Harnessing The Heat Series

Tonight’s message is dealing with the area of Anger

With the message entitled, “Harnessing the Heat.”

We live in an, “Age of Rage.”

Expressions say it all, “that makes me so mad," and "I can’t stand that person."

Anger is a far reaching characteristics, it is a frequent guest in our homes, our jobs, and our church.

It rides with us in our cars on our way to work, "get out of the way you _______."

It happens every time we get in the wrong line at the grocery store.

We live in the time if you don’t like what someone has done to you just shoot them, blow them up with pipe bombs, planes, some just kill because they have nothing else to do, such as, drive by shootings, and snipers shooting the innocent, men and women with evil on their mind continually.

Hollywood is in our homes with movie hero’s that bear “lethal weapons” all who “die hard.”

With so much anger out there, how can we keep it out of our own life?

Anger is an emotion that has many physical manifestations; such as, our blood pressure rises, out mouth gets dry, our fist clinch up, our muscles get tight, and our adrenaline begins to flow.

We feel ready to fight, and what we do with that anger tells a lot about us.

There are four approaches to anger.

1.)There is the “Toxic Waste Approach.”

Some people handle anger like dealing with toxic waste, they bury it deep in a whole in their soul and present an A.O.K attitude.

But after a few years it begins to leak out and contaminate them. It enters into the blood stream of their thought life and causes them to be sick, unresolved anger can impact your attitudes, relationships, and ultimately your walk with the Lord.

I’m not angry, but you talk so bad about that person that hurt so many years ago. "That Church," or "Don’t go to that Church."

It’s like a child that bottled up and never faced what happened to them by their parents or their family or even a church member, so they bring the hurt along for the ride.

Treating the issue like toxic waste saying, "I’ll deal with it later."

Proverbs 15:1 says, "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger."

2.)There is the “Volcano Approach.”

Some are like a volcano.

Anger has a way of coming out with little to no warning.

Anger is only one letter away from the word "Danger."

Yes, You can be in a great mood one moment and someone cut you off on the highway and you explode on them.

Volcanic people rumble around for days, “I’ve been taking this for days, or years and I can’t take it anymore. I am going to give them a piece of my mind.

And they spew hot lava all over the place not caring about the lives that are destroying, but you got your point across.

Volcanic people never apologize for the damage that they cause, that is one reason they are call volcanos.

James 3:11 says, "can a founatin bring forth both bitter water and sweet?"

3.)Some are like “Snow Cones.”

When they become upset, they put on the “big chill.”

They give the person that hurt them the ice cold shoulder.

No, nothing is wrong, NO! Nothing is wrong.

Eccl. 7:9 says, "Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger rested in the bosom of fools."

4.) Then there is the “Microwave Oven Approach.”

They confront a situation that angers them with a near instantaneous response.

You can almost see the timer going off, Beep, Beep, Beep, BAM!

They explode right then, they have a very short fuse, with very little mercy. Things set them off easily, you walk on egg shells around them just so you won’t have to see them go off.

But, now we see those that go off, how then are we to express our anger?

I. Anger is not all bad;

Some anger can be for good when it comes to confronting evil.

James 4:26 says, “Be angry and sin NOT!”

Jesus became angry in the temple when he saw it had turned into the Cordova mall.

They were not about the Father’s Business, they were about their own business of making money from the house of God.

The things that anger God the Father should anger us!

In Matthew 23, Jesus had to confront the Pharisees, He said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees!” “You hypocrites, vipers, blind guides, and murders of the prophets.”

Jesus’ anger motivated Him to set right the wrong that was being done in the church.

Speaking the truth sometimes angers you.

I get mad in the C.E. Building when I see our children tearing up the games that we have provided for them. They don’t respect it so we took them away, after many talking’s too, of course.