Religion That Will Scare You To Death
Preaching
Lions And Cows Dining Together
And 111 Other Sermon Ideas
Object:
Purpose Statement: Is there still fear associated with some religion and should there be?
Some sermons may still be using fear and possibly even threats to jar listeners out of complacency. By direct chiding or indirect suggestion, some folks in the pew may be led to believe they are terrible "sinners in the hands of an angry God." Concepts of burning hell and eternal torture are alive and well in some of our churches. Some of us may be trying inadvertently to frighten people into a rebirth experience or into accepting Jesus. And, we find scriptural support for scaring church members straight; for example, Acts 5:1-11 relates the incident where Ananias and Sapphira are struck down, presumably by God, for not turning over all of their property to the church, and then lying about it. It seems excessively harsh. Another example from the Old Testament claims God wants people who work on the Sabbath to be put to death (Exodus 31:14-15; Numbers 15:32-36). Few of us would be ready to say either of these examples are God's will or God's doing. Yet, we cannot ignore the questions they raise, or the theology of fear that permeates some of our religious beliefs. Perhaps at least three thoughts could be considered:
a. Should we fear God? After Ananias and Sapphira died, we are told the whole church, was terrified, as were others who heard of the incident (v. 11). Who wouldn't be? Part of our problem may stem from the fact that we mistake the idea of reverence and awe for fear, and we believe that the proper posture toward God is fear. Reverence or awe is not fear, but respect and wonder. Fear is for things or people that are dangerous or threatening. God is neither dangerous nor threatening if we are to believe Jesus. Reverence is for what is good and wonderful.
b. Is God's love different from ours? When we speak of a loving God, the kind Jesus revealed to us, and 1 John 4:7-21 described (v. 18 even tells us that there is no fear in God's love), some say God's love is different. We are told God is so great we are unable to understand love at that level, and what seems to us to be a cruel act or a ridiculous law, is not so in God's eyes. Hogwash! God's love is comprehensible. It is not different, only greater. Our love is a part of God's love. When we say we do not understand God's love, we mean that God's love for us is so great it is hard for us to believe God loves us that much. But it is still our kind of love -- kind, gentle, forgiving, encouraging, affectionate -- just to a greater degree. Jesus explained this in Matthew 7:9-11, as well as many other passages.
c. Why is it in the Bible? Did God really strike Ananias and Sapphira down? Was it God's will that people be killed for working on the Sabbath? Some will say if it is in the Bible, it must be so. What is true about these passages is the people believed these things about God. It doesn't mean this is what God was actually like, or that God wanted those things to happen. People in Bible days didn't always understand God, like some Christians today. There is ample evidence for these misunderstandings concerning God throughout the scriptures. Two additional questions are necessary to consider.
1. How can we then know what is true of God and what are erroneous beliefs about God? The answer is to measure or evaluate everything with what is consistent with the love revealed in Jesus' life and ministry.
2. Is it possible that God had a different will for people then than now, or God was different in Old Testament times than God was in New Testament times? No, God does not change. Our ideas about God change just as they did over the many centuries in which the Bible was written.
Mistaken beliefs concerning God existed then as they do now. Unfortunately, there are pastors using these frightening ideas in sermons, and Christians who believe them.
Some sermons may still be using fear and possibly even threats to jar listeners out of complacency. By direct chiding or indirect suggestion, some folks in the pew may be led to believe they are terrible "sinners in the hands of an angry God." Concepts of burning hell and eternal torture are alive and well in some of our churches. Some of us may be trying inadvertently to frighten people into a rebirth experience or into accepting Jesus. And, we find scriptural support for scaring church members straight; for example, Acts 5:1-11 relates the incident where Ananias and Sapphira are struck down, presumably by God, for not turning over all of their property to the church, and then lying about it. It seems excessively harsh. Another example from the Old Testament claims God wants people who work on the Sabbath to be put to death (Exodus 31:14-15; Numbers 15:32-36). Few of us would be ready to say either of these examples are God's will or God's doing. Yet, we cannot ignore the questions they raise, or the theology of fear that permeates some of our religious beliefs. Perhaps at least three thoughts could be considered:
a. Should we fear God? After Ananias and Sapphira died, we are told the whole church, was terrified, as were others who heard of the incident (v. 11). Who wouldn't be? Part of our problem may stem from the fact that we mistake the idea of reverence and awe for fear, and we believe that the proper posture toward God is fear. Reverence or awe is not fear, but respect and wonder. Fear is for things or people that are dangerous or threatening. God is neither dangerous nor threatening if we are to believe Jesus. Reverence is for what is good and wonderful.
b. Is God's love different from ours? When we speak of a loving God, the kind Jesus revealed to us, and 1 John 4:7-21 described (v. 18 even tells us that there is no fear in God's love), some say God's love is different. We are told God is so great we are unable to understand love at that level, and what seems to us to be a cruel act or a ridiculous law, is not so in God's eyes. Hogwash! God's love is comprehensible. It is not different, only greater. Our love is a part of God's love. When we say we do not understand God's love, we mean that God's love for us is so great it is hard for us to believe God loves us that much. But it is still our kind of love -- kind, gentle, forgiving, encouraging, affectionate -- just to a greater degree. Jesus explained this in Matthew 7:9-11, as well as many other passages.
c. Why is it in the Bible? Did God really strike Ananias and Sapphira down? Was it God's will that people be killed for working on the Sabbath? Some will say if it is in the Bible, it must be so. What is true about these passages is the people believed these things about God. It doesn't mean this is what God was actually like, or that God wanted those things to happen. People in Bible days didn't always understand God, like some Christians today. There is ample evidence for these misunderstandings concerning God throughout the scriptures. Two additional questions are necessary to consider.
1. How can we then know what is true of God and what are erroneous beliefs about God? The answer is to measure or evaluate everything with what is consistent with the love revealed in Jesus' life and ministry.
2. Is it possible that God had a different will for people then than now, or God was different in Old Testament times than God was in New Testament times? No, God does not change. Our ideas about God change just as they did over the many centuries in which the Bible was written.
Mistaken beliefs concerning God existed then as they do now. Unfortunately, there are pastors using these frightening ideas in sermons, and Christians who believe them.
