1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:07,840 Our sermon title this morning is titled Jesus Teaching on Murder 2 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:12,000 and Anger. The Bible has a lot to say about 3 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:16,200 the topic of anger, and if you read all the verses where this 4 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:19,920 is brought out in the stories or particularly in different 5 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:23,760 passages where anger is addressed directly, it is never 6 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:27,000 in a positive light. We'll make a few comments about 7 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:30,160 how Jesus got angry a few times, and there's the righteous anger 8 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:34,120 of God, but generally speaking, the anger between one person and 9 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:36,840 another is never good. It just isn't. 10 00:00:37,480 --> 00:00:41,040 And before we go into our passage this morning, I want to 11 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:44,440 read a few verses just to give us a give us a bit of 12 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:47,600 perspective on this topic of anger. 13 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:52,200 Proverbs chapter 22, verse 24. The writer says make no 14 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:57,520 friendship with an angry man and with a furious man. 15 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:03,640 Do not go, lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your 16 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:06,080 soul. The New Living Translation puts 17 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:10,560 it this way. Do not befriend angry people or 18 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:14,760 associates with hot tempered people or you will learn to be 19 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:18,400 like them and endanger your soul. 20 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:21,280 That's pretty grim. That's pretty dark. 21 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:25,520 But you know what is worse than being with angry people? 22 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:30,960 What's worse than making friends with angry people or going with 23 00:01:30,960 --> 00:01:33,360 a furious man? You know what's worse than doing 24 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:36,200 that? What's worse than being with 25 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:40,160 angry people is to be 1. Then you're it. 26 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:44,880 Anger comes from the heart. It's an emotion. 27 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:48,800 Now the emotion of anger itself is an emotion that you cannot 28 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:51,840 always help. It's just how we're built, how 29 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:54,080 we're wired. When something wrong happens, 30 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:56,280 there's an emotional repulse, repulsive. 31 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:57,840 There's an emotional reaction to it. 32 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:01,160 It is a good reaction and it's right to be react. 33 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:04,160 This is wrong. But then it comes to the 34 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:06,840 dividing point. How will we respond to it? 35 00:02:09,199 --> 00:02:14,280 And we'll talk about that from there on. 36 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:16,560 Anger has to be carefully guarded. 37 00:02:16,920 --> 00:02:21,200 It must be rained in. It turns into words and then 38 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:23,960 words turn to actions. It is very dangerous. 39 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:29,480 Jesus has very strong language against it, and it talks about 40 00:02:29,640 --> 00:02:33,520 the consequences of it. When anger is unleashed and let 41 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:37,480 go, from the human heart to the lips to our actions, there's no 42 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:42,040 way of knowing what ultimate damage it may cause. 43 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:46,200 Just think of all the broken relationships, loss of 44 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:51,080 friendships, loss of life, and damage that's recorded worldwide 45 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:55,440 since ancient biblical times. Again, anger at its starting 46 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:58,640 point is a human emotion that everyone has at some point in 47 00:02:58,640 --> 00:03:01,080 time. The emotion in and of itself is 48 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:04,960 not where the sin it's it's what it's allowed to do, or how it's 49 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:07,800 rained, how it's used. Jesus himself was angry at the 50 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:10,120 Pharisees. We know the story of how he 51 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:13,200 cleaned out the temple. He was angry, but never in a 52 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:16,880 spiteful, malicious, vengeful way. 53 00:03:17,640 --> 00:03:19,440 That's not how he expressed his anger. 54 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:25,240 It was a response to how evil was trampling on God's holiness 55 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:27,800 and he exposed it and he rebuked the people for doing it. 56 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:31,560 When we see something wrong, we may feel anger and maybe rightly 57 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:34,440 so. That's an emotion that just 58 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,400 happens. Anger is not so much the 59 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:39,480 question, the emotions, not so much the questions. 60 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:42,960 What do we do? It's very important how we 61 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:45,400 respond. We respond to situations when we 62 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:48,080 see they are wrong. A few more verses. 63 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:53,200 Proverbs 18, verse 21 says death and life are in the power of the 64 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:58,520 tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit, the Message 65 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:00,640 translation by Eugene Peterson writes. 66 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:03,880 He says words kill, words give life. 67 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:07,920 They're either poison or fruit. You choose James 3 verse 6, 68 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:12,800 James the Apostle writes, and the tongue is a fire, a world of 69 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,040 iniquity. The tongue is so set among our 70 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:19,880 members that it defiles the whole body and sets on fire the 71 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:24,000 course of nature and is set on fire by hell. 72 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:28,520 The tongue can be used to bless and to curse, to heal and to 73 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:31,680 hurt. And how we use our tongue is for 74 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:36,080 you and me to decide. This is our responsibility. 75 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:40,160 If we decide to speak evil, we are responsible. 76 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:42,400 We will reap the consequences of that. 77 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:45,960 If we decide to speak blessing, we will reap the rewards as 78 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:48,200 well. The blessing, the choice is 79 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:50,560 ours. This morning we're continuing 80 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:53,600 our sermon series on the Sermon on the Mount. 