WHEN ANGER LEADS TO ACTIONS THERE TENDS TO BE NEGATIVE REPERCUSSIONS
And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for
You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell. Matthew 5:21-22 NLT
ANGER AND INSULTS ARE AN UGLY SYMPTOMS OF A DESIRE TO GET RID OF SOMEONE WHO STANDS IN OUR WAY. - JOHN STOTT
'What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ' James 4:1-2 NIV
So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. “When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison. And if that happens, you surely won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny. Matthew 5:23-26 NLT
JESUS’ TWO EXAMPLES
1. BROTHERS
2. ENEMIES
NOT BEING CONTROLLED BY ANGER
1. ANGER IS NOT THE PROBLEM, BUT OUR RESPONSE CAN BE.
"What such a man needs is not courage but nerve control, cool-headedness. This he can get only by practice.” -Theodore Roosevelt
'Short-tempered people do foolish things… Proverbs 14:17 NLT
'Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.' Proverbs 29:11 NLT
'When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. ' Psalms 32:3
Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. Hebrews 12:15 NLT
2. EXAMINE YOUR PRIORITIES
'From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. ' Matthew 16:21-25 NLT
'My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ' Galatians 2:20 NLT
take up your cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23 NLT
“A MAN ON HIS FACE CAN NEVER FALL DOWN” - LARRY STOCKSTILL
'Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. ' Galatians 5:24 NLT
'We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. ' Romans 6:6-7 NLT
“Always remember, others may hate you, but those who hate you don’t win unless you hate them. And then you destroy yourself.” Richard Nixon
3. A UNIFIED CHURCH IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE
'For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.' Ephesians 6:12 NLT
'Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.' Matthew 16:18-19 NLT
As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. ' Galatians 6:14 NLT
The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. John 15:19 NLT
"It is impossible to please all men; there will always be those who criticize you, no matter what you do. So focus on doing what is right, and let the rest go." Epictetus
Makarios: Joy which has its secret within itself, that joy which is serene and untouchable, and self-contained that joy which is completely independent of all the chances and changes of life.
THE FOUR SOCIAL QUALITIES THAT ARE BLESSED
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Matthew 5:7 ESV
1. COMPASSIONATE IN SPIRIT: O the bliss of the merciful!
'Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.' Hebrews 2:17-18 NLT
'For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. ' Romans 3:23 NLT
'Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord… Romans 7:24-25 NLT
A LACK OF MERCY AND COMPASSION IS EVIDENCE OF SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS
“Tolerant with others. Strict with yourself.” Marcus Aurelius
Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord . Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. Romans 12:19-21 NLT
Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?” When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Matthew 9:10-13 NLT
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8 ESV
2. PURE HEART. PURE VISION: O bliss of the Sincere!
'“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish and then the outside will become clean, too.' Matthew 23:25-26 NLT
'“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”' Matthew 22:36-40 NLT
Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25
WHAT YOU TRAIN FOR YOU BECOME!
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9 ESV
3. STRIVING FOR PEACE: O the bliss of those who create harmony!
'Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ' Romans 12:17-18 NLT
PUBLIC CRITICISMS NEVER CHANGE ANYONE. HOWEVER, PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS IN LOVE DO.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9 ESV
'And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.' Romans 8:17 NLT
...by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. ' Colossians 1:20 NIV
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:10 ESV
4. UNSWERVING LOYALTY: O the bliss of the sufferer for Christ!
Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies. 1 Corinthians 15:43-44 NLT
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11-12 NIV
THE TRUTH IS THAT YOUR LOYALTY IS ROOTED IN YOUR TRUST LEVEL OF GOD AND THAT DETERMINES YOUR VICTORY!
'They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. ' Revelation 12:11 NIV
We are multipliers!
We are a Great Commission Church and we are an equipping center for disciples.
We are multipliers!
Individually, we are all responsible to disciple those younger in their faith and invite those far from Jesus into a life-giving community.
We are multipliers!
Corporately, we are called to plant churches, pastor cities, and father and mother leaders to multiply the Kingdom impact.
We are multipliers!
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 NLT
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts of the Apostles 1:8 NLT
WE BELIEVE AS A CHURCH IN THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, OR IN OTHER WORDS THE FACT THAT JESUS IS COMING AGAIN!
After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven?
Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” Acts 1:9-11
OVER 300 REFERENCES IN N.T. OF JESUS’ RETURN
216/260 CHAPTERS IN THE N.T. REFERENCE JESUS’ RETURN
23 OF THE 27 N.T. BOOKS REFERENCE JESUS’ RETURN
But because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I’m not about to let his grace go to waste. Haven’t I worked hard trying to do more than any of the others? 1 Corinthians 15:10 MSG
Here's what I know great vision takes three things:
It takes a Praying Church, a Selfless Church, and a strategic Church.
But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. “There are six days of the week for working,” he said to the crowd. “Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath.” But the Lord replied, “You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Don’t you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water? This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?” Luke 13:14-16 NLT
GOD IS LESS INTERESTED IN WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND MORE INTERESTED IN WHY YOU ARE DOING WHAT YOU ARE DOING.
Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. James 1:27 NLT
The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices. Proverbs 21:3 NLT
But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? Matthew 16:22-26 NLT
“Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world,” they shouted, “and now they are here disturbing our city, too. Acts of the Apostles 17:6 NLT
Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it—because it does. 1 Corinthians 14:1-2 MSG
Give yourselves to the gifts God gives you. 1 Corinthians 14:1-2 MSG
Most of all, try to proclaim his truth. 1 Corinthians 14:1-2 MSG
But because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I’m not about to let his grace go to waste. Haven’t I worked hard trying to do more than any of the others? 1 Corinthians 15:10 MSG