Faith is more than a feeling
How do you feel right now?
Have you ever thought about how many emotions and feelings we can have?
Do you find it easy to express emotions?
For example do you often watch a movie and find yourself crying tears of joy or sadness.
Be honest, when you watched the film Bambi, did you cry when his mother died?
Or maybe you get excited when you watch your team play football or rugby.
I can remember on a Saturday afternoon when my dad was watching rugby on the TV and he would suddenly throw himself off the sofa and land right in front of the TV and shout “come on boy” when a player was running towards the touch line.
He became so emotionally involved in what he was watching he felt like he was actually there.
Feelings are a gift from God.
Feelings are real – we truly experience them.
We don’t imagine them and God has created us with the capacity for an incredibly wide range of emotions and feelings.
We can feel happy, playful, calm, confident, courageous, peaceful, joyful, comfortable, optimistic, delighted, encouraged, satisfied, jubilant.
We can also feel angry, afraid, depressed, hopeless, confused, hurt, sad.
Emotions are a gift from God.
Feelings are real – we truly experience them.
We don’t imagine them. They are real, they may be the truth but they are not always the truth.
If we believe in Jesus Christ and feel like God loves us and accepts us that is the truth.
If we feel condemned or that God has abandoned us that is not the truth.
Feelings are a poor measure of the truth.
As believers we are to live by faith, not by sight.
There are times when the situations we are in or the circumstances of our life may appear to indicate that God is not for us or that He is giving us too much to handle.
Yet even in difficult times we are to live by faith in God’s word which tells us despite
our circumstances God is for us and not against us.
We need to live by faith in the promises of God’s word not what our feelings may tell us.
Maybe tonight you feel a little hopeless, maybe you feel like you can’t cope another day.
Maybe the challenge for you tonight is what are you going to believe– your feelings or God’s word?
You see, to be able to live by faith in God’s word we need to know God’s word.
If we regularly read the Bible and think about God’s promises, our faith will increase and we won’t
be dependent on our feelings.
Consider these verses:
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)
So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. (2 Corinthians 4:18)
For we live by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)
Let me be clear - there is nothing wrong with showing emotion.
But, we must believe and obey God’s word no matter how we feel.
We may feel like we can’t go on.
We may feel like it is impossible to forgive someone.
Most of us probably won’t feel like rejoicing in the midst of affliction or giving thanks in everything but we can choose to trust and obey God’s word.
So let me ask you again How do you feel right now?
How do you feel tonight?
Happy, expectant, Joyful, Confident, angry, confused, sad, Worn out, burned out, absolutely fatigued.
Our Emotions can drain the very strength from our bodies, both physically and spiritually.
Does your body or mind need healing tonight?
Do you have faith that our almighty God can work a miracle in your life right now?
Sometimes we allow our emotions to override our knowledge.
We become so caught up in our emotions we begin to act upon our feelings rather than our knowledge of the truth.
Sometimes we forget things about God that are basic and true.
We as Christians must remember that we live by faith and not feelings.
We so easily forget what God has said in His Word and we ignore the promises that are ours in Christ.
God loves you even when you do not feel like worshiping or praising Him.
God loves you even when you fall short and succumb to temptation and feel unworthy of His grace.
God is faithful even when you are not faithful.
God is still there even when you cannot feel His presence.
God does not condition His love, mercy, or grace upon your ability to feel them.
The knowledge that His mercy endures forever is a fact not a feeling.
Our feelings are fleeting, we may be excited today and discouraged tomorrow.
God’s grace does not disappear because we feel unworthy of it.
Our feelings are not a substitute for faith in the basic truths of God.
We have all experienced times when things that happen in our lives don’t seem to make any sense to us haven’t we?
We live in a fallen world and bad things happen, because of sin.
Its in those times that we need to rely on our Faith in God and not our feelings.
From our perspective there are things that happen in our lives that we will never understand this side of Heaven.
We need to trust the God who loves us and cares for us.
He is faithful and we need to listen to the whisper of His voice.
Whatever circumstance you are in you have a choice to get out of the boat and walk on the water with you eyes fixed on Jesus in the midst of the storm
or you can choose to let the storm drag you under the waves.
Tonight, in the midst of adversity you can see God through the eyes of faith and trust Him for healing and wholeness.
Faith isn’t always easy, sometimes instead of walking on cool water it can feel more like we are walking barefoot on broken glass.
We need to trust Him to lead us beside the still waters, by faith we need to look into His eyes.
One day, one hour, one minute at a time,
we must keep our spiritual eyes on Jesus and He will lead us through the storm.
For we live by faith, not by sight.
(2 Corinthians 5:7)
Sight trusts in what we can see - Faith looks to God
Sight focuses on how we could - Faith Focuses on the God who can!
Sight says my problem is bigger than I can handle -
Faith says God is bigger than my problem.
Sight takes matters into its our hands - Faith places them into God’s care.
Sight relys on self - Faith waits on God.
Sight is based on how we feel - Faith is Based on the Word and promises of God.
Sight looks at how bad things appear to be -
Faith looks beyond the circumstances.
If you look at the storm, you will see the rain.
If you look at your situation, you will not see what God can do
If you look at your circumstances, you will not see beyond the trials and tribulations.
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)
Faith... the confidence of things hoped for.
Faith... the essence of what has yet to be revealed.
Faith... the evidence of things not seen.
Faith... the proof that we have only by believing.
Faith... the indication of God’s truths and promises revealed by His Word.
Let me remind you of the words of 1 Corinthians 2:9
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.
For we live by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)
Faith, rooted and grounded in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Faith that understands and believes in the infallibility of the Word of God.
Faith to move beyond how circumstances and situations may make you feel.
Faith to believe God is able.
Faith when you can’t figure out how to pay your bills.
Faith when the enemy seeks to drag you down.
Faith when when trouble seems more than you can bear.
Faith when it feels like everyone and everything is against you
Faith when the storms come
Faith when the mountain needs to be moved.
Faith when your feelings cloud your view of God.
Faith that God can bring healing and wholeness to your life.
As we come to a time of prayer let me ask you what worries and troubles did you bring with you this evening?
Have you got a thousand cares and enemies on every side?
Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired?
Are you fearful? Are you angry, confused?
Don’t put on a façade and try to bluff God - He knows what is in your heart
He knows your hurts and your weakness better than you do yourself.
Tonight, why don’t you ask Him to change you, change your ways and focus, and transform your feelings into faith?
What do you need God to do that you can not do?
As Jesus said in Matthew 19:26 “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”
Are you feeling isolated from God, be honest with Him.
Tell him how you are and how you feel. Then, focus on Him.
Rely on His unchanging nature.
Rely on God’s promises, not your feelings.
Jesus Christ died for me - for you - for us.
Does God feel far away from you tonight.
Draw near to Him in prayer no matter how you feel!
Have faith in Jesus Christ in your difficult times
Jesus Christ is your bread when you are hungry
Jesus Christ is your Comfort when you are lonely
Jesus Christ is your Peace when you are feeling tense
Jesus Christ is your Rest when you are feeling weary
Jesus Christ is your Joy when you are feeling sad
Jesus Christ is your Strength when you are weak
Jesus Christ is your Living Waters when you are thirsty
Jesus Christ is your Wisdom when you are confused
Jesus Christ is your Protection when you are endangered
Jesus Christ is your Supply when you are empty
Tonight have the faith to look to God and believing that He is going to do what His Word says He is going to do!
Trust Him to heal you and make you whole.
