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February 7, 2022 5:00 am
When you think of anger do you almost always think it's bad or wrong.
Got news for you. God actually commands us to be good and bad. There's times when you want to be angry.
Some people listening to my voice right now feel guilty about being angry God want you to know you need to be angry at times some very specific reasons. Today talk about what those on welcome to this edition of living only with your finger tips are vital to this daily discipleship program. Motivating Christians like Christian during the first serious overcoming of destroyed for these last two programs reveals how it's possible to successfully live out the Scripture verse angry. This is a message you let me encourage you after this program, share it with someone in your life you can easily do that to the trip and remap by downloading and sharing the 43 to find it Living on the Edge. If you have a Bible now turn to Ephesians chapter 4 for chip stock how to be good and there are two words that rarely go together in the same sentence or in your experience, the two words are good and bad.
There's times where your good times where you're mad but there's very few times where you're both good and bad talk today about how to be good and mad as we bring this whole series note to a conclusion.
I want to move beyond just understanding anger that it's a red light on the dashboard. I want to move beyond you recognizing all anger wears many masks on a skewer. I know I must offer were on the leaker and you now know that I want to move beyond that and I want say that anger is a channel it's a God-given motion that actually is to maximize your potential in Christ. And so the goal of the series isn't simply to help you quit blowing up not simply to help you psychologically get more healthy although that will happen get you to stop stuffing and stop leaking our desire is that you would get such a grass on this gift of anger. It's an emotion from God that it would be a tool a weapon in a resource designed to enable you to respond in a very very powerful way to evil in a fallen world, and God wants you to be. I'm going go out on the limb. Good and he wants you to be mad and if you want to know how turn in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 4, and you can open your notes. Same spot. If you have your Bibles I like it open that is welcome to do a little bit more than just as in your notes as you read this classic passage, we said it. We referred to it but I want to open it up again explain it and apply it.
It says the angry command and yet do not sin. Do not let the sin sun go down on your anger and do not give the devil an opportunity with your Bible open in the notes here.
I want to give you little context here in Ephesians 4 opens up and you have 123 chapters of this is who you are in Christ. This is what God is done. You have been forgiven. You are his child. You have an inheritance you been adopted. His spirit has sealed you you been placed in the supernatural community called the church.
You have power.
There is a plan.
What you are experiencing now is a mystery. The Angels and prophets long to look into chapters 1, two and three say this is your new position in Christ your precious your loved your adopted the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead actually dwells in your physical body. If you trusted Christ had after telling you who you already are. Look at your Bibles look at verse one of chapter 4. Therefore, I urge you as a prisoner of the Lord to walk in a manner worthy of his calling. The first three chapters are what we believe and what we know is true.
The last three chapters are Howard to behave. Howard actually live. This is your worth in God's sight chapters for five and six. This is your walk in God's sight and an interesting word where it says walk in a manner with the word worthy we get our English word axis is the picture of scales and it's like here's three chapters of truth, truth, truth, truth, truth, it's not trying hard is not being religious is not keeping rules is not keeping your nose clean. It's not giving little money is not getting United Way is a personal relationship with the living God. Based on the work of Christ in his resurrection, your whole new person and this is what's true of you.
Now, in view of that truth. I want you by faith to appropriate what you already possess, so that your walk in your truth progressively tell the same story God's agenda for your life is for you to trust him. That's the number one agenda. His goal in every circumstance and every pain and every up in every down in every anger issue in every job change in every economic downturn and every blessing is to help you to learn to believe that he is actually God that he actually loves you that his word is true and that he and his wisdom and love is orchestrating these events so that you will trust him and as you trust him.
He promises to give you everything you need not to get proud when the blessing comes not to give in when the adversity comes but as you trust him. He will form the very character of the living Christ in you, so that the Jesus who lives in you and the power of the Holy Spirit would manifest the very life of Christ to other people.
That's what Jesus meant when he said you are the light of the world. He didn't say try to be the light of the world. You are the light of the world. You are the salt.
Jesus didn't say go try and be my witnesses.
He said you are my witnesses, and soon in chapter 4 verse wanted opens up, and it tells you that as you would go through and just scanning your Bible what you seek begins relationally in verses two and three and so is not so much about activity.
It's about a relationship you have with God and with other people were talked about those key attitudes and then verses 7 to 10.
He reminds you that this was accomplished not by your efforts. But what Christ did on the cross in his talks about his resurrection and what he did, declaring victory over demonic forces and then in verses 11 through 16. He says you can never do this on your own, it's impossible, and so gave the apostles and prophets in evangelistic pastors and teachers.
