Anger

Week 5

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Topic(s): Anger, Boil, Temper, Foolish

Big Idea of the Message: Anger, like other God-given emotions, can be used for good. But often we use it as an excuse to lose control.

Application Point: When we lust, become greedy, or give into envy, and we don’t get what we want, it often causes us to become angry. When anger stews, boils, and gets hot, it always ends up resulting in someone who is out of control.

Intro

Anger ,

There are situations in life that just cause our blood to boil.

Telemarketers

Wal-Mart

Sams check out line.

Lowes/Home depot workers.

no anger sermon would be complete without my story of the trip to the office supply store.  

it had already been a rough morning.

store had been a terrible experience- the workers sent me to wrong aisles, gave me bad information, etc.

I finally got what I needed and went to stand in line ... and there were no checkers. I could only conclude that it was "you don't have to pay for your stuff today" day at this store, but unfortunately I knew better.

To make matters worse, an employee that was standing near the front stapling, NOT HELPING ANYONE, looked up at me, connecting with my eyes ... then went right back to her stapling.

My anger meter hit the halfway point. But I just stood there doing what we Cajuns stink at, being patient. Finally she looked up again, looking at me like, "Are you still here?!!" and got on the intercom and said, "customer service up to the front register ... customer service!"

An elderly man waltzes up behind me, glances at a blank register next to me and goes up to it and puts his purchases down.

The checker arrives and starts to help the man. My anger meter hits three quarters.

My Cajun side couldn't just stand there, so I spoke up to the man.

"I guess you're first then." Pa Kettle looks at me surprised and said, "Oh ...were you first?"

I retorted, "No, I was just comparing the heights of these magazine racks here. I think aisle three is the tallest one!"

Puzzled Pa Kettle paid for his stuff and left.

I'm finally helped by a lady who had found her true calling at this helpful store. She starts to run my purchases through but somehow had trouble with every step, including emptying her purse to try to find her glasses.

I was buying something for two different businesses so I did two transactions. When I gave her my credit card she asked me for my ID.

For the second transaction she asked me if I was going to use the same card. I told her yes. Yes. She asked to check my I.D. again.

After pausing in disbelief for a few seconds, I told her "thank you ... because I could be someone else this time."

She just looked at me. I wonder when that new STAPLES will be open?

The only thing sad about both these stories is that when I finished these transactions and left the store, within three minutes I entered the zone where anger meters go in the red daily ... the LOOP! I'm sure none of you can relate to being frustrated on the road.

Anger is a reality. We all have it. The question is simply, "What do we do with this anger?" Is it wrong

and are we flirting with disaster  

How many of you still have a tea kettle in your place of residence?

 What is interesting about a tea kettle is the way it whistles when the tea has reached the boiling point. 

Have you ever wondered why the whistling sound is made? In 2013, some researchers in Cambridge unlocked the mystery of the sound. 

They found that “as steam comes up the kettle’s spout, it meets a hold at the start of the whistle, which is much narrower than the spout itself. 

This contracts the flow of steam as it enters the whistle and creates a jet steam passing through it. 

The steam jet is naturally unstable, like the jet of water from a garden house that starts to break into droplets after it has travelled a certain distance. 

As a result, by the time it reaches the end of the whistle, the jet of steam is no longer a pure column, but slightly disturbed. 

These instabilities cannot escape perfectly from the whistle and as they hit the second whistle wall, they form a small pressure pulse. 

This pulse causes the steam tor form vortices as it exits the whistle. 

These vortices produce sound waves, creating the comforting noise that heralds a forthcoming cup of tea” 

What is interesting about this is what causes the whistle—unrest. This has often been compared to anger. It’s easy to see why. Anger, like tea, stews, boils, gets hot, and all that unrest causes a loud noise that is completely out of control.

1.Personal rights 

 Personal rights are rules I have made up that I expect other people to follow. Some of us have so many personal rights that we are guaranteed ourselves to be offended and angry each and every day 

2. Who do you think you are. 

Have you ever heard some one say, “Well,I’m___________( a nationality like Irish, German, or whatever), so I have a temper”? 

How about hearing this....”Oh He got that temper from his father” 

 Remember as a child leaving for family vacations there was a guarantee that on the day of our departure that my father would turn into a raging temper-holic. 

 Throughout the years I watched  this happen and was actually the target of most of his temper. 

As my little brother started to get older and capable of helping....well as they say booboo runs downhill..... I started treating my little brother the same way my father treated me. 

 It is typical that at least one child in a group of siblings will be more like their father than the others.  In some cases it’s the child that the father is hardest on that becomes most like him. 

Then as a young adult the relationship between the like minded father and son becomes strained...

Why???? 

Because remember the father was hardest on this child so as a young adult this child is hardest on the father 

Being that child there are so many things about my dad that i can allow to get on my nerves, but when I take a closer look at those things I realize I’m just like him in those areas.  

(Comment-you’re just like dad) 

Yes we take on attributes of our family and nationality, and many times we enjoy certain rights and privileges that go with those things. 

I am Mike Elliott’s son. And tho that doesn’t mean much in Lufkin it carry’s weight in Louisiana. 

Just as being the son of Jeremy Elliott will carry something in Lufkin for my children. 

There’s a saying that I love because it fits me well ...

Holy enough to pray for you, and Hood enough to swing on you. 

And yes it’s funny and real at the same time… If you don’t believe me ask a few people that were gathered at my house Thursday night . 

But does that mean that my kids have to be like that. 

Is it true that we’re a slave to our upbringing, nationality, or environment? 