81 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:57,160 Last Sunday we looked at how Jesus shifted from speaking. 82 00:04:57,280 --> 00:05:02,080 You've heard it said back up. Jesus said blessed are the poor, 83 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:05,600 blessed are the meek, blessed are the merciful, the third 84 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:07,600 person. And then he went on to the 85 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:11,560 second person where he said blessed are those, blessed are 86 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:13,280 those. And then he said blessed, 87 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,000 blessed are you. But then he went to the first 88 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:17,520 person. He says, I tell you. 89 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:21,000 Then Matthew 5 verse 20 we read, unless we closed off there last 90 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:24,560 Sunday, Matthew 520 I say to you, unless your righteousness 91 00:05:24,840 --> 00:05:28,280 exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will 92 00:05:28,280 --> 00:05:31,600 by no means enter the Kingdom of heaven. 93 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:35,760 Jesus put a very high standard. He says, I say to you, I say to 94 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:40,320 you from that point on in this chapter, in chapter 5 of the 95 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:43,720 Sermon on the Mount, Jesus takes it very personal, very 96 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:47,800 authoritative stance on 6 different issues. 97 00:05:49,280 --> 00:05:51,720 And we will talk about that the next several Sundays. 98 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:55,440 Today it's going to be an anger. Next Sunday it'll be an 99 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:57,680 adultery. Lust and adultery will combine 100 00:05:57,680 --> 00:06:00,480 those two into one. Then the after that will be the 101 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:03,400 one on oaths and standards on oaths and standards on oaths and 102 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:05,120 what and swearing and those kinds of things. 103 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:07,600 Then after that, it'll be a sermon on violence and 104 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:10,360 retaliation and finding love towards enemies. 105 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:13,640 And that'll wrap up chapter 5. But this morning we're going to 106 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,200 look at Matthew chapter 5, verse 21 to 26. 107 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:19,120 And here Jesus takes an authoritative stand on the issue 108 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:20,440 of anger. And guess what? 109 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:23,640 He does not lower the bar. He does not. 110 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:25,760 Oh yeah, you know, everybody does it. 111 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:27,600 It's OK as long as you don't hurt anybody. 112 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:33,400 It's not what happens. He raises the bar. 113 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:36,600 It's scary, folks. It's scary. 114 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:40,960 Sometimes people think of Jesus meek and mild. 115 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:43,120 He never would would have an issue. 116 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:47,760 No, it's incredible how serious He takes human anger. 117 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:50,000 Jesus is not tolerant towards sin. 118 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:54,040 He's gracious towards sinners, but sin has to be atoned for and 119 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:56,400 He did that on the cross. He's merciful and forgiving, but 120 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:58,920 He's not easy on sin. Sin demands payment. 121 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:03,440 He died for his sins and today Jesus puts anger in full 122 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:06,640 display. How He sees it, humanly 123 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:10,120 speaking, He raised the bar impossibly high. 124 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:13,320 So let's go through this chapter verse by verse, Matthew 5, verse 125 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:16,080 21. You've heard that it was said to 126 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:20,880 those of old, you shall not murder and whoever murders will 127 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:24,320 be in danger of judgment. That was the standard. 128 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:26,680 That was what every Jew was familiar with. 129 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:28,800 That's what they learned when they were when they were young, 130 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:31,800 The 10 commandments, OK, don't kill, don't kill. 131 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:36,080 And if somebody did kill someone, that person would be 132 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:39,800 arrested, face the judgment. And not every killing or every 133 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:44,200 death was it was the same. But if somebody had killed 134 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:49,960 somebody with malicious intent, with vengeance or intentionally, 135 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:53,240 there were harsh punishments and it meant the death penalty. 136 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:57,040 Now there was there would be other forms of killing may be 137 00:07:57,040 --> 00:07:59,560 unintentional or we call manslaughter and those kinds of 138 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:03,280 killings that was not as severe. But the eye for an eye, the 139 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:06,520 tooth for tooth, the life for life mentality existed. 140 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:09,880 So when Jesus said you shall not murder, everybody got it. 141 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:12,200 OK, we got it. Everybody got it. 142 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:13,680 Everybody knew what he's talking about. 143 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:15,920 So far so good. Everybody's in agreement. 144 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:18,440 The whole crowd on the Mount Jesus by the water there, 145 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:20,240 everybody's listening. They all got it. 146 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:24,400 But now he starts to dig down. He goes down, he says, but I say 147 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:26,320 to you, he's taking authority here. 148 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:30,840 I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother without a cause 149 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:32,360 shall be in danger of the judgment. 150 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:35,320 And whoever says to his brother Raqqa shall be in danger of the 151 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:37,520 council. But whoever says you fool shall 152 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:43,000 be in danger of Hellfire. In the past it had been taking 153 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:45,720 of a human life that was the benchmark for punishment. 154 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:49,960 Now Jesus lumps anger into the same category. 