Transcription downloaded from https://yetanothersermon.host/_/lw/sermons/9026/sermon-we-know-there-is-no-fear-in-love/.

Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions.
Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt.


[0:00] Thank you.

[0:30] Thank you.

[1:00] Thank you. Thank you.

[1:32] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[1:44] Thank you. Thank you. that this book has affirmed you and encouraged you. And that some of you have been asking about the Revelation series.

[1:54] We have now completed that series and we'll be putting together those seven videos. And so if you're interested in that, if you weren't a part of the conference, just go by the info table and let them know that you'd be interested in those videos and we'll get you that information.

[2:09] So I think about three more weeks or so in the book of 1 John. I also think I'm gonna do our Christmas message in the book of 1 John, which is my favorite, favorite passage for Christmas, okay?

[2:20] That's all I'm gonna say right now. It will not be your normal Christmas message, I promise. But we'll save that for, wait till we get to Christmas first. All right, 1 John chapter four, you ready to get after it tonight?

[2:32] All right, let's do this. If you're watching online, if you're able to stand, please do so as we honor the reading of God's word. And we're going to look at the rest of 1 John chapter four.

[2:42] We left off in verse six last weekend. So 1 John chapter four, verse seven. John is writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit when he says this, Beloved, let us love one another.

[2:55] For love is from God. And whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God because God is love.

[3:08] In this, the love of God was made manifest among us that God sent his only son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.

[3:28] Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

[3:43] By this, we know that we abide in him and he in us because he has given us his spirit. And we have seen and testify that the father has sent his son to be the savior of the world.

[3:57] Whoever confesses that Jesus is the son of God, God abides in him and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.

[4:11] God is love and whoever abides in love abides in God and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment because as he is, so also we are we in the world.

[4:30] There is no fear in love, but perfect love cast out fear. For fear has to do with punishment and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

[4:40] We love because he first loved us. If anyone says I love God and hates his brother, he's a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

[4:57] And this commandment we have from him, whoever loves God must also love his brother. A lot there. That's why you should pray for me and let's pray together and ask God to teach us tonight from his word.

[5:11] Let's do that now. Father, we thank you for the opportunity to be in this place, to hear from you now through your word. We are excited about what you're going to teach us.

[5:22] We believe that you have a word for us. Irregardless of the messenger, God, I just pray that you would, your word would just come alive in this place as we look to the scriptures for instruction on how we can have confidence in the things that we know.

[5:40] So spirit of truth, guide us into truth, we pray in Jesus' name. And God's people said, amen. Amen. You can be seated. He was the first child ever to be born to a president-elect.

[5:53] In fact, he was still in his mother's womb when his father was campaigning to be president. And what this meant was when he was born, he spent his early childhood days running up and down the halls of the White House.

[6:11] How many of you know who I'm referring to? John F. Kennedy Jr., the son of President John F. Kennedy. John F. Kennedy Jr. was the second child born to the president and his wife, Jackie.

[6:24] And even though he was the son of the president, they didn't take a lot of pictures of him when he was young because Jackie felt that it would be used, those pictures would be used for political purposes.

[6:38] And so she wasn't really thrilled with that idea. But the president was not as strict on that issue as Jackie was. In fact, on one occasion when she was out of the country traveling internationally, the president, President Kennedy, invited a photographer over by the name of Stanley Tradick.

[6:59] And he visited the White House in October of 1963 to take some pictures of John F. Kennedy and his family. It was on that occasion that one of the most famous pictures of JFK was taken and it's this one right here.

[7:18] It's a picture of JFK Jr. playing at the feet of the president underneath the resolute desk.

[7:28] Now, I want you to look at that image. I want you to take that image in for just a moment. I mean, not only is this kid playing underneath a desk that dates back to the 1880s when it was given as a gift from Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes, a desk that was used by many, many presidents since then.

[7:50] But this kid is playing at the feet of the most powerful man in the nation and even the world.

