Fire Prevention for Blazing Christians

Eph 4:26-27

BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down

on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity.

MYTH—Anger is always bad.• Not nec. BAD TO BE MAD!• “Be ye angry, yet do not sin.” Eph 4:26• God is Angry daily. Ps 7:11

• 11 God is a righteous judge, And a God who has indignation every day.

• Jesus got Angry! Jn 2:15;17• 15 And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them

all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, "ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME."

Jesus gives perfect balanceANGER PLUS SORROW!• Mark 3:5• 5 After looking around at them with anger,

and being grieved at their hardness of heart.• ANGER ONLY Self-righteousness• SORROW ONLY Un-righteousness

Righteous anger -- Pharisees• Matt 23:27-33• 27 " Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,

hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. 28 "So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

• 33 "You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?

Good side of Anger!• Leads to change! Enough is enough!• Necessary for Boldness!• Paul - Acts 17:16• Now while Paul was waiting for them at

Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols.

When God is angry – Action!

• The flood – new start needed. • The wilderness – “provoked to hot anger!

23000 killed – adultery stopped.• Anger resulted in positive change for good.

ANGER IS PARALLEL TO LOVE• Both can be right or wrong depending on

how they are used!• Love is NOT always good.

• Love of $• Love leads to extramarital affair• I Jn 2:15 “Love not the world, neither the

things that are in the world, the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.”

• Love of self, pleasure, evil, wrath and violence!!

Anger is bad when it leads to wrong reactions! • Eph 4:31-32• 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger

and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

ANGER WILL CAUSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING REACTIONS.

• BLOW UP!!• CLAM UP!!• OWN UP!!

ANGER IS ONE LETTER SHORT OF DANGER!• Like love & lust – explosive emotions!• Tempting to justify things in name of both. • Love and anger vie for our allegiance just

as God and Satan do!

BLOWING UP! • “Put away from ourselves all bitterness, wrath,

anger, clamor and malice.” • Anger = Indignation which rises up and then

becomes more settled.” Thayer• A seething emotion frequently with a view toward

taking revenge. Vine

• Wrath = “The sudden burst of passionate anger.” “The blaze of temper which flames into violent deeds and words.” Barclay• Col 3:8 “Put off anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy,

filthy language out of your mouth.”

People try to justify blowing up• You provoked me• You made me so mad!• I’m Irish• I’m a red head• Born with it! • It only lasts a short while, then its all over! • I didn’t mean it!• Prov 14:17 A quick-tempered man acts

foolishly, And a man of evil devices is hated.

“Blowing up” is a lack of discipline• Be angry – do not sin… It is our choice! • No such thing as an incontrollable temper!• Prov 16:32 32 He who is slow to anger is

better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city!

CLAMING UP!

• Instead of dealing with it, they bury their anger alive! • (Carry compressed can of anger)

• Suffer with quiet indignation – Avoid confrontation.

• Simmer – avoid violence – but poison their spirits and harm themselves and innocent parties around them!

Do you have good reason?• Selfish anger --- Jonah 4: 2:4, 9 But it greatly

displeased Jonah and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the LORD and said, "Please LORD, For I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. 3 "Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life." 4 The LORD said, "Do you have good reason to be angry?"

• And he said, "I have good reason to be angry, even to death."

Do you have good reason?

• Impatient Anger – Eccl 7:8-9• Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit. 9

Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, For anger resides in the bosom of fools.

• James 1:19 “Let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.”

• WHY? James 1:20

• 20 “for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”

Claming up causes us to become slaves to those who have hurt us.• Holding grudges is foolish. • Binding their own shackles on their arms

not upon their enemies!• Self-destructive• If control your spirit, you are greater than

the incredible HULK! • Prov 16:32 32 He who is slow to anger is

better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.

KEY: Own up! • Learn to ignore petty things.

• Prov 19:11 “A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger and its to his glory to overlook a transgression.”

• Pray for those who dispitefully use you.

• Avoid Anger-prone People• Prov 22:24-25 “Make no friendship with a man

given to anger and with a wrathful man thou shalt not go lest thou learn his ways and get a snare to your soul.”

Key: Own up!• Watch your tongue!

• Prov 15:1-2 A gentle answer turns away wrath,• But a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue

of the wise makes knowledge acceptable,• But the mouth of fools spouts folly.

• Be solution oriented not problem oriented. • Express it, give it over to the Lord, channel it

properly --- Anger dissipates! • Ask: Why Am I Mad? What can I do?

Replace one with something else

• Eph 4:31-32• 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger

and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. SOLUTION?

• 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Conclusion:

• Follow these solutions! Own up!• A most powerful emotion. Use it in a

constructive way!• Next lesson: Keys for Anger Resolution,

Spiritual ways to become better instead of bitter and not “give the devil a place.”

Invitation

• When people die – channel anger against sin and the devil.

• Be solution oriented---go for the only power above to unlock the chains of sin!• Rm 1:16