Zack Nigliazzo
Grace Bible Church
“Emotions: To Feel or Not To Feel”
A Biblical snapshot of the topic of emotions and specifically the emotion of fear.
Emotions
• Our constant companions
• Take the driver’s seat
▪ Anger Can’t control it
▪ Love Can’t help it
▪ Sadness Can’t shake it
▪ Afraid Can’t stop it
▪ Ashamed Can’t let it go
• Advanced metaphysics
• What did Jesus feel?
When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.
—Mark 6.34
And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables;
and to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house will consume me.”
—John 2.15-17
When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept.
—John 11.33-35
And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. And He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.”
—Mark 14.33-34
• Matters of life and death
Negative Positive
Anger Murder Justice
Sadness Suicide Hope
Guilt Self-Destruction Repentance
Love Self-Indulgence Service
Fear Isolation Trust
Doubt Denial Faith
Shame Self-Condemning Endurance
Death Life
Anger Murder Justice
Sadness Suicide Hope
Guilt Self-Destruction Repentance
Love Self-Indulgence Service
Fear Isolation Trust
Doubt Denial Faith
Shame Self-Condemning Endurance
Fear
They will be terrified, Pains and anguish will take hold of them;
—Isaiah 13.8a
Jumpy / Uneasy / Tense / Nervous /
Restless / Terrified / Alarmed / Anxious / Panicked / Scared / Apprehensive /
Paralyzed / Worried
• How significant is FEAR?
• Out of Control
Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they launched out. But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger.
—Luke 8.22-23
They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm.
—Luke 8.24
And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”
—Luke 8.25
• Art of Manipulation
1 Samuel 13.5-14
Now the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen, and people like the sand which is on the seashore in abundance; and they came up and camped in Michmash, east of Beth-aven.
When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were hard-pressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in cliffs, in cellars, and in pits.
Also some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. Now he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him.
So Saul said, “Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him and to greet him. But Samuel said, “What have you done?”
And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the appointed days, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not asked the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.”
Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, for now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.
“But now your kingdom shall not endure. The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
• Right Fear, Wrong Fear
The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.
—Ecclesiastes 12.13-14
• Do I Trust?
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
—Joshua 1.9
In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety.
—Psalm 4:8