Anger, 7 Deadly Sins

Jonathan M Melchior

7 Deadly Sins • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

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Anger, 7 Deadly Sins (Rough Draft)

Genesis 4

James 1:19-21

Intro to the series 7 Deadly Sins

My hope for us all is not that we will feel beat up as we see what God has to say about these 7 deadly sins. --- but that we will be encouraged --- and encouraged to find freedom from what may be holding us back in our relationship with God.

Genesis 4 ESV

1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” 8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. 11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. 16 Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. 17 Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. 19 And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20 Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. 22 Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. 23 Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. 24 If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.” 25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” 26 To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.

Genesis 4

Illustration

James 1:19–21 ESV

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

London - Wreck Room (Picture), In New York there is the Rage room. Places where you pay to go smash things.

Wreck Room you pay to be given a space where a room is set up with computer desk and chair for you to literally beat and destroy with a bat and sledge hammer - everything in that room.

-You are supposed to work out your anger.

All of get angry. Some of us get angry once every 2 weeks. Others get angry twice a day. Some are better than others at controlling their anger.

There are lots of reasons that we get angry, here are a few.

I. What makes me angry?

A. We get hurt - Someone does or says something to us that hurts us

B. Our goals/expectations are not met

Example - Did you ever have a list of things to do - somethings that really had to get done that day & one item was taking way too long - leaving the other items undone - you find yourself angry.

Example - Have you ever struggled in marriage or in your spiritual walk and something throws you off coarse. Something happens that causes your marriage to struggle or your spiritual walk to get tripped up.

You get angry because your life long goal of a good marriage or a vibrant spiritual walk is in jeopardy.

C. Extreme Fear/Anxiety - Sometimes if things feel out of control - our intense fear or anxiety can turn to anger. Have you ever seen an infant or child that was scared and then got so overwhelmed by fear that it turned to rage?

Have you ever seen a mom get so overwhelmed with the anxiety producing chaos of the kids, she gets in a rage? Adults do this too.

D. Gain Control - Dad’s sometimes if things are out of control in our homes or at work we get furious, people fear us, we gain control.

Dad’s sometimes if things are out of control in our homes we get mad, people fear us, we gain control.

You know what? It works. If you rage, your family will fear you and you will gain control.

It comes at a cost. Every time we rage we gain fear and control, and lose trust and respect.

E. Misplaced anger -

Sometimes we get angry at others, but really we are angry at ourselves and project our anger on others.

-There has been more than one time in my 25 years of marriage that Susan made a mistake (a level 2 on a scale of ten), but I got mad like the problem was a level 8.

At least once a week I’ll be in my car by myself and I’ll be thinking … I get really angry and yell out.

-Later I ask myself, why did you get so mad at something so small.

I realize that I had a slow burning anger at myself that came out pointed at her.

Anger at self example -

At least once a week I’ll be in my car by myself and I’ll be thinking … I get really angry and yell out.

Why? Sometimes I’m frustrated with myself that my life doesn’t line up with God’s Word like I want it to.

Sometimes I see all that needs to be done in my job or at home, and know it is more than one person will ever be able to do.

-Later when

Transition - Example Cain’s anger

2. God warns me about my anger

God gives us an example of this in Genesis chapter 4 verse 1

4 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard [favor] for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard [did not look with favor]. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.

Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. b She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

2. Meekness and self control

-I love the insight into this passage concerning the anger of cain. Look if you would at verse 5.

-God did not accept Cain, nor his offering.

-Why?

Cain was a farmer. He was supposed to bring a blood offering/sacrifice as part of his worship, not a vegetable offering. He knew this. He knew that he was supposed to trade with Able for a lamb or goat and bring a blood sacrifice to God.

On a side note - We see even as early as , the value of a blood sacrifice, ultimately of Christ.

Cain knowingly brought the wrong sacrifice.

Cain’s heart was disobedient.

God was also not satisfied with Cain. There was something in the heart of Cain that was wrong. We don’t know if it was jealousy, anger, control, rebellion …

There was a sin of the heart. In verse 5, God did not look with favor on Cain.

-We see from early Genesis how God cares about the heart of man.

-We see from early Genesis how God confronts the heart of man.

-For some in this room today, God is confronting your heart.

Example - In my regular prayer time I pray a prayer of purity for myself.

I include in my prayer is help to stay sexually pure.

Also in my prayer for purity is a prayer for pure motives and desires for the decisions I make in life.

Anger is not just an issue of your outward action that God desires to purify. It is an attitude of the heart.

So, What makes you angry ? … When you can identify the source of your anger you can surrender that to God and ask for specific help.

Application - Do you get angry because?

-Goals and expectations are not met. Things did not go the way you had expected them to at work, at work, on the ball field or in a relationship and you get angry.

-Do you get angry when your fear or anxiety become overwhelming.

