redemptive grace: anger management

Recap

Judges 14:1 ESV

Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah he saw one of the daughters of the Philistines.

Samson’s mom shown us that God’s plan is bigger than ourselves

we need to look at those around us knowing that God has a plan for them

I see & I want

we see that our sinful desires are at war within us against God’s desires

we must be around the right people and have the right things in our lives to help keep us from getting caught up in temptation

ANGER MANAGEMENT:

Samson was given supernatural strength from God so that he could complete the tasks that God had for him

kept Nazarite vow from his mothers womb

Samson had a few girl problem

remember the riddle that he had told at his wedding party?

Read for story recap

Judges 14:5–7 ESV

Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion came toward him roaring. Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done. Then he went down and talked with the woman, and she was right in Samson’s eyes.

Judges 14:

as young goat

then he talked with the woman

Judges 14:8–9 ESV

After some days he returned to take her. And he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. He scraped it out into his hands and went on, eating as he went. And he came to his father and mother and gave some to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey from the carcass of the lion.

don’t eat honey out of a carcass

so they are having a feast at the wedding party & the bride brings 30 of her friends

Samson sees an opportunity to increase the wedding gifts by manipulation SO...

makes them a deal that they have 7 days to guess his riddle or 30 linens & 30 garments will be exchanged

they like the sounds of this deal so they ask for the riddle:

Judges 14:14 ESV

And he said to them, “Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet.” And in three days they could not solve the riddle.

Judges 14:14

the 30 friends go to Samson’s wife and beg her to help them with the riddle — use the guilt tactic

she begs Samson & he refuses

she uses the guilt tactic and was persistant

Judges 14:17–18 ESV

She wept before him the seven days that their feast lasted, and on the seventh day he told her, because she pressed him hard. Then she told the riddle to her people. And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” And he said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle.”

Judges 14:17

they got it

he responds “if you would not have plowed with my heifer...

He is angry

Judges 14:19–20 ESV

And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty men of the town and took their spoil and gave the garments to those who had told the riddle. In hot anger he went back to his father’s house. And Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man.

Judges 14:19

He had an anger fit and used his great strength to kill 30 men

lost his wife & gets revenge by tying the tails of 300 foxes into pairs and set their tails on fire to burn down the crop fields of the Philistines

supernatural strength

they get angry and kill his in-laws

WIN

then they come after him so he runs and hides

eventually

Judges 15:15

Judges 15:15 ESV

And he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, and put out his hand and took it, and with it he struck 1,000 men.

this has become a pattern now for Samson

God has given him supernatural strength

he has abused God’s gift for his own purpose and plan

While Samson needed to go to anger management

I wander what gift God has given you that you may be using against God’s intended purpose?

a persuasive talker may end up selling illegal substances or used cars (lying for personal gain)

God intended to have you share the Gospel or help disciple others

Ability to play music

using it to party & build yourself up

God’s desire is that you would worship Him

Incredible artists

talented teacher or good with kids

kind and warm hearted person - greet others or visit/call sick or hospitalized

pastor with elderly lady who sent cards to each person on birthday or aniversary

The key is to identify what your gifts are...

and then to determine what you are using them for

God did not randomly give you your gifts

read— end at things well

Romans 12:6 NLT

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.

Romans 12:

Romans 12:7–9 ESV

if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

tand talk about using our gifts in unity as a body

when we do we will truly be the CHURCH

So I encourage you to seek God to know what your gift is

YOU have a gift

Once you recognize what your gift is then

what are you using your gift for?

Could you put it to work for the One who gave it to you?

When we misuse God’s gifts we will find that we may have temporary personal gain but we will eventually miss out on what God truly has for you

two ways to be missusing your gift

using it for something other than it’s intended purpose

not using it at all

using them without love

not using it at all

1 Corinthians 13:1–7 ESV

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 14 ESV

Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up. Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church. Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue. Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you. What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But all things should be done decently and in order.

1 Cor

1 cor

telling your kid to come to church in a hateful way

giving to someone in need with a judgmental attitude

sacrificing while grumbling

use your gift with love

not using it at all

many though are just not using it at all

often times I see that people don’t use their gifts maybe because we don’t always know what our gifts are

ways to identify your gift

what passions or dreams do you have

ladies not talking about kenny chesney

what bothers you?

you get upset when you see or hear of this or that happening

what do you see that could be done better?

well in the kids ministry ___________

This is how change begins

someone said I think that we need to pray more as a church why don’t we have a prayer meeting?

I said, that sounds like a good idea what would that look like?

now we meet weekly and that person leads the prayer ministry

What is your gift?

How can you use it to glorify God and to be used for His purpose