Emotionalism
Outline
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What Is “Emotionalism”?
Why Is Emotionalism Dangerous?
An Old Testament Example.
Specific Practices:
– House churches
– Interaction between worshippers
– Spontaneous worship
Outline (cont.)
• Specific Practices (continued):
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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
What is “Emotionalism”?
What Is “Emotionalism”?
• Emotionalism substitutes emotions and
feeling for true spirituality.
True Spirituality
• What is meant by “spiritual”?
– “Things having their origin with God that is
in harmony with His character.” – Vine’s
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.”
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.
• Emotionalism
– Overwhelming of
rational thought
– Exciting
– Euphoric
– Ecstatic
– Temporary
– Needs constant
reproduction
– Must go further
• Spiritual
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Careful thought
Self-control
Reliable obedience
True peace
Lasting confidence
Expectant hope
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!”
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
“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.’”
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.’”
Paraphrased from Lynn Anderson, Navigating the Winds of
Change, 1994.
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.
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.”
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.”
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!
“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.
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?
Why is Emotionalism
Dangerous?
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.
“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.
“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.
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
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.'"
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
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…”
“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.
“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'?"
Everybody (and their emotions)
can’t be right!
Baal Worship
An Old Testament Example Of
Emotionalism
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 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.
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.
Specific Practices: