Faith, Facts and Feelings
There is great power in our emotions.
• Often great coaches are known as
motivators, enabling their team to play with
great strength at a crucial moment.
• Great coaches also know that emotion
alone will not help. One must know the
fundamentals.
There is great power in our emotions.
• One of the great challenges to knowing
God’s word is the ability to distinguish
between our feelings and what God says.
(Jer 10:23)
There is great power in our emotions.
• Jeremiah 10:23 (NKJV) - O Lord, I know
the way of man is not in himself; It is not in
man who walks to direct his own steps.
There is great power in our emotions.
• When a religion ceases to appeal to a
reasoned approach upon the word of God,
they will use “fleshly” appeals to gain their
man-made goals.
• Sometimes flattery, large buildings and
large crowds are appealed to.
(Rom 16:18; 1 Thess 2:5; Jude 16)
There is great power in our emotions.
• Romans 16:18 (NKJV) - For those who
are such do not serve our Lord Jesus
Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth
words and flattering speech deceive the
hearts of the simple.
There is great power in our emotions.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:5 (NKJV) - For
neither at any time did we use flattering
words, as you know, nor a cloak for
covetousness—God is witness.
There is great power in our emotions.
• Jude 16 (NKJV) - These are grumblers,
complainers, walking according to their
own lusts; and they mouth great swelling
words, flattering people to gain advantage.
There is great power in our emotions.
• Others will appeal to emotionalism and
claim the Holy Spirit is responsible.
• The current trend in religion is
performance worship. You can use music
and drama to powerfully influence the will
of men.
There is great power in our emotions.
• Cults will use these things plus other
systems to provoke and manage emotions
that will bring one to be a willing slave of
men.
• Our emotions are God given and there for
have an important place in our service to
Him.
• Emotion should be a by-product of things
deeply believed.
There is great power in our emotions.
• It is possible to by-pass the mind and
appeal directly to the emotions.
• Many claim these emotions as a sign that
god is working directly.
How Does God Speak to Man?
• A. God has chosen the gospel.
(1 Cor 1:18, 21-13)
How Does God Speak to Man?
• 1 Corinthians 1:18 (NKJV) - For the
message of the cross is foolishness to
those who are perishing, but to us who are
being saved it is the power of God.
How Does God Speak to Man?
• 1 Corinthians 1:21-23 (NKJV) -For
since, in the wisdom of God, the world
through wisdom did not know God, it
pleased God through the foolishness of
the message preached to save those who
believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and
Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we
preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a
stumbling block and to the Greeks
foolishness,
How Does God Speak to Man?
• Many today will fall into one of these
categories. They will not let God be God!
• When you “seek a sign” you may find one.
But is it of God? (1 Thess 2:9)
How Does God Speak to Man?
• 2 Thessalonians 2:9 (NKJV) - The
coming of the lawless one is according to
the working of Satan, with all power, signs,
and lying wonders,
How Does God Speak to Man?
• Most men stumble over the gospel
because of preconceived ideas.
• Man cannot change the will of God.
• Has God chosen an objective standard or
a subjective one?
(1 Cor 1:18, 27; Rom 1:16)
How Does God Speak to Man?
• 1 Corinthians 1:18 (NKJV) - For the
message of the cross is foolishness to
those who are perishing, but to us who are
being saved it is the power of God.
How Does God Speak to Man?
• 1 Corinthians 1:27 (NKJV) - But God
has chosen the foolish things of the world
to put to shame the wise, and God has
chosen the weak things of the world to put
to shame the things which are mighty;
How Does God Speak to Man?
• Romans 1:16 (NKJV) - For I am not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is
the power of God to salvation for everyone
who believes, for the Jew first and also for
the Greek.
How Does God Speak to Man?
• When we know God we submit to His
ways and not try to force God into our
ways. (Isa 55:8)
How Does God Speak to Man?
• Isaiah 55:8 (NKJV) - “For My thoughts
are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways
My ways,” says the Lord.
How Does God Speak to Man?
• Men who do not know God will try to find
short cuts, both in this life and the life to
come. (Luke 16:27-31)
How Does God Speak to Man?
• Luke 16:27-31 (NKJV) - “Then he said, ‘I
beg you therefore, father, that you would
send him to my father’s house, 28 for I
have five brothers, that he may testify to
them, lest they also come to this place of
torment.’ 29 Abraham said to him, ‘They
have Moses and the prophets; let them
hear them.’
How Does God Speak to Man?
• 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if
one goes to them from the dead, they will
repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do
not hear Moses and the prophets, neither
will they be persuaded though one rise
from the dead.’”
The Fruits of Subjective Religion
• Subjective religion is dependent upon how
you feel and what you want to believe.
• Consider the person who saw “Jesus” on a
hospital door.
• Consider the young lady who saw the
“virgin Mary” in a cow pasture.
• Mormonism and Subjective Religion.
• How does one become a Mormon?
• What do Mormons believe?
The Fruits of Subjective Religion
• How do they appeal to people?
