1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,880 Amen. My name is Eric, one of the 2 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:05,680 pastors here. Glad to be here with you this 3 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:09,920 morning. And as always, lately we have 4 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:14,360 been in the Gospel of Matthew, and particularly we're in 5 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:17,360 Chapter 5. As some of you may know, chapter 6 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:23,000 5 through Chapter 7 is the the Sermon on the Mount, and that is 7 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:28,360 Jesus's longest recorded sermon or discourse in the Gospels. 8 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:31,960 And we've been walking through it and we've got to this place 9 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:37,240 where we're at verse 21. So if you have your Bibles, open 10 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:41,360 them to Matthew chapter 5 starting in verse 21. 11 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:49,400 Today we are talking about anger and that anger is the heart 12 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:56,000 behind murder. In my prayer, I alluded to the 13 00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:02,040 idea that we want comfort and healing and want to bring 14 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:05,280 clarity to a terrible tragedy that happened in a in a 15 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:07,560 neighboring community, in the Tremonton community. 16 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:10,800 And, and so I would thought I would read the press release of 17 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:15,120 what happened last Sunday just to get us all on the same page. 18 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:20,120 It says on August 17th at 21 O two hours, which would be about 19 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:24,000 9:00 PM, the Box Elder Communication Center received 20 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:28,080 multiple 911 hang up calls from an address in Tremont in Utah. 21 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:31,280 An officer from the Tremont in Garland Police Department 22 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:34,560 responded and began speaking with an occupant of the home who 23 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:39,040 was reporting an apparent domestic disturbance, at which 24 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:43,440 time a mail emerged from the residence with the firearm and 25 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:47,960 the male opened fire on the officer, striking and killing 26 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:50,800 the officer. A second officer with the 27 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:54,160 Tremont and Garland Police Department responded to assist. 28 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:58,920 The first was immediately fired upon by the same male suspect. 29 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:03,120 The second, the second officer, was also struck and killed by 30 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:07,000 the suspects gunfire. A third officer and deputy from 31 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:09,759 Box Elder County Sheriff's Office had also been dispatched 32 00:02:09,759 --> 00:02:12,520 to assist. As they arrived in the area, the 33 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,360 suspect fired several rounds into the deputy's vehicle, 34 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:19,720 striking the deputy and the deputy's police service dog. 35 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:26,960 After being hit by gunfire, the deputy, the deputy and police 36 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:29,360 service dog remained in their vehicle and were subsequently 37 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:33,240 evacuated to an area hospital and specialty veterinary clinic 38 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:34,640 where they received medical treatment. 39 00:02:34,640 --> 00:02:37,160 Both are recovering and in fair condition. 40 00:02:39,920 --> 00:02:46,160 These are unthinkable and terrible tragedies that have 41 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:49,040 happened in our community. And I think a lot of times I was 42 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:52,920 hearing in the interviews that these were senseless acts. 43 00:02:54,920 --> 00:02:58,320 And in one sense, yes, they don't make sense that that 44 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:01,720 people could be so evil that terrible things could happen 45 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:05,240 like that to our own people in our communities, people that are 46 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:07,440 trying to protect us, the police officers. 47 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:12,320 And yet, by God's grace and Providence, I don't think that 48 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,600 we need to look any further than Scripture to actually try to 49 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:21,680 make sense of evil like this that exists in our world. 50 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:30,000 It talked about it being a domestic violence disturbance. 51 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:35,120 And I think you can always sum up domestic violence as this. 52 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:37,520 It always starts with the sin of anger. 53 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:43,760 And while many of us may not think that we're capable of 54 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:49,720 murder, all of us are susceptible to hurting others, 55 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:55,840 hurting ourselves with what comes from sinful anger. 56 00:03:56,280 --> 00:04:01,760 And so that's what we're going to be talking about today is the 57 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:06,960 depths of of the depravity of man with the the sin of anger 58 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:10,040 and how it is the heart behind murder. 59 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:15,520 And so as we get into our passage, I first want to talk 60 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:19,279 about an old commandment from the Old Testament. 61 00:04:19,399 --> 00:04:23,560 And that's my first point, which is thou shalt not murder. 62 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:27,040 I think everybody's kind of heard the 10 commandments. 63 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:34,600 We've been blessed to have these as kind of a principle even in 64 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:37,600 America to follow. And it's not until recently that 65 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:41,400 maybe people have tried to tear down pictures and statues and 66 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:45,840 things that have things like this, the 10 commandments on 67 00:04:45,840 --> 00:04:49,160 them. But I think that God's word is, 68 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:51,960 is powerful and strong enough to have made it around the world. 69 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:57,120 And most people, you could say, probably know that it's wrong to 70 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:00,520 commit murder. And even if you don't know the 71 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:05,760 Bible, the Bible tells us that everybody knows that murder is 72 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:08,680 evil. You know, Paul tells us in in 73 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:13,040 Romans chapter 2, when when Gentiles who do not have the law 74 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:15,800 by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to 75 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:17,680 themselves. Even though they do not have the 76 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:20,640 law, they show that the work of the law is written on their 77 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:24,560 hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their 78 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:27,280 conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them. 79 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:32,880 So in one sense, Paul tells us that all people were created 80 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:39,600 with a conscience and an ability to to differentiate right from 81 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:42,200 wrong, good from evil. Now that doesn't mean that 82 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:46,440 everybody knows all of the laws and the commands of the Bible, 83 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:52,920 but murder is basically a natural law on top of a a 84 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:56,800 commandment of God. We first get the commandment 85 00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:01,520 from God in the Old Testament in Exodus chapter 20 when Moses 86 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:06,760 went up on the mountain to get the the 2 tablets the the the 87 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:10,600 law from God. And these were written, by the 88 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:15,640 way, some of the words only really actually literally 89 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:20,080 written by God's own finger was the 10 commandments. 