[8:02] Now, talk about access. Talk about, like, opportunity. I mean, look at that. Talk about privilege. And JFK Jr. is just sitting there playing around in that office at the feet of the president of the United States without any fear at all.

[8:25] Now, be honest. If you were invited into the Oval Office, if you were given access to the president of the United States, put all your politics aside and all your different opinions aside, if you were given access to that, wouldn't you be a little nervous?

[8:45] I mean, just a little nervous? I mean, at a minimum, you would want to make a good impression. You'd probably dress nice. You might rehearse whatever it was that you were going to say so you didn't stumble all over yourselves.

[8:58] But most of us, myself included, would struggle with confidence to walk into the Oval Office. And if that's true with things like the president of the United States, it's also true, we know, from common experience in other situations in life.

[9:18] Some of you get really nervous when you approach a judge in a courtroom or you get nervous approaching somebody who you find really attractive or someone of the opposite sex.

[9:28] You get nervous if you have to approach your boss in his office. You get nervous when you have to approach a celebrity. Oh, look at little Caleb, right? He'll get mad at me for that.

[9:39] Or maybe you get nervous when you have to approach the principal as you go to the principal's office. Or you get nervous when you have to stand before a crowd and give a speech. Here's my point.

[9:50] Everybody, everybody online, everybody knows this feeling. That feeling of getting nervous or unsure or lacking confidence when you're about to enter into the presence of someone else.

[10:06] Every one of us in one way or another knows what that feeling is like. Now, come here. If that's true for other human beings, how much more entering into the presence of Almighty God?

[10:30] Have you ever struggled with that? It's why some Christians struggle, for instance, with prayer. I mean, what if I say the wrong thing or what if I use the wrong words?

[10:42] It's why some Christians don't step out in faith. What if I let God down? It's why some of us are not quick to return after failure because we think, what if I've gone too far?

[10:58] And it is why. I know that I'm talking to some of you tonight and those of you that are watching online, I know that there are Christians that struggle with this. Not only those examples, but the fact, some of you are terrified at the fact that there is a day coming when every single one of you, including myself, will stand before the judgment seat of God.

[11:27] You nervous about that? I mean, if we get nervous around other humans, can you imagine how much we would struggle with confidence to stand before God?

[11:38] And we will. The Bible says that we must all stand before the judgment seat of God. Now, why might we struggle with this? And many Christians struggle with this.

[11:49] Let's be honest. You might not say so, but deep down, like if you knew, okay, tomorrow, tomorrow you stand before the almighty God of the universe. You're just going to be like, yeah, whatever.

[12:01] No, like you're going to be like, am I ready for this? And here's why. Two reasons. Number one, because most of you are aware of how holy God is or as much as you can be aware.

[12:13] Think, for instance, of Exodus chapter 19, verse 16. On the morning of the third day, there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast.

[12:27] Watch. So that all the people in the camp did what, faith family? They trembled. When the presence of God showed up in Exodus, the people weren't like, oh, yeah, well, there's God.

[12:40] He's back. No. They trembled. They were terrified. They were afraid. Isaiah, in Isaiah chapter 6, verse 1, In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up and the train of His robe filled the temple.

[13:00] Above Him stood the seraphim. It seeks wings and two He covered His face and with two covered His feet and with two He flew and one called out to another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.

[13:14] And the whole earth is full of His glory. And the foundations of the threshold shook at the voice of Him who called and the house was filled with smoke. And I said, this is Isaiah, woe is me for I am lost.

[13:30] Some translations, I am undone. I am unraveled. Why? Because I'm a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips for my eyes, my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

[13:50] Unless you think this is just New Testament or just Old Testament, here's Paul's example when he encountered the presence of Jesus. Acts chapter 9, verse 3. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.

[14:04] Falling on the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And he said, Who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city and you will be told what you are to do.

[14:18] And the men who were traveling with him stood speechless, you think? Hearing the voice but seeing no one and Saul rose from the ground and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing.

[14:30] So they led him by hand and brought him into Damascus and look, for three days he was without sight and neither ate nor drank. Let's be real.

[14:42] Let's be real. If you knew you were about to stand before almighty God, if you know anything about his holiness, you might be tempted to be terrified at that idea.

[14:58] And a second reason why you might be terrified and struggle with confidence to stand before God is not only do you know how holy he is, but you know how sinful you are.

[15:10] Okay? A few of you, amen. Some of you are aware. Some of you, not so much. Okay? But I'm not, in fact, like Isaiah, once you are aware of how holy he is, you are very aware of how sinful you are.

[15:22] Genesis chapter 3, verse 10. And he said, I heard the sound of you in the garden and I was what? Afraid. Because I was naked, I hid myself.

[15:35] In other words, once Adam realized his nakedness, he realized his sin, he was terrified at the idea of being in God's presence.

[15:46] And by the way, if you've ever struggled with the fact that you will stand before God, and by the way, you will stand before God, be of good cheer. Like, I've struggled with that as well.

[15:57] I remember, as a kid, I'd always go visit my grandparents every summer, like, religiously, I would go visit my grandparents. And as many of you know, my grandfather was a pastor for 51 years.

[16:08] And my grandfather always carried around gospel tracts. I don't even, do they make gospel tracts anymore? Anybody know what I'm talking about? Yeah, these little, you know, pamphlets that my grandfather would just take around and give to everybody.

[16:22] And there was one that terrified me. I remember, it would always sit right there on his desk, and it would just scare me every time I see it. It was called, This Was Your Life.

[16:33] And it's all dark and black and white. And it's the story about a man who's just sitting around enjoying his life, you know, a good pipe, a good glass of tea, you know, just living it up.

[16:44] And all of a sudden, boom, he dies. Just like that. You know, the grim reaper comes and gets him, and he's buried. And they, you know, they have the funeral, and they say some nice words, you know, he's a good man.

[16:57] And then he enters into heaven, and he's awaiting judgment. And while he's awaiting judgment, he watches his life play on this, like, movie screen, and all the things he'd ever done in his life are flashed right there before him, and then he is cast into the lake of fire.

[17:19] And I remember looking at that, like, my grandfather, my grandfather, and I was terrified at that. And even though I knew it was written from the perspective of an unbeliever, like what an unbeliever will go through, like just the idea of standing before a holy God was something that I did not have confidence in.

[17:42] And I know what you're thinking. Are you ever going to get to 1 John? Yes! But that context is important because here's why.

[17:52] It's all of that that now helps us read a verse in 1 John chapter 4 and think, is that really possible? Let me show you the verse.

[18:03] It's chapter 4, verse 17. Chapter 4, verse 17. Here's what he says. By this is love perfected with us so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment.

[18:22] And maybe not everybody here tonight like feels that, but I know there are some of you here tonight, like me at points in my life that have thought, is that really true? Is that really possible?

[18:34] Are you telling me that I can actually have confidence, boldness to come before the God of all things who is holy, holy, holy.

[18:50] and the good news tonight is you can absolutely have no doubt in your mind full of confidence and assurance to approach God both now and when you stand before the judgment.

[19:03] Anybody like to know what those reasons are? Anybody ready for some good news tonight? Here we go. Two reasons. Number one is this. It's from chapter, or verse 16 of chapter 4. 1 John 4, verse 16.

[19:16] God speak to us tonight. Here we go. So we, I hope this is true of you, so we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.

[19:30] We have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. You ready for the first reason?

[19:40] By the way, if you're a Christian, if you have put your faith in Jesus, why? You don't have to doubt. You don't have to struggle with confidence. You don't have to struggle with assurance. You can know with confidence that you can stand before God.

