Faith or Feelings
Faith or Feelings?
Pastor Keith Hassell
Foundation Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
I. If we are going to live victoriously in Christ, then we must decide to live by faith rather than by feelings.
A. Things that are seen are subject to change while things that are not seen are not subject to change.
B. Joshua 1:8 God told Joshua that he would be successful if he was guided by the Word of God
II. Illustration of Flying a Plane
A. Novice Pilots do not fly by the instruments in the plane but according to what they see and feel. They are only allowed to fly during daytime hours and in good weather. In pilot jargon, these novices are said to “fly by the seat of their pants.”
B. Experienced pilots have earned their instruments rating. This license allows them to fly at night or in cloud cover. They have learned to monitor the plane’s gauges and guide the plane accordingly.
C. Actual taped conversation between a air traffic controller and a novice pilot lost in the clouds above the Colorado Rockies:
Controller: “Cessna 123, what is your heading?”
Pilot: “I don’t know. South, I think.”
Controller: “Cessna 123, what is your altitude?”
Pilot: “Umm . . . 12,500.”
Controller: “Cessna 123, minimum safe altitude in that area is 15,000. Pull your nose up about three degrees and start a climb to 15,000.”
Pilot: “Okay.”
Controller: “Cessna 123, are you instrument-rated?”
Pilot: “No.”
Controller: Cessna 123, can you see blue sky anywhere?”
Pilot: “No.”
Controller: “Cessna 123, O.K., then, nice and easy, keep your wings level and keep it climbing.”
Pilot (with stall warning horn blaring in the background): “I’m in a stall!”
Controller: “Cessna 123, lower your nose just a bit.”
Pilot: “I’m spinning! Help me!”
Controller: “Cessna 123, look at your instruments and tell me if you are spinning left or right.”
Pilot: “Help me . . . I’m still spinning.”
Controller: “Look at your instruments! Are you spinning left or right?”
Pilot: “I don’t know! Help me!”
Controller: “I’m trying to, but you’ve got to tell me if you are spinning left or right.”
Pilot: Help!”
Controller: “Cessna 123, look at your instruments! Which direction are you spinning?”
Pilot: “Help me!”
Controller: “Cessna 123, tell me which way you are spinning.”
Controller: “Cessna 123? Cessna 123, please reply. Cessna 123, please reply.”
(The wreckage and the body were found the next day.)
III. The Importance of being guided by the Word of God
A. Many immature Christians crash and burn, spiritually speaking, because they make the same mistake. They rely on their feelings and senses rather than the Word of God.
B. Just as the plane’s instruments do not scream at us, neither do the words of God. They just sit there quietly and tell us the truth. Whether we look at them and act accordingly is up to us.
C. Lamentations 3:19-25: When we get down, we tend to focus on the bad circumstances and on how bad we feel. Jeremiah did not get the victory over his discouragement and depression until he directed his focus on truth.
D. Ephesians 6:11, 16 “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil . . . Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”
1. The enemy does His work by throwing “flaming darts,” lies containing his power. If we believe the lie, it brings bondage into our lives---bondage that will remain as long as we believe the lie.
2. Using the shield of faith means refusing to accept the thoughts that contradict God’s truth. We place our faith in the word of God and are guided by it rather than by what we see or feel.
E. Examples from God’s Word include:
1. Hebrews 13:5 “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
2. Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
3. James 1:2-4 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
4. Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
5. Philippians 4:19 “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
6. I Peter 2:24 “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness---by whose stripes you were healed.”
7. I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
IV. Meditate on the Word of God day and night
A. Matthew 12:34-35 “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man out of his good treasure brings forth good things.”
B. If we continue to live by our feelings and do not get the word of God within us and then in times of trial we try to use it, the truth of Proverbs 26:7 “Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless, is a proverb in the mouth of fools.”