Worship VS. Emotions?

Of course these acts are not the basis of our worship! God ought to be the basis of our worship: "Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in holy array" (Ps 29:4).

 

I can't cry if I'm so moved if I'm sitting on YOUR pew?

 

Thou shall not cry in MY pew or within MY visual range!!!!!

 

This is only semi-related to the thread, but I have noticed on occasion, that if I am in a bad mood, or just not in the mood to worship, that by sitting in silence and meditating on the worship of other saints, and by praying the words to the songs, that my spirit becomes in tune with the spirit of God thereby allowing me to lift up a song to my God. My church has a blended worship service which provides an uplifting, non-charismatic environment in which to worship God.

Emotion is a part of the human mind and heart. But we must be careful not to allow satan to use our emotions to satisfy "self." Instead, any outpouring of emotion (both in worship and with everyday life) must be Holy Spirit lead and be a wellspring of life flowing from the depths of our blood cleansed soul.

Kevin

:applause:

 

I don't base the "quality" of my worship on any emotional response, but if there is a lack of some type of emotion (joy, gladness, contrition just to name a few) I then question the condition of my heart and my walk with the Lord.

 

BINGO!!!

You hit the Nail right on the head!!!!!

Worship has absolutely nothing to do with what the "Charismatics" do or don't do on a Sunday morning!!!

Worship has absolutely everything to do with YOUR(the individual) total and unconditional, moment by moment surrender of yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ

Worship is the giving of self---a moment by moment, 24 hour/day living sacrifice

Has nothing to do with how loud you sing on Sunday

Has nothing to do with how many hands you raise during the singing

Has nothing to do with how much crying and squalling and carrying on you do while listening to someone sing---nothing to do whatsoever with emotion

Worship has everything to do with how you obey what the word from the Word says

God's not interested in what the Charasmatics do during "Praise time" ---- 15 minutes of their lives on Sunday morning between 11am and 12 pm --- that 15 minutes of emotion and stuff is in vain----if "self" is not being crucified on the other days of the week!!!!

 

Let me challenge you on this concept. The best example is studying the Scriptures, that is worship.

Take one who is systematically and exegetically studying the Scriptures. That is indeed worship. It is devotion to God's Word. Obviously there is no point when the normal person does not have emotion (I say that with the exception of medical causes or abnormalities of the brain) so I suspect you mean can one worship without any measurable emotion or manifested emotion. I say yes they can indeed worship in such a fashion and often do.

But not just the one studying is worship, but the one being taught is also worshiping through learning. To sit and listen and concentrate on doctrine being taught is worship. It is a significant act of worship displaying a right attitude and most humble disposition toward God. It is the exaltation of His Word. In fact, the omission of study and the neglect of serious learning of God's Word in anyone's life is a demonstration of a LACK of worship.

My suspicion is the definition and conceptualization of the word worship. Most people, it appears, reduce it to a dramatic context. There are many non-emotional contexts in which worship occurs (non-emotional meaning it does not tend to provoke emotional experiences, that is not to say void of any human emotion since I made it clear we have them always we simply don't always experience them).

And so I still maintain that the one common denominator that is present in all TRUE worship won't be measurable emotional experiences or displays but positive volition toward God which comes from the MENTALITY.

 

Your emotions should never be the basis for evaluating your spiritual condition, EVER.

Secondly, contrition, joy, gladness and so on are mental dispositions FIRST and emotional contexts second. If you are positive toward the truth of God then that is all God requires. He never requires emotional experiences, He requires MENTAL dispositions. You will have emotional experiences from time to time indeed, that is part of being human, but they are NOT a measure for your walk or rightness before God. The presence or absence of an emotion is not and should never be the basis of evaluating anything spiritual. It is whether we have exercised positive volition toward God.

There is no demand or promise of measurable emotional experiences. You may or may not have them. But if you are walking in the light which is determined through a right mentality, then you can be assured are in fellowship.

 

Yes to all.

I am reminded of this verse:


Isa 29:13 Then the Lord said, "Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned {by rote,}

Worship comes from a heart that is inclined toward God.

 

:thumbs:
Good point.

 

Over and over again the emphasis on worship is being alone with God, as it is stated in Mat.6:5-7. In fact in that passage Jesus condemned the public worship of the Pharisees, albeit because of their purpose--to be seen of men.
The main purpose of the service is for teaching. The pulpit is central. The Word of God is proclaimed. "The sheep are fed," as Christ commanded Peter. This is not primarily worship, but teaching. The same pattern was followed in the book of Acts where the emphasis was on "doctrine" and then on fellowship, and the breaking of break (The Lord's Table). I believe that the most worshipful service was centered around the Lord's Table when deliberate time was given for meditation on the suffering of our Lord and the anticipation of His coming again.

