Danger The Explosive Emotion Series

Intro: If you remember last week one of the most important things we can do is saturate our minds with God’s word. We do this so that the Holy Spirit can plant it deeply within our minds and give us something of the Spirit to think about.

We don’t learn more of the Bible which teaches us more about God so we can show off in Bible Trivia. We learn more of the Bible so that we can understand who we are as new creations in Jesus Christ and do what is right as followers of Jesus.

True Biblical knowledge married to a living spiritual relationship with Jesus leads to new creation behavior. So any true biblical belief if applied should lead to true biblical behavior. If we are hearing and heeding the word of God we can train ourselves to manage our emotions for the glory of God.

So this next statistic should shock you, Christian counselors report that somewhere around 50% of the people they council have problems dealing with anger.

America is growing increasingly angry, we are a short-tempered people. Road rage, Airplane rage, grocery store rage, movie theatre rage, church rage, a child’s sporting event rage. Emotional outbursts and lack of control has become the current new reporting rule.

James Garbarino, human development professor at Cornell University, reports a major social shift:

There is a general breakdown of social conventions, of manners, of social controls. This gives a validation, a permission, to be aggressive. Kids used to be guided by a social convention that said, "keep the lid on." Today they are guided more in the direction of taking it off.

Garbarino also observes an increasing "culture of vulgarity." Swear words are now common on cable TV and violence is promoted in much of today's youth music. Psychologist Frank Farley of Temple University cites "a loosening of inhibitions promoted on TV talk shows such as Jerry Springer's. 'It is OK to say whatever is on your mind,' " Farley concludes.

A question we must ask ourselves is can a Christian be good and mad?

I. Don’t beat yourself up about your anger

I have some good news for you today. Romans 8:1 (read)

The strongest Christian is reminded of the war within and it is not His walk in the Spirit but the work of His Lord Jesus on the cross that removes all judgment. No matter how strong you are till Jesus comes to take you home you will face conflict with your old nature. The weakest Christian is reminded that even though you seem to constantly fail especially in your emotional responses and give in to your flesh or old rebellious nature, victory is ultimate and final victory is waiting in the life to come.

This doesn’t mean that there isn’t something in us that couldn’t be judged. It means that because of Jesus finished work and our relationship with Him it won’t be judged. Because it has been judged on the cross!! If you haven’t received His free pardon of sin by believing God raised Him from the dead and confessed Him as Lord you will be judged. The issue with emotions isn’t beating yourself up it is you need to be sure you are in Christ!! Because the good news is that Jesus clearly never said He would take away all your troubles, frustrations, pain, problems or failures. Instead He said, “If you are with me I will take away all judgment!!!” Philippians 1:6 “I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you[b] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Don’t beat yourself up. No condemnation means freedom from sins Guilt!! But what makes it possible to control our anger is freedom from sins power!!

II. Don’t make excuses about your anger

Since we are set free from sins guilt and also sins grip, don’t allow your walk or weakness to become an excuse for your anger. Be angry but sin not!

We as Christians must do our best to destroy the attitude of entitlement and enablement! We make excuses for our anger. I wasn’t given a break, so and so was mean to me, my dad was angry. What does that Bible teach us that should make us stop making excuses for our explosive emotions?

2 Peter 1:3 “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. A relationship with Jesus gives us access to all the power we need to no longer be controlled by our emotions and stop making excuses.

Philippians 4:13 “I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

Colossians 3:5-10 “Therefore, put to death what belongs to your worldly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, God’s wrath comes on the disobedient, 7 and you once walked in these things when you were living in them. 8 But now you must also put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator.”