Anger: The Heart Behind Murder - Matthew 5:21-26

Amen. My name is Eric, one of the

pastors here. Glad to be here with you this

morning. And as always, lately we have

been in the Gospel of Matthew, and particularly we're in

Chapter 5. As some of you may know, chapter

5 through Chapter 7 is the the Sermon on the Mount, and that is

Jesus's longest recorded sermon or discourse in the Gospels.

And we've been walking through it and we've got to this place

where we're at verse 21. So if you have your Bibles, open

them to Matthew chapter 5 starting in verse 21.

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

Today we are talking about anger and that anger is the heart

behind murder. In my prayer, I alluded to the

idea that we want comfort and healing and want to bring

clarity to a terrible tragedy that happened in a in a

neighboring community, in the Tremonton community.

And, and so I would thought I would read the press release of

what happened last Sunday just to get us all on the same page.

It says on August 17th at 21 O two hours, which would be about

9:00 PM, the Box Elder Communication Center received

multiple 911 hang up calls from an address in Tremont in Utah.

An officer from the Tremont in Garland Police Department

responded and began speaking with an occupant of the home who

was reporting an apparent domestic disturbance, at which

time a mail emerged from the residence with the firearm and

the male opened fire on the officer, striking and killing

the officer. A second officer with the

Tremont and Garland Police Department responded to assist.

The first was immediately fired upon by the same male suspect.

The second, the second officer, was also struck and killed by

the suspects gunfire. A third officer and deputy from

Box Elder County Sheriff's Office had also been dispatched

to assist. As they arrived in the area, the

suspect fired several rounds into the deputy's vehicle,

striking the deputy and the deputy's police service dog.

After being hit by gunfire, the deputy, the deputy and police

service dog remained in their vehicle and were subsequently

evacuated to an area hospital and specialty veterinary clinic

where they received medical treatment.

Both are recovering and in fair condition.

These are unthinkable and terrible tragedies that have

happened in our community. And I think a lot of times I was

hearing in the interviews that these were senseless acts.

And in one sense, yes, they don't make sense that that

people could be so evil that terrible things could happen

like that to our own people in our communities, people that are

trying to protect us, the police officers.

And yet, by God's grace and Providence, I don't think that

we need to look any further than Scripture to actually try to

make sense of evil like this that exists in our world.

It talked about it being a domestic violence disturbance.

And I think you can always sum up domestic violence as this.

It always starts with the sin of anger.

And while many of us may not think that we're capable of

murder, all of us are susceptible to hurting others,

hurting ourselves with what comes from sinful anger.

And so that's what we're going to be talking about today is the

depths of of the depravity of man with the the sin of anger

and how it is the heart behind murder.

And so as we get into our passage, I first want to talk

about an old commandment from the Old Testament.

And that's my first point, which is thou shalt not murder.

I think everybody's kind of heard the 10 commandments.

We've been blessed to have these as kind of a principle even in

America to follow. And it's not until recently that

maybe people have tried to tear down pictures and statues and

things that have things like this, the 10 commandments on

them. But I think that God's word is,

is powerful and strong enough to have made it around the world.

And most people, you could say, probably know that it's wrong to

commit murder. And even if you don't know the

Bible, the Bible tells us that everybody knows that murder is

evil. You know, Paul tells us in in

Romans chapter 2, when when Gentiles who do not have the law

Romans 2 · chapter mention

by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to

themselves. Even though they do not have the

law, they show that the work of the law is written on their

hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their

conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them.

So in one sense, Paul tells us that all people were created

with a conscience and an ability to to differentiate right from

wrong, good from evil. Now that doesn't mean that

everybody knows all of the laws and the commands of the Bible,

but murder is basically a natural law on top of a a

commandment of God. We first get the commandment

from God in the Old Testament in Exodus chapter 20 when Moses

Exodus 20 · chapter mention

went up on the mountain to get the the 2 tablets the the the

law from God. And these were written, by the

way, some of the words only really actually literally

written by God's own finger was the 10 commandments.

