This week, we have really been studying the inner aspects of
Christianity as well as the outer aspects.
But most of all we've been focusing on being authentic and
genuine. You know, if there's anything
that causes shame to the cause of Christ, it's those who are
inconsistent in between what they Proclaim.
And the way they live, it is inconsistency in what we say or
what we pledge, allegiance do and then sure.
Go by our Behavior, what our true Allegiance is to.
And so we've been trying to eliminate or erase any
discrepancy between our claims to be followers of Jesus Christ
and really imitating him. We've been trying to understand
how important it is for us to have an inner life that
expresses itself and our outer deeds and how important it is to
get to make sure that those are Those aspects are clear and
solid so that we will be successful and not vacillating
and our Christian commitment. We talked last night about James
4 and verse 8. A Bible that tells us about a
double-minded man. It says the double minded.
Man, is supposed to cleanse, his hands from sin, and purify his
heart. That means to make single why?
Because that's what is expected by God, is for us to be genuine
and authentic in our behavior and Our Deeds are not supposed
to be sinful and our hardest opposed to be pure and anything
else. Other than that is hypocrisy in
James 18, it tells us that this double mindedness is evidenced
in instability in our Christian Endeavor.
It says a double minded, man is unstable in all his ways.
So sometimes if we wonder why we're not as stable as we should
be, perhaps we should examine our Then examine our hearts.
As we've been trying to looking into the word of God this week
to see what manner of people. We are and go away and not
forget what we are tonight. Do I want to talk about?
If you will not necessarily the other side of the coin, but I
want to make sure that we're balanced and make sure we
understand that there are two ingredients to acceptable
worship. The Bible says in John 4, verse
23 and 24 that God is Spirit And though the and those that
worship Him must worship Him in spirit, and in truth.
Now, there are many commentators that say, that that's not too
different ingredients of acceptable worship.
They will say correct. Spirit means basically with our
spirit and other words, a man must worship with spirit and
according to truth, well, I don't see any discrepancy in
identifying that. Whenever he says, in spirit
there, he's talking about with our spirit that is with the
authentic or Genuine. Of our inner life.
In other words, worshiping God in our spirit.
And that means with proper emotion than truth.
According to God's word, John 17:17.
I see no discrepancy and understanding that that passage
is teaching. Both are elements that are
needed in order to have acceptable worship before God.
But there are some people today who are saying spirit is more
important than truth and we know that that's not truth.
That is Unbalanced and it is just as improper to put that
kind of a spin on that passage. As it is for people, to say, all
we need is a form and not having any real heart in it, that
that's more important to. We've been showing all week that
the acceptable sacrifice must be both inner and outer in order to
be acceptable. We've been showing that alike in
1st Corinthians, 13 chapter, verse 1 through 3.
How important it is to have a That does things proper from a
proper motive in order for it to be acceptable to God.
And that passage, he's talking about love and says, yay though.
I give my body to be burned and have not charity.
It profiteth nothing. In other words having the proper
attitude. When one sacrifices must be a
necessary in order for God to view that as a genuine and
authentic sacrifice, because it profits.
Nothing. Oh, is it a great sacrifice?
Yes, it's a great sacrifice, but many people have died.
For country or for Honor, or for themselves and not really for
God and God says, Hey listen, give him the body.
Making a great sacrifice is not the point.
It's, whether it's done both inwardly, and outwardly in a
proper way to really focus our minds on this.
I want you to look at one of the last book.
The last book in the Old Testament.
If you have it in your Pew Bible, please open up to Malachi
The Book of Malachi. He is basically chastising the
priests because the priests are corrupt.
Let's just be straight about it. The priests are corrupt.
They are doing wrong things. They are, they are even
wondering in themselves if it's worth it.
To serve god. Notice how the Holy Spirit
reveals their heart in some of this passage.
We're going to start reading with verse 6 of Malachi the
first chapter, notice as a son honors, his father and a servant
is Master, then if I am a father, where is my honor?
And if I am a master, where is my respect?
In other words, he's saying in your Earthly culture, you honor
those who have some authority over you.
Where do I fit in? Where's my respect?
Where's my honor says the Lord of hosts To You O priest who
despise my name. But you say how have we despised
your name? In other words, he's saying
priest. You not honored me and they said
wow how do we do that? Verse 7 you are presenting
defiled food upon my altar but you say how have we defiled you
in that you say the table of the Lord is to be despised.