90 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:22,200 This is one of them. You shall not murder, right? 91 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:25,200 So this means that it's extremely important. 92 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:28,840 Written in stone means that it will never change, it will never 93 00:06:28,840 --> 00:06:31,120 end. It is, this is the eternal law 94 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:35,760 that murder is evil, murder is wrong. 95 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:40,800 And so that's what Jesus opens up with in this passage. 96 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:44,440 So let's get to the first part, first verse of our text, verse 97 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:47,120 21. He says this you have heard that 98 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:50,680 it was said to those of old you shall not murder and whoever 99 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:54,800 murders will be liable to judgment. 100 00:06:55,960 --> 00:07:01,680 So what's going on here in context is Jesus is giving his 101 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:04,160 Sermon on the Mount. He's talking first and foremost 102 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:08,240 to his disciples, but standing around who are Jewish and then 103 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:12,680 standing around would be also Pharisees, religious leaders, 104 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:16,760 scribes, and other Jewish people that have come out to listen to 105 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:19,440 Jesus and to see his miracles and all the things that he's 106 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:23,280 been able to do. And he's he's he's got quite a 107 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:28,120 gathering of people that want to hear him and and see him and he 108 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:31,040 starts to do this thing. What we what we would call the 109 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:37,200 the 6th antithesis of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in 110 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:41,320 Matthew chapter 5 S from here on over the next six weeks, we're 111 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:45,280 actually going to see the text always begins with you've heard 112 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:48,240 that it was said. And then in the next verse, he 113 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:54,520 says verse, he says, but I say, and so there's a, a contrast or 114 00:07:54,520 --> 00:08:00,360 an exposition or Jesus expounding on or or correcting 115 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:04,920 even a teaching that was from the Old Testament. 116 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:08,360 But when he says, you've heard that it was said to those of 117 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:12,440 old, he's saying this is what the rabbis and the Jewish 118 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:16,320 leaders taught to you from the law. 119 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:20,280 And, and so we're going to get into that in just a little bit 120 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:23,080 what Jesus has to say about this statement. 121 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:27,640 But so far, at first glance, there's really actually nothing 122 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:31,760 wrong with this statement. You've heard that it was said to 123 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:35,919 those of old that you shall not murder, which comes from Exodus, 124 00:08:35,919 --> 00:08:37,000 right? That's a law. 125 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:41,159 That's one of the 10 commandments and that whoever 126 00:08:41,159 --> 00:08:43,200 does this will be liable to the judgement. 127 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:47,040 Again, that is something from the Old Testament that there was 128 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:49,680 a thing called capital punishment that God had 129 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:58,560 instilled in in civil law for Israelites to follow, which was 130 00:08:58,560 --> 00:09:03,240 if someone committed a certain sin, capital punishment was was 131 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:07,400 just. And so, you know, by the way, 132 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:11,960 when we talk about murder and killing, so in in the King James 133 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:16,200 version of the 10 commandments, it says thou shalt not kill. 134 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:19,880 And while that that makes sense and it's a good translation, I 135 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:25,360 do believe that the better translation is murder in the ESV 136 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:31,480 and others because the the specific word for kill or murder 137 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:35,040 there is to kill with evil intent. 138 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:40,640 So there there is and the and the definition then of that 139 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:45,720 would be unlawful or unjustifiably killing a person. 140 00:09:46,680 --> 00:09:50,160 So there's an unlawful and unjustifiable way of killing 141 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:53,320 someone. There must also be a lawful and 142 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:56,960 justifiable way of killing as well. 143 00:09:56,960 --> 00:10:01,720 So there is a contrast between between murder and just killing, 144 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:03,640 right? Murder is to kill with evil 145 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:05,840 intent. This is someone who has no 146 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:12,840 respect for life, does not care about preserving life, does not 147 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:18,880 see the image of God in people. And matter of fact, in Genesis 148 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:22,880 96, when God talks about capital punishment, he says whoever 149 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:26,720 sheds the blood of man by the man by man shall his blood be 150 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:28,800 shed. For God made man in his own 151 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:32,800 image. This is why it is evil to murder 152 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:37,440 by the way, because God made man and woman in his own image. 153 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:42,720 Genesis 127 God created man in his own image. 154 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:44,880 In the image of God He created him, male and female. 155 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:49,320 He created them. This means that all people have 156 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:53,880 intrinsic value or value built into them just because they are 157 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:59,280 a special creation of God, that he has put his image on them. 158 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:02,960 Meaning that humanity was created for a special 159 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:08,200 relationship with God, special communion with God, and we share 160 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:13,120 some characteristics of God's own nature. 161 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:16,200 Now, not all of them, right There are there are 162 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:19,400 incommunicable attributes of God which are like him being 163 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:23,000 eternal, triune and everywhere all at once, knowing everything. 164 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:27,120 Those are things that we can't grasp, but but having the 165 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:32,640 ability to create, to have mercy and grace and love and justice, 166 00:11:33,680 --> 00:11:37,160 all of these things. Now we don't create out of 167 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:39,960 nothing like he did, but we can take with the elements that he 168 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:42,600 made and create things. And so in a sense, we are 169 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:51,520 created in God's image with even moral attributes, right to know 170 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:54,520 what's right and wrong, what's just and unjust. 171 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:59,360 And what this commandment says is that murder is wrong and evil 172 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:06,640 because murder disrespects and devalues life, the life that God 173 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:09,640 created, the image bearers of God. 174 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:15,360 And so not only is it just murder, This is why we believe 175 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:22,080 that abortion is wrong. Even though some may try to say 176 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:25,200 that this is not a life yet. That's kind of the argument is 177 00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:27,920 that this isn't a life yet. This isn't a person yet. 178 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:31,520 But the reality is, is that we believe life starts at 179 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:36,840 conception. And so then that baby growing in 180 00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:41,760 mom's womb, as the Bible says, knitted together by God, has the 181 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:46,880 image of God from the beginning. And so therefore we believe 182 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:51,120 abortion to be evil and, and just that murder. 183 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:56,120 It's not valuing or respecting, it's not preserving life. 184 00:12:57,960 --> 00:13:01,960 But people can be fooled into thinking, but that's that's OK 185 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:05,720 if it's going to save my life or that's OK if it's going to save 186 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:10,520 my future. That's OK if you know, I don't 187 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:13,000 know the person yet. But the reality is, is that's a 188 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:17,280 skewed way of looking at things because sometimes we can do the 189 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:21,480 wrong thing and be fooled into believing it's possibly the 190 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:23,920 right thing. So there are unjustifiable and 191 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:30,640 unlawful murders that happen as well, like unjust war, right? 192 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:34,560 There are some leaders and governments that think by having 193 00:13:34,560 --> 00:13:38,400 power is going to be a good thing for all, but that isn't 194 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:43,000 necessarily true, especially if the leader is a tyrant or a 195 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:48,000 terrorist who does not respect life or preserve life doesn't 196 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:53,480 give value to all human beings and so therefore that person 197 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:55,840 would be unjust and it would be just. 198 00:13:55,840 --> 00:14:01,840 Then that's when war starts to become just is when another 199 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:06,040 nation says we need to protect ourselves and protect the world 200 00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:14,480 from such evil. And by the way, the man who 201 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:17,720 killed those Tremont police officers is likely going to face 202 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:21,480 the death penalty. And so to make sense of these 203 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:25,880 things, we look at and, and, and, and we look at God's word 204 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:30,480 and we say, OK, there's a contrast between just murder 205 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:34,520 and, or just killing and unjustifiable murder. 206 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:39,000 Men are evil. We have consciences, though, 207 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:43,280 through the fall, our consciences are seared and we 208 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:46,760 only want to do evil. We only have this desire for 209 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:50,680 pride and selfishness, which leads to all kinds of sins, even 210 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:54,560 being confused about things like abortion. 211 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:57,800 And by the way, I just wanted to say this, that somebody once 212 00:14:57,800 --> 00:15:01,160 told me you need to wound them with the law, but bind them up 213 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:04,640 with the grace of Jesus Christ. And what we need to understand, 214 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:07,880 I don't want to go any further without saying this, that all of 215 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:13,240 these people, even people who commit murder, can be forgiven. 216 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:19,120 Now the consequences on earth may be something that can't 217 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:24,120 change, but every person, this, these are not unforgivable sins. 218 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:28,360 But it is good to know what sin is so that we can know how to 219 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:32,800 repent, that we can know that we need the blood of Jesus, the 220 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:39,080 murdered blood of Jesus, to cover over our sinful ways, our 221 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:45,840 sinful lives, our sinful hearts. And so there is no unforgivable 222 00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:51,000 sin other than that of just rejecting and not believing. 223 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:57,040 But that's as far as I want to go with this conversation about 224 00:15:57,560 --> 00:15:59,440 murder. I think, as I said, we all 225 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:04,080 understand that murder is evil. So what leads a person to commit 226 00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:08,520 murder? Most of the time it's because of 227 00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:10,280 anger. Now there are other reasons like 228 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:14,880 greed or jealousy, but I could argue that those derived from 229 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:21,120 being angry that one doesn't have enough or is mad at another 230 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:24,960 one who has more. It's a heart issue though. 231 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:28,800 Murder comes from the heart, and it starts with this root of 232 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:31,880 anger. And I would go a little bit 233 00:16:31,960 --> 00:16:37,240 further and say that pride is kind of the ultimate source of 234 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:39,640 anger. Because when we're getting angry 235 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:43,280 at somebody or someone, again, this is what I would say would 236 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:45,960 be unjustifiable anger, which we're going to get to, would be 237 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:54,160 to be angry because of something that you feel like happened to 238 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:56,920 you. And then you hang on to that and 239 00:16:56,920 --> 00:17:00,160 let let it to grow and fester until it turns into outward 240 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:03,280 action or internal thoughts toward people. 241 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:07,400 And pride says, that shouldn't happen to me. 242 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:10,680 I'm above this. No way you're going to allow do 243 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:14,599 this to me. And so I think pride or it says 244 00:17:14,599 --> 00:17:16,960 that I deserve this and that person doesn't. 245 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:19,160 So I'm going to be angry or jealous about that, right? 246 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:24,119 And so pride and anger are very close together, but anger is the 247 00:17:24,119 --> 00:17:26,480 heart behind murder. We don't have to go too far to 248 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:30,080 find this because the Bible records the first murder in 249 00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:35,120 human history. In Genesis chapter 4, Adam and 250 00:17:35,120 --> 00:17:39,360 Eve had some children and their names were Cain and Abel, 251 00:17:39,360 --> 00:17:42,840 another famous story. And in this story, chapter 4, it 252 00:17:42,840 --> 00:17:45,080 says verse 3. In the course of time Cain 253 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:47,960 brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and 254 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:50,920 Abel also brought of the first born of his flock and of their 255 00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:54,280 fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel 256 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:58,120 and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no 257 00:17:58,120 --> 00:18:02,160 regard. So Cain was very angry, and his 258 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:05,400 face fell. The Lord said to Cain, Why are 259 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:07,400 you angry and why is your face falling? 