They equip us regular ordinary Saints members new Christians all Christians to do what the work of the ministry so that all of us one day will grow up. Look at verse 13 in your Bible to the measure of the fullness of the stature of Christ that you would actually become progressively like Jesus and then he says some of the evidences of being like Jesus is part is relational and part is doctrinal no longer tossed here and there by every wind of doctrine, the craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, you'll grow up in all aspects into him who is the head, even Christ, by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part because as the growth of the body of Christ, and it looks like in verses 17 to 24. He'll say there's a process individually have to go through and it's hard. You have to put off the old you put off the old anger you put off the old bitterness you put off some old habits you put off the old pornography she put off the old workaholism.
If you put off the old pleasing people you put off. Have your mind renewed.
That's what we done in the sessions and then you put on and by faith. You take some very specific steps and then in verses 25 to 32 of chapter 4, he doesn't leave you thinking what what should I put on. He says there's five key areas that will develop who you are and if you look at the structure very carefully. Beginning in verse 25 through the end of this chapter, he phrases it put off mind renewed put on and what he'll do is he'll walk you through a process of honesty still say don't lie to one another anymore put on truth. He'll talk here about anger be angry but don't sin to talk about behaviors to talk about attitudes and how even talk about speech and so he he literally develops a going into training to see lived in and out of you and starts talk about. You gotta be honest. You gotta deal with these emotions that sabotage things no unwholesome word proceeding out of your mouth.
Let all bitterness and wrath get away.
He who steals don't steal anymore. You start to work and he gives us five very specific areas as you put them on. You begin to grow and become more and more like Christ. In chapter 5 begins to open up and talks about the tension there is in the need for love and how work tempted to try and fulfill it with sex because it pseudo-intimacy and that he'll tell us that no really need to be filled with the spirit and in this new walk by being filled with the spirit. The way it works out is first in those most intimate relationship with him and in your marriage and with children and then your work and then in chapter 6 will end in sight. And all this happens in a hostile environment that's filled with spiritual warfare and demonic forces trying to take you out. I went through that for one reason I do not want you to leave the series going okay overcoming emotions of story. I have some anger issues. I think I wear the stuffer mass know I wear the liquor mask I missed fewer I know need to change this will really help me become more psychologically healthy.
I think this will prove all my relationships can be a much nicer person. I'm so glad I went. That's not the purpose.
Those are all the side benefits God gave you this gift this tool. This weapon of anger that can be used for evil, or for good to transform your life to make you like Christ. That's what's at stake that's what's at stake it's not about getting along with your mate. It's not about stopping offending people.
That is what the context of this passage is an enemy give you just a quick little overview not I need to probably stay at least close to the notes. The commanders got express the commands us to express our anger right the angry notice. Second, God commands us to express our anger appropriately.
So be angry but don't sin so don't. It's a sin to stuff it and not deal with issues.
It's a sin to leak it. It's a sin to put on a mask and blow up on people.
So he says you're to be angry.
It's a it's a powerful weapon in tool but is like a shovel.
You can use it to dig and make progress or bang people over the head. She says don't bang people over the head use it as a tool to dig and see what God's doing, and even be a resource of motivation. So we looked at three ways that we express anger.
I want to give you 1/4 one and then I want to talk about how to do some very deep repair. We said we express our anger by spewing one we said we express it by stuffing to we said we express it by leaking three passive aggressiveness.
I like to suggest that the Bible gives us 1/4 indignation, not in this text, but just a little one indignation right down if you would three passages you can check them out later. Mark chapter 3 Matthew chapter 23 in Mark chapter 11. Each one of these is the life of Christ, and it is a powerful powerful picture of how God wants to use anger in Mark chapter 3. He's in a synagogue and he's being attacked and he's done some healing on the Sabbath.
He's done some things on the Sabbath and people are so narrow this is what religion does. We get so narrow. All we can see is the means we forget the end. And so there's a fellow there that needs to be healed and there waiting to get a healing today so we can catching what can you imagine thinking wow, this guy is gonna miraculously heal and restore someone's life and all they can focus on is what day he's going to do it so they can whack him. I mean, that sounds really crazy until we look at some of the stuff we do, but I want you to notice a word there as they were preparing and to catch him.
And Jesus says knowing their hearts. He was angry Jesus was angry with the hardness of their heart. He was angry that their religion and their control and their traditions had nullified the truth of God, and after it says he is angry.