155 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:53,880 He raised the bar. If you read different 156 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:56,520 translations, some of the earliest and commentators write 157 00:08:56,520 --> 00:08:59,200 about the some of the earliest, most reliable manuscripts in the 158 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:01,440 Bible. The early, early ones do not 159 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,520 include that phrase there where it says without a cause. 160 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:07,480 But commentators believe this may have been added as a 161 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:09,320 clarifying comment because it was not. 162 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:12,280 Not all anger was sin. As we know Jesus was angry as 163 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:14,120 well at times. And I'll leave it there for this 164 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:18,320 morning, but here Jesus is saying killing a person, 165 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:22,920 expressing anger to a person comes out of the same category. 166 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:25,720 Both put one in the danger of judgment. 167 00:09:26,560 --> 00:09:30,040 Jesus puts anger towards another person, the same category as 168 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:32,280 murder. He escalates it. 169 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:35,320 This is deep. This hits hard. 170 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:40,320 How often are people not angry at each other and with each 171 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:43,720 other? And then oftentimes it doesn't 172 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:47,480 just stop there. Then actions, suing, fighting, 173 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:50,520 revenge, retaliation starts coming. 174 00:09:51,560 --> 00:09:54,080 Oh, I would never kill somebody. I'm just mad at him. 175 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:59,840 Maybe not, but in God's eyes, it lands in the same court. 176 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:04,600 So let's look at the consequences of uncontrolled 177 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:08,440 anger in the Old Testament. If a person got angry with 178 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:11,360 another person and committed murder, as I said, as we as the 179 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:13,720 Bible teaches, there's a standard for that punishment 180 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:15,920 would be given. But if a person just was angry 181 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:17,600 at somebody, there was no punishment. 182 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:19,880 It was not part of the 10 commandments. 183 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:22,600 The 10 commandments don't say thou shalt not be angry. 184 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:24,840 There's not an 11th commandment, thou shalt not be angry. 185 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:26,480 It's not there. Thou shalt not kill. 186 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:28,720 You shall not murder. That is there. 187 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:33,640 But if a person was just angry at somebody and wouldn't 188 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:37,280 actually do anything to that somebody, then maybe it wasn't 189 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:41,200 punishable. And still today in the law, it's 190 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:43,720 still the case today. If a person just angry at his 191 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:46,520 neighbor but doesn't do anything to his neighbor, that's not a 192 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:48,920 cause for arrest or for a court action. 193 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:53,080 Just being angry is not actually a crime in our country. 194 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:55,520 Now in God's moral standard, it's sin. 195 00:10:55,680 --> 00:11:01,000 But on a from a from a legal standpoint, it's not a crime. 196 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:05,280 If it turns violent or to an assault, then it becomes 1. 197 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:09,760 So how do we best unpack this truth and explain it, that we 198 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:12,280 can see it for what it is and learn from it? 199 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:16,720 One of the best ways that I find that for me, that I find best to 200 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:20,480 explain difficult passages and topics and themes in the Bible 201 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:24,480 is through stories. And the Bible has plenty of 202 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:25,600 them. There's a lot of other stories 203 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:28,320 we could use, but I think the best stories are in the Bible. 204 00:11:28,680 --> 00:11:31,360 And because we know the Bible, I would hope to say the best. 205 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:33,880 I would at least I would hope to say that this morning. 206 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:36,840 We want to look at two different stories in the Bible and see 207 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:41,160 what anger does, what destruction it unleashes if it's 208 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:44,080 not controlled. The first story we want to look 209 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:46,400 at this in Genesis chapter 4, verse 3 to 11. 210 00:11:47,560 --> 00:11:50,400 It's a story of Cain and Abel. Now Cain and Abel were the sons 211 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:52,960 of Adam and Eve. God had blessed Adam and Eve 212 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:58,800 with two boys and they grew up and one became a farmer and the 213 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:03,840 other boy became a shepherd. Abel became a shepherd and Cain 214 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:07,680 became a farmer. Now in in Genesis chapter 4, 215 00:12:07,680 --> 00:12:09,280 let's begin reading there, verse 3. 216 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:13,240 In the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an 217 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:15,680 offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord, And Abel 218 00:12:15,680 --> 00:12:18,200 also brought the first born of his flock and of their fat. 219 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:23,320 And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but he did not 220 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:28,200 respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his 221 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:31,120 countenance fell. So the Lord said to Cain, Why 222 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:34,520 are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? 223 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:37,080 If you do well, will you not be accepted? 224 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:41,120 And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door, and its desire 225 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:43,560 is for you, but you should rule over it. 226 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:48,640 Now Cain talked with Abel's brother, and it came to pass 227 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:51,080 when they're in the field that Cain rose up against Abel's 228 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:53,760 brother and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, 229 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:56,200 where is Abel your brother? He said, I don't know. 230 00:12:56,880 --> 00:13:01,120 Am I my brother's keeper? And he, meaning God, said, what 231 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:03,560 have you done? The voice of your brother's 232 00:13:03,560 --> 00:13:05,600 blood cries out to me from the ground. 