The Exception - Anger
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Intro and Tension
Intro and Tension
What comes to mind when you think of “Exception”?
Golf Shot? Maybe a Rule. Maybe a bad child?
What does it mean to be the Exception in this world?
Jesus entered darkness completely counter cultural.
Title: The Exception
*Prayer*
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
Series: Peace I leave with you.
Wrap it up today.
Unpacking Worry and Anger.
Today - The exception.
OT Story - then what we need to know to live out what we’ve been talking about.
Text = 2 chronicles 33.
2nd Chronicles about Judah - Isreal’s Southern Kingdom - All kings line of David.
King Hezekiah just reigned | Massive Blessings | Bought Judah back to worship God - Repaird temple, destroyed Idols.
Hezekiah cried out when Assyrians attacked | Asked Isaiah to pray | Big act of deliverance.
Not great at rasing Kinds | Menessah = 12 years old when started | 52 years | Reversed everything his father did.
Rebuilt high places | Erected Altars to Baal | Worshipped False Gods | Built Altars in the Temple |
And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.
AND led whole nation to Sin.
52 Year Period | Imagine - Nation turning from Worshipping God - to Idols | Full term abortions as sacrifices.
What happened?
The Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention.
Bow and Arrow story | Got right next to my brothers eyes.
How many times, have we been disciplined, because haven’t been listening?
What happened to Menessah?
Therefore the Lord brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon.
Our flesh = Good - Got what he deserved | No one more deserving.
And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.
This is the great challenge = Humility.
He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.
What an act of Mercy.
What ever you’ve done | Wherever you’ve been | Lord’s Mercy is waiting for you.
To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him
This is the exception.
Church = Anger is not the Exception - Forgiveness is.
Hatred is not the exception - Love is.
War is not the exception - Peace is.
God is waiting to forgive you.
Golf = Exceptional Shot - Stand there and gaze.
When you act in opposition to this world, People stand and Gaze. How many people have gazed?
What happened after?
He Built wall | Fortified City | Took away foreign gods, idols | Cleansed Temple.
He also restored the altar of the Lord and offered on it sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving, and he commanded Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel.
Very clear | Didn’t do it to be saved | Did because he was saved = Response.
If you just said prayer and waiting for Heaven - More for you
Do you know how much you have been forgiven? How loved you are?
Do you want to reflect that which has been given to you?
So what do we need to know? To become the Exception?
We are not of this world
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
What’s it saying? Chaos value system that is controlled by Satan.
Our value system does not line up - In fact it will rub
(Sand paper illustration?)
2. Satan is our only enemy in this world
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
If Jesus here to GIFT you PEACE, Satan is here to steal it.
If going to be exception - Need to lift our eyes.
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.
Why Jesus so strong here? He knew = one enemy that we should be angry at | That’s not a brother or sister.
Imago Dei = Relational = Pray they are one as we are one.
3. Our help is not of this world
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
If going to be exception - Need exceptional Help. Holy Spirit is Exceptional Help.
Holy Spirit gives you Power to complete God’s Will.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
4. We need to keep in picture the world that is to come.
Alexis Loves Pictures - She loves being IN Pictures.
Question: is Eternity in the Picture for you today?
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
All things new - not New things - Restoring and Resurrection of Eden. consuming fire coming;
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
All about Relationship with God.
Here is the good news;
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
But right now - We are in this broken world - But we can be Exception in this world - Right Now.
nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
Close
In Daniel 7 - Jesus = Son of Man. Lead hosts of Lord and Defeat Evil on Earth.
Here = Called himself, Son of Man.
Disciples = Finally, divine Warrior is here.
but didn’t act that way.
Didn’t come to Hurt = Heal
Didn’t come with sword in hands, but nails.
He didn’t end the Romans | Ended penalty for Sin.
The sword of Judgement fell on Him and He died for His Enemies - In order that we may know Him.
He loved and died for His enemies, and so should we.
Only person we should hate = Satan.
If we say “This person needs to pay” - Satan wins.
Let’s fight like Jesus - Overcome Evil with Goodness of God. Led by Holy Spirit - Die and Forgive enemies.
How?
by knowing;
We are not of this world
Satan is our enemy in this world
Our help is not of this world
Keeping in picture the world that is to come.
and Realising that this broken world is not home.
But you have a Kingdom to advance, right here, right now and we can experience the kingdom of God today.
Not alone - Together.
I am not asking us to overlook sin, far from it.
However, I am asking you to care about what Jesus cared about and be an agent of Peace and Unity, rather than Chaos and Destruction.
