I'm Mad
Pt. 1 - Get a Grip!
I. Introduction
There are a lot of ways to say it. I "fly off the handle." I have a short fuse. I'm about to flip out. I'm hot under the collar. I'm about to have a cow. I'm about to go postal. Cheesed off! Or I'm salty! It really doesn't matter the words you use to communicate it it is just a fact; we all get angry. In fact, anger is one of the six basic and distinct human emotions that we all experience. Those emotions are happiness, sadness, fear, surprise, disgust and anger. I would venture to say that for most of us more than any time in our lives we are experiencing anger. Our current national and global environment is causing us to experience most of if not all the basic emotions. However, at the end of the day, most of us have seen or heard something that elicited the emotion of anger! And as I said it doesn't matter what term you use to communicate it. However, what does matter is what you do with anger once you experience it. The writer of Ephesians must have had firsthand experience with the destructive side of anger because he cautioned us in Ephesians 4:26, "Be angry, but do not sin." Wait! There is hope in that passage. It tells us that anger is a valid emotion. It even encourages us to get angry. BE ANGRY! But then the caution but don't sin. Another version helps us understand this instruction. "Do not let your anger lead you into sin." The warning is that anger can be productive, or it can be destructive and the result of anger, the product of anger is in our hands.
In his fictional book called "White Night' about a detective Jim Butcher captures the difference in anger when a character in his book has a conversation with a demon about anger.
“Anger is just anger. It isn't good. It isn't bad. It just is. What you do with it is what matters. It's like anything else. You can use it to build or to destroy. You just have to make the choice." Constructive anger," the demon said, her voice dripping sarcasm. Also known as passion," I said quietly. "Passion has overthrown tyrants and freed prisoners and slaves. Passion has brought justice where there was savagery. Passion has created freedom where there was nothing but fear. Passion has helped souls rise from the ashes of their horrible lives and build something better, stronger, more beautiful.”
So, our challenge is to figure out how to turn I'm mad to I'm MAD. I'm making a difference.
There were folks in the Bible who had to figure this transition out. Perhaps none better than the rag tag, salty group of men that would ultimately become known as David's Mighty Men. Long before they earned that moniker they could have simply been called "David's Mad Men." Listen to the how the Bible describes them before they made this transition.
TEXT: 1 Samuel 22:1-2 (NIV)
David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.
Another version may capture the feeling better.
Many people joined David. There were men who were in some kind of trouble, men who owed a lot of money, and men who were just not satisfied with life. (Bitter about life.)
I heard one preacher say they were broke, busted and disgusted. Sounds like a lot of us right now! Discontent. Bitter. Dissatisfied with how things are going. But these men transition from Mad Men to Mighty Men. I think we can learn from them right now.
Let's examine one of the stories. You can find the list of these men in 2 Samuel 23.
TEXT: 2 Samuel 23:9-10 (GW)
Next in rank to him was Eleazar, another one of the three fighting men. He was the son of Dodo and grandson of Aho. Eleazar was with David at Pas Dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. When the soldiers from Israel retreated, he attacked and killed Philistines until his hand got tired and stuck to his sword. So the Lord won an impressive victory that day. The army returned to Eleazar, but they only returned to strip the dead.
Here is one of the men who were mad. Why? Well his father's name was Dodo. And I won't even deal with his grandfather's name. Isn't that reason enough? We don't know why he was part of the discontent and distressed crowd. However, in this account we learn some things that we can apply to make the transition he did.
I want to point out a few things.
A side note - The battle scene was at a place called “Pas Dammim” - “the dell of bloodshed”. This is believed to be the same place where David (years before) had defeated Goliath. Saul as held up here once by the Philistines until David intervened. Now David is returned there facing the same enemy (the Philistines) in another confrontation. There’s something to be learned here - the enemy will often take us back to old battlegrounds; places where he’s held us up in the past! I have discovered that my greatest battles have been fought over the same things time and time again - things that I’d already dealt with. Just because you saw the wall fall down doesn't mean you can let your guard down. It is necessary to keep the enemy defeated!
