Sermon Central
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Part 4 - Anger Series
Contributed by Pastor Bruce A. Shields on Mar 24, 2007 (message contributor)
Summary: Part 4 of our series looks at Anger, and how anger can grow into our master, enslaving us.
They Must be Giants
4 – Anger
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith Ministries
www.PS127.org
WELCOME
INTRODUCTION
Most of us are all familiar with the story of David & Goliath.
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
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?
