Sunday, February 18, 2007

They Must be Giants - P4 - Anger

WELCOME

INTRODUCTION

Most of us are all familiar with the story of David & Goliath.

1 Samuel 17

We are continuing our series entitled “They Must be Giants!”

We have spoken on;

Unforgiveness

Fear

Un-forgiveness can hold us captive to ourselves.

Un-forgiveness can literally make us a slave to it.

Fear can cause us to make irrational decisions, or even do nothing at all.

Remember these points from David & Goliath over the next few sermons;

The battle between the Palestinians and the Israelites was a spiritual one.

David had the Holy Spirit just as all of those who belong to God have access to.

David recognized the battle was spiritual even though everyone around him could not. He was walking in the spirit, not by sight, but by faith.

When David faced the giant, he knew the battle was not a man against a giant, but a giant against a man of God.

The battle was the Lord’s!

We must remember these points in our lives as well when we face things.

  1. It’s a spiritual battle
  2. We have the Holy Spirit
  3. The battle is the Lord’s

Today we are talking about Anger.

There are two types of anger, righteous anger, and unrighteous or sinful anger.

The Giant we are speaking on today is obviously unrighteous or sinful anger.

Anger is NOT an emotion.

Anger IS a behavior.

And behaviors can be changed.

We can not control our emotions, but we can control our behaviors.

Anger is NOT an emotion.

Anger IS a behavior.

And behaviors can be changed.

Science has shown through extensive case studies over the years that there are only 2 root emotions, and everything else is a behavior that will arise from one of these two emotions.

The two emotions are LOVE and FEAR.

All of our behavior will arise from one of these two emotions.

Unrighteous or sinful anger is a behavior that arises from the emotion of fear.

In fact, all negative behavior arises from an unconscious, fear based state of stress.

When God has righteous anger, that behavior comes from what emotion? The answer is love.

Example

Psalm 7:11

God is a righteous judge,
a God who expresses his wrath every day.

Wrath is another word for anger.

God is a righteous judge, and expresses His anger every day.

His anger towards what?

Well if He is righteous, then His anger is toward – unrighteousness.

And this behavior of anger towards unrighteousness arises from what emotion?

Love.

Why, because we know it is God’s will that ALL are saved and come to a knowledge of the truth which is Jesus Christ.

That is the beginning of our righteousness. Not that we are righteous, but because we submit to our Lord and belong to Him who is righteous.

So there are only two emotions, love and fear.

All behaviors such as anger will come from one of these emotions.

Unrighteous or sinful anger arises from fear, and righteous anger arises from love.

Unrighteous or sinful anger is one of the bigger giants many face today.

Anger, like most of the giants we face, wants to make us its slave.

It wants to control us and our lives.

When we have unrighteous anger, it keeps US in a state of unrighteousness, thus we are sinning.

And this is where the devil wants us to live.

In sin.

As long as we are living in sin, we are cut off from the Lord, and all of His blessings, protection and benefits of the Kingdom of Heaven.

If we have unrighteous anger, we are sinning.

We ourselves become unrighteous.

We read last week that in 1 Peter 3:12, God does not hear the prayers of the unrighteous.

When we sin, we close the door of communication to the Lord because of our unrighteousness.

Our sinful anger causes us to live in our sin, thus cutting us off from our inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Galatians 5:19 – 21

19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

The act of our sinful nature cuts us off from the Kingdom of God.

We are told we will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

What is the Kingdom of God?

It’s not heaven. That would be the Kingdom of Heaven.

What did Jesus say to the disciples before the Cross?

Remember when they asked Jesus how to pray, and He gave them the Lords prayer as a template?

That took place BEFORE Jesus died for our sins, before we were allowed to do anything in His name.

After the cross, we’re told to do everything in the name of Jesus, His might not ours.

That’s why we pray in the name of Jesus now, but they could not do that then, because He had not become the sacrifice yet.

So Jesus told them to pray,

“Our Father, who is in heaven. Holy be your name. Until your kingdom comes, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

The kingdom had not yet come, but heaven existed!

They were praying for God’s will on earth, as it is in heaven.

They knew when the Kingdom of God came, (which was after the cross), that the Lord would reign on Earth as the Father does in heaven.

This is why they prayed fro God’s will on earth AS IT IS IN HEAVEN, because before Jesus paid the price for the sin of Adam, the earth was under the authority of Satan’s kingdom.

After Christ paid the price and purchased us with His blood, He made right the wrong, and gained authority over ALL.

And Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me…”

And the Kingdom of heaven, the ultimate rule of Jesus Christ as the King of Kings began. And the kingdom of heaven is here, now, on earth.

So, if you are living in sin, as Galatians 5:19 – 21 speaks of; you can not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.

How do you inherit the Kingdom of Heaven?

Through the adoption into the Body of Christ.

If you are living in sin, you can not be part of the Body of Christ.

Here on earth, right now.

When you live in sin, you are stepping out of the Kingdom of God and into darkness.

Unrighteous anger not only causes us to live in sin, cut off our relationship with the Lord, break our communication with the Lord through prayer, and boot us out of the Kingdom of God, but it does far more to us.

When you are angry;

  • You may feel anxious
  • You may perspire
  • Your heart may pound
  • You may feel overwhelmed
  • You can't think straight or maybe can't remember things.
  • You may have a knot in your stomach
  • You may fear that something bad is about to happen
  • You may use drugs, alcohol or other addictive behaviors, so you can escape, if even temporarily, from stressful feelings.
  • You may feel depressed, guilty or shameful as a result of your anger.

