You Mad Bro? – James 1:19-20
How many of you get angry or lose your temper?
Part 1 – The problem with anger
Makes us a fool
[Ecc 7:9 NKJV] 9 Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, For anger rests in the bosom of fools.
[Pro 14:29 NKJV] 29 [He who is] slow to wrath has great understanding, But [he who is] impulsive exalts folly.
Pro 14:17 – A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, And a man of wicked intentions is hated.
Anger makes us lose
Peace
Pro 15:18 – A wrathful man stirs up strife, But he who is slow to anger allays contention.
[Pro 29:22 NKJV] 22 An angry man stirs up strife, And a furious man abounds in transgression.
A Job
Respect
Friends
Spouse
Divorce
Children
CPS could come take them
Health (teeth)
anger ramps up “fight or flight” response.
stress hormones, like adrenaline and cortisol, speed up your heart rate and breathing.
You get a burst of energy. Your blood vessels tighten. Your blood pressure soars.
You’re ready to run for your life or fight an enemy. If this happens often, it causes wear and tear on your artery walls.
Our Testimony
Freedom
Jail
Salvation
Mat 5:21-22 – “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.
Objection
Eph 4:26-27 – “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.
You don’t know what they did
Didn’t Jesus clear the temple in anger?
If this emotion can ruin our lives and jeopardizes our salvation then we ought to be concerned with how to deal with it.
Part 2 – How to overcome anger
Repent
Three Strategies to dealing with anger
Repress it
Express it
Confess it
The Bible commands us to deal with anger
Eph 4:31 – Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
Col 3:8 – But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
Psa 37:8 – Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret—it only causes harm.
Admit that you are wrong!
1Jo 1:8-9 – If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Break all structures of denial
Pro 20:6 – Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, But who can find a faithful man?
Pro 21:2 – Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts.
Pro 28:13 – He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
You are responsible for your anger not others!
Change Thoughts/PerspectiveV
Yoda was just paraphrasing 1 James 1:19-20 #FVCLive
[Phl 4:8 NKJV] 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things [are] noble, whatever things [are] just, whatever things [are] pure, whatever things [are] lovely, whatever things [are] of good report, if [there is] any virtue and if [there is] anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things.
[Rom 8:5-6 NKJV] 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those [who live] according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded [is] death, but to be spiritually minded [is] life and peace.
[Rom 12:1-2 NKJV] 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, [which is] your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what [is] that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
[Col 3:2 NKJV] 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
[Psa 19:14 NKJV] 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.
[2Co 10:5 NKJV] 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
Change speech
[Psa 19:14 NKJV] 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.
[Pro 29:11 NKJV] 11 A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise [man] holds them back.
[Eph 4:29 NKJV] 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
[Luk 6:45 NKJV] 45 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Sow to the Spirit
Gal 5:19-25 – Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,[fn] fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders,[fn] drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Forgive and Love
[Luk 6:35-36 NKJV] 35 “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
[Mat 18:21-35 NKJV] 21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 “And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 “But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 “The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 “Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.
28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took [him] by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 “So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 30 “And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 “So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 “Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 ‘Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 “And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”
[Eph 4:32 NKJV] 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Be humble
A lot of our anger comes from a misguided sense of self-righteousness
Phl 2:2-3 – fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
Luke 18:9-14 “Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Part 3 – Helping others deal with anger
Pro 15:1 – A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.
[Mat 5:23-25 NKJV] 23 “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 “leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 “Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.
If any man thinks ill of you, do not be angry with him, for you are worse than he thinks you to be. – Spurgeon
Luke 6:27 – “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you
Who has been on the receiving end of your anger?
I hope you know now that your anger toward that person is not the will of God.
Let’s start this process right now and Admit that or anger is sin. It’s not the will of God and it needs to be dealt with.