Structurally, 1 John is not a sustained, linear argument (per Romans, for example). Rather, it is cyclical, as John returns again and again to his major themes, each cycle enlarging ideas
presented previously or adding new ones. In 1 John 4:7-21, John returns to the major theme of love for the third time (2:7-11; 3:10-19; 4:7-21).

Key ideas in the sermon, which are derived from the text:
1. God is love, not simply loving. That is, God’ nature is the source, definition, and
standard of love.
2. God’s love is expressed most fully in the sending of the Son as an atoning sacrifice.
Christ’s self-sacrificial death on the cross for others reveals the essence of divine love.
3. Genuine love for God—who is unseen—is demonstrated by loving our brothers and
sisters in Christ and others—who are seen. Only as Christians express love for one
another—as God defines and demonstrates love—is God’s love made evident and
visible. Only then is love “perfected” (brought to maturity) among God’s people.
4. “Perfected” or mature love entails (1) experiencing God’s love in the Cross of Jesus
Christ—and (2) loving others as Christ first loved you. This “perfect love” or mature love
casts out fear of punishment, permitting Christians to approach the coming day of
judgment with confidence and assurance.
The primary focus of the sermon will be on key idea #4, but to develop the idea that “perfect love casts out fear,” ideas #1, #2, and #3 must be brought to bear.

Sermon thesis:
Christian who has perfected or mature love does not fear the coming Judgment of God, but rather confidently looks forward to it.

Sermon synopsis:
God most fully and clearly demonstrated his love for us by sending his Son as an atoning
sacrifice for sin, so that we might not perish but have eternal life. In thankful response to the experience of this salvific love, Christians love one another as God first loved them. Anyone who says, “I love God,” and hates his brother or sister, is a liar. (4:20; also 2:9-22; 3:10, 24-27). When love has completed its work in our lives, evidenced by our love of our brothers and sisters, we can stand confidently before God in the day of judgment, having been cleansed by Jesus’ atoning blood and having demonstrated our sincere love for God by loving our brothers and sisters. Love is perfected through our expression of it. God’s love reaches perfection or maturity by the degree to which it is shared among his children. The energy of love discharges itself along lines which form a triangle, the points of which are God, self, and others (an idea from C.H. Dodd). The immediate result of this “perfect love” is assurance on the Day of Judgment.

Sermon Application:
The meaning of love:
In contemporary culture, love is often misunderstood or distorted. For example, many believe that “to be loving,” one must accept any and all behaviors of other people. To label a behavior as “wrong” represents a rejection of the person doing the behavior and is, thus, “unloving.” “Whoever loves has been born of God” can be severely misunderstood and misapplied today. The one who is born of God is not everyone who loves in whatever way pleases him or her, but rather everyone who loves as God defines love. A distorted, counterfeit view of love can lead to the justification of nearly anything the human heart desires. 

Anticipating the coming Day of Judgment with confidence:
The Christian does not fear the Day of Judgment because he/she has experienced the love of God fully expressed in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus for the forgiveness of his/her sins. If God loves you to such a degree, what is there to fear? God is for you, not against you. The
genuineness of the love you have for God is evidenced by your sincere love for others. There is no fear of punishment in such perfected or mature love.