Week 5 , 23 May 2010 : Loving Is Forgiving

Week 5 , 23 May 2010

Sermon: Love is not easily angered
Scripture Reference: Proverbs 29:11, 22; Ephesians 4:25-32

Proverbs 29:11, 22
A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.

Ephesians 4:25-32
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbour, for we are all members of one body. In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

How do you deal with anger in your life? How do you react when somebody has offended you?

There are many books available for us today on the topic of anger management. In fact, many come in the form of a self-help booklet or a counselling manual which can be easily purchased from a bookstore or downloaded from the Internet. Anger management books are usually written based on the findings of psychological and clinical research.

Today we want to focus on how we can handle our anger according to the teachings of the Bible instead, and more importantly, the empowerment of the Holy Spirit who is always at work in our lives. We want to return to the foundation of our Christian faith, to learn from the Word of God about anger management and to ask God to help us to be in better control of all our emotions.

1. Anger is a human emotion

First, we need to understand that ‘anger’ is part of our human emotions. It is not always a sin or a wrong thing to get angry with people, our circumstances or society at large.

How do you feel whenever you come across news reports, such as a man who repeatedly molests and rapes his own daughter, or the evil things that actually happen in our society?

In this case, we can feel angry about the evil that has taken place. We feel angry with the man who has abused his own daughter so that he can satisfy his own lust. In fact, if we do not get angry over it, then it would mean that something is wrong with us or we simply do not care about others so long as they are not related to us.

2. God can use our ‘anger’

Second, we need to know that God can use our ‘anger’ to point us back to repentance, whenever we sin.

According to 2 Samuel 12, after King David murdered Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba whom he had committed adultery with, God sent the prophet Nathan to confront him. Nathan told David this story:

There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little (ewe) lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. Now a traveller came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveller who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.

It is then recorded in 2 Samuel 12:5-6 that after hearing this, King David was burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity."

Then in verse 7, the Prophet Nathan pointed at King David and said to him: "You are the man!” You can imagine the shock and horror in King David’s face when he heard that!

It is by pointing and arousing King David’s anger against the wickedness of his own heart, that God helped King David to acknowledge his sin and repent of it. When we are angry with somebody, we should not be surprised that God wants us to first examine ourselves to see if we are the source of other people’s anger. For all we know, we ourselves might be the cause of the problem instead!

It takes two hands to clap. An argument which turns into a shouting match between two persons would surely have started when one of them raises his voice first at the other person, causing the other to retaliate in response!

3. How our anger can become a sin

Third, our anger becomes a sin whenever we let it get out of control or when it is manifested all the time! Have you ever seen a very angry person before? Sometimes when we encounter a very mad or angry person, we would be worried that he or she might also turn violent on us, wouldn’t we?

Proverbs 29:11 and 22 say: A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.

An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.

There is one important truth that we can learn from these two verses regarding how we can deal with our anger. The truth is this: Only a wise person is able to keep his or her anger under control; but who is a wise person here?

Proverbs 1:7 says: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

A wise person is one who fears God and one who is humble enough to accept God’s discipline and rule over his or her life. On the other hand, someone who does not fear God is one who is unable to fully control his or her angry outbursts because he or she does not allow God to rule over his or her life.

Are you having problems dealing with your anger or temper?

The Bible tells us that God is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and is forever faithful (Exodus 34:6).

Numbers 14:18 says that God is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Jonah 4:2 also says that God is a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity

If you are having problems controlling your temper, you need to ask God now to forgive you for the many sins committed when you were angry. God is able to deliver you from the bondage of anger and set you free this day.

The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians gave us some insights into the lives of the Christians in the early church. There were many liars in their midst and there were even thieves found among the worshippers. There were people who would gossip or openly bad-mouth others in front of everybody in the church. Worst of all, there were fights and arguments happening between different families in the church; people were just threatening one another!

Now, tell me, who would not get uptight, frustrated and angry if almost everybody in the church was hostile and angry toward one another?

In Ephesians 4:26-27, Paul warned the Christians of the early church: In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. And in verse 30, Paul said to them: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Paul understood what the problem really was for the Christians of the early church. It was all about the lack of self-control and not letting God rule over their lives!

We need to understand that when we become Christians, some of our old nasty habits will not disappear just like that. The Person we can turn to help us is Jesus.

Jesus, in Luke 14:27, says: And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. This means that we are to crucify our old sinful nature every day and allow the Holy Spirit to guide and lead us in our daily walk with God. It is a hard journey to take and many a time, you and I would feel like giving up especially, when we are faced with a crisis. That is where some of us would become angry with God and start to doubt his love and faithfulness.

Dear brothers and sisters, when it comes to a situation like this, let us not doubt God’s love and faithfulness or allow ourselves to feed on our anger. Let us remember Paul’s wise words to the Christians of the early church: In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Because Proverbs 16:32 says: Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.

In closing, let me summarise the three points on understanding and dealing with anger:

1. We acknowledge that anger is a human emotion.

2. God can use our anger to point us back to repentance when we have sinned, so do not be too quick to judge others.

3. Our anger becomes a sin or a problem for us whenever we let it get out of control or when it is manifested all the time. When we get angry, we should not give the devil a foothold in our lives.

