Romans 12:14-15, 17, 19-20 – The Emotional Death Grip – Bible study

Romans 12:14-15, 17, 19-20 The Emotional Death Grip \See "Romans 8:1"\ \See "Hebrews 12:14-15"\ This is another of the messages in which I am speaking primarily to Christians. If you are here and are not a Christian, weand even more importantGod wants you to become one; but most of what I will discuss today pertains to the powers that belong to the Christian. Note that these verses contain commands. That means they are telling us to do some things that God expects us to actually do. In \#Romans 12:14\ God command us to bless (pronounce good on) those who do us evil (persecute us.) Just in case we did not get, God quickly tells us again. "Bless them; do not curse them." \#Romans 12:15\ God tells us to rejoice with those who have received God. Rejoice whether we feel like it or not. God does not want us to tear down someone elses good just because it did not happen to us or we do not feel like rejoicing. In that same verse, God tells us to weep with those who have cause to weep. Again, the command is do it whether we feel like it or not. Let me share some other commands with you. Romans 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Even if you want do, do not do it! He goes on to explain. Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Do not seek revenge even if you really, really want to do so, but put wrath in its place. Romans 12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink Feed and help your enemy even if you do not want to do so. Notice, there is a theme. The theme is that there are right things to do and we are to do them, whether we want to or not, whether we feel like it or not. Other passages teach this as well. Proverbs 24:17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Proverbs 24:19 Fret not thyself because of evil men (dont worry), neither be thou envious at the wicked (dont be envious). Proverbs 24:29 Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work. Dont retaliate. All of these verses and there are many others are telling us not to do what we think is right or what we feel is right but what God tells us is right. I want to address just one half of that this morning. The title of the message is Emotional Death Grip or you might call it, Emotional Self Control. A few thoughts this morning. I. Christians, we must control our emotions. A. If you have been exposed to the news at all in the last year, you know there is emotional turmoil across this country, so much do that instead of our nation welcoming the new President, there have been concerts, marches, protests, and even riots against him. 1. There have been calls for the government to be overthrown and for the President to be assassinated. Those people have no idea for what they are asking. 2. That is not what this message is about; however, it is an example of what can happen when our emotions control us instead of us controlling our emotions. 3. Three motions, anger, hatred, fear and losing a spirit of rebellion and violence. 4. People can become dramatic, unreasonable, even foolish. B. Not only have out-of-control emotions caused politically turmoil, but they cause road rage, suicide, a good many homicides and other acts of violence. C. There is also 1. Pre-martial and adultery sex are often caused by peoples emotions controlling them. 2. Arguments and a good bit of peoples filthy language. Three causes: anger, pride, and ignorance. 3. guilt 4. Panic – not just a healthy fear but a debilitating fear 5. These emotions are losing a spirit of depression. D. These and so many more emotional death grips are caused because people are not and sometimes cannot control their emotions. E. Let me repeat again, Christians, we must control our emotions. 1. If we do not, they will control us and that will lead to an emotional death grip being placed on our lives. 2. What is an emotional death grip? That is when your emotions begin to choke the life out of you. a. They may choke out our joy, happiness, fun, zest. b. They may choke out our friends, even our family. c. They may choke out our sanity and ability to think logically or to love or to enjoy. d. They may choke out the very will to live and it is possible that they will choke life right out of our body. 3. Christians, we must control our emotions. a. Some are having hard a time doing so. I do not want to hurt you. I want to help you. b. There are several emotions that have a stranglehold on our people including fear, bitterness, guilt, worry, and despair. c. The longer you allow emotions to control you, the harder it will be for you to gain control of them! (1) There is a cumulative toil taking place. (2) The longer you live, the more problems you will have. (3) The more problems you have, the more emotions about them you will experience. (4) If those emotions are controlling you, the more havoc and confusion they are going to bring. d. I cannot cure your problems but the Bible tells us that we dont have to be in an emotional death grip. II. Turn to the book of Philippians. A. Paul is the writer of this Book. 1. Paul had a problemed life. 2. Paul had a sinful past, he had persecuted the church and had the blood Steven and others on his hands. 