Without Feeling?
True worship involves feeling in the heart, and a Christian without feeling is likely to be spiritually numb and disconnected from God.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the significance of emotions in the Christian faith, arguing that true worship involves heartfelt feelings. He reflects on his own joyful conversion experience and challenges the notion that feelings should be excluded from spiritual life. Tozer warns against being a 'feelingless people,' asserting that a lack of emotional engagement in worship indicates spiritual deadness. He encourages believers to embrace their emotions as a vital part of their relationship with God, rather than dismissing them.
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I do know something of the emotional life that goes along with conversion to Jesus Christ. I came into the kingdom of God with joy, knowing that I had been forgiven. I have had people tell me very dogmatically that they will never allow "feeling" to have any part in their spiritual life and experience. "Too bad for you!" is my reply. I say that because I have voiced a very real definition of what I believe true worship to be: "Worship is to feel in the heart!" In the Christian faith, we should be able to use the word "feel" boldly and without apology.
What worse thing could be said of us as the Christian church if it can be said of us that we are a feelingless people?
I think we must agree that those of us who have been blest within our own beings would not join in any crusade to "follow your feelings." But if there is no feeling at all in our hearts, then we are dead!
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Feeling in Worship
- The Dangers of a Feelingless Christianity
- A feelingless church is a dead church
- The absence of feeling is a sign of spiritual numbness
Key Quotes
“Worship is to feel in the heart!” — A.W. Tozer
“What worse thing could be said of us as the Christian church if it can be said of us that we are a feelingless people?” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We should strive to cultivate a deep emotional connection with God in our worship and spiritual lives.
- A feelingless church is a dead church, and we should seek to revive our spiritual lives by prioritizing feeling and emotion.
- We should use the word 'feel' boldly and without apology in our spiritual conversations and worship.