Spiritual Maturity #14

A. We are talking about spiritual maturity. Last time we talked about spiritual maturity and it’s
relationship to anger. We saw that there are different kinds of anger. Right kind of anger and a
wrong kind of anger. Controlled anger and uncontrolled anger.
1. Eph. 4:26-27. Anger is a God-given emotion. Jesus, Himself, expressed anger telling us that there is a good anger and an anger that can be sinful.
1. Question? When is anger justified? When is it ok to be angry? When is it right to be angry? Eccl. 3:1, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” There is also a time to be angry. It is possible to be angry and not sin. That tells us there is such a thing as a righteous anger and an unrighteous, sinful anger.
(A) What we need to do is search God’s Word and find out the difference. Our deepest desire is
to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, strength. God’s Word tells us how to do that. It
Tells us how to be angry without sinning.
(1) When is anger justified? When is it right to be angry? When you see God’s Word,
and will being deliberately violated, abused. That is a time to be angry. Matt. 11:15-
18, shows us Jesus’ example. The leaders were taking advantage of God’s people, using God’s Temple for personal gain. Merchandising religion.
1. Exod. 32:19-20. They literally got a belly full. That was an expression of God’s fierce anger against sin among His people. It is not to be tolerated.
2. 1 Kgs. 11:4-11. When people openly, willfully disobey God’s Word, when you see one who claims to be a child of God, making God look foolish in the eyes of the world. It’s time to get angry.
3. Would you stand by and let someone slander your father, mother, brother or sister and not become angry? Not allow anyone to use name of your father, mother like a two-bit curse word. Just smile when you hear them slander your heavenly Father’s name like that.
(2) Not to be angry unto sin. What about being the cause of anger that leads unto sin? Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21. Want to see the wrong kind of anger, rebellion fill your child’s heart? Just Live your life as a hypocrite before your family.
1. The quickest to make your children angry unto sin is be a “Do as I say and not as I do,” Parent. Husband who quotes scripture and demands that his wife be in subjection. Brother in New Mexico came to me, “You have to go talk to my wife. She refuses to do what the Bible says, she won’t be in subjection to me and do what I tell her to do.”
2. Eph. 5:22-24. That’s God’s chain of command and she won’t follow it. What about the rest of the Scripture? Vs. 25-29, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her (How did Christ love the church? He put her first before anything else, including Himself) .......In the same way, husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.” (Your wife comes first, before your own interest, your hobbies, buddies, beer hunting trips, good times and everything you want to do). God speaks to both husband and wife in, 1 Pet. 3:1-7.
2. 1 Cor. 11:3. If Christ is your head why are you not following the chain of command you force on your wife? It’s stupid to demand that your wife follow god’s law and think you can Ignore that same law and chain of command for yourself. You’re a fool and a hypocrite.
(1) When you’re a hypocrite your family knows it. Your hypocrisy causes them to away from God. Whatever you do, don’t drive your family to anger, frustration, rebellion. They will loose their souls and God will hold you responsible.

1. Men, notice your responsibility, Eph. 5:25?27. God holds you responsible for being the spiritual leader in your household. You had better get your act together. Teach your wife, children not just about God, but also how to love God and His Word and how to walk in that Word. Be their living example!
2. Eph. 6:1-4. You had better get to know God’s Word so you can teach you family. You cannot teach them what you don’t know. When they go out into the world without a solid Bible foundation and without a good parental example, they will probably leave the church and be lost. You’ll loose your soul right along with them.
(2) Let me bring this lesson to a close with some words from God’s Holy Bible.
1. Prov. 19:11. Act wisely. Rom. 12:18. Teach your children the ways of God with love and gentleness. Lead your wife with great care to the Lord by your Godly example.
2. Eph. 4:26-27. Never leave anger on the back burner to seethe and boil and blow the lid off. Know and understand God’s Word. Listen to God, obey God and He will bless your life. When you grow to spiritual maturity, your family will grow with you. That’s your obligation as a husband and father.
3. Vs. 31-32.
4. Acts 20:32.

Spur - 12/22/02 am