Anger, Part 2

Today on some at length with JD Greer, how long your anger last reveals whether it's selfish anger concerned about personal vengeance is loving anger concerned with the other person is loving, angry, or confronting the wrong God entrusted him to take care of you and defend you.

If it is selfish anger than you're gonna mull over it and the sun is going to go down in your wrath and it's gonna stay with you, not for a night to stay with you. Here's my I'm your host Molly benefits. We are so glad you're back with us today as we conclude mainly an important message that we begin yesterday on the program. We seem to live in an angry society, just turn on the evening news or any of a number of talk shows. The issues may change by the day. Anger doesn't people seem just queued up and ready to explode at any moment in the classroom at work on twitter and on the freeway.

So how do we do it right. Let's join Pastor JD as he points out how we can be angry, but in the same way Jesus was angry very important distinction. Let's rejoin our teaching right now for our series titled smoke from a fire she I know for the person that will be one of two things is true. There will toward me. As will be paid for by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for all my wrongs were paid for or this person is going to pay for those things they did to me eternally in hell.

Either way I don't have to care around the bitterness that comes from feeling like there's going to get away with it for my score will never be settled for my calls will never be taken up and because of that.

See I can show grace I don't have to care around the burden of judgment and vengeance because there is a faithful God who promises the executed and I can show grace which again is one of two things that person is to be like hot coals waking them up to the absurdity of the wickedness of their injustice, which is awesome or it's going to just increase judgment on them in the final day. Either way would be in just a week window at we can make like Elsa and just let it go. I can let it go to be with that anymore. By the way, one of the charges the world likes to make about Christians is that because we believe in a judging God limits us judgment what Bill Marr said, as I go because you believe in a God of judgment that makes you a judge judging people.

First, let me just quote here from your softball's, who is a survivor. The court Croatian genocides is now a professor of the Yale nurse Hubbell says only a spoiled Westerner like Bill Marr never actually suffered injustice could make a statement that stupid. He says when you have lived through genocide, like I've had any watch your mom and dad brother sister raped, beaten, murdered, press the only thing that could keep me from going insane with rage and bitterness and just consumer. The desire for vengeance is the knowledge that there is a just God who holds vengeance in his hand and will settle all scores. One day he says that is within the release you from bitterness a set even more so. It actually gave me the ability to begin to forgive the begin to loving to start that process of healing right it is believing that God holds judgment that releases you from bitterness releases you from bitterness when you try to take on that role. Judge she's going to correct you. That's what Paul says at letting the sun go down on your route just gives opportunity to the devil right as I put on that ring and Lord of the rings. You know that my passion sank joint that imitation of those for you. When anger is not in the original added it so my precious nurse. It you want designed to be judge for one you got your own sin and those who deserve to be judge of the Reglan judge. Secondly, reaching out assembly judges when it comes to wrongs done against you.

It's just impossible for you to separate personal offense of personal selfish anger from righteous and loving anger. So instead of getting vengeance. What happens is it ends up corrupting and destroying you trying to play judge over wrongs done. What is corrupt. You which is why Paul says turn over your anger to God as the sun goes down and you trust him a final judgment, know that it will be executed and you can live free of bitterness and hate. Not one quick caveat before we move on because people had this question. When Paul says vengeance belongs to God.

It does not mean that there should be no courts or laws or justice that Paul anticipates that objection. In Romans 12 fingers on the next chaperone is 13 to say the governing authorities are God's means is first wave of protective justice on earth on earth he's committed the first wave of his justice to the governing authorities. We have laws and courts that are supposed to be as impartial as they can, and most are set up to try and be impartial. I know I know it's not a perfect system and I know that we have a lot of work to do in correcting it and making it more fair, but it is a system that is ordained by God, and it is God's first wave of protective justice here on earth so is not saying to do away with courts and government employees. What he means is that individuals should not carry the burden of obtaining ultimate justice for themselves on earth. God will see to that. We want to carry around that burden to Paul's answer to unrighteous anger is put on the new man, which means live in light of the reality of the gospel which means first that you embrace embrace that Christ has forgiven you for more than you're being asked to forgive somebody else of and secondly that you trust the sovereignty of God in you, trust that he's got ultimate vengeance and you can leave that to him right so that's Paul's answer to unrighteous anger.

So now was for the last few minutes. Considering what this loving anger might look like in practice is in this passage Paul gives you a few hints at what loving anger is. I will call this section number three how to be angry like Jesus. A. We see the loving anger is redemptive. Never vindictive. We just directed for the problem, not the person here's a post as it let no let no corrupting, like corrupting the Greek means tearing down but no tearing down talk about your mouth, but only in anger when you're angry.

