.  Job counters by saying he is blameless and

     innocent. Their dialogue continues for 34 chapters.  Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar and Elihu

    and state Job’s present condition must be because of his sin. 

b.  Job in this book stated many powerful statements of faith.  The first I will look at is

     Job 13:13.  We look at it last week but it still is so powerful.  Though He slay me, yet

     Will I hope in him, 

c. Job at this point knew that only God had the explanation.  Job’s faith had been tested,

    Strained and stretched but it remains victorious.  In the face of loss of resources,

    Family, friends and health.  He still trusted God. 

d.  The middle verse of the Bible is Ps 118.9, “It states it is better to trust in the Lord than

      To put confidence in man.” 

e.  Many times our faith will be tested, strained and even stretched to the limit but we

     Must never lose faith.  Paul wrote about the three virtues in 1 Cor 13:13.  Faith brings

     Hope, hope comes because of the love of God.  The greatest of these virtues is love

     Because as John stated in 1 John 4:8.  God is love.  Job did not know why he was

     Suffering but he knew God loved him and that is enough Amen.

 

2.  The second statement I wish to look at is our text.  Job 28:28, was written hundreds of

     Years before Solomon wrote it in Pr 1:7.  Job here is answering Bildad, He says, “The

      Fear of the Lord that is wisdom and to shun evil that is understanding.”  Job

      Makes two observations here.

 

a.  Real wisdom begins and ends with fearing or having a very healthy respect for God.

     Only a fool or someone very ignorant does not.  In this age of greasy grace and

     convenient conversions.  We need to come back to a healthy respect for God.

b.  Today we make it to easy for people.  John Wesley had a 90% retention rate in people

     That were converted under his ministry.  He told them exactly what they were getting

     Into.  People in countries where persecution is real; remain, because they know what

     They gave up and what they face is real.  I have never forgotten what I gave up or

     Where I came from. 

 

c.  Job knew to shun evil is understanding.  Evil has no redeeming value.  It’s only

     Agenda is robbery, murder and destruction.  It has no friends, it cares nothing for you

     Or your family.  It will use any means, method or person possible.  Shun it, avoid it,

     Expose it and run from it. 

d.  A person of understanding know that association with evil leads to nothing but

     Hurt, bitterness, pain and ultimately destruction.  Even innocent pranks can have a

     Devastating effect. 

3.  The last thing I wish to focus on has a more positive and powerful influence on those

     Around us.  Job was a man who cared for those around him.   He prayed for his

     Family on a daily basis.  He also prayed for his four friends at the closing of his trial. 

     In fact his prayer for them was part of the healing process.  Praying for others takes

     The emphasis off of us and puts it on others and God’s.  The greatest commandments

     Are loving God and then others.

 

a.  Job stated in Ch 31, he never looked at a woman with lust, he was honest,, took car

     Of the poor, the widow and the traveller.  He clothed strangers, fed the orphan, and

     Never was involved in any unjust.  He never trusted in his wealth or status.

b.  Job spoke what was in his heart and mind.  He had evaluated his life, stated

     How he viewed and how he would behave in response.  Job maintained his innocence

     And integrity.  Job however did not see the whole picture.  He was not aware of

     Satan’s part in this trial.  The invisible realm is as important as the natural realm

     When it  comes to trials and tribulations of life. 

c.  When God came and displayed His glory, power and presence.  Job repented, he did

     Not need to know why, he just trusted God.  His part to overcome evil was to choose

     To pray for those who betrayed, blamed him and rebuked him.  When he prayed

     Forgiveness flowed, between him, God and them.  Prayer is so powerful because it

     Exposes everything and allows us to be fully restored.

d.  None of the human participants knew truly what was going on.  They made wrong

     Assumptions.  In the end, prayer broke the power of wrong assumptions and beliefs

     And I believe made them better and closer friends.  

e.  Job at the end of this part of his life was restored.  After his unselfish prayer offered

    In 42:10.  His faith was strained but remained victorious.  Job in fact later was named

    As one of three men that could not save Judah from judgment by Ezekial.  Ezek 14:14

f.  Job is known as a man of patience.  He learned as Paul pointed out in Roman 5::3-5

     That suffering produces patience, character and hope.  Paul then says that hope does

     Not disappoint because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit

     Whom He has given us.

g.  As I close today.  I love the book of Job because it reflect so much the real world in

    Which we all live.  We have times of great victories and defeats.  There are friends

    And foes.  Times where we are misunderstood, criticize and hurt by those we thought

    Were friends.  There are times and seasons where things can either go right or wrong.

    Job is a real life book based on a real life man who faced a real life crisis and through

    It all he trusted God and in the end his faith was victorious.  His patience was rewarded

    And all was restored.  Sounds like real life.  Amen. 

 

 

MOTHER'S DAY

 

Intro:  Today is Mothers Day for Lois it is here 28^th celebration as a Mother.  For our daughter Rachel it is her 3^rd. A mother of three rather unruly kids was asked one day.  If you given a chance to have children or not would you do it again?  She said “oh, yes, just not these ones.”

 

 Today we are looking at the story of the woman who anointed Jesus feet.  She is a wonderful example of a servant and that is essentially what a mother does.

 

Jesus said of the woman who anointed him, “She did what she could.”

A Jewish proverb says. “God could not be everywhere so He mad mothers.”

 

1.  She didn’t do as much as some did. 

 

a.  She never established a church or preached like Paul did,

b.  She never receive the Revelation John did.

c.  She never became as well known as David.

d.  She never receive the stature of notoriety of Peter.

e.  She is like the widow Jesus talked about who gave her all for God’s work.

f.  She is like so many mothers who get no recognition except by their loved ones.

g.  One mother said, “I would like to be the ideal mom, but I am to busy raising my

     children.

 

2.  She did do a better work than many do.

 

a.  Her work was spiritual.  The greatest work any mother can do is teach her children

     and show through example the Lord. 

b.  Her work was eternal.

 

I.  Some works are eternal.  (1 Cor 3:14) Anytime you tell someone about Jesus this is

     eternal.  When you model Jesus by how you talk, think and action this has an eternal

     effect on those around you.  You may be the only Bible people read.

II. Some works are not eternal.  (1 Cor 3:15)    This is building homes, accumulation of

     Riches, gaining fame and popularity.  No eternal value here.

III. Jesus said that what she did would be told in memory of her.  Vs 9

IV. This incident is recorded in all four gospels.

 

c.  Her work was Christ centered.  Vs 6

 

I.  The work of the Spirit is Christ centered.  In John 16:13-14, we learn the work of the

    Spirit is to take what He hears and He will tell us what is to come.  He will take what

    Is Christ’s and make it known to us.  She did, she anointed Jesus for his burial.

 

 

 

II,. The work of the church and the home must be Christ centered.  Any institution or

      Family not Christ centered is heading towards a moral train wreck.

      Mothers have a powerful role.  Thackeray wrote, “Mother is the name for God in the

      For God in the lips and hearts of little children.”

 

d.  Her work was devotional.  She had centered this act on Jesus Christ.  We need to daily

     spend time with the Lord in prayer and the Bible.  It is also important to do that with

     our children.  Children serving the Lord does not just happen.  It takes time,

     persistence, consistency on the parents part and daily practice of devotions and going

     to church.  The future destiny of a child is the work of the mother.  (Napoleon

     Bonaparte).

e.  Here work was criticized.  Vs 4-5  Any work for the Lord will be ridiculed and

     criticized.  She was not doing it for the critics or audience.  She did it for the Lord.

     She is why is was honoured.  A mothers work is never seen by the world and is

     Only appreciated by those in her close circle of love.

 

3.  The last point is the most applicable.  She did what she could at the moment.  Vs 7-8

 

a.  She did it while Jesus was present.  She did it when the opportunity presented itself. 

