KEEP COOL

Proverbs 14:17-29 (KJV)

He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.

The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.

He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.

Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.

In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.

The crown of the wise is their riches: but the foolishness of fools is folly.

A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful witness speaketh lies.

In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

In the multitude of people is the king's honour: but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince.

He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

Would you notice that our text tonight approaches the subject of anger from opposite but complimentary directions:

Proverbs 14:17 (KJV)

He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.

Proverbs 14:29 (KJV)

He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

Did you notice that:

·   It is foolish to be angry quickly and

·   It is wise to be slow to wrath

But these verses do not tell us that it is always wrong to be angry or that it is a sin to be angry.

Anger can be a sin, but it is not always a sin.

·   Moses became angry on a number of occasions. Only one of them was a sinful occasion

·   Samuel certainly became angry at King Saul, but did not sin in his anger

·   David became angry but I can’t think of a time when His anger was sinful

The Bible does not say that anger is sin.

But it does say, Ephesians 4:26 (KJV)

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

I am not trying to give you permission to have a hot temper.

Far from it!

What I want to do is teach you how to channel that “passion” within you.

Anger must be:

I. LAZER FOCUSED

John 2:14-17 (KJV)

And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:

And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;

And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.

And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.

The Bible says Christ’s zeal for the house of God “hath eaten me up.”

We might also call it indignation.

The point I want to make here is that it is not wrong to be filled with indignation – so long as it is indignation focused on the proper things:

·   There is no reason to become angry at your spouse or your children

·   There is no reason to lose your temper because you do not get your way

·   There is no good reason to get angry because someone hurts your feelings or says something bad about you

Almost certainly whatever you do out of anger in those situations is going to end badly for you.

George Washington would have held his peace over all of them.

But there are some things we ought to be zealous over, even indignant about.

We ought to be zealous for:

A. The purity of God’s work

Matthew 21:12-13 (KJV)

And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,

And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

I want to be careful to point out that the problem was not the selling of things in the Temple, but the dishonesty in it.

·   They were coercing people into buying their sacrifices from the Temple

·   They forced them to use money they got from the Temple and

·   They were cheating them when they made the change in the Temple

·   It is not sinful to have a small bookstore in our church.

·   It is not wrong to allow singers to sell their music in our church

It would be more like this:

·   We have Bibles for sale here

·   You can only use a Bible that you buy from us in church and

·   You have to trade your money for money we give you, 80 cents on the dollar

The point is this – we are striving to be an honest and incorruptible congregation.

We are not perfect

But we should not be malicious.

B. The holiness of God’s people

2 Corinthians 11:2 (KJV)

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Paul had gotten “in the face” of the church in Corinth.

There was sin in the church and his work was to correct them. He did it with earnest.

2 Corinthians 7:8-11 (KJV)

For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.

Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

He had made them sorry and he wasn’t sorry about it!.

Because he wanted to see them chaste – holy before God.

C. The mortifying of our members

Colossians 3:5-6 (KJV)

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

The very word mortify describes it all.

It means to put to death, to execute.

Notice that these are sins in your own flesh.

The way to seek purity in God’s house and holiness among God’s people is not to go after others as much as we go after sin in ourselves.

If you ever get yourself sinless – then I think it will be all right to point your boney finger at someone else.

But until you are sinless, you best keep:

·   your finger,

·   your big mouth and

·   your fury

focused on your own sins.

Anger is not sin as long as it is focused

Anger must be,

II. LITTLE EXPERIENCED

Proverbs 14:17 (KJV)

He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.

Before you let your rage out, you need to exhaust every other avenue.

Matthew 18:15-17 (KJV)

Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

So someone has trespassed against you.

·   They have stolen from you

·   They have spoken some terrible thing about you

·   They have offended you in some terrible way

That’ll make you mad!

What do you do?

I notice a few things:

·   First, before you get angry and take it out on them, you go to them peaceably and try to get it corrected.

·   If that doesn’t work, you take someone with you as a witness.

·   If that doesn’t work, you might take it to the church and have the church make them make it right.

But wait a minute.

That’s not everything that’s in the chapter. Before you go tell the church to kick them out you ought to pray over Matthew 18:7-9 (KJV)

Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.

And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

Here’s the thing, offences happen.

And we know this – God will correct the offender.

·   If he is unsaved, there waits for him a certain fiery wrath of judgment

·   If he is saved, God will chasten him as any father would chasten his son. And no chastening for the moment will be pleasant.

But notice how Jesus addressed this…

Instead of pointing fingers at other people who offended you, you ought to be more concerned with whatever offenses you have committed.

Remember mortifying your members?

Plucking out your eye or cutting off your hand would sure apply!

You don’t do it literally. You just get serious about your own sins and get them out of your life.

But what about that guy who keeps making you mad?

Matthew 18:21-35 (KJV)

Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.

But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:

Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

What about that person who keeps making you angry?

Forgive them

·   You don’t need to go tell them off

·   You don’t need to get some friend to take your side

·   You don’t need to start a rumor about them at church

Forgive them.

And notice why….

Because if you won’t, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you…

Finally anger, if it is not sin is

III. LASTLY PRACTICED

Proverbs 14:29 (KJV)

He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

There comes a point when, according to Jesus, that person is put out of the church and is treated as a heathen or publican.

But that is the very last thing that happens.

If anger is the appropriate response it will be

·   Only after all other avenues are exhausted.

·   When they is no other option available and

·   It will be focused on one thing alone, the holiness of the things of God.[2]

Every other kind of anger IS sin.

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[1] I believe I read this in one of Bill Grady’s books, either What Hath God Wrought or Final Authority.

[2] I should forgive every offense that is of a personal nature and take up the cause only if it has directly to do with the house of God.