He says the man.
Come on up here to get this done today in Matthew 23. So we have. He's visibly angry. In Matthew 23 we have a a picture of him being extremely frustrated. I talked to the religious leaders and he's built his case and is live the life needs done the miracles. He's given the sermon on the mount, and finally these blind guides that are leading all these people astray.
He just rips it out. You brood of vipers, you blind guides you whitewashed tombs. By the way, that's how we preached some time to read the Bible like you know Jesus, meek and mild picture in the Sunday school Jesus. Here he is against his you blind guides you vipers you terrible terrible people. He was mad he had people telling people this is the way of life and leading them to the way of death. I want you to know yeah you can spew you can stuff you can leak God. What you get indignation about injustice about people that are hurting and things that are wrong and be willing to stand up and take the flat. There's a reason they crucified him.
It was for speeches like this and then finally he didn't just have visible anger. He just didn't have frustration and verbal anger. If you go to Mark 11. He has physical anger and he walks into his father's house, and I think he just just had was righteous. I've had it. I can't take it anymore yet to hear and I mean he begin to turn over the tables and kick people out and that's a Jesus that were not real comfortable with but that's the Jesus that lives in you. But if you believe that anger is wrong. You never get indignation.
That's why we looked at the passage what's Ephesians 426 say it's a command command be angry. Question, are you angry and are you angry with the right stuff okay in your anger. It's powerful.
You be careful.
Don't sin will talk about that idea want to show you the power of this little excerpt as we were thinking about how to help people grab this in 1980, a loving mother got angry. Someone had too much to drink it been on a three day binge veered off the neighborhood road and struck a 13-year-old girl. The life of this mother young teenager was instantly snuffed out. The mother, Candace Lightner was devastated, ripped open by grief, but after her grief, she got mad. She got really mad.
She did research and found out that there were more deaths every single year and alcohol related accidents in America than all the young men that were ever killed in Vietnam.
She was enraged. She decided immediately start mad MADD mothers against drunk drivers. It may have started small but now this chapters all over the United States. The organization is lobbied hard and walls been changed largely due to the efforts of mad thousands of lives have been saved. All because a heartbroken angry woman let her anger be known. Candace Lightner didn't seek revenge against the drunk driver who killed her daughter. She didn't lash out, destroyed property, or people, nor did she remain in her grief stuffing the anger down deep inside she didn't self-destruct. Instead, she expressed her anger. She got it out appropriately in ways that were constructive rather than destructive, and that's what were commanded. Can I just ask you just unlucky to ask you to go get a start in organization or because I just ask you to think about what is it that's kinda going on in the world but more in your world that is just wrong. It would mean just just wrong.
It's just just and and you know what some because I think why can't do everything. Of course you can do everything I think I want to do everything and if I watch the news and saw everything was wrong I did I get depressed like I really limit how much time I can watch the news.
The name change. It's all the same junk. And now with all the cable stations they tell me way more information than I need to know to put in my head because are all competing for sensational stuff but there certain things really bugged me they really make me angry, and for some it's the plight of unwed moms and for others it's alcoholics brothers of people. We had a brother here that a typo he's passionate passionate people getting off the heroine what what what bugs you, what makes you mad and and praise God I said, I suppose.
I'm not sure for talk radio, but I think we substituted talking about what ought to happen and expressing our anger for doing something. This is terrible.
Could you know there's no this is a terrible thing this happened. Are you aware of something to shut up and do something in your area so I would just encourage to say, what, what is it that like I can't let go. Don't manufacture something but get your heart open. Part of this too is, we been brainwashed about 30 or 40 years. It's very subtle but basically the whole Christian life is about you being happy and you being well-adjusted and Jesus who can take care of you and if you really do things God's way your marriages can be great kids turn out ride and you be financially mobile and bill get better education than you and you know the whole world to get better someday, some way that's a bunch of every person who longs to live for Jesus Christ. You will be persecuted. Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials. Now you know what, the fact is, God in his great grace when you walk within it really does feel a lot better marriage and when you create an environment allow your kids walk with God.
That's not the goal we we made all the benefits the goal. The goal is your on this little planet for a small amount of time to what reflect Christ make him known. See people come to know him see them mature and model. This and what happens is that we take all these verses and we rearrange them and then we get really mad at God. When pain comes into our life in cancer comes into our life difficulty comes into our life and and you know it rains on the just and the unjust audit about. You have a lot of friends and lost 34% of their net income just like all the unbelievers.
