ANGER DANGER

A Look At Anger

INTRO - America is becoming a nation of angry, short-tempered people. From road rage to airplane rage, grocery store rage, and violence at youth sports events, the media has been reporting these emotional outbursts with unprecedented frequency. More than three-fourths of Americans believe angry behavior has increased in places like airports and highways, according to a recent USA Today CNN/Gallup Poll C. Leslie Charles, author of Why Is Everyone So Cranky? writes: I'm describing a fuming, unrelenting, sense of anger, hostility, and alienation that simmers for months, even years, without relief. Eventually, all it takes is a triggering incident, usually minor, for the hostile person to go ballistic.James Garbarino, human development professor at Cornell University, reports a major social shift: There is a general breakdown of social conventions, of manners, of social controls. This gives a validation, a permission, to be aggressive. (Illustrations for Every Topic and Occasion)
Oxford defines anger as a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility. Webster adds that it is oriented toward some real or supposed grievance. As one of the seven deadly sins, I would question if it belongs for if anger is an actual sin than Jesus himself was a sinner. I don’t believe that anger in and of itself is sin but uncontrolled can be deadly.

I. STORIES OF ANGER
A. Cain - Directed towards his brother (Gn 4:1-8)
B. Saul - Directed towards his son (1 Sm 20:30-33)
C. Asa - Directed towards a prophet (2 Ch 16:1-10
D. Jonah - Directed toward God (Jo 3:10-4:8)
E. Uzziah - Directed toward a priest (2 Ch 26:16-21)

II. DANGERS OF ANGER - It’s what it leads you to do
A. ANGER’S CHARACTER
1. Anger makes one weak - Pv 16:32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.
2. Anger makes one foolish
a. Pv 14:17a A quick-tempered man acts foolishly
b. Ec 7:9 Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, For anger resides in the bosom of fools.
c. Anger makes one sad - Gn 4:6-7 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it."
B. ANGER’S DESTRUCTIVE FORCE
1. Anger leads to unrighteousness - Jm 1:20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God
2. Anger stirs up strife - Pv 29:22 An angry man stirs up strife, And a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.
3. Anger leads to evil - Ps 37:8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing

CONCL - Ep 4:26-27 BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.