"A person’s insight gives him patience,
and his virtue is to overlook an offense."
Proverbs 19:11
Good Morning Beloved,
Thank you all for joining us here today.
Today, with the Lord’s help, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it is my hope and prayers, to give you some perspective on the unrest, the event we’ve seen these last few months across our country. I would be unfaithful to the task of a shepherd, as your pastor, if I didn’t at lease attempt to address it. There are so many things that can be said regarding these current events, and certainly there are many perspectives that could be considered. However, I’m not here to give you my personal opinion, or the opinion of any other man, nor some political perspective. I’m not here to give you some social or economic perspective.
As one who has been called by the Lord, to shepherd the people of God, I have but one goal in mind, one responsibility and that is to give you a only one perspective. The biblical perspective. From the Word of God! I know today that
many churches across our nation, and the world, many of my fellow pastors and
friends, are facing their congregations with a similar challenge,
the need to articulate some kind of perspective as to what is happening in our culture, the anger, the hate, the divisiveness, the prejudice and violence, that has become so prevalent.As I'm sure you can imagine, there are any number of ways in which I could approach such a volatile subject, I could talk about the decline in our social structure, I could certainly talk about the signs of the times, and we're living in the last days, I could even talk about the educational issues, as it is no secret that from the standpoint of opportunity, certainly come up short, not having the same access as others. However, what I want to talk about today is the root of all of these problems and it’s a very word we do not hear much about in our culture today, even in many churches, which in and of itself, is beyond disturbing to me. What I want to talk about today is a word called sin. Because this is the perspective that I believe is most needed, most necessary for us today, and its, as far as I am concerned, the only one that matters, and that's God's perspective. From God's own Word.
But first, let us bow our heads and pray.
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for each of those who You have gathered here today to hear this critical message.
Father, may Your message make its way past our ears, and find its way into our hearts, and may it not only speak to our hearts, but forever change them. Lord, I pray that Your Spirit would do a mighty work in us, taking us from beyond a place of understanding to a place of new direction. Father, we seek Your grace and we trust, that as Your Word teaches us, our human hearts would be transformed, and from within those hearts, would come the grace, mercy, love, forgiveness, that You through Christ, so graciously extends to all of us, transforming many lives, by way of Your saving grace, so that we would all live together, in peace with one another, rejoicing with joy, all for Your glory.
In Christs' name
Amen
Today's Message: Who's Right? When The World Is Wrong?
Open with me, if you would your bibles, and turn to this magnificent text, that I have blessed with to be able to share with all of you today, Proverbs chapter 19, verse 11. Proverbs 19:11. Follow along with me as I read.
"A person’s insight gives him patience, and his virtue is to overlook an offense."
Now, I know that this message isn't for most of you, because, you've never lost your temper, right? So I'm fairly certain, that since you have never done anything that you wish you hadn’t done, or say anything you wish you had never said. This message is for the person sitting next to you. (smiling)
But there are some of us, who have acted out of anger in ways we later regret.
The Bible has a thing or two thing to say about overcoming anger. In our text today, from Proverbs 19:11 it says, "A man’s wisdom gives him patience. It is to his glory to overlook an offense."
That is the secret, isn’t it? Why do we lose our temper? And though there are some people who continue to tell us that man is basically good
and deep down inside, man is noble and honorable. Which of course is the absolute opposite of the truth. Romans 3:10-18, Paul gives us some insight on the human condition, it says, "as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one.There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away; all alike have become useless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave; they deceive with their tongues. Vipers’ venom is under their lips. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and wretchedness are in their paths, and the path of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes."
And in Romans chapter 7, verses 14 through 20, it says "For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am made out of flesh, sold into sin’s power. For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree with the law that it is good. So now I am no longer the one doing it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it. For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do. Now if I do what I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but it is the sin that lives in me."
If someone offends you, and if you are a man of wisdom, meaning God’s wisdom, not man's, as man has no godly wisdom of his own, then you can overlook it. You will not allow the situation to become a major event, certainly not one that overwhelms you.
As I studied the Scriptures, about the subject of anger, for the preparation of this message, I discovered that there are basically four types of anger the Bible deals with.
