Your Anger is a Demonstration of What You Love

Have you ever been so mad that you... ?

People do funny things when they are angry. They throw things and hit things and say things they will inevitably regret a short time later. I've known several "manly" men who have broken their hands, fingers and wrists because they punched a wall in anger.

Jesus once made a whip and attacked a group of store owners.

Does that mean it's okay to get angry?

In Ephesians, Paul wrote that we should be careful that in our anger we do not sin. We must never let our anger control us. Anger can be a very destructive force, and usually in the hands of humans it is a negative thing; yet Jesus' anger can actually tell us something about God's love.

Anger is often tied directly to love. If our dog Emily eats Liam's dinner while he's not watching he may or may not get angry. If dinner was my world famous spinach, hummus, and okra casserole; Liam will not get angry with the dog. He doesn't love that dish. But if dinner is bacon and tater tots, the dog better hide because the anger is coming. Liam loves bacon and he loves tater tots.

This can be a warning to us. Sometimes our anger reveals that we love the wrong things!

God's anger is directly tied to his love for us. Sin has nasty effects. Our sin and the sin of others ruins creation (notice that we are surrounded by disease, famine, natural disasters, death, etc.). More significantly, our sin separates us from God. Therefore God is angry about our sin, because He loves his creation (us) and He desires to be reconciled to us... That's why he sent Jesus!

And Jesus' anger in the temple (in John 2) was a demonstration of God's love for us. Jesus was not angry about the selling of animals for temple worship. This practice was necessary for travelers and the poor to be able to appropriately worship in the temple.

However, Jesus WAS angry about how and where the selling was happening. Instead of providing a service for worshipers, they were getting rich by exploiting the poor. Instead of enabling worship, they were creating a distraction for the Gentiles who hoped to worship in the outer courts.

Jesus was angry, because the Jews were abusing the Marginalized. (marginalized people are those who live in the "margins", separated in some way from the majority or the norm) It is often easy to take advantage of marginalized people because they are not protected.

Yet, Jesus cares about the marginalized. His anger in the temple was a demonstration of His love.

This raises two simple questions for you to consider today:

1. Do you love the marginalized? 

2. Do you realize that Jesus loves you?

American Pickers, Hoarders, and Water to Wine

Jesus makes all things new.

His VERY FIRST miracle (recorded in John 2) was turning the water to wine. This wasn't just any old water. It was the water used for ceremonial cleansing prior to celebrations and meals.

So think about this:
The water used to clean our exterior
was changed into
WINE, which when internalized brings joy!

Jesus was making things new. No longer did people need to strive to make themselves externally clean. That wasn't working anyway! Now, Jesus was going to miraculously change us from the inside out. Just as He miraculously changed the very nature of water, He also changes our nature.

It's tempting to hold on to the old. We are, by nature, people who relish the past. American Pickers, Hoarders, Storage Wars, and Auction Kings are just a few of the recent television shows which reflect this tendency of humans to place a high value on the old way.

We all have "old" things in our life which we like to hang on to. But it's IMPOSSIBLE to embrace the NEW LIFE Jesus offers if we are still holding on to the things we think we can offer ourselves (why would you cling to the cleaning water if you can have the best wine?). If you want to know which old things you are still clinging to, finish this statement:

"I need ... "

If you finished with anything other than Jesus... you need something new.

The Solution for All Relational Dysfunction

Jesus.

That was easy, right. Seriously, Jesus is the answer, or better yet, Jesus' attitude is the answer.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:Who, being in very nature God,did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,but made himself nothing,taking the very nature of a servant,being made in human likeness.And being found in appearance as a man,he humbled himselfand became obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Just list-thinking out loud here; but, recognizing that we all take different lengths of time to assume the attitude of Christ,maybe the path to relational healing looks something like this:

Betrayal. Most relational dysfunction begins when one party feels betrayed by another. Whether it is a "behind the back" betrayal, or a breach of confidence, or the breaking of an unwritten code, betrayal hurts.

Anger. Our initial response is anger because our very first instinct is almost always to be severely aware that we have not received the treatment we were entitled to. A sense of entitlement, when not fulfilled almost always results in anger.