[19:53] It's because of this. Here it is. We are confident to stand before God when we are convinced of the love of God. We are confident to stand before God when we're convinced of the love of God.

[20:12] Again, John says, we've come to know and to believe the love God has for us. So everybody listen. Everybody listen. The only reason you would lack confidence tonight, if tonight were the night you were to stand before God, I mean, and I'm not even using that as like a setup question.

[20:30] I'm just saying like, tonight you stood before God. Do you know the only reason why you wouldn't have confidence is because you're not convinced that He loves you? The only reason you would shriek at that or shrink back at that or have concerns about that is that you're not convinced that God loves you.

[20:50] Listen, the reason why JFK Jr. had no issues playing at his father's feet, the most powerful man in the nation and even world, is because he knew his father's love. He knew his father loved him and so he's not intimidated by this at all.

[21:07] And this is why John, even back in John chapter 3, he spent so much time trying to convince you that God truly and genuinely loves you.

[21:20] Go back to chapter 3 in verse 1. We looked at this a few sermons ago. 1 John 3 verse 1, see what kind of love the father has given to us.

[21:32] Do you remember when we talked about like what planet is his love from? You know, it's not from around here. See what kind of love the father has given us that we should be called children of God and so we are.

[21:46] And if you remember that sermon, we talked about that we are children of God because of the love of God and that we've been brought into the family of God. That's you. Hey, if you've put your faith in Jesus, that's you.

[22:00] That's true of you. It's why John frequently uses the word beloved. Beloved, beloved, beloved. What does that word beloved mean?

[22:11] It's such a tender word, isn't it? And John uses it. Beloved means this, someone dearly loved, valued, and cherished. If you are a Christian, you are deeply loved and valued and cherished by God.

[22:27] And I know that there are some of you that struggle at times to see yourself that way or see God looking at you in that way. And so let me see if you can wrap your minds around this.

[22:38] You ready? Here's what Paul says in Ephesians chapter 1. Here we go, verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

[22:53] Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. That we should be holy and blameless before Him in love.

[23:06] He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of His will to the praise of His glorious grace with which He has blessed us in the beloved.

[23:20] Did you notice that phrase before the foundation of the world? That's, you know, no theologian here. That's before Genesis, I think. Right?

[23:31] The answer is yes. It's before Genesis. Genesis is the foundation of the world and this is before that. Meaning, before anything was created, before there was water, land, birds, trees, sun, stars, long before that God chose to love you in love.

[23:55] the text says, God adopted you. He adopted you into His family. Do you know what this means? Like, and some of you are like, can you explain that?

[24:06] I can't explain that. I'm just telling you the Bible says so. And the Bible has more authority than me. Amen? And here's what Paul is saying. Come on, God, help us get this.

[24:17] Before there ever was a you, God chose to put His love on you. Before there ever was a you. And not just before there ever was a you, before there was ever a bird, ever, or a ray of sunlight, or a star in the sky.

[24:37] Before the foundation of the world, He loved you. What was that before what I did three weeks ago? Yes! Was that before what I did in high school?

[24:51] Yes! In fact, before there was ever a you in high school, God loved you. Anybody's mind blowing tonight?

[25:01] Like, anybody online, your computer's blowing up right about now? Like, are you kidding me? Before there ever was a you, God chose to love you.

[25:12] So no matter what you did six months ago or five years ago, God loved you before that. And that means you don't have to be hesitant for a moment in coming to Him.

[25:31] You can have confidence to come before a holy God. And not only did God love you before there was ever a you, guess what?

[25:42] And this is good news, okay? This is maybe even better news. There is not a dad gum, like that was like the Christian cuss word in my household growing up. Anybody have parents that didn't want to cuss so they used words like dad gum?

[25:54] My dad did all that. Dad gum it, Wes! Anyway, whatever, okay? Like, there's not a dad gum thing that you can do to change this reality. Prove it!

