Emotionalism

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Emotionalism
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Outline

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

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Outline (cont.)

• Specific Practices (continued)
• The Lords Supper
• Singing and song content
• Preaching content
• Worship planning
• The Proper Place Of Emotion In Worship
• The Holy Spirit In Modern Times

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What is Emotionalism?
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What Is Emotionalism?

• Emotionalism substitutes emotions and feeling for
  true spirituality.

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True Spirituality

• What is meant by spiritual?
• Things having their origin with God that is in
  harmony with His character. Vines

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1 Cor. 213-16

• 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.

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1 Cor. 1437

• 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.

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True Spirituality

• What is meant by spiritual?
• Things having their origin with God that is in
  harmony with His character. Vines
• Our efforts must be acceptable to God.

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1 Pet. 25

• 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.

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True Spirituality

• What is meant by spiritual?
• Things having their origin with God that is in
  harmony with His character. Vines
• Our efforts must be acceptable to God.
• The result of being spiritual is godly peace.

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Phil. 44-9

• 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.

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• 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

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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!

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Edification?

• teaching and admonishing one another Col.
  316
• comfort each other and edify one another 1
  Thes. 511
• consider one anotherexhorting one another
  Heb. 1024-25

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 cant imagine
  honoring God any other way.the Spirit of God
  fell in rich measure on that place.

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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.

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Ex. 3942-43

• 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.

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Deut. 532 1132

• 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.

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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!

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Non-Traditional Christians

• Motivation Why the push for emotionalism?
• The church is out-of-date, doesnt 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.

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WARNING!

• The Lords 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?

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Why is Emotionalism Dangerous?
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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.

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Are You A Spiritual Person?

• Eph 21 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.

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Are You A Spiritual Person?

• Eph 210 For we are His workmanship, created in
  Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
  beforehand that we should walk in them.

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We Are Commanded To Put God As The Object Of Our
Worship

• Re 1910 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 228-9

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God Is Worthy Of Our Worship

• Isa 4520 "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.'"

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God Is Worthy Of Our Worship

• Re 191 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 48-11

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Why Is Emotionalism Dangerous?

• Man replaces God as the center of worship.
• Emotions are subjective, not objective.
• Judges 176 2125
• Subjectivity permits unlimited justification in
  religion.
• This feels good it must be right.
• But my way is better

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This feels right

• Le 923 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. 101
  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.

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But my way is better

• 2Ki 59 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'?"

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Everybody (and their emotions) cant be right!
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Baal Worship

• An Old Testament Example Of Emotionalism

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Baal Worship

• Ro 120 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 God into
  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.

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Baal Worship

• Ho 413 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.

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Specific Practices