Sermon Tone Analysis

! Introduction:

What do Moses, King David, the prophet Jonah, and Jesus Christ all have in common?

According to the Scriptures, they all experienced anger.

With some, it was righteous anger; with others, their anger was sinful.

In anger, Moses broke the two tablets of the law when he came down from the mountain.

David became angry and passed judgment on an unknown criminal, only to discover that he was the man.

In so doing, he brought heartache upon himself and his family for years to come.

Anger is a fact of life.

Everyone experiences this emotion from time to time.

Many righteous people in the Bible became angry, just as we saw last week that Saul had become angry (1 Samuel 11:6; 1 Samuel 20:30-33).

Scripture even includes our Lord Himself.

For this reason God’s Word has much to say about the subject of anger—what it is and what it can do.

When anger is controlled and is displayed according to biblical principles, it can be a positive force that will bring glory to God.

When anger is selfish, it can destroy a great deal of what is good.

Therefore, it is important to understand this force and learn to use it the way that God had intended for us.

*Definition: *A strong feeling of displeasure or hostility; To make angry; enrage or provoke.

!!!!! (1)                 SYNONYMS: /anger, rage, fury, wrath, resentment, indignation./

!!!!! (2)                 These nouns denote varying degrees of marked displeasure.

!!!!!! (a)                 /Anger,/ the most general, is strong displeasure:

!!!!!! (b)                /Rage/ and /fury/ are closely related in the sense of intense, explosive, often destructive emotion:

!!!!!! (c)                 /Wrath/ applies especially to fervid anger that seeks vengeance or punishment, often on an epic scale:

!!!!!! (d)                /Resentment/ refers to ill will and smoldering anger generated by a sense of grievance:

!!!!!! (e)                 /Indignation/ is righteous anger at something regarded as being wrongful, unjust, or evil: 

 

*Anger Itself Is Not Something Evil*.

God has instilled in us certain emotions, including anger.

When these emotions are working together properly, they serve to protect us and build us up.

Anger is something like fire.

When used correctly, fire warms us and helps us cook meals and drive machinery.

However, if left to itself, a small fire will soon become a raging inferno, destroying everything in its path.

Anger can fuel our emotional defense system when it is used ad God had directed, or it can cause a great deal of damage if it’s left uncontrolled.

At times, you may try to justify your anger by saying, “God was angry (Num.25:4) and Jesus was angry (Mark 3:5), so I can be angry too.”

However, God is perfectly holy, and you are not.

His holiness, justice, love, and perfection, remain constant even though He is jealous (Ex.20:5), has wrath (2 Chron.28:11),

exercises vengeance (rom.12:19), and is indignant every day (Ps.7:11).

Unlike God, your flesh is in continual conflict between good and evil (Romans 7:14-25; Galatians 5:17).

As a result, you will have difficulty responding to emotionally-charges situations without sinning.

!!! 1.                  Examples Of Unbiblical Deeds Resulting In Anger.

!!!! a)                  Cain, in his anger, killed his brother (Genesis 4:5-8, 11-12).

!!!!! (1)                 Rather than being repentant for his sinful disobedience, he was hostile toward God, whom he could not kill, and jealous of his brother, whom he could kill (1 John 3:12; Jude 11).

!!!!! (2)                 Cain committee the very first murder on earth and the source of that murder was influenced by Satan (John 8:44), anger (Matthew 5:21-22), the heart (Matt.15:19).

!!!!! (3)                 God's declarations to Cain:

!!!!!! (a)                 If you do not do well, sin lies at the door (v.7).

(i)                   At the door of your mind or heart, there is something that is holding you back from full fellowship with God.

It could be anger or bitterness! 

(ii)                 Who is the one who is ultimately being hurt by your anger?

You.

!!!!!! (b)                 And its desire is for you (v.7).

(i)                   Jesus said to Peter, "Satan has desired you that he might sift you like wheat" (Luke 22:31).

How Satan desires to destroy you through anger, sin.

(ii)                 Satan desired to cause Job to curse God through the awesome calamities he brought upon his life.

!!!!!! (c)                  But, you should rule over it (v.7).

(i)                   If you do not rule over anger, & sin in your life, then be sure that it is ruling over you.

(ii)                 How can you rule over sin?

You don't have the power in yourself.

It takes more than just desire to break the bondage to a destructive habit.

If you are trying to rule over sin through the strength and resolve of your own mind, you are in a losing struggle.

The victory over sin comes by yielding the control of your life over to someone who is stronger than those forces that have held you captive.

Only as you give your life to Jesus Christ to be controlled by the Spirit, can you know the power and victory over sin.

!!!! b)                  Simeon and Levi were self-willed men, murdering other in their cruel anger (Gen.49:5-7).

!!!! c)                  Saul became anger and tried to kill his oldest son (1 Samuel 20:30-33).

!!!! d)                  Naaman became furious and refused to follow a simple command in order to be healed of leprosy (2 Kings 5:10-14).

!!!! e)                  Uzziah, when confronted by the priests for his unfaithfulness to the Lord, became enraged and was struck with leprosy until the day of his death ( 2 Chron26:16-23).

!!!! f)                   Jonah was greatly displeased and angry when the Lord showed compassion on Nineveh, and God rebuked him (Jonah 4:1-11).

!!!! g)                  Simon, in his bitterness, tried to buy the authority of God and was openly rebuked by Peter (Acts 8:12-24).

!!! 2.                  Some Unbiblical Ways of Dealing With Anger.

!!!! a)                  Exploding in a rage or temper, striking our physically or verbally at people or things.

!!!!! (1)                 Doing this disregards these verses:

/"He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city."

(Proverbs 16:32, NASB95) /

/"“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

(Matthew 7:12, NASB95) /

/"So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another."

(Romans 14:19, NASB95) /

/"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered," (1 Corinthians 13:4-5, NASB95) /

/"Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."

(Colossians 3:17, NASB95) /

/ /

!!!! b)                  You Express Your Anger Outwardly (“ventilate your anger”) by

!!!!! (1)                 Beating your pillow (or another inanimate object)

!!!!! (2)                 While thinking (or speaking) about the person with whom you are angry or bitter.

!!!!! (3)                 Doing these acts disreagard’s these verses:

/"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer."

(Psalm 19:14, NASB95) /

/"We are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ," (2 Corinthians 10:5, NASB95) /

/"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others."

(Philippians 2:3-4, NASB95) /

/"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." (Philippians 4:8-9, NASB95) /

/"Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth."

(Colossians 3:2, NASB95) /

 

!!!! c)                  You control you temper at work, church, and other places.

!!!!! (1)                 However, you exercise little or no control at home with your loved ones.

!!!!! (2)                 Doing this disregards these verse:

"Like a city that is broken into and without walls Is a man who has no control over his spirit."

(Proverbs 25:28, NASB95)

/"“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again?

It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

“You are the light of the world.

A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

(Matthew 5:13-16, NASB95) /