Not according to the Bible. 

We’ve already learned in this series that, as Christians, 

we’re new creations of God (). 

That doesn’t mean God sanded down the old to make the new.

That doesn’t mean he reshaped the old to make the new. 

New means new. 

It wasn’t there before.

and since we take on the characteristics of our fathers and

I am a new creation In Christ from Father God

Then I must now take on the Characteristics of HIM

This new creation is further explained as “divine nature” having “divine power” in 

(NLT): 3  By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

4  And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires

What an incredible thought, that we no longer have to be slaves to our sinful environments. 

(NLT): 17  The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions

explains that the flesh and the Spirit certainly battle it out, but we’re not a slave to the old self. 

So,  saying something like “he’s just like his parents” or “I’m Irish so I have a temper”

may be said in jest or to sound “cute,” it is merely an excuse that the Bible doesn’t allow us as Christians to make.

So what is anger

3. Anger is an emotion. 

Emotions are given to us by God.

Anger can be used for good. 

We can get angry at our sin—that would be a good thing. 

We could get angry at the state of our home or nation and begin to act on it in godly ways that could bring about positive change. 

Most of the time, however, anger is used to destroy, put down, manipulate, and foster an abusive environment. 

The Bible speaks much about anger. 

(NLT): 9  Control your temper,

for anger labels you a fool

(NLT): 17  Short-tempered people do foolish things,

and schemers are hated

(NLT): 29  People with understanding control their anger;

a hot temper shows great foolishness

All three of those scriptures say that anger makes us look foolish. 

Have you ever made yourself look foolish because you lost your temper? 

Have you ever seen anyone else look foolish because they lost their temper? 

We scold children for throwing temper tantrums, but how many times do adults do the same, and it’s accepted as normal behavior. 

The spouse who throws housing items at their spouse or children looks foolish.

 The athlete or coach who throws a chair from the bench because he’s angry looks foolish. 

It’s not okay. 

(NLT): 3  A stone is heavy and sand is weighty,

but the resentment caused by a fool is even heavier.

4  Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood,

but jealousy is even more dangerous

describes anger as being heavier than picking up rocks and sand in a traveler’s bag, 

and also something that makes a person lose control. 

What a depiction! 

When we lose our temper, we’re adding an unnecessary burden to our life. 

We can choose to get angry, but we certainly can’t choose the burdens that it brings into our lives. 

Story....chose to be angry instead of hurt. 

Many crimes, domestic or not, have been committed because of anger. 

and speak frankly to fathers. 

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.

Fathers are not to “exasperate” (force to anger) and “embitter” their children.

Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.

Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.

.Fathers are not to “exasperate” (force to anger) and “embitter” their children.

Fathers are not to “exasperate” (force to anger) and “embitter” their children.

 How can fathers do this?

 We can do this when we’re angry one moment and super happy the next. 

Our children never know what kind of mood “Daddy” is going to be in. 

This only frustrates children and causes them to grow up to angry, frustrated, and discouraged adults. 

This ought not to be!

Parents we must make a conscious decision not to take out our agitation on our children 

4.What do we do 

We must learn to handle our anger appropriately. 

How can we avoid flirting with destruction? 

We must learn how to handle anger instead of letting anger handle us. 

First, understand that only submission to the Holy Spirit can bring about victory. 

Second, there are some practical steps you can take to defuse a possible anger scenario: 

(1) Develop patience/longsuffering (working on verses that portray this idea).

 (2) Respond biblically (not reacting but responding). You can do this by observing the “sundown principle” found in . 

(NLT): 26  And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,

27  for anger gives a foothold to the devil

This means that you do not let a situation or person fester inside of you. 

Deal with it quickly as it comes up, in a calm, ready to resolve way. 

Do not ever attack the person; instead, attack the problem. 

Deal with today’s problems today and commit to holding no grudges.

 (3) Surrender your “rights” back to God.

Surrender your mouth. 

Guard what you say,

how you say it, and when you say it.

Pre-Closing.....Closing it down and bringing it around. :-)

A recent altercation in Alabama at a buffet-style restaurant.

The mini battle was over crab legs. Now, who would fight over crab legs?

battle was over crab legs. Now, who would fight over crab legs?

Perhaps people who had been waiting in line for fifteen to twenty minutes and began to see other people cut in line.

It was reported from people dining in that they heard what sounded like a fencing match.

Two people were fighting with buffet tongs. In the police report, the officer stated that each of these two people admitted to allowing their anger to get the best of them.

One of them was charged with third-degree assault and the other with disorderly conduct 

How could something as simple as crab legs cause two people to act so foolishly?

From a Christian worldview perspective, it wasn’t the crab legs.

It goes much deeper than that.

These two people undoubtedly have given way to anger at various stages in their life, and this incident is just a product of that cultivated anger.

This could happen to anyone if we’re not careful. It may not be over crab legs,

but it could be over being cut off on the road; or on the phone with our electric company, trying to dispute a bill;

or even at work with a coworker.

We must be on guard!

Application Point: When we lust, become greedy, or give into envy, and we don’t get what we want, it often causes us to become angry. When anger stews, boils, and gets hot, it always ends up resulting in someone who is out of control

Big Idea of the Message: Anger, like other God-given emotions, can be used for good. But often we use it as an excuse to lose control.

Gunny-sacking 

6. In this series, we’ve seen the dangers of flirting with disaster. We've learned that we can oftentimes be our own worst enemy, unless we set up safeguards and barriers to keep us from disaster. 

A final admonition is found in the words of James:

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” ().