Angry, Jealous and Greedy? Good – You Should Be!

Angry, Jealous and Greedy?Good – You Should Be! Enabling Your Emotions To Help Guide You Into Your Destiny.

Previously in Tree of Life Church: • You Have A Destiny • Eph. 2.10: You are God’s masterpiece, designed to create masterpieces • Your Destiny is Good! • God will give you desires to reveal His will for your life

Emotions Are Clues to Your Destiny • What Makes You Happy (in soul; not in flesh) is a Clue to Your Destiny • But other emotions are clues as well!

Christians and Emotions • Christians often have strange ideas about emotions. Ditch One: Suppress emotions “God has no emotions” “Godliness is stoicism”

Christians and Emotions • Christians often have strange ideas about emotions. Ditch One: Suppress emotions “God has no emotions” “Godliness is stoicism” Ditch Two: Uncontrolled emotions “Feels good, do it” Follow senses Hedonism

Christians and Emotions • Christians often have strange ideas about emotions. MIDDLE ROAD: Harness emotions with renewed mind and they will lead you forward. Ditch One: Suppress emotions “God has no emotions” “Godliness is stoicism” Ditch Two: Uncontrolled emotions “Feels good, do it” Follow senses Hedonism

Anger Is a Clue to Your Destiny • What makes you angry; what winds you up; what gets under your skin; what can you just not leave well alone? • These are all clues to your destiny. • The teacher cannot leave ignorance alone. • The evangelist cannot leave the lost alone. • The deacon cannot leave disorder alone • The giver cannot leave a financial need alone • The missionary cannot leave overseas alone

Anger is a Godly Emotion • God is described as ANGRY more times than any other individual in the Scripture • And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed. (Numbers 11.9) • They provoked him to jealousy with strange [gods], with abominations provoked they him to anger. (Deut. 32.6)

Anger is a Godly Emotion • Is acceptable, but the question is what do you do with ANGER? • Most people let their anger lead to destruction. • But anger is designed to lead to compassion. COMPASSION ANGER

Anger Pushes You Into Your Destiny • God was angry with the whole world. • The LORD is angry with all the nations. He is furious with all their armies (Isa. 34.2) • But God’s anger led to compassion: • For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son… (John 3.16)

Anger Pushes You Into Your Destiny • God was angry with the whole world. • The LORD is angry with all the nations. He is furious with all their armies (Isa. 34.2) • But God’s anger led to compassion: • For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son… (John 3.16) For this [is as] the waters of Noah unto me: for [as] I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

Anger Pushes You Into Your Destiny Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. 2 Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.”

Anger Pushes You Into Your Destiny Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him. He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!

Anger Pushes You Into Your Destiny • Anger must lead to compassion – never to hurting people. • Jesus confronting the Pharisees (Mark 3.1-5) • Never hurt the Pharisees • Did heal the man • Jesus clearing the temple (Matt. 22.12-17) • Never hurt another human • Did heal the blind and sick

Anger Pushes You Into Your Destiny • Anger must lead to compassion – never to hurting people. • Jesus dealing with John the Baptist’s death • Matthew 14 • Did not go and sort Herod out • Did go and heal the sick and fed the 5000

Anger Pushes You Into Your Destiny • Anger must lead to compassion – never to hurting people. • Paul and Barnabas • Acts 15.36-41 • Contention due to different destinies • Barnabas – Son of Encouragement • Paul – Apostle to the Gentiles

To Find and Fulfill Your Destiny You Must Get Angry • Ned Flanders is NOT your destiny!

In Your Anger, Do Not Sin • 26Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: • 27Neither give place to the devil.(Eph 4.26-27) • Not literal but idiomatic.

In Your Anger, Do Not Sin • Literal Translation: • You can be angry, as long as you sort it out before bedtime! • Often used in marriage conferences! • Do You Really Want a Marriage Like That? • Do You Really Want a Church Like That? • Why does anger get special treatment?

In Your Anger, Do Not Sin • Idiomatic Translation: • Do not let the sun go down on your anger • Do not let the FIRE GO OUT on your anger • Do not let the PASSION leave your anger • Be angry and do not sin: • NOT be careful when you are angry • BUT get angry or you will sin • Be careful when you are NOT angry

Be Careful When You Are Not Angry • E.g. Healing, Prosperity, Bitterness, Sin • The issue when ANGRY is: you can destroy other people by your actions • The issue when NOT ANGRY is: you can destroy other people by your FAILURE to ACT.

What Makes You Angry? • NOT carnal anger: • Selfish • You embarrassed me • You burdened me • You hurt me • GODLY ANGER: • Pain of Injustice • Pain of other people; and their exploitation • Pastor Tony and Sunday School

Jealousy is a Key to Destiny • Envy = work of devil (James 3.13) • Jealousy = can be good or bad • God is a Jealous God (Deut. 4.24) • Envy is the desire to destroy what another person has. • Jealousy is an intense desire to have something.

What Makes You Jealous? • Three testimonies: • Someone gave someone a clear prophetic word • Someone helped someone financially • Someone laid hands on someone and they were healed • The testimony that makes you jealous is a key to your destiny (Remember: Psalm 37)

What Makes You Jealous? • Churches with buildings! • If jealousy leads to discouragement, then it is wrong. • If jealousy leads to encouragement, then it is good.

Time to Quit the “I CAN NEVER” Club • If you see someone doing something and you desire to do it (not taking their place), then that DESIRE is placed in your heart by God. • Time to join the “I CAN” club. (Proverbs 13.2)

Greed • Greed is wanting more than you have right now. • This is not evil, this is a God given desire. • God told Adam to go and take over the world (Genesis 2) • A perfect garden, in Paradise, with the perfect woman. • Greed that leads to INDULGENCE is wrong • Greed that leads to BLESSING is right

God is Greedy • John 3.16 Jesus is the only begotten SON • Hebrews 2: many sons to glory • The single perfect SON was insufficient for God – He wanted MORE. • But God was never dissatisfied. • And His purpose for having more was to BLESS more, not to INDULGE more.

Worldly Greediness • Get All You Can • Can All You Get • Sit on the Can • The man with the bigger barns (Luke 12.13-21) • A fool – the only way to take money to heaven is to bless people!

Godly Greediness • I don’t just want to pay my electric bill • I want to pay everyone’s bill • I want to pay for 10 people to go to Grace and Faith Camp next May • I don’t just want to know enough Word to get by • I want to know enough to build people up and bless people and bring them freedom

ANGRY, JEALOUS, GREEDY • Does something anger you and you know God is speaking to you about your destiny? • Need to be less destructive, and let that anger lead to compassion? • Need to be angry and sin not because your passivity is causing people to suffer? • Is someone else doing something that you really want to do? • Do you need to stop discouraging yourself or being envious? • Do you need to start acting on the intense desire? • Do you want more than you have? To be a blessing?

Angry, Jealous and Greedy? Good – You Should Be!