David and Eleazar pick a fight by taunting the enemy. Notice they were in the middle of a barley field. This seems to be an insignificant detail. But the barley was a critical crop for the Israelites and Philistines made it a practice to come in during the harvest to steal the crop. They knew that if the Israelites were hungry and malnourished, they could be defeated.
There is a common cord that runs throughout the account of these mighty men.
We must only fight for what matters!
I believe too many of us are getting mad about things that don't really matter. We use up our energy, passion, resources, strength warring for things that aren't critical to the Kingdom. If you win the battle that you are fighting are there really any spoils? Does it really make any difference in your life? Does it really make any difference in the lives of those around you? Does it really have any spoils for the Kingdom? If we are going to fight, then let's fight for what matters! Otherwise you will end up victorious but empty handed. If winning results in you losing your joy, peace, witness, then is it worth it? Live to fight another day! However, when we figure out that the prize is worth the fight we must go all in!
You can make a difference if you won't let go.
Eleazar is included in the list of those who made a difference simply because he wouldn't quit. I am more and more convinced that (SLIDES 15-16) redemption is usually found in repetition. The difference is made and victory is won simply by those who won't quit. Those who will hang on.
I think Eleazar's story is important because there is something to be learned here about not letting go. He had two reasons that could have made him want to quit. These are the same two reason so many of us give up.
1. He was abandoned by others.
The text says that when the enemy attacked all the other Israelites ran for cover. When others retreated Eleazar attacked. Can you imagine the emotions Eleazar felt? Shock? Disgust? Anger? He had to get a grip on his emotions.
There will be days that you are going to want to quit making a difference because those who should be standing with you are nowhere to be found. There are days when you are going to look around and it is just going to be you and the call that God has placed on your life. Your determination to fight can't be based on backup! Your determination to stay in the fight has to be based on entirely on knowing that God has called you to that fight! There will come a day when you are serving and everyone else will hit the road. There will come a day when your passion has led you to stand against great odds and you will have to stand alone. However, if you are going to make a difference, then you must stand. Though none go with me still I will follow. No turning back. There may people that abandon you in the fight only to return for the spoils of your victory, but don't quit. Don't stop. Don't quit fighting.
He could have also quit because . . .
2. He was tired.
2 Samuel 23:10; “He arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary.”
Eleazar fought until his strength was gone. One version says he fought so long that his hand became frozen to the sword. The word there means welded.
Even though the situation looked hopeless he held on. The odds were not in his favor, but he refused to quit swinging.
But Eleazar stood his ground and killed Philistines right and left until he was exhausted—but he never let go of his sword!
This helps us. He fought until he was exhausted, but he kept fighting through the weariness. He had exhausted all of his human ability. His human strength was used up. I think this is why we are encouraged Galatians 6:9 - And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. In due season we will reap if we won't let go. If we won't drop our sword.
Some of you are tired. This has been a tough season. Learn from Eleazar. You can make a difference if you will keep serving. Don't stop . . . believing. Don't stop caring, loving, forgiving, praying. We win victories when we learn to outlast! Those who endure till the end will be saved! Refuse to lay down the sword.
Notice the text again . . . he attacked and killed Philistines until his hand got tired and stuck to his sword. So the Lord won an impressive victory that day.
The text says he refuses to let go of the sword even though he is exhausted. Then almost as an afterthought it says, "So the Lord won and impressive victory that day."
Could it be that God's intervention is wrapped up in our tenacity?
Perhaps our miracle will be revealed in our resolve! Perhaps God's hand will act if our hand stays on the sword. Eleazar means "God helped!" Maybe just maybe God's assistance comes after our persistence.
Some of you are poised to make a difference, but you are tired and others have retreated. Keep teaching. Keep touching. Keep serving. Keep going. Keep calling. Don't quit. God will use your tenacity as the platform for a turn around. Fix your face like flint and fight until we can say the Lord won and impressive victory!
Let's make a difference by getting a grip on what matters. Let's get a grip and refuse to let go even if everyone leaves us or we grow weary.