And other words they were looking at what was going to be
on the Altar and they say it's going to be burned up anyway,
therefore, the quality of the sacrifice doesn't really matter.
It doesn't really matter. You notice, he goes on down to
name this verse 8. What when you present the blind
for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame
and the sick, is it not evil? Why not offer to your Governor?
Would he be pleased with you or when he receive you?
Kindly says the Lord of hosts. Notice he's challenging them
here. He's saying, you say sacrifices
sacrifice since it's going to be burned up, why not offer the
lame and the sick and the Blind and offer them to God.
God says because the quality of what you're offering to me,
shows your lack of respect for me as his point.
He said you're offering me. Sick and blind and lame.
Sacrifices expecting. Are you offering sacrifices?
Yes. Are they quality sacrifices?
No. Because of that.
Others dishonour me. That's what he's saying, he's
challenging these people. He says, listen, what you're
doing is bringing disrespect to me disrespect and dishonor to
me, would your Governor be pleased with it?
No notice verse 9 and hat. Now will you not entreat God's
favor, that he may be gracious to us with such an offering on
your part? Will he receive you?
Kindly says, the Lord of hosts? In other words, he's asking a
rhetorical question, expecting the right answer, in other
words, he's not expecting them to I wonder what the answer is.
The answer is supplied know God is not respected by what you're
offering. Verse 10.
Listen. Oh, that there would be one
among you who would shut the gates that you might not
uselessly Kindle Fire on my altar.
I am not pleased with. You says the Lord of horse host,
nor will I accept an offering from you?
Now, first of all, I want to get this really clear one more time.
Let's answer the question word. They offering something.
Where are they offering something?
The answer is, yes. You know, we're not talking
about people here, we're not talking about atheists, we're
not talking about people, not worshiping.
We're talking about somebody who was worshipping.
They were offering something to God.
Yes, you would say they were going through the axe was God,
pleased with what they were offering?
No, he was not, he was not. Accepting their sacrifice at
all. In fact, he said you are
uselessly kindling. A fire on that altar.
I'm not accepting your worship, not accepting it at all.
You notice, when he goes on to say verse 11, for from the
rising of the sun, even stood, setting, my name will be great
among the Nations. And in every place, incense is
going to be offered to my name and a grain offering bet is pure
49. My name will be great.
Among the Nations says, the Lord of hosts verse 12 but you are
pro feigning it profaning it in that you say the table of Lord
is defiled. And as for its fruit, the food
is to be despised how tiresome it is.
Notice their attitude in verse 13.
And you also say my how tiresome it is and you disdainfully sniff
it. It says the Lord of hosts you
bring that with just taken by robbery and what is Lamer sick?
You bring the offering, should I receive that from your hand?
Says the Lord, but cursed be the swindler who has a male in his
flock and boughs it. But sacrifices the blemished
animal to the Lord for Or I am a great king, says the Lord of
hosts and my name is feared among the nations.
In other words, basically, he's saying there are Gentile Nations
that fear me, and you guys are treating me worse than you treat
your own. Governor, would you offer that
to your governor and you offer it to God?
How sad. How sad how disrespectful?
In fact, he uses a very unusual word here.
He uses the word profane. The word profane means to take
something holy and use it in an Unholy way or to treat it in an
Unholy way. A nun.
Special way, we use this word whenever we talk about
profanity, that is where we take the lord's name and use it.
It in an Unholy way. We're not really addressing God
In Prayer. We're just using his name.
When we hit that, you know, thumb with a hammer or whenever
we use God's name in a profane way.
That's why we call it profanity, it's not used in its proper
since well. The Lord says, I want to be
respected among the Nations and you guys aren't respecting me
because of your attitude about the offering and the offering it
self. There are many other points here
in the Book of Malachi. And you know, Jesus continually
in the New Testament focused upon these this this
hypocritical attitude on the part of worshippers as well.
And we're going to get to that in just a moment but as I said,
we're going to look at both sides of a coin here tonight.
We're going to look at both sides of it because whenever it
comes to acceptable worship as I said there are two elements to
acceptable worship and some have gone too far.
The other way they have gone to what we call emotionalism.
Mmm. Now, what is emotionalism?
Well emotionalism is just as biased as formalism if you will,
in that, it goes so far that it believes that somehow the
emotion itself is what we're after that.
An emotion is what we're after. And that's what worship is all
about. Is just generating a certain
emotion amongst us and then if we can get to that place, then
oftentimes the ends justify the means and we get this emotion
about our religion. And their motion is all that.
