Emotionalism

1. Emotionalism

2. Outline • What Is “Emotionalism”? • Why Is Emotionalism Dangerous? • An Old Testament Example. • Specific Practices: • House churches • Interaction between worshippers • Spontaneous worship

3. Outline (cont.) • Specific Practices (continued): • The Lord’s Supper • Singing and song content • Preaching content • Worship planning • The Proper Place Of Emotion In Worship • The Holy Spirit In Modern Times

4. What is “Emotionalism”?

5. What Is “Emotionalism”? • Emotionalism substitutes emotions and feeling for true spirituality.

6. True Spirituality • What is meant by “spiritual”? • “Things having their origin with God that is in harmony with His character.” – Vine’s

7. 1 Cor. 2:13-16 “These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ.”

8. 1 Cor. 14:37 “If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.”

9. True Spirituality • What is meant by “spiritual”? • “Things having their origin with God that is in harmony with His character.” – Vine’s • Our efforts must be acceptable to God.

10. 1 Pet. 2:5 “you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

11. True Spirituality • What is meant by “spiritual”? • “Things having their origin with God that is in harmony with His character.” – Vine’s • Our efforts must be acceptable to God. • The result of being spiritual is godly peace.

12. Phil. 4:4-9 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me,these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

13. Emotionalism Overwhelming of rational thought Exciting Euphoric Ecstatic Temporary Needs constant reproduction Must go further Spiritual Careful thought Self-control Reliable obedience True peace Lasting confidence Expectant hope

14. What Is “Emotionalism”? • Emotionalism substitutes emotions and feeling for true spirituality. • Experiencing emotions or feelings becomes the goal of worship. • “Get me happy!” • “Make me cry!” • “Excite me!”

15. Edification? • “…teaching and admonishing one another…” – Col. 3:16 • “…comfort each other and edify one another…” – 1 Thes. 5:11 • “…consider one another…exhorting one another…” – Heb. 10:24-25

16. Paraphrased from Lynn Anderson, Navigating the Winds of Change, 1994. “A Sunday morning assembly in which a ‘communion trio’ sang to the congregation and thereby ‘helped us express emotions for which the congregation knew no song.’ ‘The congregation sat profoundly moved and with uplifted faces as tears flowed.’”

17. Paraphrased from Lynn Anderson, Navigating the Winds of Change, 1994. “A soloist confessed he used to feel guilty for feeling the way he now felt after singing a solo. His present sentiment is: ‘I can’t imagine honoring God any other way.’…’the Spirit of God fell in rich measure on that place.’”

18. What Is “Emotionalism”? • Emotionalism substitutes emotions and feeling for true spirituality. • Experiencing emotions or feelings becomes the goal of worship. • Obedience to scriptural instructions becomes secondary to the new goal of worship.

19. Ex. 39:42-43 “According to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work. 43 Then Moses looked over all the work, and indeed they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, just so they had done it. And Moses blessed them.”

20. Deut. 5:32; 11:32 • “’Therefore you shall be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.” • “’And you shall be careful to observe all the statutes and judgments which I set before you today.”

21. Heed Scripture or Emotion? • “I Think…” • “I feel…” • “Experience” worship • God is EXPECTED to accepted our worship because it comes from our desires and hearts!

22. “Non-Traditional” Christians • Motivation: Why the push for emotionalism? • The church is out-of-date, doesn’t meet the needs of modern christians, is cold, unfeeling. Too “traditional” (old-fashioned). • The church has become just another denomination having lost connection to the 1st century church. Too “traditional” (human traditions). • Both views promote a more informal worship.

23. WARNING! • The Lord’s Supper: Is our observance robotic, habitual and unfeeling? • Singing: Do we fail to edify (and praise God)? • Hospitality: Is there a lack of care, friendliness and goodwill between christians at local congregtion?

24. Why is Emotionalism Dangerous?

25. Why Is Emotionalism Dangerous? • Man replaces God as the center of worship. • “Are you spiritual person?” • We are commanded to make God the object of our worship. • God is worthy of our worship.

26. “Are You A Spiritual Person?” • Eph 2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

27. “Are You A Spiritual Person?” • Eph 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

28. We Are Commanded To Put God As The Object Of Our Worship • Re 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." • Re 22:8-9

29. God Is Worthy Of Our Worship • Isa 45:20 "Assemble yourselves and come; Draw near together, You who have escaped from the nations. They have no knowledge, Who carry the wood of their carved image, And pray to a god that cannot save. 21 Tell and bring forth your case; Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me. 22 "Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. 23 I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath. 24 He shall say, 'Surely in the LORD I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, And all shall be ashamed Who are incensed against Him. 25 In the LORD all the descendants of Israel Shall be justified, and shall glory.'"

30. God Is Worthy Of Our Worship • Re 19:1 After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! 2 "For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her." 3 Again they said, "Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!" 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, "Amen! Alleluia!" 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!" 6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." • Re 4:8-11

31. Why Is Emotionalism Dangerous? • Man replaces God as the center of worship. • Emotions are subjective, not objective. • Judges 17:6; 21:25 • Subjectivity permits unlimited justification in religion. • “This feels good; it must be right.” • “But my way is better…”

32. “This feels right…” • Le 9:23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people, 24 and fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. 10:1 Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. 2 So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. 3 And Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke, saying: 'By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.'" So Aaron held his peace.

33. “But my way is better…” • 2Ki 5:9 Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha's house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean." 11 But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, "Indeed, I said to myself, 'He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.' 12 "Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, 'Wash, and be clean'?"

34. Everybody (and their emotions) can’t be right!

35. Baal Worship An Old Testament Example Of Emotionalism

36. Baal Worship • Ro 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible Godinto an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

37. Baal Worship • Ho 4:13 They offer sacrifices on the mountaintops, And burn incense on the hills, Under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, Because their shade is good. Therefore your daughters commit harlotry, And your brides commit adultery. 14 "I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry, Nor your brides when they commit adultery; For the men themselves go apart with harlots, And offer sacrifices with a ritual harlot. Therefore people who do not understand will be trampled.

38. Specific Practices: