Sermon
Two Ingredients To Worship - Glen Osburn
Publisher transcript
Transcript
-
This week, we have really been studying the inner aspects of
-
Christianity as well as the outer aspects.
-
But most of all we've been focusing on being authentic and
-
genuine. You know, if there's anything
-
that causes shame to the cause of Christ, it's those who are
-
inconsistent in between what they Proclaim.
-
And the way they live, it is inconsistency in what we say or
-
what we pledge, allegiance do and then sure.
-
Go by our Behavior, what our true Allegiance is to.
-
And so we've been trying to eliminate or erase any
-
discrepancy between our claims to be followers of Jesus Christ
-
and really imitating him. We've been trying to understand
-
how important it is for us to have an inner life that
-
expresses itself and our outer deeds and how important it is to
-
get to make sure that those are Those aspects are clear and
-
solid so that we will be successful and not vacillating
-
and our Christian commitment. We talked last night about James
-
4 and verse 8. A Bible that tells us about a
-
double-minded man. It says the double minded.
-
Man, is supposed to cleanse, his hands from sin, and purify his
-
heart. That means to make single why?
-
Because that's what is expected by God, is for us to be genuine
-
and authentic in our behavior and Our Deeds are not supposed
-
to be sinful and our hardest opposed to be pure and anything
-
else. Other than that is hypocrisy in
-
James 18, it tells us that this double mindedness is evidenced
-
in instability in our Christian Endeavor.
-
It says a double minded, man is unstable in all his ways.
-
So sometimes if we wonder why we're not as stable as we should
-
be, perhaps we should examine our Then examine our hearts.
-
As we've been trying to looking into the word of God this week
-
to see what manner of people. We are and go away and not
-
forget what we are tonight. Do I want to talk about?
-
If you will not necessarily the other side of the coin, but I
-
want to make sure that we're balanced and make sure we
-
understand that there are two ingredients to acceptable
-
worship. The Bible says in John 4, verse
-
23 and 24 that God is Spirit And though the and those that
-
worship Him must worship Him in spirit, and in truth.
-
Now, there are many commentators that say, that that's not too
-
different ingredients of acceptable worship.
-
They will say correct. Spirit means basically with our
-
spirit and other words, a man must worship with spirit and
-
according to truth, well, I don't see any discrepancy in
-
identifying that. Whenever he says, in spirit
-
there, he's talking about with our spirit that is with the
-
authentic or Genuine. Of our inner life.
-
In other words, worshiping God in our spirit.
-
And that means with proper emotion than truth.
-
According to God's word, John 17:17.
-
I see no discrepancy and understanding that that passage
-
is teaching. Both are elements that are
-
needed in order to have acceptable worship before God.
-
But there are some people today who are saying spirit is more
-
important than truth and we know that that's not truth.
-
That is Unbalanced and it is just as improper to put that
-
kind of a spin on that passage. As it is for people, to say, all
-
we need is a form and not having any real heart in it, that
-
that's more important to. We've been showing all week that
-
the acceptable sacrifice must be both inner and outer in order to
-
be acceptable. We've been showing that alike in
-
1st Corinthians, 13 chapter, verse 1 through 3.
-
How important it is to have a That does things proper from a
-
proper motive in order for it to be acceptable to God.
-
And that passage, he's talking about love and says, yay though.
-
I give my body to be burned and have not charity.
-
It profiteth nothing. In other words having the proper
-
attitude. When one sacrifices must be a
-
necessary in order for God to view that as a genuine and
-
authentic sacrifice, because it profits.
-
Nothing. Oh, is it a great sacrifice?
-
Yes, it's a great sacrifice, but many people have died.
-
For country or for Honor, or for themselves and not really for
-
God and God says, Hey listen, give him the body.
-
Making a great sacrifice is not the point.
-
It's, whether it's done both inwardly, and outwardly in a
-
proper way to really focus our minds on this.
-
I want you to look at one of the last book.
-
The last book in the Old Testament.
-
If you have it in your Pew Bible, please open up to Malachi
-
The Book of Malachi. He is basically chastising the
-
priests because the priests are corrupt.
-
Let's just be straight about it. The priests are corrupt.
-
They are doing wrong things. They are, they are even
-
wondering in themselves if it's worth it.
-
To serve god. Notice how the Holy Spirit
-
reveals their heart in some of this passage.
-
We're going to start reading with verse 6 of Malachi the
-
first chapter, notice as a son honors, his father and a servant
-
is Master, then if I am a father, where is my honor?
-
And if I am a master, where is my respect?
-
In other words, he's saying in your Earthly culture, you honor
-
those who have some authority over you.
-
Where do I fit in? Where's my respect?
-
Where's my honor says the Lord of hosts To You O priest who
-
despise my name. But you say how have we despised
-
your name? In other words, he's saying
-
priest. You not honored me and they said
-
wow how do we do that? Verse 7 you are presenting
-
defiled food upon my altar but you say how have we defiled you
-
in that you say the table of the Lord is to be despised.
