What Is The Fruit Of Anger?

Introduction:

A time when I was very angry...

I. Let’s take a look at two types of anger scenarios:

A. One type is when we, are being petty

1. These are misunderstandings; someone has a bad tone of voice; someone takes their bad day out on us, someone messes with our pet peeves, or we don’t get our way.

2. Or even a disagreement…how dare you disagree with me!

B. The other type of anger is started by the more significant reasons

1. Someone has said something that has offended us, wronged, cheated us out of something special, stolen something, someone is constantly rude to us, or someone who doesn’t like us for any good reason

C. Which of these two types of anger is it OK for us to react to

1. Eph. 4:29-5:2

2. So neither type of anger of anger

a. Vv.31 of chapter 4…Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice

b. Since it is a series, it could be read: get rid of all bitterness, get rid of all rage, get rid of all anger, get rid of all slander, get ride of all forms of malice, etc.

3. Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus states that we are to get rid of all anger from our—real or imagined—circumstances that we justify it with. We are to get rid of it

II. Anger hardly needs explaining this morning so let’s move on to what is the outcome of anger?

A. It use to be that having a hot temper was a bad thing

1. Brag about being a hothead

a. Democrats are angry at Republicans

b. teenagers are angry at parents

c. environmentalists are angry loggers

d. loggers are angry at environmentalists

2. The idea is that if your not angry, you are weak

3. I make the case, if you are not angry you are wise

B. The Bible states that anger only leads to evil

1. Turn to Ps 37:8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret (do not become irritated) —it leads only to evil

C. That is why we are to rid ourselves of anger: anger always works harder and stays longer than we want it to. With it, much sin is conceived. Anger never stays anger.

1. It is a springboard to evil

D. the root to all of the problems is right in the middle of the verse

1. Eph 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice

E. But anger WILL first mutate into one of two things…Anger will become one of two things on the left.

1. Leads to internal rage

2. Leads to internal bitterness

F. Those in turn lead to the external viruses know as…

1. External malice>>>> sounds like “I’ll show him”

a. . Vindictive…disposed to revenge

b. Cold shoulder

c. Silent treatment

d. Indifference

G. The biggest problem with the fruit of anger is that it ruin relationships

1. With family

2. With friends

3. Church members

4. Co-workers and everyone who is the recipient of these outcomes

H. There is an ancient Greek myth that tells how Hercules encountered a strange animal on a narrow road. He struck it with his club and passed on. Soon, however, the animal overtook him. Now three times as large at it was before, Hercules was seriously threatened by the animal and began to fight it with all his might. Each time he struck it, the animal grew larger and deadlier.

Pallas appeared to Hercules and warned him to stop. "The monster’s name is Strife," she said. "Let it alone and it will soon become as little as it was at first."

Strife really is a monster. And its ability to grow and prosper is rooted in anger.

I. DM talked to me

1. He admitted that person I was arguing with was wrong.

2. However, my anger had become the greater problem

a. the more I pleaded and tried to justify my action with him the worst it got

3. I had over reacted and it cost me

a. That is what anger does---mountains from mole hills

b. reputation

c. my boss

J. That is how it is in our lives…ILL. My friend Brow and me saying David

1. seen him a couple of times since then and our friendship is ruined

III. We know what anger is, and we have all seen the outcomes in our lives, but how do we “rid” ourselves of anger?

A. First by realizing where anger originates?

1. With us

a. they made me angry

b. no you made you angry—you decided to get angry

2. Pride

a. Someone has insulted me and I cannot stand for that