Saturday, August 22, 2009

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.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

SATISFACTION UNGUARANTEED

A Look At Pride

INTRO - In a certain pond on one of the farms in the East were two ducks and frog. Now these neighbors were the best of friends; all day long they used to play together. But as the hot summer days came, the pond began to dry up and soon there was such a little bit of water that they all realized that they would have to move. Now the ducks could easily fly to another place, but what about their friend the frog? Finally it was decided that they would put a stick in the bill of each duck, and then the frog would hang onto the stick with his mouth and they would fly him to another pond. And so they did. As they were flying, a farmer out in his field looked up and saw them and said, "Well, isn't that a clever idea! I wonder who thought of it!" The frog said, "I did..." (Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations)
It could be called a group of lions but it could be better defined as the quality of having an excessively high opinion of oneself. (Oxford) or an unreasonable and excessive vie of one’s self-esteem (Webster) It is when one thinks higher than self than one should. What is it? It is Pride the first of what was once classified as the Seven Deadly Sins by Pope Gregory the Great.

I. STORIES OF PRIDE
A. Pharaoh - Unable to let the Israelites go. (Ex 4-14)
B. Naaman - Unwilling to dip in the Jordan river (2 Kg 5)
C. Hezekiah - Showing off all his riches (2 Kg 20)
D. Haman - Thinking all should bow to him. (Es 3-7)
E. Nebuchadnezzar - Thought he did it himself (Dn 4)

II. DANGERS OF PRIDE
A. PRIDE AND GOD - Unhealthy pride is a form of self deification. (Making ones self out to be god.)
1. 1 Pt 5:5B for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. - Pride is in opposition to God
2. Pv 16:5 Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.
a. Pride is hated by God
b. Pride will be punished by God
B. PRIDE AND SELF
1. Pv 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling
a. Pride brings destruction
b. Pride causes stumbling
c. Pride leads to a many sinful attitudes and actions
2. Pv 29:23 A man's pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor. - Pride leads to humiliation
3. Pv 11:2 When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom - Pride brings dishonor on one’s self
C. PRIDE AND ALIENATION
1. Psalms 10:4 The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, "There is no God." - Pride lures us into living independently of God. The proud person depends on self rather than on God.
2. Mt 13:58 And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief. - Pride undermines our faith.
3. Ep 2:14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
a. Pride distorts our view of our self and others. Jews and Gentiles alike could be guilty of spiritual pride—Jews for thinking their faith and traditions elevated them above everyone else, Gentiles for trusting in their achievements, power, or position. Spiritual pride blinds us to our own faults and magnifies the faults of others.
b. When one makes mistakes - and we all do - the bragger is often left to his own.

CONCL - Pp 2:3-8 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. - Pride, something we can live without.

The Seven Deadly Sins

Some time back I put together a series of messages on the seven deadly sins and introduced each one with a puppet play. Over the next sevral weeks I'll post the puppet story and the message outline together. Hope you enjoy them.