Only what is good for building up in my angry confrontations. I'm not trying to execute vengeance.

I'm not trying to tear down my turn to pay myself back him up from the muzzle feel better. My goal is building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. I want to do with others what Jesus did with me, which is remove the evil from that person.

While saving the person that means you confront the person's wrong, but you're doing it without the slightest drop of malice or desire to make a person pay or make yourself feel better, or to get vengeance on them. That means that confrontation about their evil should not feel like a venting of frustration.

It should not be like an execution of justice.

It ought to feel like an invitation to restore fellowship. Jesus had the greatest analogy for this, but one that that admittedly McGreevy be loving really understand. Matthew 539, he said, was my structure cheek give me on what was at me like like some is attacking you and are trying to kill you and your like to say about W like I'm still planning to use them.

I doubt if you keep doing this and you can't stand anymore, not methodologies is met comfortable the person that is striking. Your cheek is not trying to kill you. In Jewish thought the face represented the relationship okay so when someone is striking your faith there insulting the relationship. No martial arts textbook says if you really want to hurt somebody over the cheek right, that's not it means that there are are threatening to destroy the relationship.

So what are you what you do in that moment when a person sinned against the relationship we have reactions right one. You strike your cheek back that's what we all want to do is let me also. I cannot use my management yard, or will will in this. That way I for not too furtive. That's one option that's the aggressive way the on with the sideways passive. You offer them the same cheek right like CWI guard to hear it again just to take you take any dignity they can take it until you eventually to shovel a motion for that person. Or eventually blow up at them.

That's knowledge is a society. The third option, the one he is saying is you turn the other cheek watch which includes a confrontation about the wrong because you struck my cheek and that can't happen, but I'm turning the other cheek which means in the midst of confronting you about the wrong I am re-offering to you the relationship I'm offering to you the benefits of restore relationship and so that confrontation and like a venting of anger than like an execution of justice. It feels like a loving confrontation where I'm trying to restore the fellowship between you and me trying to eliminate the sand. Then draw close. The person that makes sense.

Loving anger is not vindictive.

It's restorative is redemptive. B.

Loving anger is short-lived, loving, anger short-lived ball gives us a test for this month whether or not the sun goes down, your wrath is a test lesson with your anger, selfish, loving, whether or not the sun goes down, your wrath is a test of whether selfish love and loving anger is always short-lived. You confront the person for the wrong that it and you commit the injustice of God in you. I got deal with them and you get to go to sleep and unburden person in the sun has not gone out in your wrath, selfish anger, by contrast, always stays with you. You laid on your pillow and you do start mulling over the injustice in the insulting nurse in the sting of that wound up replaying the conversation what you wish you to set up what you might do to get that person back and it just lays there and you simmer with that anger.

My wife and I got married.

We try to put this whole don't let the sun go down on your anger in the practice right okay well that means let's never go to bed until we have everything resolved. All that did was leave a bunch of sleepless nights right this. It was a problem. There's room we would try to talk about whatever the issue was. But even after we did, I would still be angry because she didn't see it my way. After one of the best lawyerly arguments. I can come up with. She still didn't see Molly or if she didn't see it my way.

I thought she's not nearly sorry enough, right, such as you and sorry enough I didn't get that tearful confession. I was looking forward few weeks and my feet and settling awesome was when I am and how lucky she is actually have, that's what I deserved. And that's what I wanted right right now she is feeling the same way like I didn't see it or her way, or I didn't. You know I didn't apologize enough.

I can feel bad enough, this verse is not talking so much about resolving all your issues before you go to bed although that's a good thing to try. Instead, it's talking about.

Listen to this the attitude you take into use disagreements and attitude is I don't have to carry the burden of settling the score. I don't even have to carry the burden of getting her to see things my way I can confront the wrong that I go to bed and leave vengeance and her to God how long your anger last reveals whether it's selfish anger concerned about personal vengeance is loving anger concerned with the other person. It was loving anger. Your confronting the wrong or committing it to God and trust in him to take care of you and defend you.

If it is selfish anger than you're gonna mull over it and the sun is going to go down to your wrath and it's gonna stay with you, not for a night it's gonna stay with you for years all, Jesus is anger in the Gospels, was all we short-lived ever notices the best proof of that Matthew 21 I will and this is weight 21 after Jesus drives out the people from the temple, who are you buying and selling things will whip thank Frank right after a little in the next verse. After that he does that. Next verse verse 14 says, and then all the lame and the sick came to him. In other words, although vulnerable got close to is what happens after you're angry all the lame and the sick and the vulnerable come around you for that millionaire that person right. Maybe Jesus what you want to name it they did the lame disciple who stay away from Jesus's afternoon. He is in no mood right when he left the temple. He cursed five different victories mail whether either the pass of the food court affirmed the wind back in the water for everybody was angry to stay away from Jesus not immediately was done it was surgical. It was directed at something and immediately this love just re-consumes into the vulnerable flock to him is that what happens if you're angry which leads C. Loving anger is controlled.

Verse 31 when he tells us little bitterness and anger and wrath shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice is not about avoiding that state refill consumed by anger, whether that comes out aggressively for shouting passively through slander. One of the archers are passive aggressive waiver of responding. Either way, you're just going to devote ignore that state or get rid of that say because loving anger develops slowly the book of Proverbs says a lot about anger that I consider doing this whole sermon out of the book of Proverbs, but just summarize all of Proverbs instruction about anger pretty much summarizes this counsel. No anger, it counsel soon though anger.

Proverbs 2911 a fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds you back to reason a person calls you and said to submit so I just needed to vent you say proceed for okay Proverbs 2911, 16, 32, he was slow to anger is better than the mighty, you're slow to anger means you've got more power and ability to change the mighty person with all the resources that they might use a change.

Proverbs says it been quick to anger rarely has a good effect and angry person just stirs up more conflict hot temper person commits many of the sins of the book of James.

The New Testament equivalent of Proverbs. James says be slow to anger, slow to anger the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God.

Whatever change you want to bring in a person almost guaranteed your anger saga produce that in them or produces the righteousness of God in people's grace and so when you give grace is when you produce righteousness of God, angry man does not work the righteousness of God rather than quicken reflexive outbursts. Proverbs counsels us to respond with patience and gentleness, says a soft answer usually turns away wrath, but at times you diffuse situation was mice angry to to speak of software back to them, but a harsh word stirs up more anger or get the next verse Proverbs 1911. It is one's glory to overlook an offense, sometimes the best thing to do with the wrong done to you is just to let it go, that your glory will diffuse a lot of anger probably 80% of the rude things that your spouse says to you in marriage you do not need to respond to or confront loving anger is controlled and it is slowly developing what God is like right throughout the Bible. He's always described as being slow to anger Moses is great description of God. God is slow day.

I told you in Hebrew the phrase that we translate slow to anger in Hebrew is literally long of nostrils which is like confusing people to like what what what is what is what is being slow to anger, gathered with a big nose.

What about a ferment. What happens when you get angry think anthropomorphic later ferment, you start to breathe series re-chalet a and you know start flare and then also notable rated it ready to go but it has to be a little notice but Bill knows it takes a while for theirs. Nostrils get flirty getting a more got right and what is saying is that when it comes anger got in the middle notice. I'll get angry.

He will get angry, but it takes a while and that's all you should be too because that slowly developing anchor is how the righteousness of God ends up being produced in people. So when you are angry. That means yes you ought to close your mouth and breathe deeply through your nose and say some your serenity phrase like this for about what you say that you ought to let that develops slowly disable how I know it is better to let it go. I don't know what I need to respond. I don't know my link. Anger is loving or selfish, but I know the answer to these questions. I'll tell you all that this is an emotion, maybe even more than the other two that you really got a process in community.

See you, you know, when you're depressed you know when you're feeling anxious, but usually when you're unrighteously destructively angry. You're the last person to know that other people can see it and this is the kind of thing that a small response to be able to say this is not helping this not helping. This is the kind of thing. A lot of the process in community see what Paul is done. Here is a shown is the difference between selfish anger and loving anger shown is how to develop loving anger and rid ourselves of his anger because her with one final thought, what you think for a minute about how much better place the world and how much better your life would be your relationships of being.

This is how you approach anger is our waterfront and how much conflict and strife would be avoided. By the way, don't think about your own relationships. How much better they would be diminishing. How much better your own hardening what God is giving us here is not an impossible command when he's given us freedom. She bitterness the worst casualty of bitterness is on the person you're mad and your bitter at the worst cavities you heard that you keeping bitterness or forgiveness in your heart is like trying to punish somebody else but drink the poison hurt them nearly as much is this going to hurt you nursing bitterness and resentment gives Satan a tool that he needs like Paul said, to destroy, corrupt your heart dear scholar, this book called the Bishop of Rwanda was about the genocide in Rwanda to place well over a decade ago hated the Hutu people in Rwanda had risen up to oppress in the murder. The teaching people and there was Trixie. Bishop named John Luciana after the conflict died down, was appointed by the government to be a part of the Council that was to bring healing and restoration to the country so is there working on restoring his relationships had been damaged by years of oppression and murder and rape and pillaging Bishop John Wishart's most profound things on forgiveness.

