Topical Sermon 02/03/25 FEELINGS PROBLEMS

WHAT WE FEEL VS. WHAT IS REAL

INTRO

Intro story

Many of us live by our feelings. In a typical day, how often do we make decisions and evaluate reality based primarily on our emotions of the moment (Or reactions to what was just spoken). We let our feelings tell us what is true, instead of letting the Holy Spirit transform us.

Romans 12:1–3 (NKJV)

1] 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.

3] For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

We can say “I feel good about this” or “I have a bad feeling about it.” This is how we live. Our culture wants us to”follow your heart” The culture also flatters us, telling us we deserve to feel good. The problem is this: these emotions aren’t reliable.

Proverbs 3:5–8 (NKJV)

5] Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

6] In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

7] Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.

8] It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.

THE PROBLEM

We get a cutting comment from a coworker, or we find ourselves in traffic situations, or we are running late. When we react to these events, we sin! Our feelings can’t be trusted.

The feeling based mentality infects our spiritual life in a bad way. An example is corporate worship: as people around us sing words of gratitude to Jesus for His death on our behalf, we may opt out because of a critical attitude, or a lack of “passion” at the moment. The Bible says, “Bless the Lord O My Soul”

Psalm 103:1–5 (NKJV)

1] Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

2] Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:

3] Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,

4] Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

5} Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

. The application here is: let the Spirit/Word tell us how to behave, not our emotions (soul). Another example is when we open our Bibles: if the words don’t readily move us, we just pass over them until we hit something that is more stimulating to us. If nothing comes easily, we forget the whole thing. A better way to go would be to use mental energy and think carefully about the passage. We need to take the time to meditate on the Scriptures.

Psalm 1:1–3 (NKJV)

1] Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

2] But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.

3] He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

Jeremiah 17:9 (NKJV)

9“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?

We can even find ourselves thinking God is leading us this way. He is not! This is definitely arrogant. “God opposes the proud” (Proverbs 3:34), (James 4:6) and (1 Peter 5:5). The good news is, though, that “God …..gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6)

Proverbs 3:34–35 (NKJV)

34Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.

35The wise shall inherit glory, But shame shall be the legacy of fools.

James 4:6–8 (NKJV)

6] But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

7] Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

8] Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

How do we become humble people who God gives grace to? Humble people follow God’s truth in His Word regardless of how we feel about it. We say “fake it ‘till you make it”. Is that what I'm talking about? Almost, but not quite. Faking it means we are still giving our emotions more authority than they deserve. A better way to see it is: if I live in truth and submit myself to it, the feelings will follow. Those are reliable feelings. They are anchored in truth.

When we find truth, we start by believing it regardless of how we feel about it. We can have deep and profound feelings that are the effect of Scripture rightly understood and believed. As we read our Bibles meditating on the Godly ideas and believe the truth and accept it, we WILL experience revelation and feel the effects of it.

Romans 12:1–2 (NKJV)

1] 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.

There’s heart-transforming truth in Scripture, but we won't encounter it by first trying to feel it.

If we trust our feelings more than truth, we will give our feelings the final authority in decision-making.

Matthew 10:39 (NKJV)

39He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.ife for me, you will find it.

Then we live on an emotional roller coaster that many of us know too well.

When we rely on our emotions, we are listening to ourselves instead of talking to ourselves. Speaking God’s truth is powerful and good. This is the key skill we need to learn to break free of the bondage of self centeredness.

Another way of looking at this is to think of an outward, objective focus versus an inward, subjective focus. We can learn to focus outward (and upward), regardless of how we feel. Subjective thinking changes regularly, like shifting sand. Objective thoughts and actions are built upon the solid rock. Our life in Jesus Christ is built on solid truth. The Most important one is: He died for our sins. He has conquered all and sits on the right hand of the Father