This is one of them. You shall not murder, right?

So this means that it's extremely important.

Written in stone means that it will never change, it will never

end. It is, this is the eternal law

that murder is evil, murder is wrong.

And so that's what Jesus opens up with in this passage.

So let's get to the first part, first verse of our text, verse

21. He says this you have heard that

it was said to those of old you shall not murder and whoever

murders will be liable to judgment.

So what's going on here in context is Jesus is giving his

Sermon on the Mount. He's talking first and foremost

to his disciples, but standing around who are Jewish and then

standing around would be also Pharisees, religious leaders,

scribes, and other Jewish people that have come out to listen to

Jesus and to see his miracles and all the things that he's

been able to do. And he's he's he's got quite a

gathering of people that want to hear him and and see him and he

starts to do this thing. What we what we would call the

the 6th antithesis of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in

Matthew chapter 5 S from here on over the next six weeks, we're

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

actually going to see the text always begins with you've heard

that it was said. And then in the next verse, he

says verse, he says, but I say, and so there's a, a contrast or

an exposition or Jesus expounding on or or correcting

even a teaching that was from the Old Testament.

But when he says, you've heard that it was said to those of

old, he's saying this is what the rabbis and the Jewish

leaders taught to you from the law.

And, and so we're going to get into that in just a little bit

what Jesus has to say about this statement.

But so far, at first glance, there's really actually nothing

wrong with this statement. You've heard that it was said to

those of old that you shall not murder, which comes from Exodus,

right? That's a law.

That's one of the 10 commandments and that whoever

does this will be liable to the judgement.

Again, that is something from the Old Testament that there was

a thing called capital punishment that God had

instilled in in civil law for Israelites to follow, which was

if someone committed a certain sin, capital punishment was was

just. And so, you know, by the way,

when we talk about murder and killing, so in in the King James

version of the 10 commandments, it says thou shalt not kill.

And while that that makes sense and it's a good translation, I

do believe that the better translation is murder in the ESV

and others because the the specific word for kill or murder

there is to kill with evil intent.

So there there is and the and the definition then of that

would be unlawful or unjustifiably killing a person.

So there's an unlawful and unjustifiable way of killing

someone. There must also be a lawful and

justifiable way of killing as well.

So there is a contrast between between murder and just killing,

right? Murder is to kill with evil

intent. This is someone who has no

respect for life, does not care about preserving life, does not

see the image of God in people. And matter of fact, in Genesis

96, when God talks about capital punishment, he says whoever

sheds the blood of man by the man by man shall his blood be

shed. For God made man in his own

image. This is why it is evil to murder

by the way, because God made man and woman in his own image.

Genesis 127 God created man in his own image.

In the image of God He created him, male and female.

He created them. This means that all people have

intrinsic value or value built into them just because they are

a special creation of God, that he has put his image on them.

Meaning that humanity was created for a special

relationship with God, special communion with God, and we share

some characteristics of God's own nature.

Now, not all of them, right There are there are

incommunicable attributes of God which are like him being

eternal, triune and everywhere all at once, knowing everything.

Those are things that we can't grasp, but but having the

ability to create, to have mercy and grace and love and justice,

all of these things. Now we don't create out of

nothing like he did, but we can take with the elements that he

made and create things. And so in a sense, we are

created in God's image with even moral attributes, right to know

what's right and wrong, what's just and unjust.

And what this commandment says is that murder is wrong and evil

because murder disrespects and devalues life, the life that God

created, the image bearers of God.

And so not only is it just murder, This is why we believe

that abortion is wrong. Even though some may try to say

that this is not a life yet. That's kind of the argument is

that this isn't a life yet. This isn't a person yet.

But the reality is, is that we believe life starts at

conception. And so then that baby growing in

mom's womb, as the Bible says, knitted together by God, has the

image of God from the beginning. And so therefore we believe

abortion to be evil and, and just that murder.

It's not valuing or respecting, it's not preserving life.