233 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:08,760 So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its 234 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:12,080 mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 235 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:17,080 Then it goes on to explain how God, God did curse Cain. 236 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:20,920 And then he also said to him, From now on you will no longer 237 00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:22,760 have the bountiful harvest that you have. 238 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:24,560 The ground will not yield its fruit for you. 239 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:26,680 You are going to suffer for this. 240 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:30,360 You think Cain had thought that through? 241 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:34,560 No. How often do people not do 242 00:13:34,560 --> 00:13:37,640 something which in hindsight, oh, I wish I had not said that. 243 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:42,880 I wish I kept my mouth shut. All of us at times have done 244 00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:47,840 that. Cain's curse came as a result of 245 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:50,680 God's punishment on him because he killed his brother Abel. 246 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:56,160 He didn't control his anger. The story goes on how things 247 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:58,080 went downhill from there. And there's more that happened, 248 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:03,160 but in summary, Abel lost his life due to Cain's anger. 249 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:06,280 He was dead. Cain's life continued on, but 250 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:08,360 the consequences he suffered were huge. 251 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:12,600 And there's no way of knowing when a person does stuff like 252 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:14,520 that, what the final outcome will be. 253 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:17,680 And I've said this here before, if CS Lewis, who one time said 254 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:22,320 every sin is in its own right a fresh fountain of evil flowing 255 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:26,560 on to the end of time, especially in cases like this, 256 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:31,560 the Bible continues on and, and I don't have the verse on the 257 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:35,040 PowerPoint here, but in Genesis 9 verse 6, when Noah comes out 258 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:37,600 of the ark, God gives a special command and said whoever sheds 259 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:40,360 man's blood, that man, his blood shall be shed from the image of 260 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:41,600 God. He made man. 261 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:44,160 Now we know under the new Covenant the death penalty is no 262 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:50,240 longer in place, but that's how serious God takes when humans 263 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:53,360 kill humans. People are made in God's image, 264 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:55,240 and if a person is killed, God takes it personally. 265 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:59,240 And here Jesus in Matthew chapter 5 puts anger towards 266 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:05,280 one's brother in that same category, on the same level of 267 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:08,680 murder. How many people on a daily basis 268 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:13,840 just have an angry attitude at their job, at their boss, at 269 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:18,400 their employer, at home, between spouses, parents to children, 270 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:21,960 children to parents, teachers to students, students to teachers, 271 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:25,080 people to law enforcement, law enforcement against the the 272 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:27,560 populace. It's everywhere. 273 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:31,840 And just because there's so much of it doesn't make it less 274 00:15:31,840 --> 00:15:35,560 serious. The gateway through which sin 275 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:39,880 came into reality in Cain's life was his response to perceived 276 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:42,200 injury, perceived disappointment. 277 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:47,440 If Cain had held his anger in check as God told him to, Abel 278 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:50,520 would not have died. He would have continued farming, 279 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:53,080 avoided the curse. Life would have moved on. 280 00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:59,800 In Cain's life, it started with an internal heart condition, and 281 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:02,920 he ended up with the killing his brother and ruining his own life 282 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:07,040 in the process. That's a hard story, but that's 283 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:09,920 a true story. There's another story in the 284 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:11,120 Bible, and this one's a bit different. 285 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:12,640 Then we'll go back to Matthew chapter 5. 286 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:15,320 This is the story of Moses. Now Moses, he's a hero. 287 00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:18,800 He's a great guy. Moses was God's chosen man to 288 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:20,800 lead the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt. 289 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:23,320 It was a very difficult job and it took a big toll on Moses. 290 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:28,240 But back early on, before it all began, he was in the land of 291 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:29,600 Egypt. He's described later on as a 292 00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:32,200 humble man, but in the land of Egypt he had an anger issue. 293 00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:35,200 We find an exodus that when he was still in Egypt, one day, he 294 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:38,280 was 40 years old or so, he sees an Egyptian man beating an 295 00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:41,440 Israelite. He has he, he can't stand that. 296 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:44,760 He takes and kills the Egyptian and hides the Egyptian in the 297 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:46,520 sand and buries him to hide the evidence. 298 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:51,800 Well, and someone might say, well, what's so bad about 299 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:53,800 defending an Israelite? The Egyptian had it coming, 300 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:55,360 right? He acted justly. 301 00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:58,240 Somebody might argue. Well, the next day Moses sees 2 302 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:00,680 Israelite men fighting each other, and he wants to break up 303 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:03,480 that fight too. But one of them asked Moses, are 304 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:05,800 you going to kill me like you killed the Egyptian yesterday? 