Whatever Happened To Sin!?
“If It Wasn't For These People” • 8.19.08 • Men’s Summer Bible Study
Intro.
- We have been going through a study, intended to strengthen the concepts that are found in Jerry Bridges' book entitled "Respectable Sins."
- In session 1, we talked about what sin is, and how it is that we all fall short of God's glory.
- In session 2, we discussed the nature of the gospel. The word "gospel" is the shorthand term for the work of Christ in it's entirety. The Gospel gives us the freedom to pursue forgiveness.
- In session 3, we dissected the nature of the Holy Spirit in His wonderful work of conviction.
- You can call these sessions foundational pillars that need to be recalled, because they keep us from falling into self-condemnation, and call us into a place of victory over sin.
- Now, this brings us to session 4 which covered the root and fruit of ungodliness. In session 5, we continued to uncover sins that stem from our attitudes.
- One might pack sessions 4 and 5 into one thought: This is my sinful condition as it relates to how I view myself and my circumstances.
- In the next two sessions, beginning today, we are going to be looking at our sinful condition as it relates to others around us.
- We'll begin by talking about the sins of impatience and irritability. Jerry Bridges talks about his and his wife's own struggles with this. He has a hearing problem and his wife procrastinates.
˚ "We should note that neither my hearing disability nor my wife's close timing causes either of us to be impatient. They merely provide an opportunity for the flesh to assert itself. The actual cause of our impatience lies within our own hearts, in our own attitude of insisting that others around us conform to our expectations."
˚ "While impatience is a strong sense of annoyance or exasperation, irritabilility, as I define it, describes the frequency of impatience, or the ease with which a person can become impatient over the slightest provocation...most of us can become impatient at times, but the irritable person is impatient most of the time."
- Anger can be expressed toward man or toward the Lord. But no matter the object of our sinful anger, we rarely express our anger correctly or promptly.
- This brings us to chapter 16, which is entitled "The Weeds Of Anger." That chapter deals with such sins as bitterness, resentment or holding a grudge, all being expressions of anger.
- Before we continue, I want you to understand that anger itself is not a sin. Jesus was angry at what He witnessed in the temple and He was often angry with the religious establishment.
- Paul instructs us in Ephesians to be angry, yet without sin.
- We should be angry when we see injustices. It should anger us when sin occurs.
- Unfortunately, that is not how most of us handle our anger.
- What Jerry Bridges and I are talking about is not the fact of anger, but what our responses are after we have been angered.
- What I want to present today are three questions that I have learned to ask in relation to sins of anger.
- I admit that I have struggled more with these sins than with any of the others that we have discussed to this date. These questions have helped me and I pray that they will be effective for you.
Text
- In this question, I am not referring to the ultimate level, but the practical daily level. What is triggering my feelings today?
- Is it a long day with little relief from the pressures? Is it the frustration with a fellow employee?
- Often, our anger, bitterness or resentment is not related to my wife or children or even that particular moment. More often than not come from other issues in my life.
- This is why it's vital for us to keep very short accounts with the Lord when it comes to the cares of our lives. Turn with me to I Peter.
- Peter writes a very instructive word to the early Jewish elder believers in the first century. He knew that there would be temptations to become proud and thus position themselves for failure.
• I Peter 5:6,7 : "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."
- A very important aspect to humbling ourselves is to take the cares of the world and "cast" them upon Jesus. The word literally means to throw them upon Him, to reckon them as His and not ours. Lord, this is your problem! "This boss is in your hands. Change him or change me!"
- Lord, this financial difficulty is your problem!
- The proud heart takes everything as their own and this is why we have such strife and turmoil of soul: We keep the junk that we are supposed to toss to Him!
- When this is the case, it is only a matter of time before it spills over onto the proverbial plates of our most loved and cherished ones.
- Have you given over your cares, frustrations and worries to the Lord?
- Another thing to be mindful of, regarding sources of temptation toward these emotional sins: Irritating, angering situations are also great ground for the enemy to work.
- While I am not one to give Satan or his principal agents all of the credit, I can not err on the other side and say that there is not involvement from that end as well. Look back at I Peter again.
• I Peter 5:8,9 : "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world."
- When Satan dropped in on heaven in the time of Job, he said that he had been wandering around. Paul reminds us that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities.
- Spiritual warfare is a reality in our lives and we had better be equipped with the correct armor. I can't ignore that the context of this verse is set against the casting of our burdens to the Lord.
- Think about this: When we are burdened, the enemy has a foothold from which to attack!
- I can't think of a better reason to remain unburdened!
- Turn over to the book of James 1:19. James gives us timely words about the subject of anger in these two verses and he at least answers the question regarding what the anger of man does not produce!
