RELEASING EMOTIONAL TENSION

RELEASING EMOTIONAL TENSION

I. GOD WANTS US OK INSIDE

1. The Preferred Disposition

John 14:1

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

Philippians 4:4

Rejoice in the Lord Always and Again I say Rejoice

Philippians 4:6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with

thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7  and the peace of God,

which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through

Christ Jesus

Psalm 46:10

Be Still and Know that I am God

James 1:2

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always, 17  pray without ceasing, 18  in everything give thanks; for this is the

will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Matthew 6:25

“Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what

you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on

Matthew 14:27

But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be

afraid

John 16:24

Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that

your joy may be full

Isaiah 61:1-3

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To

preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To

proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are

bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance

of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To

give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise

for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The

planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

2. The only time negative emotions are permitted seems to be expressing

remorse to God and then we are to embrace the joy that comes with Mercy

and Forgiveness

a. Joel

Joel 2:12-13

“Now, therefore,” says the LORD, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With

fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” 13 So rend your heart, and not

your garments; Return to the LORD your God

b. James

James 4:8-10

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you

sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9  Lament and mourn and

weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

II. PROLONGED EXPPRESSION OF NEGATIVE EMOTIONS IS DAMAGING

1. A Broken Spirit Dries the Bones

Proverbs 17:22

A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones

2. Negative Emotions Promote Weakness

Nehemiah 8:10

Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send

portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord.

Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength

3. It is Unhealthy

Ninety percent of doctor visits are stress related, according to the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention.

III. HOW

1. Literally release them to God

1 Peter 5:6-7

Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt

you in due time, 7  casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Psalm 55:22

Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the

righteous to be moved.

Matthew 11:28-30

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls. 30  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

2. Tap into the Spirit’s Emotions

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, 23  gentleness, self-control

3. Change the thoughts causing the negative emotions

Romans 12:1-2

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your

bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable

service. 2  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the

renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable

and perfect will of God

4. Practice Expressing gratitude

Colossians 3:15

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in

one body; and be thankful.

5. Stay in your pay grade

Psalm 46:10

Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be

exalted in the earth!

6. Think Big Picture

Psalm 27:1-3

The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength

of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked came against me To eat

up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. 3 Though an army

may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against

me, In this I will be confident.

7. Pray in the Spirit

Romans 8:26-28

Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we

should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with

groanings which cannot be uttered. 27  Now He who searches the hearts knows

what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints

according to the will of God. 28  And we know that all things work together for

good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His

purpose.

THE COMMITMENT CRISIS DEMANDS

 THE COMMITMENT CRISIS DEMANDS

 

Joel 1:1-4

The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. 2Hear this, you elder, And give ear, all you inhabitants of the land! Has anything like this happened in your days, Or even in the days of your fathers? 3 Tell your children about it, Let your children tell their children, And their children another generation. 4 What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; What the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten; And what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten.

 

Joel 2:1-5

Blow the trumpet in Zion And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the Lord is coming, For it is at hand: 2 A Day of darkness and gloominess, A Day of clouds and thick darkness, Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. A people come, great and strong, The like of whom has never been; Nor will there ever be any such after them, Even for many successive generations. 3 A fire devours before them, And behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them,And behind them a desolate wilderness; Surely nothing shall escape them. 4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses;And like swift steeds, so they run. 5 With a noise like chariotsOver mountaintops they leap, Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble, Like a strong people set in battle array.

 

 

I. ORIGIN OF THE CRISIS

1. Locust Invasion

 

Joel 1:4 

That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten. 

 

Joel 1:7 

He hath laid my vine waste and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white. 

 

a. No produce or fruit

b. No harvest

c. No substance

d. Branches stripped off

 

 

 

 

2. Babylonian Invasion

 

3. Armageddon Invasion

 

II. CAUSE OF THE CRISIS 

Five Factors

1. God's judgment: 

Isaiah 26:9

For when Your judgments are in the earth, The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness

 

2. Satan's rage: to kill, steal and destroy:

Revelation 12:12

Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time

 

3. Man's sin: 

Galatians 6:7

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap

 

4. Creation’s groan: 

Romans 8:23

For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now

 

5. Preparation for the Coming Move of God 

 

III. RESPONSE TO CRISIS

1. Understand God’s Role in Crisis

a. Either He’s doing it

Joel 2:25

“My great army which I sent among you” 

 

Jeremiah 29:4

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

b. He’s Allowing it

Ecclesiastes 9:11

I returned and saw under the sun that— The race isnot to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all. 

 

c. He’s Working Redemption through it

Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose

 

James 1:2

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces

 

2. Wholeheartedness

Joel 2:12

“Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart

 

​​Revelation 2:4-5

4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent

 

3. Embrace Community

Joel 1:14

​​​Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly

 

Joel 2:15

Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly

 

Joel 2:16

“Gather the people…Gather the children and nursing babes..”

 

Joel 1:3

Tell your children about it, Let your children tell their children, And their children another generation

 

 

 

 

 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

 

Hebrews 10:24-25

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

 

• Stay with your church

• Develop stronger relationships

• Fight for your family

• Consider partnerships

• Pray for Kingdom connections

• Learn to trust people

 

4. Give Yourself to Prayer

Joel 1:14

And all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God,

And cry out to the Lord

 

5. Develop Confidence in God’s Kindness

Joel 2:13-14

So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful,Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. 14 Who knows if He will turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him— A grain offering and a drink offering For the Lord your God

 

A. Lord is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness (zealous 2:18).         Exodus 34:6 - Psalm 86:15; 103:8; 145:8 - Nehemiah 9:17 - Jonah3:9; 4:2 -Micah 6:8; 7:18 - Hosea 6:6

 

B. He relents from doing harm (deals wondrously with His people - Joel 2:26c).

C. Who knows if He will turn…and leave a blessing behind Him - Zephaniah 2:3 - Jonah 2:9 – Ezekiel 33:11 - Jeremiah 51:8 - Habakkuk 3:17 - Amos 5:15; 7:3 -  2 Samuel 12:22; 24:14 - 2 Chronicles34:27. 

 

 

 

 

IV. RESULT

1. Restoration   

Joel 2:25

“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,

The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you

 

2. Economic Prosperity (Blessing on agricultural, atmosphere, animals economic) 

Joel 2:19

The Lord will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil, And you will be satisfied by them

 

Joel 2:26

You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame

 

Joel 3:19

And it will come to pass in that day That the mountains shall drip with new wine,

The hills shall flow with milk, And all the brooks of Judah shall be flooded with water; A fountain shall flow from the house of the Lord And water the Valley of Acacias

 

3. Abundant Rain 

Joel 2:23

Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the Lord your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you— The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month

 

Zechariah 10:1

Ask the Lord for rain In the time of the latter rain. The Lord will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, Grass in the field for everyone

 

Zechariah 14:17

And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain

 

4. Victory over enemies

Joel 2:19d-20; 3:1-17, 19)

 

5. Outpouring of the Holy Spirit

Joel 2:28-32; 3:17, 20-21 (prophecy 2:28-29; signs/wonders 2:30-31)

 

 

6. Evangelism 

Joel 2:32a

And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance

 

7. Physical protection – supernatural deliverance and provision

Joel 2:32b

And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lordcalls

 

Joel 3:16

The Lord also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the Lord will be a shelter for His people,

And the strength of the children of Israel