260 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:09,320 If you do well, will you not be accepted? 261 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:12,960 And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. 262 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:19,800 It's desire is for you, but you must rule over it. 263 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:22,320 And Cain spoke to Abel, his mother. 264 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:25,880 And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother 265 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:31,000 Abel and killed him. The very first murder in 266 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:36,240 Scripture points to it was done out of a heart of anger. 267 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:40,080 And so let's dig into this a little bit more. 268 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:42,080 We've looked at anger. We've looked or looked at 269 00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:43,480 murder, what it is, what it isn't. 270 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:47,800 We've introduced anger as the root of murder, the antecedent, 271 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:53,040 and now we'll look at the rest of the proper teaching of Jesus 272 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,560 on this commandment. And my next point is this. 273 00:18:57,560 --> 00:18:59,480 I believe this is what he's saying here, and we're going to 274 00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:03,000 look at it. Unrighteous anger is the sin 275 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:06,280 that is equal to committing homicide. 276 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:13,600 The heart of the matter is that if you are capable, then you're 277 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:17,240 culpable. You think you're strong enough 278 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:20,080 to to control your sin when you're angry. 279 00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:26,400 Well, I would say watch out because it's a very fine line 280 00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:31,000 between what is righteous anger and what is unrighteous anger. 281 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:38,280 We need to watch out for things like even domestic violence. 282 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:41,120 You know, one of the easiest places to become angry is at 283 00:19:41,120 --> 00:19:44,440 home when you've got two different people who have two 284 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:48,520 different opinions, 2 personalities, and you're around 285 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:53,720 each other all the time. And you get in a little fight or 286 00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:56,680 an argument about something and it boils and it stews over. 287 00:19:56,680 --> 00:19:58,720 And we'd like to think we all have self-control. 288 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:01,960 But I would just say to the Christian specifically, watch 289 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:04,720 out for domestic violence in your homes. 290 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:08,120 And it starts with anger. And I hope we can deal with this 291 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:12,880 right now. I've been a pastor for quite a 292 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:17,200 while, and so I can say that Christians aren't immune to 293 00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:21,960 domestic violence. OK, so let's get into Jesus's 294 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:26,560 words, he says. But I say to you that everyone 295 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:30,160 who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgement, and 296 00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:33,080 whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council. 297 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:38,840 And whoever says you fool will be liable to the hell of fire. 298 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:43,680 So like I said, in this antithesis of Jesus, at first 299 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:46,920 glance, there wasn't really anything wrong with the the 300 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:51,960 first verse 21. But really what Jesus is now 301 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:54,600 doing is he's saying, you've heard that it was said, but I 302 00:20:54,600 --> 00:21:01,120 say meaning that I am the God of these scriptures, that these 303 00:21:01,120 --> 00:21:03,560 scriptures are talking about, that they think that they're 304 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:05,960 teaching properly. And I'm telling you that they're 305 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:14,720 leaving something out. He's saying while murder is evil 306 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:21,240 and wrong and the judgement will come for them, they are only 307 00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:24,280 preaching the letter of the law, which they're so famous of 308 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:26,360 preaching. The Pharisees were so obsessed 309 00:21:26,360 --> 00:21:29,600 with trying and the scribes trying to figure out what can I 310 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:33,240 do, what I, what can I do? Very black and white, like, OK. 311 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:36,840 And so they stopped at murder. It didn't get to the heart of 312 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:41,880 the matter or the root of the issue, which Jesus brings up 313 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:46,960 here is anger. They missed the mark. 314 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:53,480 The spirit of the law is what they needed to hear expounded to 315 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:56,200 them. And while the. 316 00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:59,400 Consequences of murder and anger are different on Earth. 317 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:03,720 The sin is the. Same because it originates in 318 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:08,200 the heart. And it starts with. 319 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:11,680 A feeling, The feeling of anger. Now what's the definition of 320 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:14,280 anger? I've got a few definitions I've 321 00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:16,520 looked at. It says a strong feeling of 322 00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:19,040 annoyance, displeasure or hostility. 323 00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:23,560 Or an. Emotion characterized by tension 324 00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:28,800 and hostility arising from frustration, real or imagined 325 00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:32,200 injury by another or perceived injustice. 326 00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:38,960 So it is a feeling that arises and and it is in a sense just to 327 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:42,360 there's nothing wrong to feel an emotion. 328 00:22:42,360 --> 00:22:44,280 These emotions were built into us. 329 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:49,160 As we'll see, God himself has emotions as He created us in his 330 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:52,760 image, and he has anger as one of those. 331 00:22:55,120 --> 00:23:00,480 But it starts the. Problem is that we're human and 332 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:04,520 that we don't fully grasp or understand when we should be 333 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:08,200 angry or why these feelings are popping up when something 334 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:10,240 happens. You know, sometimes we don't 335 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:12,080 have the whole story about something. 336 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:15,240 And that's why in that definition it said a real or 337 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:19,600 imagined injury or perceived injustice is sometimes we can 338 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:23,120 perceive a situation or what somebody's done to us and we can 339 00:23:23,120 --> 00:23:26,600 start to think we're righteous in our anger when really we 340 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:30,000 didn't slow down and take the time to actually really think 341 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:32,000 about everything that actually happened. 342 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:38,480 And maybe, just maybe, our offence can be lessened or 343 00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:43,080 minimized because of that. A mentor once said. 344 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:47,440 To me, anger comes from unmet or unrealized expectations. 345 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:51,680 And sometimes we have too high of expectations for everyone 346 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:54,960 around us. And so then because we've placed 347 00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:58,120 such high expectations for everyone around us, when they 348 00:23:58,120 --> 00:24:02,520 don't meet them, we're angry. And maybe, maybe the reality is, 349 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:05,360 is we need to lower our expectations of everybody around 350 00:24:05,360 --> 00:24:09,760 us. But there must be an. 351 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:13,800 Anger that isn't sin because Ephesians 426 tells us be angry 352 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:17,960 and do not sin and don't let the sun go down on your anger. 353 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:23,000 And I think that. Many people take that verse out 354 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:27,800 of context and they'll say, OK, it's still daytime and the sun's 355 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:31,560 literally going down. And so before we go to bed, 356 00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:35,600 honey, we're going to work this out even though we're both still 357 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:37,800 elevated, right? I don't really think that that's 358 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:39,960 what that means. I think it's like a hyperbole 359 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:43,640 where don't let anger go too long. 360 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:48,200 But I'll just say practically, if you're both angry right 361 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:51,520 before bed, it's not a good time to talk, Talk about it right? 362 00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:54,240 Then, you know, maybe you do need to sleep on it. 363 00:24:55,080 --> 00:25:00,800 But as a good principle, don't let too many days pass by where 364 00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:03,280 you're seething in anger especially. 365 00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:06,040 But if you can't control yourself, take a break, please. 366 00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:09,160 So what is righteous and unrighteous anger? 367 00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:13,800 Righteous anger is. Towards sin and true injustices, 368 00:25:14,040 --> 00:25:18,320 true injustices. Righteous anger is indignant at 369 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:23,000 those who devalue life. So in a sense, a feeling comes 370 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:28,280 up when you hear about these officers being killed, right? 371 00:25:28,760 --> 00:25:33,240 Immediately it's, it's sorrow and it's a little bit of 372 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:37,400 righteous anger, right? That's wrong, that's evil. 373 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:42,680 That shouldn't have happened. Because someone. 374 00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:48,160 Devalued life. Unrighteous anger. 375 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:51,880 Is when we do not respect life and we devalue people because of 376 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:55,240 their sins or their mistakes. You remember the? 377 00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:58,040 Praise hate the sin, not the Sinner. 378 00:25:59,120 --> 00:26:05,040 That's true. We should hate sin, but we 379 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:08,240 shouldn't hate others because of their sin. 380 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:12,440 Otherwise justice would say you should be aided because we're 381 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:14,480 all sinners. We've all sinned. 382 00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:20,800 One of God's. Attributes is Wrath as I've said 383 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:23,360 before. Thinking. 384 00:26:23,360 --> 00:26:26,520 About the day of the Lord when Jesus comes back to judge 385 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:31,680 everything or or even in times past and Old Testament where God 386 00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:34,840 judged the people of Israel or the nations around. 387 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:38,960 Like in Isaiah 13911. It says that nine through 11. 388 00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:43,040 It says, Behold, the day of the Lord comes cruel with wrath and 389 00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:46,320 fierce anger, to make the land of desolation, and destroy its 390 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:48,600 sinners from it. For the stars of the heavens and 391 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:50,560 their constellations will not give their light. 392 00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:54,120 The sun will be darkened its rising, the moon will not shed 393 00:26:54,120 --> 00:26:56,520 its light. I will punish the world for its 394 00:26:56,520 --> 00:26:58,360 evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. 395 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:01,320 I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the 396 00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:05,480 pompous pride of the ruthless. God has a righteous anger and 397 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:09,320 wrath that will be. Has been and will. 398 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:17,880 Be executed on unrepentant sinners and that's what hell is 399 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:21,000 by the way, which will last for eternity. 400 00:27:26,660 --> 00:27:32,900 Jesus got angry who is God by the way, but as as fully man and 401 00:27:33,140 --> 00:27:35,980 fully God here on earth. In Mark chapter 3 verse 5, it 402 00:27:35,980 --> 00:27:38,540 says he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their 403 00:27:38,540 --> 00:27:41,700 hardness of heart and said to the man stretch out your hand. 404 00:27:41,700 --> 00:27:43,260 He stretched it out and his hand was restored. 405 00:27:43,260 --> 00:27:47,260 This was where they were the the religious leaders were getting 406 00:27:47,260 --> 00:27:51,560 mad at Jesus for teaching the way he taught and healing on the 407 00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:55,200 Sabbath. And he was angry at their their 408 00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:59,480 foolishness, their arrogance, their bad interpretation, their 409 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:05,120 false teachings of scripture. And to have anger at that is 410 00:28:05,120 --> 00:28:10,440 also justified. But here's the thing. 411 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:15,600 God is slow to anger Exodus. 34. One of the most quoted things 412 00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:18,520 about God's character is this sentence. 413 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:21,320 Like it's goes like this. The Lord, the Lord of God, 414 00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:26,160 merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast 415 00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:30,160 love and faithfulness. Slow to anger is one of these 416 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:34,480 things that is repeated about God over and over again. 417 00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:38,880 And so here's the thing. Even though God has righteous 418 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:42,560 wrath and anger, He's God and we're not. 419 00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:47,680 And and he's. Merciful at the same time, 420 00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:50,760 though, right? So we're in danger of anger 421 00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:54,920 becoming or being a sin probably most of the time. 422 00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:59,280 I can say that with some certainty. 423 00:29:02,920 --> 00:29:10,040 James kind of reiterates this when talking to us mere humans, 424 00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:14,000 telling us God's words from the Holy Spirit written to Him. 425 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:17,520 It says, Know this, my beloved brothers, let every person be 426 00:29:17,520 --> 00:29:21,960 quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. 427 00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:25,320 For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of 428 00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:27,560 God. All right, So what is he saying? 429 00:29:27,560 --> 00:29:30,480 He's saying be slow to anger like God. 430 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:34,720 Beware of your anger, human. You're not God and your anger 431 00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:37,000 does not produce the righteousness of God. 432 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:41,480 So therefore we must. Get a grasp on or. 433 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:49,480 As Moses said, the writer of Genesis rule over this sin 434 00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:55,560 that's crouching so closely at our doors, ready to control. 