-
And other words they were looking at what was going to be
-
on the Altar and they say it's going to be burned up anyway,
-
therefore, the quality of the sacrifice doesn't really matter.
-
It doesn't really matter. You notice, he goes on down to
-
name this verse 8. What when you present the blind
-
for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame
-
and the sick, is it not evil? Why not offer to your Governor?
-
Would he be pleased with you or when he receive you?
-
Kindly says the Lord of hosts. Notice he's challenging them
-
here. He's saying, you say sacrifices
-
sacrifice since it's going to be burned up, why not offer the
-
lame and the sick and the Blind and offer them to God.
-
God says because the quality of what you're offering to me,
-
shows your lack of respect for me as his point.
-
He said you're offering me. Sick and blind and lame.
-
Sacrifices expecting. Are you offering sacrifices?
-
Yes. Are they quality sacrifices?
-
No. Because of that.
-
Others dishonour me. That's what he's saying, he's
-
challenging these people. He says, listen, what you're
-
doing is bringing disrespect to me disrespect and dishonor to
-
me, would your Governor be pleased with it?
-
No notice verse 9 and hat. Now will you not entreat God's
-
favor, that he may be gracious to us with such an offering on
-
your part? Will he receive you?
-
Kindly says, the Lord of hosts? In other words, he's asking a
-
rhetorical question, expecting the right answer, in other
-
words, he's not expecting them to I wonder what the answer is.
-
The answer is supplied know God is not respected by what you're
-
offering. Verse 10.
-
Listen. Oh, that there would be one
-
among you who would shut the gates that you might not
-
uselessly Kindle Fire on my altar.
-
I am not pleased with. You says the Lord of horse host,
-
nor will I accept an offering from you?
-
Now, first of all, I want to get this really clear one more time.
-
Let's answer the question word. They offering something.
-
Where are they offering something?
-
The answer is, yes. You know, we're not talking
-
about people here, we're not talking about atheists, we're
-
not talking about people, not worshiping.
-
We're talking about somebody who was worshipping.
-
They were offering something to God.
-
Yes, you would say they were going through the axe was God,
-
pleased with what they were offering?
-
No, he was not, he was not. Accepting their sacrifice at
-
all. In fact, he said you are
-
uselessly kindling. A fire on that altar.
-
I'm not accepting your worship, not accepting it at all.
-
You notice, when he goes on to say verse 11, for from the
-
rising of the sun, even stood, setting, my name will be great
-
among the Nations. And in every place, incense is
-
going to be offered to my name and a grain offering bet is pure
-
49. My name will be great.
-
Among the Nations says, the Lord of hosts verse 12 but you are
-
pro feigning it profaning it in that you say the table of Lord
-
is defiled. And as for its fruit, the food
-
is to be despised how tiresome it is.
-
Notice their attitude in verse 13.
-
And you also say my how tiresome it is and you disdainfully sniff
-
it. It says the Lord of hosts you
-
bring that with just taken by robbery and what is Lamer sick?
-
You bring the offering, should I receive that from your hand?
-
Says the Lord, but cursed be the swindler who has a male in his
-
flock and boughs it. But sacrifices the blemished
-
animal to the Lord for Or I am a great king, says the Lord of
-
hosts and my name is feared among the nations.
-
In other words, basically, he's saying there are Gentile Nations
-
that fear me, and you guys are treating me worse than you treat
-
your own. Governor, would you offer that
-
to your governor and you offer it to God?
-
How sad. How sad how disrespectful?
-
In fact, he uses a very unusual word here.
-
He uses the word profane. The word profane means to take
-
something holy and use it in an Unholy way or to treat it in an
-
Unholy way. A nun.
-
Special way, we use this word whenever we talk about
-
profanity, that is where we take the lord's name and use it.
-
It in an Unholy way. We're not really addressing God
-
In Prayer. We're just using his name.
-
When we hit that, you know, thumb with a hammer or whenever
-
we use God's name in a profane way.
-
That's why we call it profanity, it's not used in its proper
-
since well. The Lord says, I want to be
-
respected among the Nations and you guys aren't respecting me
-
because of your attitude about the offering and the offering it
-
self. There are many other points here
-
in the Book of Malachi. And you know, Jesus continually
-
in the New Testament focused upon these this this
-
hypocritical attitude on the part of worshippers as well.
-
And we're going to get to that in just a moment but as I said,
-
we're going to look at both sides of a coin here tonight.
-
We're going to look at both sides of it because whenever it
-
comes to acceptable worship as I said there are two elements to
-
acceptable worship and some have gone too far.
-
The other way they have gone to what we call emotionalism.
-
Mmm. Now, what is emotionalism?
-
Well emotionalism is just as biased as formalism if you will,
-
in that, it goes so far that it believes that somehow the
-
emotion itself is what we're after that.
-
An emotion is what we're after. And that's what worship is all
-
about. Is just generating a certain
-
emotion amongst us and then if we can get to that place, then
-
oftentimes the ends justify the means and we get this emotion
-
about our religion. And their motion is all that.
