Emotionalism, Part 2

Specific Practices

What Is “Emotionalism”?

• Emotionalism substitutes emotions and feeling for true spirituality. (1 Cor. 14:37; 1 Pet. 2:5; Phil. 4:4-9)

• Experiencing emotions or feelings becomes the goal of worship. (Heb. 10:19-25)

• Obedience to scriptural instructions becomes secondary to the new goal of worship.

Why Is Emotionalism Dangerous?

• Man replaces God as the center of worship.– God is worthy of our worship. (Is. 45:20-25; Rev. 4:8-11;

19:1-7)

– God is commanded to be the object of our worship. (Rev. 19:10; 22:8-9)

• Emotions are subjective, not objective. (Judges 17:6; 21:25) – Subjectivity permits unlimited justification in religion.

– “This feels good; it must be right.” (Lev. 9:23-10:3)

– “But my way is better…” (2 Kgs. 5:9-13)

Using Your Emotional “Filter”

• Does the behavior or activity reflect truly spiritual worship?

• Does the behavior or activity keep God as the focus of worship?

• Does the behavior or activity have a scriptural basis (objective, not subjective)?

Specific Practices:

House Churches

• Provide a vehicle for emotionalism• The Justification:

– Follows the N.T. pattern (Acts 2:46; 5:42; 8:3; 12:12; Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15; Philemon 1:2)

– Allows for more intimate, informal worship• Small numbers• Mutual edification• More participatory• Promotes hospitality

House Churches

• Argument Against:

• Did N.T. churches meet in houses?

• Did N.T. churches always meet in houses? (Acts 4:4; 5:12; 15:4,12,22; 16:13; 19:8-9; 20.8)

House Churches

• How should we approach God in worship?– Worship must be appropriately reverent.

• Lev. 10:3 – “By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy;”

– God expects our “best” worship.• Mal. 1:8 – “Would he be pleased with you? Would he

accept you favorably? Says the Lord of hosts.”

– God will hold us accountable.• Heb. 4:13 – “…but all things are naked and open to the

eyes of Him to whom we must give an account.”

House Churches

• Houses churches are external “quick fixes” thrown at potentially real internal problems.

• The real solution: Finding the spiritual man.– Rom. 12: 1-2 – “I beseech you therefore, brethren,

by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Interaction Between Worshippers

Applause, Handholding, Facing Each Other To Sing, Etc.

Interaction Between Worshippers

• The Justification:

• Handclapping is the modern “Amen”– Can be used for baptisms, sermons and other

similar occasions.

• Various “sense” interactions are for edification– (1 Thes. 5:11; Heb. 10:24-25; 1 Tim.2:8; Eph.

5:19; Col. 3:16)

• Note: These activities are to/for man, not God.

Interaction Between Worshippers

• Handclapping: Is it parallel to “Amen”?– Approval– Recognition– Excitement– Courtesy– Entertainment Culture

“Applause,” Encyclopedia Britannica, vol. 2, 1957.

• “When Christianity became fashionable the customs of the theatre were transferred to the churches. Paul of Samosata encouraged the congregation to applaud his preaching by waving linen cloths. Applause of the rhetoric of popular preachers became an established custom destined to disappear under the influence of a more reverent spirit.”

Interaction Between Worshippers

• Amen– Firm, dependable. True, certain. (Jn. 3:3,5,11)– “May it be.”

Handclapping

• Who receives the applause?

• What receives the “amen”?

Interaction Between Worshippers

• “Sense” interactions: Are they wrong?

• Most of these actions are neither authorized nor prohibited.

• Are they expedient? (1 Cor. 6:12; 10:23)

Interaction Between Worshippers

• Are “sense” interactions expedient?– Ex. Intentionally, collectively facing each other

while singing.

• Does it make the song more spiritual?

• Does it offer better praise to God?

• Does it provide better “teaching and admonishing” of fellow christians?

• Why are we doing it? (2 Cor. 5:7)

Spontaneous Worship

Spontaneous Worship

• Justifying spontaneous worship:– Follows the N.T. pattern. (1 Cor. 14:26,31)

– Modern church assemblies have too many spectators.

– Unplanned worship allows everyone to participate.

• Justifying worship planning:– “Allows everyone to feel the full impact of our worship.”

– Doesn’t refer to common planning to accommodate pre-planned topics or special needs (i.e. coordinated songs and readings).

