Slow To Anger, Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ is a problem with the light of if you like flashing her – 200 just in itself not some of you don't like the light you can view it that way. I put a piece of tape on but it won't will because the whole idea is it's telling me it's morning anger is a secondary emotion. There's always something primary rejection.

In this case. Jealousy is always another reason that your anger joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana. Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhardt now is once again he shows us how God's word meets our world you angry. Have you been angry this week. Angry Webster's dictionary said it's a strong feeling of displeasure or hostility.

And lastly, what I did is I made the foundation from the book of Proverbs the wisdom literature of God and I published a list three things about anger one is there are dangerous consequences when we mishandle with two there were spiritual benefits.

When we express anger correctly, sort of a kind word turns away wrath, and then three but most importantly, by far, to handle anger correctly. You have to see life as God sees life and that for us is the problem that's the rub. We don't remember last week in Matthew five I just want what Jesus said. Jesus said love your enemies okay how easy is that for you. And he also said pray for those who persecute you, so if you're being persecuted by someone you pray for them.

I gotta be honest here. That's not who we are. That's not how we act. We don't act like that at all. We get angry because we don't see life the way God sees life and so the Bible uses terms anger and wrath hundreds of times throughout the whole Bible, but when you read it you notice something God is angry he handles it in one way when we get angry we handle waiting very very different ways.

One of the worst things about our anger. That's totally misguided, as we always believe that our anger is justified and I use the example last time of Jesus, claiming that the moneychangers in the temple you know in a Jesus confronted the Pharisees for stealing the kingdom of God.

But Jesus never showed anger like that to the Romans to sinners ever, but we've no matter how we show anger we justify it in our mind and so I want to look at today continue this thought and look at how humans express anger in the Bible and wants to write the beginning Genesis chapter 4 and verse three Genesis 4. The first emotion that comes after the fall is anger. That's how fast it shows up. In fact, because of our fallen nature. One of the manifestations of our fallen nature is our anger and know even though anger can be under certain conditions acceptable. Most the time is not in us. The way that we express it so we come to the story of Cain and Abel, and he says in verse three. So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground now came to the firstborn. His name is Qiagen in Hebrew, the angle size and color. Cain and what's interesting about it. It means from the same as that's his name. I'm from the same as using what's that mean he's from his parents is the first child ever.

I'm just like them. You see, he's the first one. Eve names and Cain and her thought is that God made man and now, with God's help, I'm making a man and so there's a lot of hopefulness with the when she names came notice he came in about an offering to God, and it was the fruit of the ground because after the fall. Some things changed. One is you have to till the ground now. Before the fall. You don't have to do that. For we didn't do anything. It was there. And secondly, you have to care for sheep and the reason is not just for cheap offer for wool for me to know that.

But she becomes the offering to God for sin.

In fact the Scripture says without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin, and so you have Cain and Abel making this men hot. This offering and it says Abel on his part. It says brought the firstlings of his flock of their fat portions act that reads bad in English, Hebrew says this he brought the fattest of the fatlings of his flock and fat would be considered very good sleep but the breast sheep he had and then it says that the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering. But for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So here's the first offerings. Cain and Abel.

God regards one high the other when not at all. Now the question is why did he respond like that were not sure exactly because of the Scripture doesn't say that. But my thought is, God never asked us to do anything that he hasn't told us how to do it or what to do, so I'm pretty well convinced personally.

He told Cain and Abel. What an offering would be Cain ignored. I just offer what I want to offer clearing for sure their attitudes are different. Notice that Abel gives him the best the best offering he has Cain's view might have been.

And that's just the duty look at this take some plants give the guy will be happy and God said I'm well-regarded because one of the things about offering to God that applies even today you coming here today and you're worshiping you Sam I'm giving this as an offering to God. If your heart's not in it getting giving to God. He completely disregards what you do. You can't do things and say the external thing I do will make God happy and want. That's just religiosity in one form or another, God always rejects it because he only look to your heart and so consequently the attitude that Abel has is completely different than the attitude. Cain has so it says when he we had no regard. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell.

So here's our first example human anger is very angry and he's mad because God had rejected Mel, that's interesting. The next verses God said why are you angry white accountants fell not understand God never asked the question to find an answer is always rhetorical. God only ask questions.