[26:05] Okay, Romans 8, verse 35, who shall separate us from the love of Christ? You know, the love that existed before the foundation of the world?

[26:17] Tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No! In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us and I am sure, I am confident that neither death nor life nor angels or rulers or things present or things to come or powers or height nor depth, watch, nor anything else in all creation.

[26:40] Now that includes who? You. Show of hands, you're a part of creation, okay? Good! You passed that test. You are a part of creation. You are a part of God's creation.

[26:51] He created you and there is nothing even in creation that will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[27:02] Can I get an amen? Amen? You, if you're a Christian, if you have put your faith in Jesus, you are beloved. You're beloved.

[27:14] You're dearly valued. You are cherished by God. And we know this because He has given us His Holy Spirit.

[27:27] We know this because He has given us His Holy Spirit. Look at 1 John 4 verse 13. 1 John 4 verse 13. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us because He has given us His Spirit.

[27:46] He has given us His Spirit so we know we're His. We belong to Him. He's our Father. We know this because He's given the Holy Spirit. Now think of the way Paul puts this, using a lot of Scripture tonight and there's a good reason for that.

[27:59] Look at Romans chapter 5 verse 3. Not only that, we rejoice in our sufferings knowing that suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, character produces hope, hope does not put us to shame.

[28:10] Watch. Because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

[28:22] Listen, when you were given the Holy Spirit, God poured His love out on you. He didn't, Paul doesn't say, He didn't dip His love on you and the Holy Spirit.

[28:33] Okay, here's a little dip. He didn't splash a little love on you and the Holy Spirit. He didn't, you know, sprinkle a little love on you and the Holy Spirit. Get this image. God poured, like poured His love out into your hearts through the Holy Spirit.

[28:52] And those of you that have been going through the Revelation series, think about the bowls. Listen, God pours out wrath on the unbeliever. God pours out love on His beloved.

[29:07] And that's you if you have put your faith in Jesus Christ. So everybody come in here, come on, those of you online, if you have been a part of Faith Family for the past six months and you are struggling with whether or not God loves you, I do not know what else I can do.

[29:24] I'm in the Hosea series, hello. And what John's been talking about in the book of 1 John, this is why I told you that 1 John's kind of like the New Testament version of Hosea, a lot of differences, but the similarity is the emphasis on the love of God for you.

[29:43] So here's the first point, okay, the first point is this, the only way you would ever lack confidence to stand before God is you're just not convinced of his love for you. So take the word of God for it and not your emotions or your tradition or your background or your life experiences or what your neighbor says or anything else, take God's word for it.

[30:10] You are beloved and you can come before his throne anytime and you don't have to blink, you don't have to ask what if, you don't have to wonder, are you sure?

[30:24] Just come because you're loved. Is that good news? Okay, here's the second, here's the second, I ain't done yet. Neil said keep preaching so here we go, alright?

[30:37] Here's the second reason that tonight if you know Jesus you don't have to struggle with confidence, you just don't to come before God. Chapter 4, verse 9, chapter 4, verse 9, in this the love of God was made manifest among us that God sent his only son into the world so that we might live through him in this is love not that we have loved God but he loved us and he sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.

[31:10] Here's reason number two why you can be confident tonight to stand before God, here it is, is that we're confident to stand before God because Jesus is our sacrifice to God. We have confidence to stand before God because Jesus is our sacrifice, that's what the word propitiation means, sacrifice to God, Jesus is that sacrifice for us which means this is such good news.

[31:36] Hello, I'm going to just get excited for you here, your confidence to come before God isn't based on your life. Hallelujah. It's not about like, okay, well what did I do or not do or how much have I done that's good versus bad or like do I deserve it?

[31:56] Coming before God isn't based on your life, it's based on his life. He is the propitiation, he's our sacrifice for sins. Listen, the Bible says, Romans 8, 1, there's no condemnation for those who are in Christ.

[32:11] Why? Because there's no condemnation in Christ. Are you following me? There's no condemnation for those who are in Christ because there's no condemnation in Christ.

