The Spirit and Our Emotions, Part 3

Today on Insight for living from Pastor Chuck Swindoll, one realizes the true condition of the heart without God in my of his or her sinfulness. There is an emotional reaction when the truth of forgiveness and grace and God's old welding wellbores over me when I realized that God has reserved the whole reprobate center. There is an emotional response baited the role of our emotions in determining God's will. Some would say that our feelings shouldn't be trust others elevate our emotions and tragically bear the consequences of decisions that were based on emotional instincts today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll continues with a helpful message started pointing us to the biblical precedents for using our feelings to hear God's still small voice in the process will be learning to strike a sensitive balance between facts and feelings. Chuck titled his message spirit in our emotions read Romans I can go to the next until I just deal directly with 17 and 18 because it's so pertinent today. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone getting even is not of God. Even though we all have in common the same thing someone we can blame for wrongdoing. The response is not getting even respect what is right in the sight of all. Look at verse 18.

I love this. If possible, so far as it depends on you, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men and pieces and emotion. Do you know that that's one of the ways you know the will of God's your heart is flooded with peace. Not here. He's talking about a sense of peace that is brought about by reconciliation as much as depends on you. Do your best to get along with each other to be at peace. Never take your own revenge, but leave room for the wrath of God, look at acts chapter 17. Look at acts 1716 is another feeling Paul was in Athens. He has just been busy about the work of evangelism in Europe and when he comes down into Greece. He's waiting for his friends.

Silas and Timothy at Athens and please observe in verse 16. While he was waiting for them.

His spirit was being provoked within him as he was beholding the city full of idols. It was said in those days there were more idols in Athens than there were people imagine that and it provoked him.

That's an emotion deep within his soul. He was burdened about the condition of that city God gave the feeling to it look a chapter 19 verse 17.

Another example of God-given feeling. This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks who lived in Ephesus in 1917, and fear fell upon them all. That's from God because the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified many of those who had believed Coming in.

Please observe the fruit of fear they were confessing and disclosing their practices.

Many of those who practice magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of all. And they counted up the price of them, and found it 50,000 pieces of silver.

So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing here is a feeling of fear directed from God. So much so that their secret lives were being confessed their practices were being exposed to been a revival like that I've seen that happen. I've seen people unable to keep it to themselves. I've seen groups where the spirit of God is igniting the presence of his cleansing work and the people just come out with their secret sins. It is from the work of the Spirit in the emotions of a person, so that here fear brings about that that sense of confession how helpful such emotions can be my heart groans for you who have been in such constraint with your feelings. You have been raised not to let them out not to let them show and I can guarantee you it's taken a toll on your home and family. Certainly on the rearing of your children feelings are so much a part of this there not everything but they're a part justice. Justice facts aren't everything but there's certainly a part but let me let me give you three necessary warnings. I think you anticipate them, but let me just state that blessed you. We go too far with this to get out of control. One is the I would warn us against intellectualism. That's one side, refusing to allow our emotions to serve their proper function. Focusing solely on facts, calculations, relying strictly on the intellect for one's walk with Christ. That's in intellectualism and it can seize an entire student body. Even at a seminary or read a Bible college or of all things. The students are pouring over the Scriptures, but the but the cut the climate of intellectualism can be so strong and severe. There isn't a warrant of devotion to Christ. I was born before I went to seminary by close friend. Be careful that it doesn't damage your faith. What a warning at a school where I was to be learning the truths of the Scripture, and he was right on target. It will be interesting to know how many lose their faith in the midst of an intellectual climate, there must be the presence of warmth and devotion to the person of Christ. To counteract intellectualism.

The other extreme, let's put this one down and warn us about it is emotionalism making emotions. The heart and center of life building foundations of faith on experience emotional experiences, not biblical doctrine. We need both mind and heart. We need both heart and will need to be woven together like a God-given tapestry must be there in the third III must add, is fanaticism, fanaticism.

This would be excessive and intense devotion that lacks balance discernment, wisdom, becoming so enthralled with a teaching that our emotions take control and our actions become bizarre, bizarre, even on healthy.

For example, the Colts and were back on the subject on again and again. It seen there was an especially good. Get these there is an exclusive spirit. There was a there are paranoid reactions.

There was a single authority figure.