But people can be fooled into thinking, but that's that's OK

if it's going to save my life or that's OK if it's going to save

my future. That's OK if you know, I don't

know the person yet. But the reality is, is that's a

skewed way of looking at things because sometimes we can do the

wrong thing and be fooled into believing it's possibly the

right thing. So there are unjustifiable and

unlawful murders that happen as well, like unjust war, right?

There are some leaders and governments that think by having

power is going to be a good thing for all, but that isn't

necessarily true, especially if the leader is a tyrant or a

terrorist who does not respect life or preserve life doesn't

give value to all human beings and so therefore that person

would be unjust and it would be just.

Then that's when war starts to become just is when another

nation says we need to protect ourselves and protect the world

from such evil. And by the way, the man who

killed those Tremont police officers is likely going to face

the death penalty. And so to make sense of these

things, we look at and, and, and, and we look at God's word

and we say, OK, there's a contrast between just murder

and, or just killing and unjustifiable murder.

Men are evil. We have consciences, though,

through the fall, our consciences are seared and we

only want to do evil. We only have this desire for

pride and selfishness, which leads to all kinds of sins, even

being confused about things like abortion.

And by the way, I just wanted to say this, that somebody once

told me you need to wound them with the law, but bind them up

with the grace of Jesus Christ. And what we need to understand,

I don't want to go any further without saying this, that all of

these people, even people who commit murder, can be forgiven.

Now the consequences on earth may be something that can't

change, but every person, this, these are not unforgivable sins.

But it is good to know what sin is so that we can know how to

repent, that we can know that we need the blood of Jesus, the

murdered blood of Jesus, to cover over our sinful ways, our

sinful lives, our sinful hearts. And so there is no unforgivable

sin other than that of just rejecting and not believing.

But that's as far as I want to go with this conversation about

murder. I think, as I said, we all

understand that murder is evil. So what leads a person to commit

murder? Most of the time it's because of

anger. Now there are other reasons like

greed or jealousy, but I could argue that those derived from

being angry that one doesn't have enough or is mad at another

one who has more. It's a heart issue though.

Murder comes from the heart, and it starts with this root of

anger. And I would go a little bit

further and say that pride is kind of the ultimate source of

anger. Because when we're getting angry

at somebody or someone, again, this is what I would say would

be unjustifiable anger, which we're going to get to, would be

to be angry because of something that you feel like happened to

you. And then you hang on to that and

let let it to grow and fester until it turns into outward

action or internal thoughts toward people.

And pride says, that shouldn't happen to me.

I'm above this. No way you're going to allow do

this to me. And so I think pride or it says

that I deserve this and that person doesn't.

So I'm going to be angry or jealous about that, right?

And so pride and anger are very close together, but anger is the

heart behind murder. We don't have to go too far to

find this because the Bible records the first murder in

human history. In Genesis chapter 4, Adam and

Genesis 4 · chapter mention

Eve had some children and their names were Cain and Abel,

another famous story. And in this story, chapter 4, it

says verse 3. In the course of time Cain

brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and

Abel also brought of the first born of his flock and of their

fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel

and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no

regard. So Cain was very angry, and his

face fell. The Lord said to Cain, Why are

you angry and why is your face falling?

If you do well, will you not be accepted?

And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door.

It's desire is for you, but you must rule over it.

And Cain spoke to Abel, his mother.

And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother

Abel and killed him. The very first murder in

Scripture points to it was done out of a heart of anger.

And so let's dig into this a little bit more.

We've looked at anger. We've looked or looked at

murder, what it is, what it isn't.

We've introduced anger as the root of murder, the antecedent,

and now we'll look at the rest of the proper teaching of Jesus

on this commandment. And my next point is this.

I believe this is what he's saying here, and we're going to

look at it. Unrighteous anger is the sin

that is equal to committing homicide.

The heart of the matter is that if you are capable, then you're

culpable. You think you're strong enough

to to control your sin when you're angry.

Well, I would say watch out because it's a very fine line

between what is righteous anger and what is unrighteous anger.

