A Life Lived In Principle and Life Lived In Emotion by Brother Curtis Hansen

         This morning is Palm Sunday. The beginning of the Holy Week for christians. I have been back and forth on this message all week. If God is going to give you the desires of your heart, like in Psalm 37:4, why are there also scriptures of creating a clean heart, having a heart of flesh instead of stone, the heart is deceitful above all?  The point of the sermon this morning is about principle in scripture and if your life built on the principle.

        Going back to Palm Sunday. Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey and colt while the multitude greeting him are waving palm fronds and laying their cloaks and clothes on the road in front of him. Those palm fronds were a sign of praise and respect. Jesus riding on the donkey is fulfillment of the prophecy given in the book of Zechariah 9:9. The same multitudes which praised Jesus and shouted Hosannah would cry crucify him at the end of the week.

        Emotions change and principles do not. What are your principles rooted in this morning? Are they rooted in your faith? In the scripture? Or are they rooted in your emotions? If you are going to be at all effective in your walk, you are going to have to read the room correctly, be knowledgeable in the word, and display listening as well as empathy to diffuse potential disasters. You are here to peaceable among all men. 

        How do you get there? First you need to make the word of God the standard of your principle. Too many people, professed believers, are ruled by their emotion so they see principles as just a matter of opinion. You need to be in the word daily to grow your understanding. You need to not only be in the word, but you need to pray fervently before the Lord. You can't succeed in taking biblical principles and seek recommendation and validation from the world. As you grow in this walk, you will realize that there are some areas and things in your life to pray on. 

        My second point this morning is there's power in the written word. Words are powerful when spoken but there's longevity in the written word. If the word of God is not a principle in your life, the primary source, you will take the word as a mere suggestion in your life. To repeat something I said earlier is that there are obvious, common sense things in life you don't need to pray upon.

        If the word of God is not a blueprint of your life, the foundation to build your house upon, you are building your house on emotion. You can look at the parable Jesus gave about the man who built his home on the sand and the man who built his upon the rock. (Matthew 7:24-27) The more principles you learn through life, the less you will need to pray about. Principles simplify your life because they answer many of your flesh's questions. You will realize that as you read and study more, God will speak to you through the scripture. 

        How did you build your relationships in life? Off biblical principle? Off emotion? You will never be 100% satisfied with what God places you in at times. Think of other areas in your life. Your friendships, partnerships, stewardships. What are you building those upon?

        God won't put you in a test until you are ready for it. Principles will keep you in the fold when in times of trouble. The greatest enemy in our life is not Satan or our flesh but it's ignorance. Darkness and ignorance are the same in the scripture. 

        You will not nor cannot clean your house and life yet remain ignorant. You have to be the leader of your house, not your pastor. Don't hang that title on him. Your pastor is there to intercede for you, to give advice to you, and to pray for you. The less ignorance in your life the less turmoil in your life. You cannot have life and not have light. Everything is not a blessing if you are not following biblical principles. Times of discomfort and pain should you push you to God instead of run away from him.

        We all can sit here and write down a list of expectations for our life. If it is God's will and desire to lift you up and bless you, no man can stop it. What if your list of expectations is different than what the Lord's list is? How much do our lifestyle and choices take parts of his list he has for us? The principle to use us you need to rip your list up. God is not the God of your list. He has a mind and purpose for your life. Your list factors in what you want. God's list factors what you need. Turn to Psalm 37. We will be in verse 3 and 4.

        3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

        4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

        A surface reading of this is to delight thyself. Through repentance, water baptism in his name and receiving the Holy Ghost is the obligation. You don't delight in the Lord always if you are always fighting with him.

        There are four points to the desires of your heart I want to share with you this morning.

        1) God will teach you the truth about blessings.

        2) God will teach you to delight in him and change your ways.

        3) God will sanctify the motives of your heart. As we see in the book of James chapter 4 and verse 3;

        3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

        4) God will make a transformation the desire for him before he gives the desires of your heart.

        Your principles begin early in your life at a young age. What does the heart desire above all things? Comfort. Yet comfort and christianity do not go well together. The desires of your heart need to be biblical. Your business and motives need to be rooted in the Lord. God will give your heart what it is designed to have. So, instead of material things, your heart needs to seek and pursue spiritual things. Last scripture for this morning is in the book of Proverbs chapter 19 and verse 21.

        21 There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.

        You will not get rid of all your desires. The parting question this morning is do your desires line up with God?