• James 1:19,20 : "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God."
- If the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God, then what does it produce?
- By being angry, irritated, impatient or bitter, what is it that is being produced in your soul?
- What possible good can come from these emotional sins? The answer is very simply nothing! From my own personal experience, I have literally sat in the middle of a fight and told myself that nothing good was coming from my attitude.
- In fact, all I was doing by fostering such attitudes was making it easier for more to make it's home in my heart.
- Anger begets more anger. Resentment makes room for more resentment. Bitterness is always open for expansion.
- One of my favorite quotes from my Pastor, Ed Rea, was regarding bitterness. He said, to engage in bitterness is to drink poison and hope the other guy gets hurt!
- If these sins are catered to and left to dominate our wills and spirits, they will only serve to further render us ineffective in our Christian walk. What these are producing in you is death!
- Let me say a kind word to you husbands and fathers: Your anger and it's weeds produce walls that keep your wife and children at bay from knowing the Lord in You.
- You are the living walking representative of Christ in your home. That is a Priestly function that all believers are called to live in, men being called to be that in their home.
- When you are an angry mess over whatever has got your goat, you misrepresent the Lord to your wife and your kids.
- Turn with me to Numbers 20. The first few verses set out some pretty difficult circumstances for Moses. His sister had died and had been buried and there was no water for the people.
- The people of Israel played their usual part in complaining to Moses about the water situation. Moses played his part and ran into the tabernacle to meet with the Lord.
- In that meeting, Moses was told to take the rod and speak to the rock so that water would flow. Something happened though on the way out of that meeting.
• Numbers 20:10-13 : "And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, 'Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?' Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank. Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.'"
- Moses misrepresented God. God was not angry in that moment at the people of Israel. Moses' actions spoke for God. As a result the impact was severe, Moses was not allowed to lead any longer.
- Anger produces a malignancy that must be treated with equal severity.
- Turn to Romans 13. Paul has been setting out the practical implications of his gospel treatise.
• Romans 13:13,14 : "Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."
- Paul says, "Don't feed the flesh!" Don't give it any room to breathe. Quench it outright!
- This is the best and quickest way to deal with these emotional, sinful ills is to confess that they are there, repent from them and turn toward a loving attitude.
- The final question is one that I have found to be the most instructive. Where will these actions take me? What will things look like in an hour, a week or a year if I continue in this?
- Turn with me Deuteronomy 30. This is Moses' last sermon before his death. The people are about to go into the promised land, led by Joshua and they are going to face deep temptation to stray from the Lord.
• Deuteronomy 30:15-19 : "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;"
- The beauty of walking with the Lord is that we have a choice. We are not slaves to our emotions! We do not have to carry a grudge or nurse bitterness in our lives.
- We do not have to wait for someone to initiate forgiveness. We can take actions to forgive them for their sins, just as Jesus Christ forgave us of ours.
- Moses had laid out a very specific plan for their blessing. They were told to do the will of the Lord, to do the things that He commanded them and there would be life. They could choose.
- God calls us today to the very same thing. My anger, my bitterness and resentment is death. My turning from it, my repentance, my choosing to forsake it, will bring life.
- Think about this: If I continue in my sin, I will have strained relationships, a lack of peace within myself, and a resentful heart toward the Lord.
- The more I continue in that, the more miserable I will be in any given future time.
- In contrast, the same can be said and is true of when I make a conscious decision to choose life. I choose to walk in love and in forgiveness. It may not feel like I've moved much today, but over the next week or the next month or the next year, my heart will be free.
- I can't tell you how many times this concept has helped me to move away from future frustration! I have literally said to my wife, "I see where this is going and I don't want to go there!"
- I have seen where my heart has wanted to go with certain people. People who have let me down or who have been rash in their opinions about me.
- I know where it will go and I know that I don't want that.
Conclusion
- I am convinced that if we ask ourselves these questions, "Where is this coming from?," "What is this producing?," and "Where is this going?," we'll find God giving us power to move away from the emotional sins of anger.
- Today, we will be tempted to hold the grudge, withold our friendship and the like. I pray that we might be reminded of these questions throughout the day.
“If It Wasn't For These People” • 8.19.08 • Men’s Summer Bible Study
Intro.
- We have been going through a study, intended to strengthen the concepts that are found in Jerry Bridges' book entitled "Respectable Sins."
- In session 1, we talked about what sin is, and how it is that we all fall short of God's glory.
- In session 2, we discussed the nature of the gospel. The word "gospel" is the shorthand term for the work of Christ in it's entirety. The Gospel gives us the freedom to pursue forgiveness.
- In session 3, we dissected the nature of the Holy Spirit in His wonderful work of conviction.