We need to watch out for things like even domestic violence.

You know, one of the easiest places to become angry is at

home when you've got two different people who have two

different opinions, 2 personalities, and you're around

each other all the time. And you get in a little fight or

an argument about something and it boils and it stews over.

And we'd like to think we all have self-control.

But I would just say to the Christian specifically, watch

out for domestic violence in your homes.

And it starts with anger. And I hope we can deal with this

right now. I've been a pastor for quite a

while, and so I can say that Christians aren't immune to

domestic violence. OK, so let's get into Jesus's

words, he says. But I say to you that everyone

who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgement, and

whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council.

And whoever says you fool will be liable to the hell of fire.

So like I said, in this antithesis of Jesus, at first

glance, there wasn't really anything wrong with the the

first verse 21. But really what Jesus is now

doing is he's saying, you've heard that it was said, but I

say meaning that I am the God of these scriptures, that these

scriptures are talking about, that they think that they're

teaching properly. And I'm telling you that they're

leaving something out. He's saying while murder is evil

and wrong and the judgement will come for them, they are only

preaching the letter of the law, which they're so famous of

preaching. The Pharisees were so obsessed

with trying and the scribes trying to figure out what can I

do, what I, what can I do? Very black and white, like, OK.

And so they stopped at murder. It didn't get to the heart of

the matter or the root of the issue, which Jesus brings up

here is anger. They missed the mark.

The spirit of the law is what they needed to hear expounded to

them. And while the.

Consequences of murder and anger are different on Earth.

The sin is the. Same because it originates in

the heart. And it starts with.

A feeling, The feeling of anger. Now what's the definition of

anger? I've got a few definitions I've

looked at. It says a strong feeling of

annoyance, displeasure or hostility.

Or an. Emotion characterized by tension

and hostility arising from frustration, real or imagined

injury by another or perceived injustice.

So it is a feeling that arises and and it is in a sense just to

there's nothing wrong to feel an emotion.

These emotions were built into us.

As we'll see, God himself has emotions as He created us in his

image, and he has anger as one of those.

But it starts the. Problem is that we're human and

that we don't fully grasp or understand when we should be

angry or why these feelings are popping up when something

happens. You know, sometimes we don't

have the whole story about something.

And that's why in that definition it said a real or

imagined injury or perceived injustice is sometimes we can

perceive a situation or what somebody's done to us and we can

start to think we're righteous in our anger when really we

didn't slow down and take the time to actually really think

about everything that actually happened.

And maybe, just maybe, our offence can be lessened or

minimized because of that. A mentor once said.

To me, anger comes from unmet or unrealized expectations.

And sometimes we have too high of expectations for everyone

around us. And so then because we've placed

such high expectations for everyone around us, when they

don't meet them, we're angry. And maybe, maybe the reality is,

is we need to lower our expectations of everybody around

us. But there must be an.

Anger that isn't sin because Ephesians 426 tells us be angry

and do not sin and don't let the sun go down on your anger.

And I think that. Many people take that verse out

of context and they'll say, OK, it's still daytime and the sun's

literally going down. And so before we go to bed,

honey, we're going to work this out even though we're both still

elevated, right? I don't really think that that's

what that means. I think it's like a hyperbole

where don't let anger go too long.

But I'll just say practically, if you're both angry right

before bed, it's not a good time to talk, Talk about it right?

Then, you know, maybe you do need to sleep on it.

But as a good principle, don't let too many days pass by where

you're seething in anger especially.

But if you can't control yourself, take a break, please.

So what is righteous and unrighteous anger?

Righteous anger is. Towards sin and true injustices,

true injustices. Righteous anger is indignant at

those who devalue life. So in a sense, a feeling comes

up when you hear about these officers being killed, right?

Immediately it's, it's sorrow and it's a little bit of

righteous anger, right? That's wrong, that's evil.

That shouldn't have happened. Because someone.

Devalued life. Unrighteous anger.

Is when we do not respect life and we devalue people because of

their sins or their mistakes. You remember the?

