By The Rev. Dr. Paul A. Leggett
Sunday, November 1, 2009 · All Saints' Day
Sermon Text: I John 4:18-21
Sermon Theme
John emphasizes the fact that Christians are not to fear. The ancient world, like our world today, faced many fears. For the Jews there was the fear of violating God’s law and then facing judgment. Greeks and Romans feared both fate and the gods. Many of the religions of the Gentiles were fearful. The cult of Dionysus in the Roman Empire had been widespread well before the birth of Christ. Dionysus was a frenzied god who demanded worship. Failure to worship him led to fearful consequences. Yet early Christians saw Christ as a direct antithesis to Dionysus. John assures the Ephesian Christians, as well as us, that God’s love drives out all fears. When we receive God’s love we are empowered to show that love to others. This love takes away all our fears.
Sermon Outline
- Frenzy. When we experience fear we are far from calm and peaceful. Fear creates anxiety, distress and even panic. People who are fearful often do desperate things. Dionysus was an ancient god who would have been known to John’s readers in Ephesus. His cult was both based on fear and the desperate attempt to be free of it. This cult is basically still with us today. People who are fearful about jobs, family relationships, health, money or security can become frenzied in their efforts to solve their problems. Christians may also fall into this trap. We forget Jesus’ basic message of “Do not be afraid.”
- Frozen. Fear may also have the opposite effect of immobilizing people. Faced with fear people may become frozen, incapable of taking any action. When the disciples are afraid they become still. Confronted with the threat of Dionysus and his demand that people throw off all restraint and join his cult, some people didn’t know what to do and ended up in effect doing nothing. God had warned ancient Israel of this “goat demon” and his followers. Yet fear in any form frequently paralyzes people. When Pilate learns that Jesus has claimed to be the Son of God he is afraid. This fear freezes him. Even Christians can become paralyzed by their fears.
- Faithful. John emphasizes that perfect love drives out fear. However the only “perfect love” is God’s love. God’s love is unconditional and completely faithful. The early church saw Jesus as the antithesis of Dionysus. Jesus, likes Dionysus, creates wine “to gladden the human heart” (Psalm 104:15). Where Dionysus is deceitful, manipulative and destructive, Jesus is faithful, true, forgiving and makes us into his new creation. When we realize how much Jesus loves us, how can we fail to love our brothers and sisters? Love affirms and accepts. It respects and receives brothers and sisters. However the spirit of Dionysus is still very present in our world. Through the witness of the Holy Spirit we need to lift up Jesus Christ who alone takes away all fear.
Questions for Us
- What are some of the ways that fear affects us? How do we see fear manifested as leading people to frenzy or passivity?
- For John, the opposite of fear is love. What are some of the ways that the truth of God's love helps us deal with our fears?
- How can our fears keep us from loving our brothers and sisters?
