Sermon Reflections from Righteous Anger | Alex Hardt | March 10,2024
Anger is an emotion that can easily go from God serving to self-serving in a flash. When you get angry or use your anger, you need to look at what motivated the anger. Were you upset over a slight or injustice to yourself, a friend or relative or were you upset by an affront to God’s honor and name. Was a godly principle called into question, God’s Word maligned or was the slander pointed towards God? God can certainly defend himself but we also can be upset to anger over injustice. God desires that we love justice and mercy. Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” When angry is used, it is essential to maintain godly character and ‘right’ motives. Unlike the emotions of love and happiness, anger can turn good reasons to bad in a heartbeat. As Pastor Alex reminded us, we need to be sure that our reasons for seeking justice are in line with God’s character and purpose. (Just for clarification we need to be sure that we know what the character of God is. Psalm 86:15 describes God “But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.’ 1 John 4:8 “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” Leviticus 11:44 “I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.” Search the scriptures for the attributes of God so you can better emulate His character. As a believer you are in the process of ‘sanctification’ from the time you receive Jesus as your Savior until you breathe your last breath. The Christian life is a process of the Holy Spirit indwelling us and molding our character to be more and more like Jesus. It is important to know the character of God, study His Word and pray so that you can recognize missteps and ask His help for day by day living. If you’d like a devotion about the attributes of God, my book Strategic Living looks into godly character. I have copies or it is available on Amazon.) Therefore, it takes godly character to keep anger in check and godly character to recognize when situations need a righteous anger response which is always tempered with grace. I love the verse in 1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” When talking with someone about the Lord Jesus, we are to give an answer but do it with grace and respect. Responding with righteous anger seems to me to be a time when a similar response is needed. I have a story I want to relate that reminds me of Pastor Alex’s response to the racial slurs concerning his friend. Pastor Alex was quick to admit that his anger was righteous but his responding words were not filled with grace. Similarly, Moses was righteously angry about the Israelites worshiping a golden calf but he broke the tablets in anger. Exodus 34:1-2 records what the consequences were for Moses breaking the tablets God had given him. “The Lord said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. 2 Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai.” Moses broke the tablets in anger and he had to carve out a new set himself. His anger was justified but not the breaking of the tablets. My story is of a young college man who was attending a Christian college in Southern California. There was an assembly with a guest speaker addressing the crowd. As the person spoke the young man was consumed with righteous anger over the blatant lies the speaker was saying about principles in God’s Word that were totally untrue or against scripture. He got up and went forward, took the microphone away from the speaker and confronted him for his lies. Needless to say, the young man was expelled from the school. A Christian attorney helped him navigate any repercussions. Later he enrolled in a different Christian college that was more biblically aligned. His stand for God’s Word is commendable but not without consequences. I would imagine that as this young man grows his love for God’s Word will increase and he will remember the stand he took in support of God’s truth as written in scripture. Learning how to use our anger in defense of the gospel is necessary to see change but it needs to be filled with prayer, study, and a healthy dose of grace all around. Linda MESSAGE LINK Click Here to View the Message on Youtube Our Sunday service is online and in-person at 11:00am. Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass Sermon Reflections from Stumbling Over Anger | Alex Hardt | March 4,2024
Pastor Alex took time this week to instruct us on the makeup, use and disposition of anger in our lives. It is an emotion all of us have from time to time and the intensity of our anger varies. Often times we are angry without knowing the root cause of our anger and as in the case of an iceberg it is often very deeply hidden. In Ephesians 4 Paul speaks of this root as sin in 26-27 “ Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. “ Misuse of anger leads to sin. James is very plain in James 1:20 “for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” Knowing that anger needs to be ‘handled’ so as to not to lead us to sin, we need to take it seriously and seek God’s help in controlling, recognizing and dealing with it. Pastor Alex said the recognizing the source urges us to uncover our emotions leads towards healing instead of destruction. How can we do that? Scripture gives us ways to see anger for what it is. Ephesians 4:26 would imply that anger can be continued day to day. It can fester and grow. By not letting the sun go down on our anger we are containing and addressing it right away. Letting it fester produces bitterness, more anger and strife. We do not want to let our anger grow. James 1:20 tells us “for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” The anger of man for man’s sake or reasons is sin, it is not anger expressed righteously for something done against God. Man’s anger is self-driven and does not produce the righteousness of God. That anger causes us to sin and sinning does not work towards God but away from Him. 1 Corinthians 13:5 is speaking of love but