-Is your anger fuse lit so you can rage and gain control in a situation?

-Do you get angry at someone else and later realize that your angry at yourself and pointing it toward others?

Identifying your anger helps you surrender yourself specifically to God.

Transition - How do I get control of my anger?

Anger is powerful and complex.

However, the scripture speaks to a heart change that has to take place before our anger will be reigned in.

James 1:19–21 ESV

Hang on to the last half of verse 21, “Receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

2. Meekness and self control

3. Anger is controlled by developing meekness

middle of verse 21 “Receive with meekness the implanted Word”

It is the implanted Word that brings meekness to our lives.

“implanted Word” this is why we challenge you to spend time with God every day.

Take nourishment from God’s Word every day.

What is funny to me is this. In this verse the bible doesn’t direct us to be self-controlled.

It directs us to be meek.

Let be be very clear - Meekness is not weekness.

Meekness means strength under control.

Meekness has full trust that, while I am not in control, God is in control.

Meekness presents itself as at peace, not angry.

Meekness is founded on trust that despite the chaos or disappointment in my life, God is at work.

Illustration - Meekness discribes the Roman war horses that were trained to stay under control in the chaos of war. During hand to hand combat a centurian may ride into the battle on his horse. His horse gave him an advantage of size and position. If the horse panicked or did not stay under control the centurian is thrown off or the horse hurts a Roman soldier. A strong war horse must stay under control and receive commands in chaos so that it can be effective. War horses were even taught to receive a command to kick as part as a weapon of the centurion.

Application - You will be used greatly by God when you choose not to be ruled by your emotions and trust that God is work - even in the Chaos.

I want to repeat this … We are told to be meek in verse 21 by “receiving the implanted Word”.

This is part of why your time in God’s Word daily is so critical.

We grow into spiritual character like meekness by pouring God’s word into us.

Anger takes control, meekness trusts in the control of God.

Matthew 5:5 ESV

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Transition - While our own man made anger is many times a sinful anger, there is an anger that brings God glory. “Righteous anger”

The apostle Paul once pointed out that the spiritual leaders of the church have great power, even leverage, in confronting a sinner. But he cautioned them to retrain themselves in meekness (; ).

Example of a Roman war hoarse who was taught to kick at a battle tactic.

3. The Anger That Brings God Glory

The anger that brings God glory is an anger that is pure. Not self serving, and is willing to fight for what is a clear biblical principle.

Righteous anger that glorifies God is rare, but when it happens it reacts when something is clearly sinful or when something clearly robs God of glory.

In the Bible we see examples:

Paul was angry when false teaching had crept into the church in Galatia.

Jesus was angry in the Temple when the selling of merchandise distracted from the prayer and worship of God.

-When you hear of a man molesting a child - this can bring an anger that is righteous, because someone who cannot protect themself is hurt.

-When a parent finds a vaping device (juul) in their child's possession or an see an internet history that is troubling - they may be angry, not from embarrassment, but because the parent knows how dangerous these things can be and how the parent hates addiction.

- (for me) When I hear a T.V. preacher, not just make a mistake, but give a clear false teaching about the character of God. Describing God and how He acts in a way that is obviously contrary to scripture. Leading people astray...

The Bible gives us a warning, even in righteous anger...

Ephesians 4:26–27 ESV

26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.

How does the Gospel speak to anger?

How does the Gospel speak to anger.

At the crucifixion of Jesus He had every right to be angry.

He was unjustly punished. Unjustly tortured and murdered.

We see that Jesus was not angry when he was unjustly arrested and beaten.

Isaiah 53:6–7 ESV

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

We see that Jesus, even under unjust suffering was not controlled by anger.

He was meek, strength under control, when He made a sacrifice for sin.

Transition sentence - We also see in the Gospel that the Cross effected the anger of God.

1 John 4:9–10 ESV

9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

What is propitiation?

My favorite big church word - means settling God’s wrath. Settling God’s smoldering fury.

What was God so angry at? Our sin against Him.

Our sin is eternally offensive to the holiness of God.

If you are a Christ follower, God’s great righteous anger has been settled against you.

How? You have trusted in the payment of Jesus and received forgiveness.

God is no longer rightly angry at you and your sin.

Your sin has been forgiven and Christ’s payment for sin on the Cross has settled God’s anger for you.

As a lamb led to the slaughter...

There are some in here today that need the forgiveness of God in your life.

You need to trust in for the first time that Jesus has paid for your sin.

You need to give your life to Him. You need God’s anger for your sin settled.

Jesus can do that.

Do not hold back, give your life to Him right now!

There are some in here today who have acted out in anger that is not righteous.

You have done or said things to others that have hurt them or been rough on them.

This kind of anger is sinful.

You need to ask forgiveness twice.

1st, You need to confess your sin to God.

2nd, You need to go to the people you have treated poorly in your anger and ask them to forgive you.