Words Matter - Anger Pt. 2

Words Matter - ANGER Continued (from 2/19/17 sermon - DMac)

Announcements

/Reminders

● 2 new church p lants - Please note that as of January RS has started supporting 2 regional church plants --Sojourn Church of Knightdale, NC and Renewal Raleigh of Raleigh, NC. Please pray for these churches as you enter into your weekly gatherings. The pastors from each will be speaking at RS later this spring.

● High school girls - Victoria Colson and Annika Coulton will be doing weekly discipleship with H.S. girls at Open Doors NOW ON TUESDAYS. Pray for this endeavor, and send interested girls to them.

● DRG to Costa-Rica - Many of the Doe River Gorge interns left with Juanc for missions trip to Costa-Rica Monday. Be sure to keep them in your prayers. 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 5:21-26 - Anger continued

“ 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; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you ha ve paid the last penny.”

Q - Sermon takeaways from those who were in attendance?

IV. REFLECT

The political climate from this past election cycle allowed us to see just how easy it is for the anger within our hearts to spill over and come out in vile and insulting manners toward other human beings. There was (and is) real anger expressed within family units and amongst close friends that brought great division between individuals who really care for one another. Likewise, there was (and is) real anger expressed...quite aggressively sometimes...toward individuals who don’t really even know each other. As we discussed last week, when our egos are attacked because individuals disagree with us or with our opinions we feel the need to seek justice. The result? Anger .

Q - Think of a time in your life where your ego was violated and the result was outright anger toward an individual or people that you love dearly . Discuss. Q - Think of a time in your life where your ego was violated and the result was outright anger toward an individual or people that really didn’t even know.

Discuss.

We are liable . In the passage Jesus tells us that it’s not just those who get angry and murder who are liable but that we will also be held liable for just having anger in our hearts toward an individual, or because of the words and/or insults we shoot toward them. We are liable! In Matthew 9 and other places Jesus reminds us “ Those who are well have no n eed of a physician, but those who are sick.” We can have pride in ourselves and assume a posture of innocence for keeping our emotions in-check and not lashing out in anger toward others...or by calling them names in our hearts but not speaking it openly to them. But Jesus dispels this innocence myth by declaring to us that we are guilty...we are liable. In this way Jesus opens up our eyes to show us that we are indeed sick and in need of a Physician. The Way of The Kingdom : Before Christ made us into a new man (or woman), when anger was provoked within us we were hijacked and became not only the offended party, but the judge and jury as well. We became the one who determines the worth and character of the offender. We put ourselves in the place ultimate authority of their life and identity. But...now that Christ has created in us a new person who is part of The kingdom, we may will still be the offended party, but no longer are we the judge and jury. Instead, Christ becomes the judge and jury. We have been set free from the compulsion to protect self and demand Justice because Jesus has given us something so much greater. People of the kingdom are able to trust that Jesus and Jesus alone is the only one worthy and able to determine the offender’s worth and character because we remember when we too were found guilty by The Judge , but instead of punishment, he gave grace, instead of a character assassination he gave us a new name, and instead of prison he gave us freedom.

Q - Slowly work your way through that last paragraph. Have you ever had this type of grace and mercy bestowed upon you by a fellow Christian even though you deserved their wrath? Or...have you ever been so possessed by the Holy Spirit that you were able to supernaturally forgive in your heart another who wronged you, and instead of lashing out you extended grace and mercy to them? Explain. Discuss the power of this Gospel-centered response.

In the latter part of this passage Jesus brings an entirely different scenario before us. There are times when we have moved on and have no bitterness in our hearts at all, but there may be someone out there who we have offended...and we know we have offended them. Jesus says for us to leave our gift at the altar and instead to go reconcile with the individual who is upset with us.

Q - Practically speaking, how is the Gospel displayed when Simply put, how are we displaying the love of Christ by seeking to reconcile with the person who is upset with us ?

V. FURTHER APPLICATION -

Ephesians 4:26 tells us to never let the sun go down on our anger because when we do we’re giving the enemy a foothold. In light of this, consider applying this verse to all of your relationships...with your spouse, your children, your friends, etc...to always reconcile and apply the Gospel quickly making every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace.

VI. CLOSE - Final thoughts?

VII. BE ON-MISSION -

a) Is there anyone that you have anger toward that you need to forgive in your heart and then go to for reconciliation? b) Is there anyone you know who is angry with you that you need to lay your gift at the altar so that you can go be reconciled to them? When will you do so this week? Make a plan and prayerfully commit to it.