Hurt. As time passes, the anger fades into a hurt as we realize the betrayal was not just an injustice done to us, but a life-changing relational loss. Recognizing we can no longer trust or confide in someone we once did is painful.

Pity. When we are finally able to take the camera of our mind off ourselves, we begin to realize our "enemies" actions are a reflection of their own shortcomings, not ours. The betrayal we experienced was beyond our control. Since we are no longer obsessed with our own self entitlement, we are able to feel sympathy toward the person who wronged us.

Love. Love is a choice, not a feeling. When we are no longer concerned with our own needs, desires, expectations, etc. we are able to CHOOSE to concern ourselves with the needs of others. The truest, most Christlike love is to choose to be concerned with the needs, desires, and expectations of others; particularly our enemies.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

Reconciliation. Having been reconciled to God, we are able to reconcile to our brother and our neighbor. In fact, we have been given the ministry of reconciliation. We cannot control who will or will not betray us. We can control whom we reconcile ourselves to. We must learn to aggressively pursue the right we can control and relentlessly forgives the wrongs we cannot control.

13 12 Sermon Series I'd Like to Preach Someday

I created this list several years ago. It still applies. Someday I'll do these!

• 

  Genesis 1-11. The Starting Point.

  The Prologue: Genesis 1-11. If you don't understand these chapters, you'll struggle to get the rest.
• We Are People of the Book. God is the author, Men were the conduit, Jesus is the protagonist, Reconciliation is the purpose, the Holy Spirit is the interpreter.
• Psalm 68. Ten great sermons about God.
• God, Sin, and Evil. Even though I've changed my thoughts about the value of certain types of apologetics, I still am who I am; and that means I love to help people understand some of the more difficult things God has revealed to us about himself...
• 1 Peter. Duh.
• Ten Topics the Bible Says a Lot About. Grace, Humanity, Evil, Love, Relationships, Redemption, Choices, Marriage, Leadership, Hope.
• Pierced, Tatooed, and God's Little Black Book. A three-part evangelistic series.
• John: Conversations with God. Yeah, this title is ripped from that awful book by Neale Donald Walsch. But it's my favorite Gospel, and I love the interactions Jesus has with people.
• The One Anothers. What would it really look like if we lived out these relational commands every day?
• Esther. Surprised? It's a common misconception that I don't like this book. What I don't like is the way most people read and teach it.
• Formations. Done. Read the book here.
• In Defense of Judas. I don't know how long this would take, but it would look at all the different ways we misunderstand Jesus, and how we end up expecting the wrong things from him as a result.
• Three Relationships You Can't Live Without. duh part two.

Your Future Probably Won't Be the Way You Imagine It

This morning I was reading about Elijah and the widow at Zarephath. The basics of the story go like this:

• A great famine has spread across Israel
• God sends Elijah to Zarephath because he's prepared a widow to feed him
• The widow is down to her last food supplies, she's going to cook one more meal for herself and her son, then they plan to die
• Elijah tells her to cook the meal for him instead
• She does. God miraculously keeps her food supply from running out until the famine is over.

What I like particularly in this story is the initial interaction between Elijah and the widow. When he asks her to provide him with a meal, she replies, "As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple sticks that I may go in and prepare it for my myself and my son, that we may eat it and die."

She's very matter-of-fact. "We're going to eat this last meal. And then we're going to starve to death." She's accepted the inevitable. She's come to grips with how this story is going to end. She's lost all hope.

But Elijah suggests that the story may not quite be over. He says, "The jar of flour shall not be spent and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth." In other words, he tells her that the story isn't going to end the way she thinks it is. God's agenda is different than hers.

As I mulled this story over this morning, I jotted down (yes, I jotted) four thoughts about God's agenda often being different than mine:

1. God always does that which will bring glory to Himself.
2. In bringing glory to Himself, God always does what is best for us and what will meet our needs.
3. God often works out His agenda in ways we might not expect.
4. God usually works out His agenda in timing we would not choose.

The story almost never ends the way we think it is going to. While we may not always have a Zarephath kind of moment (sometimes God's timing is vastly different than ours), we can rest and be comforted that whatever God is doing in the moment is intricately connected to what He will be doing in 5 weeks, 5 months, 5 years, even 5 decades.

Our hope is not in the expectation that we will get what we want in this moment, but rather our hope is that we will receive all that we need both now and in the days to come, but especially when our adoption is made complete at the end of time.

What is Your Idol?

I'm convinced that we're all idolaters.

The last verse of 1 John says, "Little children, keep yourself from idols." This seems to be a strange way to end a letter that didn't really address idolatry at all.

My opinion is that John realized how easily and quickly idolatry can creep into our lives and our churches. I don't think he was terribly concerned about the Christians turning to worship of Baal or Ra or Dagon. I don't think he was concerned about them carving fish-like ducks out of wood and then bowing down to them. I think he was concerned with the subtle, every-day idols that sneak into our lives and take our priorities away from God.

A survey of the entire letter reveals at least these ten idols that we need to keep ourselves from:

1. The idol of walking in darkness (keeping our sin hidden rather than confessing it).
2. The idol of false security (basing our salvation on a prayer rather than faith).
3. The idol of disobedience.
4. The idol of worldliness.
5. The idol of squeamish theology.
6. The idol of pet-sins (habitual sins).
7. The idol of grudges.
8. The idol of brotherly hatred.
9. The idol of prayerlessness.
10. The idol of whatever gets between us and God.
11. There's lots more in this book, but these ten are a start.

Who's Up For a Good Old Fashioned Stoning?

John 8:1-11 is the story of Jesus, the religious leaders, and the woman caught in adultery. This passage is often considered one of the more "controversial" passages in the New Testament. It's controversial because of the content of the story, as well as because of the questionable nature of it's place in the gospel of John. It's one of those passages about which the footnotes say, "The earliest and manuscripts and many other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53-8:11".

I'm not going to go into detail regarding the textual controversy. If you want to learn more about it, here are some sources:

• This guy thinks Luke actually wrote the story.
• A scholarly approach which affirms the validity of the passage.
• A Christianity Today article that casts some doubt on the passage. (not reflective of my view...)

The other aspect of controversy regarding this passage is the way it is often misinterpreted(some think the reason it wasn't included in the original manuscripts was because some church leaders were concerned about the possibility it might be used to excuse sin). This morning, I'm just jotting down a few thoughts about what this passage DOES NOT teach:

1. It does not teach that sin is okay. Jesus never excused or condoned the woman's sin.

2. It does not teach that the law is obsolete. Jesus never said the law didn't apply to this situation.

3. It does not teach that we should not point out sin. Jesus never condemned the Pharisees for accusing the woman of adultery.

4. It does not teach that sin does not have consequences. Jesus' mercy did not eliminate the relational and familial consequences of the woman's sin.

5. It does not teach that organized religion is bad. I wish I didn't even have to point that one out.

So... what does it teach? I suppose I'll address that another time...

Understanding Spiritual Formation Conclusion: More You and Less of Me

(previous posts in this series)

Understanding Spiritual Formation: Part One

Understanding Spiritual Formation: Part Two

Understanding Spiritual Formation: Part Three

Understanding Spiritual Formation: Part Four

Understanding Spiritual Formation: Part Five

Understanding Spiritual Formation: Part Six

Understanding Spiritual Formation: Part Seven

One of my favorite bands is a group of guys I met at a musical festival several years ago. They gave me one of their CDs out of the back of their trailer as they rolled out of time. I probably play that CD more than any other CD I own. I don’t even know if they’re still together, but Telecast’s song “More of You” is always a powerful reminder to me of the secret of life. The words of the chorus are simple:

More of You and less of me

Jesus come and be a light in me

Burn like the sun for the world to see

Be glorified

This is the secret of the fruitful life. The more Jesus shines through us, the more He will be glorified. The more Jesus is glorified, the more fruitful our lives will be.

Every time I hear this song, I think of a story about Jesus’ cousin John the Baptist. Many of John’s followers were leaving him to follow Jesus and some felt that maybe John should do something to keep his followers with him. John responded by reminding the people that he had only come to point the way to Jesus. He said, “He must become greater; I must become less.”