Praise hate the sin, not the Sinner.

That's true. We should hate sin, but we

shouldn't hate others because of their sin.

Otherwise justice would say you should be aided because we're

all sinners. We've all sinned.

One of God's. Attributes is Wrath as I've said

before. Thinking.

About the day of the Lord when Jesus comes back to judge

everything or or even in times past and Old Testament where God

judged the people of Israel or the nations around.

Like in Isaiah 13911. It says that nine through 11.

It says, Behold, the day of the Lord comes cruel with wrath and

fierce anger, to make the land of desolation, and destroy its

sinners from it. For the stars of the heavens and

their constellations will not give their light.

The sun will be darkened its rising, the moon will not shed

its light. I will punish the world for its

evil, and the wicked for their iniquity.

I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the

pompous pride of the ruthless. God has a righteous anger and

wrath that will be. Has been and will.

Be executed on unrepentant sinners and that's what hell is

by the way, which will last for eternity.

Jesus got angry who is God by the way, but as as fully man and

fully God here on earth. In Mark chapter 3 verse 5, it

Mark 3:5

says he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their

hardness of heart and said to the man stretch out your hand.

He stretched it out and his hand was restored.

This was where they were the the religious leaders were getting

mad at Jesus for teaching the way he taught and healing on the

Sabbath. And he was angry at their their

foolishness, their arrogance, their bad interpretation, their

false teachings of scripture. And to have anger at that is

also justified. But here's the thing.

God is slow to anger Exodus. 34. One of the most quoted things

about God's character is this sentence.

Like it's goes like this. The Lord, the Lord of God,

merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast

love and faithfulness. Slow to anger is one of these

things that is repeated about God over and over again.

And so here's the thing. Even though God has righteous

wrath and anger, He's God and we're not.

And and he's. Merciful at the same time,

though, right? So we're in danger of anger

becoming or being a sin probably most of the time.

I can say that with some certainty.

James kind of reiterates this when talking to us mere humans,

telling us God's words from the Holy Spirit written to Him.

It says, Know this, my beloved brothers, let every person be

quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.

For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of

God. All right, So what is he saying?

He's saying be slow to anger like God.

Beware of your anger, human. You're not God and your anger

does not produce the righteousness of God.

So therefore we must. Get a grasp on or.

As Moses said, the writer of Genesis rule over this sin

that's crouching so closely at our doors, ready to control.

US. You must have a.

Control over this. So maybe, maybe you are

struggling with anger. Maybe you're the hot head who

punches holes in the wall at home and says I'm just letting

off steam or. Maybe you're the opposite.

And you hold everything in like a slow boil that just comes out

in sarcasm and passive aggressive digs.

Maybe you're thinking negative? Thoughts towards everyone around

you. Maybe.

You get annoyed by most people. Well, let's look at what Jesus

has to say about this. Going back to our verse.

I say to everyone who's angry with his brother will be liable

to the judgement, meaning the sin of anger is also the same

judgement that the murderer should get.

That's what he's getting at there.

And then he goes on. Whoever insults his brother will

be liable to the council insults his brother.

OK, the the original word rock on meaning blockhead or

worthless. I don't think people call

people. Blockheads anymore.

But what this is getting at is this disrespecting and devaluing

life or the ability of a person to be able to think clearly.

And while I would agree that we all have different intelligent

levels as we look out to the world, this is even talking

about your brother here, your fellow believer, your family

member, people you're supposed to love that even non believers

love. Well, the Bible.

Says it says. If you insult someone.

Like this, thinking they're basically worthless or stupid.

Then you're liable to the council here, the Sanhedrin, the

highest court at that time, who condemned people to death for

their sin. Or it goes on and says.

If you say you fool, we'll be liable to the fires of hell.

That's very clear of the judgment of hell part, but it

says the word Moray there means you idiot or moron.

Again, a similar word used to devalue a person when.

We think of people in this. Way it's it's almost as if we

are saying that this world would be better off without you.

Are you a name caller? When you're mad.