It is. Emotion is an end of itself.
Well, tonight that's not true. Either.
That's not true. That is just as wrong as
formalism doing something without the right attitude or
doing something for an emotion without the right objective as
well. Both of them are just as wrong,
and I think we need to really identify here what we're talking
about. Let's examine emotions and what
the Bible has to say about them and how they are.
Sometimes, in this world, we go to two extremes and yes, I do
believe this applies to us in a very real sense.
Since what we've been talking about this week is change and
sometimes people look at what happens in the church about our
worship and they said our worship needs to change.
Now, sometimes they're talking about the form and that can't be
changed. True worship is true worship,
period, John for 23 and 24. It's either acceptable or it's
not acceptable. The form is either, right?
Or wrong, you're either imitating.
What happened? The night Jesus was betrayed or
you're not. That's all there is to it.
But sometimes they're talking about the attitudes.
Sometimes they're talking about the attitude that offering is
made, and sometimes that does need to change, but sometimes
they go so far as to say, well, the attitude is more important.
Then the form and that's wrong. That is just as wrong.
You go too far, one way or the other two forms are two extremes
just because it's extreme doesn't make it right.
Sometimes the truth really is a combination of both of these
ideas. And that's what we want to show
tonight. Is it some people worship
emotion? You know, whenever you talk
about dating someone I've heard some people they say well you
know I don't know if I love them and whenever they're so
immature. You begin to talk to them about
infatuation. You talk to them about
friendship and you kids come and they want they want their the
some of these issues sorted out. I don't know how I feel about
this person. And and then I said well how
would you feel if that person didn't love you and oftentimes
that sorts it out real quick? Well, you know, I wouldn't love
them then I say well then you're not in love with them, you know,
you're not in love with him. The Bible says a friend loves at
all times. Faithful are the wounds of a
friend, you know, in other words a friend, you like whenever
they're they're supporting you and you like whenever they're
there, chastising you're correcting, you.
And you know, that's what it friend loves at all times.
And whenever we love somebody, it's not just conditioned on
their behavior. God loves us while we were yet
enemies. The Bible says in Romans the
fifth chapter that's the kind of love mature.
Love is shown oh does God love us.
Oh yes, he loves us. Will he accept us in our sin,
not on your life. God wants us to repent.
We've learned that this week acts 17:30 God commands, all men
everywhere to repent. Well, if God commands me to
repent, if he's critical then he must not love me.
Me no that's wrong. God loves you but he demands you
repent, you see and then whatever it comes to
relationships and and things like that.
People sometimes only want, one kind of relationship.
They only want love. They only want peace.
They only want joy and anything that causes them to maybe
reflected, or maybe be remorseful or maybe have other
feelings. They don't really think that
that's proper in the church. Well, my friends, whenever we
sing songs of praise to God, sometimes those songs of praise
are joyful in that they express the hope that we have in heaven.
But if somebody dies as was have, we've had happened here in
this congregation in the last week, sometimes we have grief
and sometimes we sing songs of morning being not in our
Heavenly Home, sometimes we as a congregation can appropriately
seeing The Blues. Because that's the authentic
way. We feel at this moment.
If a leader dies is it proper to go and sing the fastest possible
song? You know, there's some people
that just don't think worship is happening.
Unless that pedal is to the metal and we sing that song as
fast as we can, sing it. Have you met those brethren?
In fact, they sing it so fast. You don't even know what words
you're saying. They try to sing songs fast,
they say, worships got to be fast.
It's got to be quick, and it's got to go.
Go go, sometimes it's appropriate for us to slow down
and sing songs of soberness and sing songs of longing.
In an appropriate slow fashion, because it needs to be authentic
and real. This is what I'm talking about
tonight. Sometimes we have people who
judge worship as to whether it's exciting and they seem to be
excitement is all they're shooting for and that is not
appropriate according to the scriptures.
Sometimes they want a better felt then told truth they want
just just dissed, get everything, you know and other
Brethren. They're just not in touch with
their emotions at all. In anything, that's emotional.
They get to feeling uncomfortable about because
Emotions are out of control. What is the truth in on this?
Well, emotions have a scriptural role in the life of the
Christians and the Bible speaks of it yet, whenever emotions
become the object of worship. We're in grave danger as well.
So let's talk more in detail about this.