3. Paul also had a frustrating present, being persecuted, beaten, lied about, arrested, and ultimately beheaded for Christ. 4. These two, the past and the present, are what causes many people to allow their emotions to get a death grip on them. 5. But Paul learned some truths that helped keep that from happening to him. B. What did Paul learn? 1. Paul learned of the greatest Power. Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. a. It is the power of Jesus Christ. b. Paul was not the only one to attest to the power of Jesus. Mt 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. 1John 4:4 greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. c. Jesus is greater than our problems, our past, our weaknesses, our present, our sins, or our temptations. d. Someone is probably saying, "I dont care what the Bible says. Ive tried and I cant." a. Christians, before we will be able to control our emotions, we are going to have acknowledge that we can control them with Gods help. Mr 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Mt 21:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. b. Christians have fallen into unsaved lifestyles with the unsaveds excuses. (a) Everyone believes they are too weak to help themselves. (b) Their call sign is "I cant." i. Homosexual – "I cant help who I love." ii. Angry – "I cant control my temper." iii. Worrier – "I cant help but to worry." iv. Bitter – "I cant forgive them." (c) Maybe they cant, but Christians can! (d) We have the power of Jesus Christ! 2. Paul learned of his greatest need. Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (thought is "to have arrived at perfection): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, a. Pauls most important need was to forget the past. b. The reason most people are in emotional death grips is because they will not forget. c. To forget does not mean to erase a thing from our memories. There is no pencil eraser or delete button in the human brain. d. It means to refuse to think about it, to refuse to remember it. (1) I understand that this can be done because I must do it too. Remember, we are all fighting the same battles. 1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man. Jas 5:17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are. Heb 4:15 (Jesus) but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (2) I understand what can happen when we do not do it. (a) The unforgiving spirit, the angry spirit, the untrusting spirit (b) This is not just something I know, this is something I have experienced. (c) We must quit remembering our hurts, our sorrows, our failures, our betrayals, the wrong committed against us and the wrongs we have committed against others. e. I cannot dwell on this for long but let me show you how emotional death grips work. (1) If we do not forget the hurts committed by others, bitterness arises. Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; (a) \#14\ The command is "seek peace with others." That implies do what is necessary to be at peace with others. (b) Then Paul adds a second thought, seek holiness. (c) \#15\ Seek these things will diligence. (d) What happens if you do not? "lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you." It causes YOU trouble. (e) How? It creates in YOU a bitter, angry spirit that will defile you and others. (2) If we do not forgive our failures, guilt arises. (3) Either of these, along with others, can cause depression. (a) This is where the Bible turns from being just sinful to spiritual sinful. (b) Depression is a state of our spirit being cast down, depressed. (c) The only way our spirit (Christians) can be depressed is if Gods Holy Spirit is also cast down or somehow limited. (d) (I know God is God and we dont and cant limit God, except He tells us in His Word that we can. Like a fire ,Christians snuff God out!) 1Th 5:19 Quench not the Spirit. (e) If our spirit and Gods Spirit are both put down, whose spirit is going to rise up and start to take control of us? (1) Satans! Eph 4:27 Neither give place to the devil. (2) In that state, we (Christians) are giving the devil the open door to influence and oppress us. (3) This is the state that many Christians are living in today, emotional death grip! f. Friend, our greatest need is to quit remembering. 3. Paul learned the greatest goal. Php 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, a. Paul learned that the greatest goal was not (1) to dwell on the past. (2) to live in the past. (3) to vindicate the past. (4) to bring justice to what was done in the past. (5) to set right the past. b. The greatest goal was to count the past as dung and to learn as much as possible about Jesus Christ. I must stop. If you are saved, it is time to break the emotional death grip that has been squeezing the life out of you. How? 1. Stop remembering 2. Accept Christs power and acknowledge that it can set you free. 3. Seek more of Jesus. If you are unsaved, you will need to trust Jesus. I pray that you will.