But you think maybe you're a. Good person because you don't

hurt people physically. But pride?

Again, going back to that idea of the root of pride in anger

says I'm smarter than or not as bad as, So you're stupid, I'm

smart, you're worse than I am, and I'm better.

Are we saying that? Although we may not be saying it

in that sentence in our mind when we're putting people down

around us. Are we not simply?

Just saying I'm better than there should be more people like

me who think like me, who act like me, who look like me in the

world and less like people like you do.

You see the correlation? To murder there as if their life

doesn't matter, their differences don't matter, they

shouldn't exist. And Jesus says we're all guilty.

Why? Because we can all say that we

do that. I mean, this is something that

even I struggle with. I'm telling you here and what

what one key to this before we can start condemning ourselves.

I do want you to feel the conviction of OK, I need to

follow these laws of God better if I'm going to be a Christian,

but yet also remember what Jesus said in verse 20 of our thing he

he said for I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds out

of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter

the Kingdom of heaven. And so think these Pharisees are

standing around and they think I'm good because I don't murder

people. I'm not a serial killer.

But Jesus is taking. It several steps further and and

now getting into everyone's kitchen and saying I bet.

And we can say this for ourselves.

Maybe on a monthly, weekly or daily basis we are saying in our

minds and our hearts that some people annoy us or anger us

enough that we would have even a split second thought if not

allowing to dwell on it longer. That we sometimes might.

Wish that somebody doesn't exist anymore.

And I don't want to go even. Further with the thoughts of

human minds because you know as well as I do how bad they can be

but here's the thing, recognizing anger is a dangerous

sin and knowing what we are capable of is the first step to

repentance. Here we.

Must confess our. Weakness to God and expose those

weaknesses for what they are. They are evil and they're not

just low on the list. Jesus is saying they're right up

here on this list of what society thinks is evil.

We're doing the same thing in our heart and our mind.

Remember this when, when he said your righteousness must exceed

the scribes and the Pharisees. What he's saying here is look.

You think that you can? Follow some kind of a black and

white law to get to me. But what I'm trying to.

Tell you is is that you are so sinful and so messed up because

of the fall, because of original sin, because of your ancestors

Adam and Eve following Satan, believing the lie, disobeying

God, disrespecting God, that this is built into you, you.

Were born with this. Nature of sin.

And now you keep contributing to it over and over again, giving

the proof that you are 100% sinful.

Everything you do, all your actions, all your thoughts.

Even though you think that you can do good things and you might

outwardly have good works, they are tainted by a sick heart, a

depraved heart. And that's why Jesus came.

And did you know that Jesus was murdered because of angry men

who thought that they were doing a just and righteous act?

They couldn't understand. Jesus, because their hearts were

darkened and their minds were darkened, and they came at him,

calling him all kinds of names, thinking that he was preaching

blasphemy because they didn't see him as the Son of God, the

true God. And So what did they do?

Out of jealousy as well, they put him forward to be crucified

on a cross, killed. And they were so wrong.

They were so twisted in their thinking.

We are susceptible of the same thing and our own sins also

attributed and contributed to putting Jesus on that cross.

Because you know what? He came to save us from our sins

and to die for our sins, to be the sacrifice, and to pay the

judgment for our sins. And so the murder.

Of angry men toward Jesus. We might as well put ourselves

in that camp as well. We put him on the cross, but

that's the good news. The gospel is, although there's

no possible way of making it to heaven or being right with God,

having our righteousness higher than the scribes and the

Pharisees to enter the Kingdom of God by the righteousness of

Jesus Christ. He exchanges.

He never broke a law, He never got angry.

He never in an unrighteous way. He never thought of murder.

And he exchanges that. Righteousness with all of our

unrighteousness, right there on the cross when he was nailed and

his blood was spilled. And he takes our place.

And by faith alone we can have forgiveness of all of our sins,

past, present and future. It's all wiped away.