In the scriptures, the Bible tells us in First Corinthians of
14 chapter and verse 40 that worship is to be conducted in a
decent and orderly fashion. That is in a fashion, that's
appropriate to the assembly. Now, sometimes decently and in
order, Lee is different, even for different cultures.
Now Glenn, what do you mean by that?
Well, you know, throughout history The Church hasn't had
clocks, especially digital All clocks are clocks that are set
by the atomic clock throughout history.
Think about it, the church existed for thousands over 1,000
years without literally, timekeeping pieces.
But when did they assemble? Well, they assembled to break
bread on the first day of the week.
The Bible says for them to Terry one for another and other all
assembled there. They did not show up within five
minutes now brother and I've been at some places that five
minutes but the audience was empty, I mean, there wasn't
anybody there and within five minutes, if you dropped your
pencil in the hall, you better step back because you're going
to get trampled if you try to pick it up.
There is a rush of Christians in or just you could feel a breeze.
They create a breeze. And whenever services are over,
that's just a biggest rush to get out.
We seem to be so precise. But, you know, you can't take
that concept everywhere to the churches in Africa, those
brother, and assemble, and they start singing before they get
there. And whoever shows up, they start
singing. And then they wait till
everybody gets there, and they're all see until everybody
gets their, that's their culture.
And that's the way they do it. But, you know, decently in order
there and decently in order, here might be two different
things. We might consider somebody that
starts a song before Services started to be little out of
place. Well, I didn't know service a
start and it might be disruptive but you see it has to do with
its culture. Some people are a lot more
easygoing in some places than others, but the Bible does tell
us to have certain appropriate things.
He says, listen, I want it done decently and in order, I don't
want it to be raucous. I don't want it to be Rowdy.
I don't want it to be out of line, a service that does not
reflect honor and respect for God.
The Bible tells us whenever we do have worship that, it
sometimes can be so formalistic that it lacks emotion at all.
We sing songs in such a deadpan mechanical way that the way and
the attitude with which we sing that song has absolutely no
relevance to its message or to its lyrics at all.
You know, I remember singing that song come we that love the
Lord and let our joy abound you know Mark and everything and it
sounded like a horrible song like it was something that was
just horrible and stand up for Jesus and revive us.
Again. How many of us have heard revive
us again? Sung like a funeral March that's
just so out of character. The world is watching.
When they come to worship, they look at the words because it's
the first time, they look at them and they look at those
words and they look at us. And if they see a discrepancy,
they think that it's hypocrisy. And maybe it's just because
we've heard that song for the last 30 years of our life, maybe
it's just old to us. We need to be careful in our
worship to make sure that other emotion is fitting.
The songs that were singing. We need to have it as being a
proper proper and decent and in orderly way whenever we do
choose the songs, Now, Terry, I'm going to tell this because
I've often used this point here, whenever I first started
teaching, I mean, we were young and doing different things that
I remember. It was one of either the second,
or third lesson that I ever gave, I gave it on true worship
in Cottage Grove, Oregon on the Lord's Day morning and Terry got
up and led the invitation song. Oh, why not tonight now?
That's not necessarily bad. But I was going, why don't, you
know? Not this kind of if it's but,
you know, brother, sing songs that are appropriate to what's
being said to what is being talked about, it is appropriate
song leaders to ask the teacher, what?
He's teaching on and seeing if your songs can match the message
that's going to be given that morning and says worship it,
enhances Focus. It gets our minds properly
addressing what's going to be talked about that morning.
And in Matthew the 15th chapter verse 7 you probably all knew we
were going to this passage but in Matthew 15 notice what Jesus
said in verse 7 and 8. You Hypocrites, rightly did
Isaiah prophesy view. This people honors me with their
lips, but their heart is far from me.
But in vain, do they worship me teaching as doctrines the
precepts of men? If it applies, then it applies.
Now, vain means, empty, empty or hollowly and he says it's just
like in the Old Testament. I wish that they would not have
ever kindled. The fire at all in loving and
serving God and Matthew. The 22nd chapter In Matthew 22,
it involves our total being in Worship in Matthew, 22 and
starting in verse 37. He says.
And he said to them, you shall love the Lord.
Your God with all of your heart with all your soul, with all
your mind. This is great.
Foremost commandment in the second liken.
It to it. You shall love your neighbor as
yourself. God wants us to have a heartfelt
religion. Is emotion necessary in order to
please God. Well, yes, there is Is an
emotion called love. Let's look at a few passage.