[32:25] Christ can come before the Father anytime he wants and because you're in him and he is your sacrifice before the Father, you can come to the Father anytime you want.

[32:37] Do you see? This is incredible news. And so you can stand there not because your life is amazing but because Jesus' life is amazing.

[32:50] And here's what it means. Here's what it means. Okay, God, you got to do your Spirit's work to sink this in our lives. The only way he would ever reject you is if he would reject Jesus.

[33:02] So if you're like, okay, I think I want to pray, but man, what if I mess up the words? Like, what if I say the wrong thing? Like, what if I disappoint God? The only way he would ever reject you is if he would reject Jesus.

[33:15] And he has said, this is my Son in whom I am well pleased. You do not have to fear a thing. and if you're struggling with this, just go study or read the book of Hebrews.

[33:28] Jesus is the once for all sacrifice for sins, not like the continual one in the Old Testament. Jesus is the eternal priesthood, not like the temporary one in the Old Testament.

[33:42] Jesus is the, listen, listen, Jesus was the only priest that didn't offer a sacrifice for his sin. In the Old Testament, the priest would go in and they would offer a sacrifice for your sin, the people's sins, but also their own because they were num-nums too, right?

[34:00] But Jesus, when he offered up himself as a sacrifice, he didn't offer himself up for himself. He offered himself up for you. And Jesus is the temple.

[34:12] Destroy this temple and I'll build it up in three days. Meaning, I am how one comes to God. And the constant application throughout the book of Hebrews of hammering in, he's the once for all sacrifice, he's the eternal priesthood, he doesn't offer up a sacrifice for his own sins, he replaces the temple and all that, the constant application is this, notice it on the screen, let us then with, say it, say it, confidence, draw near to the throne of grace, chapter 4, verse 16.

[34:45] Therefore, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, chapter 10, verse 19, therefore do not throw away your confidence, which is a great reward, chapter 10, verse 35.

[34:57] Do you see? It just goes together. When you understand that Jesus is the once for all sacrifice for your sins, you're not afraid to come to God anymore. In fact, not only are you not afraid, you're actually confident to do so.

[35:12] Because Jesus is the sacrifice to God, there is absolutely nothing preventing you or I from coming before God with confidence. Total and complete confidence.

[35:24] And by the way, I don't have time to map all this out. This is the difference between the New Testament and the Old Testament. Do you remember all those verses I read earlier about the, I'm terrified, and you're like, what happened to go from that to now?

[35:37] Easy. Jesus. And a final sacrifice once for all. A professor of mine, I remember him telling this story in seminary.

[35:51] He lost his passport. He was just about to go on a very, very important international trip, and he lost his passport. And so, in just kind of an emergency, he had to get a new one.

[36:02] And his wife called, and she said, I talked to someone at the, you know, the passport office, and they said that they cannot give you an appointment in Chicago at this light of notice, but if you'll just show up, maybe you'll be able to get in.

[36:18] And so, he drove all the way to Chicago, and he thought his wife said something like that she had talked to Olinda. You know, sometimes you have a conversation, and you're like, okay, I think that's what they said.

[36:31] And so, he's like, she said something about Olinda. So, he goes to the passport office, he's sitting there, and then they say, if you don't have an appointment, you might as well just go ahead and leave, because there's no way we're going to be able to get anybody extra in.

[36:43] And so, he waits and waits anyways, he gets to the front of the line, they're like, sorry, you don't have an appointment, and he said, well, same thing, if you don't have an appointment here, you might as well leave, we can only deal with people who made an appointment, no walk-ins, same thing, he waits until he gets to the front of that line, they're like, sorry, sir, you're going to have to leave, and he said, but Linda said I can be here, and they're like, oh, okay, we'll go right on in.