• They claim a direct operation of the Holy
Spirit. (Moroni 10:4-5)
The Fruits of Subjective Religion
• (Moroni 10:4-5) - And when ye shall
receive these things, I would exhort you
that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father,
in the name of Christ, if these things are
not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere
heart, with real intent, having faith in
Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto
you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. [5]
And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye
may know the truth of all things.
The Fruits of Subjective Religion
• They appeal to feelings and experiences
as evidence. (D.+C. 9:8)
The Fruits of Subjective Religion
• (D.+C. 9:8) - But, behold, I say unto you,
that you must study it out in your mind;
then you must cask me if it be right, and if
it is right I will cause that your bosom shall
burn within you; therefore, you shall feel•
that it is right.
The Fruits of Subjective Religion
• They give personal testimony of their
private experience.
The Fruits of Subjective Religion
• Plain statements in the word of God are
denied. (2 Nephi 29:10)
The Fruits of Subjective Religion
• (2 Nephi 29:10) - Wherefore, because that
ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that
it contains all my words; neither need ye
suppose that I have not caused more to be
written.
The Fruits of Subjective Religion
• This appeal is commonly used by men.
• If there is no foundation, what will be the
results? (2 Peter 2:18-19)
The Fruits of Subjective Religion
• 2 Peter 2:18-19 (NKJV) - For when they
speak great swelling words of emptiness,
they allure through the lusts of the flesh,
through lewdness, the ones who have
actually escaped from those who live in
error. 19While they promise them liberty,
they themselves are slaves of corruption;
for by whom a person is overcome, by him
also he is brought into bondage.
The Fruits of Subjective Religion
• Note the appeal for money. (Ex. Oral
Roberts, Radio DJ)
The Fruits of Subjective Religion
• Sadly, I have seen Christians run to this as
a reactionary religion.
Does the Bible Tell Us to Follow our
Feelings?
• I do not deny that people have
experiences.
• The question is, should we follow them?
• If a man claims an experience should I
believe him?
• The Prophet of 1 Kings 13
• God gave him plain instructions.
(1 Kings 13:9)
Does the Bible Tell Us to Follow our
Feelings?
• 1 Kings 13:9 (NKJV) - For so it was
commanded me by the word of the Lord,
saying, ‘You shall not eat bread, nor drink
water, nor return by the same way you
came.’”
Does the Bible Tell Us to Follow our
Feelings?
• The other man appealed to his
“experience” (1 Kings 13:18-19)
Does the Bible Tell Us to Follow our
Feelings?
• 1 Kings 13:18-19 (NKJV) 18He said to
him, “I too am a prophet as you are, and
an angel spoke to me by the word of the
Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to
your house, that he may eat bread and
drink water.’” (He was lying to him.) 19 So
he went back with him, and ate bread in
his house, and drank water.
Does the Bible Tell Us to Follow our
Feelings?
• Which way was right? What did God do?
Does the Bible Tell Us to Follow our
Feelings?
• Should we follow an angel? (Gal 1:8)
Does the Bible Tell Us to Follow our
Feelings?
• Galatians 1:8 (NKJV) - But even if we, or
an angel from heaven, preach any other
gospel to you than what we have
preached to you, let him be accursed.
Does the Bible Tell Us to Follow our
Feelings?
• If feelings are our guide, who then is right?
(1 Cor 14:37)
Does the Bible Tell Us to Follow our
Feelings?
• 1 Corinthians 14:37 (NKJV) - 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.
How we can be Certain?
• The Bible claims we can know the truth
through the written word.
• (1 John 5:13; John 20:31; Luke 1:3-4)
How we can be Certain?
• 1 John 5:13 (NKJV) - These things I
have written to you who believe in the
name of the Son of God, that you may
know that you have eternal life, and that
you may continue to believe in the name
of the Son of God.
How we can be Certain?
• John 20:31 (NKJV) - but these are written
that you may believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God, and that believing
you may have life in His name.
How we can be Certain?
• Luke 1:3-4 (NKJV) - it seemed good to
me also, having had perfect understanding
of all things from the very first, to write to
you an orderly account, most excellent
Theophilus, 4 that you may know the
certainty of those things in which you were
instructed.
How we can be Certain?
• The Bible claims we must test others
through this written standard.
(1 Cor 14:37; 1 John 4:1-3)
How we can be Certain?
• 1 Corinthians 14:37 (NKJV) - 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.
How we can be Certain?
• The Bible teaches that spiritual gifts were
temporary and would cease when the
written word was completed.
(1 Cor 13:8-10; Jas 1:25)
How we can be Certain?
• 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 (NKJV) - Love
never fails. But whether there are
prophecies, they will fail; whether there are
tongues, they will cease; whether there is
knowledge, it will vanish away. 9For we
know in part and we prophesy in part. 10
But when that which is perfect has come,
then that which is in part will be done
away.
How we can be Certain?
• James 1:25 (NKJV) - But he who looks
into the perfect law of liberty and continues
in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a
doer of the work, this one will be blessed
in what he does.
How we can be Certain?
• Will you trust in God or Man?