For your sake he never asked him, so he will know is what you angry about is that if you do well we accountants not be lifted up this interesting. God knows he's angry Cain knows he's angry and God said, look to be okay. If you do well. Now God offers him grace and forgiveness.

There's an offering. If you do well go for fine well when ended up happening. He said if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door its desires for you and you got a master notice take the sin and equated with what's going on anger anger as I was scratching at the door. You either master your anger or your anger will master you FF for some of you, your primary identity is you're an angry person you just angry. He said you let a mastery. Now we know this and he says the king you have a choice to make. Here it's up to you so Cain told his brother Abel was brother that you got a love that God has his conversation, Cain and Abel glide together and Cain tells Abel about the conversation he had with God. Now think about. Another point of view. Many other people could gain Dr. I mean just her parents how much you want to talk to your parents. The rest of your life so that he say God said this to me is an interesting statement. He tells his brother and it came about that when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother killed he murdered them in 1st°. Now we know that part of the issues for him here is that he's not just rejected by God, but he's jealous of his brother sees jealous of his brother got accepted that he did except mine.

I feel rejected. Now please understand as we go along here with anger. Anger is just like it's just like the light on your dashboard engine warning okay. Is there any problem with the light on your dashboard is a light have anything if if your lights flashing her dashboard will that you harm your car just in itself now or not at all.

Some of you don't like the light you kinda view it that way if I put a piece of tape over it.

Then everything will be fine but it won't will because the whole idea is it's telling me it's warning me. Anger is a secondary emotion. Anger is secondary. There's always something primary going on rejection. In this case, jealousy, there's always another reason that you're angry that becomes an important way and understanding it. So Cain has these issues. He apparently didn't care or didn't think about what God said.

Secondly, he felt rejected by God. Even though God gave him an opportunity to come back. Thirdly, he's jealous of his brother. And so, fourthly, he murders his brother and natural recent with a two that's terrible. That's just terrible sick.

You may say I'm angry but I would would murder someone will matter really not my opinion, hold replacer and go with me to Matthew chapter 5 verse 21 Jesus is speaking.

Matthew 521 Jesus is something we all know first. He said you have heard that the ancients were told, you shall not commit murder, and whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court. Jesus it's always been the case, you shall not commit murder to run the 10 Commandments.

Right. And if you do, you're going to get justice in-I a tooth for tooth. If you commit murder's capital offense will cost you, Jesus, and what would Jesus is next but I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty. He says before the court and whoever says to his brother you good for nothing shall be guilty before the Supreme Court. And whoever says you fool, shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell by you ever said harsh words of someone you mad there mean you see how this works we should knows who the public came as he murder know the problem with Cain was. He had anger and see what I said. You have to see life as God sees life God sees life sees anger. In this case is sin. You see, and what the sender which separates me from God. He said that's how serious it is. See we have a tendency to say look, I get angry a lot, but I haven't killed anybody. I get angry a lot, but I when hit somebody baby don't have to.

How many people been abuse. Most right because someone in your life is verbally abusing them all the time because her angry see Jesus as anger to me is a way more serious issue than it is. Do you they said only you have to see life the way God sees it. That's that becomes a perspective so we go back to with Cain and Abel Genesis so verse nine, the Lord said to Cain was a brother. Now the Lord knows where to brother Cain said I don't know my my brother's keeper know when is only two brothers on earth, no one your brother is in a pretty easy answer is it might notice what he does his disdain for God were to tell you he's angry God is in my my brother's keeper will be asking me for. By the way, he's also now lying designed, he knows right warriors. He said to them, what have you done the voice of your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground. I gave you a chance can you wouldn't take it.