We start with a a clean slate. But not only that, we have

Christ's righteousness and the sanctifying work of the Holy

Spirit. Meaning the Holy Spirit comes

into our lives now. And now we couldn't fight

against. We had no self-control over

these sins of anger and all these sins that put Jesus on the

cross and and Jesus saying I've come to do all the work, it is

finished now I'm sending my Holy Spirit to conform you to become

more like me, the image of Christ.

And you need to. Rest in faith alone in me.

This is why I've came and this is kind of the essence of of

Jesus's teaching here is that he came to save us from our sin.

But first he has to come and show us that we are sinners and

we need him and him alone. We cannot do anything or add to

his works on the cross to be righteous.

We need the gospel. We need Jesus to save us.

Even. From just.

Our anger here and as Christians now we look at these words also

because we know that he's talking to his disciples.

And although they're probably not quite getting it, when they

get the Holy Spirit, they certainly do get it.

And now they're like, OK, we can look back on Scripture.

And when you go to the New Testament, you see that the

apostles and disciples, they're like filled with the Spirit.

They now get it and they're like reiterating the things that

Jesus said in all the sin lists of Galatians and Ephesians and

Romans. It uses anger or wrath or malice

or these words as sins right next to some of what societies

calls as the heinous sins. We need Jesus to be saved.

From our sin and now we need Jesus to be.

Free from our anger. So that now we can start to live

lives that honor him. And not only as we go.

On into this passage with short time I have left.

Not only are we to be watchful and accountable for our own

anger issues, but Jesus takes it even further than that and tells

us we're supposed to be proactive in helping others, not

sin in anger towards us and that's the last thing is

reconciliation avoids anger in others.

Christians ought to not only get angry or to deal with their

anger, they are supposed to not tempt others to anger by sinful.

Actions that they do. To to Christians and non

Christians. And let me just tell you this.

A simple way to avoid conflict getting angry at one another is

don't do house projects together at home.

You know, a couple. Weeks ago my wife and I decided

to take this venture on staining cabinets and we thought it was

only going to be like a 2-3 day job.

You know, how hard could it be? Well, it took about two weeks.

And my wife did most of the work.

I did some of the taping off and the taking off of cupboards and

things like that. But she.

You know we, we. Had this type of stain that

wasn't really actually staying you know, it was somebody told

us that you could stain with this type of stain without

taking the full finish off and it didn't really work.

And we were like, you know, we were so trained through YouTube

that we thought we were going to be professionals.

And and so we put it on and it was wiping off and it was like,

OK, so we started out to lightly paint it on.

And it looks amazing. By the way, if you ever I come

over, my wife did a fantastic job.

She's she's so good at, at you just working hard and getting

projects done. But but so before the clear

coat, she tells me, can you go sand lightly, you know, before

we put the clear coat on? And I'm like, OK, yeah, I think

I know what lightly means, you know, and so I go down there and

I'm like, I'm like, you know, like this is light, right?

Like, and I'm scrubbing it too hard and, and by the way, we're

a week and 1/2 into this thought we were going to quit.

We were going to call professional in and be like, you

got to finish this job. We were almost done.

I rubbed most of the stain off everywhere and things got

heated, you know, because she thought she'd explained it

properly to me and, and, and I thought I heard properly.

And, and so we were both kind of offended at one another and we

needed some time away, some time apart.

And, but thankfully that the Lord has put it into our hearts

to know that we should be forgiving and, and seek

reconciliation. And, and that's what we did.

And it happened just in time for this sermon, so.

But let's go on to. What Jesus has to say about this

in the next couple of verses right here it says, so if you're

offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your

brother has something against you, leave your gift there

before the altar and go first be reconciled to your brother and

then come and offer your gift. What I believe is happening here

and in the next verses is that Jesus gives 2 illustrations to

his teaching. This is.

To the. Believer, believer relationship

inside the church or inside the home, if you're a believer.

Why? Because it uses that word

brother there and it's basically saying, and, and here's where

people again, they try to be too black and white with this type

of thing. It says if you're offering your

gift at your altar. So like if I'm at church and I

know right now that I'm angry with someone or someone's angry

at me because I did something, I need to leave worshipping God

and now I need to run home and try to make that right.