[37:20] And the next thing he knows, Linda comes out, does the paperwork, takes care of everything, and he gets his passport, he gets back to his car, at the end of all this, calls up his wife, and says, honey, I am so glad that you talked to Linda in Chicago, my goodness, and she said, what are you talking about?

[37:44] She said, I didn't talk to a Linda in Chicago, I talked to a Mary in New Orleans, and he said, well, it just so happens that there is a woman named Linda who works in Chicago, and every time I mentioned her name, they let me in.

[38:01] He said, from now on, when the government comes at me, I'm just going to say, Linda said I didn't have to pay taxes. The point is, just the name gave him access.

[38:15] The name gave him access. And we don't infer by that, oh, then we don't really need to know a Jesus, we just need to know the name. That's not the point. The point is the name of Jesus gives you access to come before God.

[38:33] You don't deserve to be here, but I know Jesus. Come on in. Come on in. Because his sacrifice is all you need to enter in boldly.

[38:49] What's the takeaway from this tonight? A couple of applications quickly and we'll wrap it up. Application number one is this. It's rather lengthy. I'm putting a bunch of stuff together. Because of the Father's sovereign love, I take that from beloved.

[39:04] The Son's sacrificial love, I take that from propitiation. The Spirit's indwelling love, I take that from abiding. Here's the point.

[39:16] We should never shrink back from approaching God. Ever. Ever. Ever.

[39:26] Ever. With confidence and boldness you are able to come before Him. And this is the idea John is trying to get across to his readers. Let me just show you it quickly.

[39:36] Verse 18, chapter 4, verse 18. There is no fear in love, but perfect love cast out fear.

[39:47] For fear has to do with punishment. And listen, faith family, Jesus already took your punishment. Whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

[39:58] And look at chapter 2, verse 28. Chapter 2, verse 28. You'll notice it here on the screen. And now little children abide in Him so that, oh this is such good news, when He appears we may have confidence and not shrink from Him in shame at His coming.

[40:21] When Jesus comes, Christian, you don't have to shrink back. You don't have to hide your face. You don't have to crawl into the covers.

[40:33] You can just enter in. You do not need to shrink, fear, hesitate at all. Just boldly come before Him.

[40:44] Now let me tell you what this means practically, and then we'll wrap things up here. Listen, so practically, what does this mean? What does this mean, Pastor? What does this mean? It means this. You can pray right after you failed Him.

[40:56] You ever struggled with that? Like you feel like you blew it and you messed up, you did the thing you didn't want to do and you just feel like guilty and shameful and you're like, I'm not sure I should pray right now. Pray! There's no reason for you to hesitate at all.

[41:10] Pray! Or if it's a, what if I use the wrong words? Or, you know, what if I mess up? Stop, stop, stop, stop even thinking that way or talking that way. Just pray because there's nothing that should be giving you hesitation of coming before God.

[41:25] Or maybe it's the idea that you can come home even if you feel far away. You can worship, all right? So imagine this, hypothetically, it's Saturday, you just lost your temper at your spouse or your kids or whatever.

[41:40] You ever had one of those days? Okay, don't point. Maybe it was today. And it was just a disaster right before church. And you walk into church and you're like, I can't sing today. I just can't because I know what I just said.

[41:53] I just know the temper I just sing, worship, and don't blink, don't shrink back. Why? Because whatever the sin was of today, Jesus is sufficient for that sin, so come boldly into the presence of God.

[42:08] It's better that you be with him than far from him. Do you see? You can praise without fear of punishment because perfect love casts out fear. Anything that gives you hesitation to come before God is something you've made up in your mind.

[42:27] Anything that gives you hesitation to come before God's throne is something you have made up in your mind. As far as he's concerned, it's finished. Number two, last application.

[42:38] This is the non-obvious one. Because of the Father's sovereign love, the Son's sacrificial love, the Spirit's indwelling love, here it is, we should never shrink back from loving others.