There is the absence of openness and credit to criticism and correction. There is blind loyalty. There is the missing about.

There was a lack of sense of humor characterizing one cult after another. I learned years ago. Heresy is nothing more than than truth taken to extremes, so I warn all of us about this excessive fanaticism.

So many going to close by clarifying some traditional sayings that be perhaps a good way to do this, let me pick for the come back to my mind and it is not that the statement is altogether wrong, he just needs to be clarified.

Statement number one. Never trust your feelings.

Never trust your feelings that deserves quotations around the remember hearing that, I think it needs to be tempered if the word never. I stumble over if piece which is an emotion is an affirmation that God gives us that we are in the nucleus of his will. You better trusted you better be open to it, you won't know is will let the peace of God rule in your hearts.

As a matter fact I would I would toss this one into another. When we hear very little about his intuition. Women have have us one up on this man. So let's just live with it. You read your wife so you know you go out to dinner.

You're interviewing somebody over dinner you think about hiring them something will go out to dinner and me. Let my wife come along so you your driving home in a good meal. There was no blowup, no argument. Everything seemed fairly smooth. You drive home using well what you think and she says not the guy that guy what was wrong don't know I just have this little Hinckley feeling is loose quickly feeling down inside, you can't trust your feeling well you you ask just telling you I just don't believe he's the one I just don't feel good about. I mean I don't lift a hand up to heaven if you gone ahead and hired and later regretted it and didn't know how to tell your wife that that's a tough one to go back say you were right. I've a man who tells me that the best way to lead his business is intuitively eating and he said I just know in my spirit when something is right or something's wrong. That's a fine leader who is that wise some time to fact stuck up in one way, but inside your heart.

You sense feel right about this, you better not go ahead.

The spirit of God is moving in your intuition and is igniting your mind it is worn he is warning you. This is not a go-ahead green light weight so there are times we better trust our feeling is a second saying experience proves nothing ever heard that even said that said a lot of dumb things but that that that's one of I've even passed it on his true it is true that there is a danger in reinterpreting interpreting Scripture on the basis of some experience we have now that's unwise, but Obama go back to our middle of the night scene.

That's one of those experiences that you better pay attention to. Suddenly you are awakened with this strong sense of either reassurance or uneasiness. Tell your story on me just keep you from being embarrassed. I was embarrassed me. I was so I have the dubious record of the shortest pastorate in the history of pastors. I was a pastor of a church less than 12 hours. I was at a church and there was an opening that came in us in a nearby city and I looked into it. Cynthia and I went we candidate it. I had time with their board I had dinner with the chairman of the board. We went through all of the process of of getting counsel talking with friends thinking through the process and finally we came to that night for the boat and this this church in Fort Worth called me to become the pastor and I was to leave Dallas Grace Bible church where we had a wonderful time of ministry with our friend Dwight Pentecost, and where to go to the Twin Cities of Fort Worth and begin a ministry at McKinney Memorial church and a great remember driving home.

It was night there'd been a wonderful vote.

As I recall unanimous vote notices as a way to go and driving back not saying much because I'm supposed to be excited. My wife thinks why we gotta gotta move. Gotta make plans now to find another place to live in.

We had we were in our family to our kids by the end, starting no mines turning that night.

I'll tell you I was miserable here. I was a pastor this church everybody last thing, remember when we left alone get my car drive back to Dallas by Dawn. I called the chairman of the board will not coming.

We just told us last night.

I know I know I've been a pastor for less than 12 hours. I'm no longer pastor answer is no. Why still feel right about it was a real gentleman about it, though he does remind me on occasion that I have the dubious record of having the shortest pastorate in the history of evangelical church I did I was I was there pastor listen to about is a way. We'll talk about and I knew we could talk about it till kingdom come, but I would not be changing because I should not go. I can explain you know what it was. It was a feeling it was a feeling, and it was right I am so glad that I finally admitted to my feeling that experience proves something to me that I can think at the moment some things right and later realized it wasn't this not right.

I had a wife say to me that she had broken up their marriage.

I remember saying to my father as we were walking down the aisle to my wedding.

I should not be here doing this and my daddy said keep walking honey. Keep walking. Not a good answer. Dad now know there are feelings of panic when you think about getting married. But this gal had a sense of assurance she ought not be in that I'll get married to that great guy. Great guy. Find out marriage didn't work, you better pay attention to feeling like I'm sure that that meant well, I mean I have had hose.

I've had grooms almost vomit thinking about walking down here and come in and outside door and walking and so you we talk about it. I'd say going there vomit and come back let's talk about combat feel better breath is bad, but I feel like that's okay. Now, if you really have it since were going to cancel wedding. You're absolutely certain not know it's not that strong. So those kind of things. Understand feelings like that need to be addressed is 1/3 experience is the best teacher. Let me let me add a word to it now accept that statement.

Guided experience is the best teacher experience alone is not the best teacher guided experience is the best teacher.

If you don't agree with that. Try to lay your own brick wall. Try to build your own slop stone wall. I can always tell when it's a homemade wall guys always proud of it but it looks horrible. I always want to stand away from Josie. He said experience was best teacher will you needed a guide for that is that is off. Here's 1/4 one. Let your conscience be your guide ever said that Wade amended sometimes it's reliable, but a great deal depends on the condition of your conscience. What if your conscience is seared conscience is like a compass, if the compass is faulty or off course conscience can be dull, hard and calloused.

You know what else to get this conscience can be overly sensitive and shame-based you can be reared by legalistic parents and given a conscience that drives you mad when in fact it has no business driving you mad and you have to reprogram your conscience so that you start thinking correctly rather than as you were right, takes the help of a therapist. Sometime it helps that it takes a lengthy assistance of someone who understands how were put together some time a long-term friendship helps helps give grace to a conscience that is known only legalism conscience that is legalistic is not a good guide libertine conscience is not a good guide, calloused conscience is not a good guide when you say in closing that message of Christ includes emotions when one realizes the true condition of the heart without God and ponders the impact of his or her sinfulness. There is an emotional reaction some greater and more and greater concern than in others.

But there was an emotional reaction I have offended I grieved the heart of God.

I have put nails in Christ's hands with my sin's does something to my emotions when I was a sinner realized that when the truth of forgiveness and grace and God's overwhelming love pours over me. There is an emotional reaction. I must admit that when I realize that God has reserved a home in heaven for me, a reprobate center who was running in the other direction, and he stopped me, turned me around and grace that brought me to himself.

There is an emotional response when I come to the deathbed of a loved one, or my own.

There are often emotional feelings that pour out as I think of that. That friend that love when going home feelings of loss on this earth and joy for them in heaven, the music of the gospel is to be music with emotions without it. It is devoid of impact it is a professional performance and I'm not interested.

The message of the gospel is to be delivered with emotions, not just intellect. Otherwise, it is devoid of passion.

And I'm bored. So are you meetings we attend that lack emotions are dull and routine assignments and were better off doing a number of other things there devoid of encouragement and enlightenment. Don't be afraid of your emotions, my Christian friend. We provided enough enough boundaries here for you to understand they can get out of line and on the control but for the most part in our evangelical non-charismatic circles we could go a lot further with feeling. Then we do and I regret that that's true. I would just just love to know that as a result of what you've heard, it begins to make a difference in your affection for your mate for your children. Certainly for your God. I would love to know that you are giving yourself permission to get mad about the right thing. I mean really mad. I would love to know that you resent what is written in some of the newspapers, so that in a sense of passion you write and you declare your convictions so the editor will read that you disagree with what he printed. I would hope that you would take a stand against sin in your life so that the rage against sin holds you back and gives you a life of purity. That's the right kind of anchor that's emotions give it permission to emerge. Let it go. Let's pray Lord God, thank you for these moments, we have had together. Thank you for the things to be learned from your book riser being open to the intimate work of the Spirit of God as we fly closer to the flame keep us from being afraid is a quiet calm and reassuring sense of peace that our God is teaching fresh truth based on the bedrock of the Bible and Lord, loosen us up so that our our range of emotions are not only is not only broaden but begin to be expressed and even respect. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ over the last three programs. Chuck Swindoll has raised her level of understanding about the spirit in our emotions. It's our hope and prayer that this message and the entire series about the Holy Spirit, has brought a whole new dimension to your relationship with God. This is inside for living and to learn more about this ministry, we invite you to visit us online@insightworld.org glad to learn that Chuck wrote a book that parallels today's topic. It's called embraced by the spirit.

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