It Doesn't Have to Be This Way!

Anger is not an emotion, it is a behavior.

Think of the last time you were angry with someone.

First you say, “This was righteous because…”

Immediately you try to justify your behavior of anger.

Step outside of the situation for a moment.

Look at the situation and say, “Why did I act in anger?”

Was it out of love? Or more than likely, was I afraid of something?

I remember specific instances in my life where I was acting out in anger.

As a child I often acted out in anger constantly against my parents and siblings.

I could take a situation and say, “I was angry with them because…”

But the truth was, I was afraid.

My anger was arising from my fear.

In my family as a child there was no security.

My parents were drug users and dealers.

My father was never around and left when I was 12.

My environment was not a safe one where I lived and I was in many fights in school, mostly defending myself.

I was afraid.

And from my fear arose my anger.

From my emotion of fear, my behavior of anger came forth.

My anger was not righteous anger, because it did not arise from love, but fear.

How many of us today are behaving in anger because of our fear?

We fight with our spouses, not because we are angry AT THEM, but because we are afraid of something.

Afraid of a situation that MAY happen.

Afraid that something that has hurt us in the past MAY hurt us again.

Afraid that we may lose them.

Afraid they may want to leave us.

Afraid of failure.

Afraid of rejection.

And from our fear, arises anger.

Anger we can not explain.

We don’t know why we are angry, we just know we are.

It’s time for us to stop.

Examine the situation.

Ask ourselves, “Is this anger coming from love, or is it because I am afraid?”

“Is this righteous anger, or am I sinning?”

EXAMPLE:

Genesis 4:3 – 7

3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

Cain, did not obey what God had commanded about offerings.

And when the Lord did not look with favor upon his offering the scripture says he became angry.

Was Cain’s anger righteous or unrighteous and sinful?

Was his anger arising from love or fear?

The Lord said to Cain, “If you do what is right, you will be accepted. But if you don’t do what is right, sin is waiting at your door, it desires to have you, but you must master it!”

Cain’s anger was unrighteous and sinful because it arose from the emotion of fear.

Cain was afraid of not being accepted by God.

This anger, which was unrighteous and sinful, caused Cain to sin further by killing his brother.

Cain probably felt that he was angry at his brother because God was pleased with him.

Cain probably thought that if he eliminated his brother, there would be nothing for God to compare Cain to, and make him look bad.

Remember last week when we talked about fear, and how fear causes us make irrational decisions?

Cain did not recognize he was afraid, and what he was afraid of, not having God’s approval.

And that fear turned to anger.

Anger that was sinful and unrighteous and misplaced.

His fear caused him to think and act irrationally.

And led to the murder of his brother.

EXAMPLE:

Luke 4:23 – 30

23 Jesus said to them, "Surely you will quote this proverb to me: 'Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.' "

24 "I tell you the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy[f] in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian."

28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.”

The people in the synagogue were furious. Was their anger righteous or unrighteous and sinful?

Perhaps their fear was they were wrong in their beliefs, and the truth Jesus spoke revealed this.

Their pride would not allow them to admit they were wrong. This fear of being wrong drove them to anger.

It was unrighteous and sinful.

And it almost led them to cast Jesus off a cliff.

Just as unrighteous anger caused Cain to commit the sin of murder; it caused these people to sin as well. And unrighteous anger in your life will do the same thing to you.

Do not forget God’s warning to Cain, “Sin waits outside your door, it desires to have you, but you must master it.”

Ephesians 4:25 – 32

25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

EXAMPLE:

Mark 3:5

5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.”

Is this wrath righteous anger?

Is this anger arising from love?

Yes, because the Lord loves us so much and wants our hearts to turn to Him, but their hearts were stubborn and resisted the Lord’s love for them.

We too must do everything in love.

Today, right now, there is someone here who is angry.

And that anger is unrighteous and sinful because it arises from their fear.

And that unrighteous anger is causing you to live in sin, and outside of the Kingdom of God, apart from the Body of Christ.

In this state of living in sin, God can not give you the blessings and benefits of the Kingdom of God.

In this state of living in sin, God can not hear your prayers.

In this state, you are living in unrighteousness.

The scripture says, “Do not let your anger cause you to sin.”

More so, do not let your fear cause you to be angry.

Right now there is someone here who is afraid of what their spouse may do because of things that have hurt them in their own past. And act out in unrighteous anger towards that spouse.

Right now there is someone who is afraid of rejection from a parent, and is acting out in sinful anger towards their parent.

Right now there is someone who can not love others because of their fear of not being loved by others, and act in anger, or contempt towards people.

Right now there is someone who is angry with someone who has passed away, because they fear that they did not do everything they could have done to share the love of God with them.

If you have anger, ask yourself “What am I afraid of? What is my fear?”

Do not let that fear turn to anger.

Do not let your anger cause you to sin.

Examine yourself and your heart to ensure that you are doing everything in love.

If you have unrighteous anger, come forward for prayer.

If you know that you are fearful, and that fear is causing you to sin, come forward and let me pray for you.

Do not allow yourself to live in a state of unrighteousness.

A state of sin, which will cause you nothing but heartache.

Anger is a behavior and can be changed.

Fear is an emotion, and can be healed.

Come forward for healing if you are fearful.

No comments: