Words Matter - Anger Pt. 1
Words Matter - ANGER (from 2/12/17 sermon - Spencer Teal)
I. OPEN - See if there is anyone who wants to share a short testimony, or if there are there specific praise updates to begin CG.
II. PRAY
III. READ ALOUD Matthew 5:21-22a - “ You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council ; ”
Q - Sermon takeaways from those who were in attendance?
IV. REFLECT
In Matthew 5 Jesus Jesus gives several “You have heard” statements, which refer to the law from the Old Testament. In these passages he provides an amplification or deeper meaning of these teachings. He takes us from the law in which we somehow feel righteous as long as we don’t outwardly commit these sinful acts and He peers into our hearts to show us the sin that resides there...which always leads us back to the Gospel and our need for a Savior. This week in our series, Words Matter we look at the topic of Anger . We are reminded that the Kingdom honors relationships as a first importance. The simplest form of anger is not wrong. It’s the feeling that seizes our body that immediately impels us toward interfering with those who have thwarted our will and interfered with our life...or the life of someone else or a cause that we love. However, SINFUL ANGER is meant to injure others. Your anger alone is likely enough to stay me or make me change my course. The primary function of anger in life is to alert me to an obstruction to my will and immediately raise alarm and resistance. But our anger quickly turns into something that is inherently evil when it includes a will to harm others with our words or actions.
Q - What does road rage/anger when driving tell you about the anger that exists within individuals? Is it the fact that they cut in front of you that brought about the anger or did the anger already exist and now has an excuse to come out?
Discuss. Q - What types of situations push your buttons and reveals anger that exists in your heart? Remember, not all anger is sin . We must realize that not all anger is evil. This is evident from the wrath of God that is both perfectly pure and beautiful. We must realize that a part of God's character is His holy and pure anger toward evil. So much so that Paul in his letter to the Ephesians would say be angry, but do not sin. Anger CAN be a good thing if channelled properly.
Didn't Jesus himself get really angry? Yes, he turned over merchandise inside the temple calling the individuals blind fools. His anger towards sin and injustice was never targeted to the person. We have heard the phrase hate the sin and not the center, and this is exactly what Jesus did. This is very different from what we often get angry at.
Q - In light of Jesus becoming angry and turning over the tables in the temple...what are the types of things that SHOULD cause us to be angry...angry with a righteous indignation? Q - When you consider a typical week, what are the things that you usually get angry over? Q - Percentage-wise, what percentage of your anger is a righteous indignation directed toward a situation or cause vs. an unrighteous anger directed toward an individual/individuals because YOU were somehow wronged? Discuss.
What does murder have to do with me? Do Not Murder vs. Do not Kill . In this Matt 5 passage we see the command "Do not Murder." We must be clear that this does not mean "Do not Kill". For, this is not a prohibition against all human life and in every circumstance, but particularly homicide and murder. This is an important distinction to make. Here we have the teachers of the law trying to restrict the application of the sixth Commandment do not murder to the deed of spilling human blood and homicide alone. We see this command as a part of the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20 in Deuteronomy 5. Your thoughts and your words were now on the same plane as murder. Jesus squares His shoulders with this radically new teaching. We read this and ask, “What does a teaching on murder have to do with me? And He says…”Everything!” This is much more than and goes far beyond just preserving life itself; this is preserving all human relationships. This is a crushing at your core. So...this is what the murder is - the erasing of someone else. Dismissing the person's worth. Seeing your worth and your value over the worth of someone else. The Bible tells us that anger literally rots your body. Bible tells us that anger literally kills relationships. Because we throw words around like weapons we wound our relationships. And these words are much worse on your heart than any other emotion.
Q - Simply put, how can you and I apply the Gospel to our hearts in these areas that arouse our anger?
What are Gospel-centered ways that we can respond to situations and to people?
V. FURTHER APPLICATION -
James 5:16 reminds us that we are to “ confess our sins to each other and to pray for each other that we might be healed. ” In light of this topic of Anger, how can this verse be applied for healing a elationship?
VI. CLOSE - Final thoughts?
VII. BE ON-MISSION -
The rubber meets the road in our Christian walk not just when we understand these Kingdom truths but when we apply them to our own hearts and ACT on them. In light of this thought, who might you need to go to to apologize or to seek reconciliation because of a previous or current display of anger?