Emotion and Emotionalism
A Sermon on John 4:13-14
Originally preached April 30, 1967
Scripture
13Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting …
Sermon Description
Where is joy found for Christians? In this sermon on John 4:13–14 titled “Emotion and Emotionalism,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows how a joy that is simply based on emotions is not the joy that Christ gives. True and lasting joy comes about when Christians put their trust in Jesus and come to a full assurance of salvation. Knowing that God is wholly for His people in the sending of His Son to die for them is what gives Christians hope in this life. This assurance of joy is not simply the result of emotions, but it gives a true basis for emotions. There is nothing to fear from emotions in themselves, but only the misunderstanding of emotions in the Christian life. Cults and false religious teachers often appeal to emotions to gain converts and control them; this is wholly opposed to the truths of the gospel that provide a basis for true joy in the life of Christians. True emotions can be expressed many ways for Christians, provided that they have a basis in God’s truth. This sermon is a comfort for all who are searching for joy because it proclaims Christ as the true and lasting hope.
Sermon Breakdown
- A mere ascent to the truth or the adoption of certain principles and teaching does not make us Christian.
- There is a danger of confusing the true Christian position with believism plus sentimentality.
- Believism plus sentimentality does not make a Christian. Believism plus an ecstatic emotionalism doesn't constitute Christianity.
- The Christian position affects the whole men - the head, the heart, and the will.
- We must differentiate between the satisfaction that our Lord gives to the heart and emotionalism. Emotionalism regards emotion as an end in itself and concentrates entirely on the immersion.
- True emotion always results from truth. Emotionalism makes a direct assault upon the feelings, often ignoring the intellect.
- Emotionalism always has an element of loss of control and excess. True emotion is invigorating and leads to action.
- The early Church conquered the world through their sheer joyfulness. They were a rejoicing and praising people.
- The Apostle Paul's epistles demonstrate tremendous emotion in addition to logical reasoning. His emotion is the result of the truth that moved him.
- According to 1 Corinthians 13, without love, all else is useless. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
- We must ask ourselves if we have been moved by the truth. Does what we believe thrill us and move us to the depth of our being? Is our heart engaged along with our mind and will?
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers about Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Living Water
What is the main Bible passage that Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones is preaching on in this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones is preaching on John 4:13-14, where Jesus tells the woman of Samaria: "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the "all-sufficiency" of Christian salvation?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes Christian salvation as "full" and "complete," emphasizing that it "satisfies us entirely and completely." He contrasts this with the world, which "never can satisfy." The Christian faith, according to Lloyd-Jones, gives a "complete and entire intellectual satisfaction in a way that nothing else in the world can do" and also satisfies the heart and emotions.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as one of the greatest problems in the modern church?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies "a lack of true emotion" as perhaps the greatest lack in the Christian church of his time. He states: "If I were asked to say in a phrase what is the greatest lack in the Christian church at the present time, I would say that it is a lack of true emotion. There's no lack of a belief, a kind of belief, plus a sentimentality and an emotionalism. What I say is lacking is a real Christian New Testament emotion."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones distinguish between true Christian emotion and emotionalism?
Lloyd-Jones makes several key distinctions: 1. True emotion results from truth and is kindled by truth, while emotionalism has no intellectual content 2. Emotionalism regards emotion as an end in itself, while true emotion is part of a whole response 3. Emotionalism involves a loss of control and element of excess, like intoxication 4. Emotionalism is eventually exhausting, while true emotion is invigorating 5. True emotion involves the mind and will along with the heart, affecting the whole person
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as "believism plus sentimentality" and why does he critique it?
Lloyd-Jones describes "believism plus sentimentality" as a situation where people have intellectually accepted Christian beliefs but haven't truly felt anything as a result. To compensate, they add on manufactured emotional responses through stories, music, or other means. He critiques this because the emotions aren't directly produced by the truth itself but are artificially added. He states clearly: "Believism plus sentimentality does not make a Christian. Believism plus an ecstatic emotionalism doesn't constitute Christianity. There is no plus in Christianity. It's all one."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the early Christians and what made them effective?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes the early Christians as people filled with genuine joy and gladness who "conquered the world by their sheer joyfulness." Despite being few in number, having no wealth or status, they "shook that ancient world" and became "a dominant power in the life of the ancient world." He cites examples from Acts showing they were a "rejoicing and praising people" even in the face of persecution, and this quality made them "irresistible."
What examples does Dr. Lloyd-Jones give of emotion in the Apostle Paul's ministry?
Lloyd-Jones points to: 1. Paul's own testimony of serving "with many tears" (Acts 20:19) 2. The emotional quality that permeates Paul's epistles alongside his logical arguments 3. Paul and Silas singing praises at midnight in prison despite being beaten 4. The eloquent, emotionally-charged passages in Romans 8 and 2 Corinthians 4 5. Paul's teaching on rejoicing in Romans 5 and Philippians 3-4 6. His emphasis on love in 1 Corinthians 13
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggest is the source of true Christian emotion?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that true Christian emotion comes from the Holy Spirit, not from human effort or manipulation. He states: "It is nothing but the Holy Spirit of God who can ever shed this love abroad in our hearts." The true emotion results from the truth having "dawned upon him, has captured him, captivated him and has moved him to the depth of his being."
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, what kinds of methods do people use to manufacture artificial religious emotions?
He identifies several methods people use to manufacture emotions: 1. Telling affecting or moving stories that make people weep 2. Using sentimental music and singing 3. Rhythmic movements like clapping hands or stamping feet 4. Using psychological methods like colored lights 5. Religious novels or affecting missionary accounts 6. Deliberately encouraging people to "let themselves go"
What final challenge does Dr. Lloyd-Jones leave with his listeners about their Christian experience?
His final challenge is expressed in these questions: "Have you been moved by the truth? Does what you believe thrill you? Move you to the depth of your being? Is your heart engaged? Your mind is your will? May be? I'm asking, is your heart engaged? I'm not asking, is your heart only engaged? I am asking, is your mind engaged? Is your heart engaged? Is your will engaged? That's the Christian position, the whole man, the complete personality captured captivated by Him."
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.