-
It is. Emotion is an end of itself.
-
Well, tonight that's not true. Either.
-
That's not true. That is just as wrong as
-
formalism doing something without the right attitude or
-
doing something for an emotion without the right objective as
-
well. Both of them are just as wrong,
-
and I think we need to really identify here what we're talking
-
about. Let's examine emotions and what
-
the Bible has to say about them and how they are.
-
Sometimes, in this world, we go to two extremes and yes, I do
-
believe this applies to us in a very real sense.
-
Since what we've been talking about this week is change and
-
sometimes people look at what happens in the church about our
-
worship and they said our worship needs to change.
-
Now, sometimes they're talking about the form and that can't be
-
changed. True worship is true worship,
-
period, John for 23 and 24. It's either acceptable or it's
-
not acceptable. The form is either, right?
-
Or wrong, you're either imitating.
-
What happened? The night Jesus was betrayed or
-
you're not. That's all there is to it.
-
But sometimes they're talking about the attitudes.
-
Sometimes they're talking about the attitude that offering is
-
made, and sometimes that does need to change, but sometimes
-
they go so far as to say, well, the attitude is more important.
-
Then the form and that's wrong. That is just as wrong.
-
You go too far, one way or the other two forms are two extremes
-
just because it's extreme doesn't make it right.
-
Sometimes the truth really is a combination of both of these
-
ideas. And that's what we want to show
-
tonight. Is it some people worship
-
emotion? You know, whenever you talk
-
about dating someone I've heard some people they say well you
-
know I don't know if I love them and whenever they're so
-
immature. You begin to talk to them about
-
infatuation. You talk to them about
-
friendship and you kids come and they want they want their the
-
some of these issues sorted out. I don't know how I feel about
-
this person. And and then I said well how
-
would you feel if that person didn't love you and oftentimes
-
that sorts it out real quick? Well, you know, I wouldn't love
-
them then I say well then you're not in love with them, you know,
-
you're not in love with him. The Bible says a friend loves at
-
all times. Faithful are the wounds of a
-
friend, you know, in other words a friend, you like whenever
-
they're they're supporting you and you like whenever they're
-
there, chastising you're correcting, you.
-
And you know, that's what it friend loves at all times.
-
And whenever we love somebody, it's not just conditioned on
-
their behavior. God loves us while we were yet
-
enemies. The Bible says in Romans the
-
fifth chapter that's the kind of love mature.
-
Love is shown oh does God love us.
-
Oh yes, he loves us. Will he accept us in our sin,
-
not on your life. God wants us to repent.
-
We've learned that this week acts 17:30 God commands, all men
-
everywhere to repent. Well, if God commands me to
-
repent, if he's critical then he must not love me.
-
Me no that's wrong. God loves you but he demands you
-
repent, you see and then whatever it comes to
-
relationships and and things like that.
-
People sometimes only want, one kind of relationship.
-
They only want love. They only want peace.
-
They only want joy and anything that causes them to maybe
-
reflected, or maybe be remorseful or maybe have other
-
feelings. They don't really think that
-
that's proper in the church. Well, my friends, whenever we
-
sing songs of praise to God, sometimes those songs of praise
-
are joyful in that they express the hope that we have in heaven.
-
But if somebody dies as was have, we've had happened here in
-
this congregation in the last week, sometimes we have grief
-
and sometimes we sing songs of morning being not in our
-
Heavenly Home, sometimes we as a congregation can appropriately
-
seeing The Blues. Because that's the authentic
-
way. We feel at this moment.
-
If a leader dies is it proper to go and sing the fastest possible
-
song? You know, there's some people
-
that just don't think worship is happening.
-
Unless that pedal is to the metal and we sing that song as
-
fast as we can, sing it. Have you met those brethren?
-
In fact, they sing it so fast. You don't even know what words
-
you're saying. They try to sing songs fast,
-
they say, worships got to be fast.
-
It's got to be quick, and it's got to go.
-
Go go, sometimes it's appropriate for us to slow down
-
and sing songs of soberness and sing songs of longing.
-
In an appropriate slow fashion, because it needs to be authentic
-
and real. This is what I'm talking about
-
tonight. Sometimes we have people who
-
judge worship as to whether it's exciting and they seem to be
-
excitement is all they're shooting for and that is not
-
appropriate according to the scriptures.
-
Sometimes they want a better felt then told truth they want
-
just just dissed, get everything, you know and other
-
Brethren. They're just not in touch with
-
their emotions at all. In anything, that's emotional.
-
They get to feeling uncomfortable about because
-
Emotions are out of control. What is the truth in on this?
-
Well, emotions have a scriptural role in the life of the
-
Christians and the Bible speaks of it yet, whenever emotions
-
become the object of worship. We're in grave danger as well.
-
So let's talk more in detail about this.
