MAKES ME WANNA HOLLER

INTRODUCTION

OPENING STORY: WHEN IT FLOATS WE CAN ONLY SEE ABOUT 9% OF AN ICEBERG. THE OTHER 91% IS HIDDEN WELL BENEATH THE SURFACE. THIS SIMPLE LITTLE FACT IS WHAT BROUGHT ABOUT THE TRAGIC SINKING OF THE TITANIC. WHAT DID THEM IN WASN’T THE TIP, IT WAS WHAT WAS LURKING BENEATH THE SURFACE.

WHEN WE COME TO OUR TEXT THIS MORNING JESUS REFERENCES MURDER AND TREATS THE PHYSICAL TAKING OF LIFE AS THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG. INTEAD OF FOCUSING ON THE TIP, JESUS DIVERTS OUR ATTENTION TO WHAT LIES BENEATH THE SURFACE, AND THAT IS ANGER. HERE IN OUR TEXT, JESUS IS NOT JUST CONCERNED WITH THE PHYSICAL, SEEN BEHAVIOR. INSTEAD HE FOCUSES ATTENTION ON THE HEART AND WHAT FUELS OUR BEHAVIOR. ONE AUTHOR WRITES: “To ‘fulfill all righteousness’ and to have a ‘righteousness that surpasses the scribes and the Pharisees,’ disciples must face the issue of the inner person. Not committing the physical act of murder is good and right, of course, but it is not the true litmus test of piety and alignment with God’s nature, will, and coming kingdom; examining one’s attitudes and speech are just as important as refraining from homicidal violence”- Jonathan Pennington.

CREATING THE NEED: JESUS FOCUSES ON THE INNER PERSON, AND A UNIVERSAL STRUGGLE WE ALL HAVE AND THAT IS ANGER AND WHAT TO DO WITH IT AND HOW TO EXPRESS IT. WE LIVE IN A CULTURE STEEPED IN ANGER, WHERE THAT ANGER IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE VISIBLE AND FELT. QUICK “CATCH AND KILL” REFERENCE WITH THE METOO MOVEMENT AND HARVEY WEINSTEIN. SOCIAL MEDIA HAS ALLOWED FOR ITS HOST OF TWITTER AND FACEBOOK WARRIORS WHO SAY INCREDIBLY INSENSITIVE AND MEAN THINGS. EMAIL. I CAN’T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES SOMEONE WILL SEND ME A TERSE AND STRONG EMAIL FULL OF NASTY THINGS, THEN YOU PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL THEM TO DISCUSS AND THEIR TONE IS SO MUCH DIFFERENT…IT’S EASY TO BE SO BOLD IN LETTERS…POLITICALLY…THE RHETORIC ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE IS NOT EXEMPLARY AT ALL. ONE SIDE ACCUSES THE PRESIDENT RECENTLY OF HAVING A MELT DOWN, AND HE RETALIATES. THE NAME CALLING AND VITRIOL. SCHOOL SHOOTINGS...BRING TO THEIR OWN HOME. THE WAY WE SPEAK TO EACH OTHER, “I HATE YOU...” OR THE SILENCE THAT MAKES US JUST MOONWALK AWAY...

HISTORICAL CONTEXT:

JESUS IS GOING TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUE OF ANGER, AND HE’S GOING TO SAY SOME PRETTY SHOCKING THINGS AND POINT US TO A HEALTHY PATH FORWARD.

OUR SECTION: IS CONCERNED WITH SEVERAL THINGS. FIRST IT IS CONCERNED WITH THE GOSPEL AS COMPARED TO RELIGION. YOU HAVE HEARD THAT IT WAS SAID- RELIGION. BUT I SAY TO YOU- GOSPEL. THE GOSPEL AND RELIGION ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. RELIGION IS CONCERNED WITH DEEDS. GOSPEL WITH DESIRES. RELIGION IS CONCERNED WITH PERFORMANCE. GOSPEL WITH YOUR POSTURE. RELIGION IS CONCERNED WITH OUTSIDE. GOSPEL WITH THE INSIDE. RELIGION BEHAVIORS. GOSPEL THE HEART. RELIGION APPEARANCES. GOSPEL WITH AFFECTIONS.

