The Chains are broken part 4Study notes
Freedom from Rage
Fiery, Feisty and Furious?Jesus sets you free!
Anger is a difficult topic for many reasons. When we are exposed to outbursts of violent rage our lives become deeply affected. If we are the furious rage filled person then we are trapped in a prison that keeps us from experiencing the depths of relationship and service that we are created to have. Our fiery outbursts cause great destruction around about us and many times we lose all that is precious to us. Jesus sets us free even from Rage. Let’s examine anger from the ground up;
- Anger can be positive
Read Mark 3:1-5
- What was the attitude of the Pharisees toward the man with the shrivelled arm?
- Contrast this to Jesus attitude
- What led Jesus to “ look around in anger?”
-Greek anger word = “orgae” meaning to have an internal settled opposition toward something or someone.
- How can anger be a positive dimension in our lives?
- think of injustice in the world and what is needed to do something about it
- Anger must be resolved rapidly
Read Ephesians 4:26 and Psalm 4:4
- What is the connection between anger and sin?
- Why must we let go of it rapidly?
- Researchers found that in the two hours immediately after feeling angry, a person’s risk of aheart attackincreased nearly fivefold (by 4.74 times), and the risk ofstrokeincreased more than threefold (by 3.62 times).Heart Matters magazine.March 4 2014.
- To give the devil a foothold means to permit the activity of demons in our lives
- We give them a chance to oppress us with their taunts and suggestionscausing us to be more inclined to act on our anger
Psalm 37:8 is a related passage
- What are we encouraged to make sure we do not do?
- When anger becomes rage
Thumos is a second Greek “anger word” and is translated wrath for God and often rage for humans. It is the idea of anger being poured out or acted upon. In the case of human beings in an uncontrolled and explosive manner.
Read Luke 4:28
- Describe the events leading up to this rage filled incident
- What led to the rage of people in Jesus home town?
- How did Jesus handle the rage?
- What are the common effects of rage filled outbursts in our world?
- Is this something you either are trapped in or frequently are exposed to?
- Freedom from fiery outbursts
Read 2 Corinthians 5:17
- If you are a new creation are you determined by what the word of God says or by your own actions?
- Learning to live out of our new identity ( the real me) is only by Faith in what Christ says. We are no longer a fiery, feisty or furious individual we are holy and pure and righteous. When we fail to live accordingly we are not being true to who we have been declared to be in Christ. We only need confess our failure to live out of the new creation and by faith accept our true identity.
- So… when a “Fight or Flight” experience presents itself next we have a third option and that is FAITH!
- Jesus will deliver you if you call upon his name and know who you are in Him.
- Faith gives us the victory by which we overcome the world
- Push into Jesus by FAITH knowing who you now are.