He was addressing the whole nation but in particular the teaching people that have been so wrong. This is why most destructive lives that Satan uses to destroy our lives less than that. We gotta wait until the person who wronged us properly repents refill sorry enough before he will forgive them. Jesus did not do that. He said Jesus forgave from across forgiveness. He explained, is more about releasing you from the bitterness getting rid of resentment and bitterness is more about your relationship with God that is your relationship with another person. It has to do with whether you understand that vengeance really does belong to God I don't have to carry that burden and whether I approach the whole question in all situations. Somebody's been deeply forgiven and cleansed when you forgive someone's injustice. You're not saying that what they did was not that bad you're not letting them off the nearest acknowledging it's not my hawk that there on its God so and God's hope is all a lot more holistic than a whole lot more thorough than my ever would be known that is freedom you harbor bitterness for so long it eaten away your soul looking handsome you come to some angry person you're angry people we've never met, it's impossible to be able to please you, because you just got this here is that in their needs, like everybody owes you now. A lot of what you're angry about. Now it came about resolution anymore repairs how you pay back a 25-year-old son for the years that you worked there for him if it was your hottie how your parents pay you back and you were the one that was wrong with that situation.

The Kansan them, bringing proper restitution. He was a condition for you to get over your bitterness will never get over it.

Europe present. How long are you going to be a prisoner to people that you don't even like people who aren't even in your life anymore.

How long do you let people who are not in your life and maybe aren't even alive. How long you let them control your life. You gotta stop living in the past you start nursing the hurt and telling sad stories and try to get people to work with you and come to some catharsis that way you take responsibility for your attitude. I'm not trying to minimize your pain. I'm not trying to say when that bad and just get over MSA and that under same as some of your captive. That bitterness honestly tell you they are is a way and that way out has more to do with your relationship with God than it does your relationship with the person who wronged you have to trust the sovereignty of God that I can. Vengeance belongs to him and then you're going to have to embrace the forgiveness of Christ and you have the rest in his judgment of the University of the rest of his provision for you forgiveness and release of anger has more to do with this relations of the vertical than it does the horizontal.

Now when you fix this when certain beliefs are conversations in the horizontal. But there is a virtue. Peter once asked Jesus and church are the story, Peter was a Jesus or how many times any forgive somebody in Peter suggested his own answer 77 just favor number obviously, by the way, when Peter asked that I have to wonder why what number was Iran in his own mind with this person like number six is more Jesus men, the Old Testament on the guy running Jesus's response right at 770×7 mellow Hebrew map network here okay it's not a Jesus was saying hundred 90 jerky number at 491 Old Testament now seven was the number of completion, but Tim was also the number of completion.

So Jesus was saying, I need you to forgive completely times completely with another seven factorial just for whatever I need you to forgive completely times completely blessed completely. In other words, peters had nothing to do with this person becomes a wrong is got to do with me.

This got to do with you trusting me and you. Learning's essay vengeance belongs to me and I can respond to grace that when Jesus belongs to me there's a way out. There is a way is found this anger shows grace and forgiveness how we can be more like Jesus.

When the fire anger strikes receive forgiveness from God and extend forgiveness to those who have hurt you. You're listening to some it might. The teaching ministry of pastor and author Jeannie Greer's teaching on omissions we've been in might feel a little heavy. In fact, for some of you, your emotions might tell you that there is nothing but darkness and despair.

But I want you to remember Jesus got out of the great, which means that he has good plans for you and your family ultimately your story will end in victory, not defeat. So take heart, and be encouraged. God can be trusted, and his power, and provision all that we need our newest resource is a devotional workbook specifically directed at the more difficult emotions that we deal with shame, anger, depression, anxiety and envy. It's called smoke from a fire and is based on the teaching from the series. We left to get you a copy of the smoke from a fire 10 day devotional in Scripture guide our way of saying thanks for your support of this ministry, you're invited to request it.

When you give intonation at the suggested level at $35 or more, or perhaps more importantly, regular giver and the gospel partner. Your ongoing support helps to keep this program going. So when someone hears the gospel very first time this bright your generosity possible are so great. Give us a call right now to donate and ask for your copy of this firework.

Thanks T-20 easier you can get online. Jeannie Greer.com hi Molly benefits. Thank you for joining. Be sure to listen tomorrow with continued teaching series with emotion and then right here on Senate line. Katie third 19