Free Why I Hate Religion: 10 Reasons to Break Free from the Bondage of Religious Tradition by Creflo Dollar Page A

Christians have become quite satisfied with this type of nonsense, and consequently, they stay stuck in their problems and yield to a spirit of despair, only to go back and get another fix the next Sunday. They don’t understand that the Word is the needful thing, that it’s a manual for living. And because they refuse to seek after the Word, and trust God and His grace, they get addicted to an emotional high.

Overcoming Emotionalism
    Have you ever been to a church service that was geared toward getting the congregation hyped up? From the long devotional prayer recitations to the choir’s electrifying performances, everything makes you want to jump, shout, dance, and run around thesanctuary, but at the end of the day, you didn’t get fed the Word of God.
    I’m sure you’ve been in a service like this before. After the choir delivers a rousing rendition of the Sunday selection, the preacher comes out to deliver his sermon. He opens his Bible and turns to his Scripture text, then closes the Bible and begins his performance. He hoops, hollers, screams like James Brown, throws himself on the pulpit, and marches across the platform while yelling something you can’t understand. The problem is he didn’t back up any part of his message with Scripture. He merely told the people that they were all on their way to hell, and if they want fire insurance, they’d better get saved and join the church.
    The church signals their approval of the message by responding with a chorus of “Amens,” “Hallelujahs,” and “Praise the Lords.” The next thing you know, someone “gets happy” and catches the Spirit. Everything comes to a frantic climax as the choir sings “Come to Jesus,” and the preacher opens the doors of the church so people can decide if they want to get saved or not. The problem is that people can’t make a sound decision if they are being swept away by their emotions.
    Emotions have a God-given role in the life of every believer, but they become dangerous when people try to manipulate them to control or mislead others. Yes, people should be motivated to become born again, but their motivation should be founded on the faith that comes to them when they hear the Word being preached (see Rom. 10:17), not fear or some other intense feeling. Some ministers feel as if they have to use emotions to motivate the people in a church service, but that is not true. Look at the Apostle Paul’s ministry:
    As for myself, brethren, when I came to you, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony and evidence or mysteryand secret of God [concerning what He has done through Christ for the salvation of men] in lofty words of eloquence or human philosophy and wisdom; for I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified. And my language and my message were not set forth in persuasive (enticing and plausible) words of wisdom, but they were in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit and power [a proof by the Spirit and power of God, operating on me and stirring in the minds of my hearers the most holy emotions and thus persuading them], so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men (human philosophy), but in the power of God.
(1 Corinthians 2:1–2, 4–5 AMP )
    Emotions have a God-given role in the life of every believer, but they become dangerous when people try to manipulate them to control or mislead others.
    Paul knew the importance of the people understanding the Word, and once they understood clearly, God could move. He knew that he couldn’t save men, but God is the one who draws men’s hearts to Him. Proverbs 4:7 says, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” He didn’t use fancy homiletics or elaborate stories to move the people, but instead, he depended on the power of God to anoint his plain