435 00:29:55,560 --> 00:29:57,640 US. You must have a. 436 00:29:57,640 --> 00:30:01,600 Control over this. So maybe, maybe you are 437 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:04,160 struggling with anger. Maybe you're the hot head who 438 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:07,960 punches holes in the wall at home and says I'm just letting 439 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:11,480 off steam or. Maybe you're the opposite. 440 00:30:11,480 --> 00:30:14,720 And you hold everything in like a slow boil that just comes out 441 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:17,480 in sarcasm and passive aggressive digs. 442 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:22,680 Maybe you're thinking negative? Thoughts towards everyone around 443 00:30:22,680 --> 00:30:27,640 you. Maybe. 444 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:33,480 You get annoyed by most people. Well, let's look at what Jesus 445 00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:38,400 has to say about this. Going back to our verse. 446 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:42,520 I say to everyone who's angry with his brother will be liable 447 00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:48,640 to the judgement, meaning the sin of anger is also the same 448 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:50,360 judgement that the murderer should get. 449 00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:51,760 That's what he's getting at there. 450 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:54,440 And then he goes on. Whoever insults his brother will 451 00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:59,440 be liable to the council insults his brother. 452 00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:04,600 OK, the the original word rock on meaning blockhead or 453 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:08,160 worthless. I don't think people call 454 00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:09,480 people. Blockheads anymore. 455 00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:14,480 But what this is getting at is this disrespecting and devaluing 456 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:19,600 life or the ability of a person to be able to think clearly. 457 00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:23,480 And while I would agree that we all have different intelligent 458 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:27,040 levels as we look out to the world, this is even talking 459 00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:30,200 about your brother here, your fellow believer, your family 460 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:34,440 member, people you're supposed to love that even non believers 461 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:37,720 love. Well, the Bible. 462 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:42,560 Says it says. If you insult someone. 463 00:31:42,560 --> 00:31:45,920 Like this, thinking they're basically worthless or stupid. 464 00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:50,480 Then you're liable to the council here, the Sanhedrin, the 465 00:31:50,480 --> 00:31:54,160 highest court at that time, who condemned people to death for 466 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:57,560 their sin. Or it goes on and says. 467 00:31:57,560 --> 00:32:02,080 If you say you fool, we'll be liable to the fires of hell. 468 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:05,280 That's very clear of the judgment of hell part, but it 469 00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:10,280 says the word Moray there means you idiot or moron. 470 00:32:10,480 --> 00:32:15,560 Again, a similar word used to devalue a person when. 471 00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:19,680 We think of people in this. Way it's it's almost as if we 472 00:32:19,680 --> 00:32:23,960 are saying that this world would be better off without you. 473 00:32:29,900 --> 00:32:32,620 Are you a name caller? When you're mad. 474 00:32:35,780 --> 00:32:38,380 But you think maybe you're a. Good person because you don't 475 00:32:38,380 --> 00:32:42,720 hurt people physically. But pride? 476 00:32:43,040 --> 00:32:46,880 Again, going back to that idea of the root of pride in anger 477 00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:54,320 says I'm smarter than or not as bad as, So you're stupid, I'm 478 00:32:54,320 --> 00:32:58,440 smart, you're worse than I am, and I'm better. 479 00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:02,040 Are we saying that? Although we may not be saying it 480 00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:04,680 in that sentence in our mind when we're putting people down 481 00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:09,080 around us. Are we not simply? 482 00:33:09,080 --> 00:33:12,960 Just saying I'm better than there should be more people like 483 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:16,920 me who think like me, who act like me, who look like me in the 484 00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:20,160 world and less like people like you do. 485 00:33:22,480 --> 00:33:25,800 You see the correlation? To murder there as if their life 486 00:33:25,800 --> 00:33:28,360 doesn't matter, their differences don't matter, they 487 00:33:28,360 --> 00:33:36,320 shouldn't exist. And Jesus says we're all guilty. 488 00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:39,400 Why? Because we can all say that we 489 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:43,400 do that. I mean, this is something that 490 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:47,600 even I struggle with. I'm telling you here and what 491 00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:50,880 what one key to this before we can start condemning ourselves. 492 00:33:50,880 --> 00:33:54,920 I do want you to feel the conviction of OK, I need to 493 00:33:54,920 --> 00:33:59,760 follow these laws of God better if I'm going to be a Christian, 494 00:33:59,760 --> 00:34:05,440 but yet also remember what Jesus said in verse 20 of our thing he 495 00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:08,400 he said for I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds out 496 00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:10,520 of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter 497 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:13,719 the Kingdom of heaven. And so think these Pharisees are 498 00:34:13,719 --> 00:34:16,639 standing around and they think I'm good because I don't murder 499 00:34:16,639 --> 00:34:19,960 people. I'm not a serial killer. 500 00:34:21,199 --> 00:34:25,880 But Jesus is taking. It several steps further and and 501 00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:31,560 now getting into everyone's kitchen and saying I bet. 502 00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:34,520 And we can say this for ourselves. 503 00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:41,000 Maybe on a monthly, weekly or daily basis we are saying in our 504 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:46,239 minds and our hearts that some people annoy us or anger us 505 00:34:46,239 --> 00:34:50,120 enough that we would have even a split second thought if not 506 00:34:50,120 --> 00:34:55,920 allowing to dwell on it longer. That we sometimes might. 507 00:34:55,920 --> 00:34:58,480 Wish that somebody doesn't exist anymore. 508 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:04,640 And I don't want to go even. Further with the thoughts of 509 00:35:04,720 --> 00:35:10,600 human minds because you know as well as I do how bad they can be 510 00:35:13,080 --> 00:35:16,840 but here's the thing, recognizing anger is a dangerous 511 00:35:16,840 --> 00:35:21,640 sin and knowing what we are capable of is the first step to 512 00:35:21,640 --> 00:35:24,120 repentance. Here we. 513 00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:28,280 Must confess our. Weakness to God and expose those 514 00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:32,640 weaknesses for what they are. They are evil and they're not 515 00:35:32,640 --> 00:35:36,520 just low on the list. Jesus is saying they're right up 516 00:35:36,520 --> 00:35:40,920 here on this list of what society thinks is evil. 517 00:35:41,480 --> 00:35:44,800 We're doing the same thing in our heart and our mind. 518 00:35:47,440 --> 00:35:54,920 Remember this when, when he said your righteousness must exceed 519 00:35:54,920 --> 00:35:58,160 the scribes and the Pharisees. What he's saying here is look. 520 00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:03,760 You think that you can? Follow some kind of a black and 521 00:36:03,760 --> 00:36:08,160 white law to get to me. But what I'm trying to. 522 00:36:08,160 --> 00:36:12,720 Tell you is is that you are so sinful and so messed up because 523 00:36:12,720 --> 00:36:17,680 of the fall, because of original sin, because of your ancestors 524 00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:23,040 Adam and Eve following Satan, believing the lie, disobeying 525 00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:28,000 God, disrespecting God, that this is built into you, you. 526 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:30,240 Were born with this. Nature of sin. 527 00:36:30,520 --> 00:36:35,600 And now you keep contributing to it over and over again, giving 528 00:36:35,600 --> 00:36:38,720 the proof that you are 100% sinful. 529 00:36:38,800 --> 00:36:41,440 Everything you do, all your actions, all your thoughts. 