I want you to follow along with me as much as you can.
I'm going to repeat these verses twice but in 1st Peter 4, verse
8 that is First Peter 4, verse 8.
Let's look at a few passages tonight 1st Peter 4 verse 8.
Notice what it says above all keep fervent in your love for
one another because love covers a multitude of sins.
Does God expect us to have fervent emotions?
Oh yes, he does, fervent emotions.
We need to be in contact with our emotions because he says, I
want some fervent emotions. I wanted you to fervently love
your brethren in First Corinthians.
A sixteenth chapter First Corinthians, 16 and verse 22.
Notice what it says here. If anyone does not love the
Lord, he is accursed merriment Maranatha.
Does not love the Lord. Are we supposed to have love for
the Lord? Our is that supposed to call for
some emotion from us? Yes, it definitely does.
Is there supposed to be the emotion of Hope?
And, yes, Hope does have an emotional aspect to it.
We're going to notice more about that in a moment, but notice in
Romans 12 and verse 12, if you No, Romans 12 and verse 12.
It says here, rejoicing in Hope persevering.
It's in Tribulation devoted to prayer, rejoicing in Hope.
Is rejoicing emotion? Yes.
Is it caused by Hope? Oh, yes, this is an emotion
rejoicing is something that we are definitely supposed to have.
And notice in Philippians 4 verse 4, he puts it even more
specifically, Philippians chapter 4 and verse 4.
Notice what it says, it says rejoice in the lord always.
And again, I say rejoice, Rejoice.
How many times have we had someone consider us to be on
authentic Christians because when we sing a song about joy,
we express no joy while singing it.
They have a right to say that we're Hypocrites whenever we
sing about joy and we're not expressing.
Any enjoy, we're not emoting any Joy.
If you will notice in second Corinthians 7 verse 10, second
Corinthians 7 verse 10. For the sorrow that is according
to the will of God, produces a repentance without regret
leading to salvation but the sorrow of the world produces
death. What is this verse suggesting?
It's suggesting that sometimes whatever.
We are taught some passage of scripture.
We it produces within us, asaro a sorrow.
But what happens with that sorrow we're going to notice in
a minute. It produces a fruit or has a
fruit and that fruit It is repentance.
But what is the, what is the emotion?
That hearing disobeyed God or God is not?
Well pleased with this. What is the emotion that we feel
sorrow? That's what happens.
Sometimes, when we look to the word of God and we see him, it
produces within us a sorrow because of our love for God.
It produces sorrow within our hearts, you know, I'm sad.
Whenever I love my wife and I find out that what I've been
trying to do for her is not pleasing to Or you're trying to
please your eyes. I fixed this favorite thing for
you and he's not, please, you, he produces some kind of Sorrow
within you. Well, that is proper whenever
we're trying to serve God and honor him and find out that
we've been doing something wrong, it produces sorrow, but
not just the superficial sorrow. It's a sorrow that has some
fruit to it, and we're going to notice that more in a moment.
But this is a proper response to God's word.
I want us to get that. It's a proper response.
And to God's word. What about the emotion of hate?
Is that a god-given emotion as well?
Yes, and I'm just going to Proverbs 8 and verse 13.
The Bible says, we're supposed to hate evil and wickedness and
the wicked way even the Lord hates.
The Bible says, there's to be the emotion of fear, Matthew,
10, and verse 28. There's a place for emotion in
the life and in the worship of the church in the life of the
Christian, and in the worship of the church, there is a place for
this, but This emotion must have a basis.
It must be rooted in faith. It must be rooted in the word of
God, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God
Romans 10. And verse 17, this requires us
to use our intellectual fat faculties in whenever addressing
issues of emotion. In other words, let's be very
clear about this. There's an aspect of Love.
That is a choice. There's an aspect of love that
requires obedience. God commanded in first, John,
that we love one another. We make it either a choice to
obey or not obey. Well, Glenn, how can a motion be
commanded? How can a man be commanded to
love his wife, Ephesians 5, Well, it is a command.
So, love is a choice, isn't it? Yes.
What we love is a choice. Now, how we feel about that is
our responsibility as well as just an emotion.
Sometimes, if we don't have feelings of love for our
brethren, we have to learn to develop them because to fail to
do so would be Disobedience when a husband refuses to love his
wife? He is being Disobedient to God.
When a man refuses to love God, he is refusing to be obedient to
God, whenever we do not subject-- our heart soul and
mind to God, we are being disobedient to God.