By Pastor Joshua Loo
Bedok Methodist Church

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Week 5 , 23 May 2010 Sermon: Love is not easily angered Scripture Reference: Proverbs 29:11, 22; Ephesians 4:25-32 Proverbs 29:11, 22 A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins. Ephesians 4:25-32 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbour, for we are all members of one body. In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. How do you deal with anger in your life? How do you react when somebody has offended you? There are many books available for us today on the topic of anger management. In fact, many come in the form of a self-help booklet or a counselling manual which can be easily purchased from a bookstore or downloaded from the Internet. Anger management books are usually written based on the findings of psychological and clinical research. Today we want to focus on how we can handle our anger according to the teachings of the Bible instead, and more importantly, the empowerment of the Holy Spirit who is always at work in our lives. We want to return to the foundation of our Christian faith, to learn from the Word of God about anger management and to ask God to help us to be in better control of all our emotions. 1. Anger is a human emotion First, we need to understand that ‘anger’ is part of our human emotions. It is not always a sin or a wrong thing to get angry with people, our circumstances or society at large. How do you feel whenever you come across news reports, such as a man who repeatedly molests and rapes his own daughter, or the evil things that actually happen in our society? In this case, we can feel angry about the evil that has taken place. We feel angry with the man who has abused his own daughter so that he can satisfy his own lust. In fact, if we do not get angry over it, then it would mean that something is wrong with us or we simply do not care about others so long as they are not related to us. 2. God can use our ‘anger’ Second, we need to know that God can use our ‘anger’ to point us back to repentance, whenever we sin. According to 2 Samuel 12, after King David murdered Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba whom he had committed adultery with, God sent the prophet Nathan to confront him. Nathan told David this story: There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little (ewe) lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. Now a traveller came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveller who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him. It is then recorded in 2 Samuel 12:5-6 that after hearing this, King David was burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity." Then in verse 7, the Prophet Nathan pointed at King David and said to him: "You are the man!” You can imagine the shock and horror in King David’s face when he heard that! It is by pointing and arousing King David’s anger against the wickedness of his own heart, that God helped King David to acknowledge his sin and repent of it. When we are angry with somebody, we should not be surprised that God wants us to first examine ourselves to see if we are the source of other people’s anger. For all we know, we ourselves might be the cause of the problem instead! It takes two hands to clap. An argument which turns into a shouting match between two persons would surely have started when one of them raises his voice first at the other person, causing the other to retaliate in response! 3. How our anger can become a sin Third, our anger becomes a sin whenever we let it get out of control or when it is manifested all the time! Have you ever seen a very angry person before? Sometimes when we encounter a very mad or angry person, we would be worried that he or she might also turn violent on us, wouldn’t we? Proverbs 29:11 and 22 say: A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins. There is one important truth that we can learn from these two verses regarding how we can deal with our anger. The truth is this: Only a wise person is able to keep his or her anger under control; but who is a wise person here? Proverbs 1:7 says: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. A wise person is one who fears God and one who is humble enough to accept God’s discipline and rule over his or her life. On the other hand, someone who does not fear God is one who is unable to fully control his or her angry outbursts because he or she does not allow God to rule over his or her life. Are you having problems dealing with your anger or temper? The Bible tells us that God is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and is forever faithful (Exodus 34:6). Numbers 14:18 says that God is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Jonah 4:2 also says that God is a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity If you are having problems controlling your temper, you need to ask God now to forgive you for the many sins committed when you were angry. God is able to deliver you from the bondage of anger and set you free this day. The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians gave us some insights into the lives of the Christians in the early church. There were many liars in their midst and there were even thieves found among the worshippers. There were people who would gossip or openly bad-mouth others in front of everybody in the church. Worst of all, there were fights and arguments happening between different families in the church; people were just threatening one another! Now, tell me, who would not get uptight, frustrated and angry if almost everybody in the church was hostile and angry toward one another? In Ephesians 4:26-27, Paul warned the Christians of the early church: In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. And in verse 30, Paul said to them: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Paul understood what the problem really was for the Christians of the early church. It was all about the lack of self-control and not letting God rule over their lives! We need to understand that when we become Christians, some of our old nasty habits will not disappear just like that. The Person we can turn to help us is Jesus. Jesus, in Luke 14:27, says: And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. This means that we are to crucify our old sinful nature every day and allow the Holy Spirit to guide and lead us in our daily walk with God. It is a hard journey to take and many a time, you and I would feel like giving up especially, when we are faced with a crisis. That is where some of us would become angry with God and start to doubt his love and faithfulness. Dear brothers and sisters, when it comes to a situation like this, let us not doubt God’s love and faithfulness or allow ourselves to feed on our anger. Let us remember Paul’s wise words to the Christians of the early church: In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Because Proverbs 16:32 says: Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city. In closing, let me summarise the three points on understanding and dealing with anger: 1. We acknowledge that anger is a human emotion. 2. God can use our anger to point us back to repentance when we have sinned, so do not be too quick to judge others. 3. Our anger becomes a sin or a problem for us whenever we let it get out of control or when it is manifested all the time. When we get angry, we should not give the devil a foothold in our lives. By Pastor Joshua Loo Bedok Methodist Church Click here to go back to 40DoL homepage.
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