Spontaneous Worship

• Argument against spontaneous worship:

• Lacks the care and preparation to ensure acceptable worship.– Lev. 9:23-10:3– Mal. 1:8– Heb. 4:13

Spontaneous Worship

• 1 Cor. 14: Spontaneous worship pattern?

• Unorganized worship is condemned, not encouraged .

• Spontaneity inhibits, not enhances edification. (v. 12, 26)

• Orderliness is encouraged. (v. 26-33,40)

• Context suggests not every member was publicly participating. (v. 28,30,34)

Spontaneous Worship

• Argument against worship planning:

• Care and preparation are centered on what the worship will do for the worshipper.

• Never the same service twice.

• Progressively pushes the scriptural boundaries to “increase the impact” of worship on the worshippers.

Spontaneous Worship

• Spontaneous worship outside the assembly:

• We can offer “words of praise” or superlatives about God without adequate thought.

• For whom is the benefit? God or man?

• Informal settings can allow casual worship and unintentional irreverence. (Mat. 12:36)– “…for every idle word men may speak, they will

give account of it in the day of judgment.”

The Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s Supper

• Justifying the Lord’s Supper as a common meal/fellowship meal:

• Follows N.T. pattern.– (1 Cor. 11:17-34; Jude 12; gospel accounts of Passover

supper)

– Should be of sufficient food and drink to constitute a meal.

– Everyone gathers informally around a single table.

– Advantages: “family” closeness and welcomed participation.

The Lord’s Supper

• External stimuli used during Lord’s Supper:– Dimming of the lights.– Congregational, choral or solo singing during the

Lord’s Supper.– Emotional human analogies.

The Lord’s Supper

• What’s missing from the preceding justifications and activities regarding the Lord’s Supper?

• Remembering the Lord’s death!

The Lord’s Supper

• Argument against the common/fellowship meal:

• What is Paul’s purpose in 1 Cor. 11?– V. 20 – “…it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper.”– Condemns the divisive spirit. (v. 17-22)– Details a proper memorial. (v. 23-31)– Take care of your hunger at home. (v. 22,33)

• Bread and juice are the only items mentioned.• Jude 12: What is a “love feast”?

The Lord’s Supper

• Argument against external stimuli:

• External methods don’t address internal processes.– 1 Cor. 11:28 – “But let a man examine himself…”

• Nothing man can devise can better prepare our minds than what God has given us to use.

Preaching Content

Singing and Song Content

Preaching Content

• Justifying “Feelgoodism”:

• Preaching must edify at all costs. (1 Thes. 5:11; Heb. 10:24-25)

• The Bible message doesn’t work anymore.

• Human philosophy, drama and humor will entertain and edify.

• Correcting, rebuking and identifying error will only drive people away.

Preaching Content

• The case for balanced preaching:

Preaching Content

• 2 Tim 4:1 “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

Preaching Content

• The case for balanced preaching:

• The opinions and teachings of man are suspect.– 1 Pet 4:11 – “If anyone speaks, let him speak as

the oracles of God.”– Col. 2:8 – “Beware lest anyone cheat you through

philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”

Preaching Content

• The case for balanced preaching:• The opinions and teachings of man are suspect.• Proper preaching is based on God’s word.

– Acts 17:2 – “Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.“

– Even if it involves rebuke or correction.• Neh. 8.8 – “So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of

God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.”

Preaching Content

• The case for balanced preaching:• The opinions and teachings of man are suspect.• Proper preaching is based on God’s word.• Defending the faith is a necessary part of real

gospel preaching.– Jude 1:3 – “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to

you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”

Preaching Content

• Special singing and song content:– Soloist and special choirs.– Rhythmic handclapping or arm waving.– Songs that don’t really say anything.

• Eph. 5:19 and Col.3:16 regulate who is to participate, how they are to participated and what that participation is to accomplish.

The Proper Place Of Emotion In Worship

The Proper Place Of Emotion In Worship

• Biblically accepted emotional displays.

• David and the ark. (2 Sam. 6)

• Judah responds to Ezra. (Neh. 8)

• Ethiopian Eunuch. (Acts 8)

• Paul at Miletus. (Acts 20)

The Proper Place Of Emotion In Worship

• Inferred pattern of emotional response:

• A hearing and understanding of God’s word.

• A conscious acceptance (obedience) or rejection of what was heard and understood.

• An emotional response can be a product of reacting to God’s word.