They Must be Giants
Part 4 – A Giant Named Anger
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org |
www.TruthDigest.org
INTRODUCTION
Most
of us are all familiar with the story of David & Goliath in 1 Samuel 17.
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 the power of God.
†
The battle was the Lord’s!
David had the right perspective.
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 if we belong to God
3. The
battle is the Lord’s
Today
we are talking about Anger.
I. FEAR IS
1. 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.
2. Anger is NOT an
emotion. Anger IS a behavior. And behaviors can be changed.
1. We can not control
our emotions, but we can control our behaviors.
2. Science has shown
through extensive case studies over the years that there are only 2 root
emotions, and everything else we experience is a behavior that will arise from
one of these two emotions.
3. The two emotions
are LOVE and FEAR.
1. All of our behavior
will arise from one of these two emotions.
2. Unrighteous or
sinful anger is a behavior that arises from the emotion of fear.
3. In fact, all
negative behavior arises from an unconscious, fear based state of stress.
4. 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 extreme 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.
II. Unrighteous or
sinful anger is one of the bigger giants many face today.
1. Anger, like most of
the giants we face, wants to make us its slave.
1. It wants to control
us and our lives.
2. When we have
unrighteous anger, it keeps us in a state of unrighteousness, thus we are
sinning.
3. And this is where
the devil wants us to live. In sin.
2. 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.
1. If we have
unrighteous anger, we are sinning.
2. We ourselves become
unrighteous.
3. We read in 1 Peter 3:12, God does not hear the
prayers of the unrighteous.
1. When we sin, we
close the door of communication to the Lord because of our unrighteousness.
2. 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.”
III. The act of our
sinful nature cuts us off from the Kingdom of God.
1.We are told we will
not inherit the Kingdom of God.
1. What is the Kingdom
of God? It’s not just talking about the Kingdom of Heaven.
2. What did Jesus say
to the disciples before the Cross?
1. Remember when they
asked Jesus how to pray, and He gave them the Lords prayer as a template?
2. That took place
BEFORE Jesus died for our sins, before we were allowed to do anything in His
name.
3. After the cross,
we’re told to do everything in the name of Jesus, His might not ours.
4. 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.
5. So Jesus told them
to pray, “Our Father, who is in heaven.
Holy be your name. Until your
kingdom comes (Kingdom of God on earth), your will be done on earth
as it is in heaven (Kingdom of heaven).”
6. The kingdom of God
had not yet come to earth, but the kingdom of heaven already existed!
3. They were praying
for God’s will on earth, as it is in heaven.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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…”
4. And the Kingdom of
God, the ultimate rule of Jesus Christ as the King of Kings began. And the kingdom of God is here, now, on
earth.
1. So, if you are
living in sin, as Galatians 5:19 – 21 speaks of; you can not inherit the Kingdom
of Heaven.
2. How do you inherit
the Kingdom of Heaven?
1. Through the
adoption into the Body of Christ.
2. If you are living
in sin, you can not be part of the Body of Christ.
3. Here on earth,
right now. When you live in sin, you are stepping out of the Kingdom of God and
into darkness. And if you die outside of the Kingdom of God on earth, you can
not inherit the the Kingdom of heaven.
IV.UNRIGHTEOUS ANGER
1. 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 here on
earth and the Kingdom of Heaven when we die, 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, and behaviors can be changed!
ILLUSTRATION
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 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 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, and 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.
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 emotion of fear turned to a behavior, 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.
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.
V. Today, right now,
there is someone here who is angry.
1. And that anger is
unrighteous and sinful because it arises from your fear.
1. And that
unrighteous anger is causing you to live in sin, and outside of the
Kingdom of God, apart from the Body of Christ.
2. You may ask
yourself, where is my peace, where are my blessings, why does it feel as if God
is not with me in my life and decisions?
1. In this state of
living in sin, God can not give you the blessings and benefits of the Kingdom
of God.
2. In this state of
living in sin, God can not hear your prayers.
3. In this state, you
are living in unrighteousness.
2.
The scripture says, “Do not let your anger cause you to sin.”
1. More so, do not let
your fear cause you to be angry.
2. 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.
3. Right now there is
someone who is afraid of rejection from a parent, and is acting out in sinful
anger towards their parent because of their fear.
4. Right now there is
someone who can not love others because of their fear of not being loved by
others, and they act in anger, or contempt towards people.
5. 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.
CONCLUSION
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 behaviors can be changed.
Fear
is an emotion, and emotions can be healed.
Come forward for healing if you are
fearful.
Let the Lord, who has been given all
authority in both Kingdoms...of heaven and earth, heal you and be Lord of your
life.