So, part of love, part of Hope. And part of all of these things
are choices intellectual choices.
There's a part of that within us how we feel about things.
Is not just a automatic response.
There is a responsibility to feel certain ways about certain
things about our wife about Sin and about these other things.
Glenn, that's awful tough. It's hard for me to develop that
emotion my friends. That's the whole point.
I'm getting at tonight, sometimes if there is a variance
in, how we feel about sin or how we feel about our wife,
sometimes that's evidence of disobedience in our heart.
And in our will have you ever thought about that?
Have you ever thought that? Maybe if you're having improper
emotions, it's because of improper decisions Or a lack of
devotion. You see?
There's that's symptomatic. Whenever we don't have proper
emotions, it's symptomatic of other things.
Whenever we read about God's love in the word of God, we
should be moved to love him. Notice in first, John, the
fourth chapter, this whole book is dedicated to teaching
Christians, if you love God, you ought to love one another.
But notice what he says here in 1st, John chapter 4 And verse 9.
By this is the love of God was manifested in us.
That God has sent his only begotten son in the world so
that we might live through him in.
This is love not that, we loved God, but that he loved us.
And sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God, so loved us. So, awful ought, we to love one
another. Love one another.
He makes some rational conclusions here.
He says listen because of God, loving our first.
Doesn't that bring about certain other emotions.
There are certain consequences to this love.
Yes, he says, if this is the way God loved us.
Can't we now learn what? It means to love one another.
Yes we can. God God wants us to understand
that if we can feel this way, if this situation, we ought to
learn. Then to Transpose.
Our understanding of this situation to another situation,
if you love here, why can't you love here?
And so he tells us to learn from one experience and apply it to
another notice, though, scriptural emotions.
In other words, they have a foundation, they have a fruit
that is born. They are not simply a motions,
for emotion sake, their emotions that have certain kind of fruits
to them. Look, this is the most important
part of the lesson. I want you to listen, very
carefully to the next five minutes of this lesson.
Listen very carefully and read and take notes.
Listen, very carefully. The emotion of love bears fruit
in obedience notice in John. The 14, if you have your Bibles,
please open the Book of John Gospel of John John, the 14th
chapter And verse 15, notice what Jesus says here, if you
love me. You will keep my Commandments.
There it is. He says, here's the fruit.
Emotion has fruit. There's a consequence to that
emotion and God designed for it to Bear a certain kind of fruit.
Not a motion for a motion sick and not emotional own.
Emotional own is just emotional ism.
What true and authentic realistic emotion.
Emotion has fruit in our life has fruit.
Notice what he says here. If you love God, you'll keep my
Commandments. Jesus goes on in this book and
says, if you keep my Commandments, he it is who loves
me Jesus, determined that emotion by its obedience in
their manner of life. Let's look at some other paths.
And first John 5 verse 3, if we've just came from first John,
but notice in first John 5 verse 3 For this is the true love of
God, that we keep his Commandments and his
Commandments are not burdensome. You know, whenever you love
someone you're not going to find his Commandments to be a burden.
You're not going to find his restrictions to be in a burden,
you know. It's just not going to be that
way. You're not going to chafe
against the command that, you know, was given for your
welfare, God loves us. He wants to give good gifts to
us. God did not give us commands.
Just give commands. He gave us our commands for our
welfare for our benefit, God has to design in the parameters in
the barriers and in the limits. He put in our life, you know,
kids like to say to their parents in their immaturity.
You know, oh, you just don't want me to have any fun.
You know, the parents would they're almost tempted sake.
Yeah, go ahead and play with the lighter.
Go ahead, play with the knife. See if you can juggle them, you
know, we sometimes just want to say how you kids are so dumb.
But the point is, is, you know, that that's immaturity on the
part of the child, you say to them?
No, the reason why I told you not to play with knives, you may
not understand it now, but I don't want you to hurt yourself,
right? Sometimes you want to tell him
to go out and play in the highway but most of all you
don't because you don't want to See him hurt and that's why God
told us for that. There's parameters.
That's why God told us not to do certain things.
It isn't because he wants us, not to have fun.
It's because he knows it'll hurt us, he knows it'll be harmful
for us, you know that it doesn't promote spirituality.
He knows that it's not good for us eternally.
And therefore the Bible says this is the love of God, that we
keep his commands, and his Commandments are not burdensome
whenever you love God. His Commandments are not
burdensome. So that's the fruit if you will
of loving God, but notice the emotion of Hope also that we've
identified has a fruit, notice what the Bible says in Romans 8
chapter in verse 24, in Romans 8, verse 24, Notice for in hope
we have been saved but hope that is seen is not hope for who
hopes for what he already sees. But if we hope for what we do
not see with perseverance, we wait eagerly for it.
Well, what is the fruit? What is the fruit of of Hope?
If you will Desire with expectation?
What's the fruit of that? Patience.
Endurance. We endure we endure whenever we
have hope it helps our endurance.
It helps are holding on. What about the emotion of joy in
second Corinthians chapter 8? Notice the passage in second
Corinthians chapter 8. Notice what it already said.
I believe we've already read it in second Corinthians chapter 8.
Starting reverse to notice for in a great deal of fliction,
their Abundance of Joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the
wealth of their liberality for a testify, according to their
ability and beyond their ability.
They gave of their own accord, begging us with my much urging
for the favor and participation of the sport of the Saints.
And we this not as we'd expected but they first gave themselves
to the Lord and To Us, by the will of God, now hear this joy
that they had in their, in their lives.
It bore fruit in sacrifice. That's the effect.
That was the fruit of This Joy. They wanted to do this and what
it led them to was sacrifice to God.
And we noticed in second Corinthians, notice just back
one chapter chapter 7 and verse 10 of chapter 7 and verse 10.
Notice, it says, for the sorrow that is according to the will of
God, produces a repentance without regret leading to
Salvation. Why does the effect of Sorrow
Godly sorrow repentance? It has an effect.
It has a fruit. T' to it, notice the emotion of
hate bears with it. The rejection of are in Psalms
119. The Bible says in verse 127 and
128 that the person who love who hates the iniquity, who does not
want to to do those things, which do not please God, that it
affects them and they and they can't stand false worship and
false ways before God, Psalms 119.
Reading verse 127. Notice therefore, I love your
Commandments above gold. Yes above Feingold.
Therefore, I steam right? Your precepts concerning
everything. I hate every false way so we
don't we do not approve. We do not appreciate those who
teach false Doctrine and those who teach error not that we
don't love the person. We love them as much as God does
or we should. But we hate the fact that false
Doctrine is being preached. We do not approve of it.
We do not endorse it, we do not give it a greeting as the p.
As the scripture says, well there's the emotion the emotion
of fear also bears fruit in departing from Evil, the but the
book just flat-out says that in Proverbs 16 and verse 6, the
fear of the Lord caused us to reject people.
So that God has a design for his emotions.
God gave you your emotions So, both aspects are wrong.
To have formalism without emotion is Apocrypha.
See. Do I have a motion without it?
Being based on a scriptures, it's nothing more than fleshly.
It is, fleshly people who we just want excitement, they want
Thrills, you know, in our culture and I'm going to be very
plain here. I could go I have several more
pages because this was an interesting study, but I'm going
to wrap it up here. Let's just wrap it up.
There are people who have been critical of the church in the
past saying I'll Glenn, you know, the church is just so
dead. They just don't show any
emotion. You know what, I don't defend an
emotional assist with emotion less worship service.
If you think a song about Joy, I hope your singing with joy.
But if you've got together and your Sorrowing with the loss of
brother, my friends, it's perfectly appropriate for us to
get together and cry together and bear one another's burdens.
It's the Bible says Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with
those who weep. Now, don't tell me the church,
doesn't have any motion. If it doesn't, it's wrong.
But at the same time to worship emotion is just as wrong to just
go after a sensory experience of hand-clapping and joy and just
believe that we have to roll in the aisles and we have to have
all these other things. My friends, that is nothing more
than fleshly excitement. That's not genuine either.
Both extremes are wrong. What we need to have in the
church is real and authentic worship where we combine words
with authentic feelings. When we sing, And songs of Joy
are songs of joy and songs of hope, our sons of Hope and songs
of regret are genuinely songs of self-reflection.
And whenever we give I want to talk more about worship with the
Bible demands it whenever we give we give cheerfully not
grudgingly or under compulsion that word under compulsion there
doesn't mean like we're being commanded by God and therefore
there must be a contradiction in Scripture that word under
compulsion is talking about as if it were a tax and they hated
paying taxes back, then it was like Like extortion.
And you know what? Feelings of extortion.
Feel like it's whenever a spyware company infects your
computer to sell its spyware. That's extortion.