The first type of anger, is sudden anger is sudden anger, The Bible says that sudden anger is to be controlled.
Secondly, there is sinful anger. The Bible says that sinful anger is to be condemned.
Thirdly, there is stubborn anger. Stubborn anger is to be conquered.
Finally, there is sanctified anger. And sanctified anger is to be channeled.
So today, it is my intention, to look at each of these four types of anger. Now, I said, it is my intention, because, that is the plan. However, as many of you know by now, and thankfully, apparently have learned to tolerate, when I begin a message, sometimes, things do not go as I have planned, but rather, how the Holy Spirit plans. But, we'll attempt to cover all four types of anger.
Let's look at this first of these four types of anger:
SUDDEN ANGER IS TO BE CONTROLLED.
Then, in Proverbs 15:18, it says, "A hot-tempered man stirs up conflict, but a man slow to anger calms strife." That simply means that if you have a short fuse, if you’re always losing your temper, if you’re walking around with a chip on your shoulder, if you’re just looking for somebody to say something that will irritate you, you'll likely find it. However, you’re going to leave a trail of hurt feelings and unhappiness behind you.
Will Rogers once said, "Whenever you fly into a rage, you seldom make a safe landing." And he is exactly right.
Chuck Swindoll said, "I got so angry that I gave him a piece of my mind. And it was a piece that I couldn’t afford to lose."
The writer of Proverbs said, "A hot temper stirs up conflict."
Proverbs 18:13 says, "The one who gives an answer before he listens—this is foolishness and disgrace for him." So what he is talking about here is jumping to conclusions. We often hear just a little bit of what is said, it seems we instantly jump to a conclusion, which oftentimes, is the wrong conclusion.
Have you heard the old wives tales about the dog named "August"? August was always trying to chase a mule named "Conclusion?" One day he jumped at Conclusion and he bit him, and so Conclusion kicked back at August. And that was the last day of August. I'd like you to think about that for a moment.
Sometimes we jump to conclusions, and what Solomon is saying, is that it is to our folly, our foolishness, leads to our shame.
Proverbs 19:19 says, "A person with great anger bears the penalty; if you rescue him, you’ll have to do it again." We’re being told that almost every day. Doctors tell us that losing our temper consistently brings about high blood pressure, dryness of mouth, and a fast-beating heart. And it could even bring premature death.
A hot temper can also cause other issues, the loss of family and friends. The are certainly many penalties for losing our temper are many. And so, the Scripture teaches, "If you have a sudden temper, then you need to control it." But how can we do that?
Over the years, I have heard people who have said, "I just can't control my temper! Why, can’t I control my temper. It just gets away from me." But you can. You might not choose too, but you can control your temper. Have you ever found yourself engaged in a heated discussion with your voice getting louder, and your words becoming more rapid? Then there's a knock on the door or telephone rings, and you say, "Hello" Sure, you can control your temper.
So the first step is, we need to recognize the fact, that we have a problem with temper. Because as long as we deny it, as long as we blame it on heritage, short-fuse or whatever we choose to blame it on, we will never improve, we'll never be able to control our temper.
Then we must confess our problem to God, and ask for His help. "Lord, I’m beginning to lose my temper, and I know that since I’ve done it many times before. I need You to help me control it. Please help me see what is causing it to happen, then help me to overcome it."
The Bible teaches that when the Holy Spirit guides our life, that one fruit of the spirit is self-control. And if you have a sudden temper, you need to control it.
SINFUL ANGER IS TO BE CONDEMNED.
The second type of anger discussed in scripture is sinful anger. Not all anger is sinful, and we’ll get to that in just a minute. But some anger is to be condemned. So allow me give you some tests today to help you determine whether your anger is sinful or not.
Our Lord, teaches in Matthew 5:21-22, "You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.
And in verses 43 through 48, He says "You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing out of the ordinary? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Now that passage tells us some things about anger that should help us realize when our anger is sinful or when it is not.
Now, I'd like you to notice that it says, "Anyone who is angry with his brother." If you’re a brother or sister to someone, you are a member of the same family. And it doesn't whether a domestic family or the family of God. The point is, if we are brothers and sisters, we had ought to be lifting each other up, supporting one another, and helping each other. We are not spend our time being angry at one another.