-
In the scriptures, the Bible tells us in First Corinthians of
-
14 chapter and verse 40 that worship is to be conducted in a
-
decent and orderly fashion. That is in a fashion, that's
-
appropriate to the assembly. Now, sometimes decently and in
-
order, Lee is different, even for different cultures.
-
Now Glenn, what do you mean by that?
-
Well, you know, throughout history The Church hasn't had
-
clocks, especially digital All clocks are clocks that are set
-
by the atomic clock throughout history.
-
Think about it, the church existed for thousands over 1,000
-
years without literally, timekeeping pieces.
-
But when did they assemble? Well, they assembled to break
-
bread on the first day of the week.
-
The Bible says for them to Terry one for another and other all
-
assembled there. They did not show up within five
-
minutes now brother and I've been at some places that five
-
minutes but the audience was empty, I mean, there wasn't
-
anybody there and within five minutes, if you dropped your
-
pencil in the hall, you better step back because you're going
-
to get trampled if you try to pick it up.
-
There is a rush of Christians in or just you could feel a breeze.
-
They create a breeze. And whenever services are over,
-
that's just a biggest rush to get out.
-
We seem to be so precise. But, you know, you can't take
-
that concept everywhere to the churches in Africa, those
-
brother, and assemble, and they start singing before they get
-
there. And whoever shows up, they start
-
singing. And then they wait till
-
everybody gets there, and they're all see until everybody
-
gets their, that's their culture.
-
And that's the way they do it. But, you know, decently in order
-
there and decently in order, here might be two different
-
things. We might consider somebody that
-
starts a song before Services started to be little out of
-
place. Well, I didn't know service a
-
start and it might be disruptive but you see it has to do with
-
its culture. Some people are a lot more
-
easygoing in some places than others, but the Bible does tell
-
us to have certain appropriate things.
-
He says, listen, I want it done decently and in order, I don't
-
want it to be raucous. I don't want it to be Rowdy.
-
I don't want it to be out of line, a service that does not
-
reflect honor and respect for God.
-
The Bible tells us whenever we do have worship that, it
-
sometimes can be so formalistic that it lacks emotion at all.
-
We sing songs in such a deadpan mechanical way that the way and
-
the attitude with which we sing that song has absolutely no
-
relevance to its message or to its lyrics at all.
-
You know, I remember singing that song come we that love the
-
Lord and let our joy abound you know Mark and everything and it
-
sounded like a horrible song like it was something that was
-
just horrible and stand up for Jesus and revive us.
-
Again. How many of us have heard revive
-
us again? Sung like a funeral March that's
-
just so out of character. The world is watching.
-
When they come to worship, they look at the words because it's
-
the first time, they look at them and they look at those
-
words and they look at us. And if they see a discrepancy,
-
they think that it's hypocrisy. And maybe it's just because
-
we've heard that song for the last 30 years of our life, maybe
-
it's just old to us. We need to be careful in our
-
worship to make sure that other emotion is fitting.
-
The songs that were singing. We need to have it as being a
-
proper proper and decent and in orderly way whenever we do
-
choose the songs, Now, Terry, I'm going to tell this because
-
I've often used this point here, whenever I first started
-
teaching, I mean, we were young and doing different things that
-
I remember. It was one of either the second,
-
or third lesson that I ever gave, I gave it on true worship
-
in Cottage Grove, Oregon on the Lord's Day morning and Terry got
-
up and led the invitation song. Oh, why not tonight now?
-
That's not necessarily bad. But I was going, why don't, you
-
know? Not this kind of if it's but,
-
you know, brother, sing songs that are appropriate to what's
-
being said to what is being talked about, it is appropriate
-
song leaders to ask the teacher, what?
-
He's teaching on and seeing if your songs can match the message
-
that's going to be given that morning and says worship it,
-
enhances Focus. It gets our minds properly
-
addressing what's going to be talked about that morning.
-
And in Matthew the 15th chapter verse 7 you probably all knew we
-
were going to this passage but in Matthew 15 notice what Jesus
-
said in verse 7 and 8. You Hypocrites, rightly did
-
Isaiah prophesy view. This people honors me with their
-
lips, but their heart is far from me.
-
But in vain, do they worship me teaching as doctrines the
-
precepts of men? If it applies, then it applies.
-
Now, vain means, empty, empty or hollowly and he says it's just
-
like in the Old Testament. I wish that they would not have
-
ever kindled. The fire at all in loving and
-
serving God and Matthew. The 22nd chapter In Matthew 22,
-
it involves our total being in Worship in Matthew, 22 and
-
starting in verse 37. He says.
-
And he said to them, you shall love the Lord.
-
Your God with all of your heart with all your soul, with all
-
your mind. This is great.
-
Foremost commandment in the second liken.
-
It to it. You shall love your neighbor as
-
yourself. God wants us to have a heartfelt
-
religion. Is emotion necessary in order to
-
please God. Well, yes, there is Is an
-
emotion called love. Let's look at a few passage.
-
I want you to follow along with me as much as you can.
-
I'm going to repeat these verses twice but in 1st Peter 4, verse
-
8 that is First Peter 4, verse 8.
