Controlling Your Temper

Good morning and welcome to February and CCC. We are so glad you are here with us this morning. What a wonderful morning it has been already in our Children’s Sunday School getting started. Such an amazing blessing to have kids in our building being taught about Jesus! Praise God for that!

Let’s Pray

START OBS

Last week we finished up our Rooted Grow Deep Live Strong sermon series and as I thought and prayed about what God wanted me to bring to you this morning I landed on this topic. Controlling your temper

I know I battle here at times, some times much more than others, and just felt like God wanted this message brought to you as I am sure if we are honest we all battle with temper.

This morning I want to bring you 3 points out of James 1:19-21 when it comes to controlling your anger. Go ahead and turn to

James 1:19-21

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“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”

Prevent Anger By Listening More and Talking Less vs 19

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Quick to hear. I struggle with this if I am honest.

I am quick to respond.

I am quick to think about solutions

Being quick to hear is not a strength of mine currently. I pray God helps it move from a weakness to a strength as he grows me.

The Greek word translated hear is a verb and means to hear, give audience.

Verb. Action word meaning hear is active. You must be engaged to hear as it requires action

You must be truly in the moment listening to the person or God’s Word by the way

As I was preparing for today I read a commentary that explained this passage not as people interacting with each other but people interacting with God’s Word. I can see an application here of that.

How many times do we read the Bible and instead of truly hearing we begin speaking

We decide what it means quickly and run with it

We are quick to become angry because of the conviction in the passage and walk away from it

I also believe this passage is speaking to us and interactions with humans as well as God himself.

When was the last time you or I truly listened to someone.

Just stood or sat there with them and listened actively to all that they said

I want you to understand to be engaged means to feel

Feel what they are feeling

Jump into their mud hole with them

Truly be engaged and in the moment

Make them feel like the center of the universe because you have given them your undivided attention

I believe we need to be prayerful and humble to be quick to listen

The Holy Spirit will give you the calm mind and spirit to be able to engage in active listening

Proverbs 12:15

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“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”

Here is another reason to listen

The way of a fool seems right to them

I have been a fool so many times in my life and the entire time thought I was right

Seek Godly advice

Very important that you seek Godly advice not worldly advice

If you seek worldly advice you seek foolishness

In my new role as principal I do read a lot about leadership, especially educational leadership…worldly books…however I filter them through the word of God

There are things I reject because they don’t match God’s Word. If it doesn’t agree with God’s Word I don’t agree with it

Proverbs 18:13

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“If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.”

Folly and shame....foolish…you and I are fools when we give an answer before we hear

I can tell you have I have been here so many times in my life and I am sure I will again in the future.

Why do you think this is?

The quicker we respond the less opportunity for us to listen to the Holy Spirit

If you respond quickly chances are you are responding out of your flesh not out of the Holy Spirit

Proverbs 10:19

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“When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.”

Talking too much opens the door to sin.

Just because something may be true and fits the situation doesn’t mean you should say it

I hate the excuse

Well it is the truth isn’t it or Truth hurts

Truth is truth and yes the truth does hurt at times but the problem is what and how it is said.

Usually those excuses are used after someone has been mean or rude to someone else.

As Christians we are to speak truth in grace and love not anger or resentment or looking to get even

God’s truth convicts and that may hurt but that is between God and man not man and man

Last thing about the tongue I want to quickly look at two scriptures

James 3:5-6

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“So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.”

Matthew 12:36-37

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“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.””

You are responsible for your words.

You will answer for your words.

It is important that as Christians we guard our words

We seek the Holy Spirit to give us our words so that we do not sin with our words

Words can do so much damage.

Think back to the video to start this morning.....his words will do major damage when his friend hears them

Once a word is out it can never be taken back so make sure your words are full of God’s truth and love and grace and mercy

This is important Eternal stuff

What you say matters

There are no non-important or idle or careless words

As a Christian our words should edify and encourage

Sure we are to rebuke or correct each other but in a loving way driven by the Holy Spirit

We will answer for our words

Do your words destroy and burn things and people up or point them to Jesus?!?!?!?

Prevent anger by seeking righteousness over pleasure vs 20-21

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The rest of this morning we will look to our hearts.

Uncontrolled temper comes from us not God

Uncontrolled temper comes from unclean and impure hearts

James 4:1

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“What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?”

Human anger..

flashes of temper…

angry outbursts all result form pride and selfishness....this scripture lays that out

Your passions are at war within you and that leads to fights among you

Fleshly desires

Think about the last time you lost control of your temper

What was the real reason

I would venture to guess it was because your pride was hurt

How dare they say that to or about me

They didn't do what I wanted or expected or told them to do, how dare they disobey me?

This is a process, how you control your temper is a maturing in Christ thing.

It is also a heart thing

Matthew 6:33

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“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Whose kingdom do you truly seek?

Yours or God’s

I don't know if you realize this but God doesn't need or want your anger or temper

Many people say and quote scripture about Godly anger in fact lets turn to

Ephesians 4:26-27

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“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.”

Be angry and sin not.

They take that and misapply it as an excuse to not control their anger

I also hear God gets angry.

Jesus got angry...

.Moses,

Paul,

Peter,

David

all got angry so I can too

As Christians we will deal with anger and there is righteous anger however look at the scripture from today…slow to anger

We are to be angry at sin

Angry without sinning ourselves

God’s anger is always under control

it is always slow to be displayed and never leads to or results in sin

Your anger and my anger rarely match up to God’s anger

We are to surrender our anger

Discern our anger

Submit our anger to God and the Holy Spirit

Through prayer and study of God’s Word He will reveal if this is righteous anger or man’s anger and sinful

Prevent anger by approaching God with humility vs 21

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It is hard to be truly humble and angry at the same time

Controlling our temper comes back to identity

Who are you

Who am I to be angry

Do we have any control?

Did we create or own what is at the center of our anger?

They stole from me

Really

All good gifts come from the Father James 1:17 God owns everything you are merely a steward

They stole from God not you

He will handle the anger

That doesn’t mean as a steward we don't do all we can to protect and use wisely what God has given us but it is not ours so the anger is also not ours

James 4:7-10

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“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”

Submit

Fully give yourselves to God

In a war one of the things that makes surrender hard is the one who surrenders is totally dependent upon the one he surrenders to

Total loss of control of the situation

Same with God

People even Christians struggle to totally surrender or submit because they would have to give up control, perceived control anyway because you and I are never in control

You can’t defeat temptation or the devil

Victory over them only comes by submitting to God

Draw near to God…the closer you are to God the less wordly and fleshly things matter to you

Before you get angry or lose control of your temper check yourself

Where are you?

Are you submitted?

Are you near God?

Do you have clean hands and a pure heart?

If the answer is no stop and get that right before doing anything else!

Psalm 24:3-5

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“Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation.”

I want to ascend the hill of God

I want to stand in His holy place

Seeking God’s righteousness requires humility

You can’t be a humble servant of God yet chose worldly....evil things

You can’t be a humble servant of God and lift up your soul to what is false

The world is false

It’s truth is deadly

Lifting up your soul…

chasing after .....

believing the world is not producing clean hands and pure hearts

It is not bringing you closer to God it is leading to sin and separation from God

When we lose our temper we are usually reacting in human emotion and not under control of the Holy Spirit

Losing our temper is usually a sign that we have a heart or sin problem in ourselves

If you struggle with losing your temper you need to be in prayer

You need to be truly seeking God in His Word

Be listening for and responding to conviction in your life

Submitting to God not yourself or the world

One reason…the main reason this altar is not full every Sunday is pride

Refusal to submit or surrender to God.

If we are honest every person here this morning felt conviction about something

It may have been in Sunday School class

It may have been during the Communion meditation

It may have been during worship

It may have been during the video

It may have been during the sermon

But at some point today encountering God’s Word has probably brought conviction

The question isn’t so much were you or are you convicted because encountering God’s Word almost always results in some form of conviction

The question is how will you choose to respond to that conviction

God loves you and wants you to confess and surrender whatever it is to Him this morning

Jesus willingly went through the beatings…

the rejections…

the pain of the cross for you

He willingly paid your price

all you have to do is accept that gift

Once you accept that gift to grow in Christ and draw near to God you must get real about your sin and be responsive to correction and conviction in your life

I believe this time....the altar call....invitation whatever you want to call it is between you and God

When you come I will pray over you.

I am happy to talk with you and pray with you if that is what you desire just ask

I am not important in this process

The altar is not important in this process

You getting with God is important

If I can help with that then Praise God I would love to

If God is leading you to a decision to follow His Son Jesus for the very first time Praise God let me know so we can walk you through what the next steps are

If God is leading you to be a part of His work here at CCC that is also amazing. We have open membership which we believe to be biblical. We are all members of Christ body as Christians so any Christian who attends here regularly and supports the work of God through this body by giving of time and tithe is a member here

Maybe God is calling you to come forward and pledge you commitment to this body so everyone here will know you are all in

If that is the case come down and let’s talk about it

The point is this....whatever God is laying on your heart right now it is time to respond.

You can also reject....you see that is really the choice at times like these…respond to God or reject God....those are the only two choices

Will you surrender this morning?

STOP OBS

Invitation song I surrender All