305 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:12,520 And Moses, what I've done is out and everybody knows and I'm in 306 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:15,200 danger and he's fearful. He runs off to the land of 307 00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:18,079 Midian in the desert, and there he finds a job as a shepherd, 308 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:21,960 the man he worked for as a shep, as a as a shepherd, that man 309 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:24,200 gave him one of his daughters as a wife. 310 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:26,680 And so Moses became the son-in-law of Jethro the 311 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:28,600 Midianite. And he stayed employed with 312 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:30,640 Jethro for 40 years in the desert. 313 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:34,880 At the end of that 40 years, Moses, now 80, God calls him and 314 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:36,880 sends him back to Egypt to free the people of Israel from 315 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:40,120 slavery in Egypt. Well, Moses is reluctant to go 316 00:17:40,120 --> 00:17:41,560 and he doesn't think he's the man for the job. 317 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:45,680 God persuades him and he goes to Egypt and he does that. 318 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:49,680 He frees the people and through a long painful process, they get 319 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:51,880 out of Egypt into the desert. Now they're on their way to the 320 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:54,960 promised land, but the deserts not that good of a place to be. 321 00:17:55,480 --> 00:17:58,600 And so they become unhappy very quickly and they start to 322 00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:03,200 complain and repeatedly. And it starts wearing on Moses 323 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:05,520 in the desert day in and day out. 324 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:09,440 There were times it just got tough and patience grows thin 325 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:12,280 and attitudes get hot and tongues got loose and words got 326 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:14,760 said. Does that sound normal? 327 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:18,760 We respond to circumstances in a way like we feel. 328 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:22,800 Give somebody a piece of our mind and say things we wish we 329 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:25,800 hadn't. Well, let's continue reading 330 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:30,320 Numbers 20, verse one. Then the children of Israel, the 331 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:32,840 whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zen in the 332 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:35,840 first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh, and Miriam 333 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:39,480 died there and was buried there. Now there was no water for the 334 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:42,520 congregation, so they gathered together against Moses and 335 00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:47,680 Aaron, and the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying, If 336 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:50,600 only we had died when our brethren died before the Lord. 337 00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:52,920 Why have you brought up the assembly of the Lord into this 338 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:55,600 wilderness that we are animals, should die here? 339 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:59,480 What a complaining bunch. And why have you brought us, 340 00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:02,160 made us come out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? 341 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:05,560 It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, 342 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:09,160 nor is there any water to drink. So Moses and Aaron went from the 343 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:11,840 presence of the assembly to the door of the Tabernacle of 344 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:14,080 meeting, and they fell on their face, and the glory of the Lord 345 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:17,400 appeared to them. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, 346 00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:19,960 saying, Take the rod, you and your brother Aaron together the 347 00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:23,240 current, and to you and your brother Aaron, gather the 348 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:26,080 congregation together. Speak to the rock before their 349 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:27,640 eyes, and it will yield its water. 350 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:31,000 Thus you shall bring water out for them out of the rock, and 351 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:33,640 give drink to the congregation and their animals. 352 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:36,880 Here it comes. So Moses took the rod from 353 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:38,880 before the Lord, as he had commanded him. 354 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:41,520 Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the 355 00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:45,320 rock, and he said to them, Here now you rebels, must we bring 356 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:48,000 water for you out of this rock? Uh oh. 357 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:55,080 Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his 358 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:57,960 rod, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation 359 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:01,800 and their animals drank. Well, the problem's solved, 360 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:05,000 right? Nope, not so. 361 00:20:05,360 --> 00:20:07,920 Moses action caused a greater problem. 362 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:10,760 Moses had disobeyed. God knows God's response. 363 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:15,480 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, Because you did not 364 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:18,320 believe me to hallow me in the eyes of the children of Israel, 365 00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:22,080 therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land 366 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:25,840 which I have given them. He had been told to speak to the 367 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:32,800 rock, not hit the rock. He hit it twice. 368 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:37,080 He got the blessing, but he tarnished the Lord's name and he 369 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:40,440 lost the privilege of entering the promised land. 370 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:44,160 Moses. Moses, of all guys, the last man 371 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:46,040 you would expect something like this to happen to. 372 00:20:47,360 --> 00:20:54,800 But he said cut him some slack. You mean he done all this good 373 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:58,160 over all these years and that little bit, You mean you're 374 00:20:58,160 --> 00:21:03,480 going to hold him to that? Yes, Patience had worn thin and 375 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:09,480 he, his fuse had worn short. But the law was the law. 376 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:14,560 And if we could debate with God, we'd say, hey, we'd cast our 377 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:17,480 vote with Moses. Lord, he, he, he still deserves 378 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:19,920 to go. I would have cast my vote with 379 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:22,400 him. What's the big deal? 380 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:26,600 All he did was saying, must we, must we get water for you 381 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:28,280 rebels? And it was true. 382 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:30,600 He wasn't lying. Everything he was said was true. 383 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:39,680 Did he try to see if God would relent? 