In our own private devotions, however, we can get alone with God and pour out our hearts to him. Hannah poured out her heart to God. She wept and travailed in prayer, so much so that Eli thought she was drunk.
Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall and cried to the Lord that he would not die, but that the Lord would allow him to live.
Miriam rejoiced so, in that she danced before the Lord--but this was in a military victory, as was most dancing was in the OT, unless it was idolatrous as in dancing naked around a golden calf.
We are encouraged to "sow in tears, and go forth weeping," indicating prayer with fervency.

When one is deeply concerned for lost unsaved ones often they will be concerned enough to shed tears for them.
When reading through the account of the crucifixion of our Lord slowly and meditatively, how can one be moved emotionally? Certainly emotions are involved in worship. Rejoicing, sorrow, burdens, and many others.

But again, the frothy carnal emotions that run rampant in Charismatic-like churches is nothing but carnality. Sometimes we even teach our children such in the childrens songs that we sing:

I'm so happy
I'm so happy
I'm so happy, happy, happy, happpy....
(When all I see is gloomy faces before me)

 

I will tackle two posts at once. First to Amy. I realize in your hysteria to find someone to side with against me you are apt to pick anyone in such desperation but at least try and pick a post that has some well constructed exegesis and theology.

For annsni. By your own definition you would limit worship to ONLY when someone is prostrate or bowing which automatically rejects other forms of worshiping. One verse demonstrates that your idea that one must be prostrate is invalid and if you didn't mean to require one to always be prostrate then your argument fails even there since you are the once contending that it means that. While it does mean to be prostrate it does not mean that EXCLUSIVELY and you are arguing from a point of exclusion. It also means to reverence without ANY prescription as to body position or method of reverence, simply it means to reverence. Study of God's Word is exactly that, reverence of His Word or else one would certainly neglect it.

So your attempt to prescribe a physical position of bowing and being prostrate fails here. They ROSE up and worshiped. Unless of course you want to argue with the account of God's own Word that some men worshiped while having ROSE UP. Okay, so we destroyed that error not to mention making clear earlier that the definition is not limited to just being prostrate or or bow down but also simply to have or exercise reverence.

Secondly, you make this statement:

First, if you believe studying the Word of God isn't reverent then not just I but a sizable body of believers can't help you. This statement alone erringly takes issue with the nature of God's Word and its place in our lives.

Your rejection of having your MIND RENEWED is your rejection of GOD. The believer who does have their mind renewed IS GIVING reverence to God by obeying this and making it a priority in their life. That IS WORSHIP.

Finally you state:

Well friend, unsaved people can sing, can have emotions, can prostrate themselves too. Your very own objection makes INVALID your own position.

Unsaved people can study the Bible but they don't receive spiritual enlightenment. And it is spiritual enlightenment that the believer receives which segregates them from the unbeliever. Just as the unbeliever can lay prostrate, they do not have the righteousness of Christ, which separates the believer in worship and makes their worship in a prostrate position acceptable to God. The point is that the believer has MANY ways to WORSHIP GOD and the Bible makes that clear. Here are just a couple passages revealing that it is through receiving the truth of God's Word and being in that truth we worship him.

Studying God's Word is indeed reverence and quite an act of worship.

 

I find it hard to suppress emotion if a song or a sermon takes me there. But I do not get up and dance a jig or walk across pews. I have had the Holy Spirit move me to get up and walk the aisle to the alter.:godisgood:

 

By way of worship testimony:

1. I raise my hands, clap, say Amen, and at times shout "praise God" or something like that.

2. Does anyone remember the cripple who was healed through Peter and John, how he jumped, walked and was praising God and how the people took noticed?

3. Why did the people take notice of his worship? (Acts 3:1-10).

 

Good point, maybe the question should be can ones praise/worship be viewed as emotiolism by others?

I am sure there are many who viewed his praise and aksed what it was all about. Now he on the other hand knew he was thankful in his heart. This also goes for the man who was born blind. They questioned him also.

 

In my childhood, I learned to suppress most ALL emotion. Suppressing most of your emotions isn't normal. Please know that there was good reasons for this, but it thwarted my emotional development and it was difficult to overcome.

I am probably a bit more demonstrative as an adult than some of you would be comfortable with. It took a great deal of effort to break through self imposed barriers (through God's magnificent help I did though!). I'm in no way charasmatic, but I will raise my hand/s, I will say amen, I will stand up if I feel led - though that has rarely happened. I have been moved to tears, and I will no longer hold them back because someone else is uncomfortable around them. I can't! I'm a different person today.

I hope to make the point that we don't always know what the person on the pew next to us has been through or is going through. We don't know why they might respond emotionally today when in another time they'd never respond that way.

 

Hysteria? I was never hysterical. As far as my so called "hysteria" to side against you, don't flatter yourself.

I agreed with Ann. It's that simple. I agree with lots of other people on this board and it has nothing to do with you.

Why you even included that comment to me in your post anyway is beyond me.