- You can call these sessions foundational pillars that need to be recalled, because they keep us from falling into self-condemnation, and call us into a place of victory over sin.
- Now, this brings us to session 4 which covered the root and fruit of ungodliness. In session 5, we continued to uncover sins that stem from our attitudes.
- One might pack sessions 4 and 5 into one thought: This is my sinful condition as it relates to how I view myself and my circumstances.
- In the next two sessions, beginning today, we are going to be looking at our sinful condition as it relates to others around us.
- We'll begin by talking about the sins of impatience and irritability. Jerry Bridges talks about his and his wife's own struggles with this. He has a hearing problem and his wife procrastinates.
˚ "We should note that neither my hearing disability nor my wife's close timing causes either of us to be impatient. They merely provide an opportunity for the flesh to assert itself. The actual cause of our impatience lies within our own hearts, in our own attitude of insisting that others around us conform to our expectations."
pg. 117
- You might understand impatience and irritability to be the same sin, which Bridges also explains for us.˚ "While impatience is a strong sense of annoyance or exasperation, irritabilility, as I define it, describes the frequency of impatience, or the ease with which a person can become impatient over the slightest provocation...most of us can become impatient at times, but the irritable person is impatient most of the time."
pg.118
- Moving on to chaper 15, Jerry Bridges begins to probe the issues that come with anger, which is one step removed from the twin sins of impatience and irritation.- Anger can be expressed toward man or toward the Lord. But no matter the object of our sinful anger, we rarely express our anger correctly or promptly.
- This brings us to chapter 16, which is entitled "The Weeds Of Anger." That chapter deals with such sins as bitterness, resentment or holding a grudge, all being expressions of anger.
- Before we continue, I want you to understand that anger itself is not a sin. Jesus was angry at what He witnessed in the temple and He was often angry with the religious establishment.
- Paul instructs us in Ephesians to be angry, yet without sin.
- We should be angry when we see injustices. It should anger us when sin occurs.
- Unfortunately, that is not how most of us handle our anger.
- What Jerry Bridges and I are talking about is not the fact of anger, but what our responses are after we have been angered.
- What I want to present today are three questions that I have learned to ask in relation to sins of anger.
- I admit that I have struggled more with these sins than with any of the others that we have discussed to this date. These questions have helped me and I pray that they will be effective for you.
I. Where Is This Coming From?
II. What Is This Producing?
III. Where Will This Take Me?
II. What Is This Producing?
III. Where Will This Take Me?
Text
I. Where Is This Coming From?
- When we think of the ultimate source of sin, we know that it's Satan and our own sinful hearts that promote sin.- In this question, I am not referring to the ultimate level, but the practical daily level. What is triggering my feelings today?
- Is it a long day with little relief from the pressures? Is it the frustration with a fellow employee?
- Often, our anger, bitterness or resentment is not related to my wife or children or even that particular moment. More often than not come from other issues in my life.
- This is why it's vital for us to keep very short accounts with the Lord when it comes to the cares of our lives. Turn with me to I Peter.
- Peter writes a very instructive word to the early Jewish elder believers in the first century. He knew that there would be temptations to become proud and thus position themselves for failure.
• I Peter 5:6,7 : "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."
- A very important aspect to humbling ourselves is to take the cares of the world and "cast" them upon Jesus. The word literally means to throw them upon Him, to reckon them as His and not ours. Lord, this is your problem! "This boss is in your hands. Change him or change me!"
- Lord, this financial difficulty is your problem!
- The proud heart takes everything as their own and this is why we have such strife and turmoil of soul: We keep the junk that we are supposed to toss to Him!
- When this is the case, it is only a matter of time before it spills over onto the proverbial plates of our most loved and cherished ones.
- Have you given over your cares, frustrations and worries to the Lord?
- Another thing to be mindful of, regarding sources of temptation toward these emotional sins: Irritating, angering situations are also great ground for the enemy to work.
- While I am not one to give Satan or his principal agents all of the credit, I can not err on the other side and say that there is not involvement from that end as well. Look back at I Peter again.
• I Peter 5:8,9 : "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world."
- When Satan dropped in on heaven in the time of Job, he said that he had been wandering around. Paul reminds us that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities.
- Spiritual warfare is a reality in our lives and we had better be equipped with the correct armor. I can't ignore that the context of this verse is set against the casting of our burdens to the Lord.
- Think about this: When we are burdened, the enemy has a foothold from which to attack!
- I can't think of a better reason to remain unburdened!
II. What Is This Producing?
- Turn over to the book of James 1:19. James gives us timely words about the subject of anger in these two verses and he at least answers the question regarding what the anger of man does not produce!
• James 1:19,20 : "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God."
- If the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God, then what does it produce?
- By being angry, irritated, impatient or bitter, what is it that is being produced in your soul?
- What possible good can come from these emotional sins? The answer is very simply nothing! From my own personal experience, I have literally sat in the middle of a fight and told myself that nothing good was coming from my attitude.
- In fact, all I was doing by fostering such attitudes was making it easier for more to make it's home in my heart.
- Anger begets more anger. Resentment makes room for more resentment. Bitterness is always open for expansion.
- One of my favorite quotes from my Pastor, Ed Rea, was regarding bitterness. He said, to engage in bitterness is to drink poison and hope the other guy gets hurt!
- If these sins are catered to and left to dominate our wills and spirits, they will only serve to further render us ineffective in our Christian walk. What these are producing in you is death!
- Let me say a kind word to you husbands and fathers: Your anger and it's weeds produce walls that keep your wife and children at bay from knowing the Lord in You.
- You are the living walking representative of Christ in your home. That is a Priestly function that all believers are called to live in, men being called to be that in their home.
- When you are an angry mess over whatever has got your goat, you misrepresent the Lord to your wife and your kids.
- Turn with me to Numbers 20. The first few verses set out some pretty difficult circumstances for Moses. His sister had died and had been buried and there was no water for the people.
- The people of Israel played their usual part in complaining to Moses about the water situation. Moses played his part and ran into the tabernacle to meet with the Lord.
- In that meeting, Moses was told to take the rod and speak to the rock so that water would flow. Something happened though on the way out of that meeting.
• Numbers 20:10-13 : "And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, 'Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?' Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank. Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.'"
- Moses misrepresented God. God was not angry in that moment at the people of Israel. Moses' actions spoke for God. As a result the impact was severe, Moses was not allowed to lead any longer.
- Anger produces a malignancy that must be treated with equal severity.
- Turn to Romans 13. Paul has been setting out the practical implications of his gospel treatise.
• Romans 13:13,14 : "Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."
- Paul says, "Don't feed the flesh!" Don't give it any room to breathe. Quench it outright!
- This is the best and quickest way to deal with these emotional, sinful ills is to confess that they are there, repent from them and turn toward a loving attitude.
III. Where Will This Take Me?
- The final question is one that I have found to be the most instructive. Where will these actions take me? What will things look like in an hour, a week or a year if I continue in this?
- Turn with me Deuteronomy 30. This is Moses' last sermon before his death. The people are about to go into the promised land, led by Joshua and they are going to face deep temptation to stray from the Lord.
• Deuteronomy 30:15-19 : "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;"
- The beauty of walking with the Lord is that we have a choice. We are not slaves to our emotions! We do not have to carry a grudge or nurse bitterness in our lives.
- We do not have to wait for someone to initiate forgiveness. We can take actions to forgive them for their sins, just as Jesus Christ forgave us of ours.
- Moses had laid out a very specific plan for their blessing. They were told to do the will of the Lord, to do the things that He commanded them and there would be life. They could choose.
- God calls us today to the very same thing. My anger, my bitterness and resentment is death. My turning from it, my repentance, my choosing to forsake it, will bring life.
- Think about this: If I continue in my sin, I will have strained relationships, a lack of peace within myself, and a resentful heart toward the Lord.
- The more I continue in that, the more miserable I will be in any given future time.
- In contrast, the same can be said and is true of when I make a conscious decision to choose life. I choose to walk in love and in forgiveness. It may not feel like I've moved much today, but over the next week or the next month or the next year, my heart will be free.
- I can't tell you how many times this concept has helped me to move away from future frustration! I have literally said to my wife, "I see where this is going and I don't want to go there!"
- I have seen where my heart has wanted to go with certain people. People who have let me down or who have been rash in their opinions about me.
- I know where it will go and I know that I don't want that.
Conclusion
- I am convinced that if we ask ourselves these questions, "Where is this coming from?," "What is this producing?," and "Where is this going?," we'll find God giving us power to move away from the emotional sins of anger.
- Today, we will be tempted to hold the grudge, withold our friendship and the like. I pray that we might be reminded of these questions throughout the day.
1 comment:
1. | The first response to sins of anger is to consider where it is coming from, ie. stressful situations, difficult relationships, etc. Is it true that most men have a difficult time identifying what is truly bothering them? What are some helpful hints that we an all use for identifying such stress points?
2. | When we ask what our sins of anger produce, we agree that nothing good proceeds from those emotions. What things have you seen anger produce, either in you or toward you?
3. | All the sins of anger are leading in a general direction. In the message we talked about the ability to choose life and live a life that is blessed by the Lord. Discuss what your responsibilities are with regard to settling issues of anger in current situations. What responsibilities do we have for past situations?
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