384 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:45,040 Let's go again, verse, some verse, this verse, because you 385 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:47,600 did not believe me to hallow me in the eyes of the children of 386 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:49,200 Israel. Therefore you shall not bring 387 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:51,600 this assembly to the land I've given them. 388 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:55,360 I think for Moses, this was heartbreaking. 389 00:21:56,480 --> 00:22:00,720 Moses really did want to go into the Promised Land and he did try 390 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:04,120 to bargain with God. Moses wasn't just ready to lay 391 00:22:04,120 --> 00:22:08,000 down, let it go and forfeit this, this, this promise. 392 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:11,880 Notice verse drawing me chapter 33 verse 3023. 393 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:14,600 He says, then I pleaded. He's talking about the history 394 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:15,680 of the Israelites before his death. 395 00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:19,120 Then I pleaded with the Lord at that time saying, O Lord, you've 396 00:22:19,120 --> 00:22:22,040 begun to show your servant your greatness in your mighty hand 397 00:22:22,040 --> 00:22:25,240 for what God is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything 398 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:26,760 like your works and your mighty deeds. 399 00:22:27,360 --> 00:22:31,360 I pray let me crossover and see the good land beyond the Jordan, 400 00:22:31,360 --> 00:22:33,160 those pleasant mountains in Lebanon. 401 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:36,680 He's describing it. He's explaining God, see God, I 402 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:40,960 I want to whose prayer, but Moses's prayer would God listen 403 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:43,960 to if Moses doesn't get his prayer answer, then who has a 404 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:47,000 chance? Would God listen to him? 405 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:53,200 Let's go further verse 26 but the Lord was angry with me on 406 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:54,720 your account. He tells the Israelites, and he 407 00:22:54,720 --> 00:22:57,080 would not listen to me. So the Lord said to me, enough 408 00:22:57,080 --> 00:22:59,800 of that. Speak no more to me of this 409 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:03,000 matter. Go up to the Mount of Pisgah, 410 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:05,320 and from lift your eyes toward the West, the north, the South, 411 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:07,400 and the east. Behold it with your eyes, for 412 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:10,240 you shall not crossover this Jordan. 413 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:15,320 Imagine this, this one little phrase that he said there and 414 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:17,640 beating the rock twice. That's it. 415 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:21,840 That cost him his journey to the Promised Land. 416 00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:25,560 He'd given 40 years to service here. 417 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:29,040 He'd been so hard put up with so much, done so much. 418 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:31,920 We know Moses is in heaven with God, read the New Testament, the 419 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:33,480 Mount of Transfiguration, that experience. 420 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:38,200 Moses was not now cast aside, but I'm sure he just regretted 421 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:39,960 this so much. We we know what he did. 422 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:42,960 There were consequences for his action. 423 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:47,160 It makes you just want to drop your shoulders and what's what's 424 00:23:47,160 --> 00:23:53,200 the hope for any of us if every angry outburst would be punished 425 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:55,560 that way? We're done, we're toast, we're 426 00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:58,120 history. But there's grace. 427 00:23:58,120 --> 00:24:00,040 We know that. And even for Moses, there was 428 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:02,040 grace too. But he still could not go into 429 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:06,200 the Promised land. How many relationships again? 430 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:10,040 How many are being destroyed? How many opportunities lost, How 431 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:14,040 many blessings forfeited simply because of the attitude of 432 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:20,960 anger? I'm thankful that today we are 433 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:24,480 under grace, under the new Covenant, but that does not 434 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:28,720 erase the consequences of it. So many relationships are ruined 435 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:30,760 and destroyed and someone's destruction follows because 436 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:34,240 people can't hold their tongue. God is serious about his 437 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:36,360 commands. Cain ruined his life. 438 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:39,560 Moses and Aaron forfeited their the promised land. 439 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:45,320 Well, back to the story of Jesus, verse 22, Matthew 5. 440 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:48,840 I say to you, whoever's angry with his brother without a cause 441 00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:50,080 shall be in danger of the judgment. 442 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:52,120 Whoever says to his brother Raka shall be in danger of the 443 00:24:52,120 --> 00:24:53,720 council. But whoever says you fool shall 444 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:58,240 be in danger of Hellfire. Anger that is expressed in 445 00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:02,680 malice and hate, derogatory ways falls into this category. 446 00:25:03,120 --> 00:25:06,320 Moses had violated it and he forfeited the promised land. 447 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:10,800 You see, it would be one thing if this closed off here and just 448 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:14,480 ended and it was overdone. It's not continuing on in the 449 00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:17,120 passage. Now Jesus digs down even deeper. 450 00:25:17,120 --> 00:25:19,760 I know this is hard. I did say at the beginning of 451 00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:22,960 the series that there are hard things in this passage that are 452 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:25,080 hard for us to grasp and hard to hear. 453 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:27,560 But let's look again at the words of Jesus in Matthew 5. 454 00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:29,640 And sooner or later you and I have something to repent of. 455 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:32,360 Now Jesus narrows it down and digs deeper. 