HOARDERS ILLUSTRATION. ALWAYS BRING A PSYCHOLOGIST. NOT CONTENT TO JUST CLEAN UP THE HOUSE, THEY NEED TO ADDRESS THE HEART. IF YOU CLEAN UP THE HOUSE WITHOUT THE HEART IT’S JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE HOUSE GETS CLUTTERED AGAIN. THAT’S WHAT THE GOSPEL DOES. YES, IT WANTS A CLEAN HOUSE, BUT IT BEGINS BY FIXING THE HEART.

SECOND IT’S CONCERNED WITH RELATIONSHIPS. THE GOSPEL IS TO BE DISPLAYED IN THE THEATER OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS.

THIRD IT’S CONCERNED WITH THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS. BUT I SAY TO YOU…JESUS IS QUOTING HIMSELF. NOW YOU KNOW YOU A BAD MAN WHEN YOU QUOTE YOURSELF. SERIOUSLY THOUGH, JESUS DOESN’T NEED TO APPEAL TO ANY OUTSIDE AUTHORITY THAN HIMSELF. IT IS IMPLYING THAT HE IS GOD!CENTRAL IDEA: (MURDER WAS EXPLAINED BY THE TEACHERS AS BEING AN EXTERNAL ACT OF TAKING HUMAN PHYSICAL LIFE. BUT JESUS IS NOW GOING TO DEAL WITH WHAT FUELS MURDER- UNRIGHTEOUS ANGER. HE IS GOING TO SHOW US THAT…) UNRIGHTEOUS ANGER IS RELATIONAL MURDER. WHEN WE LASH OUT IN WORDS LACED WITH UNRIGHTEOUS ANGER IT KILLS RELATIONSHIPS…WHEN WE SIT ON OUR ANGER AND JUST BROOD AND INSTEAD WITHDRAW WE LIKEWISE BECOME SILENT ASSASSINS DESTROYING RELATIONSHIPS.

CENTRAL IDEA: (MURDER WAS EXPLAINED BY THE TEACHERS AS BEING AN EXTERNAL ACT OF TAKING HUMAN PHYSICAL LIFE. BUT JESUS IS NOW GOING TO DEAL WITH WHAT FUELS MURDER- UNRIGHTEOUS ANGER. HE IS GOING TO SHOW US THAT…) UNRIGHTEOUS ANGER IS RELATIONAL MURDER. WHEN WE LASH OUT IN WORDS LACED WITH UNRIGHTEOUS ANGER IT KILLS RELATIONSHIPS…WHEN WE SIT ON OUR ANGER AND JUST BROOD AND INSTEAD WITHDRAW WE LIKEWISE BECOME SILENT ASSASSINS DESTROYING RELATIONSHIPS.

ANGER

EXPLANATION: BUT WHAT EXACTLY IS ANGER, AND IS IT WRONG? ANGER CANNOT BE WRONG FOR SEVERAL REASONS. SCRIPTURE REFERENCE: IN YOUR ANGER DO NOT SIN. SO, IT’S POSSIBLE TO BE ANGRY AND NOT BE IN SIN. OKAY. SECOND REASON- WE SEE GOD AND JESUS EXPRESSING ANGER IN THE BIBLE…GOD’S ANGER IS HIS RESPONSE TO SIN, EVIL AND INJUSTICE. AND HIS ANGER MOTIVATES HIM TO WRITE THE WRONGS. THEREFORE, AND FASTEN YOUR SEATS HERE, TO BE ANGRY IS ACTUALLY A PART OF THE IMAGO DEI, THE IMAGE OF GOD. SIN HAS DISTORTED BUT NOT DISMANTLED THE IMAGE OF GOD IN US. SO WHEN WE EXPRESS RIGHTEOUS ANGER WE ARE ACTUALLY BEING GODLIKE. BUT WHAT IS ANGER? CHAPMAN WRITES, “Anger, then, is the emotion that arises whenever we encounter what we perceive to be wrong. The emotional, physiological, and cognitive dimensions of anger leap to the front burner of our experience when we encounter injustice”- Chapman. IN OTHER WORDS, ANGER IS DESIGNED BY GOD TO MOTIVATE US TO TAKE POSITIVE ACTION WHEN WE ENCOUNTER INJUSTICE.