The King James Version speaks about being angry at your brother "without a cause." If we are angry and don’t have a legitimate reason for being angry, then this tells us that our anger is sinful. Then if you’re angry at your brother, you are focusing your anger on a person. And, as a Christian, we should never focus our anger on people, but rather on the sins they commit.
Jesus was never angry at people, He was however angry at their sins. So we are to look beyond the person. We must love the person, but we are to hate their sin. And I'm sure you have heard, "Love the sinner, hate the sin," as being in the Bible, though the words are not the concept behind it is. Because, if you’re angry at your brother, if you’re focusing on a person, then that means that your anger is sinful. And if your anger, is sinful, are you then no better than the non Christian? Are we not called to be set apart from the world, are not we told who have been forgiven much
supposed to forgive?
I Corinthians 6:11, teaches us, "And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
Luke 12:48 says, " ... Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. And even more will be expected of the one who has been entrusted with more."
You say, "But you don't know what he did! You don't know what he said to me!" It's not about you! Its about the manifestation of Christ in the world, so if you're reacting in the same way that the world reacts, how are you representing Christ to the world? If the characteristic of those who are of the world to become angry, to lose their temper, and you are demonstration this same characteristic, how are you different from them?
In Romans 12:19-21, the apostle Paul says, "Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord. But If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head. Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good."
So then the third test of our anger is this: Is it anger that seeks revenge? Are we always trying to get even with those who offend us? Because Scripture teaches us that God is the one who has the right of vengeance. Not us. "Vengeance is mine," says the Lord. What does that mean? If means, that when we are in Christ, once we have been forgiven of our sin, we no longer have the right to repay anyone. But rather, we are to turn that over to God. So if, in our anger, we are geared towards seeking revenge, then it is very definitely sinful anger. If it is vengeful, then most likely it is also an anger that is cherished. And if we are cherishing anger, how are we cherishing our salvation?
Remember what Jesus said to the man who was by the pool, waiting to be healed, and he couldn’t get to the water soon enough? Jesus asked him, "Do you want to be healed?" Important question!
There are a lot of people who enjoy being sick! What is that? Why would anyone enjoy being sick? Because of the attention it gets them. And there are a lot of people who love being angry. They’ve been angry for years. Inside of them there is a boiling mass of anger. So if anger is cherished, it most certainly is sinful anger.
If it is a cherished anger it will also be an anger with an unforgiving spirit. And the secret to getting rid of anger is to be able to forgive. But if you can’t forgive, if you can’t release it, if you cannot let it go, then it is a sinful anger.
So here are the 5 tests to tell whether or not our anger is sinful anger. You may want to write these down, so that you'll have them for future reference. So here they are.
1. Is it anger directed towards a person?
2. Is it anger without a justifiable cause?
3. Is it anger that seeks vengeance?
4. Is it anger that is cherished?
5. Is it anger that has an unforgiving spirit?
If any of the answers to any of those questions is "yes," then the anger is a sinful anger. And the Bible says that it is to be condemned. Because, that is sinful anger, which is to be condemned.
And, if it is sinful, then we must repent, turn away from it, and ask God to forgive us of it so that we can become forgiving people, too.
STUBBORN ANGER IS TO BE CONQUERED
The third type of anger is stubborn anger. It is an anger that just stays there, day after day after day.
One of the classic passages that deals with anger begins in Ephesians 4:26-27 says, "Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and don’t give the Devil an opportunity."
Allow me to give you a scenario. One day you go home, you've had a bad day at work and you’re really upset, you're angry. You’re carrying a chip on your shoulder, just waiting for someone to try to knock it off. Then your spouse, or your kids says something you don’t particularly like, something you don't appreciate, soon heated words are being exchanged. It really doesn’t amount to much, but you’re determined to get your way, and they're determined to get their way. So then, the argument drags on, it continues.
Then in verse 31-32, Paul mentions what happens when Satan begins to do his dirty work. "All bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ."
We read the first result is bitterness. Bitterness. That means you begin to think about all the bad things people have done to you, or they have said to you, all the insults, all of the inconsiderate things that have gone on. Here's an example, you have an argument with your spouse, the day ends, the sun goes down and night falls. And you're still angry. So you go to bed, and because you're not speaking to each other, you turn, facing that the opposite direction, because you're so angry, you don't even want to look at them. And they, feeling the same way, they choose to face the other way as well, and you're both on the edge of the bed, to make sure that you don’t even touch each other.
Do you realize what just happened? The Bible says that you have opened the door, and said, "Well hello Satan, come right on in. You're welcome in here." And let me tell you something, if you invite the devil into your house, he'll surely make himself a home!
Anger is bitterness building up inside of you. And when that anger is being expressed, it is no longer just inside you. Now you begin to kick the cat, or you throw something, maybe you punch the wall. Then, you begin to say all kinds of hurtful things, until finally it becomes screaming and yelling, hurling insults, which simply means shouting insults, slander.
And maybe you say something like, "Just look at this house! It’s a pig sty. I go to work every day. and come home, this house is a mess, the kids are dirty. Don't you even know how to take care of them? What kind of spouse does that make you? I'll tell you, a bad one!" Beloved, allow me to just tell you this, it's going to go well. You're actions will incite an argument, and that argument will go on and on!
And the end result, Paul says, is malice, or wrath, And that means that you really desire to do harm. That’s why we’re always reading about someone shooting his wife & turning the gun on himself. Because the ultimate end of stubborn anger is wrath. Its malice.
So Paul says, "Here is the way to get rid of stubborn anger. Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath." How in the world do I do that? Well, in verse 32, he says, "And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ."
So first of all, there is sudden anger. And it must be controlled.
Then there is sinful anger. And it must be condemned.
Then there is stubborn anger. And it must be conquered.
SANCTIFIED ANGER MUST BE CHANNELED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR GOD
That brings us to Sanctified anger. Sanctified anger, and that must be channeled in the right direction for God. Remember, Ephesians 4:26 says, "Be angry and do not sin." It is okay to be angry, but do not sin.
Allow me read to you from Mark 3:1-6. This is a passage that deals with a situation in the life of Jesus that I think is very revealing. It says: "Now He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a paralyzed hand. In order to accuse Him, they were watching Him closely to see whether He would heal him on the Sabbath. He told the man with the paralyzed hand, “Stand before us.” Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do what is good or to do what is evil, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. After looking around at them with anger and sorrow at the hardness of their hearts, He told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. Immediately the Pharisees went out and started plotting with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.
Scripture says that Jesus was tempted in all points, even as we are tempted, but He never sinned. So this passage teaches that Jesus became angry but it wasn’t sinful anger. It was sanctified anger, channeled anger, anger that has the right focus, the right object.
Now, I know this may sound a bit strange at first, nut maybe an infusion of anger is the very thing that the church today needs. To become angry at the corruption of the world. To become angry at the forces of evil. To become angry at pornography that reaches into every segment of culture and society.
To become angry at the millions of abortions performed each year. To become angry at the increase in crime, violence, murders, rapes and human trafficking. To become angry at the abuse of alcohol and drugs in our society. To become angry because there are millions of people who are dying, going to Christ-less graves.
In Closing...
Beloved, I believe its time for the church to become angry, with a sanctified anger, a holy anger, that is channeled in all the right places.
There are all kinds of anger. And if you are wrestling with them, God promises to give you victory, if you’ll allow Him too. But we cannot hold onto our anger.
So be angry, but don’t sin. Don’t let the sun go down upon your wrath. Don’t allow the devil to have a foothold in your life. But channel that anger so it can begin to accomplish victories for Jesus.
So today, I'd like to extend His invitation to you. Jesus stands ready, willing to come into your heart and into your life. If you’ll confess your faith in Him, repent of your sins, and be faithful to him in Christian baptism, He has promised to forgive your sins.
If you are already a Christian, if you are an immersed believer in Jesus Christ, then we invite you to join with us in the ministry that God has given us here and pray for those who are yet lost. But whatever your decision, I want you to know that Jesus loves you, and offer you the invitation of Jesus Christ.
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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