-
Let's look at a few passages tonight 1st Peter 4 verse 8.
-
Notice what it says above all keep fervent in your love for
-
one another because love covers a multitude of sins.
-
Does God expect us to have fervent emotions?
-
Oh yes, he does, fervent emotions.
-
We need to be in contact with our emotions because he says, I
-
want some fervent emotions. I wanted you to fervently love
-
your brethren in First Corinthians.
-
A sixteenth chapter First Corinthians, 16 and verse 22.
-
Notice what it says here. If anyone does not love the
-
Lord, he is accursed merriment Maranatha.
-
Does not love the Lord. Are we supposed to have love for
-
the Lord? Our is that supposed to call for
-
some emotion from us? Yes, it definitely does.
-
Is there supposed to be the emotion of Hope?
-
And, yes, Hope does have an emotional aspect to it.
-
We're going to notice more about that in a moment, but notice in
-
Romans 12 and verse 12, if you No, Romans 12 and verse 12.
-
It says here, rejoicing in Hope persevering.
-
It's in Tribulation devoted to prayer, rejoicing in Hope.
-
Is rejoicing emotion? Yes.
-
Is it caused by Hope? Oh, yes, this is an emotion
-
rejoicing is something that we are definitely supposed to have.
-
And notice in Philippians 4 verse 4, he puts it even more
-
specifically, Philippians chapter 4 and verse 4.
Philippians 4 chapter mention
-
Notice what it says, it says rejoice in the lord always.
-
And again, I say rejoice, Rejoice.
-
How many times have we had someone consider us to be on
-
authentic Christians because when we sing a song about joy,
-
we express no joy while singing it.
-
They have a right to say that we're Hypocrites whenever we
-
sing about joy and we're not expressing.
-
Any enjoy, we're not emoting any Joy.
-
If you will notice in second Corinthians 7 verse 10, second
-
Corinthians 7 verse 10. For the sorrow that is according
-
to the will of God, produces a repentance without regret
-
leading to salvation but the sorrow of the world produces
-
death. What is this verse suggesting?
-
It's suggesting that sometimes whatever.
-
We are taught some passage of scripture.
-
We it produces within us, asaro a sorrow.
-
But what happens with that sorrow we're going to notice in
-
a minute. It produces a fruit or has a
-
fruit and that fruit It is repentance.
-
But what is the, what is the emotion?
-
That hearing disobeyed God or God is not?
-
Well pleased with this. What is the emotion that we feel
-
sorrow? That's what happens.
-
Sometimes, when we look to the word of God and we see him, it
-
produces within us a sorrow because of our love for God.
-
It produces sorrow within our hearts, you know, I'm sad.
-
Whenever I love my wife and I find out that what I've been
-
trying to do for her is not pleasing to Or you're trying to
-
please your eyes. I fixed this favorite thing for
-
you and he's not, please, you, he produces some kind of Sorrow
-
within you. Well, that is proper whenever
-
we're trying to serve God and honor him and find out that
-
we've been doing something wrong, it produces sorrow, but
-
not just the superficial sorrow. It's a sorrow that has some
-
fruit to it, and we're going to notice that more in a moment.
-
But this is a proper response to God's word.
-
I want us to get that. It's a proper response.
-
And to God's word. What about the emotion of hate?
-
Is that a god-given emotion as well?
-
Yes, and I'm just going to Proverbs 8 and verse 13.
-
The Bible says, we're supposed to hate evil and wickedness and
-
the wicked way even the Lord hates.
-
The Bible says, there's to be the emotion of fear, Matthew,
-
10, and verse 28. There's a place for emotion in
-
the life and in the worship of the church in the life of the
-
Christian, and in the worship of the church, there is a place for
-
this, but This emotion must have a basis.
-
It must be rooted in faith. It must be rooted in the word of
-
God, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God
-
Romans 10. And verse 17, this requires us
-
to use our intellectual fat faculties in whenever addressing
-
issues of emotion. In other words, let's be very
-
clear about this. There's an aspect of Love.
-
That is a choice. There's an aspect of love that
-
requires obedience. God commanded in first, John,
-
that we love one another. We make it either a choice to
-
obey or not obey. Well, Glenn, how can a motion be
-
commanded? How can a man be commanded to
-
love his wife, Ephesians 5, Well, it is a command.
-
So, love is a choice, isn't it? Yes.
-
What we love is a choice. Now, how we feel about that is
-
our responsibility as well as just an emotion.
-
Sometimes, if we don't have feelings of love for our
-
brethren, we have to learn to develop them because to fail to
-
do so would be Disobedience when a husband refuses to love his
-
wife? He is being Disobedient to God.
-
When a man refuses to love God, he is refusing to be obedient to
-
God, whenever we do not subject-- our heart soul and
-
mind to God, we are being disobedient to God.
-
So, part of love, part of Hope. And part of all of these things
-
are choices intellectual choices.
-
There's a part of that within us how we feel about things.
