Introductory Consideration
1. How long has it been since you have moved from one home to another? Moving is not fun but there is one benefit to it. It makes us take inventory of all the things we have accumultaed over the years. For some of us that is no problem, but for some it isnot. For some of us are pack rats. We find it hard to throw anything away. Maybe it has sentimental value or maybe we think we might be able to us it in the future.
2. As we journey through James we realize that as Christians are slowly moving to a new home. One day in heaven and we will be holy and sinless. And yet we are to be packing and getting ready for this move throughout our lives. Taking inventory of what we should keep and what we should throw away. We should continually be growing into maturity, into becoming more like we will be when we are in heaven. We should be moving toward the righteous life that God desires, as we read in James 1:20.
3. What are the things that you have accumulated over the years that you need to look at? The things that prevent you from living a Christian life. The things that hang around in the attic, basement or closet?
4. Last week James told us to be slow to become angry. He warned us that anger is one of these things that prevent us from living the righteous life. As we will start seeing next Sunday morning, anger is one of seven so-called deadly sins that lie deep within us and become rooted, often as bitter roots. These sins are deadly because if what they lead us to do.
5. In one verse James tells us why we should get rid of anger and how we can do so.
Teaching
1. The reason why we must get rid of anger is what it leads to. Because anger does not bring about the righteous life, as we heard last week in vs. 21, James tells us in vs. - 2 that we must get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent. In other words anger has lead us to moral filth and evil.
2. We must get rid of anger so it will no longer show its effects. And in fact to get rid of the symptoms properly, we must get rid of the disease, which is anger, itself.
3. And in case you think that this message is not for you, listen carefully. I I believe it is. As we read, moral fith and evil is prevelant. It is not an oddity but it is a natural part of who we are and were without Christ. I would be really surprised in no one here would find they are free of these problems.
4. In fact the theme to get rid of moral filth and evil is one that Christians are often reminded of in Scripture
a. Eph 4:22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being - corrupted by its deceitful desires;
b. Heb 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,
5. How does anger lead to these sins? Pauls helps us with this in his words from Ephesians. He talks about anger and about various sins. There is a definite connection between anger and these sins.
6. In 4:25 Paul says each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbour. In same sentence he says "in your anger do not sin". Anger leads to falsehood. It becomes so easy to say things that are not true about those with whom we are anger.
a. And sometimes it is not an outright lies. We may be angry with someone - they hurt us deeply. We find out they have a problem with something. Lets say they have financial problems. They miss a car payment. Easy to tell others about it and easy to embellish it. "yes, they have always had trouble paying bills, I even heard they once nearly had their house taken away by the bank". What we are doing is generalizing, making something worse than it is and passing on some information which we heard as gossip. And as I have often seen the lies become bigger and bigger. We all hear something different. I was in bank robbery and was asked to give report to police. My description quite different from those of others. We hear different and we interpret different. And when we are angry at someone we hear what we want to here
b. When dealing with people angry at each other, I try to let one party know how their perceptions may be wrong. One time told someone that the other person had tried to call them to make peace. The reply - "No they were not, they just want to make it look that way." How anger distorts the truth!
c. Especially as Christians, need to be careful. We can gossip is so called holy way. "I don’t want you to tell anyone else, but Paul’s son got caught drinking and driving. It must be hard on the family - they are always having problems. If they would only trust God more. I just want you to know this so that you can pray for them."
7. Who are you angry at? What are some of the things you have told people about them? Has it always be fully true and not coloured with your feelings?
8. Another area of sin Paul talks about is stealing. Eph 4:28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. How those this work?
a. Lets say you are angry at your employer or boss. You feel you have been wronged. You feel abused, but you dare not say anything because you might lose your job. But deep down you are angry and so you steal time and time is money. Spend more time on personal phone calls or not working as hard as you should. You are really stealing from your employer because you are angry at them.
9. Eph 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. When we are angry we need to express that anger and the words we use are unwholesome. We use words that profane God’s name or defame one of the most wonderful gifts that God has given us. It is moments of anger that we may even have been ashamed to admit that we are Christians. We can be so nice in the way we act and talk, but when anger overcomes us, the old sinful man starts talking. Een if not swear, we can tear apart someone with our words. Or may say the right words but say them with a look or tone that destroys another person. As parents, have we hurt our children by saying things we wish we had not have in a moment of anger.
10. Another area of sin that can be caused by anger is sexual immorality. Eph 5:3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Often this moral filth is a result of anger.
a. My experience with adultery has been that often one spouse feels hurt by the other and becomes angry at the other. And so they do not feel as close or they want to hurt them back. They look for love or revenge in the wrong places.
11. We can see why it is important to get rid of anger. To take of the dirty garments of moral filth and evil. It stops us from being righteous and leads to even more sin.
12. But how can we do so? By humbly accepting the word planted in us. By realizing that we need God’s word and it is not just speaking to others but to us. Easy to say "I hope that so and so would hear what God says to them." To say "I hope that person hears the message tonight - they really need it." Rather we are to say - "God, what are you saying to me?"
13. As believers, we were told that God’s law is written in our minds. The word has been planted in us. We need to hear and learn and then God will plant it in us. Only God’s word can make us more righteous. Why? - because it is able to save us. How? Three ways (Mark Copeland).
a. Creates us anew - cause us to be born again. 1 Pet 1:22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." And this is the word that was preached to you. Also, James 1:18. The word contains God’s way of salvatiom
b. The word sanctifies us - makes us holy or sets us apart for a holy purpose. Psa 19:7-9 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.
and
- John 17:15-17 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
c. And we are preserved and kept pure by the word. Acts 20:2-328 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. "Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
and
Psa 119:9,11 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
14. Friends, are you angry? Does your anger lead you to sin?. Confess it. Read the word and let God transform you through it.