also teaches us about anger. “It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” Anger helps us keep a record of wrongs done to us for which we may want to seek revenge. Back to the question, how do we get rid of anger or overcome it? Scripture gives us advice on this in Ephesians 4:30-31 we are given a reason to be rid of it as well as what it includes. “ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” Our sinful anger grieves the Holy Spirit, it saddens Him as it is not from God and of God. Paul advises us to get rid of it. Put it out of your life, leave it behind, make be inaccessible in your mind through the power of God. Pray, study, confess and ask God for His help. “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil’. Is the advice of the psalmist in Psalm 37:8 Proverbs 15:8 “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” As you can see, scripture has much to teach us about anger. If this is an issue for you, pray and search scripture for comfort and strength to help with your anger issues. Pastor Alex wanted us to realize too that Satan is pleased with anger and as we have said it does not lead to God’s righteousness or right behavior. Satan wishes to destroy our witness and lead us away from God. He cannot take our salvation but he can destroy our witness, make us unhappy and lead us farther away, bringing grief to the Holy Spirit within us. I love the verses in 1 Peter 5:8-9 that Pastor referenced. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” Overcoming Satan’s power to draw us into anger requires resisting, standing firm, being aware of this pitfall and taking him seriously. He is not a threat to God but is to us if we are not rooted, grounded and firmly focused on God. That’s why Peter, who experienced this first hand, tells us to be on guard- watchful and serious. Remember 1 John 4:4 “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” Take Heart in Jesus! What does one conclude about anger and dealing with it in a godly way? Lean on Jesus, seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit to root out the causes of your anger. Be alert and seek to not give in to Satan’s schemes and devices to lure you into sinning with anger. God’s plan is for you to live righteously and glorify Him in your words and deeds. Ponder James 4:17 “ If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” Be strong in Jesus! Linda MESSAGE LINK Click Here to View the Message on Youtube Our Sunday service is online and in-person at 11:00am. Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass. Sermon Reflections from Destined For Greatness | Alex Hardt | September 24, 2023
It was good to have Pastor Alex back in the pulpit after his adventures and misadventures into the world of medicine, surgery and healing. God is good and He returned Alex to us filled and renewed. Have you thought about what your purpose is in life and why God put you right where you are? Knowing our Omnipotent God does not make mistakes, we have to consider what is around me, who is around me that God wants me to impact with His message. We were created to give God glory so where do you need to spread or show His glory right where you are? Our passage in 1 Peter 2 begins with Paul’s admonition to rid ourselves of all evil, hypocrisy, envy, slander, etc. and be ready to take in God’s spiritual food to make us strong and able to face the pressures of this world. Paul tells us we are chosen by God and much will be required of us, so we need to be ready. Being chosen by faith in Jesus is a privilege and because we chose to follow Jesus we are precious to Him. Ponder that for a minute or two. Chosen by God and Precious to Him. What better place can there be than being one who is set apart for His work and loved by Him. I am reminded of one of my favorite verses Nahum 1:7 “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,” Being precious to Him guarantees we are going to be cared for in good times and bad. He is always good, we can depend upon Him. Once we accept that we are chosen and precious to Him, we can get on with aligning ourselves with Jesus and looking with expectation towards the work He has for us. How does one align themselves with Jesus?, would seem a critical question. Peter would suggest that making Christ the cornerstone of our faith is critical. Jesus needs to be the central focus of our study and worship. Dive into God’s Word and learn about Jesus. Pray and ask Him for discernment and wisdom in your everyday life. Seek to reflect Jesus and his foundational principles within your life. Be daring and bold, asking God what purpose He has for you and pray for the courage to step out where He leads you, as He will! Are you aligned with Jesus? If you consider yourself on the pathway God has laid out for you, then seek to live out each day in God. Ask yourself, who can I bring alongside me today to talk with about God? Where can I show His love, kindness, gentleness and hope through the circumstances of my day? Maybe you don’t see an opportunity to talk about God, so make one! Call a friend, or someone who is suffering and offer a ‘cup of cold water’ in His name through your words and prayers. Maybe it is time to send a card to which you can add a word of encouragement. Maybe it is time to plan an event to bring others into fellowship in your home or at a restaurant. God meant us for community and we need to be engaged. You can’t talk and live with and in God by yourself. You were chosen to be in the world relating and filling the needs people have for Him. When in doubt, remember and claim our memory verse in Luke 18:27 “Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” If we are about His kingdom’s work, we can leave a legacy of faith in our wake showing His greatness. Linda MESSAGE LINK Click Here to View the Message on Youtube Our Sunday service is online and in-person at 11:00am. Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass. |
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