Faith,%20Facts%20and%20Feelings

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Faith, Facts and Feelings
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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.

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There is great power in our emotions.

• One of the great challenges to knowing Gods word
  is the ability to distinguish between our
  feelings and what God says. (Jer 1023)

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There is great power in our emotions.

• Jeremiah 1023 (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.

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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 1618 1 Thess 25
  Jude 16)

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There is great power in our emotions.

• Romans 1618 (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.

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There is great power in our emotions.

• 1 Thessalonians 25 (NKJV) - For neither at any
  time did we use flattering words, as you know,
  nor a cloak for covetousnessGod is witness.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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How Does God Speak to Man?

• A. God has chosen the gospel. (1 Cor 118, 21-13)

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How Does God Speak to Man?

• 1 Corinthians 118 (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.

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How Does God Speak to Man?

• 1 Corinthians 121-23 (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,

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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 29)

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How Does God Speak to Man?

• 2 Thessalonians 29 (NKJV) - The coming of the
  lawless one is according to the working of Satan,
  with all power, signs, and lying wonders,

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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 118, 27 Rom 116)

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How Does God Speak to Man?

• 1 Corinthians 118 (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.

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How Does God Speak to Man?

• 1 Corinthians 127 (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

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How Does God Speak to Man?

• Romans 116 (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.

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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 558)

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How Does God Speak to Man?

• Isaiah 558 (NKJV) - For My thoughts are not
  your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, says
  the Lord.

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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 1627-31)

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How Does God Speak to Man?

• Luke 1627-31 (NKJV) - Then he said, I beg you
  therefore, father, that you would send him to my
  fathers 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.

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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.

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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?

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The Fruits of Subjective Religion

• How do they appeal to people?
• They claim a direct operation of the Holy Spirit.
  (Moroni 104-5)

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The Fruits of Subjective Religion

• (Moroni 104-5) - 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.

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The Fruits of Subjective Religion

• They appeal to feelings and experiences as
  evidence. (D.C. 98)

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The Fruits of Subjective Religion

• (D.C. 98) - 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.

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The Fruits of Subjective Religion

• They give personal testimony of their private
  experience.

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The Fruits of Subjective Religion

• Plain statements in the word of God are denied.
  (2 Nephi 2910)

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The Fruits of Subjective Religion

• (2 Nephi 2910) - 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.

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The Fruits of Subjective Religion

• This appeal is commonly used by men.
• If there is no foundation, what will be the
  results? (2 Peter 218-19)

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The Fruits of Subjective Religion

• 2 Peter 218-19 (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.

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The Fruits of Subjective Religion

• Note the appeal for money. (Ex. Oral Roberts,
  Radio DJ)

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The Fruits of Subjective Religion

• Sadly, I have seen Christians run to this as a
  reactionary religion.

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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 139)

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Does the Bible Tell Us to Follow our Feelings?

• 1 Kings 139 (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.

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Does the Bible Tell Us to Follow our Feelings?

• The other man appealed to his experience (1
  Kings 1318-19)

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Does the Bible Tell Us to Follow our Feelings?

• 1 Kings 1318-19 (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.

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Does the Bible Tell Us to Follow our Feelings?

• Which way was right? What did God do?

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Does the Bible Tell Us to Follow our Feelings?

• Should we follow an angel? (Gal 18)

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Does the Bible Tell Us to Follow our Feelings?

• Galatians 18 (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.

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Does the Bible Tell Us to Follow our Feelings?

• If feelings are our guide, who then is right? (1
  Cor 1437)

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Does the Bible Tell Us to Follow our Feelings?

• 1 Corinthians 1437 (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.

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How we can be Certain?

• The Bible claims we can know the truth through
  the written word.
• (1 John 513 John 2031 Luke 13-4)

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How we can be Certain?

• 1 John 513 (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.

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How we can be Certain?

• John 2031 (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.

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How we can be Certain?

• Luke 13-4 (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.

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How we can be Certain?

• The Bible claims we must test others through this
  written standard.(1 Cor 1437 1 John 41-3)

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How we can be Certain?

• 1 Corinthians 1437 (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.

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How we can be Certain?

• The Bible teaches that spiritual gifts were
  temporary and would cease when the written word
  was completed. (1 Cor 138-10 Jas 125)

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How we can be Certain?

• 1 Corinthians 138-10 (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.

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How we can be Certain?

• James 125 (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.

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How we can be Certain?

• Will you trust in God or Man?