-
Is not just a automatic response.
-
There is a responsibility to feel certain ways about certain
-
things about our wife about Sin and about these other things.
-
Glenn, that's awful tough. It's hard for me to develop that
-
emotion my friends. That's the whole point.
-
I'm getting at tonight, sometimes if there is a variance
-
in, how we feel about sin or how we feel about our wife,
-
sometimes that's evidence of disobedience in our heart.
-
And in our will have you ever thought about that?
-
Have you ever thought that? Maybe if you're having improper
-
emotions, it's because of improper decisions Or a lack of
-
devotion. You see?
-
There's that's symptomatic. Whenever we don't have proper
-
emotions, it's symptomatic of other things.
-
Whenever we read about God's love in the word of God, we
-
should be moved to love him. Notice in first, John, the
-
fourth chapter, this whole book is dedicated to teaching
-
Christians, if you love God, you ought to love one another.
-
But notice what he says here in 1st, John chapter 4 And verse 9.
John 4 chapter mention
-
By this is the love of God was manifested in us.
-
That God has sent his only begotten son in the world so
-
that we might live through him in.
-
This is love not that, we loved God, but that he loved us.
-
And sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.
-
Beloved, if God, so loved us. So, awful ought, we to love one
-
another. Love one another.
-
He makes some rational conclusions here.
-
He says listen because of God, loving our first.
-
Doesn't that bring about certain other emotions.
-
There are certain consequences to this love.
-
Yes, he says, if this is the way God loved us.
-
Can't we now learn what? It means to love one another.
-
Yes we can. God God wants us to understand
-
that if we can feel this way, if this situation, we ought to
-
learn. Then to Transpose.
-
Our understanding of this situation to another situation,
-
if you love here, why can't you love here?
-
And so he tells us to learn from one experience and apply it to
-
another notice, though, scriptural emotions.
-
In other words, they have a foundation, they have a fruit
-
that is born. They are not simply a motions,
-
for emotion sake, their emotions that have certain kind of fruits
-
to them. Look, this is the most important
-
part of the lesson. I want you to listen, very
-
carefully to the next five minutes of this lesson.
-
Listen very carefully and read and take notes.
-
Listen, very carefully. The emotion of love bears fruit
-
in obedience notice in John. The 14, if you have your Bibles,
-
please open the Book of John Gospel of John John, the 14th
-
chapter And verse 15, notice what Jesus says here, if you
-
love me. You will keep my Commandments.
-
There it is. He says, here's the fruit.
-
Emotion has fruit. There's a consequence to that
-
emotion and God designed for it to Bear a certain kind of fruit.
-
Not a motion for a motion sick and not emotional own.
-
Emotional own is just emotional ism.
-
What true and authentic realistic emotion.
-
Emotion has fruit in our life has fruit.
-
Notice what he says here. If you love God, you'll keep my
-
Commandments. Jesus goes on in this book and
-
says, if you keep my Commandments, he it is who loves
-
me Jesus, determined that emotion by its obedience in
-
their manner of life. Let's look at some other paths.
-
And first John 5 verse 3, if we've just came from first John,
-
but notice in first John 5 verse 3 For this is the true love of
-
God, that we keep his Commandments and his
-
Commandments are not burdensome. You know, whenever you love
-
someone you're not going to find his Commandments to be a burden.
-
You're not going to find his restrictions to be in a burden,
-
you know. It's just not going to be that
-
way. You're not going to chafe
-
against the command that, you know, was given for your
-
welfare, God loves us. He wants to give good gifts to
-
us. God did not give us commands.
-
Just give commands. He gave us our commands for our
-
welfare for our benefit, God has to design in the parameters in
-
the barriers and in the limits. He put in our life, you know,
-
kids like to say to their parents in their immaturity.
-
You know, oh, you just don't want me to have any fun.
-
You know, the parents would they're almost tempted sake.
-
Yeah, go ahead and play with the lighter.
-
Go ahead, play with the knife. See if you can juggle them, you
-
know, we sometimes just want to say how you kids are so dumb.
-
But the point is, is, you know, that that's immaturity on the
-
part of the child, you say to them?
-
No, the reason why I told you not to play with knives, you may
-
not understand it now, but I don't want you to hurt yourself,
-
right? Sometimes you want to tell him
-
to go out and play in the highway but most of all you
-
don't because you don't want to See him hurt and that's why God
-
told us for that. There's parameters.
-
That's why God told us not to do certain things.
-
It isn't because he wants us, not to have fun.
-
It's because he knows it'll hurt us, he knows it'll be harmful
-
for us, you know that it doesn't promote spirituality.
-
He knows that it's not good for us eternally.
-
And therefore the Bible says this is the love of God, that we
-
keep his commands, and his Commandments are not burdensome
-
whenever you love God. His Commandments are not
-
burdensome. So that's the fruit if you will
-
of loving God, but notice the emotion of Hope also that we've
-
identified has a fruit, notice what the Bible says in Romans 8
-
chapter in verse 24, in Romans 8, verse 24, Notice for in hope
-
we have been saved but hope that is seen is not hope for who
-
hopes for what he already sees. But if we hope for what we do
-
not see with perseverance, we wait eagerly for it.