Now you lie to me in your monthly. He says now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand when you cultivate the ground, it shall no longer yield strength to you, you shall be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth. Things going to get harder for you. Let me ask you something. What could've God done to him) justly executed. In fact that's in the law, it could've been executed got to slice a little harder for you to watch Cain's response. He said of the Lord my punishments too great to bear loyally hard on me. You killed your brother that's hard to wonder he does on exist, behold, you have driven me this day from the face of the ground and from your face I shall be hidden, and I shall be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and it will come about that whoever finds me will kill me or take a while. There's more children have become a lot. He said so the Lord said to them. Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken in him sevenfold. What's that grace can you but this is totally settled by Cain's personality. How self-absorbed is this man, how selfish is this man. How powerful is this man and notice how he manifested anger. He manifests this out of his anger, so it's not just the underlying things were Cain is the selfishness self-centeredness is pride, that's white killed his brother's jealousy and he ends up killing all because of one thing he didn't see life at all like God did. He saw life like fall when man sees life diametrically opposed to how God's next example Jonah chapter 4 Jonah chapter 4 will start in chapter 1, so if you just get to the book. I just want to read a couple verses to know Jonah is a prophet. James was set aside by God to be a prophet to big-time job and Joe is a prophet and God has a message form in verse one of chapter 1 he says the word of the Lord came to Joan of the sun at Emma Ty and said to him, arise, go to Nineveh, the great city and cry against it for their wickedness is come up before me know. That's only total arise, go to Nineveh and please understand, Nineveh is the capital of Assyria. The Assyrians of the coolest people on earth. They conquered everybody, and no one has done with the cruelty of Assyrians Nineveh the capital to Syria for a long time on the major roads in each direction.

The came into the capital for as long as 10 to 20 miles depending on the historian you read the role would be lined single stakes up through a person's crotch up in the neck area and they crucified emanating they lined their highway with to let you know you're coming. The Nineveh and this is what Nineveh does their enemies and so he tells them you're going to go there there evil was coming to my and going tell them that know what's interesting what children doesn't do is what you and I might do a mark on their you know this is that what I don't think that he's not full of fear. He's full of hatred is prejudice sees prejudice and so notice when God told him to do that and by the way, when God tells a prophet to do something which of the prophet do that he doesn't, it says here Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord God said go a few hundred miles northeast, Jonah went a thousand miles west. In fact, he went to Spain.

The first he thought that's the end of the world.

So we got as far away from what God told him to do as he could possibly do now. You also know what happen he got on the boat there was this fit the great fish all that stuff so want to go to chapter 3 now second time this happens verse one. Now the word of the Lord came to John. The second time and said, arise, go to Nineveh, the great city and proclaim to it. He said the proclamation which I'm going to tell you. So Jonah rose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord Nineveh was an exceedingly great city three days walk big city across likely around 600,000 people. That's a gigantic city for the ancient now.

This time he went number be a rough time of reason to believe a great fish guts. I'm in no he's going to go so then Jonah began to walk through the city one days walk and he cried out, and he said to him, 40 days amount. Nineveh was going to get overthrown.

Let me paraphrase 40 days amount you're all gonna die. That's his message. 40 days you're all dead now if you're trying to lead a revival.

Does that sound like a really good message but it was true message. Jonah had the steam he hates these people Peter says okay did we ask verse five and the people Nineveh believed in God, and they called a fast they put on sackcloth and the greatest the least of them and when the word reached the king of Nineveh.

He arose from his throne. He laid aside his robe covered himself sackcloth and set on the ashes. He issued a proclamation in and it said in Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles do not let man beast heard flock taste a thing nor let them eat or drink water half-million people say how many animals how do you keep animals. My drink of water may think just the logistics for good have to do this and it goes on and he says, but both man and beast must be covered in sackcloth here kitty kitty or how about this a you see that big bore oxen go put sackcloth on King said so you can just imagine what this if this is an let the men call on God and he said earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way in the city and from the violence. He said, which is in his hands. Who knows God may turn and relent and withdraw his burning anger so that we shall not perish when God's other deeds in the day and turn from their wicked way. He relented considering the calamity and he declared that he would bring upon them. He did not do it the greatest single revival one day revival ever notice what revival was is very much a God thing. How how clever was this the approach Jonah took 40 days in your object, sometimes you tell me things like this like to share the gospel with the neighbor of the guy at work and I don't have any idea what to say though, because they might ask questions and I and I just feel so inadequate. The greatest revival ever done with this peg in a country that ever existed.

He said one sentence 40 days in your overthrown and they all convert it's a God thing. It's not a you thing you know enough to be saved, you're not, you know enough to lead any human being the Christ is not your work six pastoral giver on the radio ministry of fellowship in the Lord.

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