Sermon Tone Analysis

Wednesday, September 8, 2022 Commands of Christ – 27

A Christian's Character: Dealing With Anger

Handout Anger: Facing the fire within: Explore on your own (or with a partner)

I admit to trying to cover a HUGE lesson:

Civil war

Anger

And yet the two are very closely related.

A possible civil war in the US will occur because of not just anger, but rage and fury are consuming its citizens.

Like I quoted from the article on Sunday:

In [the book] Tribe, combat journalist Sebastian Junger writes,

“People speak with incredible contempt about – depending on their views – the rich, the poor, the educated, the foreign-born, the president, or the entire U.S. government.

It’s a level of contempt that is usually reserved for enemies in wartime, except that now it’s applied to our fellow citizens.”

Anger:

Lord willing, NEXT week we will look at what Jesus had to say about anger.

Last week we looked at the “proof text” of anger:

Ephesians 4:26–27 (NASB95) Be angry, and yet do not sin;

In our zeal to justify our anger, we fail to even read the whole sentence let alone the full context of that portion of the verse (verses 17-22) (That may be making some angry right now!):

Ephesians 4:26–27 (KJV) Be ye angry, and sin not : let not the sun go down upon your wrath : 27 Neither give place to the devil.

UBS: In a formal sense it is a command, “Be angry” (so RSV), but this imperative functions as a concession, that is, “Be angry, if you must” or “You are bound to get angry, but …”* The main point the writer makes is that anger should not be nourished: “do not let the sun go down on your anger” (RSV).

Sunset marked the end of one day and the beginning of another day; a Christian should not continue to be angry with his fellow believer from one day to the next but should seek reconciliation at once.

The Greek noun for “anger” occurs only here in the New Testament.*

In some languages it is necessary to indicate the reasons for being angry, and therefore the conditional clause If you become angry must sometimes be expanded as “If you become angry with someone” or “It may happen that you get angry, but.…”

The second part of this condition, namely, do not let your anger lead you into sin, may be translated as a causative, for example, “do not let that cause you to sin” or “do not permit how you feel to cause you to do wrong” …

Bratcher, R. G., & Nida, E. A. (1993).

A handbook on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (p.

117).

United Bible Societies.

Ephesians 4:26–27 (NLT) 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.

Perhaps this aligns with Vs.31&32 better?

Ephesians 4:31–32 (NLT) Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.

32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Complete Biblical Library: In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:22) and in Ephesians 4:31, both Christ and the apostle Paul urged Christians not to “be angry.”

Christ spoke against “anger” at a brother who is a follower of God, while Paul emphasized that even one with a righteous “anger” must not let it become sin.

So, I would guess that we will tend to believe that our anger is “righteous” anger

Dictionary of the Old Testament: Prophets:

In the books of the OT Prophets, there are 2 kinds of anger: (Relational -vertical relationship 1st 4 of Ten Commandments)

Righteous anger focuses on “horizontal,” human-human relationships.

Yahweh is angry because humans are mistreating other humans.

Just as he had compassion on Israel while they were oppressed in Egypt, so they should have compassion on the weak in their society.

Their oppression of their neighbors prompts divine wrath.

… Yahweh’s … righteous anger [particularly] involves the last six commandments (Ex 20:2–17; see also Jer 7:5–9, 18–20).

Respecting parents.

Killing

Adultery

Theft

Lying

Covetousness

But, even IF (and that is a huge and unlikely “if”) we have RIGHTEOUS anger let’s be clear:

James 1:18–22 (NASB95) In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.

19 This you know, my beloved brethren.

But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.

22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.

More to come on anger.

Let’s go back to the question of another U.S. Civil War:

Based on the article: 3 Steps Churches Can Take To Help Prevent a Second American Civil War:

We talked about the poll data and other assertions of the author of the article.

There were questions about “Christian nationalism”:

Read article portions ...

Squid Game (South Korean children’s game - turned into TV show and video games) There are two main purposes, either for the attackers to achieve the purpose of the attack, or for the teams to annihilate each other.

Read Bobert speach…

Read about Charles III

As you read the original article and theses subsequent articles, do they stir feelings of anger, sadness, other?

Why?

What do you think about the 3 Steps pastors can take to prevent the second American civil war?

1. Acknowledge that the church has a discipleship problem.

Do we?

If so, in what ways?

2. Create space for the middle ground (it’s bigger than you think)

As we discussed last week, there is no middle ground on many of the htly contesteed issues of our day:

Abortion - special allowance for rape, incest, health of the mother?

Joe Scarborough article

Marriage

What about other issues?

Critical Race Theory - if not that could we at least teach history?

What if tried to see both sides of the racial history

The perspective of slaves from Africa (including that their own race captured them and sold them)

The perspective of Native Americans (same as above) plus needless killing of others (including other tribes), whites, etc.

Others:

Crime?

Inflation?

Energy (no gasoline cars?)

3. Equip your congregation to be Peacemakers, not just Peacekeepers.

Matthew 5:9 (NASB95) “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

What about these approaches to politics from 1 Peter 2:11-17?

1 Peter 2:11–17 (NASB95) Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.

12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.

15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.

16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. 17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

1 Peter 2:11–17 (The Message) Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it.

Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul.

12 Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices.

Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.

13 Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens.

Respect the authorities, whatever their level; 14 they are God’s emissaries for keeping order.

15 It is God’s will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you’re a danger to society.

16 Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules.

17 Treat everyone you meet with dignity.

Love your spiritual family.