Now it's an opportunity to show them so how do Christians respond to that. So I'm not against him and I'm all for all the great benefits of God, but I think we so subtly so suddenly we don't get mad because the real issue that were concerned about is how does our life work out you not hear people say is not about me is not about me it's about God okay will start live in that one start acting like that with my money. It's not about me with my time is not about me with my energy is not about me and the thing is, when that's your focus and you give then you have this counterintuitive thing. God does give, and it's not just money the passage by the way Luke 638 is not a financial passage. He says give and be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over back into your lap, but it's not given your life away your time away your energy your way, your gifts like to do it to do the will of God not to get God to do the will of you see that's the subtle things happen and so part of being angry is wheat week. The temptation is to go all the way through this and become one more little self-help thing I'm really glad I'm doing better on my anger. I just want to say I think God wants to use your anger to get some really great stuff done and you know what you have to start an organization that's nationwide. What would happen if you got angry about some junk in your church in your community at your work and you know and you know doesn't mean you get on a soapbox and act like it. It and say thank you when some loving your kind and tenacious and you do the right thing and by the way there's consequences. That's the other thing, somehow the idea that life God's way and sort of skip through it will be pain but I what what what what we do with all those verses like this present suffering is not to be compared with the glorious right so where did we start learning that the goal of life is to be comfortable and never experience pain about what I don't like pain anymore than you do and I'm not going to jump into it willfully. There's enough real good tame. We do the will of God.
But the apostle Paul in his life.
He had this weird view like I one of the fellowship of his suffering, it's in the pain and in the need that actually a lot of the become like Christ occurs. So all I wanted to do is is give you a picture of maybe anger is more than just helping you in your life, your personal world will join us here at student this application just a minute you've been listening to the first part of his message.
How to be good in bed series overcoming emotions that destroy anger is always had the reputation of being a wrong wrong healthy response but did you know that anger is often the byproduct of a deeper problem if properly handled can actually be used for good in this five-part series chip uncovers the genuine sources of anger in our lives explains how we can turn our frustrations into a helpful tool. If you're ready to better understand and control these feelings of anger and don't miss a single program for limited time all the resources for the series are discounted with your looking for the small group study guide the message notes or the book chip road on this topic, we've got you covered. To learn more about overcoming emotions that destroy go to LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA to 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003, or LivingontheEdge.org app listeners tap special offers. Just before I come back and talk about some application for you. In today's program. I just want to pause and think those of you who are our monthly partners.
You know there's a significant group of people that each and every month. All various sizes give monthly to Living on the Edge and it is such a joy to know that their stability in an income that we know that's coming in that allows us to plan in really significant ways. And if you're one of those I just want to say praise God and thank you very much. It's an indication of your heart.
It means that you're aligning with our mission, and I pray that God richly blesses you as you prayerfully consider your role with this ministry I would remind you that every gift is significant when you partner with Living on the Edge you multiply our efforts and resources in ways that only God can do to send a gift call us at AAA 333-6003 or go to LivingontheEdge.org that's AAA 333-6003, or LivingontheEdge.org app listeners tap donate your partnership is a great encouragement now with some final thoughts appears chip as we close today's program.
I want to speak to two audiences audience number one is a group of people that have felt guilty your whole life every time you get mad and so you stuff it in you got real issues because of that, I want you to know I want you to hear from God. There are times to get angry injustice indignation children abused people doing wrong things. People who attack other people and when they do it to someone you love.
You get angry and then you feel guilty I want you to know you need to work through that God doesn't want you to feel guilty. In fact, he will often use that to spur you on to make a difference. The second group I want to talk to his people, who, as I was talking some things went through your mind like you know something, there's some issues in our city and its bug me. There's some issues in our company.
It's bug me. You know what there's some discrepancies in our church that really bug me and they make me angry but I feel guilty and bad about it but haven't done anything about it. Your anger is the light, God is putting on the dashboard of your heart to say flashing light do something about it, correct the injustice make a difference step in the community. Here is his word to you act on it. Pray about it bounce off someone you trust act on it.
Be an instrument of righteousness in a fallen world, be good and bad, but strip as we close. If you're looking for a way to get more out of chips teaching. Let me encourage you to download his message notes. This helpful tool is available for every program. Chips notes include his outline all of the Scripture references. Lots of fillings to help you remember what your learning, you can download them@livingontheedge.org under the broadcasts tab app listeners just Fill in notes until next time, this is Dave thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge