The Victory Is Ours

I’ve seen it numerous times in football games when the winning team has the ball at the end of the game: the victory formation. When they do this, they are saying to the other team the victory is ours. This will only happen when the time is running out and they are ahead by a certain number of points where they can ensure the win is theirs.

Did you know that we as Christians are in victory formation right now? We’ve looked at our enemy on the Dark Side. The Bible has told us all we need to know about our opponent. We’ve looked at the Lord’s Side. The Bible tells us this is the side we want to be on. As people who belong to the Lord’s Side, we know that we can claim victory because of what Jesus Christ has done for us. The Scripture we previously looked at in Revelation about the war in heaven says those in the kingdom “overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony…” (12:11). The victory is ours, but we need to talk about some aspects of this victory according to Scripture.

The Victory Is Planned

Nobody is going to go into a game, war, competition, etc., without some kind of plan. It has been said that to fail to plan is to plan to fail. I remember watching The A-Team on television many years ago. One of the characters named Hannibal was notorious for saying “I love it when a plan comes together” (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084967/quotes). Those who want victory in anything have to plan for it.

God planned for our victory by putting a sacrificial plan in place. This was not a reactionary plan, but it was a pre-actionary plan. Consider what the Bible says. “For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you” (1 Pet. 1:20). “…He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world…” (Eph. 1:4). God enacted this before sin even entered the world. He knew what would happen, so He arranged for this ultimate sacrifice.

The concept of sacrifice implies that something must be given up. When Araunah tried to provide King David with everything he needed to build an altar and sacrifice to the Lord, David replied “’…No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing’” (2 Sam. 24:24). When God was giving Moses the instructions for the institution of the Passover, it was required there be a spotless lamb for the offering (Ex. 12:5). We know that the sacrificial lamb to take away the sins of the world was Jesus, the Son of God (Jn. 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7). This was the plan of God.

The Victory Is Pledged

When someone goes to buy a piece of property, there is something called earnest money that must be given. It is a down payment, a promise that lets the one who is selling the property know that you are intending to buy the property. By giving this earnest money to the seller, the buyer is making a pledge to fulfill the purchase of the property. It is a guarantee. You might remember watching the cooking show with the Cajun chef, Justin Wilson, where you would hear him utter the phrase “’I gar-on-tee’” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Wilson_%28chef%29).

Christians have been given a guarantee by God. Consider what Paul says: “…you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:13-14). God’s Spirit is given to us as a pledge that we will have the inheritance in Heaven. One of the aspects of the Holy Spirit is God’s guarantee that He will fulfill His promise.

The Holy Spirit is a much debated part of our lives. I want to go by what the Bible says about the Spirit. Some go to the extremes by saying the Spirit indwells only through the Word and others by saying the Spirit spoke to me and still works miracles today. Here’s what the Bible says: 1) It indwells us (1 Cor. 6:19; Rom. 8:9ff); 2) It works through the Scripture (Eph. 6:17); 3) It works through prayer (Eph. 6:18; Rom. 8:26); 4) It bears witness with our spirit (Rom. 8:16); 5) The Spirit cries from our hearts “Abba! Father!” (Gal. 4:6); 6) The Spirit is a seal from God (Eph. 1:13); 7) The Spirit is the pledge of our inheritance (Eph. 1:14). This is by no means an exhaustive list, but I simply wanted to show that many times we devalue and de-emphasize the role of the Spirit in our lives. Let us be a people who follow what the Scripture says about God’s Spirit and understand that this pledge we have from God is active in our lives to help us understand our victory.

The Victory Is Protected

Outside of a Buddhist temple in Malaysia you will find a statue called the Panca-Rupa. It combines parts of different animals that it supposedly uses to be the protector of the world (http://encircleworldphotos.photoshelter.com/image/I00007ynLLVOR2d4). We know that is nonsense, and we have protection from something much greater than a funny-looking animal combination. We have the ultimate protection plan put in place by God. Peter says:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Pet. 1:3-5).

Our inheritance is protected more than the gold at Fort Knox! Nobody is going to take what we have through Jesus Christ our Lord. The Dark Side is powerful, but Christians who display their faith in God are protected by His power. The only way to be seduced by the Dark Side is if we turn aside on our own, like Judas (Acts 1:25). This protection is not the same thing that is promoted by Calvinism, which is referred to as the perseverance of the saints. Once saved always saved is a flawed principle, as Scripture tells us it is possible to fall from grace and lose our salvation. Without covering all of that right now, let’s return to the protection. Peter says it is through faith that we receive this protection. We can ensure that we are receiving God’s protection if we are faithful children of His. 

We have the victory over Satan if we will uphold our faith in Him.

Those of us who are on the Lord’s Side can go ahead and claim victory. The Apostle John writes “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 Jn. 5:13). Are you one who knows you have the victory this morning? If you know you are saved, you know you are victorious. The victory is ours.

The Lord's Side

In the wake of the whole event with the golden calf in Exodus 32, Moses sees that the people are out of control. This was the backdrop for our reading this morning, where we saw Moses say “Who is on the Lord’s side? Let him come unto me!” (26). We learn that the sons of Levi were the ones who gathered on the Lord’s side, and at the instructions of Moses they proceeded to kill about three thousand men that day (28). Are you on the Lord’s side? We studied last week about the dark side, examining from the Scripture about Satan who is leading the forces of darkness (Eph. 6:12). Today let us examine the right side, the Lord’s side, in contrast to the dark side.

The first principle I want to mention is that you have an option.

We get to pick which team we’re on. This is not the NFL draft where a team picks you. In Joshua 24:15 Joshua gave the people a choice to serve the Lord or the gods of their fathers and of the Amorites. In 1 Kings 18:21 Elijah told the prophets of Baal: “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, follow him.” The choice to follow God is ours; nobody else can make this decision for us. It is a personal choice.

Don’t make the wrong choice. If you recall the scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade at the end of the movie when Elsa made her choice by picking the wrong cup for Walter Donovan to drink from, leading to his death. The Grail Knight responded by saying “he chose poorly” (http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0245517/quotes). Life is full of choices, as George Jones sang about several years ago. Sometimes it seems confusing which way to go. Dorothy came to a fork in the yellow brick road when the scarecrow first appears. She had a choice to make, and the scarecrow tried to help her out. He said “pardon me, that way is a very nice way…it’s pleasant down that way, too…of course people do go both ways” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yejtZgzB5Ik).

When it comes to the dark side and the Lord’s side, you can’t go both ways. Make sure you choose the right option by aligning yourself on the Lord’s side. It’s your option; choose wisely.

The second principle I want to mention is you have an opportunity. 

Look at this as the offensive side of things. Many people are watching basketball right now, commonly referred to as March Madness. They hear those terms offense and defense. Think about the Lord’s people being on offense with the things we can be proactive in regarding our Christianity. We get the opportunity to do good (Acts 10:38); to be servants (Jn. 13:14); to let our lights shine (Mt. 5:16); to teach others about the Lord (Mk. 5:19).

The other night I was listening to the Vanderbilt and Tennessee basketball game in the SEC tournament. Tennessee was being passive and letting Vanderbilt control what happened with the game. Tennessee went on to come from behind and defeat Vanderbilt because they stopped being passive and went on the offensive. Christianity is not for passive people. If you are letting the dark side dictate what happens in your life, you are going to fail.

Princess Anna sang with Hans in the movie Frozen Love is an Open Door. When those doors open, you have to go through them. In life we have open doors. If you are passive, you choose not to go through them. In Revelation 3:8 the Lord had put an open door before the Philadelphia congregation. This was some type of golden opportunity, but they were going to have to take advantage of it. Those on the Lord’s side need to take advantage of these opportunities.

The third and final principle I want to mention in conjunction with being on the Lord’s side is the fact that you have an opponent.

Look at this as the defensive side of things. With all of the things pertaining to the dark side we looked at last week, we need to understand that we as Christians need to know our opponent. In the sports world, it is understood that before you play your opponent, you must know your opponent to have the advantage.

In a post game press conference where coach Denny Green was questioned about the greatness of the other team, he said “they are who we thought they were” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWmQbk5h86w). We need to know our opponent, Satan. Sometimes we will be on the offensive as Christians, but sometimes we’re going to be on the defensive. These are the times that Satan comes against us. Don’t let Satan block us from our goal. In basketball defenders will try to block your shot and keep you from the goal. You must play defense as well to keep them from scoring. We can do this by taking up the full armor of God. Paul says:

Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Eph. 6:14-17).

Christians need to stand up against the devil when he comes against us. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (Jas. 4:7). Our bodies are even equipped with certain defense mechanisms to protect us from certain harmful things. How much more should the body of Christ need to be on defense against the devil?

In Numbers 16 we have the account of Korah, a man who rallied 250 men to rise up with him against Moses, and in so doing they in the words of Moses were “…gathered together against the Lord” (11). These who were found going against the Lord were swallowed alive when the ground opened up taking them to Sheol. They were not on the Lord’s side, and we can read about their fate.

Which side will you pick? Proverbs 16:25 says “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” This morning don’t be caught on the other side from the Lord, for there are eternal consequences at stake. Abraham Lincoln once said “I know that the Lord is always on the side of the right, but it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord’s side” (https://www.haikudeck.com/the-lords-side-uncategorized-presentation-AjQI2BrDLP#slide-8). As we sing at times, “who will follow Jesus, who will make reply, I am on the Lord’s side, Master here am I” (http://www.hymnlyrics.org/lyricsw/who_will_follow_jesus.html).

The Dark Side

Those who are Star Wars junkies understand the phrase “The Dark Side.” The character named Darth Vader was second in command to the Emperor for the evil Galactic Empire who were in opposition to the rebel forces. There was a time when Luke Skywalker, the one who would eventually lead the rebels against the empire, chose to leave his Jedi training so he could go rescue his friends and face Darth Vader. Obi-Wan Kenobi, knowing Luke’s Jedi training wasn’t complete, said “This is a dangerous time for you, when you will be tempted by the dark side of the Force” (http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0000273/quotes). The Star Wars story is great and has captivated many for years. With the next installment in the series coming out on the big screen this coming December, the love for Star Wars has been rekindled and the force has been awakened.

Christians understand there is a real battle of good and evil out there, and we are smack dab in the middle of it. Darth Vader is not the opponent we are fighting; Satan is our opposer. Let us never forget that Satan is real, and there will be many encounters we will be faced with in our lives. With this in mind, let us go back to Scripture to make sure we are talking about him as a reality.

Satan’s Dawning

Many have asked over the years if Satan is a created being. The answer is yes. The only being in Scripture we read about who doesn’t have an origin is God. By that I mean the deity: the Father, the Word (Son) and His Spirit. The Apostle Paul tells us in speaking of God’s Son: “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created by Him and for Him” (Col. 1:16). Since God made everything, Satan is included in that number.

Satan is included among the angels as we look at Scripture. When the earth was created, the morning stars sang and the sons of God shouted for joy (Job 38:7). Jesus talks about the devil and his angels in Mt. 25:41. In Ezek. 28:14 there is a condemnation against the King of Tyre, where Satan is also referenced as “the anointed cherub.” In the first two chapters of the book of Job, Satan was among the sons of God. Angels were created beings, but they were present at the creation of the world. Therefore, Satan would have been included in that number.

Satan’s Downfall

Satan was created perfect. Go back with me to the Scripture in Ezekiel 28 and let’s examine verses 11-19:

Again the word of the Lord came to me saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God, you had the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; the lapis lazuli, the turquoise, and the emerald; and the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, was in you. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were the anointed cherub who covers, and I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked in the midst of the stones of fire. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you. By the abundance of your trade you were internally filled with violence, and you sinned; therefore I have cast you as profane from the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, o covering Cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; your corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, that they may see you. By the multitude of your iniquities I, in the unrighteousness of your trade, you profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you; it has consumed you, and I have turned you to ashes on the earth in the eyes of all who see you. All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have become terrified, and you will be no more.

Contextually this was against the King of Tyre, but when you examine what is listed much of this is directly applied to the power behind the King of Tyre: Satan himself. The King of Tyre was not perfect; he was not in Eden; he was not on the holy mountain of God. The imagery used in this chapter gives us some of the details behind what happened with Satan that caused his downfall. He was created perfect. In Genesis 1:31 after God was done creating on day six, He said it was very good. This statement included Satan, and we know at this point his downfall wouldn’t have happened yet.

However, when unrighteousness was found in him, he was cast down. Think about what we know from Scripture and put the big picture together. In Rev. 12:7-9 the dragon and his angels waged war in Heaven against Michael and his angels. The great dragon, the serpent of old, Satan was cast out of Heaven along with his angels. In 1 Tim. 3:6, one of the qualifications of an elder is someone who is not a new convert. The reason for this is so they will not become conceited and incur the condemnation of the devil. We learn a bit about the sentence prepared for these angels. In the judgment scene in Mt. 25:41, Jesus talks about the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. In 2 Pet. 2:4 we are told the angels who sinned were cast into hell and committed to pits of darkness reserved for judgment. In Jude 6 we learn that the angels who didn’t keep their own domain abandoned their proper abode and are kept by the Lord in eternal bonds under darkness for judgment day. After the seventy that Jesus had sent out returned and reported that the demons were subject to them in His name, Jesus talks about watching Satan fall from Heaven like lightning (Lk. 10:18). This had contextual reference to what they were able to do, but it seems there is also a reference to Satan’s fall from Heaven. In Is. 14:12 we read that the star of the morning and son of the dawn fell from heaven, cut down to the earth.

Putting it all together, Satan was an angel who became conceited and rebelled against God. He was cast out of Heaven along with those who chose to follow him. His eternal fate is sealed. He was not strong enough to defeat God, much less His angels. Therefore, having received the eternal sentence in Hell, he is waging war against those who are made in the image of God. How does he do this?

Satan’s Devices

Willard Collins used to talk about the three bullets of Satan from 1 Jn. 2:16: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” Paul said of Satan to the church at Corinth: “…we are not ignorant of his schemes” (2 Cor. 2:11). We know from Scripture that Satan is described in many different ways and he employs many different devices in trying to take us down to Hell with him.

He is the tempter (Mt. 4:3). He is the dragon who deceives the whole world (Rev. 12:9). He is the ruler of this world (Jn. 12:31). He is the prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2). He is the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4). He is a murderer and the father of lies (Jn. 8:44). He is the accuser (Zech. 3:1).

The name Satan means an adversary (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/satanas.html). The word devil means slanderer (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/diabolos.html). Interestingly enough, this word in Greek is where we get our English word diabolical (https://answersingenesis.org/angels-and-demons/satan/what-about-satan-and-the-origin-of-evil/). I was doing some searching on the internet around this word diabolical, and I ran across a quote from the book The Princess Bride. This quote was left out of the movie, and it’s a shame. The character Vizzini in explaining to the man in black how smart he is speaks of himself in such a manner that we can see the following characteristics in someone much more sinister:

There are no words to contain all my wisdom. I am so cunning, crafty and clever, so filled with deceit, guile and chicanery, such a knave, so shrewd, cagey as well as calculating, as diabolical as I am vulpine, as tricky as I am trustworthy…I am the slickest, sleekest, sliest, and wiliest fellow who has yet come down the pike (https://books.google.com/books?id=5eAwAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA175&lpg=PA175&dq=there+are+no+words+to+contain+all+my+wisdom&source=bl&ots=mOBcqCXTNL&sig=grN_u2XPQoViOw6traGzOqVysHc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=tAT7VKbSG4uZgwSqwYGgAw&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=there%20are%20no%20words%20to%20contain%20all%20my%20wisdom&f=false).

From what we know about Satan, this fits the bill. He has all kinds of tricks in his bag as he attempts to lure us away from God who are Christians, but he also tries to keep people away from God who are not His yet. There are some myths about how Satan operates. First, it is a myth that the devil makes you sin. You’ve heard the phrase “the devil made me do it.” We can even see that in the Garden of Eden when Eve pointed at the serpent.  James tells us that we are enticed by our lusts, and the conception of such leads us to sin (1:14-15). The devil doesn’t make us do anything; we do that ourselves. Second, it is a myth that you can defeat the devil alone. Yoda told Luke about the only way to defeat the dark side of the force: "Only a fully trained Jedi Knight, with the Force as his ally, will conquer Vader and his Emperor" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080684/quotes). We are only able to resist the devil if we take up the full armor of God (Eph. 6:13).

Satan is going to do everything in his power to align us with him, away from God. The Emperor and Darth Vader tried to pull Luke Skywalker over to the Dark Side, but they were unsuccessful. That was fictitious. What we’re talking about this morning is real. Paul says "...our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12) The devil wants you to go to Hell with him. This morning if you are not a Christian, you are on the Dark Side. You need to become a child of God before your eternal sentence is sealed away from the presence of God paying the penalty of destruction (2 Thess. 1:8-9). You can make sure you are on the Lord’s side by repenting of your sins, confessing Jesus as the Son of God, and being baptized to have your sins washed away. If you haven’t been baptized into Christ, you are without the continual cleansing of the blood of Christ (1 Jn. 1:7; 1 Pet. 3:21). Why not take action now to make sure you are walking in the light rather than walking in darkness?

Be a Microwave and a Crock Pot

If you stop and think about it, every kitchen appliance you own has its own unique characteristics and purpose for your kitchen. That being said, some of them operate at different speeds. Take for instance the microwave and the crock pot. The microwave is designed to heat foods quickly, taking less of our precious time so we don’t have to spend it waiting on the oven. The crock pot on the other hand is designed to cook food slowly so food will be tender. You can put something in the crock pot and leave it while you’re working and not touch it until you’re ready to eat that night. Both of these appliances have a purpose in your kitchen. In these instances, it’s good to be quick and slow.

Did you know Christianity was like that? In the book of James we read: “…let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God” (Jas. 1:19-20). This morning the title of the sermon is “Be a Microwave and a Crock Pot.” Let us examine the need for Christians to apply these principles to our lives and see how we can be a microwave and a crock pot when it comes to listening, speaking and anger.

First, we need to be quick to hear.

Remember the story of Little Red Riding Hood? Fast forward to the part where Grandma has gone to gather cresses from the brook, so the wolf dressed up like Grandma and hopped in the bed. Little Red Riding Hood walks in and comments about the wolf’s big ears. The wolf replies “the better to hear you, my dear, the better to hear you” (Grimm 21). The Disney elephant, Dumbo got made fun of because of his big ears until people realized he could fly. Sometimes big ears are an asset.

They are definitely an asset for Christians. I’m not talking about having big, physical ears. Christians need to be a listening people. You learn more when you listen to others. The writer of Proverbs tells us that giving an answer before you hear is folly and shame (Prov. 18:13). I know I’m guilty of this many times, and you might can relate to this. Often I find myself listening to someone else talk, only to want to proceed with what I want to tell them. By doing this, I have already turned off my listeners. Elsewhere the preacher would say “make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding” (Prov. 2:2). If we want to be understanding, we need to be listening.

Marriage classes and counselors will often stress the importance of practicing active listening. Instead of having someone talk to you where you simply nod your head in response, they want to know you are listening. Active listening includes finding ways to let the person who’s doing the talking know you are listening with statements from you such as “so what you’re saying is…” and sometimes maybe just throwing in a word or two to acknowledge what they are saying. Let’s make sure we are listening so we can understand what others are saying. Christians need to be quick to hear.

Second, we need to be slow to speak.

A long time ago I used to go by on Friday afternoons and play Skip Bo with some of the residents at Poplar Estates. An older sister in Christ named Hae Gentry was someone who said very little. As I enjoyed going mostly for the social interaction, I was still trying to learn the game. An observation I made was that Hae was winning most every hand of cards we played. I asked after one game why she won so much. She laughed at me and said “You talk too much. Be quiet and pay attention more!” That was a reminder to me that sometimes we can run our mouths too much.