[42:54] Huh? I mean, I get the because of God's love for me, I shouldn't shrink back in coming before him, but what do you mean shrink back from loving others? Have you noticed how frequently in 1 John, and even the passage that we just read tonight, how frequently John addresses loving others?

[43:13] Let me show you this quickly, okay? Just give me a second here. Verse 7 of chapter 4, Beloved, let us, what? Love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

[43:24] Anyone who does not love does not know God because God is love. In this, the love of God was made manifest among us. God sent his son into the world so that we might live through him.

[43:37] Look at verse 19, verse 19 of chapter 4, we love because he first loved us. If anyone says I love God and hates his brother, he's a liar.

[43:47] For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen, and this commandment we've heard from him, whoever loves God must also love his brother.

[43:58] We've seen it everywhere in 1 John, right? Back in chapter 3, love one another, love one another, love your brother. If you say you love God and you don't love your brother, you're a liar, on and on and on. What's the connection? What's the connection between there's no fear in love and love others?

[44:14] Anybody with me in my brain here? I don't get the perfect love, cast out fear, love one another. What's the connection here?

[44:25] Here's what I think it is. Most of the time the reason we're afraid to love others is we fear we won't be loved in return. We're afraid to love others because what if not only do they not love us back, what if they hurt us?

[44:41] If I put myself out there in love, what if they turn around and hurt? Here's the answer, and it's wonderful news. If you already have God's love, you don't need their love.

[44:55] Your bucket's already full love. Because he poured out his love on you in the Holy Spirit. And so now you're able to love without fear.

[45:07] Why? Because even if I don't get their love back, I'm sufficient when it comes to being loved because I am loved by Almighty God. And so perfect love, the perfect love of the Father frees me to not be afraid to love my brother.

[45:25] Did you get that? The perfected love of my Father frees me to love my brother even if my brother turns around and punches me in the face. I'm not afraid of not being loved back because I've already been loved forever in Jesus Christ.

[45:44] So the non-obvious play here is this. Because of the sovereign love of the Father and the sacrificial love of the Son and the indwelling love of the Spirit, you shouldn't shrink back from loving one another.

[45:57] In the same way you shouldn't when it comes to seeing God, you shouldn't that when it comes to loving someone else. Because you're already full in the love department.

[46:10] You with me faith family? So know this. Know this. You know this. You believe this with every ounce of your being.

[46:23] John F. Kennedy Jr. may have been the first child ever born to a president elect. But you are a child born to the king eternal.

[46:36] You are his beloved because you've been united by faith to his beloved, the one to whom God has said, I am well pleased.

[46:49] and that means, Christian, that you are dearly loved, valued, and cherished. And listen, that's been the case long before the foundation of the world.

[47:03] And nothing, not even yourself, can separate you from that love. And that means come before his throne anytime you want.

[47:18] and do so without fear. And God's people said, Amen. Let's pray together.

[47:29] Let's pray. God, thank you so much for this text. And I know just because of my own upbringing and personal walk with you throughout my life, this has been, even though I've known the truth, areas of struggle, like seriously, I can come before your throne, your throne with confidence, that's a reality?

[47:57] And the answer is an overwhelming and eternal yes. And what it means is we're going to actually have to believe you and take you at your word, that we're your beloved, that we're dearly valued and cherished even long before the foundation of the world.

[48:17] So help us get it, because 30 minutes from now we'll struggle to get it. So may we rest in this tonight, and may we truly rest in the gospel that the sacrifice of Jesus is what lets us stand.

[48:33] There's no condemnation for those who are in Christ because there's no condemnation in Christ. So let this sink in. And if there's somebody here tonight or watching online and it's just become clear they're not a Christian, how would they not respond by faith to Jesus tonight?

[48:52] How would they not say, Jesus, I believe you are Savior and Lord. I repent of my sin and I believe in you.

[49:03] I surrender all. work in us tonight as we continue to reflect on what you've taught us.

[49:13]  In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.