ILLUSTRATIONS: MYLES’ RESPONSE TO WHEN JADEN ATE THE LAST OF HIS LUCKY CHARMS. HE PERCEIVED THAT TO BE AN INJUSTICE.

FATHER WHO WAS HIT BY AN OLDER WHITE MAN AND THEN THIS GUY CALLED HIM THE N WORD WHEN HE GOT OUT OF HIS CAR. DAD WAS ANGRY OVER THAT.

APPLICATIONS: SEXISM SHOULD MAKE US ANGRY. RACISM SHOULD MAKE US ANGRY. SEEING THE POOR PRICED OUT OF THEIR HOMES SHOULD MAKE US ANGRY. OPPRESSION SHOULD MAKE US ANGRY. TO SHRUG YOUR SHOULDERS AND BE INDIFFERENT IS NOT GODLY. TO BE ANGRY TO THE POINT WHERE YOU WORK TO RIGHT THE WRONGS IS GODLY!

(JESUS IS GOING TO SHOW US IN OUR TEXT THREE RESPONSES TO ANGER. ALL OF US FALL IN ONE OF THESE THREE CATEGORIES. THE FIRST TWO HAVE TO DO WITH UNRIGHTEOUS ANGER, AND THE LAST IS RIGHTEOUS ANGER)

ERUPTERS- VERSES 21-22

EXPLANATION: JESUS IS CLEAR: UNRIGHTEOUS ANGER IS RELATIONAL MURDER. AND HE POINTS OUT TWO EXPRESSIONS OF UNRIGHTEOUS ANGER- erupters and squashers. PLEASE NOTICE THAT IN BOTH CASES JESUS DOES NOT DEAL AT ALL WITH WHAT TRIGGERED THE ANGER. IT’S ALMOST LIKE THAT’S NOT THAT IMPORTANT. INSTEAD, JESUS DEALS WITH OUR RESPONSE TO THE PERSON. THE PERSON MAY HAVE CALLED US A RACIALLY INSENSITIVE NAME, TALKED ABOUR OUR MOTHER, SLAMMED INTO OUR CAR…IT’S OUR RESPONSE THAT JESUS IS CONCERNED WITH. THE FIRST IS WHAT WE WILL CALL ERUPTERS. YEP THAT’S SOME O FYOU. LOOK AT WHAT HE SAYS IN VERSE 22. ONE OF THE IDEAS OF THE GREEK WORD FOR ANGER IS IT SPEAKS OF A BROODING THAT IS LAYING BENEATH THE SURFACE AND SOMETHING TRIGGERS THIS PERSON WHERE LIKE A VOLCANO THEY JUST ERUPT. HERE IT IS CLEARLY NEGATIVE. WE SEE THIS BECAUSE HE MOVES FROM ANGER TO DESTRUCTIVE SPEECH, THE KIND OF SPEECH THAT KILLS. THE WORD FOR INSULTS MEANS TO TEAR DOWN…AND THE PHRASE YOU FOOL IS AN ALMOST UNTRANSLATABLE TERM THAT SPEAKS MORE TO THE TONE OF VOICE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. IT’S REALLY THE IDEA OF CONTEMPT. IT’S THE IDEA OF YELLING AND A TONE OF DISGUST OR HOW COULD YOU. HERE HE’S DEALING WITH THE PERSON WHOSE BEEN OFFENDED AND RESPONDS BY ERUPTING IN DESTRUCTIVE UNLOVING WAYS. WITH THE RESULT THAT THIS PERSON IS MURDERING THE CONFIDENCE AND CHARACTER OF OTHER PERSON.

ILLUSTRATION: ANTWONE FISHER MOVIE. HE GREW UP IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM THERE IN CLEVELAND (BASED ON A TRUE STORY). ONE OF THE PRIMARY AND DAMAGING PEOPLE IN HIS LIFE WAS HIS FOSTER MOTHER- A PASTORS WIFE BTW. SHE CALLED HIM HORRIBLE NAMES. DEMEANED HIM. COMPLETELY TORE HIM DOWN. AND WHAT DO WE SEE OF HIM YEARS LATER. A PICTURE OF ZERO CONFIDENCE AND ERUPTING ANGER. HE’S GETTING INTO FIGHTS. DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO RELATE TO WOMEN. SHEEPISH IN GENERAL AROUND PEOPLE. ERUPTING ANGER MURDERED HIS CONFIDENCE AND SOWED A SEED OF ERUPTING ANGER IN HIM. ANGER BEGETS ANGER.

