Jonah 4-anger

Sermon

Jonah 4:1 ESV

1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.

Sometimes we go straight through the passage and let it speak. Thats called an expository sermon.

Sometimes topics come up along the way. We dont necessarily get points directly from the passage, but it will be a topic that God is showing us to hit.

Tonight we want to look at anger.

It will be a few weeks but next time we will dig in to the question that i have had all along:

Is Jonah really this bad?

Why does he hate ninevah after all?

Let me just give you a glimpse, they are pretty wicked. Jonah is not necesarrily wrong or bad

So lets dig into anger tonight.

It seems that Jonah has an anger problem.

Maybe he does and maybe he doesnt:

but he is mad a lot, wouldnt you agree?

Let’s put this back on us:

Would someone describe you as a mad or angry person?

Most of the material tonight will come from this book, “Uprooting Anger” by Robert Jones.

I have a few copies ordered to put on our bookshelf in the back.

Let me give you a definition of anger:

Our anger is our whole-personed active response of negative moral judgement against perceived evil.

Lets dig into that definition.

active response -

Anger may be classified as an emotion, but Anger is not who we are. It is not something we have, like a virus, it is something we actively take part in. It is an action.

whole-personed -

anger involves our whole person. Not just emotion, not just our thoughts. our whole being.

Dont think of it as an identity - “im just an angry person”

a. cop out-we cannot change who we are so if angry is our identity then nothing we can do about it

b. Is it actually true?

-do you eat angry? do you sleep angry?

Its also not just one side of you

a. You dont have an angry side and a peaceful side.

Anger is moments where you whole person rages MAYBE JUSTIFIED AND MAYBE NOT -

(SAY WITH LOVE AND TENDERNESS)

What we call Someone that is an angry person is just not in control of themselves and are weak, its not an identity.

Maybe you have even believed the lie that weak people are sweet and pushovers and strong people are angry.

Response against something -

Pretty self explanatory - something happens and you respond to it

Negative moral Judgment against perceived evil-

Anger is a moral emotion.

So that means We get mad when something seems morally negative or “evil” to us.

Like a court case, we have declared that something is morally guilty.

Is it? Thats a good question.

Sometimes it is, sometimes our perception is wrong.

But you need to understand that when you get mad at something, that is what you are declaring about that event or person.

Jonah had perceived that Nineveh was evil and deserved God’s anger.

You’re anger is one of the harshest thing you have, so when you get angry, you are declaring that someone or something deserves the harshest punishment (biggest baddest) that you have - your anger is that thing you have.

In America, the harshest penalty we have is the death penalty.

In a sense, your anger is you saying to someone or something, “you deserve my worse, you deserve my harshest, you deserve my death penalty.”

This may have been what John had in mind when he wrote this:

1 John 3:15 ESV

15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

Jesus had some pretty radical views on anger, sin, and relationships

Matthew 5:21–22 ESV

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.

So is anger wrong or a sin?

Depends on the perceived part.

Truth makes all the difference in the world

Where do we find truth?

(God’s word)

So when was the last time you went digging through your bible before you got angry with someone?

hmmm… that is a good question.

Let me give you three types of anger:

1 Divine Anger -

Would you be surprised to know that Gods anger is probably one of the biggest topics in scripture?

Theres something like 20 words in Hebrew that just describe God’s anger against evil. 20 wow

a few examples

Job 4:9 ESV

9 By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.

Psalm 7:11 ESV

11 God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.

John 3:36 ESV

36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Romans 1:18 ESV

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

We see this in the work of Christ. God poured out wrath on our sins as Christ took the fall for us.

Romans 3:21–26 ESV

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Because God is truth, his anger can be trusted.

2 righteous human anger

its by a human, but mimics God’s anger and is based on God’s truth

So when we perceive evil, we compare it with scripture and find that it is indeed evil, so we get angry at it.

What are some examples?

(GET THEM TO LIST SOME)

Biblical example

Exodus 32:19–20 ESV

19 And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.

3 things that qualify it as righteous anger

1 Reacts against actual sin

Read your bible, search your bible, do diagnosis before you declare things as evil or sin

2 focuses on God and His Kingdom, Rights, and Concerns, Not on Me, my kingdom and my rights

IS IT?

3 its accompanied by other godly qualities and expresses itself in godly ways.

This means it doesn’t contradict the other qualities of God like patience and self-control.

SO IF YOU ARE LOOSING SELF CONTROL WHEN YOU ARE ANGRY, is it godly anger?

There is a sense where anger can be righteous and sinful. Your judgmentment of something may be right, but your anger cannot contradict Gods word or his attributes.

3 Sinful Anger

Bob Jones argues that nearly all human anger is sinful anger.

That is a lot of sinful anger.

Heres the way this works.

Read exerpt from book on p. 53 from Augustine

(this is is comparison of whiney babies and us that are angry)

Augustine will continue to talk about how a babies body isnt able to carry out what its heart wants to do.

You ever been around an angry, crying infant?

They are so mad. They are just totally raging.

But what happens when a human grows up and gets big and strong, yet they havent dealt with that same infant rage red heart?

it becomes a mess. and it effects everyone around them.

When we get angry all the time, we are revealing to the world that inside we are little children that are selfish and just want whats best for us.

We are worshipping self and want everyone else to do the same

Lets unpack this a little more:

Pass out handout - ingredients of sinful anger

Go over sheet

In essense, you are saying you are god and that everything should revolve around your world.

This is what James says is our root cause

James 4:1–3 ESV

1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

Lets look at chapter 4 again.

James 4:3–10 ESV

3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO ONCE YOU HAVE STOPPED, PRAYED, and SOUGHT SCRIPTURE TO MAKE SURE IF THIS IS RIGHTEOUS ANGER OR NOT

Heres 7 things

Stop making everything about you - verse 3

Stop wanting to be friends with the world - verse 4

(what does this mean)

Its killing your relationship with Jesus and its giving control of your emotions

Friends with the world is enemies of God

For Christians, Remember the spirit dwells in you - verse 5

What difference does (NOT SHOULD) it make in your life?

Humble yourself before God - verse 6-7, 9

Stop making this about you.

Bow down before Jesus as lord of your life

Start actually attempting to resist being angry - verse 7

There is a promise here for dealing with any sin

Remember this is an action you choose to take part in, not an identity you cant help

Actually repent - verse 8

Cry over your sin - verse 9

Response time:

Social Media:

Jonah 4:1

James 4:1-10

Anger must be compared to the character of God, found in the word of God.

If its not righteous, REPENT.