530 00:36:41,440 --> 00:36:44,480 Even though you think that you can do good things and you might 531 00:36:44,480 --> 00:36:52,160 outwardly have good works, they are tainted by a sick heart, a 532 00:36:52,160 --> 00:36:58,800 depraved heart. And that's why Jesus came. 533 00:36:58,800 --> 00:37:03,960 And did you know that Jesus was murdered because of angry men 534 00:37:04,680 --> 00:37:08,280 who thought that they were doing a just and righteous act? 535 00:37:10,360 --> 00:37:12,880 They couldn't understand. Jesus, because their hearts were 536 00:37:12,880 --> 00:37:16,080 darkened and their minds were darkened, and they came at him, 537 00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:19,720 calling him all kinds of names, thinking that he was preaching 538 00:37:19,720 --> 00:37:23,120 blasphemy because they didn't see him as the Son of God, the 539 00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:25,560 true God. And So what did they do? 540 00:37:25,760 --> 00:37:30,520 Out of jealousy as well, they put him forward to be crucified 541 00:37:30,560 --> 00:37:34,640 on a cross, killed. And they were so wrong. 542 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:40,080 They were so twisted in their thinking. 543 00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:45,320 We are susceptible of the same thing and our own sins also 544 00:37:45,520 --> 00:37:49,640 attributed and contributed to putting Jesus on that cross. 545 00:37:50,040 --> 00:37:54,640 Because you know what? He came to save us from our sins 546 00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:58,320 and to die for our sins, to be the sacrifice, and to pay the 547 00:37:58,320 --> 00:38:04,160 judgment for our sins. And so the murder. 548 00:38:04,320 --> 00:38:07,960 Of angry men toward Jesus. We might as well put ourselves 549 00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:10,600 in that camp as well. We put him on the cross, but 550 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:13,280 that's the good news. The gospel is, although there's 551 00:38:13,280 --> 00:38:17,880 no possible way of making it to heaven or being right with God, 552 00:38:17,880 --> 00:38:21,080 having our righteousness higher than the scribes and the 553 00:38:21,080 --> 00:38:24,160 Pharisees to enter the Kingdom of God by the righteousness of 554 00:38:24,160 --> 00:38:25,880 Jesus Christ. He exchanges. 555 00:38:25,880 --> 00:38:28,760 He never broke a law, He never got angry. 556 00:38:28,760 --> 00:38:33,600 He never in an unrighteous way. He never thought of murder. 557 00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:39,160 And he exchanges that. Righteousness with all of our 558 00:38:39,160 --> 00:38:42,400 unrighteousness, right there on the cross when he was nailed and 559 00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:47,880 his blood was spilled. And he takes our place. 560 00:38:48,040 --> 00:38:53,440 And by faith alone we can have forgiveness of all of our sins, 561 00:38:53,440 --> 00:38:55,640 past, present and future. It's all wiped away. 562 00:38:55,640 --> 00:38:59,120 We start with a a clean slate. But not only that, we have 563 00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:02,920 Christ's righteousness and the sanctifying work of the Holy 564 00:39:02,920 --> 00:39:04,960 Spirit. Meaning the Holy Spirit comes 565 00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:07,760 into our lives now. And now we couldn't fight 566 00:39:07,760 --> 00:39:10,240 against. We had no self-control over 567 00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:14,960 these sins of anger and all these sins that put Jesus on the 568 00:39:14,960 --> 00:39:19,160 cross and and Jesus saying I've come to do all the work, it is 569 00:39:19,160 --> 00:39:23,480 finished now I'm sending my Holy Spirit to conform you to become 570 00:39:23,480 --> 00:39:25,800 more like me, the image of Christ. 571 00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:33,360 And you need to. Rest in faith alone in me. 572 00:39:34,320 --> 00:39:38,080 This is why I've came and this is kind of the essence of of 573 00:39:38,840 --> 00:39:43,160 Jesus's teaching here is that he came to save us from our sin. 574 00:39:43,160 --> 00:39:47,280 But first he has to come and show us that we are sinners and 575 00:39:47,280 --> 00:39:51,400 we need him and him alone. We cannot do anything or add to 576 00:39:51,560 --> 00:39:54,280 his works on the cross to be righteous. 577 00:39:54,360 --> 00:39:59,440 We need the gospel. We need Jesus to save us. 578 00:40:00,520 --> 00:40:01,720 Even. From just. 579 00:40:01,720 --> 00:40:05,920 Our anger here and as Christians now we look at these words also 580 00:40:05,920 --> 00:40:08,360 because we know that he's talking to his disciples. 581 00:40:08,360 --> 00:40:10,880 And although they're probably not quite getting it, when they 582 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:13,240 get the Holy Spirit, they certainly do get it. 583 00:40:13,680 --> 00:40:16,960 And now they're like, OK, we can look back on Scripture. 584 00:40:17,080 --> 00:40:19,520 And when you go to the New Testament, you see that the 585 00:40:19,520 --> 00:40:22,320 apostles and disciples, they're like filled with the Spirit. 586 00:40:22,480 --> 00:40:26,560 They now get it and they're like reiterating the things that 587 00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:31,920 Jesus said in all the sin lists of Galatians and Ephesians and 588 00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:37,080 Romans. It uses anger or wrath or malice 589 00:40:37,080 --> 00:40:42,160 or these words as sins right next to some of what societies 590 00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:50,360 calls as the heinous sins. We need Jesus to be saved. 591 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:53,640 From our sin and now we need Jesus to be. 592 00:40:53,640 --> 00:40:56,760 Free from our anger. So that now we can start to live 593 00:40:56,760 --> 00:41:01,560 lives that honor him. And not only as we go. 594 00:41:01,560 --> 00:41:03,600 On into this passage with short time I have left. 595 00:41:03,600 --> 00:41:06,160 Not only are we to be watchful and accountable for our own 596 00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:10,160 anger issues, but Jesus takes it even further than that and tells 597 00:41:10,160 --> 00:41:13,960 us we're supposed to be proactive in helping others, not 598 00:41:13,960 --> 00:41:16,720 sin in anger towards us and that's the last thing is 599 00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:20,920 reconciliation avoids anger in others. 600 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:25,920 Christians ought to not only get angry or to deal with their 601 00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:31,120 anger, they are supposed to not tempt others to anger by sinful. 602 00:41:31,120 --> 00:41:33,840 Actions that they do. To to Christians and non 603 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:39,320 Christians. And let me just tell you this. 604 00:41:39,320 --> 00:41:44,440 A simple way to avoid conflict getting angry at one another is 605 00:41:44,440 --> 00:41:46,400 don't do house projects together at home. 606 00:41:49,760 --> 00:41:53,160 You know, a couple. Weeks ago my wife and I decided 607 00:41:53,160 --> 00:41:56,840 to take this venture on staining cabinets and we thought it was 608 00:41:56,840 --> 00:41:58,720 only going to be like a 2-3 day job. 609 00:41:58,760 --> 00:42:04,800 You know, how hard could it be? Well, it took about two weeks. 610 00:42:05,040 --> 00:42:08,080 And my wife did most of the work. 611 00:42:08,080 --> 00:42:11,080 I did some of the taping off and the taking off of cupboards and 612 00:42:11,080 --> 00:42:13,560 things like that. But she. 613 00:42:13,680 --> 00:42:16,240 You know we, we. Had this type of stain that 614 00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:20,240 wasn't really actually staying you know, it was somebody told 615 00:42:20,240 --> 00:42:22,920 us that you could stain with this type of stain without 616 00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:27,080 taking the full finish off and it didn't really work. 617 00:42:27,080 --> 00:42:30,000 And we were like, you know, we were so trained through YouTube 618 00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:31,760 that we thought we were going to be professionals. 619 00:42:31,760 --> 00:42:35,320 And and so we put it on and it was wiping off and it was like, 620 00:42:35,440 --> 00:42:37,960 OK, so we started out to lightly paint it on. 621 00:42:37,960 --> 00:42:41,040 And it looks amazing. By the way, if you ever I come 622 00:42:41,040 --> 00:42:42,720 over, my wife did a fantastic job. 623 00:42:42,720 --> 00:42:47,320 She's she's so good at, at you just working hard and getting 624 00:42:47,320 --> 00:42:51,320 projects done. But but so before the clear 625 00:42:51,320 --> 00:42:56,600 coat, she tells me, can you go sand lightly, you know, before 626 00:42:56,600 --> 00:42:59,120 we put the clear coat on? And I'm like, OK, yeah, I think 627 00:42:59,120 --> 00:43:02,440 I know what lightly means, you know, and so I go down there and 628 00:43:02,440 --> 00:43:06,560 I'm like, I'm like, you know, like this is light, right? 629 00:43:06,560 --> 00:43:11,360 Like, and I'm scrubbing it too hard and, and by the way, we're 630 00:43:11,360 --> 00:43:13,960 a week and 1/2 into this thought we were going to quit. 631 00:43:13,960 --> 00:43:16,120 We were going to call professional in and be like, you 632 00:43:16,120 --> 00:43:18,560 got to finish this job. We were almost done. 633 00:43:18,760 --> 00:43:23,080 I rubbed most of the stain off everywhere and things got 634 00:43:23,080 --> 00:43:26,360 heated, you know, because she thought she'd explained it 635 00:43:26,360 --> 00:43:31,200 properly to me and, and, and I thought I heard properly. 