APPLICATION: TALK TO ERUPTERS. YOUR WORDS MATTER. YOU SCREAM, YELL, CURSE, CALL NAMES. THAT’S NOT LIGHT. SOME WOMAN IS SUFFERING TO PUT THE PIECES OF HER CONFIDENCE BACK TOGETHER BECAUSE OF YOU. SOME ADULT IS LIKE ANTWONE FISHER…YOU HAD A PARENT WHO JUST TORE YOU DOWN. SCREAMED AT YOU…AND NOW YOUR CONFIDENCE AND ESTEEM ARE IN SHAMBLES…MURDERED. PARENTS DON’T DO THAT TO YOUR KIDS. JESUS IS CLEAR, ERUPTERS KILL CONFIDENCE, CHARACTER AND RELATIONSHIPS

STUFFERS- VERSES 23-24

EXPLANATION: I LOVE HOW JESUS APPROACHES ANGER. IN THE OPENING VERSES HE DEALS WITH THE PERSON WHOSE BEEN OFFENDED…WHOSE BEEN TRIGGERED AND THEIR VOLCANIC RESPONSE. NOW JESUS SLIDES TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TABLE TO THE PERSON WHOSE DONE THE OFFENDING. AGAIN, WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THE ISSUE IS, BUT THE PICTURE IS POIGNANT. HERE’S A MAN WHO WE MIGHT SAY HAS GOTTEN UP EARLY ON A SUNDAY MORNING. HAD HIS CUP OF COFFEE, READ HIS BIBLE AND SAID HIS PRAYERS AND IS NOW AT CHURCH. HE’S LIFTED HIS HANDS IN PRAISE AND SUNG ABOUT HOW MUCH HE’S WORSHIPPED GOD. AND NOW IT’S THE MEET AND GREET TIME WHERE HE TAKES OUT HIS CHECK AND IS WALKING TO THE GIVING BOX. AND WON’T YOU KNOW IT THAT ON HIS WAY HE REMEMBERS SOMEONE WHOSE NOT SPEAKING TO HIM. SOMEONE WHOM HE’S OFFENDED. NOW I KNOW I’VE TAKEN SOME POETIC LICENSE BUT IT’S ONLY A MODERN RETELLING OF JESUS’ WORDS. BUT WHAT’S CLEAR IS THAT THE FACT THAT THE OFFENDER REMEMBERS SOMEONE WHO IS ANGRY WITH HIM TELLS US THAT THE PERSON WHO IS ANGRY IN ALL LIKELIHOOD HAS NEVER REALLY SAID ANYTHING…THEY JUST WITHDREW. THAT PERSON WE CAN LABEL IS A STUFFER. AND THAT’S SOME OF YOU. YOU GET TRIGGERED AND OFFENDED AND YOU JUST STUFF AND STUFF AND STUFF AND STUFF. YOU ACT LIKE EVERYTHING’S OKAY, BUT IT’S NOT. AND YOU BEGIN TO EMOTIONALLY WITHDRAW. AND THE PROBLEM IS YOU MURDER RELATIONSHIPS, BUT NOT IN AN ERUPTER, VOLCANIC WAY. STUFFERS TEND TO BE MORE SILENT ASSASSINS.

ILLUSTRATION: KNOW A GUY WHO GREW UP IN A HOME WHERE CONFLICT WAS NEVER HANDLED WELL…PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL ABUSE. AT SOME POINT AS A LITTLE BOY HE SAID ALL CONFLICT IS WRONG SO I WILL NEVER EXPRESS ANYTHING THAT MIGHT TRIGGER IT. HE BECAME A STUFFER. WHEN IT COMES TO ANGER, HE’S EMOTIONALLY CONSTIPATED. I’VE WATCHED HIM GO THROUGH TWO MARRIAGES, IN PART, BECAUSE HE NEVER REALLY EXPRESSED ALL OF WHO HE WAS. IN THE AREA OF ANGER THERE WAS THIS MAZE OF POLICE YELLOW CAUTION TAPE. YOU COULD NEVER REALLY GET TOO CLOSE TO HIM. HE’S EMOTIONALLY WALLED OFF.