     Most divine opportunities are that way.  They present themselves and we must act.

     Talk about hitchhiker in Trail.  Jesus speaking to the thief. on the cross.

b.   What she did prepared Jesus for burial.

c.  She did while she could.  There would be no second chance here.  Mom, dad, minister

     to your children while they are young.  Take every opportunity your can.  The future

     of  our society is in your hands. 

 

 

 

QUOTES FOR JUNE 26, 2026

 

MOTHERS DAY POEM

 

It takes a mother’s Love to make a house a home;

A place to be remembered, no matter where we roam.

It takes a mother’s Patience to bring a child up right,

And her Courage and her Cheerfulness to make a dark night bright.

It takes a mother’s Thoughtfulness to mend the heart’s deep hurts,

And her Skill and her Endurance to mend little socks and shirts.

It takes a mother’s Kindness to forgive us when we err,

To sympathize in trouble and bow her head in prayer.

It takes a mother’s Wisdom to recognize our needs,

And to give us reassurance by her loving words and deeds.

It takes a mother’s Endless Faith, her Confidence and Trust,

To guide us through the pitfalls, of selfishness and lust.

 

MY THOUGHTS ON CHRISTMAS

 

     This year it is my privilege to be able to share my thoughts on Christmas with my many friends in St. Albert.  This year I thought I would focus on why Christmas means so much to me.

      Christmas is a time for sharing the message of peace on earth and good will to all men.  Ebenezzer Scrooge said, “it was the one time of year when men open up their shut up hearts and show real love for their fellow man.”  When the angel told the shepherds that he brought them tiding of great joy which is for all people, that angel was correct. 

Christmas is about a babe in a manger who came to give man a second chance at true life. 

     Jesus Christ is the reason for the season.  I am alarmed how quickly society is trying to change the meaning of the holiday.  In Canada for example we have politicians who are wanting to call Christmas a winter festival, all in the name of political correctness.

You take Jesus Christ of Christmas and you have lost all meaning to the whole reason we celebrate it. 

     Santa Claus who many now revere as the symbol of Christmas was in reality a Christian bishop who back in the 4^th century used the Christmas season to give gifts and share love through acts of kindness .  His mission was to help to people of his generation understand that Christmas was a celebration of God’s gift of salvation and gifts of love and service are a practical expression of this thought.

     Candy canes which have become another symbol of Christmas were the invention of a candy maker who wanted to remind people of the meaning of Christmas.  The white in the candy cane means the purity of God and the red means the blood of Jesus Christ which was later shed on the cross at His death. 

      Christmas is most than tinsel, trees, presents, and turkey dinners.  I love the one scene from Charlie Brown’s Christmas where after being totally discouraged over all the commercialism of Christmas.  Charlie yells, “does any one know what Christmas is really about?”  That is when Linus Van Pelt does his famous stage scene where he quotes the book of Luke, talking about the birth of Jesus Christ.  Then he comes to Charlie Brown and says, “That is what Christmas is all about.” 

     When you take Christ out of Christmas all you have is a mess.  A mess of secular ideas, mixed together with a bunch of sentimentality or nostalgia.  Christ is the reason for the season.  What is amazing is for the first time in American history, the White House is instead of calling them Christmas trees they now are called holiday trees.  Political correctness is such a sham.  For the sake of clarity just call them a tree with lights, but enough of the diatribe.  Christmas should be a time for the celebration of the greatest person who ever lived.  Jesus changed everything by coming.  He gave us salvation and life.  That in itself is a great reason to enjoy this season. 

     Christmas to the Steel family is very special because it is a time for us to share our love for Christ in a practical way to members of our family and others.  We always invite people over to share our Christmas dinner and evening with us.  Christmas to us is a time for giving and sharing.  Sharing ourselves and sharing what we are and have.  So this Christmas season share the most precious thing you have.  Share yourself , it is the greatest gift you have.