Disciplining ourselves spiritually is necessary if we are going to allow our lives to be a channel for more of Jesus and less of us. Spiritual disciplines are regular activities which help us refocus our eyes on Christ and help enable the formative work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Virtually any activity (that isn’t inherently sinful) can serve as a spiritual discipline, if it is done to assist you in the process of focusing more on Jesus and less on yourself. As you consider how you can engage in spiritual disciplines, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, consider beginning with some of the disciplines which have been exercised throughout the history of the church.

One category of spiritual disciplines is disciplines for provision. These are additions to your lifestyle in order to promote more of Jesus in your life. Following are a few disciplines of provision:

• Disciplines of Scripture. God’s Word is to be a light to our path. It should illuminate the direction of our life. Adding Scripture to our daily routine is a powerful way to provide more of Jesus in our life. Ideas for engaging the Bible include reading, studying, meditating, memorizing, or even listening on CD or MP3. Whichever method or methods you choose, the key is consistency.
• Disciplines of Prayer. We never pray enough. Paul encouraged the early Christians to pray continuously. We always have room to pray more. Remembering the purpose of these disciplines is to bring more of Jesus into our lives, we should design our times of prayer to be more focused on Jesus’ agenda than on our own desires and requests.
• Disciplines of Service. When Jesus wanted to demonstrate to his disciples how to truly love one another, he washed their feet. He found a very practical need they had, a need most people wouldn’t have been willing to address; and he took action to meet the need. All around you are people with significant needs just waiting to be met. Being more like Jesus means learning to see others with Jesus’ eyes. Setting aside time on a daily basis to look for and meet other’s needs is a powerful way to have more of Jesus in your life.

A second category of disciplines is disciplines of denial. The first categories of disciplines addressed the need to have more of Jesus. These disciplines are designed to help you have less of yourself.

• Disciplines of Abstinence. The most common type of abstinence for Christians is fasting. Often we equate fasting with going hungry. Certainly, the majority of contexts for fasting are food related. Even hospitals use the term “fast” when they tell you not to eat before a procedure. However, abstaining for a Christian can entail much more than just food. Giving up something of value causes an emptiness and a longing. Sometimes the emptiness is momentary, other times it may be on-going. During these times when we are most acutely aware of the thing we have given up, we are reminded to turn our attention to God, remembering that He desires to have complete control over our lives and that He can fill the emptiness in our lives. Sometimes denying ourselves the pleasures of life can be a powerful reminder of our need for God.
• Disciplines of Silence. Some very devout Christians have taken long term vows of silence as a sign of their devotion to Christ. While their self-denial is certainly admirable, nowhere in the Bible are their suggestions we should never talk. However, I once saw on the side of a Starbucks cup the words, “It is impossible to listen while your mouth is open to talk”. Sometimes less of us means fewer words and more listening. Setting aside a time to simply be quiet and listen for God can be a great time of spiritual growth. These times can be five minutes or five hours, depending on who you are and what your life options provide.
• Disciplines of Sacrifice. Giving away something you love or need is never easy. However, when someone is willing to give away something they love or need for your sake, you are usually moved by their care for you. When we are willing to regularly give our things away so we can make ourselves less, we are opening ourselves to be filled by God. Sacrifice can be financial, material, and emotional. Sacrifice may even be the giving away of our time or our energy.

The fruitful life belongs to those who hear and understand Jesus’ teaching. Jesus taught that those who truly desire to follow him must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow.

Spiritual disciplines provide the opportunity to do just that, to make yourself less so that Jesus can be made more in your life. Remember, don’t discipline yourself for the sake of discipline. Such activity is meaningless repetition. Discover one, two, or three of the disciplines above and go for it with all your energy. Make a new habit which will help you be the new creation!

View All The Posts in This Series

Understanding Spiritual Formation: Part One

Understanding Spiritual Formation: Part Two

Understanding Spiritual Formation: Part Three

Understanding Spiritual Formation: Part Four

Understanding Spiritual Formation: Part Five

Understanding Spiritual Formation: Part Six

Understanding Spiritual Formation: Part Seven

Understanding Spiritual Formation: Conclusion