I don't think that that that's exactly what it's saying, but it

is kind of trying to get your attention.

Don't come and put your face on at church worshipping God,

accepting his forgiveness, basking in all of that wonderful

love that you get from the grace of Jesus Christ.

And then then yet you have this someone else that's miserable,

suffering, possibly tempted to sin because of anger, and maybe

you played a role in that. You should go seek

reconciliation. And then the next, the next.

One, come to terms quickly with your accuser while you're going

with him to the court. Let your accuser hand you over

to the judge and the judge to the guard and you be put in

prison. Truly, I say to you, you'll

never get out until you have paid the last penny.

I believe that this is talking about Christians relationships

with the unbelieving civil or secular society.

First of all, we shouldn't be doing things that should cause

us to be sued. OK, now I'm not like wronging

people. Now, I'm not talking about, you

know, standing on convictions and truth and not baking a cake

for someone. You have the right to do that,

to stand for your truth or for the truth, the only truth.

But we shouldn't be living out there in the world in such a way

that people can accuse us of evil and can accuse us of

angering them in ways that we wouldn't even do to other

people. And we should seek

reconciliation for the world as well, living, as we talked about

several weeks ago, light, salt and light to the world.

Do the right thing always. With people, watch your ways

among the outsiders, as the Bible says, for the times are

evil. But I want to close with this.

We mourn with those who are mourning the loss of the Tremont

police officers. Let's look at this senseless act

of violence as a major sin that must be avoided at all costs.

But let's not forget where. Murder originates from the heart

and it starts with the sin of anger and they are two separate

sins with different consequences on earth yes, yes, but Jesus

makes it clear that all who sin, whether physically or in the

heart, are guilty of the same eternal judgment so before we

dismiss the possibility of us being.

Like the worst of. Society, let us come to the Lord

and ask Him to help us to dig down to the root cause of the

sin of anger and ask Him to pluck it.

Pluck it out of us like the noxious weed that needs to be

doused with kills all. Till up the soil of our hearts

and plant a new seed of a flourishing plant that produces

the fruit of the Spirit. Lovejoy, peace, patience,

kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and

self-control. And if there's anything worth

killing, it's killing your sin. Romans 813.

Says this, if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but

if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you

will live. And one of my favorite authors

and Puritans wrote a book on this verse called Mortification

of Sin and he has a famous quote in there and it says be killing

sin or sin will be killing you. We have a duty as Christians to

be killing sin in our lives. And we do that by the power of.

The Holy Spirit. And start to walk.

With Him, our spiritual disciplines are meeting together

with one another, worshiping together on the Lord's Day,

holding each other accountable to these truths.

God's people will know through the preaching and the study of

his Word that there's a righteous anger and there's an

unrighteous kind. The latter is a serious sin that

Jesus is challenging here and speaking against.

But we must rely on the. Righteousness of Christ to

conform us to be like Him, never sinned when angry.

And there are some practical ways to calm down right in the

heat of the moment, and those can be helpful.

But I want you to know that those are only temporary.

So use those things, yes, but we also must get to the heart of

the matter. And Christians.

Strive to follow God's moral laws and Jesus's exposition of

them and this. Coupled with the holy.

Spirit in us will produce the results we need to kill our

anger problems. Will you pray with me, Father?

We thank you, Lord, for Jesus Christ, We thank you for your

word and revealing our desperation, our need for your

grace, your mercy through Jesus Christ, and thank you for those

of us who believed that you sent the Holy Spirit into our hearts.

So that we. Can actually do the things that

you've called us to do while. We're dead in our.

Spirits, as unbelievers, we cannot do that.

We cannot follow your ways, but you've empowered us to, and

we're grateful now to do this because we love you so.

Thank you Lord Jesus, I pray that you would touch the hearts

and the minds of all the people that needed to hear this today

and help us all be less. Angry in Jesus.

Name Amen.