456 00:25:32,360 --> 00:25:35,840 Let's read verse 23. Therefore he says, therefore if 457 00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:38,840 you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your 458 00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:42,240 brother has something against you, Let's stop right there in 459 00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:49,080 verse 23 says therefore, meaning what happened before the word is 460 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:52,200 used that when it comes next in response to something, the word 461 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:57,040 therefore is used as a response. He says, therefore, if you bring 462 00:25:57,040 --> 00:25:58,960 your gift to the altar and there remember your brother has 463 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:03,520 something against you. See, sometimes you forget 464 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:08,240 something. You go to church, you engage in 465 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:11,240 service, you gain in ministry and you remember, oh souls has 466 00:26:11,360 --> 00:26:14,520 something against me. You may have said something, you 467 00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:17,920 may have done something offended that person or hurt that person, 468 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:20,800 or maligned that person in a way, or said something to the 469 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:21,920 person that should not have said. 470 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:25,920 You'd remember that. If you've done that, he says, 471 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:29,400 then leave your gift there before the altar. 472 00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:34,240 Go your way first, be reconciled to your brother, then come and 473 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:38,760 offer your gift. The way I understand it is this. 474 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:41,440 If you did something to someone or said something to someone 475 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:43,680 that you should not have said, you are responsible. 476 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:48,200 And it's on you and me to take ownership of what we say, to 477 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:50,160 take ownership and responsibility. 478 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:54,360 Before we unpack this, I want to make something very clear about 479 00:26:54,360 --> 00:26:57,080 this passage. What it is not saying, it's not 480 00:26:57,080 --> 00:26:59,800 saying some things. One thing it's not saying is 481 00:27:00,120 --> 00:27:03,480 that when someone has been victimized by crime and 482 00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:07,840 assaulted and violated and abused and hurt, and some 483 00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:11,080 perpetrator or predator has done that and they have not faced 484 00:27:11,080 --> 00:27:12,880 legal consequences for their actions. 485 00:27:13,120 --> 00:27:16,080 Jesus is not saying to the injured and victimized party or 486 00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:19,040 you're now responsible to go get that person back in relationship 487 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:20,800 with you. That's not what this is saying, 488 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:23,760 not at all. They're people who've been 489 00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:26,240 victimized and abused and mistreated in many ways and in 490 00:27:26,240 --> 00:27:28,040 the end made to feel it's their fault. 491 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:31,920 They're to blame. That's not what Jesus talking 492 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:34,280 about here. He's saying if you're serving, 493 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:37,240 if you're worshiping and you remember you're wrong, somebody 494 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:41,680 you go make it right. That's what he's saying between 495 00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:45,280 you and that person. It's more important to reconcile 496 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:51,080 than come to church and offer a gift because that's there's 497 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:54,040 that's the only way to healing, the only way to unity, the only 498 00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:55,640 way to peace. There can be no fellowship 499 00:27:55,680 --> 00:28:00,200 otherwise. And then he says something else. 500 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:03,080 Now he puts the pressure on it a little bit more. 501 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:05,800 He says it was 25. Agree with your adversary 502 00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:08,920 quickly while you're on the way with him, lest your adversary 503 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:11,480 deliver you to the judge, The judge hand you over to the 504 00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:13,680 officer and you be thrown in prison. 505 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:18,600 The path to healing and restoration. 506 00:28:19,360 --> 00:28:22,800 It runs right through the field of ownership and responsibility. 507 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:26,160 And it shouldn't be procrastinated. 508 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:30,560 And as long as a person refuses to take ownership, a person will 509 00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:34,120 never be free. Jesus tells his listeners to 510 00:28:34,120 --> 00:28:35,880 make things right with the ones they've wronged. 511 00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:37,760 And do it urgently, do it quickly. 512 00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:43,360 Do some of us need to repent of anger in our lives, things we've 513 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:45,600 said to other people, how we've treated other people? 514 00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:49,320 You see, in some countries, if an evil thing has happened, if a 515 00:28:49,320 --> 00:28:52,600 crime has happened, it's been committed in a certain number of 516 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:55,600 years go by. There's what's called the statue 517 00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:59,440 of limitations. In other words, if a crime has 518 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:02,680 been committed and the guilty party has not been caught and a 519 00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:06,360 certain length of time comes and goes, then the government just 520 00:29:06,360 --> 00:29:09,000 drops the case, or the the law just drops the case. 521 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:13,080 Some governments work that way. It's interesting because in 522 00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:16,400 God's Kingdom there's no statute of limitations on sin. 523 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:23,880 That sin can be 80 years old. It's still as hard and cold and 524 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:25,600 dangerous as the day it was committed. 525 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:30,760 If it's not repent enough. All sin gets dealt with in God's 526 00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:33,600 Kingdom. Jesus died for every sin. 527 00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:37,200 And of course, we know we can't possibly remember every sin 528 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:39,960 we've ever committed, and we must pray in repentance that we 529 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:42,320 will, that we repent when things are brought to our mind. 530 00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:48,000 What anger does is it lands a person in the prison of the 531 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:49,440 heart out of which there's no release. 532 00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:53,840 If there's no repentance, a person may be walking in the 533 00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:55,920 community, his heart may be in prison. 