-
Well, what is the fruit? What is the fruit of of Hope?
-
If you will Desire with expectation?
-
What's the fruit of that? Patience.
-
Endurance. We endure we endure whenever we
-
have hope it helps our endurance.
-
It helps are holding on. What about the emotion of joy in
-
second Corinthians chapter 8? Notice the passage in second
2 Corinthians 8 chapter mention 2 Corinthians 8 chapter mention
-
Corinthians chapter 8. Notice what it already said.
-
I believe we've already read it in second Corinthians chapter 8.
2 Corinthians 8 chapter mention
-
Starting reverse to notice for in a great deal of fliction,
-
their Abundance of Joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the
-
wealth of their liberality for a testify, according to their
-
ability and beyond their ability.
-
They gave of their own accord, begging us with my much urging
-
for the favor and participation of the sport of the Saints.
-
And we this not as we'd expected but they first gave themselves
-
to the Lord and To Us, by the will of God, now hear this joy
-
that they had in their, in their lives.
-
It bore fruit in sacrifice. That's the effect.
-
That was the fruit of This Joy. They wanted to do this and what
-
it led them to was sacrifice to God.
-
And we noticed in second Corinthians, notice just back
-
one chapter chapter 7 and verse 10 of chapter 7 and verse 10.
-
Notice, it says, for the sorrow that is according to the will of
-
God, produces a repentance without regret leading to
-
Salvation. Why does the effect of Sorrow
-
Godly sorrow repentance? It has an effect.
-
It has a fruit. T' to it, notice the emotion of
-
hate bears with it. The rejection of are in Psalms
-
119. The Bible says in verse 127 and
-
128 that the person who love who hates the iniquity, who does not
-
want to to do those things, which do not please God, that it
-
affects them and they and they can't stand false worship and
-
false ways before God, Psalms 119.
-
Reading verse 127. Notice therefore, I love your
-
Commandments above gold. Yes above Feingold.
-
Therefore, I steam right? Your precepts concerning
-
everything. I hate every false way so we
-
don't we do not approve. We do not appreciate those who
-
teach false Doctrine and those who teach error not that we
-
don't love the person. We love them as much as God does
-
or we should. But we hate the fact that false
-
Doctrine is being preached. We do not approve of it.
-
We do not endorse it, we do not give it a greeting as the p.
-
As the scripture says, well there's the emotion the emotion
-
of fear also bears fruit in departing from Evil, the but the
-
book just flat-out says that in Proverbs 16 and verse 6, the
-
fear of the Lord caused us to reject people.
-
So that God has a design for his emotions.
-
God gave you your emotions So, both aspects are wrong.
-
To have formalism without emotion is Apocrypha.
-
See. Do I have a motion without it?
-
Being based on a scriptures, it's nothing more than fleshly.
-
It is, fleshly people who we just want excitement, they want
-
Thrills, you know, in our culture and I'm going to be very
-
plain here. I could go I have several more
-
pages because this was an interesting study, but I'm going
-
to wrap it up here. Let's just wrap it up.
-
There are people who have been critical of the church in the
-
past saying I'll Glenn, you know, the church is just so
-
dead. They just don't show any
-
emotion. You know what, I don't defend an
-
emotional assist with emotion less worship service.
-
If you think a song about Joy, I hope your singing with joy.
-
But if you've got together and your Sorrowing with the loss of
-
brother, my friends, it's perfectly appropriate for us to
-
get together and cry together and bear one another's burdens.
-
It's the Bible says Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with
-
those who weep. Now, don't tell me the church,
-
doesn't have any motion. If it doesn't, it's wrong.
-
But at the same time to worship emotion is just as wrong to just
-
go after a sensory experience of hand-clapping and joy and just
-
believe that we have to roll in the aisles and we have to have
-
all these other things. My friends, that is nothing more
-
than fleshly excitement. That's not genuine either.
-
Both extremes are wrong. What we need to have in the
-
church is real and authentic worship where we combine words
-
with authentic feelings. When we sing, And songs of Joy
-
are songs of joy and songs of hope, our sons of Hope and songs
-
of regret are genuinely songs of self-reflection.
-
And whenever we give I want to talk more about worship with the
-
Bible demands it whenever we give we give cheerfully not
-
grudgingly or under compulsion that word under compulsion there
-
doesn't mean like we're being commanded by God and therefore
-
there must be a contradiction in Scripture that word under
-
compulsion is talking about as if it were a tax and they hated
-
paying taxes back, then it was like Like extortion.
-
And you know what? Feelings of extortion.
-
Feel like it's whenever a spyware company infects your
-
computer to sell its spyware. That's extortion.
-
Get irritated at that. You know what?
-
That's like. But the Bible says, whenever you
-
give to the Lord, that's not the supposed to be attitude.