APPLICATION: AND THAT’S SOME OF YOU. YOU COULD BE TICKED OFF BUT YOU SAY, I’M FINE, I’M FINE, I’M FINE. YOU STUFF. BUT LIKE ALL CONSTIPATION, IT WILL COME OUT AT SOME POINT. STUFFERS DON’T LOVE ANYONE BUT THEMSELVES. HOW COULD THEY LOVE. THEY’RE TOO BUSY PROTECTING THEMSELVES. THEY’RE SILENT KILLERS.

CS LEWIS SAYS: “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”

RECONCILERS- VERSES 25-26

EXPLANATION: OKAY…SO WHAT’S THE WAY FORWARD? WE KNOW THAT JESUS DOESN’T THINK ANGER IS WRONG BECAUSE HE OFFERS US A WAY TO DEAL WITH ANGER REDEMPTIVELY…PASSAGE ENDS ON A CURIOUS NOTE…REAL HEAD SCRATCHER…ON THEIR WAY TO COURT…WHAT’S UP WITH THIS? WELL, THE COURT AND THE JUDGE HAS TO DO WITH THE DAY OF RECKONING WHEN WE WILL STAND BEFORE GOD AND GIVE AN ACCOUNT FOR OUR LIVES! . AND BECAUSE WE DON’T KNOW WHEN THAT WILL BE, JESUS SAYS COME TO TERMS QUICKLY. RECONCILE. IN OTHER WORDS, WHILE ERUPTERS AND STUFFERS PUSH US AWAY FROM RELATIONSHIPS, RIGHTEOUS ANGER TURNS US INTO RECONCILERS AND MOTIVATES US TO COME TOWARDS EACH OTHER. RIGHTEOUS ANGER SAYS THERE’S A PERCEIVED INJUSTICE THAT IS THREATENING THE RELATIONSHIP, I HAVE TO ADDRESS THIS.

ILLUSTRATION OF DAD AND HOW HE HANDLED ANGER. PRAYER WALKS AROUND THE BLOCK. IF HE WAS REALLY MAD HE’D TAKE SEVERAL PRAYER WALKS. HE’D THEN COME BACK IN AND DEAL WITH IT IN A MEASURED, CONTROLLED WAY.

APPLICATIONS: THIS AFTERNOON I’M GOING TO START A FIRE IN MY BACKYARD. I SHOULD SAY IN THE FIREPIT OF MY BACKYARD. FIRES CAN BE REALLY GOOD OR REALLY DESTRUCTIVE, THE DIFFERENCE IS ARE THEY CONTROLLED. MINE WILL BE GREAT BECAUSE IT WILL HAVE A PERIMETER OF STONES ENCIRCLING IT, KEEPING IT UNDER CONTROL…I WANT TO GIVE YOU SEVERAL STONES AS WE CLOSE TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR ANGER:

KEEP THE RELATIONSHIP BIGGER THAN THE ISSUE THAT TRIGGERED YOU.

COOL OFF.

BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR WORDS.

ASK QUESTIONS AVOID STATEMENTS.

FOCUS ON CONDUCT AND NOT CHARACTER. DON’T SAY YOU ALWAYS...

OWN YOUR PART.

EXPRESS HOW YOU FEEL, AND SEEK AN APOLOGY.

GOSPEL CONCLUSION:

GOD WAS ANGRY WITH US. WE WERE BY NATURE CHILDREN OF WRATH. OUR SINS TRIGGERED HIM. PRAISE GOD HE DIDN’T ERUPT OR WE WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSUMED. PRAISE GOD HE DIDN’T STUFF OR THE ISSUE NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH BUT WE WOULD HAVE GONE TO HELL. PRAISE GOD FOR RECONCILIATION. HE SENT JESUS INTO THE WORLD TO RECONCILE. 2 CORINTHIANS 5!