Christians need to be slow to speak. Sometimes you’ve heard of putting the cart before the horse? Sometimes our mouths are running faster than our brains, and that will get us into trouble. One of the problems with speaking quickly includes saying things we don’t mean. If you are slow to speak you are more apt to say what you mean and mean what you say. Another of the problems of speaking quickly is saying words untimely. Timing is everything, especially with speech. Solomon said “Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances” (Prov. 25:11). If we will think before we speak, we can avoid many pitfalls of the tongue. “The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things” (Prov. 15:28).

Consider some other words from ancient wisdom found in Guy N. Woods commentary on James:

• "Speech is silver; silence is golden"
• "The ears are always open, ever ready to receive instruction; but the tongue is surrounded with a double row of teeth, to hedge it in and to keep it within proper bounds”
• Xenocrates said “I have sometimes had occasion to regret that I have spoken, never that I was silent”…”talk little, and work much”
• Socrates once was approached by a young man who wanted to be taught oratory and after the young man kept rattling off at the mouth Socrates said he would charge the young man double. When the young man asked why, Socrates said “I shall have to teach you two sciences; first, how to hold your tongue, and second, how to use it” (Woods 75)

There is wisdom in restraining what we say as we can avoid many transgressions by doing so (Prov. 10:19). Also consider that “The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; the one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin” (Prov. 13:3). Some people in life and even in the church are like the largemouth bass. They never seem to understand when to keep their mouths shut. Don’t be the kind of person who is known in the congregation as the largemouth bass. Be slow to speak. We’ve got two ears and one tongue. It may be there is a reason for that, use your ears more than your mouth. Be slow to speak.

Third, be slow to anger.

Remember the television show  The Incredible Hulk? Dr. David Banner was the character played by Bill Bixby who would turn into a green muscle-maxed creature when angered or outraged, caused by an overdose of gamma radiation. A reporter named Jack McGee is constantly trying to get to the bottom of what’s going on. Dr. Banner tells Mr. McGee “don’t make me angry; you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQsJtkk-NGQ)

Anger is an emotion that we all feel at some point, but it needs to be kept in check. It can be a good thing. Remember when Jesus cleansed the temple with the scourge of cords because the moneychangers had turned it into a den of thieves (Jn. 2:14ff)? The Apostle Paul says in quoting Psalms 4:4 “be angry, and yet do not sin…” (Eph. 4:26). There is such a thing as righteous indignation that can be used in a proper way. However, there are times anger can be a bad thing. From our text today, we read “…the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God” (Jas. 1:20). When people get angry, they have a tendency to lose their common sense. Their judgment is blurred. They do things they wouldn’t normally do. One proverb says “…he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding” (Prov. 17:27).

One of the qualifications of an elder in Titus 1:7 is “…not quick-tempered.” There is much good about a person who has a long fuse. Don’t be someone with a hair-trigger of a temper. I was by Gateway Tire and Service Center the other day and the movie 55 Days at Peking with Charlton Heston was on the TV. There was a scene in the movie where a long fuse had been set to blow up an artillery bunker. I don’t remember why, but there was a need to stop the fuse. Those who attempted to do so were able because the fuse was long. It could be put out before there was an explosion. We need more people with long fuses where they can be put out before there are explosions of anger. Are there reasons for anger? Certainly. However, keep in mind what Benjamin Franklin said: “Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one.”

So, this morning when it comes to hearing and listening some of you are microwaves. You don’t want to be a slow listener; be attentive and receptive with your ears to be a quick hearer. When it comes to speaking, be a crock pot. Don’t shoot off at the mouth. Be slow to speak. When it comes to anger, be a crock pot. Don’t have a quick fuse. Certain things in the kitchen are better when they’re faster: boiling water, toaster ovens, microwaves. Our speech and anger should not be like these. When you cook meat in the crock pot, it’s tender and savory. People who are slow to speak and slow to anger are this way. The presentation is more savory to those who are on the receiving end. Be a microwave and a crock pot. Let’s make sure we are trying to achieve the righteousness of God.