Get irritated at that. You know what?
That's like. But the Bible says, whenever you
give to the Lord, that's not the supposed to be attitude.
You, in other words, we're happy.
We're thrilled were chill for that.
We have been blessed so that we can promote the cause of Christ.
We have been blessed so that we can support the The gospel to
the world. I'm thrilled to have a job so
that I can serve god with what he's blessed me with.
I'm thrilled to be able to help the cause of Christ, in this
way, and to help out poor Brethren.
I am cheerful. I am happy and thrilled.
The God says, God loves a cheerful Giver.
And whenever it comes to our songs, they need to be
appropriate when it comes to our prayers.
How many times I literally have been ashamed in a service where
I have bought Brethren and the dismissal prayer was said in one
breath, This person isn't talking to God, they're talking
at God, and it is not appropriate and it is not
reverent to spit out phrases that you don't know.
And you don't understand and to talk and shoot something at God
how ashamed we should be to pray.
So repetitively. And so inappropriately that we
just want to get it over with and see how quickly we can get
through a prayer or how quickly we can get through a song.
Shame on us for thinking that way.
Let us be real, let us be authentic.
And whenever we reverently approach God, We need to pre
aware and talk to him as if God were present and be humble
before him. And be able to thank God for
what's happened. And what's going on my friends?
Teach your children to pray, appropriately.
The prey, a properly. Whenever it comes to teaching,
we're not just goes to preach. We're supposed to preach the
word. Not just preach preach the word.
There's some people say man. He just preached.
He preached. All right but the him, preach
the word. We're supposed to preach the
word whenever we sing. We're supposed to sing
appropriately. Pray, pray, appropriately.
Give give cheerfully. And whenever we take the
communion, I don't know if anything that's more emphasized
in First Corinthians 11 than to do.
So in a proper manner, Examining yourself.
Because two failed to do. So we'll eat and drink judgment
to himself now. Brethren, let's just be real
about this for a moment. People who visit our assemblies
do see quickly, how we sing, how we pray and how we teach.
And if they don't come back, If they don't come back, we need to
ask ourselves. Is it?
Because they've seen a disconnect from real and
authentic emotions from what we're doing?
Both sides are wrong formalism is wrong.
If you will, in that sense, and emotionalism is wrong.
The Bible says, whenever you approach, God don't just do it
with your lips. Your heart far from him.
Serve God, with all of your heart.
Soul, mind and strength. When you sing a song, sing it.
Like, you mean it and if you can't sing it, like, you mean
it? Don't sing it, don't lead it.
There are some songs that I think are inappropriate, you
know, when we need to there's there's one song that I think
sounds sarcastic, you know, just wait till you see me in my new
home, That sounds arrogant to sweat it.
Like there's Nan and out all the way through it.
Just wait till you see me in my new home, I just don't like that
song that's personal and if brother and choose delete it,
they can lead it with spirit and understanding.
I don't sing it. Whenever somebody leads it, I
just don't You have yours. I have mine.
I hope. I hope you're not the author of
the song or we're going to have words after it just because it's
a song, doesn't mean we have to sing it.
But I'll tell you what. We need to think more about the
songs we pick. Do I hear an amen.
We need to think about the way we pray.
Amen. Because to do otherwise is to
dishonor our God It's disrespectful to God brethren.
To offer him in sincere worship. So tonight church, we can't talk
about change without talking about our emotion as well.
And yes, we need some emotion, but not more for more sake.
We don't need more emotion, just to be emotional and to be
sensory and to have some overload and to have some kind
of excitement. No.
We need real worship. Told me the real thing tonight.
If you're coming to God, why don't you make some choices?
You may have to make some choices about your love for God.
Do you love God enough to commit to him tonight?
Does this emotion have its fruit?
Does it have a fruit? Does your love for God?
Leads you to obey him tonight in needs to it, needs you to lead
to a commitment, it needs you to lead to repentance.
If you're, maybe you're feeling. In sorrow tonight over some of
the things that you've done or the way you hey, perhaps that
sorrow needs to lead to a change repentance.
Maybe you have joy tonight. Maybe you understand?
For the first time that God wants you to be saved and he
desires for you to be saved and you obey him and you're thankful
that you have the opportunity to obey him tonight.
Express your joy in obedience tonight, but let that emotion
have its proper fruit. God designed it.
Emotion have fruit have effect proper Effect in our life.
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