534 00:29:56,240 --> 00:29:59,120 He may be free physically, but his heart is still chained 535 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:03,880 because he can't move past what he's done, can't confess, can't 536 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:04,920 repent. He's too proud. 537 00:30:05,640 --> 00:30:09,120 How much better instead of just look at the issue, take owners 538 00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:11,080 and say, look, my words caused you pain. 539 00:30:11,560 --> 00:30:14,040 My words hurt you, My words damage you. 540 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:16,040 I'm sorry. I repent and I ask forgiveness 541 00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:18,240 and then there's no conditions and no demands. 542 00:30:20,440 --> 00:30:23,520 Jesus instructs us to go and deal with the issues in our 543 00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:26,400 lives. And today we're talking about 544 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:28,640 anger. But this goes way beyond anger. 545 00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:33,560 But the anger is the big one. He says in verse 26, assuredly, 546 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:36,160 I say to you, you'll by no means get out of there until you've 547 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:39,200 paid the last penny. I know this is a hard teaching. 548 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:41,560 Again, this is what I was referring to early on when I 549 00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:43,960 said this series has hard parts and there's some sermons are 550 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:46,760 going to be hard on this one. There are consequences to all of 551 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:50,160 this. There's other passages the the 552 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:51,920 writers of Scripture talk about this as well. 553 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:57,920 James chapter one, verse 19 says so. 554 00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:02,400 Then my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow 555 00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:06,720 to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man does not produce 556 00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:10,800 the righteousness of God. This is not talking, but having 557 00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:14,520 different opinions on how to paint the church or how to 558 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:18,120 gravel the driveway or what kind of vehicle we're going to buy 559 00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:19,840 next. Disagreements happen everywhere 560 00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:22,240 and all the time, but in what context? 561 00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:24,320 In what environment? This is talking about people who 562 00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:27,080 speak to each other out of pride and arrogance and selfishness 563 00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:30,600 and anger. Jesus talking about people who 564 00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:32,600 use cutting words and hurtful language. 565 00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:35,960 When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, He cast the light 566 00:31:35,960 --> 00:31:38,160 beam of truth on the issue of human anger and He revealed it 567 00:31:38,160 --> 00:31:42,280 for what it is. Repenting of anger isn't 568 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:45,640 optional. When we sin against each other, 569 00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:48,040 we have said things in anger. We're responsible to own it, to 570 00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:52,120 deal with it, to repent of it. Perhaps you know what it's like 571 00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:54,240 to suffer the consequences of not controlling your anger. 572 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:56,760 Maybe you've lost a job because of an angry outburst. 573 00:31:56,760 --> 00:31:58,840 Maybe you've lost a relationship because you didn't control your 574 00:31:58,840 --> 00:32:01,560 anger. We all struggle with it in some 575 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:05,040 measure, in some form. I just want to say to all of us 576 00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:12,480 here in this morning, let's be honest, let's be truthful, let's 577 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:19,760 be humble, let's be repentant. Let's build bridges, not walls. 578 00:32:20,680 --> 00:32:22,360 You see if you fall into the hole of anger. 579 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:25,520 The only way others up to repentance, confession and 580 00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:27,040 asking forgiveness and work toward healing. 581 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:32,240 That is the only way we must rule over the sin that wants to 582 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:35,640 enter our hearts the way God told Cain you must rule over it. 583 00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:39,400 If you hear this morning you don't know Christ but would like 584 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:41,840 to have Him help you with your struggles, you can call out to 585 00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:44,840 Him, confess your sin, put your faith and trust in Him and He'll 586 00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:47,360 heal you. Jesus, whoever comes to him, he 587 00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:50,120 will not cast out. I know for many people here this 588 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:53,000 is such a journey and have struggled so much, but there's 589 00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:57,120 comfort in Matthew 1128. Jesus has come to me. 590 00:32:57,120 --> 00:32:59,600 All you who labor and are heavy laden, I'll give you rest. 591 00:32:59,880 --> 00:33:02,160 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I'm gentle and 592 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:04,240 lowly in heart. You'll find rest for your souls, 593 00:33:04,240 --> 00:33:06,800 for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. 594 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:10,160 We're never married meant. We're never meant intended to 595 00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:14,400 carry a yoke of anger, hopelessness, despair, and fear. 596 00:33:14,840 --> 00:33:17,440 We can bring that to Christ and He'll help us with it. 597 00:33:18,320 --> 00:33:20,400 And He'll help us with the pain and the burdens we carry. 598 00:33:20,560 --> 00:33:22,120 We can turn to Him. He'll give us rest in the 599 00:33:22,120 --> 00:33:24,600 difficult situations. We can break free from the 600 00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:28,720 bondage of living an angry life with Jesus. 601 00:33:29,040 --> 00:33:35,640 We can be truly free. Let us pray, Lord, we recognize 602 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:40,040 that we all fall far short of Your standard. 603 00:33:40,720 --> 00:33:43,560 We have looked briefly today at the sin of anger. 604 00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:46,920 We realize that it's not just anger, but a lot of other things 605 00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:49,400 as well that we will need to look at as we go through the 606 00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:51,800 series. Lord, we know that without Your 607 00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:55,080 mercy, we have no hope. So help us, Lord, help us to 608 00:33:55,080 --> 00:33:57,280 look to You, to walk with You, to surrender to you. 609 00:33:57,720 --> 00:33:59,920 Help us to repent and to make things right with people we've 610 00:33:59,920 --> 00:34:02,880 heard, with her words and with her actions, and maybe we walk 611 00:34:02,880 --> 00:34:04,280 with you. May your Spirit revive your 612 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:05,640 church. We thank you, Jesus. 613 00:34:05,800 --> 00:34:06,120 Amen.