-
You, in other words, we're happy.
-
We're thrilled were chill for that.
-
We have been blessed so that we can promote the cause of Christ.
-
We have been blessed so that we can support the The gospel to
-
the world. I'm thrilled to have a job so
-
that I can serve god with what he's blessed me with.
-
I'm thrilled to be able to help the cause of Christ, in this
-
way, and to help out poor Brethren.
-
I am cheerful. I am happy and thrilled.
-
The God says, God loves a cheerful Giver.
-
And whenever it comes to our songs, they need to be
-
appropriate when it comes to our prayers.
-
How many times I literally have been ashamed in a service where
-
I have bought Brethren and the dismissal prayer was said in one
-
breath, This person isn't talking to God, they're talking
-
at God, and it is not appropriate and it is not
-
reverent to spit out phrases that you don't know.
-
And you don't understand and to talk and shoot something at God
-
how ashamed we should be to pray.
-
So repetitively. And so inappropriately that we
-
just want to get it over with and see how quickly we can get
-
through a prayer or how quickly we can get through a song.
-
Shame on us for thinking that way.
-
Let us be real, let us be authentic.
-
And whenever we reverently approach God, We need to pre
-
aware and talk to him as if God were present and be humble
-
before him. And be able to thank God for
-
what's happened. And what's going on my friends?
-
Teach your children to pray, appropriately.
-
The prey, a properly. Whenever it comes to teaching,
-
we're not just goes to preach. We're supposed to preach the
-
word. Not just preach preach the word.
-
There's some people say man. He just preached.
-
He preached. All right but the him, preach
-
the word. We're supposed to preach the
-
word whenever we sing. We're supposed to sing
-
appropriately. Pray, pray, appropriately.
-
Give give cheerfully. And whenever we take the
-
communion, I don't know if anything that's more emphasized
-
in First Corinthians 11 than to do.
-
So in a proper manner, Examining yourself.
-
Because two failed to do. So we'll eat and drink judgment
-
to himself now. Brethren, let's just be real
-
about this for a moment. People who visit our assemblies
-
do see quickly, how we sing, how we pray and how we teach.
-
And if they don't come back, If they don't come back, we need to
-
ask ourselves. Is it?
-
Because they've seen a disconnect from real and
-
authentic emotions from what we're doing?
-
Both sides are wrong formalism is wrong.
-
If you will, in that sense, and emotionalism is wrong.
-
The Bible says, whenever you approach, God don't just do it
-
with your lips. Your heart far from him.
-
Serve God, with all of your heart.
-
Soul, mind and strength. When you sing a song, sing it.
-
Like, you mean it and if you can't sing it, like, you mean
-
it? Don't sing it, don't lead it.
-
There are some songs that I think are inappropriate, you
-
know, when we need to there's there's one song that I think
-
sounds sarcastic, you know, just wait till you see me in my new
-
home, That sounds arrogant to sweat it.
-
Like there's Nan and out all the way through it.
-
Just wait till you see me in my new home, I just don't like that
-
song that's personal and if brother and choose delete it,
-
they can lead it with spirit and understanding.
-
I don't sing it. Whenever somebody leads it, I
-
just don't You have yours. I have mine.
-
I hope. I hope you're not the author of
-
the song or we're going to have words after it just because it's
-
a song, doesn't mean we have to sing it.
-
But I'll tell you what. We need to think more about the
-
songs we pick. Do I hear an amen.
-
We need to think about the way we pray.
-
Amen. Because to do otherwise is to
-
dishonor our God It's disrespectful to God brethren.
-
To offer him in sincere worship. So tonight church, we can't talk
-
about change without talking about our emotion as well.
-
And yes, we need some emotion, but not more for more sake.
-
We don't need more emotion, just to be emotional and to be
-
sensory and to have some overload and to have some kind
-
of excitement. No.
-
We need real worship. Told me the real thing tonight.
-
If you're coming to God, why don't you make some choices?
-
You may have to make some choices about your love for God.
-
Do you love God enough to commit to him tonight?
-
Does this emotion have its fruit?
-
Does it have a fruit? Does your love for God?
-
Leads you to obey him tonight in needs to it, needs you to lead
-
to a commitment, it needs you to lead to repentance.
-
If you're, maybe you're feeling. In sorrow tonight over some of
-
the things that you've done or the way you hey, perhaps that
-
sorrow needs to lead to a change repentance.
-
Maybe you have joy tonight. Maybe you understand?
-
For the first time that God wants you to be saved and he
-
desires for you to be saved and you obey him and you're thankful
-
that you have the opportunity to obey him tonight.
-
Express your joy in obedience tonight, but let that emotion
-
have its proper fruit. God designed it.
-
Emotion have fruit have effect proper Effect in our life.
-
We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the
-
Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you
-
would, like any additional information, or you would like
-
to receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail.
-
Please email us at info at her Church of Christ
-
Bakersfield.com. Our service times are on Sundays
-
at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. And Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
-
please, make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our
-
honored guest