636 00:43:31,200 --> 00:43:36,640 And, and so we were both kind of offended at one another and we 637 00:43:36,640 --> 00:43:39,920 needed some time away, some time apart. 638 00:43:40,120 --> 00:43:44,560 And, but thankfully that the Lord has put it into our hearts 639 00:43:44,560 --> 00:43:47,320 to know that we should be forgiving and, and seek 640 00:43:47,320 --> 00:43:50,200 reconciliation. And, and that's what we did. 641 00:43:50,200 --> 00:43:53,640 And it happened just in time for this sermon, so. 642 00:43:59,480 --> 00:44:02,880 But let's go on to. What Jesus has to say about this 643 00:44:03,920 --> 00:44:07,360 in the next couple of verses right here it says, so if you're 644 00:44:07,360 --> 00:44:09,760 offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your 645 00:44:09,760 --> 00:44:12,000 brother has something against you, leave your gift there 646 00:44:12,000 --> 00:44:15,520 before the altar and go first be reconciled to your brother and 647 00:44:15,520 --> 00:44:18,440 then come and offer your gift. What I believe is happening here 648 00:44:18,440 --> 00:44:22,640 and in the next verses is that Jesus gives 2 illustrations to 649 00:44:22,640 --> 00:44:24,920 his teaching. This is. 650 00:44:24,920 --> 00:44:28,240 To the. Believer, believer relationship 651 00:44:28,240 --> 00:44:31,400 inside the church or inside the home, if you're a believer. 652 00:44:31,520 --> 00:44:33,080 Why? Because it uses that word 653 00:44:33,080 --> 00:44:36,480 brother there and it's basically saying, and, and here's where 654 00:44:36,480 --> 00:44:40,240 people again, they try to be too black and white with this type 655 00:44:40,240 --> 00:44:41,680 of thing. It says if you're offering your 656 00:44:41,680 --> 00:44:45,080 gift at your altar. So like if I'm at church and I 657 00:44:45,080 --> 00:44:48,240 know right now that I'm angry with someone or someone's angry 658 00:44:48,240 --> 00:44:51,640 at me because I did something, I need to leave worshipping God 659 00:44:51,640 --> 00:44:55,160 and now I need to run home and try to make that right. 660 00:44:55,240 --> 00:44:58,320 I don't think that that that's exactly what it's saying, but it 661 00:44:58,320 --> 00:45:00,520 is kind of trying to get your attention. 662 00:45:01,560 --> 00:45:06,280 Don't come and put your face on at church worshipping God, 663 00:45:06,800 --> 00:45:12,360 accepting his forgiveness, basking in all of that wonderful 664 00:45:12,360 --> 00:45:15,600 love that you get from the grace of Jesus Christ. 665 00:45:15,800 --> 00:45:20,600 And then then yet you have this someone else that's miserable, 666 00:45:20,600 --> 00:45:25,320 suffering, possibly tempted to sin because of anger, and maybe 667 00:45:25,320 --> 00:45:28,000 you played a role in that. You should go seek 668 00:45:28,000 --> 00:45:32,480 reconciliation. And then the next, the next. 669 00:45:32,480 --> 00:45:35,480 One, come to terms quickly with your accuser while you're going 670 00:45:35,680 --> 00:45:39,120 with him to the court. Let your accuser hand you over 671 00:45:39,120 --> 00:45:41,560 to the judge and the judge to the guard and you be put in 672 00:45:41,560 --> 00:45:42,960 prison. Truly, I say to you, you'll 673 00:45:42,960 --> 00:45:45,200 never get out until you have paid the last penny. 674 00:45:45,400 --> 00:45:48,680 I believe that this is talking about Christians relationships 675 00:45:48,680 --> 00:45:51,840 with the unbelieving civil or secular society. 676 00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:56,240 First of all, we shouldn't be doing things that should cause 677 00:45:56,240 --> 00:45:59,760 us to be sued. OK, now I'm not like wronging 678 00:45:59,760 --> 00:46:01,560 people. Now, I'm not talking about, you 679 00:46:01,560 --> 00:46:04,600 know, standing on convictions and truth and not baking a cake 680 00:46:04,600 --> 00:46:07,720 for someone. You have the right to do that, 681 00:46:07,720 --> 00:46:11,400 to stand for your truth or for the truth, the only truth. 682 00:46:12,080 --> 00:46:15,960 But we shouldn't be living out there in the world in such a way 683 00:46:15,960 --> 00:46:19,680 that people can accuse us of evil and can accuse us of 684 00:46:19,680 --> 00:46:23,280 angering them in ways that we wouldn't even do to other 685 00:46:23,280 --> 00:46:25,520 people. And we should seek 686 00:46:25,520 --> 00:46:29,920 reconciliation for the world as well, living, as we talked about 687 00:46:29,920 --> 00:46:32,680 several weeks ago, light, salt and light to the world. 688 00:46:34,680 --> 00:46:38,600 Do the right thing always. With people, watch your ways 689 00:46:38,600 --> 00:46:43,000 among the outsiders, as the Bible says, for the times are 690 00:46:43,000 --> 00:46:46,720 evil. But I want to close with this. 691 00:46:49,000 --> 00:46:54,720 We mourn with those who are mourning the loss of the Tremont 692 00:46:54,720 --> 00:46:58,600 police officers. Let's look at this senseless act 693 00:46:58,600 --> 00:47:02,800 of violence as a major sin that must be avoided at all costs. 694 00:47:03,920 --> 00:47:07,920 But let's not forget where. Murder originates from the heart 695 00:47:07,920 --> 00:47:12,080 and it starts with the sin of anger and they are two separate 696 00:47:12,080 --> 00:47:16,320 sins with different consequences on earth yes, yes, but Jesus 697 00:47:16,320 --> 00:47:20,240 makes it clear that all who sin, whether physically or in the 698 00:47:20,240 --> 00:47:25,680 heart, are guilty of the same eternal judgment so before we 699 00:47:25,680 --> 00:47:29,480 dismiss the possibility of us being. 700 00:47:29,480 --> 00:47:34,520 Like the worst of. Society, let us come to the Lord 701 00:47:34,520 --> 00:47:38,440 and ask Him to help us to dig down to the root cause of the 702 00:47:38,440 --> 00:47:40,840 sin of anger and ask Him to pluck it. 703 00:47:40,840 --> 00:47:43,800 Pluck it out of us like the noxious weed that needs to be 704 00:47:43,800 --> 00:47:47,560 doused with kills all. Till up the soil of our hearts 705 00:47:47,920 --> 00:47:50,840 and plant a new seed of a flourishing plant that produces 706 00:47:51,200 --> 00:47:55,080 the fruit of the Spirit. Lovejoy, peace, patience, 707 00:47:55,080 --> 00:47:57,800 kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and 708 00:47:57,800 --> 00:48:01,080 self-control. And if there's anything worth 709 00:48:01,080 --> 00:48:06,400 killing, it's killing your sin. Romans 813. 710 00:48:06,400 --> 00:48:09,680 Says this, if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but 711 00:48:09,680 --> 00:48:12,800 if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you 712 00:48:12,920 --> 00:48:15,480 will live. And one of my favorite authors 713 00:48:15,480 --> 00:48:19,960 and Puritans wrote a book on this verse called Mortification 714 00:48:19,960 --> 00:48:23,520 of Sin and he has a famous quote in there and it says be killing 715 00:48:23,520 --> 00:48:28,880 sin or sin will be killing you. We have a duty as Christians to 716 00:48:28,920 --> 00:48:35,480 be killing sin in our lives. And we do that by the power of. 717 00:48:35,480 --> 00:48:39,240 The Holy Spirit. And start to walk. 718 00:48:39,240 --> 00:48:42,040 With Him, our spiritual disciplines are meeting together 719 00:48:42,200 --> 00:48:45,160 with one another, worshiping together on the Lord's Day, 720 00:48:45,720 --> 00:48:49,240 holding each other accountable to these truths. 721 00:48:52,480 --> 00:48:57,040 God's people will know through the preaching and the study of 722 00:48:57,040 --> 00:48:59,200 his Word that there's a righteous anger and there's an 723 00:48:59,200 --> 00:49:04,720 unrighteous kind. The latter is a serious sin that 724 00:49:04,720 --> 00:49:08,840 Jesus is challenging here and speaking against. 725 00:49:10,120 --> 00:49:12,600 But we must rely on the. Righteousness of Christ to 726 00:49:12,600 --> 00:49:16,640 conform us to be like Him, never sinned when angry. 727 00:49:18,200 --> 00:49:21,920 And there are some practical ways to calm down right in the 728 00:49:21,920 --> 00:49:24,960 heat of the moment, and those can be helpful. 729 00:49:24,960 --> 00:49:27,640 But I want you to know that those are only temporary. 730 00:49:27,760 --> 00:49:31,200 So use those things, yes, but we also must get to the heart of 731 00:49:31,200 --> 00:49:35,200 the matter. And Christians. 732 00:49:35,720 --> 00:49:41,000 Strive to follow God's moral laws and Jesus's exposition of 733 00:49:41,000 --> 00:49:43,880 them and this. Coupled with the holy. 734 00:49:43,880 --> 00:49:47,240 Spirit in us will produce the results we need to kill our 735 00:49:47,240 --> 00:49:50,480 anger problems. Will you pray with me, Father? 736 00:49:52,040 --> 00:49:56,840 We thank you, Lord, for Jesus Christ, We thank you for your 737 00:49:56,840 --> 00:50:02,720 word and revealing our desperation, our need for your 738 00:50:02,720 --> 00:50:06,720 grace, your mercy through Jesus Christ, and thank you for those 739 00:50:06,720 --> 00:50:10,040 of us who believed that you sent the Holy Spirit into our hearts. 740 00:50:12,080 --> 00:50:14,920 So that we. Can actually do the things that 741 00:50:14,920 --> 00:50:18,200 you've called us to do while. We're dead in our. 742 00:50:18,200 --> 00:50:21,200 Spirits, as unbelievers, we cannot do that. 743 00:50:21,440 --> 00:50:24,920 We cannot follow your ways, but you've empowered us to, and 744 00:50:24,920 --> 00:50:29,520 we're grateful now to do this because we love you so. 745 00:50:29,520 --> 00:50:33,560 Thank you Lord Jesus, I pray that you would touch the hearts 746 00:50:33,560 --> 00:50:36,960 and the minds of all the people that needed to hear this today 747 00:50:36,960 --> 00:50:40,640 and help us all be less. Angry in Jesus. 748 00:50:40,640 --> 00:50:41,480 Name Amen.